ThinnerTimes

Members of the Thinner Times Forum have organized a fun and exciting cruise to the Caribbean! Join fellow gastric bypass patients, Lap Band patients, and friends and family for a 5 day cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel. The ship will depart from port in Miami, December 7, 2008, will stop in Cozumel and Cayman, and will arrive back in Miami on Friday, December 12.

Full Details and Disclosure:

Information from event coordinator:

Norwegian Cruise Lines is a popular line due to their Freestyle Cruising which allows you to dine at any time. There is no set formal dining time, and a lot of travelers prefer that. Grand Cayman and Cozumel are two outstanding Caribbean ports - I was there in December, yes, both ports. Glorious! I ABSOLUTELY KNOW YOU WILL LOVE THEM!!!!

Shore excursions are set up directly through NCL. We will get those links for the purpose of looking at port excursions after we make final payment. It is NOT necessary to make arrangements for port excursions ahead of time - they can be done on the ship, or not at all. Just walking around at the pier is fun, but then there is snorkeling, and also nice to get to know Cayman and Cozumel via a tour (extra cost). Your choice. Plenty of time to think that one over. It will come up in your thinking, and that's why I am posting it here.

• Smoking is optional in your cabin, and there are designated smoking areas onboard the ship. There is no smoking in the dining room.

• There is an internet cafe that charges a per minute fee, and there are connections in the cabins for laptops.

We'll book the cabins as close together as possible. However, because of the limited availability of the cabins that we are able to hold within our group, these categories are on different decks.

1. The Cat F oceanviews are on deck 4.
2. The Cat KK insides are on deck 5.
3. The Cat BB balconies are on deck 10.

And now for the CHANGE IN INFO I HAVE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED: We will need to provide deposits in order to hold the staterooms. I think this is probably because of the escalating price of oil, and for the purpose of holding the prices to where they are now.

Groups may hold space for up to 30 days with no money or names allowing plenty of time to organize the group while the rates are protected. Deposits are completely refundable until approximately 90-120 days prior to departure. Therefore, we must place deposits within 30 days.. After 30 days, we can certainly request an extension if you need one. Just let the cruise rep know. He is the key.

There is a possibility of free upgrades. We won’t know that until the very end. No promises, but keep your fingers crossed.

The link below will take you to a detailed description of the cruise itinerary, as well as an on-line registration form where you can sign up to join the group. The $$$$ are different, higher, because they include all taxes and surcharges. You will see the total amount for each type of stateroom. Many may wish to inquire about travel insurance, which is also available at an extra charge. Our cruise rep can provide info for you on that, and the signup link has good info on it also. If you decide to use the signup link below, and you have a roommate, one person does the info for both, including both credit cards. Take a look, and you will see what I mean. It may be easier to call the cruise rep. (his contact info is below). Couples, you can easily sign up using the link. Here is the signup and specific info link.

https://secure.vacationstogo.com/vtg/group_res1.cfm?g=9212&s=865261

As people sign up, I will enter them here on THIS post at the top of the post. Signing up requires a $200 deposit for each of the two people in each stateroom. If your party is more, look at the directions within the signup link.

Please DO NOT PM ME!!! If you want to communicate with me for any reason about the cruise, call me at 979 836 6237, or E-MAIL ME at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . I am keeping folders for this cruise and PMs are impossible to organize. I need your cooperation on this – it is vital.

The cruise rep’s contact info:

Donald Parcell- Travel Counselor
Vacations To Go
Toll-free: 1-800-514-9986 ext. 7522
UK: 0800-279-8084 ext. 7522
International: 001-713-974-2121 ext. 7522
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
In the Office: Mon-Thurs 11am-8pm (CST), Fri 9am-6pm

Just remember, we need 8 staterooms to make this happen, 16 commitments, 16 deposits. Keep in mind that these deposits ARE refundable 90 to 120 days prior to departure.

The cruise company we are using, Vacations To Go, is a world leader in the cruise industry. It gets more perks for its passengers than your normal travel agent because of its volume of business booked with the cruise lines. I used this company for my cruise in December, and it was on the ship and talking to people that I truly realized what a deal I got. Donald is very accommodating, and very professional, and very knowledgeable.

ALL ABOARD!!!!

The T-T Caribbean Cruise is not an official event planned by the offices of Dr. Charles D. Callery, but has been independently organized by members of the Thinner Times Forum. Thinner Times and Dr. Charles Callery are thus not liable for travel complications, cancellations, lost or stolen goods, or any other aspect related to this event.