07/07/2016, Full steam getting ready for my visitors,

six adults,3 children. Arriving next week 14th,sailing 16th July. Cruise handling the booking are yet to send the tickets,but having been away,I only posted them the necessary details-passport numbers,next of kin,insurance details, on Monday. All is well that ends well and I have no reason to think the travel company would not deliver,so far I have been very happy dealing with them. Thy have arranged another cruise or two in the past, handling it perfectly. There is another firm I am familiar with,Reader Offers Ltd. On my return there was a brochure from them called Horizons. Last night listing through the brochure, my eye caught CELEBRITY CRUISES page. Celebrity Eclipse,the ship I have been on twice, several years ago to Scandinavia and St.Petersburg and two years ago with my sister and brother-in-law we did the Norwegian fjords for 8 nights,is sailing on the 14th August to Scandinavia and St.Petersburg. I love the Eclipse. The exquisite dining room - white and silver, my taste spot on. When for the very first time I walked in and looked around, I said-I am home! I love the simplicity of white,the luxury of silver, the accent colours of red,yellow,blue and green. When I was on the Eclipse the very first time, they only provided set time meals at dinner.This means the first round of people eats between 6-8,the second from 8.30. On my very first time with Celebrity I was seated next to a grandfather and a granddaughter.Both from Florida, or was it Miami.At the time the Fifty shades of grey was the book to read. The girl carried the book to the table much to the displeasure of her granddad. After the initial introductions and smiles she asked me if I had read the book and was surprised when I said no and wasn't going to either. But she liked me,I only realized how much with every consecutive evening. She welcomed me with a beaming smile, flattering me, exalting my taste,style,elegance. How nice I was to every-one,how easy and comfortable to talk to... During her conversations with or about her granddad she would let it slip he makes 117 thousand US dollars a minute, he has a 2000 square meters house,that having been married and divorced three times,every girl-friend is just using him and he needs someone who would want and love him for himself. And finally I got the message. She had chosen me to be her next grandmother. She told me what a wonderful man her grandfather was, bought her a house as a wedding present, a Mercedes Benz for her birthday,gave her a job in his firm, then started her in business on her own. His qualities were never ending. When we said our good-byes I was invited to stay at his house, with a whole wing just to myself. Have I taken up the offer? No.I discarded the phone number the moment I left the dining room. Not only was I not interested in absolutely any-one at the time, but my idea of a life-long companion is not a three times divorced man,however rich he may be. But why have I told you all this? This morning I booked a Celebrity Eclipse cruise to St Petersburg leaving Southampton on 14th of August. Would have loved an Aqua class stateroom,but at just over £5,000 for 12 nights only,it was astronomically excessive,so I went one class down to concierge class.What this means in practice I will tell you once on board.All I know is I have a priority check-in and the ship now offers freedom dining.And that for me is as good as it gets.