Leaving this morning....

Bon voyage! is a French phrase borrowed into English meaning, literally, "good journey", and usually translated as meaning "have a good trip".

See you there!

Links To Local Weather

Here are the links to check your forecasts - we'll be on our way tomorrow morning so no more updating. Have a safe trip. See you all there!

Rome, ITALY - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Naples, ITALY - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Santorini, GREECE - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Monte Carlo, MONACO - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Nice, FRANCE - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Florence, ITALY - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Mykonos, GREECE - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Amalfi, ITALY - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Athens, GREECE - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Olympia, GREECE - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Corfu, GREECE - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Venice, ITALY - 15 Day Weather Forecast - Local Weather Forecasts

Critical Link From Susan

Susan asked me to post this link:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/04/03/worlds.strangest.laws/index.html

Don't feed the pigeons in Venice!!

Last Minute Links

EMBASSIES
http://www.embassyworld.com
http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls

INTERNET CAFES
http://www.world66.com/netcafeguide

MASTERCARD ATM LOCATOR http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/atmlocations/index.html

SELECT WISELY (Travel Translation Cards)
http://www.selectwisely.com

TRANSLATOR SERVICES
http://babelfish.altavista.com

VISA CREDIT CARD ATM LOCATOR
http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global

LOST & STOLEN U.S. PASSPORTS ABROAD http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1197.html

U.S. PASSPORTS
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

U.S. PASSPORTS EXPEDITED IN 24 HOURS - NATIONWIDE
http://americanpassport.com

TRANSPORATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm

Don't Shoot The Messenger

I'm posting long-range forecasts for the spots we will visit (long-range in weather-speak is anything beyond an hour). Please note today's postings show a rather cooler period in Rome, Monte Carlo and Florence vs the forecast a few days ago. Weather forecasting is not quite the science in Europe and Asia as the United States so expect more swings in their guesses until we get much closer to departing. Alas, the lifestyle is different - if it rains - c'est la vie.

Update

Hi Cruisers - I've moved a few things a around to help get the main page to load a bit faster. I've moved the Google Maps (except for Rome) and the hotel Google Maps to the Annex and deleted a few things that are probably no longer necessary. Also, some people who were experiencing problems found that downloading the latest Adobe Flash Player clears up their problems.

That can be found here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Let me know if this works better for you.

Your long range forecasts can be found directly below.

Hints From The "Cruise Diva" On Currency

• When in Europe, pay with the Euro in European Union (EU) countries and local currency in others. No US dollars! Also, American Express, MasterCard and VISA are widely accepted.

• Know your conversion rate when making purchases - as of this morning - you can find conversion rates elsewhere on this site

• When your plane lands is an airport currency booth or ATM. If you are on your own, you'll need taxi fare to get to the port or your hotel. (I'd suggest the ATM - your bank will charge you but its usually a better deal than the currency booths)

• When changing dollars to local currency at foreign banks while in ports of call, identification is often required. If the ship's purser is holding your passport, carry a copy of it ashore, along with your driver's license or other form of ID.