Tenngal

We hired George's Taxi in Athens for our cruise that ended just last week. Our driver was Kostas, and he did an excellent job introducing Athens to us. I highly recommend using this service. They will customize the tour to your liking.

Tetra--

FYI--If you don't have a Google tool bar (like me), I was able to translate the article by right-clicking on it, and there was a translation choice available there.

Steamboatin--

Not bashing--far from it. I can sense your anguish over an old man feeling obligated to keep us posted on his exploits at the cost of his truly enjoying them. I feel it, too. We are certainly not worth his risking his health and his opportunity to enjoy his sunset.

I don't presume to know if he indeed feels obligated, or if he instead feels a sense of purpose in what he is doing. I suspect the latter, or I don't think he would go to such lengths to keep us posted. Those of us who receive his missives are certainly uplifted and encouraged. Egon makes most of us hopeful that we, too, will still have the wherewithall to have our own grand adventure late in life.

What Egon does is by his own choice. Nobody's forcing him to post his updates for us. He could ignore us if he wants to. He's old enough to know what matters to him and what doesn't. Personally, I'm glad this matters so much to him.

Okay..going to make a cheap vacation in my backyard. Going to fill the g-klids pool, get in and watch the stars...pretend I'm floating in the Caribbean somewhere...(and hope the neighbors don't turn their back lights on and see me)!!! lol:D

With the heat this summer, I sure would love to do that. The mosquitos would eat me alive, though! (I'd rather be sailing in Northern Europe with Egon!)

IMO, MSC is providing Egon with what he paid for...and absolutely nothing more.

Because of that, it make MSC look like they have no heart. :(

MSC is also missing out on a fantastic marketing opportunity.

If anyone knows how to transfer pictures, please e-mail me so I can e-mail what I get and put those pics up here. Not enough of computer savy on my part! proos@ptd.net

 

 

Hello, Pat!

I arrived home Monday from my transatlantic cruise. Except for the grueling disembarkation, the cruise was enjoyable.

 

You may already know this, but there are several photo-posting websites, where you can post lots of photos, then just provide a link for people to click to that website, directly to your pictures. I use Picasa, but there are others as well (like Flickr). I'm not computer-savvy either, but found the Picasa site to be user-friendly. Maybe something like that will work for you to post Egon's pictures?

 

I can't wait to hear from you after your cruise with Egon. I know he will be a fun person to get to know.

 

Keep us posted...

 

Cynthia

Hi Tenngal! When do you leave for Barcelona? Have a wonderful TA. :D

Hi, Pat!

I leave Thanksgiving day, staying 2 nights in Barcelona, then sail on Sunday. Our Roll Call is massive! I'm looking forward to seeing some new places, then relaxing for six days at sea.

I hope to meet up with you on a cruise someday.

I'll be checking this thread for Egon's news when I return...

Usually, I don't visit CC unless I have an upcoming cruise. Yellowbird, because of your updates about Egon, I plan to keep visiting this thread until Egon is safely back home. Please don't stop your posts!

HAL has a 2-week Panama Canal transit on sale through Monday. On the Rotterdam, sailing April 3, from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale. Interior = $999, OV is $1199 (both before the Single Supp). I priced them both. For the interior as a solo, total came to about $1450, and for the OV, it came out with a total of about $2200. I've been shopping a canal transit, and this is the best price I've seen so far anywhere. The only reason I didn't go ahead and book this one was the $600 deposit (too steep for me right now).

Sigh.........

I just wish I could be his tablemate for dinner!

Yellowbird, thank you for the updates.

Oh Pat, please don't stop! :( I have been so thrilled hearing about his travels through you and think your're great to share with us. :D He said in his first email that he would not be corresponding while he was gone so it's been such a nice surprise to hear about him through you. Please keep posting, please!!

 

Sue

I feel the same way! Please keep posting updates about Egon!

Yellowbird/Pat...

Please keep us posted with Egon's progress. I can't believe his stamina!

What is the meaning of the word "noone"? Is this a British idiom?

I think he meant "no one."

I disagree with the previous post.

This IS a really good deal--includes ALL the expenses: airfare, tips, pre-cruise hotel, transfers, AND a BALCONY cabin for 14 nights!

That's a heck of a deal! Especially considering airfare included. For those who typically book inside cabins, the total cost per day would be even lower.

