RE: Thanks Debbie in NJ/ Group Cruise!!!

[Guest guest]

Thanks Debbie…in New Jersey right??? I’m getting you Debbie’s all confused. I know

your not Debbi, but I know there’s another Deb out there too!

Which one are you anyway???? LOL

Well…if anybody is truly interested,

I’m looking into a 3 night Southern

Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas departing January 28, 2005.

Prices start at $298 for an inside

stateroom and $318 for an oceanview stateroom (airfare,

taxes and port charges not included).

The itinerary starts in San , and everyone would be responsible for booking their own airfare. The

itinerary is as follows:

San , Puerto

Rico

Departing at 8pm

Charlotte Amalie, St.

7am-6pm

Philipsburg, St. Maarteen

7am-5pm

San , Puerto

Rico

Disembark

Another itinerary I’m looking at is

a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas departing November 28, 2004

from Galveston, Texas.

This itinerary starts at $509 for an

inside stateroom and $598 for an oceanview. The

itinerary is as follows:

Galveston, Texas

Boarding at 5 pm

At sea

Key West

3pm-11:59pm

town, Grand

Cayman 7am-4pm

Cozumel

9am-6pm

Galveston

8am

These prices do not include group

discounts, as that would depend on the size of the group and I don’t know

who all would be going!

I compared airfares from SFO to San vs. SFO to Galveston, and it was cheaper to fly from SFO to San , Puerto Rico from San

Francisco! I also

think a shorter cruise would be best for us to start with…in case anyone

ends up getting sick!

I also checked out Princess Cruises

because they offer Personal Choice Dining, which means you can choose the time and

the people you’d like to dine with. The cost was much higher on Princess,

so Royal Caribbean was my second choice. I’ll take a look at Carnival

also.

I may book through AAA Travel which is

where I’m doing my internship at the moment. You don’t have to pay

all at once…you can pay in installments and you don’t have to be a AAA member if I book us as a group.

I’m so excited!!! I hope we can all

do this!

If the dates don’t work, there are

other dates available also! It’s far enough in advance so we can start

planning for time off from work and saving up for it. I don’t expect to

be able to find a date that will be good for everyone, but it sure would be a

fun way for us all to get together!!!!

I’ll get some more details tomorrow when

I go in to the office.

In the meantime…save the dates on

your calendars and try to get the time off! (if you

want to go!)

I’m thinking the Southern Caribbean Cruise

in January would be best! Let me know your thoughts! :-)

Sandi

Re: Digest

Number 1445 Congraulations Sandi!

Nice going Sandi, when do we

leave for that cruise?

Debbie... not as close as

!

[Guest guest]

I am TRULY interested! Way to go Sandi! God I need a trip NOW!

Mike

> Thanks Debbie.in New Jersey right??? I'm getting you Debbie's all

> confused. I know your not Debbi, but I know there's another Deb out

> there too!

> Which one are you anyway???? LOL

>

> Well.if anybody is truly interested,

>

> I'm looking into a 3 night Southern Caribbean Cruise on Royal

> Caribbean's Empress of the Seas departing January 28, 2005.

>

> Prices start at $298 for an inside stateroom and $318 for an

oceanview

> stateroom (airfare, taxes and port charges not included).

>

> The itinerary starts in San , and everyone would be

responsible for

> booking their own airfare. The itinerary is as follows:

> * San , Puerto Rico Departing at 8pm

> * Charlotte Amalie, St. 7am-6pm

> * Philipsburg, St. Maarteen 7am-5pm

> * San , Puerto Rico Disembark

>

> Another itinerary I'm looking at is a 7 night Western Caribbean

Cruise

> on Rhapsody of the Seas departing November 28, 2004 from Galveston,

> Texas.

> This itinerary starts at $509 for an inside stateroom and $598 for

an

> oceanview. The itinerary is as follows:

> * Galveston, Texas Boarding at 5 pm

> * At sea

> * Key West 3pm-11:59pm

> * town, Grand Cayman 7am-4pm

> * Cozumel 9am-6pm

> * Galveston 8am

>

> These prices do not include group discounts, as that would depend

on the

> size of the group and I don't know who all would be going!

