Never too old!

Thanks Pat for this update. I do hope he is still on the ship after seeing someone on the 21st. I feel bad that he spent so much money for a year of cruising, and he's having so many problems. Let's hope in Europe things turn around for him.

You are welcome>>I am anxious to have the next update. Maybe I'll just e-mail his son to see if he has heard from him. Let's all pray that he is alright and on the heal and on his way bopping in that great ocean that we all love.:)

thanks from me for the updates. Let us know if you hear from his son.

K

Hi Cruisers... I too was in the dark as to whether he actually got off the boat in Alicante (and stayed there), but had this email from him today. Cheers ~ Steve

Hi Steve, I am in Genoa, where there are no more internet cafes because the police has cracked down on them because of misusek so <i understand, <i am writing this on someone elses computer whom I got to klnow in a narrow alley in town. But he had tried to connect my laptop to his modem for the longest time, but it didn't work. He is actually from Pakistan, a nice and very helpful guy. Will try to write again from Malaga in two days. Love - Dad

.

Hi Cruisers... I too was in the dark as to whether he actually got off the boat in Alicante (and stayed there), but had this email from him today. Cheers ~ Steve

 

Hi Steve, I am in Genoa, where there are no more internet cafes because the police has cracked down on them because of misusek so <i understand, <i am writing this on someone elses computer whom I got to klnow in a narrow alley in town. But he had tried to connect my laptop to his modem for the longest time, but it didn't work. He is actually from Pakistan, a nice and very helpful guy. Will try to write again from Malaga in two days. Love - Dad

 

.

Great...sound like he was not forced to leave the ship if he is still moving....that is great news......

Hi Cruisers... I too was in the dark as to whether he actually got off the boat in Alicante (and stayed there), but had this email from him today. Cheers ~ Steve

 

Hi Steve, I am in Genoa, where there are no more internet cafes because the police has cracked down on them because of misusek so <i understand, <i am writing this on someone elses computer whom I got to klnow in a narrow alley in town. But he had tried to connect my laptop to his modem for the longest time, but it didn't work. He is actually from Pakistan, a nice and very helpful guy. Will try to write again from Malaga in two days. Love - Dad

 

.

Thanks so much Steve! Good to know that he is afloat yet!

Fascinating thread! Thank you so much.

Steve (aka "woodboat"). You should be so proud of your father. I hope I live as long as him.

Steve (aka "woodboat"). You should be so proud of your father. I hope I live as long as him.

I'll second that Pat! I hope that, when I'm his age, I'm healthy and have the funds to do a year on a ship! ;) I can just see him in the alley with a kind stranger emailing!! What a guy. :D

Sue

Just found this thread today. Amazing!!!

I read the first 4 pages and had to skip to the last page to see the current news. I can't wait till I have more time to go back and read everything in between!!!

Arriving in Malaga on a Sunday, made it difficult to find a place open and with WiFi, but with both Penny and Carol helping to look, we finally landed at an open restaurant at the Plaza de la Revolucion where WiFi was available 1/2 hr at a time and both ladies could use my netbook to send emails and I stayed on, dealing with no less than 25 emails etc. Despite my pleas not to, some people still insist on forwarding stuff which I mostly just delete. Again I am amazed at the seemingly tremendous distance I can go on one battery charge!

Mar 21: Alicante. After the usual confusion because the Medical Center here had contacted MSC's agent to take me to a surgeon, which I objected to after my dismal experience in St. Thomas, I finally took the texi to the hospital and was most pleasantly surprised at their helpfulness and the doctor Oliver Pack who examined me. Turned out to be German, living in Spain already 16 years, speaking fluent English, Spanish and who knows what else and made a very comptetent impression. He said there was no infection present and that I should stop taking the antibiotics. The xray which he ordered showed no lesions and except for a visit to a vascular surgeon on the 29th when the ship returns here to further assess the situation at that time, the daily cdressing of the wound will continue. I am vastly relieved and so are so many of my friends who have been concerned. Thank you all!:

Mar 22: Barcelona. Realizing that I had forgotten my wallet, I had to return to the ship after a rather long way to the Plaza below. On the trip back, I got clipped by the self closing evevator doors in the Terminus building which caused quite skin slash on my right arm - it doesn't help of course that now my skin is so much thinner. I looked in vain for an internet cafe around the area where the shuttle bus had stopped, but the only one, a "Sport Bar" would only open at noon. But I sat for a while in a restaurant having a Bitter Kas (somewhat akin to Campari but non alcoholic), thinking that they had WiFi (called WeeFee here) - wrong! So eventually, having driven down the fanmous La Rambla Avenue, I again returned to the ship with the wonderful bus (with an automatic ramp) for 3Euro, as we had to be back already by 12.30pm.

Last night at the "Farewell Cocktail Party", I sat for 2 hours with Carol; we had lots of talk and I 3 martinis. But, having devoured alll of three olives, I spurned the Gala night Menu of Lobster/Filet Mignon/Baked Alaska and just managed some smoked salmon and a couple of small Spring Rolls, came to my cabin and ate the plain yoghurt which I had in the fridge. However, during the night I felt sick, upchucked several times and in the morning and until noon had diarrhea (I am sure all this is of vital interest to you!!-:)) Of course this interfered quite a bit with the trip into town, since I had to urgently duck into facities here and there ....But enough already! Tomorrow we'll be in Genoa and another few weeks of "back and forth" will begin - more next time! Love and greetings to all!

I am so glad there is no longer an infection. Thanks Pat for posting this.

I am so glad there is no longer an infection. Thanks Pat for posting this.

