Tom.Lawless

Hello,

     We just signed up for this cruise. Even now we are excited and talking about what to bring and such. Anyone else signed up for this cruise? We still haven't worked out the flights down there but figure we have time.

Admittedly my wife and I cruise rarely and have not been up on all the cruise etiquette. Also, we are a bit younger than the average HAL customer but like the environment/leisurely pace. So in 2007 we are on a HAL cruise through NZ, TZ, and AU and had signed up for numerous bus tours. On one of our first bus tours we had all filed off the bus to see a site. When we got back on the bus some others had taken our seats. No problem we thought, we will just sit somewhere else. So we went further back and sat down. This group of six older folks come on and the female leader starts berating my wife and I for stealing their seats and something about "haven't you ever been on a cruise before". My wife was absolutely embarrassed and I just let this lady vent. It turns out we were on almost every excursion with the same group. It was miserable. Here come's the funny part. About 3 days before the cruise ends I end up chatting with the husband and we end up doing the secret U.S. Navy handshake. Then it turns out that I work for his son. After the "handshake" it all went well and the husband told his wife to turn it down it a bit.

It's a small world.....