revneal -- have a wonderful cruise!

[Peggy Sue]

Just noticed you are 3 days away from your cruise! Wishing you smooth sailing and a wonderful time. Three weeks...that's a nice cruise!!

Have a terrific time!

Peggy Sue

[RevNeal]

Thank you very much, Peggy Sue!!! :D It's so close now I can hardly believe it ... I'll be eating dinner in the main dining room the 4th night from tonight. :D

[localady]

A big Bon Voyage from my DH and I!!! Hope you have a fantastic cruise, look forward to hearing about it and seeing your pictures. We have our fingers and toes crossed that you might be visited by the "upgrade fairy":D .

[sail7seas]

Bon Voyage, Rev. Hope you have a wonderful time.


Hard to believe it is here now.....seems quite some time you've been looking forward to the date finally arriving.

Travel safely and enjoy!!!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Greg, I hope you have a wonderful cruise. You know we will all be thinking about you. I hope you can get the upgrade at the pier. Have a wonderful cruise and smooth sailing.

Bon Voyage!!!!!!!:cool:

[Ziggy7]

Bon Voyage Rev! Hope you have a wonderful time! I'll keep you in my prayers for smooth sailing :)
God Bless!

[Bill S]

Greg: I share in all the wishes for a great cruise and safe trip! As always, I am looking forward to your report and photos! :)

[Vic The Parrot]

Bon voyage


Wishing you fair skies, and following seas.

[RevNeal]

Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You

The days grow shorter and shorter! Thanks for your well-wishes.

[Sierrachik]

The days grow shorter and shorter! Thanks for your well-wishes.
But I bet the days feel like they're taking longer and longer :)

Have an AWESOME cruise!

[gizmo]

Bon Voyage Rev. Have a great cruise. :)

[Sage]

Bon Voyage Revneal. I hope that you have a wonderful time. I will watch for your review and photos.

[doone]

Have a wonderful time Revneal.

[RuthC]

Relax! So you'll start the cruise off right.
Have a wonderful time. I'm looking forward to your reports. (And a piece of your chocolate :D ).

[Tatka]

Have a great time and weather!!! :D

[elmorejj]

Well Greg its almost here. I know you will have a great time on the Zaandam just as we did on the Spring repo. There is a great crew on board, especially the lido crew. I`m looking forward to seeing them all again in December. Enjoy the wonderful ports, and HOT weather......jean :cool:

[grannynurse]

I'm anxiously awaiting news of the zaandam as we're going to be on her in December.
Have a great and wonderful trip. If you have a minute check out my newly posted pix on this summer's Rotterdam trip.
Love,
GN

[saltydog28]

Bon Voyage Revneal, hope you have fine weather, and enjoy your self every minute.
...I'll be looking forward to your review.
Take care and Safe home,
Pat.

[RevNeal]

My goodness! Thank you all so much. Been so busy this morning have only, just now, had a chance to check the board! :D Thank you so much, and may the Holy One bless you all!

I'll respond to just a few message ... but I appreciate you all!

[RevNeal]

But I bet the days feel like they're taking longer and longer

:)
That began several weeks ago. The previous 3 weeks just crawled. But right now the days are just FLYING. I've still got too much to do, and too few days to get it all done in.

But ... I'll get it all done! :) Because, as the saying goes, "come hell or high water ... and even IF there's high water" I'm boarding the Zaandam in just 3 days and a few hours!

[RevNeal]

Relax! So you'll start the cruise off right.

Thanks Ruth. I'll begin relaxing the minute I sit down in the Town Car for the ride to the airport. But I won't totally relax until I've actually stepped aboard another lovely HAL ship. :D

[RevNeal]

Enjoy the wonderful ports, and HOT weather

Not much hotter than here in Dallas. :) It was 96 and VERY humid here yesterday. Yuck. We're expecting a little rain come Thursday. And, besides, the first part is in Canada. That's one of the neat things about this cruise ... it begins in the far north an goes almost to the Equator. :D

3 weeks of pure bliss. Ah.... it's almost here. :D

[RevNeal]

If you have a minute check out my newly posted pix on this summer's Rotterdam trip.

