137 DAYS AND COUNTING

The cruise is now happening this year! When I originally decided to go on the cruise I thought all I had to do was book it, pay for it and then sit back and enjoy it, which I suppose pre-internet that may have been the case. But now with so much info available, so many links, so many choices and so much to do before , during and after the cruise that I feel like I'm running out of time and I still have 137 days to go. Think I may have mentioned that I am the worst procrastinator (actually I'm the best)  but hopefully all this planning will help me get better at doing things sooner rather than later.

Xmas and New Year are over and its back to work, so its about time I added another 4 ports to the list, or else we'll be sailing and I won't have done it!

Cochin :- First port of call in India. (need to get to travel agent soon so she can arrange visas required for here). After lots and lots of mind changing and still not sure at this stage I'll put in that we'll do the Princess Tour to Kerala. 

WHAT YOU VISIT
Vaikom - Visit the local villages and see potters creating their wares, coir weavers making colorful carpets, and weavers producing the beautiful, local khadis cloth. Watch copra, dried coconut, being crushed to extract coconut oil, and pay a visit to a traditional Kerala church.

Coir Carpet Weaving Center - Coir is a natural fiber extracted from the husk of coconut fruit. Observe the process of turning these fibers into colorful carpets without the help of any modern machinery.

Khadi Weaving Center - Khadi is a handspun and handwoven cloth made from any two of the following types of yarn, cotton, silk or wool. The material is very comfortable to wear since air can pass through easily.

YOUR SCENIC CANAL VOYAGE
Board a small country canal boat for a 30-45 minute journey through the tree-lined and deeply shaded canals and byways that crisscross the countryside.

LUNCH
Enjoy regional cuisine eaten in the traditional South Indian style, served on a leaf and eaten with your hands.

Still not sure...........

Mumbai :- Here I have arranged a private tour with a female tour guide from the company Mumbai Magic. She will chauffeur Katie and I around to the major places of interest in an air conditioned luxury car and provide expert local knowledge. We are in port from 7am to 11pm and will have the service for about 8 hours, so will have plenty of time to enjoy and soak up the frantic and exciting and wonderful city that Mumbai is. 

Here is an extract from emails received so far from the company :-

We get all sorts of requests - people want to try fast food or other cuisines, culture and religion tours, bazaar walks, visits to people's homes, train rides, flea markets, Jewish heritage tours, shopping for specific things, tailoring, art galleries and museums...I run a personalised tour service that accommodates all these things. In fact, you'll probably end up doing and seeing more than what you thought you could accomplish. The tours last 6-8 hours per day depending on your interest and level of tiredness.

Pickup from: Mumbai docks, inside, where the ship berths
Pickup time: 9:00 a.m. The guide and driver will wait with placard at the area where you exit immigration/customs.
Vehicle: Airconditioned Toyota Innova
Duration: Full day. The car will drop you to the ship at the end of the tour
Coverage: Mumbai city must-see's and other sights based on your interests
Guide: Perin

Inclusions: AC transport, driver with cell phone, fuel, parking charges, tolls, knowledgeable lady guide, personalized tour, lunch, any entrances/tickets, illustrated handouts, takeaway gift, bottled water and Coke, all taxes

Abu Dhabi :- Actually not sure here. As with quite a few places they haven't supplied exactly which tours are available for this year's cruise  and while writing this I am looking at the tours that are available at each port on the Princess site and after looking here for nearly a year now I know some I looked at earlier won't appear on the final itinerary. So at the moment it will either be on our own, or a high speed speed boat tour or a visit to the Falconry Hospital (leaning towards one of the last 2 at the moment). We are here from 1pm to 11pm, so that may limit what is available in the heat of the afternoon, which is actually on Grant's 25^th birthday. My baby boy will be a first time dad by then and he is also getting old or is that me! ( 2 important milestones I am missing on this trip of a life-time..........)

Dubai :- We are actually here from 7am to 1pm the next day, so have plenty of options. There is the newly opened Ferrari World, which although neither Katie or I care for cars it has the worlds fastest roller coaster and other equally stomach churning rides. So am thinking if possible we will venture there and I will go on the roller coaster, not so sure about anything else, am a bit of a chicken on other tall rides. There is also a tour to a desert camp with belly dancing and camel rides by 4 wheel drive across the desert. I would like to do this or just a tour of the city by boat to see the amazing man made islands and perhaps a visit to the Burj.

 

Have actually now realised why I kept putting this blog entry off, it was because apart from Mumbai I didn't really have anything concrete for any of the other 3 places. Unlike the next 4 which I have locked in what we really want to see and do!

Merry Xmas 2010