There's no such thing as free material. We will extract our pound from fleshy dogster.

Another interpretation of the data is that everyone who is remotely serious is happy to go to India, except you and me. I agree that we don't want to wait until 2012. Gather ye cruises while ye may...

While I'm glad to take advantage of a real deal if I can, I agree that the itinerary and the boat are more important to me. But dogster's comments about the India cruise make me wonder what we could get - not just a good price, but an altered itinerary, for instance?

Dog is in Kampong Cham, I think, and watching with interest. If it's not Kampong Cham, it's somewhere up the Mekong with a similar name but it's not Kampong Chnang. Marija will know where I am. It's bloody hot, wherever it is.

I'm reading and thinking. It's a little hard to respond right now, stuck, as I am, huddled in the heat trying to catch an internet connection. I need to read carefully. Give me a moment - I'll be back.

Thanks for checking in dogster. Check your email your audience demand a GTG with you!

Random thoughts:

Planning something for 2012 is just silly. Like LA, I have no idea whether I'll be alive - or dead by then. As the Love Boat will most certainly become an annual event after the triumphant success of the first cruise it seems sensible to think of 2011 first, then do another one.

Kathie is half-right. With a cruise that is more Foddoders than Noble Caledonians, subject the whims of the river, we would have the bargaining chips to stay longer, do better things than the all-comers itineraries available. In Burma, however, random stops are not possible, similarly in Bihar. Trust me - the logistics, armed guards and permits required
would be problematic. The itineraries on offer aren't crappy, by any means - it's HOW you do them that needs the tweaking. 'Road to Mandalay' for example structures its trips for an Orient Express clientele, more interested in the O.E. sticker on their luggage than Burma.

Chartering a boat is a step too hard, in my opinion, unless a sufficient number of people were determined to commit. That won't happen. Better to take an existing cruise and overwhelm any other poor bugger who has booked. We would, in our Fododders way, merrily welcome them into the folds of our collective muu-muu.

Back soon after some research.

now, I'll look at India first: Ganges.

choice of cruise lines: 2 [Pandaw Bengal or AssamBengal]

Seasonal factors: <b>Pandaw Bengal</b>:
Sept 2010 - March 2011, Sept 2011 - March 2012
www.thegangescruise.com/bookcruise.html
<b>Assam Bengal</B>:
June 2010 - April 2011, June 2011 - Apr 2012

Cruise length: 7 or 14 days [Assam Bengal], 14 days [Pandaw Bengal]

Route: Kolkata - Farrakah, Farrakah - Patna {AB], Kolkata - Patna [PB]

PB: www.thegangescruise.com/ganges_itinerary.html
AB: www.assambengalnavigation.com/bengal_cruises.htm

Battery running low, back soon.

COMPARE PRICES: [AS PER THE WEBSITES}
<b>Pandaw Bengal 14 night Kolkata to Varanasi</b>

Upper Deck twin sharing: $7695 P.P.
Upper Deck Single: $8990
Main Deck twin sharing: $6445 P.P.
Main Deck Single: $7790

<b>AssamBengal 14 night Kolkata to Patna</b>

USD 350 per person per night Oct 2010 – Apr 2011
USD 205 per night single supp 2011

i.e. $5300 P.P. sharing
plus $2870 single supp

Gawd, am I your travel Agent? No. This is already boring.

If you're our travel agent all your scouting trips are business expenses. Think about it. I'd like to see you ask for receipts from some of your travel providers...

Is this:

BENGAL DESPATCH 1 & 5 - THE HISTORIC HUGLI

the same as this???

fodors.com/community/asia/dogster-tumbling-down-the-hoogli.cfm

Sorry. Click assambengalnavigation.com/bengal_cruises.htm to find BENGAL DESPATCH 1 & 5 - THE HISTORIC HUGLI.

We're still a definite maybe for 2012, a week at the most. (Do they have wet sheets on these boats for passengers who go berserkers?)

yup

Have you gone berserkers already? Do you remember writing:
India anywhere is a <b>10</b> but most likely not until 2012?

count us out for any 14 day cruise... i was also hoping for a private cruise, but if we are to be just part of a larger cruise, i would not find it that interesting... i was hoping for a club sort of feel, not a tour feel....

Might be able to join the Dog Squad in Nov '11. Only interested in India, but I have to know if you folks all know each other already or only through GTG's and not if cowboy poetry is the only entertainment.

Once there is some finalized pricing and an itinerary , I might be able to convince a few others to join me.

Nov 2011? Will I still be alive then? If I am, I won't do a cruise, nor a group, nor Burma.... but I'll still follow your wacky itinerary.

Come along... I know CPR.

"Have you gone berserkers already? Do you remember writing:
India anywhere is a 10 but most likely not until 2012?"

I do, but then I saw my name listed as a possible/probable and wanted to clarify that.

Be patient with me. I'm trying to sell my house and move to Texas . . .

No way, Gertie! Don't expect "Live from the Loveboat." I envision a blood oath to never write, speak, or release photos of what went on, as long as any one of us still walks the earth...

Just to spice things up a bit--should we include train trips in the mix?

For example. The Golden Chariot in south India, departing Bangalore?


http://www.theluxurytrains.com/the-g.../itinerary.php

Train trips are good. I can do those.