Who the heck is Lord Carrington?

As you will see by the sidebar, I am following several other cruising blogs. It’s quite interesting to read what they are going through and how they planned for their cruise. One couple is bringing 11—yes, ELEVEN—suitcases for a 70-some day cruise! And Randy & I are worried about possibly having 4 suitcases. We managed once to fly around the world with just two carry-on bags, but going around the world on a cruise ship is just a teeny bit different. The wife in one couple on an earlier 70-day cruise brought 17 pairs of shoes! SEVENTEEN! Another was noting the poundage of their baggage: over 500 pounds! The mind reels!

I’m definitely getting into the we’re-actually-going-on-this-cruise-so-I’d-better-get-my-act-in-gear mode! I’m making spreadsheets:

• with the names of the CruiseCritic members who have told me their surnames and cabins for the Meet & Greet on the first sea day;

• of all the tours I’ve already signed us up for;

• for the checklists I’m gathering (I’m a pilot’s wife—of course I have checklists; I have checklists of my checklists!);

• of the tours I’m organizing (so far only one, but I’m working on another out of Le Havre if I can only get Randy to tell me what he wants to do!).

This is a sample of my checklist format. I’ll keep it in the kitchen and Randy & I can check off what we’ve acquired and what we still need to get. Some of the stuff we’ll pick up in Sydney so we don’t have to carry it with us on the plane. Am I too compulsive?

Have	Need
Clothing & Accessories
		Clothing & Shoes – formal, casual, gym
		Lightweight rain ponchos
		Sweater &/or jacket
		Umbrella
		Poncho
		Visor/hat
		Snorkels & masks (2)

For our anniversary I have organized a stay at an old hotel that I was told about by the CruiseCritic members, the Carrington in Katoomba (check out the location on googlemaps.com, 15-47 Katoomba St, Katoomba Blue Mountains, Australia). It’s an old, historic, majestic hotel in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney and we’re going to stay in the Lord Carrington Suite for our 50^th anniversary. Now I’ll have to find a nice restaurant for dinner! We’ll stay there the 11^th and 12^th (our actual anniversary) so we’ll have lots of time to wander around the area and see what there is to see. There is lots to see! I’m really looking forward to it! Not as much as the cruise, of course, but our week in Sydney and Katoomba should be a lot of fun, too!

Now, back to those checklists...

This 'n that 'n Elvis...

I haven’t written in this for a while and I need to practice doing so in order to be disciplined enough on the cruise to post at least every few days.

Ray and Paula's blog about cruising has a great list of what to do and how to act. I’d say it was the Ten Commandments of Cruising but there are 30 of them! And  number 30 is especially appropriate.

I have been spending a LOT of time on the cruise critic website, especially on the Sun World Cruise Roll Call which seems to be getting more active. I’m also involved on Facebook where there are now a confusing TWO World Cruise Facebook Groups (World Cruise and Princess Cruise 2012). I find I can’t keep the two groups separate so I am just going to choose one, World Cruise, and ignore the other, Princess Cruise 2012. They seem to, by and large, have the same members and do the same thing.

It has been great fun to “meet” all the people going on “our” cruise! Should make it so much fun to start the cruise already having some friends.

Some of our cruise excursions are getting firmed up. A CC member named Narelle has been organizing some and so have I so we’re kind of set for Mumbai, Aqaba, and Petra and thinking about Salalah and Dubai. Gets exciting when we’re already planning the excursions!

The only traveling we have done lately is to go to Phoenix to visit Colorado friends and then on to Las Vegas for my daughter and son-in-law’s wedding by Elvis. Ken (son-in-law) has always, always wanted to be married by Elvis so when they planned a trip to the National Finals Rodeo they also planned, along with their friends Sharon & Bill, to be married by Elvis. Well, what a kick that was! They did the whole nine yards: limo, video, photographer, and Elvis singing “Love Me Tender”—among other songs—to them! And we got to share in the fun without having to pay for it! Icing on the cake! (My daughter is really, really tired of hearing that we didn’t have to pay for it. But I’m not!)

Kathy, Ken, 'n Elvis

Sharon, Bill, Kathy, Ken, 'n Elvis

Elvis is saying, Do you promise to always be as smokin' hot as you are today?

They always wanted their names in lights!

Do we have a beautiful daughter, or what!

I think Ken just got the bill.

And so the checklists begin!

I have been obsessing about our cruise and am starting on a checklist. This is a compilation of many checklists suggested by several people on Cruise Critic. I know this will change, be added to, subtracted from ad nauseum!

Please add any thoughts you have to my current ideas!

Notes for our cruise

Important thought #1: IF YOU DON'T USE IT AT HOME ON ANY AVERAGE WEEK OF YOUR LIFE - DON'T BRING IT!

Important thought #2:Ten Essentials for Traveling Well:
•    Smiles
•    An open mind
•    Tolerance
•    Laughter
•    Flexibility
•    Mindfulness
•    Curiosity
•    Manners
•    Gratitude
•    Serendipity

Now the less important stuff:

CLOTHING, ETC.
•    Clothing and Shoes – formal, casual, gym
•    Lightweight rain ponchos
•    Sweater and/ or jacket
•    Umbrella
•    Poncho
•    Visor/hat

TOILETRIES
•    ShampooDisinfectant wipes
•    Purell or other waterless hand cleaner
•    Fabreeze air freshener
•    A small shower organizer to keep the soap and shampoo, razor, etc

PERSONAL ITEMS
•    Stain remover pen
•    Glasses – sunglasses, reading, and prescription
•    Extra pair of prescription glasses
•    Eyeglass repair kit
•    Bottle/can opener
•    Sewing kit
•    Cheap waterproof watch
•    Downy wrinkle release spray
•    Tool kit
•    Camelback

