Well next thing to think about is packing, or as I like to approach it "Its a Knockout". I must admit to getting the iron out and doing a bit, but with my style of packing it will be a fairly pointless exercise. The great thing about cruising that you are not limited to 15kg or what ever the airline in their generosity allow you to have. While waiting to handover cases at Southampton I have observed as many as 6 cases handed over by a couple, you know the type "Young man I have been to the upper reaches of the Limpopo and had more cases than this for the bearers to take care of in my Caravansary" and you would not argue you with her. Mice chuck themselves on traps when she visits. Trying to work out what to take always taxes my thought process, what is the formula for socks and knickers over 24 days how often can you reverse them? I also work on the assumption anything white will only get one use as I will certainly spill something down it!!!
Have I got enough cat food in for the Queen of Guildford Avenue, who is currently addicted to Tuna in brine, cooked chicken breast and slums it with a pouch of Felix fish flavoured food to see her through the night and still she only weighs 3 kilos. Don't forget the giant sack of Cat Litter or as Loula likes to think of it Weston Super Mare beach half on the kitchen floor/half in the tray, she uses it as guerrilla warfare against humans by spreading it in places you don't expect and you tread on it half asleep in the wee small hours as excruciating pain shots up from the soles of your feet as you make that half asleep/half awake journey to the bathroom. A sign of getting older in the packing routine is the majority of room is taken up by pills and unctions needed for every eventuality, currently I take 11 pills in the morning and 5 at night, you do the maths for 24 days, then add in Gaviscon, painkillers, Immodium (could come in handy as this ship was the one that made the headlines with Noro Virus outbreak) and all the other stuff E45 cream, smellies, soap, shower gel, more like a mobile branch of Boots with pharmacy. Well nearly done just got to dig out the Monkey Suit for the formal evenings (Don't get me started on that, like a room full of Emperor Penguins). I will post some more observations over the next few days, until then time to do battle with the suitcase again, starting with removing the cat from the dress shirts I just ironed.