REUNION 2023
Last Email from Calvin Quong - (Go to Reunion 2025)
September 2, 2023 "All joining in the Cruise ( 15) have their sailing Passes to Board the RCCL Radiance of the Seas, Staterooms assigned embarking in the 22nd September. Reunion dinner in Vancouver being organized by McCrae and Ferguson scheduled for 6.30 pm at the Cactus Club ( Broadway) for 20 on the 21 st September. Kovacs and Giffin planning on joining us that evening. All looking forward to our 54th Troop Reunion coinciding with the RCMP 150 Anniversary. Should be a great get together and vacation on the west coast. Will send update to you from Vancouver. Take care, keep well and in touch. Calvin"
July 4, 2023
"FYI, Paul and Jane Giffen, along with Mike and Theresa Kovacs was joining the pre-cruise dinner to make sure there's a good sendoff for the crowd. Calvin"
March 1, 2023
We have 14 confirmed participants with 4 more tentative at this time. Ferguson and I have just confirmed our booking instructions to our travel agent who will be placing $500 deposit to protect our group rate and sailing date. The reunion is centered around a cruise on the "Radiance of the Seas" out of Vancouver, to Alaska on the 22nd September, 2023. I will be putting each participant directly in touch with our travel agent to deal with their individual request re: cabins etc. We are still planning 2 days in Vancouver on the 20th & 21st of September, and hope to have a dinner/ or lunch so that those who can join us in Vancouver, but cannot join us on the cruise. Mike O' Request: Wondering if you could lend me the small banner from our last reunion in PEI to utilize on board for “our common room“ or can you order a new banner for Troop 23 ,2023 Reunion. Will provide proper update for the facebook page once I have the emails out to individual participants and the Travel agent. Calvin
"December 05, 2022
To all: I am going to continue to provide updates to all just to keep you informed as to developments. We have approximately 18 in numbers interested in participating in our reunion for next year. The intention is to put together a decision package for those interested by narrowing down possible sailing dates/ schedule and estimated costs. The general consensus of those interested the possible dates have now been settled as to having the reunion in the Fall of 2023. We are assembling possible sailing dates and related costs. I will forward that information when we have compiled it from several cruise operators. In September 2023, Holland America has 5 “Sailings” on three ships sailing on 7 day excursions on the Alaska route. The “list costs” are approximately $1100/person to $1600/person taxes included (inside and outside cabins.) Three ships sailing from the 13th of September to the 1st of October are : The Volendam; Nieu Amsterdam and the Konigsdam. I will be sending this email together with two others with information on sailing dates, ships and schedule and listed costs. I have no idea what discounts I will be able to negotiate as we will have to confirm numbers/sailing dates etc. The forthcoming emails hopefully will narrow down the decision package as to : Sailing dates preferable; Numbers of persons who are more than just expressing an interest in participating; and Assemble a “decision package” so we can approach the cruise lines more definitively. Calvin"
January 25, 2021.
"Calvin Quong and Mike Ferguson, Co-Chairs of our next Troop Reunion in British Columbia (somewhere) have spoken at length several times regarding the possibilities. They started sounding out venues in BC and possible Cruises Vancouver / Alaska. They reached out to Brian Boleen who put then in touch with past troop reunions on the Holland America line. With COVID-19 continuing its descent upon the landscape, they decided to re-schedule from 2022 to perhaps 2023, of course this is dependent on how the COVID restrictions change over 2021. Beside cruises, they have also been considering other alternatives but will canvass interest from the Troop. Some ideas which have been considered as an example would be a salmon fishing weekend at the Oak Bay Marina Group Resort near Campbell River. Hopefully, all of us will be eligible for our vaccines by September, so we will have to plan around that. Calvin and Mike F will stay in touch and keep us advised. They hope to be able to get together in late Spring (2021) once restrictions are eased.”
