The write way to cruise

Have you got an inspiring story to tell about a cruise? If it was with Holland America it could win you another holiday, and if it was with Princess it could become part of a year-long series of passengers’ inspirational stories.
The Princess project follows last year’s popular blog listing 50 Essential Experiences, which had passengers and members of crew sharing their expertise and opinions and covering destinations from the Chilean fjords to Vietnam, and from encountering crocodiles in Costa Rica to shopping in the fish market at Cannes.
Now the cruise line is collecting a year’s worth of stories about why passengers chose to take a cruise holiday, whether it was a birthday, anniversary or other family celebration or to mark a personal milestone or other accomplishment. Follow them at inspiredtocruise.com.
Paul Ludlow, Princess Cruises UK director, said, “Princess passengers are always happy to share their personal stories about why our customers decided to cruise and also their personal experiences on board. This new blog gives our passengers the starring role as we share some of the most remarkable and inspiring stories.”
The first post, from Nancy Chamberlain-Fox of California, tells the story of cruising to celebrate the second time she and her husband were married after a 27-year separation. The love story takes an unexpected turn when they discover that their multi-generational dinner table mates all share the same anniversary date.
Also featuring on the blog each week will be a short video introduced by a Princess crew member who will explain why the scene has meaning for them. The first, the choice of Captain Anthony Herriott, the British master of Grand Princess, features the mesmerising view off the ship’s wake..
Meanwhile, over on Facebook, you have until January 18 to submit a description of your Holland America cruise highlight, for the chance to win a European cruise for two.
From January 19 to February 2 entrants will be encouraged to share their highlight as widely as possible and ask their friends and family to vote. The 10 most popular stories will thern be judged by an expert panel which includes Captain Albert Schoonderbeek and Anita Dunham-Potter, editor-in-chief of ExpertCruiser.
“We continually hear from our guests about their once-in-a-lifetime experiences onboard, and we want to bring these memorable stories together and share them,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line. “Our Facebook community allows us to connect and interact with our fans on a more personal level and this is an ideal way to feature their cruising highlights.”