My Retirement & HAL!

[Bill S]

Well, I served my last day at work today and tonight I am anticipating spending more time with DW and being able to cruise and not having to return to the workplace.

My partners set up a small after work, "going-away" reception for our office and one gift they gave me brought me to tears: a very nice HAL cruise gift certificate! What a wonderful and thoughtful retirement gift they gave us!

I guess that says a few things: #1-what a great group of partners, coworkers and employees I have been blessed to work with for the past 13 years; and, #2-I have probably spread "the HAL gospel" way too much! ;)

Anyway, as I face retirement, it is nice to know that we will be able to enjoy at least one more HAL cruise than we had anticipated! :D

[hammybee]

Congratulations on you retirement. What a thoughtful and fabulous gift. Now all you have to do is figure out where to sail next. :)

[middle-aged mom]

Congratulations, Bill, on achieving that most marvelous milestone, retirement!!!:) Enjoy that HAL gift certificate! Best wishes to you:)

Karin

[grannynurse]

Congratulations Bill,
That is the best present ever.
Have you decided where to go next?
GN

[ger_77]

Congratulations on your retirement! What a wonderful retirement gift from your co-workers; I'm sure they're going to miss you. Enjoy using your gift certificate in good health!

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[tomko2]

Congratulations on your retirement == the best thing is waking up in the morning and knowing you are free to spend each day as you wish.
Fabulous retirement gift; you must have meant a lot to your co-workers.
:) :)

[localady]

Congratulations on your retirement Bill !!!
I think I know how you and Virginia will be spending your time, sailing the high seas!! :D :D :D

A big Bon Voyage for you both for your first retirement cruise next week!!!:D

[Copper10-8]

Congratulations on your retirement, Bill! Well deserved, I'm sure! Here's wishing you and Virginia many more cruises on HAL:)

[Bill S]

Thanks, all! We are still doing a dance as though our docs had arrived!

At the moment, we are considering a Hawaii cruise early next year but time will tell. We like sailing out of west coast ports, so at the moment, Hawaii looks really good.

We have to fly up to Reno tomorrow morning for a quick trip up to Lake Tahoe and I won't have internet access until Sunday afternoon, so I wanted to post tonight and wish everyone a great weekend! At least we will have a full day on Monday to pack for our Zaandam cruise on Wednesday! Yippppeeee!!!!:D

[cruznon]

Bill, Congratulations ! What a great gift--so thoughtful! Enjoy your retirement. Hope you and your wife spend many days aboard a beautiful HAL ship!

[SakeDad]

Bill, Does this mean we'll be seeing more of you at GV Ranch?? Maybe you can win MegaBucks and never have to stay on land again:D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Congratulations on your retirement.

What a wonderful retirement gift!!!

Do let us know when and where you will be cruising.

[GmaPajama]

Congratulations! There is nothing like "life at home" and the freedom that comes with it. And, what an incredible retirement gift!!

Enjoy!

[jhannah]

First, Congratulations on your Retirement! I know you've looked forward to this day for a long time. You'll soon see how wonderful it is to not have to do anything you don't want to do, and to do what you want to do on your own schedule! ;)

Second, what a wonderful parting gift! See folks, promoting HAL has tangible benefits! (If Lisa ever retires, she may get a ship charter certificate!) I know you and Virginia will truly enjoy planning your gifted voyage.

[CruiseBumm]

Congratulation on your retirement. At least 5 more years for me.
Have fun on the high seas
:D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Congratulations Bill, I just now saw this thread and was not online when you were last night. WOW,what a great gift from your partners and co-workers. I cannot think of a better retirement gift who wants a gold watch when we all know cruising is so much better:D

I want to retire, you realize from our original core LV group we were all hard working Las Vegas residents when this started now Tom and I are the only ones left working:( I think we have a few years left. Although after this past week and month end I was about ready to tell them what they could do with my job and I would find a totally different career but I didn't:o

[RuthC]

Congratulations! And welcome to the ranks of the voluntarily unemployed. You're "gonna" luv it! :D
That retirement gift was a doozie. :) We should all work with such people.


(don't forget to turn off that ol' alarm clock.)

[kakalina]

Add my congratulations to the rest. You will find that retirement is everything it is cracked up to be and more.

Think, freedom :) .

What a retirement gift; way better than a gold watch any day. Good things happen to good people.

[serendipity1499]

Congratulations Bill.:) ..May you have good health, good fortune, sunny skies & following seas...

What a wonderful gift..Hope you & your wife have a lovely cruise & more of them in the years ahead..

Betty

[arzz]

Congratulations on your retirement! What a wonderful and thoughtful gift. Welcome to the ranks of the retired and free to travel. Enjoy!

[Bill S]

Thanks again, everyone! I was truly blessed to work with such great people.

Before getting to my packing chores today, I went to Sam's Club for an errand and boy, at 10am on a Monday morning, it was almost empty--not at all like it is on a weekend! It was wonderful!

We are off to Vancouver early tomorrow morning and will board the Zaandam the next day to re-visit Alaska. Glad packing is over! See you all after May 16!

[dakrewser]

With a gift like that, almost makes you want to go back to work (after the cruise, of course) and retire again!

[earl_m]

Congratulations on your retirement. hope you enjoy life and live it to the fullest.

[jhannah]

Adios, Bill and Virginia. Have a great time in the Great Land.

[kryos]

Congrats on your retirement! Enjoy this, and many, many more cruises. You've earned them.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[betonic]

Congratulations!

Wishing you and Virginia lots of wonderful cruise vacations in your retirement!

Saludos from Cancun