When I am planning a cruise, or better yet have one booked, there are various steps of preparatory anticipation that I go through. There's the looking at the deck plans stage. During that time I mentally walk the ship trying to guess where favorite place for a martini will be.

Trick question- the best place for a martini is ALWAYS in my hand.

There's the online pre-boarding step, which requires pulling out passports, filling in blanks and proclaiming "We're going somewhere". There's the total excitement that occurs when the packing fairy (AKA my wife, AKA "she who must be obeyed) pulls out the"big as a friggin' house suitcase and starts filling the bed with piles of things to go in it. Read more