>

> I compared airfares from SFO to San vs. SFO to Galveston, and

it

> was cheaper to fly from SFO to San , Puerto Rico from San

Francisco!

> I also think a shorter cruise would be best for us to start

with.in case

> anyone ends up getting sick!

>

> I also checked out Princess Cruises because they offer Personal

Choice

> Dining, which means you can choose the time and the people you'd

like to

> dine with. The cost was much higher on Princess, so Royal

Caribbean was

> my second choice. I'll take a look at Carnival also.

>

> I may book through AAA Travel which is where I'm doing my

internship at

> the moment. You don't have to pay all at once.you can pay in

> installments and you don't have to be a AAA member if I book us as

a

> group.

>

> I'm so excited!!! I hope we can all do this!

>

> If the dates don't work, there are other dates available also!

It's far

> enough in advance so we can start planning for time off from work

and

> saving up for it. I don't expect to be able to find a date that

will be

> good for everyone, but it sure would be a fun way for us all to get

> together!!!!

> I'll get some more details tomorrow when I go in to the office.

>

> In the meantime.save the dates on your calendars and try to get

the time

> off! (if you want to go!)

>

> I'm thinking the Southern Caribbean Cruise in January would be

best! Let

> me know your thoughts! :-)

>

> Sandi

>

> Re: Digest Number 1445 Congraulations Sandi!

>

> Nice going Sandi, when do we leave for that cruise?

> Debbie... not as close as !

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Some thoughts on a cruise....

Personally, it's not worth it to me to do a 3-day cruise -- it just makes

me sad that it was ONLY three days and not a week (or more!)

Plus it's hard for me to get away from work (lots of scheduling, prep work

before / catch up work afterwards), so when I get away I want to get AWAY

and forget all that stuff.

As for dates, if it's *just* me, then the Nov. 28th works (provided MIL

will watch the kid!), but it's smack-dab in the end of deer season here in

Michigan, and I don't have a snowball's chance in Cozumel of getting The

Hubster to give up his precious Bambi-slayer time. :oP For that reason,

Oct-Nov-Dec are usually " out " for family vacations -- in October DH is

" scouting " his hunting spots, in November he's trying to kill poor,

defenseless, unarmed animals, and in December he's out of vacation days

because he used them up in Oct. and Nov.! (actually, it's just hard for

him to get off work after having been gone a lot already in November for

hunting season.) Plus around Thanksgiving you have lots of people doing

" family stuff " and holiday shopping and Christmas parties and school

recitals, etc., so that will limit how many people could come then.

January / February are great for cruising, IMO, b/c " spring break " hasn't

started yet, but for those in winter climates, the " blahs " have definitely

settled in. We took a cruise in January 2003 and it was a great antidote

for all our snow. )

Debbi/Deb/the one in Michigan where Jeter graduated but no longer

lives! LMAO

PS -- FWIW, Key West *sucks* for a " Caribbean " port... we didn't even

bother to get off the boat last year! I really don't recommend it to

anyone, unless they have a raging desire to look at Hemingway's house and

a bunch of chickens (about all that's interesting in KW!) The weather

there can be unpredictable, too... the farther south you go, the more

likely you are to get true " tropical " weather.

> Thanks Debbie.in New Jersey right??? I'm getting you Debbie's all

> confused. I know your not Debbi, but I know there's another Deb out

> there too!

> Which one are you anyway???? LOL

>

> Well.if anybody is truly interested,

>

> I'm looking into a 3 night Southern Caribbean Cruise on Royal

> Caribbean's Empress of the Seas departing January 28, 2005.

>

> Prices start at $298 for an inside stateroom and $318 for an oceanview

> stateroom (airfare, taxes and port charges not included).

