London to Barcelona - Atlantis ????

[ZIPPER]

Hey guys:

 

Just got the latest HOT flyer from Atlantis listing the upcoming cruises and resorts. It added a few regulars that I hadn't seen Atlantis publicly announce such as Mexico-Oct 2008, and 2 weeks in PV in Oct and Nov. The noteworthy thing is that it lists the Mediterranean and Baltic cruises for July, but the London to Barcelona trip in Aug-Sep is not listed, even though the later Oct Mexico cruise is on the list. What gives??? Is Rich still marketing it as an Atlantis trip or is it possible that it will be remarketed as an RSVP cruise? Hopefully it is still on as an Atlantis trip. On the other hand perhaps it has already been booked up from the previous cruises.

 

Gregg

Phoenix

[RMS Olympic]

I got the flyer as well and was surprised that the London trip was not listed. Perhaps they are selling it while at the resort that I believe is just finishing up. Upon return maybe they will make it available to alumni.

Marketing to RSVP Alumni after the official switching of ownership is a possibility.

October 4th my TA sent in an e-mail to Atlantis with my request for the trip....I had been told a week earlier by Atlantis staff the Alumni sale would start in about a week. I figured I would get my request in right away. A few weeks later I called Atlantis and was told...in a few weeks. I waited a few weeks and called...told in a few weeks.

I was anxious because I wanted to lock in my vacation period at work.....the labor day period is often high in demand with co-workers. work.

As of this past Friday I discovered the period has been reserved at work and it looks like I will lose out. So, I guess I will just have to enjoy the March cruise on the Millenium and look for another cruise option or vacation destination in 2008.

The thing that stumps me the most is that the Mexico cruise was on the flyer....

Oh well....the best laid plans of ......

[ZIPPER]

Likewise I'm looking to lock up the time at work, as soon as possible, especially before my lack-of-planning boss reaches panic mode regarding his high profile project that has to be completed by October.

[HotlantaCruiser]

Guys,

 

From the moment the London to Barcelona cruise was announced, it was marketed as an "on sale to alumni only" affair. When first announced on the Baltics cruise, Rich C. indicated that it wouldn't go on sale to the general public (in his estimation, alumni would sell it out), and he was offering the first of what he believed would be a "sub market", of Alumni only, more exotic, cruises. In my opinion there is zero chance that it will somehow be re-marketed as an RSVP affair. Especially since the deal hasn't closed yet, it's almost sold out, etc, it's not worth the effort to rebrand/remarket this one. Especially since it's already nearly sold out to Atlantis alumni, some of whom may not be eager to do an "RSVP" cruise. It wouldn't be a good idea to switch "brand names" in mid stream on this one, especially since the target market was your loyal Atlantis brand Alumni.

 

Now, we can all debate whether this particular offering was handled appropriately or not. For example, to the best of my knowledge it was offered in the following manner: First to people sailing on the Baltics cruise this summer (almost 99% of which were Alumni), then followed by offering to the two Med Cruise sailings, then to the people on the Mexican Riviera cruise. I don't believe it has ever been offered to other alumni, via an email solicitation like the Baltics was, nor has it been included in any PUBLIC mailings/offerings or on the website. In fact, the Atlantis website still has no mention of it (and Rich indicated in July that it probably never would).

 

This is an issue has been debated in the past, as how to "offer" exotic new itineraries where there may be high demand. The standard practice of offering a new itinerary to current pax on a particular trip, makes some sense (for Atlantis) in that you have a captive market, and strike while the iron is hot. However, that's not necessarily fair if you are offering a new itinerary (Say Aus-NZ for hypothetical example). If you travel on every Atlantis tour, but miss the one cruise where this new itinerary is offered, you theoretically miss out. It's fair if you are offering the same itinerary as first chance to current pax (e.g. Mexico 2008 offered first to Mexico 2007 pax, with opportunity to reserve same room, if booked on ship). However, to drop a new, never done before itinerary, only to pax booked on a particular (unrelated) sailing, well, then that doesn't reward your total Alumni pool.

 

Again, it's been debated a lot, but it is an issue that Atlantis would be well advised to sort out.

 

I think the Baltics offering was handled about as well as it could have been done. In that case, the alumni were stratified into "on sale dates" based on how many trips you had taken with Atlantis. The first booking window was for people having done X or more, then the next booking window (about a week later) was for people having traveled X - Y times, etc. That would theoretically offer first chance to the most loyal customers, and then open the offering on a sliding scale downward until you reach "general public".

