Oh Doris I can't imagine the disappointment - BUT other cruises in your future! I so wanted to do your 3 segment WC!!! Not in the cards for us- and I, too, love the Voyager - that's ok you know the saying one door closes - Joanna

Joanna, We really have only wonderful things to look forward to, I have no right to complain. The move to a new life as an ocean front condo dweller, cruises already booked etc.....BUT I am still feeling the disappointment of missing this cruise. We have been soo looking forward to it. Oh well, there is always next year. As long as we have each other and our health, nothing else should matter, right?

"As long as we have each other and our health, nothing else should matter, right?"

That's what they say Doris and as I get older it really is the truth - without health and your partner what is there??? XXXOOO Joanna

Sorry you are missing WC segments. Those were the ones I liked. Alas, no WC segements for us in 2007, either. You've got the right attitude, Doris. I hope you'll soon be in a new home and ready to sail away!

Donna, It looks like we will have to travel along with Marcie as she writes her fabulous journal again for this years WC. Thanks for your kind thoughts

Re: 2 night Safari at Mateya/Madikwe Hills on the World Cruise

Tom has been following the RAND very closely and decided to go ahead an pay for the WC safari in full. The Rand is at the highest it's been all year (our rate was 7.75, much better than the 6 it was at). Of course the choice to pay or wait and see where the Rand is going is an individual choice so I guess time will tell if we made the right decision.

Just incase there are new LCT members on segment 1 or 2 of the World Cruise who don't know anything about the safari, email me and I'll forward all the information to you (also there's information on this thread if you scroll up).

Ngaire was going to be meeting Andrew, our escort, during her TUSK trip so anxious to hear all about him.

The Brazilian Visa application stuff is up on the ZVS website for the first leg of the WC. I bugged them yesterday and it appeared this morning.

Doug, Our Brazil Visa we got for last year's SA trip is good for 5 years. Did you check your expiration? (I know you started in Buenos Aires last year but thinking you were in Brazil on a previous trip).

Yes, the expensive Brazilian visa is good for five years but if you are like us & your passport expires before the visa does, you have to pay over again.

Marcie; Last time in Brazil for me was over 50 years ago and for Lynn @ 40 years. Didn't need Visas then. Normally, I'd stay away from Brazil, but the cruise gets us where we want to go; ie, SA, so we have to pay the piper. It truly galls me though. After I posted above I talked to Jennifer at B&K and they will be sending everybody the correct paperwork. She's doing it alphabetically, but should have it all out by the end of the week. For the 2005 WC legs and the India Visa I downloaded the application and sent it in only to then get the package and from B&K, including the addressed FEDEX envelope.

All of the Visa stuff arrived this A.M. from Jennifer at B&K. It was on FEDEX headed for Zierer this afternoon. Now all we have to do is pack and go, assuming no problems with ZVS.

It won't be long now Doug! We sent away for our China visa via ZVS. Hoping to get our passports back today!

ZVS sent us a message that it was too early and they would hold our passports and process everything on November 13th.

Ardia, We got an email saying our passports had shipped and scheduled to be delivered via FedEx TODAY. Maybe because we only needed the China Visa and not the Brazil visa. ??

That is very possible. We had gotten new passports since our last Brazil visit so we had to get that, too.

Fed Ex just delivered passports with Chinese visa....Now we just wait.

What great waiting Marcie - I will miss some of the wonderful people we met, through you, on WC 2005 and SA!! What a reunion!!

Marcie, You take the most wonderful voyages and a great way to spend your winters. I aspire to be you.

Happy sailings, Jackie

Marcie, Please send your wonderful seamail, I'm still hurting from having to cancel :mecry: :mecry: and we all sooo enjoy traveling along with you, thanks

Marcie, I can't wait for your seamail to begin. It's always so much fun to read. How I envy your itinerary!

Thanks guys and I will send seamail, promise! Doris, I too am so sad that you had to cancel. Jackie, this will be our last WC now that we have our 1st little Grandchild Nicholas. He's only 4 months old now but who could be away from this precious little guy? He's ready for his first Halloween!

Marcie; I, too, look forward to your sea mail.

I was wondering how on earth you could be gone for months on the WC with a little grandson at home missing you. He is really adorable! :)

What a cutie, Marcie. He has your fun-loving smile!

Yes Marcie's seamail takes the sting out of missing her! Nicky looks like his Mommy - who is adorable!!

Marcie; You might want to check on the validity of your Brazilian Visa. We just got an arrival confirmation from ZVS and they said that they could not process our Visa for Brazil until 11/20, because the duration of the Visa is so short.

Thank Doug for your consideration :)
I checked, ours are 5 year and good till Dec. 2, 2010.

Marcie, Nicholas is adorable. Can't blame you for not wanting to be away from him. Don't forget to bting lots of updated pictures on the WC.

Marcie, thanks for sharing the adorable picture of Nicholas. He's such a cutie.

Nancy

What a cutie, do we have a little girl for him!!!

Thanks guys, he is a cutie! Doris, he only has eyes for Joann's Granddaughter Lucy. He's got good taste!

Elaine, were your ears ringing? We had a nice dinner with Marc & Harry last night while they're in SoCa.

What a honey - like his Grandma!!!!

Marcie,
Nicholas is waaaaaaay cute!!!!!!

Just got some clarification from ZVS re the Brazilian Visas. Regardless of whether the Visa is issued for 5years or 3 months, it becomes invalid if not used within 90 days of the date of issue. That's why they're delaying until Nov.

Wow, Doug. Thank you for all the information. You seem to come up with facts that others have not thought of. By the way, if we choose to take a China trip off the ship, do we need multiple entries on our visa?

Ardis, as long as you're traveling within China your Visa is fine. Should you leave China and then want to return back in again you'll need re-entry. You don't need Chinese visa for Hong Kong so don't count that.

Thank you, Marcie. That was the way we understood it. Stan and I are taking the Chendu trip since we have done the Beijing trip a couple of times. I agree that Xian is essential along with the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. I, personally, found that the Forbidden City was so denuded of everything meaningful that missing it is not a tragedy. To see it does satisfy a curiosity as to the hugeness of it but all art works and furniture are gone.

The US Dept of State just issued a travel warning for Sri Lanka, especially for it's eastern and northern regions because of the conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam and military forces. There have been some clashes in the Colombo area, where the Voyager will be docking on the second segment of the WC. What do you think RSSC would do about this port in a case like this? If the port is skipped, there are a lot of sea days between Maldives and Singapore! Linda & Larry

We will be traveling on HAL's Amsterdam World Cruise, and they cancelled Sri Lanka several months ago, due to the unrest. We are surprised to see that the Voyager is still going there. We have visited Colombo twice in the past 5 years, and enjoyed the port despite the danger.

Bill

Bill: Tell me about Sri Lanka. What did you enjoy about it? Is Colombo a modern city or ancient? What is there to see in the area other than the Temple of the Tooth? Please tell us.

Ardis

Ardis, I loved Colombo; albeit 23 years ago. It was a modern city. I enjoyed the beaches and casinos. The Mt Lavinia Hotel was a great place to stay.

I think Kandy is the only real tourist attraction in the area. I regret that I didn't head up there for the tour. Just like a trip to Ankgor Wat, I think Kandy is one of those places that needs to be experienced.