2007 Fellowship Cruises and Tour

By Ronald Kelly,
Group Tour Coordinator

It’s already time to begin making plans for our special group fellowship activities for 2007!

West Coast & Mexican Riviera

For those who would like additional time at sea and in worship, we are excited to announce a 10-day cruise with Holland America Line along the Mexican Riviera. The dates of this cruise are Oct. 11-21, 2007. The journey will start in San Diego, sail on the beautiful Sea of Cortez and put into port in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas and Topolobampa. The highlight of this itinerary is a fantastic shore excursion option for a full-day train ride in the Mexican Copper Canyon area. This is renowned as one of the most exotic train rides in the world – through canyons as much as four times larger than the Grand Canyon. This optional train tour is offered only one time during the Mexican Riviera sailing season, and that’s why we have selected these dates for our fellowship cruise.

For those who are really “hooked on cruising,” the sailing for the MS Ryndam actually begins on October 7 in Vancouver, Canada. It sails to Victoria, for a day in port and then down the West Coast to San Diego for the Mexican Riviera cruise. This additional four-day option is priced beginning at just $369 per person. So if a 14-day cruise suits your fancy, this is an opportunity to jump on board.

By the way, if you have never tried cruising before, but would like to “test the waters,” this four-day cruise offers a taste of cruising. If there are enough members interested in this extension, we will also offer worship services on board.

Caribbean Cruise

Looking back over the many cruises we have offered during the past several years, our most popular itineraries have been in the Caribbean. The reason for this popularity is the affordable cost of a week at sea coupled with the fellowship of our brethren.

In keeping with that program, we are planning another wonderful Princess Lines Caribbean Cruise for 2007. You will board the Caribbean Princess on September 23 and sail the Eastern Caribbean, putting back into port in Ft. Lauderdale on September 30. In 2006, our itinerary was the Western Caribbean, so there will be a different set of ports and shore excursions.

We announce our programs this far in advance to allow you time for planning and saving funds for our fellowship group activities. In addition, early planning provides opportunity for you to book the level of cabin you desire (the less expensive cabins and the Veranda Cabins usually are the first to sell out, often several months before sailing).  

Visit the Land Down Under

We have received many requests for us to sponsor a tour to Australia. For members who like something a little more novel and exotic, the tour to the land Down Under with John and Pat Halford is now being planned. The dates will be Sept. 22 through Oct. 7, 2007. John and Pat have hosted a number of WCG tours including China, Malaysia, England, Scotland & Ireland, and Russia. Anyone who has been on one of their tours knows they are in for an informative, insightful, inspirational and humor-filled trip.

The plan at this stage is to depart from Los Angeles, and travel directly to Cairns in Australia's Tropical North. We will spend a few days exploring the Great Barrier Reef region, and then fly south to Canberra, Australia's capital city. From there it is a short drive to the seaside resort of Uladulla, where we will join some of our Australian church members for worship services and fellowship.

We will then take a short drive north for a three-night stay in Sydney, probably the world's most beautiful port city. You can then fly from Sydney and be back home on October 8. We can also use Sydney for a launching point to other places in Australia if there is interest for extension tours.

John Halford says, "There is probably no other country in the world where Americans can feel so welcome, and have so much fun in a short time as Australia. I lived there for 11 years, and I know it is a place that you will never forget." Mark your calendars and let us know if you would like to join the Fun Down Under!

For those who are interested in our ground tours, we usually have a minimum number of participants required, so early booking allows us to determine if we have sufficient numbers to book the tour.

For more information 

If you are interested in any of these programs, please contact John Siston at Travel Gallery (john@travelgallery.com), or call him at 800-858-6999. He will send you an information packet and/or take your reservations. We look forward to seeing you on a group travel program in the year ahead.

Although I officially retired from full-time employment in 2005, Joseph Tkach has asked me to continue coordination of our group tours and fellowship cruises. My wife, Norva, and I hope to see many of you in 2007. Dr. Tkach and his wife Tammy are planning to be on the Mexican Riviera Cruise in October. As with all our tours, WCG ministers and worship leaders will be presenting inspiring, uplifting and educational worship services on each cruise and tour.

Copyright 2006 Worldwide Church of God