krosmon

Ruby Princess, California Coastal Cruise, 3/18. :cool:

I was hired in 1957 as a reservation agent for rhe SS Leilani, an old passenger ship that PFEL represented and hoped to compete with the SS Lurline. But I was too young and inexperienced so I was transferred and was PFEL's teletype operator in L.A. for the next two years. Had to quit when I became pregnant. Only person I remember was Harry Regan who was one of the men responsible for bringing the Dodgers to LA.

I'm 71 and a senior lady and proud of it. I'm obese but very healthy so manage quite well.

I cruise two or three times a year, always looking for the bargains - sometimes I'm lucky and sometimes not. I don't want a roommate since I took a friend with me on two cruises and she was totally co-dependent and fussed about everything - even then, we each had our own room. She made the trips very uncomfortable. So, I go it alone, and with only one exception, I usually have a great time - I can come and go when I want, where I want and talk to who I want. It is fun to be with friends, but there are times I want to be alone.

I met some people on my last cruise that are fun to be with so we are meeting again in February to do the 7-day Mexico cruise. We meet for meals and sometimes hang out a bit on sea days, but when we are in port, we go our own ways - some like to go on their own and some, like myself, prefer to take the tours. Best of all worlds.

I wouldn't mind meeting people to join me on a cruise, but no roomies. Just a friend to pal around with for dinner, etc.

Hi everyone.

Three more months before I sail on my next cruise. Once I got everything paid for, I started getting excited. My active message board is coming up with some really fun ideas for tours. A couple people and I decided to do a Duck Tour in San Francisco. My sister in law lives near there, but when I go up to visit, we never go into the city - parking is just too hard. So, I am not counting on seeing her this time. She and her friend were supposed to pick me up when I was on the Vision in 2005, but at the last minute, something came up and I was left in the lurch. So, this time, I won't say anything or count on anyone.

I changed the 2008 cruise from May to September. That cruise goes from Amsterdam to London, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Monte Carlo and ends in Rome. It's a 14-day cruise as opposed to the 11 day, so costs more. But I have a few more months to save for it. I got the same ship with the same single room so I'm really happy about that.

Today, I had a blood test to see if I have diabetes or not. I won't know for a while, but I am reading up on it, especially for the diet. I had to stop my other diet as it has too much sugar and carbs, and when I contacted the dietician, all she said is that it is a balanced diet, but if you have diabetes, there are a lot more restrictions.

Anyway, I just got home and need to relax before I head for bed. It is finally raining here in L.A. for a change. We are about 5 inches below what we should have and have even been getting wildfires in January - unheard of. It started raining hard for a few minutes after I got in the house. It is so nice out. I love it as long as it doesn't start flooding.

Take care. Hope to hear from you all again.

Hi.

Sorry I didn't post sooner, but between the job and the grandkids' soccer games, I get exhausted and don't give myself enough time to sit down and post.

I am getting excited about my cruise in May on the Diamond Princess. We have a very busy thread and now that we have made the final payment, we are now talking about what tours we are going to take. I am taking at least one of the ship's tours in nearly every port, except Victoria and Vancouver - too much money for what they offer, and I've been to every port except Astoria, OR. So, I will go with one of the guys and his mom to Butchart Gardens in Victoria - such a beautiful place to visit.

And tonight, I booked my 2008 cruise from Lisbon to Amsterdam on the Prinsendam - I would have liked to go to Rome and/or Scandinavia, but I can't afford to do more than I have booked. I'll do that in 2009 if I am still well. I booked the only single room - about $200 cheaper than the next cheapest room. I like the location - midships on a lower deck - less motion. It's a smaller ship so should be nice and friendly. I think there is only one sea day which I also like. I want to visit as many cities as I can. This is an 11 day cruise, long enough for the time I have.

If I can retire sometime this year, I'd love to do a cruise with us gals. I think that would be so much fun. But I have to see what happens. I am overbooked for trips considering I only get three weeks' vacation every year.

Talk to everyone later.

Hi, Marianne.

Until I started going on these boards, I knew no one when I went aboard. I usually go on ships that have freestyle dining so I can eat when and where I want. Ive been on a couple cruises where we had assigned seating and I had at least one tablemate that made dining pretty miserable. With the freestyle, I usually find a waiter/waitress I like and ask for them and I usually get them. This way, your tablemates are totally different usually every meal and everyone are generally very interesting. On formal nights, I sometimes just go to the buffet and forget dressing up. Just lazy, I guess.

I have been to Alaska twice, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Australia/New Zealand, Boston to Quebec and back, Mississippi River on a riverboat for 3 days, South America around the Horn, Mexico. My next two cruises are along the Pacific Coast from L.A. to Vancouver (Princess), then transfer to another ship and come back overnight to Seattle - my kids will pick me up there. Then a repositioning cruise in November from New York all around the Caribbean and back up to New Orleans (NCL). Next year, I want to find a European cruise I can afford, either Scandanavia or Mediterranean. I found one I really liked from Amsterdam to Rome, but they want $600 deposit plus the cruise was about $3500 - and that is out of my price range. So, I'll keep looking. The repositioning cruises are the cheapest as they have to move the ships and don't want to do it with them empty.