DRUGS, MEDICINES, ETC.
Medications
•    Prescriptions with doctor's letter + non-prescription
•    Prescription medications (4 month supply +)
•    Broad spectrum antibiotics
•    Diarrhoea (Pepto Bismol tablets, etc)
•    Vomiting
•    Cold and flu
•    Pain killers (aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, etc.)
•    Anti-histamines
•    Bonine or Dramamine
•    Anti-inflammatories
•    Benedryl
Ointments
•    Neosporin
•    Calamine lotion
•    Antiseptic ointment
•    Sunscreen
•    Lip balm
•    Sunburn cream
Miscellaneous
•    Moleskin
•    Band Aids
•    Insect repellent
•    Dental floss
•    First aid kit
•    Tweezers
•    Nail clippers
•    Emery board
•    Clear nail polish (nylon runs)
•    Rubber bands

ELECTRONIC ITEMS
USB copy of all paperwork – leave a spare USB with all details with Kathy
•    Itinerary
•    Airline tickets
•    Cruise tickets
•    Passports
•    Visas
•    Visa waivers
•    Insurance documents (health and travel)
•    Bookings for independent tours
•    Confirmations for rental cars
•    Labels pre-addressed for postcards to be sent
•    Copies of passport, credit card & important numbers incase you lose it
Wallet cards –
•    Credit and debit cards
•    Health fund
•    Medicare
•    Senior cards
Other
•    Kindle loaded with books
•    Binoculars
•    Waterproof bag for camera, money, etc when at the beach
•    Power strip
•    Extension cord
•    Walkie Talkies
•    Think about Skype while on the cruise
•    Mobile iphone with world clock and alarm clock, and walking tour apps loaded, phone card or International travel sim
•    GPS on cruise
•    iPod and charger
Camera –
•    Disposable underwater camera
•    Rechargable batteries for your digital camera
•    Battery charger (s)
•    Cell phone charger
•    Extra memory cards for your digital camera
Laptop computer
•    External hard drive to download photos and for email
•    Charger
•    Mouse

MISCELLANEOUS
•    Souvenirs from Tucson (postcards, key chains, pens,
•    Neck lanyard (2) for key card
•    International calling cards on sale for gifts to stewards
•    Glowsticks at dollar store
•    Guidebooks for your cruise desitnations
•    Swiss Army knife
•    Shamwow
•    Bring  my saguaro glasses? Where are they?

FOR THE ROOM
•    Chair Clips
•    Suction hooks (for balcony door), magnets
•    Clothes line and pegs
•    Banner and/or flag?
•    Luggage labels and boarding passes
•    Flashlight and spare AA/AAA (other?) batteries
•    Highlighter
•    Pens
•    Post it notes
•    Blu tack
•    Duct tape
•    World map with magnets to put up on wall
•    Other maps and guide books for ports of call
•    Large metal paper clips for hanging up wet bathing suits
•    Single $$ for tips and misc. Spending
•    Addresses of all those that you want to write postcards and letters to while on your cruise.
•    Ziplock bags (asst sizes)
•    A small pair of scissors
•    A bungie cord to hold open the sliding door to the balcony and/or hold the drapes open
•    Thermal coffee mug? Buy on board? Accordian file?
•    Thank you cards to leave for waiters and stewards. (They really appreciate them!) IDEAS
•    Ask for egg crate bed topping (very few usually available)
•    Don’t pack tshirts, you’ll buy them
•    I took the dollar bills, the candy bar and did a little Print Shop magic and created a label (shipping label size...6 t a page) thank you with a ship and my DH's name and my name too. (the quote says, "thank you for helping to make our cruise a memorable experience") Put all of this in a cello bag and stapled them shut. I made 18 of them.
•    Small knapsack for Randy to carry (otherwise it goes in my purse!)
•    Business cards with my email address for the new friends I will meet on the cruise
•    Indoor/outdoor thermometer?

LOOK UP
•    Anzac Cove and Gallipoli

FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
•    A backpack or fanny pack (my Australian dil says not to say “fanny pack” but “bum bag”) for carrying things on shore excursions
Take with you on excursions
•    Your passports
•    Ship Cards
•    Credit Card
•    Cash
•    Tour Vouchers & Payment for Tours with tips
•    Waterproof Camera
•    Rain Ponchos
•    Thermal Bag with drinks & ice Bug spray
•    Sunscreen
•    Waterproof (water resistant) shoes
•    Sunglasses

TRIP IDEAS
•    Backpack for tours / Gifts (I take small clip on koalas/Aussie keychains  to give to children and guides we meet in ports)
•    Different nights on board, like Country/Western; White Night: plan clothes accordingly
•    Funny hats?
•    Weekly statement of onboard account
•    Many recommendations to do tours on our own
•    Kim’s, Bannisters, what else?
•    Walk in Rome, no tour
•    Auckland: penguin encounter at Kelly Tarlton’s www.kellytarlton.co.nz, there is a free shuttle bus to the site which leaves from across the road from the ferry terminal ... only a five to ten minute walk from the ship - it leaves every hour - on the hour and returns at 10 minutes to each hour. The entrance cost is $34NZ for adults, cheaper for over 65’s, with 10% discount if you book online beforehand. There is also a free shuttle which takes you round downtown Auckland.
•    Tahiti: Take the ferry to Moorea in the morning and do the Tahiti tour in the afternoon. The other way around often doesn’t work because of time constraints with the ship’s departure.

SHOPPING
•    Empty tote bag for carrying what you buy on shopping trips