September 15, 2022
"To All As I am not on Facebook, I have sent this group email to all troop mates of whom I have current email addresses to update and canvass you all as to possible plans and suggestions for the planning of a reunion to be held in spring / fall of 2023. Ferguson & I were tasked with initiating reunion plans however, COVID literally put a halt to any progress and initiatives undertaken. We lost one of the travel agents who was compiling information as COVID brought about her retirement. I have since been in touch with another who is assembling the information on Alaska cruises and hotels in vancouver. The recommendation is a 7 day cruise from Vancouver return with perhaps to start with 2 days hotel stay in Vancouver in order to maximize any group rates. The cruise would allow flexibility for all to maximize a holiday allowing freedom to mingle / independently enjoy the time together in a full service environment. Issues: we must decide if the cruise is to be the central part of the reunion and the time….spring / fall sailings. The choice of hotels have been limited to those near to the sky train stations to facilitate arrivals (for those not driving or renting cars). From the airport / to hotel / to cruise terminal both coming to and departing Vancouver after the reunion. Logistically arranging car pools etc. is not feasible with the limited resources of our troop mates in the greater Vancouver area, so the “ Skytrain” option is the most flexible, simple for all partaking. First of all, we need to canvass all as to the timing… spring / fall sailings; the tentative use of hotels in close proximity to Skytrain stations.(e.g.: if we can make acceptable arrangements at a hotel near the Seabus (Lonsdale Quay in North Vanc…easy access to downtown (SeaBus) and walking downtown. ( Gastown / Waterfront / Stanley Park / etc. also easy access to cruise terminal and Skytrain to and from Airport. I need your feedback (and also anyone I missed as to email addresses) before we start further discussions in earnest with the hotels and cruise lines. I would also like your feedback as to: A) intentions to attend / #s B) timing preference / Spring / Fall sailings 2023 or 2024. C) 2 day initial stay in Vancouver/ those requiring hotel D) reunion dinner start off the Reunion evening before Cruise commencement. Would appreciate your initial responses as due to COVID delays and ( “phantom“ bookings in 2023/24 due to the cruise cancellations during Covid….. do not know how many will take up their bookings….. therefore availability issues) Many thanks, look forward to hearing from you so we can proceed. Calvin Ps: I retired to Burlington , Ontario from North Vanc. So will need someone to assist Ferguson on the ground in BC and in Vancouver. I am in Calgary/ Edmonton this week and will be meeting with Jacque Lamoureux and Graham Jacklin and hopefully Paul Rainey in Edmonton and will get their feedback as to reunion plans."
2022-09-20
"To All, This is just an update, I have out of six responses so far I have 10 probable attendees. (Boleen; Ferguson; Knauss; Svenson; Quong ; O’ Neil can not for 2023). I just spoke with my travel agent who has been assembling the information for me. So far, the best sailing periods for us would be the fall sailings in 2023. ( spring sailings are comparable but you may all want to enjoy the summers with family.) There appears to be a good availability of staterooms available at this time. Cancellations from rebooking was inevitable from the cancelled Cruises due to Covid. Brian Boleen confirmed that in recent visit to Skagway, the decline in numbers of cruise visitors which confirms the information which the travel agent provided to me. I hope to have a list of possible “ sailing Dates” for the Spring and Fall sailings. Holland America and Princess Cruises so far appear to have the the better schedule/ pricing and # of ships on this Alaska route, ( generally smaller ships). Pricing is in our favor at this time as the lowest regular fare right now is cdn$750; which before any discounts and group arrangements would work out to a little over Cdn$100/ day…..all meals etc. The plan to arrange perhaps 2 nights in hotels in Vancouver near Skytrain Stations seems workable esp. with a group rate, this makes travelling around Vancouver quite simple and easy and thus avoiding the logistical nightmare of arranging individual transportation; Airport to Hotel; to downtown ;to Cruise terminal etc. so we are looking into which hotels to start discussions with. I look forward to hearing back from as many of our fellow troop mates as soon as possible ; as once we can identify the possible number of attendees, for the cruise and hotel accommodations we will be able to start firming up possible group rates / dates and costing for the cruise and hotels. I hope this update is of assistance to you in your deliberations. At this time we just need to have and idea of those wanting to participate so we can deal with the cruise lines and hotels as to possible group rates and narrow down possible sailing dates. We are still contemplating Spring or Fall sailings for 2023 / 24 depending on the responses. Keep well, and in touch. Calvin"