I don't know anyone when I go aboard - I have met some lovely people on the tours, but have not kept in touch with any of them. Being on these boards, you meet people. I met a bunch of people on line before my last cruise in 2005, but I was still pretty much alone except for a couple get-togethers.

I do better on ships where we are in port a lot. I get bored when we are at sea too long. There's lots to do aboard, but even then, I run out of things to keep me interested. I don't drink or smoke and only gamble a little, so I have to find other diversions. I love the shows and try to attend them if I can.

I have a time share in Santa Fe, NM, that I just purchased a year or so ago, and that's the other place I love to be. But as I am still working and only get three weeks' vacation, I have to rent out the time share for this year as I want to get my cruising in and won't have any time left to use it. Too bad.

You can see I talk too much. I hope to hear from you again. Good luck with your plans.

Hi, Marianne.

I was in So. America on NCL a couple years ago with another couple. They liked going on their own, so we found a wonderful individual tour in Puero Montt run by an American and his Chilean wife. I'll have to see if I can find their e-mail address. They meet you at the dock in their VW van and take you everywhere for a lot less than the ship's tour, and even stop at a very nice cafe for lunch. We also found a taxi to take us around in Argentina, but they didn't speak very good English so that wasn't such a good idea. But we also found a young man in a taxi in Montevideo who was charming and took us everywhere including his home. What a sweetie he was. Too bad I didn't keep his address. The empenadas in Ushuaia were to die for. I dreaded this cruise, and it ended up being one of the best trips I ever took. So glad I didn't miss it.

Re being safe, I felt safe as I was with another couple, but don't know if I would do anything but ship's tours if I was alone. Watch eating the fruit - I picked up something in Santiago that took a while to get over.

I am doing two cruises this year - Pacific Coast and New York/New Orleans and around the Caribbean - both solo. I plan to either go with another group on tours or will use the ships's tours.

Take care.

Hi, Wanna Cruise:

I'm 70 and still at it. I used to take my mother until she passed away. My sons have no interest in cruising and neither do the grandkids. And as I don't have friends who can travel, I go by myself. I did take a friend a couple times but that turned out to be awful - very stressful as we don't have anything in common. She hints that she'd like to come along but I have to pretend that I didn't hear her or just not say anything about the cruises.

Long cruises can be fun as long as you aren't stuck at sea for days on end. I like to see as much as I can so look forward to lots of days in port. Maybe if I had a companion, it would be different, but I don't think so. I have done 14 day cruises three times, and am going to do a 15 day cruise in November around the Caribbean - first time I could afford a balcony cabin.

Look for repositioning cruises or look at some of the on-line discount cruise agencies as they get some really good deals. That's mostly what I take any more - repositioning cruises. They have to move the ship to the new home port for the season and will give discounts just to fill the ship.

Good luck. You'll find a wonderful cruise, I'm sure.

Kathie:

I'm 70, live alone, still working as I can't afford to retire, but started cruising in earnest once the social security kicked in.

I was on the Australia/NZ cruise in 2002 with RCCL - what a lovely trip. You will love it. I would love to go back but too many other places I haven't been to yet. Also, consider the cruise around the Horn of So. America. That was also a really wonderful trip. I did that 2 years ago with friends on NCL's Crown - lovely ship.

I have two more cruises booked for next year - a repo cruise on Princess from LA to Vancouver, switch over to the Noordam and cruise down to Seattle overnight - beats sitting in line to cross the border. Then another repo in November on NCL's Spirit from NYC through the Caribbean to New Orleans. Doing both alone. I'd love to take grandkids but they aren't interested (they are teens/pre-teens). Oh well.

Terry, I'm going to Alaska this time next month on the Vision of the Seas - goes from Vancouver to Victoria, Skagway, Juneau, San Francisco, and ends in L.A. My second cruise to Alaska - first was on NCL two years ago.

I am booked on Princess this time next year out of Copenhagen for 26 days. I am really excited about that one - never been to that part of the world before. Now to lose weight so the plane ride doesn't kill me before I get there. I've never cruised on Princess before - or even HAL for that matter. Should be wonderful.

Just wish I could afford to retire and just travel - but unfortunately need the job to afford the trips. So, I'll have to work for a few more years - I also have a car to finish paying for.

Hi.

Here's another single "over 55" - try 69 in about 3 weeks. I usually travel solo, and lately have gone with NCL. I like their Freestyle dining - I can eat when and where I want. I usually find a waiter I like and follow them to wherever they are working - I strike up conversations with whoever is sharing the table with me. Can't think of a better way for an older single lady to travel than cruising. I'm taking an RCCL cruise from Vancouver to Alaska and back to L.A. in September - should be fun. I have two more cruises booked for next year, but I am still working - have to have the salary to pay for the trips - and may have to either cancel one or retire - God willing. I need to win the lottery - so many trips to do, so little time.

This "reciprocity fee" is to get back at Americans as we charge Chilean citizens the same amount to come into the U.S. When we increase our fees, the Chileans will do the same. And the same goes for Brazil. If you land in Buenos Aires and have to change planes in Sao Paulo like I did, don't even think about leaving the airport or you will be charged - and there is nothing to do in the airport. Yuck.