Greetings!
It's a Go!
We have sufficient numbers now that the TDBAB@SEA Reunion Cruise
is afloat! We depart London on May 7, and arrive in Rome 12 days
later, and we're going to have a blast!
For those of you who have booked already, now is a good time to
make air arrangements. Rog is here to help, if you wish.
If you haven't booked, there is still space. The total fare is
modestly higher now, as the discount for full prepayment date has
passed and there is a fuel surcharge in effect now that our group
was able to forestall by booking early, but it's still an incredible
value, still half off the brochure price and that was a brochure
that was priced when the USDollar bought a lot more Pounds and Euros
than it will today!
The other big news is that we have negotiated a 6-night
"half cruise" that may allow you to join us for a week. And we
have the London pre-departure details for you now as well in this
newsletter.
Bon voyage!
Rog & Jim
| Half a Cruise is WAAY Better Than
None! |
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Don't have time for a full 12-night cruise? Good news! By
special arrangement with Crystal Cruises, we have developed
a 6-night cruise tailored just for you!
London to Lisbon or Lisbon to Rome
Now you can chose to join the TDBAB@SEA reunion in London,
May 7, and disembark in Lisbon on May 13 - or - join us in
Lisbon that day and disembark in Rome on May 19.
The day to day itinerary is the same for the segment you
select. You will be included in all group activities, receive
all the same perks (like prepaid gratuities and Lemon Drop
Parties, for example). Or, you may still enjoy the cost
benefits and keep a discrete separation, enjoying a romantic
week with just the two of you. The benefits of group travel
but this will be your vacation the way you want it to be.
Follow the link below for full itinerary and cost details.
Please call us today if you would like us
to hold your stateroom!
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| Join us in London |
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Whether you are part of the cruise or not, please join
us in London for a full day of fun!
It's a shopping-walking tour of Mayfair,
London's most exclusive district, an amazing place to live,
work and visit, the most important retail shopping activity in
the UK. Included will be the requisite pilgrimage to Thomas
Goode, a house of luxury that to connoisseurs of such is
regarded as the best fine bone china, crystal and silverware
shop in the world. We'll wander past the bespoke tailors of
Savile Row, upmarket Bond Street, the infamous
Shepherds Market, and the Burlington Arcade, a
haven away from the traffic of Piccadilly noted for its
selection of luxury goods.
Though we'll have stopped for coffee and pastries along the
way, we will still want to take advantage of London's famous
Pub Grub, and there will be ample choice.
If this is your first visit to London, you may wish to
catch a nearby hop-on-hop-off city bus tour to see the
principle tourist sights of this exciting city. We'll see you
back at the hotel later!
The rest of us will continue to Marylebone.
Treats for the home, designer-wear fashions, and presents for
friends, can all be found as we weave our way through the
Village, making it the perfect place to spend the afternoon.
 After dinner, we'll reconvene at our
apartment in Mayfair for a Lemon Drop Inn reception
with a few nibbles and lots of tipples.
You don't need to be on the cruise to join us for
this Day in London. All are welcome! There's no charge for the
guided walking tour, or the Lemon Drop Inn reception; other
snacks and meals are on your own.
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| Group Rates for London pre-nights |
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Arrive on May 5, spend a quiet evening getting acclimated
to the time zone, enjoy a good night's sleep, a hearty English
breakfast and enjoy a full day of shopping and touring in
London. The Lemon Drop Inn martini reception is in our
apartment in the same hotel that evening. Then join us after
another delicious full breakfast for a group transfer in
comfort and style, with fun and games along the way, to the
pier in Southampton (90 miles, a 2-hour journey). That's a
door-to-door transfer, saving all the hassle of taxis and
trains with your luggage.
Feel a sense of harmony as you enter the world of the Flemings
Mayfair Hotel, perfectly located in a quiet side street
off Piccadilly, close to Green Park, and a 2 min walk to the
infamous Shepherds Market , a medieval village which still
enjoys the lively hustle & bustle the international
eateries and boutiques shops bring.
Beautifully appointed executive guest rooms are a sea of
calm with a little of the unexpected thrown in. Breakfast is
served in the Bodeca Restaurant, an integral part of the
hotel's sense of timeless ambiance and Georgian style.
Two nights' deluxe 4-star accommodation (May 5 and
6) in the heart of London's most exclusive neighbourhood,
full English breakfast each morning, and
door-to-door group transfer to the pier in Southampton
on May 7. Regular price, double occupancy, including 17.5%
VAT, would be 919 GBP ($C1837) plus tips. Package price,
including tax and service, only $C1335. Save over
$500!