 

However, the Lon-BCN cruise has not been handled that way. Part of me understands that Rich had the majority of his most loyal Alumni on the Baltics cruise, and that was a great way to sell a huge chunk of the Lon-BCN spaces in one shot. However, if I hadn't been on that cruise, and with having sailed with Atlantis 14 times, I might be a bit peeved to find out that the ship was 85% sold and yet never offered to alumni, and then offered to first time pax on both Med cruises and the Mex cruise.

 

However, I was fortunate to be on Baltics, got my res for LON-BCN, and have already scored great seats on flights for next summer (which are going FAST, by the way). Had I not been on the Baltics cruise, I might be really peeved, and can certainly understand if other Alumni find themselves in that position.

[RMS Olympic]

I guess there was a time I would have gotten peeved.But...

I do not have 14 trips with Atlantis although I go back to the beginning with their first Club Med ....Playa Blanca. Throw in a few other Atlantis club Meds, the exotic cruise to Tahiti on the Wind Song, Blue Bay rsort in Costa Rica (when there were riots),a Mexico cruise, the South America cruise on the Oceania Insignia ...all as a single paying double the fare.

My time with RSVP is longer I must admit.

So I can say I don't have as many trip as others.....so getting peeved isn't an option, nor a right nor value added. As I am booked on the March Millenium cruise...maybe I will get a shot on 2009 trips while on board. We shall see.

I must say it is amazing how the company has grown and the demand as well.....my hats off to Atlantis.

If there is a New Zealand cruise and I miss out.....then... I could see myself getting just an little peeved...just a little eetsy weetsy bit.;)

[sfgoguy]

was offered to the PV resort crowd and I signed up for it there. They gave us a a booklet with all the Atlantis '08 offerings in it - except the Baltic cruise, which they said was already sold out.

 

The booklet lists the following '08 Atlantis offerings:

 

Rio Carnival 2/3-2/15

Celebrity Caribbean 3/2-3/9 (website now shows this as sold out)

Barcelona/Rome 7/5-7/13

London/Barcelona 8/30-9/9

LA to Mexican Riviera 10/18-10/26 (note 8 nights instead of 7)

 

Resorts: Cancun 4/26-5/3

PV 10/25-11/1 and 11/1-11/8

 

My guess is that any additions to the '08 itineraries will be marketed via RSVP since they have so few showing on their website. And, since many of the Atlantis '08 offerings are sold out or approaching that, I expect Rich Campbell will try to add something in '08 for the RSVP crowd and beef up the RSVP offerings for '09 and beyond.

 

So, I wouldn't be surprised if the late March '09 cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore was RSVP rather than Atlantis. At the PV resort, Rich Campbell confirmed the Hong Kong-Singapore contract was signed (but he didn't say whether it would be Atlantis or RSVP). But, you can bet that any e-mail offerings will be blasted to alums of both.

 

Rich said the Hong Kong cruise would be offered to alums 1Q08. But, the ship holds >700, so it's bound to sell out to alums and I doubt it will ever see the light of day to the general public.

 

Gary

San Francisco

[jjtsfca]

Helpful and useful info from Gary and Hotlanta as usual. As Atlantis grows, I can see where they have to make some challenging marketing decisions - offering the new and different itins to alumni makes complete sense to me. Gays are very brand loyal in general, and the better you feel you are treated, the more brand loyalty a company can build.

 

I do think they have been behind the curve in terms of understanding their alumni and their market, and that won't change soon, as Rich is inherently very cautious - for legitimate risk management reasons - but I hope the RSVP acquisition increases (more total Caribbean and Mexico trips, etc.) and broadens (more new and different trips) the entire offering. I think the gay charter/vacation industry is very much in its infancy - lots more exciting stuff ahead.

[sfgoguy]

for Rich Campbell to hire a Chief Operating Officer - entirely office based - to oversee what is bound to become a challenging backoffice operation once the merger's completed.

 

I'm not sure what the answer is to who-gets-first-dibs-when on new, exotic cruises/resorts, but it really does not help brand loyalty to allow a first time Atlantis guest at the PV resort to book London-Barcelona ahead of hundreds of alums (many of whom are 5+ Atlantis trip veterans) who happen not to be attending the PV adventure. That's the first task I'd give to the new COO - work out a consolidated Alum program (somehow merge Atlantis and RSVP's programs) and a mechanism to be sure loyal guests (as measured by the number of Atlantis/RSVP trips) get first crack at new trips.

