PLANNING AND PACKING FOR A MONTH!

At Home

Erie, Pennsylvania
Saturday, October 29, 2022

60F

Dear Readers,

Believe it or not, this is my 402nd post on "Exploring The World!"  I started the blog in 2008, thanks to the advice of Julie B, librarian at Erie East HS.

Today I thought you would like to know more about our planning and packing process. As you have already read, this trip has been sort of booked since 2020. TK has become an expert at finding good deals, good staterooms, and the right ports (Janie needs to go to Aix en Provence, France, as often as possible!)  This cruise is called the "26 Day Western Mediterranean Grand Adventure and Transatlantic, November 6-December 2, 2022" and we have at least 14 ports to visit.

Most recently TK has been using Best Price Cruises (https://www.bestpricecruises.com/), but his planning goes way beyond booking.  He studies the size, layout, and location of the stateroom. For example, we don't want to have a dining room on the deck above our room (scraping chairs), nor do we want to be by the laundry room (lots of activity). Ideally, our staterooms are not far from the elevators so we can make quick trips to wherever what we want to go.   Most of our cruises in the past several years have been with the Princess cruise line, and balcony staterooms.  

TK also plans the flights, hotels, airport transfers to the hotel, luggage handling, transfer to the ship from the hotel, and so much more.  We are staying at the Hotel Pulitzer in Barcelona again this trip--3rd time there. We like this clean, neat, modern hotel, and it is located half a block from Las Ramblas, Barcelona's most exciting street.

So what does Janie do?   

When I knew what ports and dates, I started planning what we might do in each port. We have been to the Caribbean so many times that we rarely plan a tour there (and you know I will always be shopping in St. Thomas), but the Mediterranean Cruise is very different.  It is imperative to figure out what we will do in each port before we leave. Not all ports  are located in the city we want to visit. For example, the port city for Rome is Civitavecchia, about 45 miles away, an hour's drive. That is not walking distance. Plus, we have to be aware of when the ship arrives in port and then departs -- we often book private tours and we sure do not want to miss the ship. The comedians always say one can take a great photo of the ship as it sails away if stranded!!

To plan what we are going to do in the ports, I use many resources, like the Princess tours offered for each port, Toms Port Guides (https://www.tomsportguides.com/), Viator (https://www.viator.com/), Rome in Limo (https://www.romeinlimo.com/), Trip Advisor, Cruise Critic, word of mouth, and of course, Google.

Each port has a tour envelope filled with tickets, money needed to pay if the tour is not paid for yet

and any correspondence, maps, names of those on our tour, etc. We will be in Livorno twice

and will be traveling to Florence twice (why not?). The Princess tours are in one envelope.

We both have the Verizon Global package with 

Internet, calls, and texts ($100 for each cell phone for the month)

PACKING

I did not start packing until the ports were planned. TK started packing as soon as we returned from our New England cruise.  I have no idea what TK's thought process is when he packs, nor do I know why it takes a month.   He is taking two large suitcases. Admittedly, we will never break records for least amount of items in a backpack like some people on this cruise.

TK's luggage is ready to go. He will also have a carry on.

He broke the man purse barrier years ago--great to carry passports in

Janie tries to pack light--and my list is very precise. If it weren't for pounds of makeup and hair products, I could surely pack lighter. My clothes are color coordinated, black and navy pants, and solid black and blue tops.  I take minimal "formal" wear and one swim suit (TK thinks we will be warm on the Transatlantic part of the cruise--southern route).  I label all of my packing cubes and other bags, too (e.g. day makeup, night creams, day meds, night meds, etc--I like to do that)

Janie's luggage, but I am not finished yet.

I will admit I am taking another smaller piece, 

as well as my carryon. And purse.

This is a lot of information for one post--stay tuned!