I will definitely do that! Thanks!

[viennacruiser]

Just another warm wish for a great time
Nancy

[elmorejj]

Granny nurse, I noticed that you will be on the Zaandam in Dec. Which date are you sailing? We will be on her for BtoBs from Dec 11th through Dec 28th....jean :cool:

[rkacruiser]

revneal,

Another wish for a Bon Voyage! I hope you will have a wonderful and safe trip. Just don't expect the Zaandam's Atrium Organ to play "Amazing Grace".:D

[RevNeal]

But will it play a Bach Toccata??? :)

Thanks, again, to all for their well-wishes.

[Lovebirds]

Have a good trip, Rev, and don't forget the fishing equipment:D

[RuthC]

Packing a blender?

[Lovebirds]

Iron? Hair dryer? Bungee cord?

[Sue's Mom]

Have a wonderful cruise.

[TylerRose]

Have a wonderful time. I'll keep enjoying the East Texas allergies and humidity and think of you and smile because you escaped it!

[RevNeal]

:)
No blender
No fishing equipment
No cows for fresh meat

....

Wow, that was a fun thread! :D

[marybeach]

Have a great trip Rev! I can't wait to hear about the new beds, the sheets, the pillows............

Oh, maybe we already did that thread ..... but I'm sure Greg can give us even more details!

Sweet dreams!!!! Happy sailing!

[imsulin]

Hey, Greg...the Zaandam is my favorite HAL ship, and I know you will love it!! Hope you will get to perform services, and just remember what my Mom taught us when we were learning how to genuflect: "Spectacles, test*****, wallet, and watch"....in that order. (Hope this doesn't get poofed.....

Have a wonderful time, Rev!!

[SacDr]

SacDr wishes you a m,ost happy cruise. We have to wait until 6 December.
Cheers,
Ben

[RevNeal]

Hope you will get to perform services, and just remember what my Mom taught us when we were learning how to genuflect: "Spectacles, test*****, wallet, and watch"....in that order. (Hope this doesn't get poofed.....

LOL ... I haven't heard that in YEARS! :D
As for chaplain duties ... not this time. As far as I know, there's a Catholic and a Protestant chaplain assigned. I had to pay full rate. :eek:

[imsulin]

Well, since you'll be gone over Yom Kippur, I can give you a quick lesson in Hebrew, and you could certainly use some "atoning"!

[Lois R]

Greg, Wanting to wish you a wonderful cruise.....and smooth sailing, in all the ways that count the most:)

Oh, I forgot to mention on the Z last week, it was the first night of Rosh Hashanna. There was a Rabbi on board and he led a service which looked quite full to me.
Must have been alot of members of "The Tribe" on the cruise.;)

[bobpatj]

Have a wonderful cruise and since we can't go along, we'll look forward to hearing all about it and seeing your wonderful pictures.

[LoveLifeAtSea]

Rev ....

Wishing you a wonderfully safe and blessed cruise!

Have a joyful, relaxing, fun, cruise filled with sunny skies and calm blue seas!

[Lisa63]

Bon voyage, revneal!

[the2ofus]

Have a wonderful trip and please report in detail. This is the next itinerary we hope to take. Have done the partial transit but want to do the whole thing.

Enjoy every minute and return rested and re-charged. Bon Voyage!!

[RevNeal]

Well, since you'll be gone over Yom Kippur, I can give you a quick lesson in Hebrew, and you could certainly use some "atoning"!

