2 more sleeps...

Im SCAARRRRREEEEDDD!!!!! I mean of course im excited but im scared scared scared!! Iv travelled alone before so I dont really mind flying on my own and stuff, in fact I quite like it because I can read my book or listen to my ipod and just relax. Im just finding it all so daunting now thought, its like when you get any new job nerves but times a million ha!

Iv pretty much packed now but seeing as im a forgetful nelly I cant remember whats in there and whats not so unfortunately I think I might have to unpack it all and repack it again!! Flamin' Nora!! Most important things to take are charges and stuff cs any toiletries or anything else I can buy when Im there but I would cry if I forgot my camera charger or something.

Im just having a chilled night tonight with some food and a film, first night iv not physically been out anywhere so should be nice because Im just knackered!! Luckily Iv got 5/6 days in port in my first week so should be a nice easy week to start off with.

Im having some of my girls friends over tomorow for a final goodbye, I hate to leave people I love behind Im a very sociable butterfly and I spend a lot of time with my friends and family so Im very very close to them, the thought of not being able to just pop over to my friends for a brew when I want makes me a little bit sad :(

Luckily a girl who was on my trainnig is assigned to the same ship as me and her flight lands in Barbados about 30 mins before mine so shes going to wait in the airport for me so that we can go to the ship together!! Its raining here today and weather is just a teensy bit miserable so oe thing im hugely excited for is that moment when you step off the plane and feel a blast of heat..ahhhhhh bliss :)

This may be my last post from Jolly England so I guess I'll say goodbye for now and will see you on the other side!!!

Love Laura xXx

Bon Voyage

My oh my!! What a weekend!! Me and my friends went to a piano bar on Saturday and my friend had booked a booth and decorated it with bon voyage balloons, it was so sweet! I drank Rasberry Mojitos and danced the night away, such a perfect leaving night. Im so lucky to have my friends theyre just amazing!!

Of course it didnt end up so sophosticated haha after a few cocktails we made our way into the town centre and I hit the good old Vodka Lemonades, I was so drunk. We went back to my friends house afterwards because she has a Kareoke machine. I darent even try and remember the songs I tried to sing haha im a terrible singer at the best of times nevermind after Iv been drinking!!

On Sunday me and my family went to Alma de Cuba for lunch and some more drinks, I was very fragile when we first arrived but hair of the dog sorted me out! ha I had a roast beef dinner with yorkshire pud, veggies and yummy gravy...just what I needed after a heavy night :) We had champagne and strawberrys too, I really have been spoily rotten by everyone. I love doing things with my family because theyre really up for a laugh so we always have a giggle.

Tonight im meeting up with some girls I used to work with in my previous job, we are just meeting up in a local pub for something to eat and a catch up, its nice to be able to stay in touch with people youve met through work and I was lucky to make some real friends there.

Iv got dinner again tomorow with some other friends of mine and then the girls are coming over on thursday night before I leave...I hope that I make some friends for life on the ship, I usualy get along with people realy easily so hopefully I will like the people onboard (and mmost of all my room mate!! eeek)

Love Laura xXx

You've got mail

Wooohoooo finaly I have received my Itinery!! I have about a gazillion pages to read through ranging from my T&Cs to my facilities to of course the countries and places I will be getting to dock in.

So all in all I will be visiting around 20 countires and Islands starting off in the beautiful Carribbean islands where I will be going to Barbados, Netherlands Antilles, Jamaica, Turks & Caicos Islands, Antigua, Barbuda, Dominican Republic, St Kitts & Nevis and then moving across to the Med where I'll be going all round Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Monaco, Gibraltar, Greece & Croatia!! I darent even try and count the amount of cities and places within these countries that I will get to see because alot of them have several stops within each country...too exciting!!!!

Im lucky because Im in port quite alot and only really have full sea days once every 2-3 days so that means more time to explore the countries when we are at port a few days on the trot!! Only bad bit is when we sail from the Carribbean across to the med and we have a gruelling 5 days at sea which will mean alot of long hours!!

Iv been brave and faced the bombsite again, I've now organised alot of my stuff so when I come to pack properly next week I have most things set out ready, I still have no clue what to pack though...especially with the weather being just crazy lately with all the global warming and freak weather a europian summer may not be warm!! haha better pack some woolies just in case!!

 Above: Case numero uno with some toiletries and accessories etc
Below: shoes, summer clothes and bikinis

 Im trying my hardest to be very stringent and these items below didnt make the cut so are staying at home!

Im absolutely petrified that my cases may get lost on the way because I will be having a connecting flight and have heard lots of stories from peoples cases and things going missing and not making the connecting flights....lets hope that doesnt happen to me!!!!

