I’ve been immersed in the future this past week . . . more than usual, that is. Here at Global Traveler, the issue we’re currently working on won’t be in your hands until March, and our editorial calendar takes us all the way to the end of this year. However, the work I do for some of my freelance clients takes me well into 2018; little wonder I have to pause these days as I write the date on my checks! As I review cruise itineraries that extend midway through 2018, I consider all the mind-boggling logistics involved in constructing those complex journeys. It goes far beyond just figuring out the locations that will appeal to travelers a few years from now (though that is certainly important). Ports of call must provide more than just some interesting sightseeing opportunities but must also offer the infrastructure to support a ship carrying up to 3,000 crew and guests. Ships may need to take on potable water, offload trash and recyclable waste and take on perishable goods. Oftentimes arrival and departure times must be coordinated with the tides, and of course a berth or anchorage for the ship must be assured (and tendering for passengers accounted for if there isn’t a dock to tie up to) and all the proper paperwork and official regulations and fees attended to. Itinerary planners must also rely on their crystal balls, to some extent. Their radars must constantly be scanning for indications of brewing political, social or economic unrest in addition to being aware of weather patterns and tide charts. Years of careful planning can be all for naught, as has been borne out in just the past few years. This past summer calls to the island of Lesvos were cancelled as refugees fleeing war and persecution began arriving in large numbers. The previous year visits to Israeli and Egyptian ports were scratched during armed conflicts and violent shifts in government leadership. Sometimes shifts in itineraries must be made within days when outbreaks of illness (influenza in Mexico, SARS in Asia) or destruction due to typhoons, earthquakes or hurricanes (as in Vanuatu, Mexico and Japan) require them. So the next time you contemplate a cruise or are sipping a refreshing cocktail on the deck of your ship, give a thought to those who put so much time and consideration into stringing together the intriguing collection of ports you’ll be visiting. Meanwhile, I’ll be cruising through 2018 and trying to remember to write “2016” on my checks! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor