I leave on Saturday for my pre-pre-Cleo visit with Russ & Susan & am just a little nervous about the ashcloud. I had enough fun with it last year!

I think you are pretty safe, not going through Great Britain? Fingers crossed for all of you!

Oh of course I'm going through LHR since I love my One World alliance, especially since there is a double elite qualifying special going on right now. Yes, fingers crossed the ashcloud drifts away!

We will keep ours crossed for you too Andrea.

Luckily we have a nonstop from IAD to Rome, so hope that will help.

What double elite qualifying special?

Andrea, are you flying to Rome just for dinner?

Why don't some of the rest of you come to Rome for the weekend and dinner on Monday??? :D :D

Lol Marc! No, on FUN we were talking about the pre-Cleo cruise. Russ & Susan said they wanted to do some Rome tours & since I've never really seen Rome I invited myself along. Arlene probably remembers when we were talking about it since she told us about the Scavi tour. I'm going to spend a few days in Florence & Verona first.

JoAnn, AA has a targeted double elite qualifying special for MA residents flying r/t BOS-LHR to compete with Delta. Best thing now is I can fly on BA metal, which is much nicer than AA, & earn AA miles.

Oh its AA, thought it was UA. I like too that we can now fly on BA from IAD to LHR and not have to go thru New York, Boston or Chicago. We are doing Regent air this time around, so are on UA. Thanks for the clarification Andrea.

So CLEOites, only three weeks from Friday and you will be boarding. Can't wait to see everyone.

We are in the last phases of packing. you know, taking stuff out, exchanging stuff for other stuff, trying to decide do we really need that, or worse, yes we need that and that and that.....hey all part of the deal. Actually have it amazingly under control, Frank is in even better shape than me, he is done packing except for one or two last minute laundry items next week. I am the one still switching out and adding, substracting and trying to figure it all out......but cannot wait to get this show on the road.

JoAnn and Frank, Russ and Susan - hope you all have a wonderful cruise pre-CLEO and we'll look forward to seeing you on the 17th!

:bv:

We will be there ready and waiting for you'all.

Bon Voyage CLEOians! I hope you can check in and entertain us! :bv:

JoAnn, WOW, It sounds like Frank is a super packer. I have a lot of respect for someone so organized. You all will have a great trip. Looking forward to reading about your adventures!

Hope you CLEOns have a wonderful time.

Have a great trip! It is such a great itinerary!

That is the cutest pin ever!!!

Since we leave on Friday, thought I would check to see if there are any additions, changes, updates, etc to the Roll Call.

LOL Beth, he is a super packer, but then he's a retired engineer too so that probably explains it.

Hi JoAnn, we have a suite change....we are now in 1010. See you soon!

great, we are in 1002, so just around the corner and expect a big time party in your room!!! Nice! Love those suites, but just didn't want to put out additonal after doing the upgrade on the 7th.

We took the upgrade offer on the June 7 cruise to a PH, and thus she was able to move us to the same cabin on the 17th, so we don't have to switch now.

We are right below you, Kathy - we moved to 916.

See you all soon.

Got it Leslie - I'm sooooo jealous. :p

Can't wait to hear all about this great trip...lots of seamail, Pleeeeeeeze!

Will do Marcie, but we sure wish you and Tom were going with us -- you are after all the one who found this similar cruise and first mentioned it. :app:

It's going to be so strange....it'll seem like the same cruise but so many of you will be missing :mecry:

Leslie, glad you and Brad will be our downstairs neighbors!

It's finally arriving, and this time the ship will MOVE from Athens port! We are really getting excited. I am sooooo ready for CLEO!

Priscilla, you are right, it won't be the same cruise....this one is going to go somewhere!!!

Well agree girls, it will MOVE and more than 500 feet!! If necessary we will push that damn ship out of port ourselves! Might take a lot of wine though. not to mention other stuff :pass: :pass:

It will be different without some of those original couples, but we will make it our own :

Unfortunately, have to remove us from the Roll Call.
A temporary medical issue has caused us to have to cancel.
Everything will be fine, but not in time to do this cruise.

Now you'll all have to just have extra fun for us!

Gil & Arlene.

Sorry to hear this Gil -- glad it sounds like nothing too serious. Take care.

We are on our way. Russ and I had a great lunch with Priscilla and John before heading to DFW.
See everyone in Athens in about 2 weeks.
Let pre-Cleo begin.

Have a wonderful time and we'll see you soon!!!!!

Bon Voyage Cleo'ites! We are with you all in spirit Have a wonderful trip :bv:

Oh yeah Susan!!! And we are out of here tomrrow night non stop to Rome, arrive Sat morning. Can't wait - and as a bonus we get to have dinner on Monday night with Russ, Susan and Andrea.

So CLEO's we will have the ship primed and ready when you'all board on the 17th, and can't wait to see you'all.

Arlene - you have no idea how much we wish you and Marc were going to be with us. And Tom, Marcie, Tony, Joanna, olivia, Steve, Kathy, and oh my gosh I can't remember all who took ROO as a replacement for un-TUT, but all of them too. But we will do our very best to make it memorable for sure!!

ROO was great but will miss ALL of you :mecry: :mecry: :mecry:

Wish I were there, and know you all will have a wonderful time! Looking forward to some pre-cruise fun for Susan and Russ, Priscilla and John and others! We need some excitement around here these days!

I'm at the Parco dei Principe waiting for Russ & Susan to arrive. I've warmed Italy up for them as I've been here since Sunday. I spent a few days in Tuscany & visited Pisa, San Marino & Verona. Tomorrow we are visiting the Vatican, & Sunday/Monday we have a private guide to show us the sites. Looking forward to dinner with Frank & JoAnn on Monday night.

I fly home on Tuesday, but will be back in Rome on the 16th for my cruise on the Royal Caribbean Mariner!

WooHoo...Cleo is finally here! Have a wonderful time all. Thanks for thinking of us left behind.

I bet by now Andrea and Susan and Russ are together and having a grand time. As Susan mentioned, John and I had lunch with her and Russ before they headed to the airport for their overseas flight. It felt as if vacation had started for us too! We will travel with them vicariously for the next two weeks, then board the Mariner TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY! Can't wait.

JoAnn, safe travels to you and Frank, and we'll see you in a couple of weeks!

Arlene, Marcie, Joanna, Olivia -- Can't you somehow stow away and meet us onboard????? That's the one thing that would make this trip more wonderful.

Well.... how big is your suitcase??? :ohmy:

...if only I had a deeper pocket, I would be right there with you! Have almost finished spring fix-ups at my house, now having to pay for them!

Inquiring minds want to know, what is going on pre-cruise with Russ and Susan, Joann and Frank. Andrea in Rome, and another cruise on RCL?

Anyway, everyone have fun, and keep in touch!

Arlene, my suitcase is big enough for you!

Olivia, Susan and Russ and JoAnn and Frank are on the 10-day Rome-Athens cruise before CLEO. I think Andrea has been traveling in Italy on her own and is meeting them in Rome. Don't know about Andrea's cruise.