Bags are Packed Are we Ready to Go?

 Our 'big' trip begins soon.  

A stop in Thailand on a cruise several years ago

And frankly it has been so long since we've undertaken such an adventure, that despite the bags being packed and pet care arranged, I keep wondering if we are really ready to go.  I am blaming this antsy feeling on our two-year Covid travel hiatus. Or maybe it was being confined to Greece during the long wait for our residency permits? 

Or could it be that I've forgotten how to recognize the nervous excitement of heading out into the unknown?

I love arrivals and departures at new ports of call

I've gotten out of the swing of living out of a suitcase and traveling to new destinations. Our travels in recent years have been primarily back to the States or countries only a few hours away from Greece. 

Just getting to the place from where our cruise will depart requires a 14-hour flight: four to Doha, and the following day 10 hours to Cape Town.  Yet, after that long flight, the crazy thing is that Cape Town is in the same time zone we are here in our expat home in Greece.

But once we set sail and start crossing the Indian Ocean to Singapore, we'll not only cross the equator a couple of times, but we'll change time zones. Another crazy realization is that it is only six times zones between South Africa and Singapore.  

Route map for the trip

Our Pacific Northwest home is further away from Greece than Singapore is from Cape Town. Yet they are some 5,000 nautical miles apart. 

Oceania Sirena

We will be aboard Oceania's Sirena for 24 nights on this cruise named the 'Indian Ocean Opus'. Sirena, considered mid-sized in today's cruising world, accommodates 670 passengers (double occupancy) and 400 crew members.  On sea days - those wonderful lazy days between ports of call --we'll be able to work out in a gym, read books from a library, attend lectures, classes and presentations and gamble in a casino, or watch a live show in the theatre. 

Our meal in Red Ginger on a sister-ship, 2023

We'll have a choice of any number of restaurants including specialty restaurants, Red Ginger (Asian) and Tuscan Steakhouse (Italian and steak) at no extra cost. No longer are there expectations to wear tuxedos and sequins and stilettos on fancy nights, the ship is simply 'resort casual' which does make packing a whole lot easier.

And these days we should even have good internet access as the ship now uses Starlink.

Oh, the places you will go

Several of the ports of call are in countries that I never dreamt I'd ever visit, among them: South Africa, Mozambique, Reunion Island, Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We'll also be revisiting some of our favorite places in Thailand and Malaysia.  

A Scene Phuket Town, a decade ago on another cruise stop

Forty-three years ago, we celebrated Christmas in Phuket, Thailand; back then, not quite the tourist destination it is now. It was one of the most memorable we've celebrated together.  I still laugh at the memory of a skinny Santa Claus who looked to be about 20 years old and who struggled with his cotton beard as he tossed candy canes into the crowd.  I'd have never imagined then that we'd be back so many decades later at Christmas.  

Are We Ready? that is the question

The bags are packed - actually quite lightly for as long as we'll be gone. Our philosophy is that fashion must give way to leaving room for 'finds' along the way. 

Actual pirate drill on the Red Sea

We've notified friends and family of our travel dates, hotel stays, and cruise routing.  We've jokingly told them if we are captured by pirates, to simply send money.  (Joking aside we realize parts of the Indian Ocean is notorious for its pirate activity. We were once on a cruise that had required pirate drills so would not be surprised to have one on this cruise.  And, frankly, 'at our ages' we know that it is wise to let those close to us know where we plan to be just in case, we find ourselves having more adventure than we planned.)  

At least a couple head scratches a day for Princess

We have a Trusted Housesitter, a person we've met on previous sits in the area, arriving the day before we leave and he will be in charge of serving our Princess while her regular staff are on vacation. 

The requirements for entry and exit visas and vaccinations have been checked for each destination - thanks to regular communication from the cruise line in the last half year since we booked this cruise.

A smattering of currencies collected on past trips have been tucked away in our hand carry luggage. Passports and residency permits are tucked in as well. 

Cruising to a new adventure

We'll soon be off and the one thing we didn't check until too late was our Surface, our travel computer. It works, but its external keyboard doesn't. (as I said, it has been a while since we traveled). I am not a fan of writing on a mobile devices so you'll likely not be hearing from us unless you are a FB friend or follower of our TravelnWrite page there, or if you signed up to follow me as Jackie Humphries Smith on Substack. I'll be posting photos and brief updates on those sites. 

My mantra as the trip nears is, 'IF all goes as planned'. 

So, 'if all goes as planned, I'll be back at this computer by the end of the year. Until then. . .

Our wishes for a happy holiday and safe travels to you and yours!