If I weren't already psyched about my upcoming cruise, I'd have grabbed this deal, too!

Have a great trip, Ivdave!

EDIT: Oops! My bad! I just saw that the OP also realized that this was indeed a good deal. Now...find my glasses!

Many websites also allow you to book "multi-city" travel, where you are technically flying round-trip, ending in the same city (your home), but have two different in-between stops. For example, for my upcoming cruise, I booked through Delta, using the multi-city option, from home to Sao Paulo, then from Barcelona back home.

You just need to really shop for the air, using one-way and multi-city booking options.

Or...why not book two transatlantic cruises? One to get there, one to get back!:D

FYI--

RCCL's 11/28 TA on Adventure of the Seas: the balcony price is now LOWER than an outside cabin!

I know that several of us who follow this thread are on this cruise, and might want to know this! (Can't wait to meet y'all at the M&M!)

POSH - Port Out Starboard Home - from a European point of view. :)

I booked port side for the 11/28 westbound.

For the 3/20 eastbound, I also booked port side, BUT this one starts below the equator. It sails during the spring solstice. Did I mess up? Should I try to change cabins? Am I overthinking this?? (I need a vacation!)

Ok, y'all, you made me do it! I just booked this one, too! Balcony cabin was about $1500, PLUS I booked through Delta = 30K Skymiles bonus AND $200 discount, PLUS C&A discount of another $200. All for a 14-night cruise!

It was just too tempting to pass up! Now I've got TWO TA cruises this year! Yippee!

I look forward to meeting some of our fellow solo cruisers on board. (Yes, I've posted on the Roll Call.)

Are you doing this via RCI's website? Maybe try checking this via an online travel agency. (Plenty of them are advertised here on Cruise Critic.) Or, try telephoning RCI to see if their reservation agents have different access. The problem you're encountering my simply be a system glitch.

Hope this helps!

Yellowbird,

Sort of...but not directly.

The travel agency is affiliated with the airline (Delta Skymiles Cruises), but I booked my flights using my Skymiles, because the air fares were pretty high, so I decided to burn my miles instead.

Are you thinking of going on this cruise??? I'd love to see you onboard!

I know it's through the cruiselines themselves, but do you have to search every itinerary and sailing, or will a cruise consultant-type person from the cruiseline find them for you if you ask?

elycelynne,

I honestly do not remember where/how I found my good deal. I am on the e-mailing lists for lots of cruiselines and travel agencies, who constantly send me their "deals." I think I got a whiff of my upcoming cruise while looking at possibly vacationing in Hawaii in early March. Coming across this cruise changed my plans. I booked it through an online travel agent, because it offered a perk of 10K airline miles, which was the best perk for me, since I'm obliterating all my miles for flights for this cruise!

So, no I did no inquiries to anyone. Whenever I know that I am ready to go on a cruise, I start reading those e-mails and look at lots of different websites.

Just sign up to be on travel e-mail lists, and watch the deals show up!:)

Hi, all...

I've booked the 14-night TA (Brazil to Barcelona) on RCCL's Splendour of the Seas, leaving Santos (Sao Paolo) on March 20. Currently, an inside cabin is only $448pp (plus SS). I booked a balcony, which was still a bargain.:D

Just thought I'd pass along this for anyone looking to do a TA via the long route...

Hi, all...

I just got news in my e-mail that there are two TA sailing on Royal Caribbean in April 2009, one for 13 nights, one for 14 nights, for only $399pp for inside cabin!! It a double-occ rate, but heck, even if it's doubled for single occupancy, that's still a bargain!

One cruise is FLL to London, the other is FLL to Barcelona.

If I wasn't already going away for nearly 3 weeks on a dream trip this Sept., I'd be on one of those TA's in a heartbeat! I hope they do it again in 2010!!

Yellowbird: U of TN is my undergrad alma mater. Go Vols! I live just outside of Knoxville.

Iamirish: I'm going on Oceania in September--first time with O. I found it cost me a lot less to book without the "free" air! You can do a search on this forum to see other solo-cruisers' opinions of O.

MrWayyne: You can go to any online travel site (like those on this web site) or to an in-person travel agent to book with O. Except for my first-ever cruise, I've always booked balcony rooms. For this one, though, because of the high cost, I've booked interior. I figure if I get to feeling too claustrophobic, I'll just sleep outside in a deck chair!:D