My thoughts - Before booking the trip of a lifetime

Having chosen a cruise of 84 nights it is clear that there needs to be a fair amount of time taken off from work. Fortunately for me I had an ace or two up my sleeve when it came to the booking of annual leave from work. An 84 night cruise is the equivalent of 12 weeks; based on a 5 day week that is 60 working days and more than most peoples holiday entitlement. Fortunately for me this holiday falls over two calendar years 2007 and 2008 so holiday can be taken from either year; the number of working days is also reduced by Cristmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day bank holidays - however three days is no more than a drop in the ocean of a three month trip. Some companies - including the one I work for - allow a number of unused days to be carried over into the next calendar year so for cruises split over two years with more days away in the second year (like in my case) it is possible to use one years entitlement in another year.

This is all very well and good but it is worth remembering that even split perfectly between two calendar years 60 working days holiday entitlement is the equivalent to 30 days in each year. I am not entitled to that many days annual leave myself although some managers are. Where I pulled the greatest help was my employers 'Save your holiday' scheme. Every day now for 9 years I have been banking 5 days of my entitlement, so reached 45 days 'banked' at the end of 2007. When you consider that the holiday is 57 working days (allowing for bank holidays) the number of days I am using doesn't seem so bad when you take into consideration that 45 of them are not from the 'regular' entitlement. Somehow spending 3 months away while only using 12 days annual leave makes such a long trip somewhat more achievable.

It is a shame that more companies do not opt into such schemes, and a shame that more people do not take up the offer of these extended holidays. Having such an extensive break will be something to remember for the rest of my life. With a little forward planning (or nine years in my case) it is achievable. If you cant wait that long there is always the possibility of taking unpaid leave. I believe what I am trying to say is. If you don't have the immovable ties that bind you, there is always a way of creating these opportunities - you just need to be a bit creative in how you make the opportunities. Or, patient.