Planning a World Class Vacation

One day my daughter, Tamara (who lives in Seattle) called me and said "I want to take you on a cruise, Mom". i was so elated! it sounded like a really awesome idea especially since i've never been on a cruise or even on a vacation out of the U.S.A.  We talked about going to Hawaii and it sounded awesome. We decided to ask my younger daughter, Lisabeth who lives here in Fairbanks (i have two daughters and two sons), and my wonderful daughter-in-law, Amy. Amy bowed out because she goes to China to visit her family for a month and couldn't take the time for a cruise with us too. Lisabeth said she could go but had to go in August and be back by the time grad school started again in the fall. so...i started doing research since Tamara works more than full-time and has a pretty active social life with her husband, and Lisabeth goes to grad school and works and is also married! makes me tired just telling you about their schedules!! LOL 

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

 Anyway, i researched cruises to Hawaii starting IN Hawaii and the cruise was really expensive! i was very surprised....so i started looking around for other cruises just for the heck of it. i fell in love with the idea of a cruise on the Mediterranean!! i asked my girls what they thought and they were all for it. i found the Norwegian Epic cruise ship, brand new in 2010, would be doing the Mediterranean from August 28-September 4, 2011 so we booked it!! i was so excited because we got a mini-suite for a 7 day cruise for less than the cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. The kicker is the airfare! Yipes! it's going to be about $1,700 from Fairbanks to Barcelona, Spain and from there to Paris, France, and back!! BUT....what a trip this will be....we fly to Barcelona, Spain on August 22nd and spend 4 days there before boarding the cruise ship. there is so much to see and i got this wonderful little book about Barcelona and where to go and what to do and OMG it will be so awesome!! then we cruise to Italy aboard the Epic and back to Barcelona where Lisabeth will be flying home to grad school. 

Norwegian Epic Cruise Ship

This is what our stateroom looks like.

Tamara and i will be going on to Paris, France....to eat, see the sights, eat, maybe take a French cooking class, eat, shop, and oh, yah, eat!! Can you say "the Louvre"??? oh, boy, i am SO ready! we will be there until the 9th of September when we fly home. it will - may i say - be a trip of a lifetime and for me to do it with my two beautiful and wonderful daughters is unimaginably wonderful! 

In planning this trip i have come across so much information...and originally we thought we might spend 3 days in Paris and 3 days in London but decided to cut the London leg off and have more of a "feel" for Paris. i know that i won't have unlimited energy so it will be relaxed and unhurried and we can see everything we want. if we get bored (LOL) we can always to go Disneyland Paris! 

Paris, France

The Louvre in Paris, France

As with anything this huge it does take planning and pre-reservations, etc. This is something that i love doing and when i get all my ducks in a row i'll be sending off a packet of information to Tamara and Lisabeth and i will look it over and then a BIG phone call or skype thing will happen and we can decide what we want to do from all that i've gathered. as with everything, money is an issue...but we are all saving like crazy and doing everything we can to be ready. my Love gave me a wonderful new canon camera for christmas and it takes great photos...so that part is covered. i got a money belt and luggage locks from Lisabeth. Next month i am going to Seattle to do a little cruise shopping...see about proper stuff to take. so...i am really excited! i have my part of cruise almost paid off and now have to save for my airline ticket and spending money...and hotels in Barcelona and Paris. it will be a blast, even if we are living on a shoestring...me and my girls...how lucky can a mom get?