I'm sure there'll be a Rabbi aboard for Yom Kippur services, and I may even attend it -- I've attended Jewish services on special occasions when a Rabbi is aboard; my Biblical Hebrew is a little rusty (sadly, I don't use it as much as I use my Biblical Greek), but I manage well enough without butchering the benyon too terribly much. ;)

[Vicar]

NO Blender
No Fishing Gear
No Cows

"Like Robinson Crusoe, Its primitive as can be" *LOL*


Rev, have a great time, and a safe trip :)

Looking foward to your review when you get back


ENJOY!!!!!!!!!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Bon Voyage, RevNeal ... we will miss you and look forward to your return and your review. May you enjoy quiet seas and happy times:)

[RedmondCruiser]

Did the PC Zaandam in 2002 and had a great time. Though on a three week cruise there will be very little, if any, fish bait at club HAL - but then again, if that depresses you theres always Wang Wang's available at the Crows Nest. Please do a post as to what monitary upgrade offers look like at the pier. Have a good time.

[RevNeal]

Thank you so much, my friends. I'm ALMOST finished with my final preperations. I just need to run 2 or 3 more errands, take my Basset Hound to my parents, and make a couple of final hospital visits to ailing church members, and I'm DONE. :) :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have a wonderful cruise.

Looks like we will finally meet you next year on the Veendam???

[debsea]

Have a wonderful cruise, Revneal. Keep the Zaandam pristine for Grannynurse and me. We board with our DHs on December 28.

[RevNeal]

Looks like we will finally meet you next year on the Veendam???

Yes, indeed ... Christopher and I will be aboard the Veendam for 2 wonderful weeks next year!

[Pete&Cat]

Wishing you the best Rev Neal! Have a wonderful cruise!

[Himself]

Greg:

Have a great cruise. When does the Zaandam go through the Canal.
Best Wishes and God Bless!
Himself

[saltydog28]

Revneal-Yes, if you get a chance, post when you will be going through. We can find it on a web cam and wave to you.
Pat.

[RevNeal]

According to the itinerary we go through the Canal on the 15th day of the cruise. The 15th day of the cruise should be Sunday, October 10th. Watch for me on Panama Canal's webcam ... I'll be the one waving :D

If ANYONE could capture at least one or two of those webcam shots of the Zaandam going through the canal and email it to me as a jpg I would GREATLY appreciate it!!!!

With the exception of the symphony, tonight, I'm done. Nothing left to do but read the "Know Before You Go" booklet again and relax. YIPPIE!!!!!!

[boards]

I righteously envy you, enjoy and have a great cruise.

[cruznon]

Have a fabulous cruise! Anxious to hear all about your trip when you return. This sounds like an incredible experience.
We'll all look for your smiling face on the web cam as you get "locked" in the Canal!
Bon Voyage! :D

[Roadwork]

Reverand Neal,

Bon Voyage

I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

[Lovebirds]

According to the itinerary we go through the Canal on the 15th day of the cruise. The 15th day of the cruise should be Sunday, October 10th. Watch for me on Panama Canal's webcam ... I'll be the one waving :D

If ANYONE could capture at least one or two of those webcam shots of the Zaandam going through the canal and email it to me as a jpg I would GREATLY appreciate it!!!!

With the exception of the symphony, tonight, I'm done. Nothing left to do but read the "Know Before You Go" booklet again and relax. YIPPIE!!!!!!
Make your way to the bow, climb up on the railing and do your best Leonardo DiCaprio impersonation and we'll be able to find you quite easily.

Man Overboard!!

[razman]

Have a great time and enjoy yourself. I have always enjoyed your pictures from your trips.

[RevNeal]

Here's a final THANK YOU! to all of you for your well-wishes and your prayers for safe journey myself and for Christopher. The car will be here in 1 hour to pick us up and take us to the airport. I cannot believe that this day has finally come ... and, yet, it has. The last 378 days have been wild ones; a lot has happened since I last boarded a HAL ship and, indeed, since I booked this cruise. There were times the days crawled by; and, yet, now this day has arrived.

The next time I report it will be from the Zaandam. Watch for it!

And ........... we're off!

:D