Two weeks from today we will be winging our way to Los Angeles to spend the night before boarding the ms Silver Whisper for our around-the-world trip.

I thought I might share some of the pre-trip logistics for this long adventure, so here are a few of the things we have had to research and prepare before we leave:

• One of the first things we did this fall was to see the travel doctor to make sure our shots are up to date and get the necessary boosters. We also had to get our prescriptions for anti-malaria, antibiotics, and anti-fungal woes.
• We are still going through the ship’s shore excursion catalog and trolling the internet to find private guides and comparing costs, details, reviews, and timing to make sure we get the biggest bang for the buck for a lot of places that we probably won’t ever have an opportunity to return to. We actually began this item almost a year ago when we first booked the cruise. We needed to become familiar with both the itinerary and the timing of the port calls so we could begin to hone in on whether to use the ship’s tours or really spend the time to find a private guide. We have been very fortunate over the years in finding private guides – and many of these have been on a par cost-wise with the ships tours, or better yet, even less expensive and more personalized. We really don’t like to do a lot of bus trips.
• We have also been shopping and putting away new clothes for the trip. While we are not completely re-outfitting, we do want to have some newer shirts, pants, blouses, etc. For both the days at sea and the dining room at night. Plus, it’s a good excuse to rotate stuff out of the closet and get rid of that shirt or pants that I haven’t worn for a couple of years.
• We are fortunate in having the cruise line handle most of our luggage. They will pick up four of our large suitcases, via FedEx, on Friday, Dec. 26 and have them on board when we embark on Jan. 5th. We can then fly to LAX with only our carry-ons (and perhaps one checked bag). However, that means that we need to begin packing next weekend. There are items that you don’t think about on a day-to-day basis that you have to think about when you may not be near a CVS or Walgreen’s (or Costco) for four months. For instance, I need to stock up on hearing aid batteries and razor blades and shaving cream. Bonnie needs to stock up on shampoo and other girly toiletries (of which I am blissfully ignorant). Of course we could hope to replenish along the way, but we discovered on our South America and Antarctic trip last year that stuff we take for granted may be very, very scarce outside the US.
• Electronics are another issue. I will need to take my laptop for the blog, email, and any web surfing I want to do. I also need a reader and I am not fond of my ancient (by today’s standards) Kindle – it’s about four years old. Bonnie loves hers and will use that, but I have a small laptop/tablet (a laptop with a detachable keyboard) that I have been using for about six months as a reader and will bring that as well. There is also the iPhone. Because we need to keep communications open for Bonnie’s Mother at Moorings Park, I need to bring that (That’s no chore since I am an iPhone addict…).So…there are power blocks, cords, adapters, curling irons, accessories, etc. that have to be packed in the carry-ons. The good news is that most of the electronics are dual power, so they can charge from either a 110/115 or 220/240 socket. We just need to bring along the 220/240 socket adapters. We will still need a converter for those items that are not dual capable.
• A number of years ago, we found that having a “just in case” bag (plastic baggie) with Band-Aids, ointments, cold pills, etc. is another must-have travel accessory. This time we are also going to have a “just-in-case” bag for a few minor office supplies (paper clips, a sticky note pad, extra pens, etc.) since we found that not every ship can bail you out if you need such mundane items. I will also be including a small sewing kit and a few feet of man’s universal solution – duct tape.
• We also have to take care of the house and the cars. We have a house-sitter that will come in once a week, so that should fend off any long-term issues. We usually do this when we plan to be away for more than a couple of weeks. We have made arrangements with our neighbor to have our mail forward to them One can never know how comforting it is to have neighbors that make that kind of offer. I can't imagine how the mail might either pile up or begin getting returned to sender. We also have to make sure that both cars are "vacationized" since they won't be driven much for four months. Then there is making sure that both the refrigerator and freezer(s) do not have any perishables and can be left for a while.
• Finally, I always make up a notebook consisting of those clear plastic open-top document holders that can be placed in a three-ring binder. I use one for air tix and info, one for the ship’s boarding info, one for each major stop along the way, one for car rentals, etc. For this trip, I will probably have a three-ring notebook about 2” thick loaded with these holders. I learned this trick from one of our good friends with whom we have travel over the years. She and her husband are very organized and after fumbling for some misplaced air tickets once when we were with them, she showed me her system and I've used it ever since.

I have rambled along with some of our prep work and I probably forgot a few things, but I hope you get the idea that there is more than a little work involved in longer-term vacations. At the end, though, it is still fun, exciting, adventuresome, and we wouldn't give it up for anything!

More to follow, stay tuned…