Day One: John and I meet up with Bill and his wife, Sharon, in Fort Lauderdale where we board our sh

For 358 days a year, my life is devoted to reality. Since I'm the kind of person who takes my work home with me, the heart patients I care for throughout the day are really with me all the time. Sometimes they even wake me up at night, as I toss and turn, worrying if a new medication will help or a surgery will be successful.
But for the other seven, glorious days a year, I "Escape Completely," to quote Princess Cruises' company slogan. It has become the highlight of my year, the critical space I need to clear my head and rejuvenate my body and spirit.
Don't get me wrong! I love my career as a certified medical assistant at a busy cardiac practice. I'm proud that the patients know I care. But come winter, when the Michigan temperatures plunge and the hectic pace of the year reaches a crescendo, my husband, John, and I start counting down the days to our annual cruise.
The warmth, the sunlight and the carefree sea are just what we need this time of year. Since 2003, when John and I finally took the advice of his brother, Bill, and tried a cruise vacation, we haven't missed a year. As we head for seven days in the Caribbean, I welcome the transition from stressed to serene.
car rental almeria airport Day One: John and I meet up with Bill and his wife, Sharon, in Fort Lauderdale where we board our ship. Wow. It's always exhilarating to see the soaring central stairway car rental almeria airport and glittering, light-filled grand atrium. We check into our staterooms, which are next door to each other, and unpack. We call the cabin steward to unlatch car rental almeria airport the balcony divider so ours flows through to Bill and Sharon's. We look into all the events, activities and excursions on tap for the week and get ready for our opening-night dinner.
Day Two: My long-awaited recovery begins. I'm still a little keyed up about the office, which makes sense when you consider I work with 12 doctors, each with their own personalities and way of doing things. Add to that hundreds of patients. As we sail into open waters, I can't help but begin to switch gears. We've turned off our cell phones and left our computers at home. No checking in with work for me. Instead, I head to breakfast car rental almeria airport at the International Café, where I'm thrilled to reconnect with some crew members from last year's cruise. It's amazing; one of them remembers exactly how I like my coffee!
Day Three: car rental almeria airport John, Bill and Sharon are really good traveling partners. We enjoy each other's company but don't feel compelled to be around each other all the time. No one's feelings are hurt when I wonder off alone to take a stroll. On land excursions, Bill and Sharon might go one way, John and I another. We have our little way of keeping in touch. We bring walkie-talkies from home and use them sparingly. "Want to join me for a movie by the pool?" "Drinks at 5 on the balcony."  We plan a wine tasting. John and I listen to the band from the bubbling hot tub. This is the life!
Day Four: Allow me a moment for an ode to the pleasures of a balcony stateroom. I have nothing against interior cabins, but having a balcony is like taking car rental almeria airport a vacation within a vacation. It's a private perch on the open seas. We love meeting for a glass of wine every evening on our connected balconies. We share notes on what we've done that day and get ready for dinner. John and I keep our balcony door slightly ajar at night. I swear I hear the ocean in my dreams. The pure, fresh air cleanses me while I sleep. I wake up clear-headed and refreshed.
Day Five: I feel so happy. After breakfast, I go to my special spot, my favorite car rental almeria airport place on the entire ship. On the top deck you can peer out and see nothing car rental almeria airport but water. The ship below disappears from sight. Up there, is a small track, 16 laps to the mile. I put on my tennis shoes and sunglasses and start walking, usually a couple easy miles a day. The air is clean, the sky is clear, the Caribbean Sea an undulating car rental almeria airport turquoise quilt. I am not talking to anyone, just at peace in my own, placid world. The real-world me has gone and I have escaped completely.
Day Six: International Café, Sky-Deck walk, pool and hot tub. Finishing that book I wanted to read all year. I book a massage. It's the last full day at sea and no time to delay gratification. Reservations are made for 6 p.m. at one of the specialty restaurants. John, Bill, Sharon and I meet for drinks on the balcony first. The ship is heading back toward Fort Lauderdale, and as is the custom, we pack our suitcases and put them outside our cabins. It always hits me then that the cruise is ending, and I cry. I don't want to go.
Day Seven: We meet for breakfast at the International Café. I take a few minutes to say goodbye to my crew friends. car rental almeria airport We say, "Maybe I'll run into you again next year." I hope so.  There's still time for me to head up to the top deck. Land is in sight. I wish we could stay longer.
Back in Fort Lauderdale, I turn on my cell phone. I'm touched that some of my patients have called to ask about my trip. They all know I live for my annual car rental almeria airport Princess cruise.  I'm happy that they're there for me as I'm there for them.
