Anyone going on constellation 9/9/08

[bmazzo]

Hello Everyone,

 

We're not too sure about excursions. We generally like to do things on our own except certain ports like Alexandria Egypt (our next cruise). We will definately go to Giza. But most ports are very easy to find your way around and we have more fun that way.

 

BTW we do live in NY and can certainly give you the skinny on the night life/Day life around here. :)

[tjunmin]

Hi Craig

 

Awesome to hear that you'll be cruising with us! You might want to join the general roll call at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=534766

 

I have great interest in visiting Scotland. I know so little about your country. The rugged terrain looks beautiful. Looking forward to hearing the great stories from you homeland!

 

Cheers,

 

Thom

[Sheldon & Wally]

Greetings all! I logged onto Cruise Critic to start a thread for our upcoming Trans-Atlantic cruise on Sept. 9, only to find one has already been started! It's great that there will be so many FOD's on board!

 

We're from Toronto (hi Thom and Brian! Wonder if we've met sometime in the past!?). This is our 13th cruise, and will be our 4th crossing (the last one last December from Barcelona/Lauderdale on the Millennium). We obviously enjoy the slower pace of the crossing sea days - and can't wait for September to arrive!

 

We arrive in Barcelona on the 5th and will be staying at the Opera Hostal just off the Ramblas on St. Pau. This will be our 4th time staying there - it's basic but very clean and an excellent location (Warning: If you ever book there, make sure you get a room that doesn't overlook the street - those rooms are VERY noisy at night!!). Check them out at hostalopera.com. Oh, and at 69 Euros a night, it's a great deal.

 

We can recommend a couple of excellent and reasonably priced restaurants if anyone is interested...perhaps even meet up for a pre-cruise meal?

 

We're not part of the PP either. Friends from SF we met on our last group (who are on this cruise as well) told us about PP after we had already booked...it was much easier to stay with our original travel agency. However, with the FOD get togethers, pre-dinner drinks, etc. there will be lots of opportunities for us all to get together.

 

Finally (didn't mean this posting to be so long, sorry!). We're on the late seating. Anyone interested in getting a table together? We did this last time via Cruise Critic and ended up with 7 great guys. Women are more than welcome Dahlia Doll! Warning: If our past cruises are any indication, our table will get LOTS of notice with the screams of laughter and boistrous behaviour (the good type!).

 

Sorry to ramble (las ramblas?). Looking forward to meeting all of you in less than 2 months!

 

Sheldon & Wally

 

P.S. We're reversed in the picture...Sheldon's (the one who types!) is on the right, Wally on the left.

[dahlia doll]

Thanks for not leaving us out. We booked the Alahambra tour as well. In Casablanca we booked one of the shorter tours. We are eating at "main dining". If anyone knows how to put a table together please include us.

Judy and Diane

[goodclicks]

I'm on the late seating and i think i'd be interested in sharing a table... the bigger the better (steady now!). I must admit though that I am intrigued as to where the maitre'd will put me. I've met some marvelous people in the past (and one nightmare), people i'd never have met otherwise.

 

I'm keen to hear your Barcelona restaurant tips. I'm arriving 3 nights before and would be interested in maybe meeting up for a meal if it's convenient. I don't think i'm staying too far away from you guys. I'm in a guest house near Univeristat - apparently just 5 mins walk from Las Ramblas.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome to the board, I'm looking forward to meeting all you guys and gals in person.

[Barrycsi]

[tjunmin]

Hey Judy and Diane, it will be great to share the day with both of you on the Alhambra tour! We are also on early (main) seating, and would love to get a table together with other family members.

 

Gary and Rowell, we decided to keep our Fes reservation, so it will be a pleasure to explore this destination with you guys.

 

Welcome to the thread, Sheldon and Wally. Glad you found us! It is great that Judy and Diane started the thread, and now we have this great bunch of people connected here!

 

We arrive on the 7th and will stay at the HCC Montblanc, which is also very close to Las Ramblas. A pre-cruise meal sounds fab. We are looking forward to meeting you all in Barcelona. :)

 

Sheldon, I don't think we met each other in previous cruises. We used to cruise RCI and this will be our first time on Celebrity. Would you like to get together for brunch or dinner some time? Looking forward to hearing your restaurant tips in Barcelona!

 

Thom and Brian

[vivavino]

The PP gang is almost 100% in late seating, so the martini bar is likely to be hopping the hour prior to that.

 

For those looking to have seating together, you have two options:

 

(1) Share your reservation numbers and names off-line - don't post that number online - with each other, and let your travel agent know you want to "link" the reservations so you'll have late seating together. That way, you can be setup before boarding and they'll have the right dining assignment on your room card. Easier for them to manage if you do it in advance, and connect it to your reservation.

 

(2) Ask to change tables once you meet on board. The maitre d' gets lots of requests, so they might not be able to accommodate that instantly.

 

I also don't know how popular each seating is on this trip.... for some cruises, late dining sells out, so if you haven't already booked that, you might not be able to switch.