 

Hope Rich is reading this thread. He's a smart cookie and probably already has this on his agenda now that the '07 season is over and he can concentrate on the merger and what it really will mean to the Atlantis/RSVP die-hard fans.

 

Gary

San Francisco

[HotlantaCruiser]

I agree with you on that point. I probably also need to clarify my earlier comments about "being peeved". I certainly didn't mean to convey any image of me thinking that I had any preferential treatment because of having taken 14 Atlantis trips. My comments were meant to outline the problem (as Gary noted above) that a first time Atlantis visitor (thus qualifying as alum) shouldn't be able to book LON-BCN, ahead of the vast group of multiple trip Alums, many of whom just didn't happen to book the land vacation.

 

I must state, for those of you that care, that having done 14 Atlantis trips has netted me nothing as far as extra perks. Not that I expect it to, nor do I concern myself with it, but thought it was worth pointing out. Rich has gladly taken my money, and delivered a product that I find worth purchasing again. That's the extent of it.

[sfgoguy]

In today's (11/14) mail, my London/BCN cruise confirmation arrived along with my cabin number. So, they're starting to fill the cabins with those who booked while on Atlantis autumn cruises/resorts. They soon should know their remaining inventory and release those to the alums (I presume). The general public offering (at least on the website) will probably come later. I do suspect, however, that any non-alum who calls/e-mails/writes Atlantis for a brochure on their '08 offerings will receive the one I received in PV a couple of weeks ago. It has the London/BCN cruise listed and, therefore, could be booked by a non-alum.

 

I hope you alums who want this cruise get it. I love those cabin door photos of the alums with multiple cruises. And, Hotlantacruiser, I bet your door wins every prize with 14 to show off!

 

Gary

San Francisco

[ZIPPER]

I get the impression Rich read our messages and responded real quickly! I just got an e-mail dated tomorrow morning saying that Atlantis had opened the trip up today to alumni with 10 or more trips, will open it on the 19th to those with 4 or more trips (me), and on the 21st to all alumni. They also said that the trip was about half full. Should be great fun!

 

Thanks Rich!

 

Gregg

Phoenix

[HotlantaCruiser]

Got my Alumni email from Atlantis today, and sure enough, it's got the Lon-BCN cruise and a schedule of offering for Alumni.

*****************************

Quote from the email:

 

We’ve created an amazing new cruise, designed specifically for our loyal Alumni....

As we did with our Baltic cruise in 2007, we will first offer this program exclusively to our alumni. This cruise was sold on our summer and fall cruises and is about half full at this time. Reservations will be accepted for Alumni according to the following schedule:

Alumni with 10 or more trips – beginning November 15, 2007

Alumni with 4 or more trips – beginning on November 19, 2007

All Alumni – beginning on November 21, 2007

 

 

**************************************

 

While I give Atlantis credit for at least mentioning that it was sold on the other cruises, the text of the email implies that the "loyal alumni" get first shot at this. Again, I know that it clearly states that it was sold on [their] summer and fall cruises, but this is surely going to peeve some folks.

 

Clicking through the links to the Atlantis Alumni section, which is the only way to find the stat sheet for the cruise, shows that most of the categories are in limited supply, especially verandas and/or Ocean views, and most of the big suites are already gone.

 

 

I'll post the actual details for those that haven't seen it, in a separate thread.

Your thoughts??

 

[ZIPPER]

It sounds like a really great cruise! The available categories are fine with me, since I doubt I'll be in my room for much more than quick "naps." I found a hot guy who want to cruise with me, but unfortunately he's got to work that week, so it will probably be the July Barcelona to Rome trip for us. Still great fun, but I really wanted to see the D-Day beaches, Lisbon and Seville!

 

Gregg

Phoenix

[RMS Olympic]

Last night I received my Alumni notification for the trip. As I have only 7 trips with them I get to request a spot this coming Monday. I have lost the vacation period at work having had to wait till now to book. So I am going to try to get the time off based on seniority....it seems to work or the married guys at work...so lets see if it works for me.