Pat it all sounds so familiar. We began cruising with Princess car rental almeria airport about 10 years ago. We are up to 20 cruises. Take it from us, find a way to Escape Completely at least twice a year. When we board, we remind ourselves, Enjoy every minute . Later is Now!!!.
Pat, Don has the right idea. We try to book two cruise a year and have decided car rental almeria airport 10 days is the minimum. We are going to try our first trans-atlantic cruise in 2013. Later is now and don t put off to tomorrow what can be had today. Princess provides a great escape!
car rental almeria airport My wife and I agree with Mary Ellen . a cruise must be 10 days or longer. And a note for ME, you will love the transAtlantic cruise. Talk about relaxing completely. We will be on Princess cruise number car rental almeria airport 19 in January, Panama canal. We have done four family cruises and now are planning the fifth next New Years. car rental almeria airport What fun!
I have travelled both Cruise lines and have thoroughly enjoyed both. One must remember that everyone s tastes are different and that is what makes the world go round. The staff on both ships made me feel like a queen for my entire vacation whether it was 7 days or 12 days. My husband and I are leaving on a cruise aboard the Caribbean Princess to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. My travel agent through Princess[Teri] was amazing I must say. Efficient,friendly and actually made me feel like we were friends. My husband and I love to cruise and it is the best way to see parts of the world. But as much as I like to see different areas it is also nice to experience different ships and their companies. They all have their different amenities but to say Carnival is rowdy and noisy I honestly can t say that I felt that. To be honest I would like to try the Royal Caribbean someday if I am so blessed to do so. Doesn t mean I won t travel Princess again.
It s whatever you are looking for and whatever meets your needs. I have on my bucket list to do a New Years Eve Cruise with my three grown children car rental almeria airport and their spouses along with my hubby of course !! Hmmmmm!! I wonder which ship I will choose ?? I ll let you all know.
We love a longer cruise as well we have cruised on Royal, Celebrity and Princess, but always come back to Princess. We recommend the British Isle cruise and the Mediterranean car rental almeria airport both are amazing. We also did a transatlantic car rental almeria airport a few years ago. It was good but the water got very choppy. In fact we skirted a hurricane between Iceland and New Foundland. We will be taking our 3rd Alaskan cruise in August of next year and we will be on Holland American because car rental almeria airport we are going with a group who wanted to go to Sitka and Princess didn t stop there.
Here, here!!! I love the freedom and variety car rental almeria airport and the ease of transitioning from one port to the next. If the port is a dud, then you can always escape back to the ship and have the pool all to yourself or enjoy some other activity on the ship without the huddled masses.
Thanks for your post Pat. We feel the same way, an escape from work and stress is like your home away from home on Princess. We have been on other lines but now Platinum on this one. We have 18 cruises in 19 years of marriage, so one a year for us.
When my husband was alive we cruised car rental almeria airport many times. I ve continued since his death with a good friend. We did the Mediteranean on the Ruby this year and are looking foward to Northern Europe next year. I have done 14 and each one was the best and they are all on Princess. Relaxation is a part of the fun but also the experience of seeing other places.
Dear Mary Lee My sister and I enjoyed the Med. Cruise aboard the Ruby in September of 2012. The two of us have always wanted car rental almeria airport to do a sister car rental almeria airport trip to-gether and when my father passed away he left us both a little money so we decided in his memory we would fulfill our dream and travel the sea of the Mediterranean. It was amazing and I know my dad was looking down on the two of us and feeling blessed that my sister and I were able to enjoy those 12 days to-gether. I am getting excited as my husband and I are leaving in February to the sunny Caribbean for a week of fun in the sun as we celebrate 40 years of marriage. Life doesn t get any better than that !
Our 6th Hawaiian cruise with Princess on 2/4/2012 through 2/18/2012. Our next one is Feb. 2, 2013 and looking forward to it. It is so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of our day to day routine and relax for two whole weeks.
We arrived at the port at 12:30pm. We got to our stateroom to settle in. We unpacked all our suitcases and went up-stairs for lunch on the horizon deck. We went back to our stateroom and made reservations for dinner tonight. It will be in the Santa Fe dining room on the 4th, 5th, and 6th. Our Room Steward was Joey Fortaleza. What a great guy he was.
The ship just went through some big changes car rental almeria airport in Canada before starting this cruise. The changes were very nice. The first thing we noticed is that they moved the desert bar out of the food section. A lot of tables and chairs were lost