Love Laura xXx

Starting the goodbyes

 To Ring of Fire....oh lordy!!

It all got just a little bit silly hahaha

So, with only 8 more days to go the goodbyes have begun...of course pretty much 90% of any goodbye style evenings include alcohol, this particular one included a drinking game called Ring of Fire. Needless to say me and my friends Kat, Lisa & Rebecca were a little merry and went very giddy within the walls of my house ha!! Ahh well only live once and I plan to enjoy it!!

Initialy the girls were just going to come over we would watch some films and have some snacks...it all went downhill when we had a snack disaster and totaly burnt what you would think was an easy think to make, Nachos!! They were completely and utterly ruined and so we ended up getting a dominoes instead!!

Nacho disaster....

Seeing as we were all of work we decided to have a sleepover and a few drinks, of course this didnt end up in just a few drinks we all ended up very giddy indeed!! haha I had so much fun though, they always make me belly laugh so was a really funny night!!

Iv got my proper leaving do with all my friends this saturday, its going to be very bitter sweet for me because yes it will be lovely that everyone its getting together but im going to be very sad because I know thats the last I will see of them for 6 months :(

We are going to a Piano Bar and have a booth booked so im going to treat myself to a few cocktails, my favourite cocktail is probably a cosmo but I also really like daquiris and rasberry mojitos. I lived in Italy last year and tried my first ever Margarita (a rasberry one) which I also loved!! I only really like fruity cocktails, nothing creamy...bleugh!! 

Iv got a family leaving lunch too on Sunday so lets hope im not too hungover after Saturday evening so I dont ruin it for myself!! haha 

Organised Chaos

The Bombsite

Im only 2 weeks off my flight date now eeeeeeekk!! Still no itinery or flight details have been emailed to me...hmph, this makes it difficult to start packing properly because I still have no clue what I will need to take!! Plus I need to know my flight details so I can work out how on earth I'll be getting to the airport on the day.

My sisters bedroom has now become my personal dumping ground for all things 'Cruisey'. In a bid to start packing I have started to throw all my summery bits that I have unearthed from last year...I didnt realise how much stuff I have so now Im worrying that I wont fit everything in my case!! I have an allowance of 40 Kilos within 2 cases but I have to bear in mind that my cases have to be stored in my teeny tiny cabin once I arrive so I've opted for a large case and then a smaller one so I can store the little case in the big one.

I am being very good and trying to limit myself as much as possible with things im taking because im sure I will buy things while im away so I dont want to be faced with paying extra charges to get all my worldy belongings back home afterwards!!

Im not going to actualy pack my case until maybe a day or two before I leave, Im a bugger for getting too premature with packing etc because I just get too excited about my holiday that I always want to pack weeks before and then everything gets horrendously creased and I often end up taking it all out and re-packing again a day before...not clever as thats how I usualy end up forgetting something.

One year (unfortuntely for my friend) I forgot my jim jams so she had to play the roulette game of waking up to me in god knows what (if anything) after a night of drinking haha, other items I tend to forget are the small (but immensly important) items such as..beach bag, night time bag, toothpaste(even though I have my toothbrush)...you get the picture.

Lets hope this time I forget nothing seeing as it wont just be a 2 week holiday that I'll be without it.

Love Laura xXx

Run Forest Ruuuuuun!!

In a bid to shed some last minute pounds I have been hitting the gym...I have had such a lazy week this week though and hardly been, today I only did a measley 2 miles on the treadmill and I didnt even run it all. Im going to try and go everyday next week. I just dont have any motivation this week at all. Good thing about this gym is the treadmills have little air vents on them so they blow a lovely cool breeze on your face when your running, but I still manage to come out looking like a little Tomatoe! 

Its officially only 3weeks left today until I fly out to Barbados, still not had my full itinery through yet or my flight details so im just bobbing around at the moment waiting. Hopefully that will come sooner rather than later so I know exactly where I'll be going and what crew facilities my ship has to offer. The important thing is iv found out theres definately a crew bar, I've been told the bar gets a little wild at times which im sure will provide me with endless entertainment allthough im a bit of a granny sometimes so may not be able to keep up!!

When I first got this job it seemed like it was so far away and now its just popped out of no where and I suddenly feel like Its to soon, cant win!! Iv worked away before and I know how much I miss my friends and family so I hate to leave them :( just going to cram in as much time with them as I possibly can from now until I leave and hopefully I can find out how much discount I get off cruises so they can come out and have a cruise at some point so they can visit me!!

Love Laura xXx