 

And, keep in mind that you can book specialty restaurants regardless of where you're sitting in the main DR.... I plan to get to Ocean Liners at least 2-3 dinners during the trip.

 

The countdown begins..... :-)

[Mermen]

Welcome Sheldon and Wally!

 

We would love to know of your Barcelona Restaurant recommendations! We're staying at the Grand Hotel Central (if that is close to any hot spots).

 

Thanks!!

 

Gary

[Sheldon & Wally]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for your warm welcome. It's great to "pre-meet" like this!

 

Mermen (and others) - I'll get a short list together of some of the restaurants we like. Unfortunately I don't have information for some of the restaurants we go to...we just know where they are.

 

Goodclicks - we'll definitely set up a table to share. I'll wait a bit to see if anyone else wants to join us. A table of six would be fantastic if there were enough interested parties. Vivavino mentioned linking reservations via your travel agent. You can also do it on celebrity.com via Manage Your Reservation.

 

Speaking of celebrity.com. If you haven't already, I highly recommend filling out your pre-boarding "Xpress Pass" online. It'll save lots of time at the pier when you arrive.

 

Thom and Brian - re: meeting before. I meant that maybe we had met in Toronto at some point. The name "Thom" seems to ring a bell, especially the spelling. If you'd like to meet up in good ol' T.O., feel free to send us an email. The address is sosmond@ the-company-which-is-ripping-people-off-with-the-iPhone-not-to-mention-their-high-cable-costs-and-don't-even-get-me-started-about-them.com

 

If anyone is interested, I can set up a group page with my flickr.com account where we can share pics so we can recognize everyone. It would be password protected (so feel free to send nudie pics and then it'd be a REALLY interesting group page (you know I'm kiddin', right?!)).

 

For those who mentioned Alhambra - Wally and I took that tour a few years ago and it was fantastic. We did it in late November so the gardens were a little tired, but I bet they'll be amazing in September!

 

Sheldon

[Barrycsi]

Hi all,

 

If anyone is interested, I can set up a group page with my flickr.com account where we can share pics so we can recognize everyone. It would be password protected (so feel free to send nudie pics and then it'd be a REALLY interesting group page (you know I'm kiddin', right?!)).

 

For those who mentioned Alhambra - Wally and I took that tour a few years ago and it was fantastic. We did it in late November so the gardens were a little tired, but I bet they'll be amazing in September!

 

Sheldon

Welcome Shelodon and Wally and everyone else. It's been a busy summer here so I haven't had the time to talk as much as I normally do. That is luck on your part.

 

Sheldon

Sounds great, go for it, we'll send you pics and info. Bob and Garry on the str8t thread are doing it too. Their site is good.

 

Bob and I arrive in Barcelona on the 6th and I think we will want to visit some local gay hangouts (Neighbor type bars and cafe's) If anyone has any suggestion or thoughts all would be greatly appreciated.:cool:

 

Later

Barry

[Sheldon & Wally]

Ok..if I've done everything correctly, I've setup a page for us all to post pics and personal info such as emails. It can only be accessed via an invite from me, so if you're interested in joining, send me and email and I'll "invite" you. Once you're a member you can go to it directly at www.flickr.com/groups/fod. Flickr MIGHT ask you to sign up for a free membership...not sure how that part works. They can be trusted.

 

My email address is ... hmm... how to do this without the spam-bots grabbing my address ... use my first initial (s), then osmond with no spaces between the s and the osmond... then an @ sign... then rogers.com. There, how simple is that!? Anyone got a Rosetta Stone to help break the code? An Enigma machine perhaps?

 

Sheldon

[tjunmin]

Hi Sheldon

 

Oh man, I loved your flickr photostream. Fabulous photos. I felt like I was in the Pride parade. And those Barcelona photos, what a tease!

 

It will be great to meet you and Wally this coming weekend. :)

 

Cheers,

 

Thom

[tjunmin]

Hi Sheldon and Wally

 

It was awesome to meet you guys this past weekend. We had a great time, and looking forward to having tea at your place prior to the cruise!

 

Here is the link to Bob's site, as we discussed over brunch: http://www.connieta2008.bobcruisesites.org/

 

Wish you guys a great week! Cheers,

 

Thom

[HotlantaCruiser]

they will be worn out after the Atlantis charter that ends the day you get on.

We may see you guys as we exit the ship. It's always a hoot watching an Atlantis charter disembark, so if you get to the ship early you'll have something to entertain you while you wait. I' m sure the crew will have lots of stories, most of which will cause the dentures to fall out for the elderly pax on your sailing

[goodclicks]

I hope there's a few of your shipmates staying onboard to cruise home, Hotlanta: the more the merrier. I'm sure that you will have a fantastic time. Your cruise will be an infinitely more fun way getting to Barcelona than EasyJet.

 

I heard that The Liners was getting booked up. I rather fancied dining there, but traveling alone i'd rather not be a sad git and eat by myself. Does anyone fancy sharing a table one night? I realise that most of you are all couples though. I don't want to be a gooseberry either!

