Day 0 - Outfitting the Expedition
Packing can be a huge ordeal, especially when you have to transport a lot of stuff. Kat and I are both moving back to the States after spending a year in the UK earning our Master's degrees, so we're definitely packing enough clothing! It's one of the reasons we decided to cruise home: unlimited baggage allowance. If I had flown home I would have been limited to two suitcases and a carryon. This is a fairly generous allowance by current airline standards, but I'd still have to pay as much as £50 for each additional bag. And I have 5 bags. Eek!
Still, the luggage situation is not as dire as it might be. I went back to New York for a week at the end of June, so I've already brought most of my winter clothing home. Of course I did this before I was anticipating making a voyage across the North Atlantic. I hear tell it's a bit chilly this time of year. Or really most times of year.
This meant I had to pick up a few necessaries (like a coat) and along the way I decided to take a look at some London shops that have been outfitting travellers for years. Being a bit obsessed with old-world glamour, and thus displaying a marked preference for transatlantic crossings, Kat and I also looked at a couple of shops specializing in vintage luggage and clothing.
Here's a map of shops we visited when outfitting ourselves for this grand expedition.
Unfortunately all my information, anecdotes and photographs are stored online and the computer I'm on cannot connect to the Internet. We've actually been having computer trouble since we boarded the ship. There doesn't seem to be any way for Macs to get online! This is not a terribly big deal since I'm the only one affected, and besides, the internet connection is slow anyway. It's too slow to send images, and it just took Kat 9 minutes to send a 3-line email!
Aside from the poor telecommunications hook-up (you might want to re-think cruising if you need to be constantly in touch for business) it's been a very pleasant on-board experience so far. We're fortunate enough to be staying in the Garden Villa, which is the largest suite on the ship. I'm currently writing this while looking out at the ocean; I can see the baby grand piano in our living room out of the corner of my right eye, and the hot tub in our private courtyard out of the corner of my left. The food has been decadent and the staff is extremely accommodating. There's room for our entire luggage. We spent our first night feasting and sitting in a hot tub…definitely better than flying.
View interactive map of the voyage
Read the other articles:
Days 7-11 Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and journey's end
Day 5 - Icelandic Saga
Day 5 - Straddling the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Day 5 - Steam and Snow in the Southwest
Day 5 - Golden Waterfalls and Pearls of Architecture
Day 5 - Iceland: Tour, Geology and Saga Museum
Day 4 - Cabin fever on the HIGH seas
Day 3 - Ruins and Treasure Hoards
Day 3 - Tastes of Shetland
Day 3 - Archaeological Mother Lode
Day 3 - Out and about in Lerwick
Day 3 - Lerwick town and harbour
Day 1 - Katherine's first impressions
Day 0 - Outfitting the expedition (you are here)
Added 2008/09/20 @ 10:40:56
Average customer rating
awaiting 4 vote(s)...
Take Us With You