159 days before we sail the gorgeous Celebrity Reflection! Jeff and I returned from a transatlantic a few days ago, but we also took in Ireland. In October we are sailing east to west and that will be welcome. Traveling west to east has a lot of time changes and hard going on a 23 hour day. But, for us, we will be enjoying 25 hour days!

At this point in your planning you should have made flight arrangements by now. Airlines and cruise ships are running at capacity. In order to get good seats and prices, the sooner the better.

Please consider purchasing travel insurance. I don't like to think that everything will be ok, but honestly it could be unsure footing on the cobblestone streets, and allergic reaction or unexpected illness - anything can play havoc in your travel plans. Mostly be sure you are covered for emergency evaculation if for some reason you need to be cared for off the ship. That is one very expensive helicopter ride you do not want to know about. I can give you a quote to cover your plane fare, hotel and cruise travel. The cost is based on the cost of your trip and runs about 8-10% for the best coverage.

Let me mention shore excursions. I just came across this tip for our port in Marseille, France "if you want to explore yourself, come out of the terminal and turn right. Follow the green path for 10 minutes. Jump on the free shuttle to the city centre - La Joliette near the old port" Then go fiind a coffee shop, have a delicious French pastry. Or how about buying some French olive oil soap! Find a cafe to enjoy some good French wine and cheese too.

Our weather for this cruise should be great in the ports as well aboard the ship. I do recommend good walking shoes in the ports because all of the streets and sidewalks in Europe tend to be uneven or rough. Europeans walk everywhere, so they are familar with rough sidewalks. Bring some sort of jacket or sweater ladies. The lounges I find get quite cold at night.

The final payment for this cruise will be early July. You can look for an email or get a phone call about final payment. I can easily quote insurance at that time too.

I will continue to find information about the ports that you can find useful. Until next newsletter.

Cheers,

Kathy Hays Cruises