Have you sent your luggage ahead,

asked the taxi driver taking me from the Southampton train station to the Cruise Terminal. No,this is it. But you are going for a week,he replied puzzled. Yes,I know. But the suitcase cannot weigh more than 8,9 kilos,he continued incredulously. And I probably won't even wear everything,I said laughing. And I did not.A short black dress with a massive bouquet of wild flowers,embroidered to perfection at the front of the dress bought on my very first visit to Lisbon, was not used, as I did not go to a formal dinner one evening,neither did I wear two blouses.I always feel aggrieved when I get off a ship knowing some items were not worn,feeling I had packed too much and wowing never to do it again,but if course I do, every trip. What can I say about the cruise? In spite of Ventura's shortcomings I had a wonderful time and wished could have stayed another week at least.I had met the couple who had remembered me from a Royal Caribbean cruise, several times.They danced every evening in the atrium [and they were lovely movers],giving me a wave and a smile as I was sitting in the corner of the coffee shop adjacent to the atrium.It was truly the nicest way to spend an evening - sitting with my HP Pavilion,browse and write.Oh,yes,I have my little Toshiba chromebook back, am using it now.The repair shop had erased everything, everything.but somehow am managing to get it all back.It is kind of coming back by itself, getting used to me.And as long as I can access my blog,I am happy. One morning in the self-service restaurant a waiter approached me,hello,he said, do you remember me?I looked up quizzingly. You were on Oceana at Christmas three years ago. Yes,of course, and is Buboo here,too,I asked. Buboo was the second waiter who served me every dinner, I had the most excellent table,but this is so wonderful about Oceana,they go out of their way to make a single traveller happy.Baboo is on Azura,the waiter said[I remembered him as Buboo].Yes, they were the nicest of the nicest waiters and every time I said a liked something - be it a cake or a crackling, they brought me another portion.Aaaah,my waist.It was truly the most wonderful Christmas.I had bought both of them Ives St Laurent after shave lotions. Baboo said it was the first time he was given a present on ship. This year it is going to be spent on the Queen Victoria. My sister does not know yet. Her son,my nephew will be moving to his newly built house in December and the whole family will gather there on Christmas day.Since my husband's death seven years ago I have not had Christmas with my family, I want to be totally independent, make my own life, build my own future.My family cannot understand it,but this is the way I want it to be.But I try to welcome the New Year with them,succeeding sporadically. Yes, I had a lovely time on Ventura and cannot wait to go back.The ship is going to be refurbished next spring,