I’m a lucky gal. Ten years ago, I married my best friend who happened to be one of Princess Cruises’ youngest, most-traveled passengers. When I first began dating Justin, I hadn’t been on a cruise vacation; the thought of cruising never crossed my mind. On the other hand, my new suitor, at the tender age of 27, had already been on more than 20 cruises with Princess Cruises alone.
Growing up, my family had traveled a lot around the country, but we never ventured aboard a boat. Justin’s family, however, had many generations of cruisers. His paternal grandmother helped launch his love of cruising at a very young age. As he grew up, he was very fortunate to see many countries, cultures and ports through his many voyages with Princess. Cruising was in his blood,
and he wanted to share that love with me.
I’ll be honest. I was a bit apprehensive at the idea, but a few months after we started dating, I joined Justin for a short five-day Mexico cruise from Los Angeles. I wasn’t really expecting to like it, but once we left port, something happened. That sea air and those wide open waters stirred my soul. The music and entertainment enlightened my spirits. The Mexican ports of call were intriguing. The food was fantastic, but it was the camaraderie with other passengers and the personal time spent with my loved one that truly filled me. I was officially hooked!
Justin and I have been blessed to be able to cruise several times per year – sometimes to celebrate special occasions (such as a honeymoon cruise or a birthday cruise), but more often, we just celebrate the simple joy of cruising.
We love meeting people from all over the world, trying new foods and experiencing new cultures. On a cruise ship, we get to see the world with all the comforts of home; leaving behind our busy schedules, iPhones, conference calls and carpools to truly get away from it all and just “be”.
This year, as we celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary, I’m just a few cruises shy of joining my husband as an Elite Captain’s Circle member. I’ve also gotten my cousin addicted. And although life doesn’t allow us to cruise as much as we’d like to anymore, I’m proud to say we’ve passed our love of cruising to our five-year-old daughter, Mikayla. She’s definitely inherited the cruising bug and is poised to enjoy her third cruise this year. She wants to get an Elite card like her Daddy, and if it was up to her, she would get it before she’s old enough to drive.
Thank you Princess Cruises, for providing such a wonderful cruising experience for our family. We look forward to many more travel adventures together.
Lorena, Justin and Mikayla live in Rancho Cordova, California. Justin has taken 30 Princess cruises, Lorena has taken 13, and Mikayla has been on two … so far.