We’ve only been home from the Middle East for ten days and here we go again. I know it sounds like we are jet setting but we’ve been very fortunate to have some travel opportunies that we simply could not pass up.  Considering our accompanied group trips, training and family travel we have fully circumnavigated the globe at least once and been away from home over three months this year. Can’t believe I’m actually looking forward to staying home over the holidays. We even had to turn down a Panama Canal Holiday Cruise so we could get caught up at home but for now, New York City, here we come.

It worked out so well on our last trip that we rented a car from the Laughlin Bullhead Airport for the ninety minute drive to Las Vegas. So much easier to just drop the car at the rental center and not have to worry about paying to park and finding a spot not to mention that it costs less this way. We were running a bit late this morning but we scored TSA Pre-check again and that saves us at least thirty to forty minutes plus the fact I can keep my belt and shoes on and don’t have to bust out the laptop. We made the flight in plenty of time to grab a slice of pizza before boarding.

So here we are squished into 26D & F at forty thousand feet, cocktails and pretzels in hand and trying to relax for the three hour remainder of Delta Flight DL936. Unfortunately, we’ve done so much flying lately that I’ve seen all of the free movies so I’ve resigned myself to listening to my Ipad tunes and attempting to catch up on my blogging. As is our policy we are arriving a day ahead of embarkation and we’ll be checking into the Airport Holiday Inn Express at about nine pm this evening. That should give us plenty of time to catch up on work and emails in the morining before we head over to the cruise terminal after noon.

This will be our first Cunard cruise and we are very excited to participate in the companie’s first “Jazz at Sea Cruise”. When we originally booked, the headliner was to be Natalie Cole, however, for heatlh reasons she has since cancelled and been replaced with Gregory Porter and Blue Note. I’m sure we will not be disappointed either way as we both love music and how can you go wrong onboard the Queen Mary 2? She is Cunard’s flagship and the largest and most sophisticated oceanliner ever built. Along with Cunard’s renowned “White Star” service, the only planetarium at sea and a week’s worth of Jazz performances we expect to be totally pampered and thorouly entertained throughout our weeklong crossing of the North Atlantic arriving in Southhampton, UK next Thursday.

Upon arriving in England we will reluctantly head straight to the airport for a return flight to New York. Sue has planned a few days sightseeing in the Big Apple where we are scheduled to see some of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. We have dinner reservations at Carmine’s, show tickets for Chicago and she’s telling me we will visit the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and ground zero. I plan on working out daily on the ship so perhaps I’ll be in a little better shape for her “New York City Challenge.”

Stand by for photos and follow ups and we remind you to join us in covering the world before it covers you.

Your Adventure Consultants,

Chris and Sue Elder