 

Craig.

[Sheldon & Wally]

Hi all,

 

Nice to see a little bit of action on the site here! Come on all...keep the messages coming!

 

Thom and Brian - we too very much enjoyed meeting the two of you - and it's a good thing, seeing as we'll be "trapped" on a ship together for 2 weeks :) And definitely plan on tea mid-August!

 

Craig - haven't forgotten about sharing a table with you! We'll have to get your reservation # so we can link it. Anyone else like to share a table at the late seating!? The more the "Mary"-ier. Let me know asap so we can get it arranged.

 

A brief message this time...more to come!

 

Sheldon

[tjunmin]

Hi Sheldon

 

I would definitely love to share the table with you guys, but as I said, I'd never last until late seating. :p

 

Anybody interested in getting a table together for early seating? If so, e-mail me your reservation number and I'll link our reservations together. :)

 

Cheers,

 

Thom

tjunmin at hotmail dot com

[tjunmin]

I heard that The Liners was getting booked up. I rather fancied dining there, but traveling alone i'd rather not be a sad git and eat by myself. Does anyone fancy sharing a table one night? I realise that most of you are all couples though. I don't want to be a gooseberry either!

 

Hi Craig

 

I checked Ocean Liners at the date and time of our reservation, in order to add one more to our table, but unfortunately it is full and we are unable to have more people dining with us. Sorry. But hope we can get together maybe at the sushi restaurant or any one of the other dining venues.

 

Thom and Brian

[goodclicks]

Thanks Thom and Brain. That's kind of you. I'll maybe just wait until i board - maybe find someone then who'd like to share a table there.

 

I'll get my reservation number off to you, Sheldon. Thanks for that.

 

There's a slight possibility that i may have a cabin mate for this cruise, which would solve the problem of eating alone in The Liners - i won't find out until later next month though. I am curious as to how i'll cope with someone in my cabin as I've never shared before now.

[_worldcruiser]

Hi, I am also joining you'll on this cruise. I am now in Sitges/Barcelona for the summer and go back to the US on the Constellation.

By co-incident, the very same ship I just enjoyed a weeks party cruising the Baltic's on the Atlantis charter.

I travel solo in cabin 9022. :rolleyes:

 

Does anyone plan some private tours which I could join?:)...Hans

[goodclicks]

Welcome aboard Hans. I'm also travelling solo, for now at least. I might get a cabin mate yet, depending on cargo ships out of Vladivostok... it's a long story. I'ld be glad of some company in the ports where doing our own thing is an option.

 

• My thinking is that at Malaga I'd like to go on a ship's tour to the Alhambra as i've seen the city (very do-able on foot and by hop-on tourtist bus). For the distances involved to the Alhambra a ship's tour is the only option.
   
  
• Casablanca I've not decided about yet. Again i've seen the city (not very impressed). I'd like to see Marakesh - but is it worth sitting on a bus for 7 hours? If i stay in Casablanca I'll go to a hamman for a thorough scrubbing in the muslim style. I think it's holy day so the very impressive Hassan2 mosque will be closed to visitors which is a shame. Maybe a browse around the Quartier Habous market (near walking distance from the dock) and a visit to the King's Palace would round off the day.
   
  
• In Cadiz i may just wander into town and to the beach and have an easier day. Seville, again, isn't safely do-able under our own steam given the distances and time frame.
   
  
• In Lisbon I'm going to be taking the hop-on tourist bus and the trams to see the city. No need for the ships excursions there.
   
  
• I don't know much about Ponta Delgada yet - but it's a relatively small island and a big ship, so i'm guessing taxis may be in short supply.

 

I haven't forgotten about getting you the reservation number to match up our dinner reservations, Sheldon... I just never remember when i'm on the Celebrity website. Does anyone else want to join our table for late seating dining?

[_worldcruiser]

Hallo to Scotland and thanks for your quick reply and your tips about the land tours. Can't wait to hear the story about Vladivostok and i hope for a happy ending...Please keep me updated.

Also, I would love to join a table (my TA booked an early seating) and look forward of meeting everyone....

[tjunmin]

Welcome to the roll call, Hans! Wow, impressive list of cruises. I wish I could have been in all those cruises as well. :)

 

We'll be doing ship tours in all ports for this cruise. I usually book private tours, but the arrival and departure times for this itinerary made that a bit of a challenge this time.

 

Hey, Craig. Very interested in hearing the Vladivostok story as well. I'm sure it is a good one. ;)

 

Hans, we are in early seating as well. If you are interested to dine with us, feel free to e-mail me your reservation number and I'll link our reservations.

 

I can't believe our trip is just a month away now. :D

 

Cheers,

 

Thom and Brian

tjunmin at hotmail dot com

[tjunmin]

Hi Craig, Sheldon and Wally

 

Hans is actually in late seating. I found that out when I was unable to join our reservations for dinner. The good news for you is that you will probably have one more table mate.

 

We are waiting anxiously to do our document dance soon. :D

 

Cheers,

 

Thoma and Brian