Want to party without the cruise? Or cruise without the
London party? Here's an a la carte menu for you, with
our group savings built in:
Flemings Mayfair double hotel room, with breakfast,
255GBP plus 17.5%VAT, per night.
or
Group transfer
from the Flemings to the Southampton pier, 40 GBP per
person, one way.
Either way, must be confirmed by April 15 with full
pre-payment, non-refundable, charged in $C on your credit
card.
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TDBAB Reunion Cruise |
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London to Rome on Crystal in May 2008
Twelve nights, May 7-19, in complete luxury, all meals,
snacks and non-alcoholic beverages included. Save up to Half
Price (Category C Deluxe Stateroom).
Optional extras at No Charge:
* Guided shopping
excursion in London, followed by Lemon Drop Martini reception
before departure (accommodation extra)
* Prepaid gratuities
included ($150 pp value!)
* Professional guided shore
excursion in Barcelona ($300 pp value)
* Three Lemon Drop
Martini Receptions on board
* And more!
The
full itinerary and fares are detailed here. 
News from Crystal
Crystal Butts Out
Crystal has just announced that, effective with our
sailing, smoking will no longer be permitted on verandas of
all staterooms and suites. Smoking has long been banned from
all staterooms, suites and dining areas; this extension of the
smoke-free zone further reduces the risk of fire and the
unpleasant effect of neighbouring smoke being drawn into your
personal space.
Crystal Cruises recognizes that some guests smoke and
others do not. Therefore, the living environment on ships is
designed to satisfy everyone. Most areas of the ships are
non-smoking. There are designated smoking and non-smoking
tables in most bars and lounges (except The Bistro, inside the
Lido Café, the Crystal Dining Room, Prego, Jade Garden, Silk
Road and The Sushi Bar restaurants and the Galaxy Lounge,
which are entirely smoke-free). Pipes and cigars are permitted
only in the Connoisseur Club, and on the "open decks," except
all areas of Lido Deck ( deck 12 on Crystal Serenity). Pipes
and cigars may not be smoked in guest penthouses, staterooms,
on verandahs or in corridors.
Culinary Tours for Wine & Food Cruise
 An unprecedented number of wine and food-themed
excursions and onboard presentations by the culinary world's
brightest stars set the stage for Crystal Serenity's May 2008
Wine and Food cruise. Highlighted by a two-day overnight call
in Bordeaux, the 12-day voyage from London to Rome offers 18
epicurian Crystal Adventures in the French wine country,
Portugal, Spain and the French Riviera, as well as onboard
events with Master Chef André Soltner and Master Sommelier
Evan Goldstein.
"From cooking lessons in Barcelona and the South of France
to 'from the barrel' tastings at Chateau Mouton Rothschild,
the region is rich in opportunities for authentic wine and
food programs," says John Stoll, director of Crystal Cruises'
land programs. "To visit the wine regions of Bordeaux, Cognac,
St. Emilion, and Pomerol, as well as Spain's La Rioja region
and Lisbon's Port Wine Institute on the same voyage is a rare
treat. To pair that experience with onboard instruction and a
multi-course dinner prepared by James Beard Award-winning
Master Chef André Soltner, former owner of New York's famed
Lutèce, is extraordinary."
Nearly 10 carefully crafted boutique excursions in each
port of call help travelers make the most of their time
ashore. Of the 57 shoreside experiences featured, a full
one-third are devoted to fine wine and food.
Condé Nast Votes Crystal Best
 With one of its highest scores ever, Crystal
Cruises has once again been voted the "Best Large-Ship Cruise
Line" by the readers of the prestigious Condé Nast
Traveler magazine. Crystal's overall score of 94.1, the
highest for any cruise line, was more than five points ahead
of its nearest competitor in both the large and small ship
categories. The luxury line's 14 consecutive annual "wins" is
unprecedented by any cruise line or hotel in the world.
Fastest Internet at Sea
 Crystal has significantly upgraded its onboard
computer network with new state-of-the-art technology and
applications that enable guests to optimize their time online
with faster connections and quicker downloads regardless of
where in the world the ships travel.
Due to the need to use satellites for transmission,
Internet access aboard a ship will always be significantly
slower than on land. To dramatically improve performance,
Crystal Serenity has become the first cruise ship in the
industry to install WebAccelerator, a device to compress data
in transit between the ship and satellite, optimizing
communication and transmission time.
Crystal has also increased bandwidth by 33 percent, and
upgraded routing components. These upgrades follow the recent
debut of wireless Internet and cell phone service aboard
Crystal Serenity.
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