Me too and you're welcome!

Let's all send out a group prayer for Edon. Wish he could avoid darn elevators.

Let's all send out a group prayer for Edon. Wish he could avoid darn elevators.

I don't think his eyesight is helpful in those situations as well. Egon is a special person and I am quite sure that people who come across him keep their eyes out for him in some way.

Wow what a story! Thank you to all who are helping to keep it going.

LOVE thie thread! Just came acorss it today! I've read the first 5 pages and I am hooked! I cannot wait to put the kids to bed so I can continue:o Thanks so much to yellowbird(and everyone else) for keeping this updated

LOVE thie thread! Just came acorss it today! I've read the first 5 pages and I am hooked! I cannot wait to put the kids to bed so I can continue:o Thanks so much to yellowbird(and everyone else) for keeping this updated

You are quite welcome and I know at the end of his year he will be so excited to see how many people believe in what he is doing and are in it too for the long hall.:p

Genoa: A long Scooter trip into the old town - no WiFi to be had, am told that Police had cracked down on places offering it because it had been "misused". In the old town I found a small travel agency run by a nice Pakistani who offered me access o the internet by connecting my laptop to his modem, but this didn't work; I then was able to access my email on one of his two computers and send out my Report # 42 in German which he had loaded onto a memory stick which then malfunctioned and for the longest time he tried to reestablish possibilities but failed and so the English Report was not sent. After some 3 hours there, I returned to the ship - a pretty long drive in a at a very busy city.

On board, absolute bedlam. Seems the ship is fully booked and, like everything else "arranged" by the Fort Lauderdale office, the fact that I would be at the first dinner seating didn't work and I had literally to scrounge for a seat which I then shared with seven Germans at a table for eight. When the inevitable strawberries were set on the table, they all helped themselves right away, thinking that this was part of the dinner ... I then of course had to explain and they felt kind of sheepish but enjoyed the later champagne nevertheless. And of course now, that one has to buy bottles of Mineral Water instead of getting free water at the table, the Vouchers for that which I had been promised, didn't materialize.

Lots of pretty loud Italians, quite a few with unruly kids on board, and also many Germans.

Mar 24 at Sea and a Gala Dinner with preceding Welcome cocktail party for all; the only one serving also martinis which I am always look forward to. But, alas, this is the setup: First Dinner Seating is at 6.45 pm with the cocktail party for this being at 8.45pm. Who in the world would want Martinis AFTER Dinner? For the second seating it's much better- cocktails at 7 pm, Dinner at 9.15, which for me I find too late, that's why I opted for the first. You just can't win. I'll have my own drinks in my cabin. In the afternoon I have a nice chat with Anna the cruise director who tries to explain the difficulties of arranging things differently, but obviously everything is still not settled because all times from meals to theater have been changed since we came to this side of the globe and also most of the staff so that a period of adjustments is to be expected. On verra. Anyway, Anna and I get on very well. I played again, but now only at 5pm and for the next 6 weeks or so there will always be only one sea-day.

Again another table where I eat: 2 ladies from Vienna, a couple from Poland, another, with a girl of maybe 5 years, from Germany. Next table to us a couple with toddlers, maybe 1 year old, who crawl around the table on the floor and I am afraid tat one of the busy and fast servers my trip over them. The Maitre d' tells me that next time in Genoa, a table for single travelers will be established, at which I will be sitting.

--

: http://home.cablerocket.com/~egon/index.htm

#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}

Have so enjoyed reading about Egon's adventures and his trip. Please keep them coming and every once in a while I will shout out a THANK YOU to you Pat for keeping them going. Have so enjoyed reading about them.

What a wonderful adventure! I am looking forward to hearing more of Egon's story! Thank you so much for sharing!

I have noticed that since I posted at a little past 9 this morning that over 120 people have checked out this site. Lots of people in his corner.

As a disabled person I am appalled with the things Egon has to suffer through on MSC. :eek: Free strawberries and champers is OK; but he's certainly not getting treated well by the staff considering he's onboard for a year. ABANDON SHIP EGON AND STOW-AWAY ON ANY HAL SHIP. You'll be treated like a KING on HAL.

Thanks again Pat for your continued roll in keeping us updated.:)

Linda, thoroughly agree. It wouldnt cost MSC anything to give him internet access which seems to really contribute to his health problems getting out in ports to use it. I was treated shabbily on Cunard 20 yrs. ago. Never went back. I keep thinking its because hes from N.America, not Italy but he is Swiss, close to Italy. Bet he speaks Italian too. All we as onlookers from afar is to Never book with them. Money talks.

.

Linda, thoroughly agree. It wouldnt cost MSC anything to give him internet access which seems to really contribute to his health problems getting out in ports to use it. I was treated shabbily on Cunard 20 yrs. ago. Never went back. I keep thinking its because hes from N.America, not Italy but he is Swiss, close to Italy. Bet he speaks Italian too. All we as onlookers from afar is to Never book with them. Money talks.

.

I agree! Although my attempt at meeting Egon failed due to his injury in the elevator and his recuperation in Conzumel for 4 weeks, I would never go on Poesia and probably none of their other ships again. Out of over 15 cruises, it ranks near the bottom, if not THE bottom. I cannot for the life of me understand why just one person can affect the bottom $$ line insomuch as offering a few perks other than mineral water, strawberries, champagne or the like. Since this morning, there have been over 260 people reading this post and I am hoping that if even half of them are considering a cruise on MSC that they will think again.

Got an e-mail from Egon this a.m. Said he's having a capucchino and Wi-Fi in Gibralter....Sounds "up"! You go Egon!!