Princess Cruise: 4 Day Caribbean Coastal Sampler Cruise in May 2008

For those of you who are already thinking about your spring and summer getaways this year, how about going on a cruise? Princess Cruises, one of the more popular cruise lines, is offering a 4-day Caribbean Coastal Sampler cruise in the beginning of May. This is not one you want to pass up.

According to Princess Cruises, this cruise is only a one time deal. With prices starting at $269 per person, this is an unbeatable cruise offer. The ship will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday, May 4^th at 7:00 pm. Boarding the ship will begin as early as 1:00 in the afternoon. There will be many fun activities as you board the ship early, so this may be something you want to plan for. Once the ship has departed from the Ft. Lauderdale port, it will begin sailing to the Grand Turk of Caicos Islands. The ship will sail all night, arriving at 7:00 am at Grand Turk. Once there, you'll be able to get off the ship and experience different shore excursions. The ship will be docked all day, up until 2:00 pm, when you will get back on the ship and begin your trip to Princess Cays in the Bahamas. Princess Cays is the cruise line's private island. You will arrive to the island at 9:00 in the morning, returning to the ship at 4:00 pm. After leaving Princess Cays, the ship will begin sailing back to Ft. Lauderdale, returning on Thursday, May 8^th at 7:00 am.

So you're probably wondering what all is there to do on the ship? Think of the Caribbean Princess as an exotic resort on water. Among the activities to do on the ship are a spa, multiple pools and hot tubs, casino, miniature golf, movie theatre, gyms, shopping, a library, an art gallery and more. They have a variety of different restaurants to choose from as well. Your meals will be included in the price of the cruise, if you choose to dine in the selected restaurants. If you don't want to eat in the selected ones, you can choose from other places, like a pizzeria and or a steakhouse. The meal options are endless. Entertainment will be provided on the ship as well. You can watch a movie under the stars, watch a live show like you would in Las Vegas, or hang out in a nightclub or bar.

One thing you need to keep in mind when preparing for this cruise is there will be 1 formal night, where everybody on the ship is supposed to get dressed up in tuxes or suits and evening gowns or cocktail dresses. The other nights, you can wear casual clothes like you would to a nice restaurant. Bathing suits and sportswear is only allowed during the day and out of the dining rooms.

There are several different staterooms to choose from, such as a basic interior stateroom all the way up to a suite. Prices vary for each room, check the Princess website for price information.

My travel agent told me that May is a great time to go on a cruise to the Caribbean. It's not quite the summer, so it won't be crowded, but the weather is still amazing there in May, with an average temperature of around 85 degrees. Another nice thing about cruising in May is that it won't be hurricane season!

If you are interested in going on this cruise of a lifetime, go to www.princess.com for additional information and to book a cruise. You can find important information on passports, luggage, disembarking the ship and more. I've already booked my cruise, and can't wait until May 4^th to set sail to the Caribbean for 4 days! Don't forget your camera :)