Medicare Cruise
for The Class of 1959
 |
59ers
Aboard Grand Princess, April 1-8, 2006 At left, gathered between decks 5 and 6, are your classmates on the first (and perhaps only) Mirabeau B. Lamar Medicare Cruise. Starting at the 12 o'clock position and progressing more or less clockwise, we have: Arthur Faris; John (Jock) Pace; Danny Tompkins; Elbert Coker; Larry Hitt; Rick McDowell; Gail La Rue Layne; Lou Parks Gorski; Dee Post Bell; Mike Blackledge; Jeremy Wicker; Woody Tompkins; and Ron Brieger. All made it through this arduous sea journey with relatively the same clothing they packed. Three parties, four ports of call, and many, many meals did little to dampen their brave and adventurous spirits. Well done, Class of 1959! |
Hello cruisers,
Here we are 60 days away
from departing
I’ve been accumulating
information on a number of
points for the past few months that will be covered in this note. Thanks for your many e-mails sharing cruise
experiences and opinions that will help make the trip enjoyable for all
of
us. One of the best resources for
information is the website that
Dining
Options - As far as I
know, everyone has already made a choice and advised
For a good description of
the options, you can read the
attached PDF that
Here are the current elections:
Traditional Dining –Traditional Dining –
Anytime Dining - Pace,
On a related topic, did
you know that you can bring your own
supply of wine on board? I learned
this from
Shore
Excursions – I noticed
on the Princess website that shore excursions should be arranged six
weeks in
advance so you might want to consider those options soon.
Shirts – Dee Bell went on a
cruise in
December and saw a group that had matching shirts – let me know if you
are interested in having some made for our group and I’ll look into it.
Bios – Our group is a mix of
Transportation
from
Send a note if you have
any comments or suggestions. We can still
take on more cruisers so
get in touch with other classmates ASAP!
Thanks,
Frequently Asked Questions (and a few answers) regarding the Class of 1959 Medicare Cruise:
Q: So whose idea was this anyhow?
A: During the 45th Reunion several folks within the Class of '59 started talking about this cruise idea. For examples of some of the preliminary discussions that went on in the planning, see below on this page.
Q: Cruise Center has reserved 15 inside cabins, plus 20 outside with balconies - what if we oversubscribe?
A: We blocked out cabins based on our initial estimates of how many classmates/spouses would participate. More cabins are available if needed.
Q: The great rates make me want to invite a couple of non-Lamar friends to join us - is this allowed?
A: The more the merrier! A few of us even have spouses than are non-Lamarites, so go for it!
Q: The Grand Princess has three primary dining rooms: Botticelli (traditional assigned time dining), Da Vinci (anytime dining), Michelangelo (anytime dining). Do they all have the same food? What's the down side of assigned time seating?
A: It appears they all offer the same menu. More on dining options is found here. No real downside to having an assigned time (and area) for seating, as if one decides to eat in another venue, you can - no penalty for not showing up at your assigned time in the main dining room.
Q: What's the story on the $70 tip requirement - are there other tips involved in the cruise?
A: Tipping is $20 per cabin per day (total of $140 for 2-person cabin for the trip) - that covers EVERYONE, no more tipping required.
Q: Any other costs associated with the cruise?
A: Any other payments or charges are voluntary on your part. For example: If you want to participate in (organized) Shore Excursions, they are each charged separately. More on this below.
Q: Will I need a passport?
A: Yes, everyone will need a passport. Our cruise timeframe will be part of the first phase of the government's new travel initiative. Not only must your passport be current, but it must be valid for a period of six months after our cruise returns, i.e, valid until 8 Oct 2006 (this is actually an old rule, but one which not everyone knows).
Q: What's the story on my "booking" or "confirmation" number?
A: Once you make your deposit, Kathy will send you a receipt with a booking number. The booking number is listed as the Confirmation No. in the upper right hand corner of the Cruise Reservation section of Kathy's receipt. It will be six characters, something like: GPXX9Q - With that booking number, you will fill out an immigration form on www.princess.com - this is important to prevent any delay for you at the ship. Also, the "booking" (confirmation) number will be necessary later if you wish to sign up for any of the shore excursions you may want to experience.
Q: How do I complete my registration after I receive my "booking number"?
Q: How do I obtain a passport?
A: You can download the form and application at www.usps.com/passport. You can also list the ten closest (full service post office) locations to your zip code where you can go to get your passport photo and turn in your application.
Q: Are there events planned on the cruise?
A: Grand Princess has many events and shore excursions planned. At each of the four stops, passengers have their choice of several planned excursions (which will involve additional payments per person) or they can explore on their own. The 2006 shore excursions will be listed for you to sign up for about 120 days before our cruise. You can get an example of shore excursions descriptions and costs from the 2005 information currently listed: www.princess.com
Subject: Cruise Ship Choices2 May 2005 Response back from Larry:
Since you are waiting for your agent to see what Royal Caribbean (RC) has
out of Galveston in May 2006, please ask him to also inform you on two other
lines that sail out of Galveston and are rated as high as RC (4 ½) or higher
(5). The Grand Princess (5 rating) (Princess Cruises) sails from Galveston
(e.g., 4/1/2006). It has much better food than the RC ships and several
excellent specialty restaurants. It tends to attract more couples and people
our age. RC tends to attract young families (which means kids all over the
ship). Been there, done that. I think you have a great idea in planning a
cruise out of Galveston, since it avoids the time and expense of flying to
and from a distant port. But I strongly feel that at our age and social
preferences, we should choose a cruise line that is more upscale than RC.
(I've been on RC cruises; they cater to families and very young first-time
cruisers.) I would also like to consider the Princess Galaxy (Celebrity
Cruises) which also sails from Galveston (e.g., 4/1/2006). While it has the
same 4 ½ star rating as RC, it has more sophisticated passengers.
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Medicare Cruise page last updated 16 April 2006 |