YaBAAAAAA DaBAAAAAAAA DOOOOOO!!!!!

[kryos]

God, am I stoked!

Did a lot of negotiating at work ...

Successfully juggled blocks of vacation time ...

And ... now,

Just got off the phone with my travel agent. He worked some magic with HAL ... got me a price I could live with ... and now I'm BOOKED! HAL's 30-day Hawaii/South Pacific Islands run commencing on 1-6-2006! This has been my "dream" cruise for quite a while ... and I can't believe things finally worked out for me to take it!

This and Semester at Sea's world cruise ... that's my other "dream cruise," though it will have to wait for a while ... about 15 years or so until I can retire ... but this one on HAL ... it will only have to wait for about a year ... and I'll be counting down the days.

Hope you don't mind my using this forum to shout for joy.

Blue skies ... and hopefully some of you will join me?

--rita

[Tak8]

Congratulations. It sounds awesome. This board is meant to shout for joy and exchange info.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Rita, that is GREAT. Congratulations!!! I know it feels like it is a long way off but it will fly by quickly. We will all CHEER with you.:D

[JaniceB]

Congratulations! The cruise sounds wonderful.

[localady]

Wow! Congrats!:D

Next year while the rest of us are up to our tails in rain and snow, you will be basking in the South Pacific!!
Sounds like heaven to me!!!:cool:

[sail7seas]

Congratulations, Rita. I'm happy for you!!! Hope you have 'the cruise of a lifetime'!!!!!

[DFD1]

WOW! Congratulations, Rita. You can shout all you want. That will be a great cruise.

[doone]

GOOD FOR YOU, that sounds like a great cruise.

[x lindsay x]

Your trip sounds fantastic, add me to the list of people who are jealous that you get to go on such a wonderful trip! I hope these boards are still around at that time so you can tell all of us about your "trip of a lifetime"

p.s.

This and Semester at Sea's world cruise ...


--rita

Did you happen to see MTV's "Roads Rules" when they did a season on the Semester at Sea ship? You think Carnival is crazy? It was full of 20 year olds who were constantly partying, drunk, streaking down the hallways at 3am, etc., which is really a shame because it seems like such a fantastic program.

[kryos]

Did you happen to see MTV's "Roads Rules" when they did a season on the Semester at Sea ship? You think Carnival is crazy? It was full of 20 year olds who were constantly partying, drunk, streaking down the hallways at 3am, etc., which is really a shame because it seems like such a fantastic program.
No, I didn't catch that. However, from what I understand ... I have a whole brochure downloaded in the computer at work ... the adults are sectioned off in a separate area of the ship. They are not "bunked down" with the kids. I would imagine this is probably because the adults may want to drink or smoke in their area of the ship, and the University would not want the kids "exposed" to this?

The thing that appeals to me about this mode of cruising is first of all, the price ... it is very reasonable ... About $20 grand for the full 100-and-something day cruise. Secondly, I like the emphasis that is placed on learning. If I went on a cruise of that length, I would want to emerge from it a changed person ... I would want to be enriched as a result of the experience, by having developed a heightened sensitivity for cultures that are vastly different from mine.

The Semester at Sea program seems to focus on learning, and I guess that is what makes it appeal to me. The adults are encouraged to sit in on classes and to take part in an extensive program of shore excursions that draw from the learning that has taken place in those classrooms. The brochure takes pains to inform prospective travelers that if they are looking for the "traditional cruise ship experience," they would do well to look elsewhere than at Semester at Sea. The ship does not have professional entertainers, nor does it have non-stop mealtimes. There are three squares served each day, cafeteria-style, in one large dining room. Vending machines are available for snacking. Adults can have single cabins, and the supplement is almost non-existant. All adult cabins are outside ones, though I don't believe there are any balcony staterooms on this ship. The school has just acquired a new, more modern ship for its program, so I am not quite sure about this last fact.

But, the opportunities for learning are unlimited on a voyage such as this, so I would hope that would more than make up for any antics that would occur anytime you put a bunch of teenagers together in an enclosed space. :)

In case anyone is interested, I'll post the URL of their website. Since it's not any sort of travel agency ... in fact, it's a non-profit educational effort sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh ... I don't think the Board moderators should be offended.

http://www.semesteratsea.com

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

Did you happen to see MTV's "Roads Rules" when they did a season on the Semester at Sea ship? You think Carnival is crazy? It was full of 20 year olds who were constantly partying, drunk, streaking down the hallways at 3am, etc., which is really a shame because it seems like such a fantastic program.
Just one other comment ...

I knew someone who was a "contestant" on one of those "reality" TV shows.

They are not as reality as one would think. The producers show what they want to show, and plain and simple, they engineer much of what goes on during the tapings.

Much of the film of the students' drunkeness could have very well been filmed at one party that perhaps took place near the start or the end of the cruise. I'm not saying that is definitely what happened, but it very well could be.

It's hard for me to believe that this sort of thing would be a regular occurrence in a program that seems to be as well-supervised as the Semester at Sea one would be. From what I understand, people would kill to get into this program, and the actual college students have criteria they must meet in order to be selected. There are a lot of adults onboard ... not just faculty and staff ... but some of the continuing education participants sign on to work in the program so many hours a day in return for a reduction in their cruise fare.

Road Rules, in my opinion ... is just another one of the crap tv shows that is invading the airways and degrading the quality of tv programming these days. Frankly, I don't believe half of what I see on these reality shows, because I believe 90% of it is engineered by the producers who want to keep the conflict levels up, along with viewer interest. Ever notice how you never see anyone who would be considered "plain" on these shows? The guys are all "hunks" and the girls look like they just stepped out of Vogue. With the possible exception of "Survivor," you rarely see the middle-aged frump, or the kid who was relegated to the sidelines while he was growing up perhaps because he was overweight, or had acne.

No, I won't base my opinion on this Semester at Sea program ... nor really anything ... on what I see on a reality tv show.

Just my humble opinion ...

--rita

[kryos]

Next year while the rest of us are up to our tails in rain and snow, you will be basking in the South Pacific.
Thanks, everyone for the kind wishes. And, ya know ... ya can all join me. From what I understand, the trip is only about 65% booked so far.

Come on ... we could all have a blast together!

Blue skies ...

--rita

[RuthC]

I'm shouting for joy with you!


Congratulations on pulling off the arrangements. Now, are you going to talk about all the plans, and ports, and... until you sail? :confused:
:D Please? :D

[kryos]

I'm shouting for joy with you!


Congratulations on pulling off the arrangements. Now, are you going to talk about all the plans, and ports, and... until you sail? :confused:
:D Please? :D
Sure ... but I have a better idea. Why don't you come along?

Tell ya what ... if you join me on this voyage, I'll give ya all my pillow chocolates. Deal? :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[cruznon]

Rita,

What an incedible cruise you're going to take! (The anticipation for this event will be fun also! Enjoy the planning...)
So glad you could arrange this....what a dream trip!!:)