In exactly 30 days...we'll be aboard the MS Amsterdam and about to depart from Ft. Lauderdale. This year's Grand World Voyage is unusual in a number of ways...we leave very late in the day...9:00pm instead of the usual 5:00pm (so it will be dark as we sail away and begin our journey). It is also unique in that it leaves later in January (the 22nd) instead of the usual very early January sailing date. This is probably because of another usual aspect of the cruise...instead of staying primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, later this Spring we will include stops in the Northern Hemisphere (Italy, Spain, France, Holland Denmark, Norway and the UK. Because of these more Northern stops, Holland America had to delay the sailing in order for it to be late enough in the spring for the weather to warm up a bit (eg. Norway in late April). There are a lot of differences from our first Grand World Voyage in 2010. We're excited.
Packing has begun...luggage is being picked up at our house on January 11 for shipment to Ft. Lauderdale. Luggage tags are prepared...
