Welcome Aboard Katelyn Bevare

We have a new shipmate!! I got on the cruise line website yesterday and lo and behold there was a Katelyn Bevare booked in my stateroom. I really don't know anyone by that name, so I hope she is nice if she is going to share a room with me. Welcome aboard Katelyn, whoever you are.

I have been looking at the shore excursions that are offered on this cruise. It is going to be really hard to choose what I want to do. I am learning a lot about cruises and how they work. You book the shore excursions online through the cruise line. When you board the ship there is a packet of tickets in your room for the excursions that you have booked. Each time you use a ticket the price goes on your "account". I have a feeling I am going to have to be careful with this "account". I'll bet you can rack up a lot of $$$ after 14 days on a ship. My first question to the travel agent after I booked was "What if you decide after you have already booked an excursion and you change your mind?" She told me to read the cancellation policies for each one very carefully so that you cancel in plenty of time not to get charged. It looks like you can cancel 24 to 48 hours before an excursion and not be charged. So much to learn.

There certainly are things that are a must. I have always wanted to visit Pompei, so I'm sure that will be one of my choices. Also Rome and the Vatican. Then there is the Acropolis. Where does it stop??!! I think I am going to enjoy the days that we do nothing but sail as much as the shore excursions. There are a lot of fun things to do on the ship.

I think people still have visions of cruise ships that include formal dinner wear, group seating at meals, sea sickness, etc. etc. Apparently these things are no more. I am told that the modern ships have excellent stabilizers, you are free to dress however you want (except at the Vatican), and you may eat when you want and with whom you want. I am much more attuned to this kind of sailing. I still have fond memories of my windjammer cruise in Maine.

I have already "checked in" to the cruise online and have started my "account". It is kind of neat to log on and see my name along with Cynthia Meeker and Katelyn Bevare. I can't see Jon and Mary Jane because they are not sharing the same room.

We also booked our flights, so we are one step closer to the big day. Because of the economic situation right now we were able to get pretty good rates. My flight goes out of Newark, NJ and goes to London. Katelyn told me that we were on the same flight from London to Istanbul. I'm happy about that.

Who's next????? C'mon, let's get with it!!!!