>

> The itinerary starts in San , and everyone would be responsible for

> booking their own airfare. The itinerary is as follows:

> * San , Puerto Rico Departing at 8pm

> * Charlotte Amalie, St. 7am-6pm

> * Philipsburg, St. Maarteen 7am-5pm

> * San , Puerto Rico Disembark

>

> Another itinerary I'm looking at is a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise

> on Rhapsody of the Seas departing November 28, 2004 from Galveston,

> Texas.

> This itinerary starts at $509 for an inside stateroom and $598 for an

> oceanview. The itinerary is as follows:

> * Galveston, Texas Boarding at 5 pm

> * At sea

> * Key West 3pm-11:59pm

> * town, Grand Cayman 7am-4pm

> * Cozumel 9am-6pm

> * Galveston 8am

>

> These prices do not include group discounts, as that would depend on the

> size of the group and I don't know who all would be going!

>

> I compared airfares from SFO to San vs. SFO to Galveston, and it

> was cheaper to fly from SFO to San , Puerto Rico from San Francisco!

> I also think a shorter cruise would be best for us to start with.in case

> anyone ends up getting sick!

>

> I also checked out Princess Cruises because they offer Personal Choice

> Dining, which means you can choose the time and the people you'd like to

> dine with. The cost was much higher on Princess, so Royal Caribbean was

> my second choice. I'll take a look at Carnival also.

>

> I may book through AAA Travel which is where I'm doing my internship at

> the moment. You don't have to pay all at once.you can pay in

> installments and you don't have to be a AAA member if I book us as a

> group.

>

> I'm so excited!!! I hope we can all do this!

>

> If the dates don't work, there are other dates available also! It's far

> enough in advance so we can start planning for time off from work and

> saving up for it. I don't expect to be able to find a date that will be

> good for everyone, but it sure would be a fun way for us all to get

> together!!!!

> I'll get some more details tomorrow when I go in to the office.

>

> In the meantime.save the dates on your calendars and try to get the time

> off! (if you want to go!)

>

> I'm thinking the Southern Caribbean Cruise in January would be best! Let

> me know your thoughts! :-)

>

> Sandi

[Guest guest]

Hi Debbi,

I was thinking in terms

of cost for the group as a whole, that a 3 day cruise might be more affordable

and more of us could go. I’d hate for anyone to be left behind because

they couldn’t afford the 7 day cruise!

Another thought would be

a post cruise vacation in San , or you and Ted can spend the rest of the

vacation on that little boat out in the British Virgin Islands (or wherever) and

spend the rest of your vacation snorkeling…

I also found a 6 day

cruise departing San on Jan 2, 2005 in case this

is more appealing to everyone...prices starting at $679. for

an interior stateroom and $929 for an oceanview.

I'm hoping to be able to

offer better rates for a group cruise.

Here is the itinerary:

02-Jan San , Puerto Rico 10:00 PM Boarding

03-Jan Philipsburg, St. Maarten 9:00 AM

5:30 PM Tendered

04-Jan St. s, Antigua 7:00 AM

4:00 PM Docked

05-Jan Bridgetown, Barbados 8:00 AM

5:30 PM Docked

06-Jan Castries, St. Lucia 7:00 AM

5:00 PM Docked

07-Jan At

Sea

08-Jan San , Puerto Rico 8:30 AM Departure

I’ll check out prices for Carnival

too!

Sandi

RE: Thanks Debbie in NJ/ Group Cruise!!!

Some thoughts on a cruise....

Personally, it's not worth it to me to do a 3-day cruise -- it just

makes

me sad that it was ONLY three days and not a week (or more!)

Plus it's hard for me to get away from work (lots of scheduling, prep

work

before / catch up work afterwards), so when I get away I want to get

AWAY

and forget all that stuff.