I spent some time on the web looking at flights and I can get service from Philly/Gatwick and Barcelona/Philly ..all non stip for under $1000.

I hope that if I can get a spot on the cruise, there will be verification of a hotel chosen so I know what day to fly.

Looks like the Gatwick airport is about 110 miles from the Harwick port. Perhaps there will be transfer available in conjunction with the hotel. We shall see....

Tom

[sfgoguy]

Looks like the Gatwick airport is about 110 miles from the Harwick port. Perhaps there will be transfer available in conjunction with the hotel. We shall see....

Tom

 

 

I was chatting with a UK friend of mine about Harwick and he advised that it's easier to fly into Gatwick for this port than Heathrow. Of course, if Atlantis chooses the Pre-Cruise hotel near Heathrow or in London proper, that may not make much difference. But, if they choose a Pre-Cruise hotel near the actual port (or Gatwick), it can make quite a difference in transferring. I presume, wherever the Pre-Cruise hotel is, Atlantis will provide a transfer shuttle to the port (if you stay at their recommended hotel and pay the charge - which I plan to do).

 

Already counting down the days. How many till 8/30/08? ;)

 

Gary

San Francisco

[RMS Olympic]

Hopefully Monday I will find out whether I have a spot on the cruise. My air arrangements will be Philly to Gatwick for sure. I read you can take an express train from Gatwick into London....which I am going to guess is where the hotel will be. I just hope I can find out whether the hotel package will be for 1 or 2 nights so I can determine whether to fly out on the 27th or the 28th. If no hotel... its a train to the port....it seems the train station is only 50 meters from the cruise terminal. I must admit the idea of a package deal with transfers would be my preference...if not a British train would be fun...they call it the "boat train"!

Boy, if I get a booking, 2008 will turn out to be my Celebrity year.....March on the Millenium (Atlantis), then the London cruise and finish up the year with the maiden voyage of Celebrity's new Solstice. It has been a while since I sailed Celebrity...hope they are keeping up their standards as I feel Princess and Holland America have slipped. But nothing is the same as it use to be...including me:o

I looked over the existing Celebrity shore excursions for Le Harvre.....the ones that go into Paris are long.....2.5 hours in a bus to get from the port into gay Paree. As much as I would like to see the Eiffrel tower, a 10 hour tour with 5 hours in a bus......:confused: I will have to consider other choices unless there is a fun group to pile into the bus. With all the high speed trains that are in France the (TGV), perhaps on your own is a possibility.More research is required.

Tom:cool:

[sfgoguy]

I do hope you get the LON/BCN booking, Tom.

 

The Atlantis Alum site mentions that the hotel and air packages will be up in late November. It also references a pre-cruise London excursion, which makes me think the non-pre-cruise excursion hotel (the one just the day before the cruise) will not be in London. We'll see in a couple of weeks, I guess.

 

I'm not planning any more than a 1 night pre-cruise since London/UK is so expensive. I'd rather spend my $ extending in Barcelona. So, I'll opt for the least expensive pre-cruise option Atlantis offers. I do want to utilize their transfer service, though. That's worth it.

 

I'd already decided not to do the Paris excursion for the very reason you noted - too far with too much on-the-bus time. And, I've been to Paris half a dozen times. So, I'll stay on board and sun by the pool, I suppose. The same goes with Cadiz/Seville for me - been there/done that. But, I'm all over the other excursions - in fact the Bilbao, Lisbon, Ibiza ports are the main reason I'm taking this cruise. I've not been to any of those and am really anxious to enjoy those sites.

 

Let us all know whether you got the booking, Tom. We'd love to have you on board.

 

Gary

San Francisco

[RMS Olympic]

Agree with the one night hotel package if they offer it. Perhaps there will be a hotel in London for those doing the town and another one for a quick overnighter. With over 1800 passengers...there could be more than one hotel.

As fo Le harvre..I'll look for a half day tour if available so I can do pool side in the afternoon.If you are pool side I'll but the first round:p

By the way...did we meet on the Rio cruise Feb 2006? Trying to place a face with a first name.

