SO WHAT IS NEXT ON THIS BLOG?

Are you wondering what you will find next (or at least in the nearish future) here on the blog? If so, read on and find out (and you could even influence what I will write on next!)

Posts I am currently working on

This is a bit tricky as I tend to jump around a bit, depending on what I feel like in the moment but I still have loads of posts to write about:

Southern California

(including a 2-day in San Diego itinerary, hotel recommendations in LA, my great day out in Newport Beach, the Surfing World Championship (really!), and Del Mar races)

Portugal

I spent 5 days there last year and have so much material but so little time! Planning on a Scavenger Hunt in Belem (I spent so much time figuring out the clues while there that I really need to write that one) and lots of info about Sintra (an incredible place, like stepping in a fairy tale).

Cornwall and England

I do have several posts up about Cornwall (and they are some of my most popular) but haven’t had a chance to write about Penzance and the attractions in that area. Saint Michael’s Mount is one of the prettiest places I have ever seen so definitely worth a write-up.

Orlando

I actually spent a good two weeks there last year and have loads of photos (and even videos) for stuff to do without visiting the parks.

Cruising

I did publish several cruising posts lately but still haven’t written a review of my transatlantic on Sky Princess!

Wrong ship but right cruise line – hear about my upcoming Western Europe cruise

Upcoming Travels

Given the many, many posts I plan to write based on last year’s trips I really wouldn’t need to go anywhere in the near future for the blog.

But you know how it is – once the travel bug has bitten you it is hard to get rid of. So I do have a vacation/cruise coming up:

Upcoming Cruise on NCL Dawn

I will be on a Norwegian Dawn Cruise from Barcelona, Spain, to Southampton, England, this May!

I am a bit nervous as recent reviews of Norwegian Dawn have not been great. In case you are wondering, yes that is the ship with a suspected Cholera outbreak (which turned out to be “just” norovirus). And yes, it is also the ship that left passengers “stranded” somewhere in Africa…

So why did I book? Well, let’s just say I didn’t do a lot of research prior to booking so was swayed by a good price. But the Dawn is currently in dry dock so let’s hope everything will be great on this trip.

For this trip I also did NOT get Free at Sea in an effort to save money… We’ll see whether this was a good choice or something to regret.

Planned Trip Itinerary

I do have a preliminary trip itinerary that should give you an idea what topics I hope to cover during and after the cruise (other than a review and possibly scavenger hunt for Norwegian Dawn).

Barcelona (Start of Cruise)

I will stay one night here before the cruise (yes, I do believe in the “never fly in on the day” rule for cruising).

After skipping Sagrada Familia on other trips to Barcelona (I visited once in the 1980s and was not impressed) I have bought a ticket for the morning before embarking as I have heard from many people that it is worth seeing.

Valencia

The cruise stop is rather short but definitely want to see the cool architecture of the Ciudad de las Artes y Sciencias and possibly the famous zoo.

Gibraltar

My first visit and hope to hit most of the main sights.

My last trip to Malaga was quite a while ago

Malaga

Love the city (and spent two weeks here taking a Spanish class years ago)! Even though we have a long day in port I am not planning on a long excursion but instead will tour Malaga itself.

Cadiz

Even though Cadiz is supposed to be nice, I will visit Jerez instead to visit the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts (can’t resist a horse attraction). As a bonus it looks like there will be some Horse Festival during my visit and definitely plan to check that out!

Portimao

Still debating between the beach and various smaller town, Silves, Lagos, and Ferragudo. Any recommendations?

There is loads to see and do in Lisbon!

Lisbon

There are still several sights I haven’t managed to visit yet in Lisbon (like the inside of Monasterio de los Jeronimos in Belem!) but I will probably go to Cascais instead.

Zeebrugge

Still undecided but most likely will go to Brugge on this trip. It is very pretty but I have been before…

Le Havre

I really, really wanted to visit Mont St. Michel but there are no shore excursions offered and it is just too far to risk on my own. But Rouen looks interesting too and much more manageable so that is what I am planning on.

Southampton (End of Cruise)

This is the part of the trip that is still up in the air. I haven’t even booked my flight yet as I am unsure if I should just fly back or stay longer (1 day, 3 days, a week…) in England…

Southampton is one of my favorite cruise ports!

Further Plans for the Blog

After the trip I hope to finally do an overhaul of the blog. I have been pushing this off as it is quite daunting but there are quite a number of things I need to fix (better speed on mobile, a new About Page, adding in Pins etc.).

Wish me luck with this project!

For 2024 I am also considering some more trips, most likely Austria, Iceland, Scotland, and/or Norway but who knows where I will end up…

I was almost done planning a cruise from Iceland when I got tempted away by the above Dawn cruise (better weather, cheaper, and most importantly sooner). Let’s hope I don’t regret it…

So what can you do?

In the beginning I mentioned that YOU could help decide what happens on this blog and it is easy to do:

Post a comment (or send me a message) to let me know which of the above you are most interested in and I will prioritize it! 

Or is there something you want me to check out for you (time permitting) either in one of the ports or on the ship? Again, let me know!

Also let me know if you think my plans suck and I am choosing the wrong thing to see at one of the ports – any tips appreciated!