As for dates, if it's *just* me, then the Nov. 28th works (provided MIL

will watch the kid!), but it's smack-dab in the end of deer season here

in

Michigan, and I don't have a snowball's chance in Cozumel of getting

The

Hubster to give up his precious Bambi-slayer time. :oP

For that reason,

Oct-Nov-Dec are usually " out " for family vacations -- in

October DH is

" scouting " his hunting spots, in November he's trying to kill

poor,

defenseless, unarmed animals, and in December he's out of vacation days

because he used them up in Oct. and Nov.! (actually, it's just hard for

him to get off work after having been gone a lot already in November

for

hunting season.) Plus

around Thanksgiving you have lots of people doing

" family stuff " and holiday shopping and Christmas parties and

school

recitals, etc., so that will limit how many people could come then.

January / February are great for cruising, IMO, b/c " spring

break " hasn't

started yet, but for those in winter climates, the " blahs "

have definitely

settled in. We took a

cruise in January 2003 and it was a great antidote

for all our snow. )

Debbi/Deb/the one in Michigan where Jeter graduated but no longer

lives! LMAO

PS -- FWIW, Key West *sucks* for a " Caribbean " port... we

didn't even

bother to get off the boat last year! I really don't recommend it to

anyone, unless they have a raging desire to look at Hemingway's house

and

a bunch of chickens (about all that's interesting in KW!) The weather

there can be unpredictable, too... the farther south you go, the more

likely you are to get true " tropical " weather.

> Thanks Debbie.in New Jersey right??? I'm getting you Debbie's all

> confused. I know your not Debbi, but I know there's another Deb

out

> there too!

> Which one are you anyway???? LOL

>

> Well.if anybody is truly interested,

>

> I'm looking into a 3 night Southern Caribbean Cruise on Royal

> Caribbean's Empress of the Seas departing January 28, 2005.

>

> Prices start at $298 for an inside stateroom and $318 for an

oceanview

> stateroom (airfare, taxes and port charges not included).

>

> The itinerary starts in San , and everyone would be

responsible for

> booking their own airfare. The itinerary is as follows:

> * San ,

Puerto Rico

Departing at 8pm

> * Charlotte

Amalie, St.

7am-6pm

> * Philipsburg,

St. Maarteen

7am-5pm

> * San ,

Puerto Rico

Disembark

>

> Another itinerary I'm looking at is a 7 night Western Caribbean

Cruise

> on Rhapsody of the Seas departing November 28, 2004 from

Galveston,

> Texas.

> This itinerary starts at $509 for an inside stateroom and $598 for

an

> oceanview. The itinerary is as follows:

> * Galveston,

Texas

Boarding at 5 pm

> * At sea

> * Key West

3pm-11:59pm

> * town, Grand

Cayman

7am-4pm

> * Cozumel

9am-6pm

> * Galveston

8am

>

> These prices do not include group discounts, as that would depend

on the

> size of the group and I don't know who all would be going!

>

> I compared airfares from SFO to San vs. SFO to Galveston, and

it

> was cheaper to fly from SFO to San , Puerto Rico from San

Francisco!

> I also think a shorter cruise would be best for us to start

with.in case

> anyone ends up getting sick!

>

> I also checked out Princess Cruises because they offer Personal

Choice

> Dining, which means you can choose the time and the people you'd

like to

> dine with. The cost was much higher on Princess, so Royal

Caribbean was

> my second choice. I'll take a look at Carnival also.

>

> I may book through AAA Travel which is where I'm doing my

internship at

> the moment. You don't have to pay all at once.you can pay in

> installments and you don't have to be a AAA member if I book us as

a

> group.

>

> I'm so excited!!! I hope we can all do this!

>

> If the dates don't work, there are other dates available also!

It's far

> enough in advance so we can start planning for time off from work

and

> saving up for it. I don't expect to be able to find a date that

will be

> good for everyone, but it sure would be a fun way for us all to

get

> together!!!!

> I'll get some more details tomorrow when I go in to the office.

>

> In the meantime.save the dates on your calendars and try to get

the time

> off! (if you want to go!)

>

> I'm thinking the Southern Caribbean Cruise in January would be

best! Let

> me know your thoughts! :-)

>

> Sandi