Ibiza......now thats a town.....and the perfect one to do an overnight stay. Save your energy...you will need it for that place. Oh the nude beach...da vapors da vapors. Of course I am remembering the RSVP cruise there a number of years ago....and the night there. Those cobble stone streets are rough on the knees..... :D

Ya know a small prayer outside the small church:rolleyes:

As for my booking...told my travel agent BJ down in Texas to get me into a 2B cabin with a balcony which is a share category. Its been a long time since I did a share but never on Atlantis. Did them in the past with RSVP...some were great, some OK and a few were really really bad. Been paying the double rate now for the past 5 gay cruises....the 2006 Rio cruise as a single broke the bank. So here is hoping this share will be a positive experience (even if little time is spent in the cabin). It would be nice to find a fun roomie for future cruises...but I will settle for a considerate person for this cruise.

In the mean time I have to prepare for the March Millenium cruise...as it is sold out it should be a fun time.......

May your speedo always fit just right.......mine does if I wear it on my head:D

Tom

[sfgoguy]

but I was on the '07 one. Had a blast. So, I don't think we've met face-to-face, yet. :rolleyes:

 

So as not to burden the other posters here, if you'd like to chat privately: sfgoguy@sbcglobal.net. :cool:

 

Gary

San Francisco

[HotlantaCruiser]

Hey guys,

 

Have already booked pre-post plans. Like you have already discussed, this one is a bit of a challenge all the way around.

 

Too many issues to navigate, but here are a few that Partner and I had to resolve:

 

1) limited accommodations in Harwich (2 restaurants and only one B&B)

2) London lodging is EXPENSIVE, and involves schlepping from airport to hotel, and then again hotel to pier.

3) Harwich is 1.5 hours from either LHR or LGW, navigating to Harwich is by train (see points 4 and 5) or $100+ cab ride

4) Train to Harwich port leaves from LIVERPOOL STREET station, note emphasis on STREET. Do not try and connect through Liverpool (a city many many miles away from London.

5) Getting to Liverpool Street Station is easier, with one transfer at Victoria from Gatwick, but involves 2 transfers from Heathrow (need to check that), or as per other CC Posts, one transfer and a short cab ride. (I still need to confirm all of this point, so buyer beware)

6) Transferring on the London Tube from either the Gatwick Express, or the train from Heathrow, with 2 weeks worth of Atlantis cruise luggage is not an appealing thought.

7 Overnight flight from U.S. puts you in London (either Gatwick of Heathrow) at a time which makes for a real challenge to clear customs, make train/cab connections to L.S. Station to catch train to Harwich same day, to get on ship before sailing at 3:30. I would advise against that at all costs.

8) As mentioned in other posts, I would prefer to spend extra days in Barcelona, rather than London.

 

so....................

 

Here's what you need to ponder:

 

How early do you arrive in London, and where to stay? If you are waiting for Atlantis to post a Pre-Post cruise hotel and air package, you might do well to develop an alternate (on your own) plan, in case they are late to the table. Peak summer lodging in London is expensive, and could possibly start to fill up soon. Same for airfare. As Partner and I were looking at flights, preferable seats on the major flights around the departure day were gone, and options from gateway cities seemed to be (while not scarce) limited.

 

Again, the train combination to Harwich if you are doing it yourself could be daunting. I would assume that Atlantis would do bus transfers to Harwich, However, on the Baltics Ask Atlantis session, Rich stressed the fact that the train took you right to the port/pier in Harwich. I don't know if he was saying that as a means of explaining Harwich vs. the more familiar Southamptom,

 

So........... Here's what we did:

 

We've been to London before, so no appeal this time to incur the expense to stay in the city any longer than necessary. We are flying in the day before the cruise, and staying in the Marriott at Heathrow. Airport hotels were cheaper than city hotels, have shuttles (so no first day cab/tube issue) and if you use an opaque bidding site, you can score great deals, close to $100/night. However, don't attempt that unless you know what you are doing with sites like Priceline and Hotwire.

 

We will spend that first day relaxing and getting on European time (after a full travel day/night from West Coast US). Doubtful we'll go into the city, but trains are avail if so inclined. We'll get up early the next morning and do the schlep to Harwich, allowing for extra time for train connections, etc. We are then going to spend extra days in Barcelona after the cruise, at the Royal Hotel on Les Ramblas, 2 blocks south of Placa Catalunya, where we stayed after the 2004 Atlantis cruise.

 

I'll try and put together a full train connection post for the trip to Harwich, and will put it in a separate post later this weekend. Searching CruiseCritic will also get you many posts that have related information, but almost all of it is designed around cruises that ENDED in Harwich.

