Princess Cruises reveals final reason on “Inspired to Cruise” Blog

Year of Reasons to Cruise Culminates with Reason #52: “To Escape Completely”

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (December 27, 2012) – Princess Cruises today revealed the final passenger story on its blog, "Inspired to Cruise: A Year of Reasons to Get Away From the Everyday" (www.InspiredToCruise.com). The last post personifies the line's brand promise to help its passengers "escape completely."

In the story "My Yearly Retreat to 'Escape Completely,'" Patricia Mengel of Brighton, Michigan shares how each day of her cruise she is able to let go a bit more from her busy job as a cardiac medical assistant. Even her patients know about her yearly cruise to let go of work stress and come home feeling refreshed and renewed. 


Throughout 2012, the blog chronicled 52 diverse reasons why passengers are compelled to take a cruise vacation, including a mix of celebrations, accomplishments, family milestones and other deeply personal reasons to cruise. Among the many reasons were romantic stories: to get married, to honeymoon, to pop the question, to renew vows and even to save a marriage. Others conquered fears, quit smoking, chased an eclipse, ran a marathon and made peace with wartime memories. Family also featured prominently as passengers reconnected with parents, visited relatives in far-flung locales and honored those who had passed.

The blog, one of the most popular in the travel industry, generated 2.7 million page views and more than 4,000 comments from readers who have been inspired to find their own reasons to cruise. Among these:

• [on cruising to reconnect with a father] “My mother passed away several years ago and my dad now 88 (fit as a fiddle) would like to cruise with us next year, you have inspired me to go ahead and organise it. Hope my experience is half as good as yours sounds.”
   
• “Thank you so much for sharing. I have never expected to read these stories (in my mind, it’s just commercial!). How wrong I was! I could not stop reading your story, and when I finished, I had tears in my eyes. You have given me a different perspective of life. I now understand sharing is truly a precious gift.”
   
• [on cruising to quit smoking] “thank you so much for your inspiration! I have tried quitting numerous times and to no avail. I just lost a good friend to lung cancer and it was close to the same time I read your story. The combination of both made me reach the decision to quit smoking on my upcoming cruise to Alaska in just 2 weeks.”
   
• [on cruising to honor a family member] “Your story also inspires me, as in 2006 my Dad and I were slated to go to South America together. We ended up cancelling that trip. I plan to take that trip in his honor, and I hope to feel his presence during that trip. I know he will be happy I did go.”
   
• [on spoiling the grandchildren] “We have been blessed with 7 grandchildren and they are all under the age of 10. Pam and Dennis you have inspired my husband and I to share our cruises with our grandchildren. Thank you for you wonderful story!”
   
• [on to dance with my husband] “Beautiful! I will remember this story when I share my first cruise with my husband this fall and will hopefully have the same magical moment!”
   
• [on taking the trip our husbands missed] “I thought I would of been back from Alaska in Sept., but my husband died in July. This would have been our tenth anniversary. … The kids said ‘mom’ you should still go, I just couldn’t and really didn’t know if I ever wanted too. Your story convinced me to save up again and go for it. I know my husband would have wanted me to go ….so I will.”

In total, the 52 reasons to cruise featured on the blog are:

1.   To Escape Completely 2.   To Celebrate the Holidays 3.   To Honeymoon 4.   To Recover from an Empty Nest 5.   To Celebrate a 50th Anniversary 6.   To Celebrate a Legacy of Travel 7.   To Be With AND Without the Kids 8.   To Grant a Veteran’s Last Wish 9.   To Bond with My Birth Family 10. To Reconnect with My Father 11. To Save My Marriage 12. To Connect with Family 13. To Go to My “Happy Place” 14. To See Our Foster Child 15. To Take the Retirement Trip Our Husbands Missed 16. To Make a Home 17. To Take My First, Big Adventure 18. To Pass On the Love of Cruising to the Next Generation 19. To Scatter My Husband’s Ashes 20. To Pop the Question 21. To Run a Marathon 22. To Recuperate 23. To Celebrate a Mother/Daughter Birthday 24. To Be with My Best Friend … Mom 25. To Please My Girl 26. To See a Total Eclipse of the Sun

27. To Sail the Open Seas Again 28. To Celebrate with Three Generations 29. To Relax 30. To Thank My Family 31. To Conquer My Fears 32. To Honor a Family Member 33. To Renew Our Vows 34. To Keep a Promise 35. To Fulfill My Husband’s Bucket List 36. To Quit Smoking 37. To See My Wife Smile Again 38. To Travel the World with a Purpose 39. To Escape the Ice Storm 40. To Learn About Family Ancestry 41. To Revisit Vietnam 42. To Get Married...by Surprise 43. To Bridge a Generation Gap 44. To Revisit Wartime Memories 45. To Surprise a Loved One 46. To Cruise on the “Love Boat” 47. To Visit Family Far Away 48. To Dance with My Husband 49. To Get Away with Girlfriends 50. To Spoil the Grandkids 51. To Take One Last Trip Before the Kids Leave the Nest 52. To Marry Each Other…Twice

In addition, the blog also featured a series of short "Escape Inspiration" videos. These 30-second cruise moments were introduced by a Princess crew member who explained why the scene has meaning for them.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com. 

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About Princess Cruises:
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 16 modern ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided in an environment of exceptional customer service. Two ships are under construction and will join the fleet in 2013 and 2014. A recognized leader in worldwide cruising, Princess carries 1.3 million passengers each year to destinations around the globe ranging in length from three to 107 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).

Princess Cruises is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and value, World’s Leading Cruise Lines inspires people to discover their best vacation experience. Together, we offer a variety of exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world's most desirable destinations. Visit us at www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com.

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