[HotlantaCruiser]

As you guys also pointed out, the excursion into Paris (from Le Havre) is a toss up. It is a similar situation to this past summer's Baltics cruise where the first stop was Varnemunde Germany, and the highlight was the "train to Berlin". It's almost the same thing, in that the train is 2.5 hours into the city, and 2.5 hours back. With a morning ship arrival, train transit, etc, that gives you about 5 -6 hours to explore Paris, in the afternoon, with 5 hours of combined transit time. That's a LONG day, and you will have no opportunity to explore Parisian Nightlife. The Berlin train, while the gayest train on the Planet, was also not air-conditioned. I have no idea about the Paris train, but the people coming back from Berlin were just tired, sweaty, and exhausted. If you are dying to see Paris, then by all means do so. If you have been before, this particular excursion, may not be worth the effort for you.

 

Now, as far as the ship was concerned that day, it was probably 1/3 in Berlin, and the other 2/3rd stayed and toured Varnemunde (or nearby Rostock), and/or stayed on the ship. Atlantis scheduled NONE of the typical day one parties that day, knowing that a large portion of the ship would be gone for most of the day/evening. There was a party in the disco, but none of the decktop parties on that day. Dogtag and Mardi Gras (type) party were held the 2nd day. Thus nobody missed any Atlantis fun by going into Berlin, but those who stayed (the majority) enjoyed a "sea day" while at port. I suspect the same will happen on this one. It was a good opportunity to book the specialty restaurant, and enjoy a leisurely day on the boat.

[sfgoguy]

I'm hoping the Atlantis Alum link will have the pre-cruise info posted in early December, as they now note. If whatever Atlantis offers is suitable (and relatively affordable for one night, I'll probably opt for that since I feel confident Atlantis will provide a transfer for those in their host hotel(s) ).

 

If that doesn't turn out to bea an option, though, like you, I really don't need to stay in London for one night at much higher rates than probably available at Heathrow or Gatwick. I've never flown into Gatwick, but presume there are airport hotels there, too.

 

For those not utilizing the Atlantis host hotel(s) and staying near Heathrow or Gatwick, an option would be to share a taxi to the the port. A $100-$150 cab ride shared by, say, 3 guys (each with steamer trunks!) is not so bad and probably more than offsets the extra cost of a London hotel.

 

I'll keep an eye out for the pre-cruise hotel package that Atlantis offers before making my air reservations.

 

Thanks, again, guy, for the great research.

 

Gary

San Francisco

[RMS Olympic]

Must admit I am surprised...:eek: ..I figured the share categories might have already filled up. Its been a long time since I did a share.....heres hoping it will be fun experience.:cool:

As soon as the pre cruise hotel (number of nights) is determined I can book the air. Now to look over the shore excursions a little closer.

Perhaps now that the books are opening up there will be more people posting on this board.

Looking for ward to meeting everyone on board!:D

Tom

[sfgoguy]

Glad you'll be on board and hope your new cabin mate meets your expectations.

 

Let's all be on the look-out for the pre-cruise announcements. I, too, an waiting to book airfare until that info is received (so I know whether it's better to book Heathrow or Gatwick). Come to think of it, I'm not sure United (I'm a United 'ho) even flies into Gatwick! Horrors! I may have to fly American.

 

The clock is ticking, guys. Fun awaits. :p

 

Gary

San Francisco

[RMS Olympic]

For a roomie......all I hope for is a considerate person. It cracks me up that on other boards when people post they are looking for a roomie to obtain the double occupancy rate, they then want to know what the person looks like and other specific information. It leaves me with the impression that they end goal is much more than a way to save costs.

Perhaps it is just normal to want something pleasing to your eye when sharing an intimate space like a ships cabin. Or perhps the idea of a "hook up" is what is really desired.

Being considerate to me would be keeping the cabin tidy and not turning on every light and banging doors in the wee hours of the morning when your roomie is sleeping. I had a share once that was making his own drinks in the cabin...almost every half hour. Slam the door coming in, lights on, slam a few drawers, then out the door. 30 minutes later the same thing continuing this pattern through 1 am, 2am,3am,4am,5am then going to sleep at 6am.

So a nice person is my hope....expectations for more...no.

Since little time is spent in the cabin anyway......I am excited and sure all will be great on this coastal voyage.

Now expecrarions for eye candy around the pool.....snap, snap, snap.:D

Tom