Princess Cruises Blog Reaches Halfway Milestone By Revealing Reason to Cruise

Princess Cruises has reached the halfway point of its year-long blog, "Inspired to Cruise"by revealing the 26th reason to cruise submitted by the line's passengers.

This week's contributor shares how cruising let her return to the open ocean that she missed after the death of her husband and the sale of their beloved boat.

Since its debut in January, more than one million people have visited the blog, and thousands have commented on how the stories have inspired their own reasons to take a cruise. Found at http://inspiredtocruise.com, the blog will gradually share a total of 52 stories during 2012, each offering another compelling reason why someone chose a cruise vacation.

In this week's story, "For My Love of the Sea," Gloria Walsh of Camano Island, Washington, shares how her life opened up again after she discovered that with cruising she could still experience her love for the open sea after the death of her husband, with whom she had shared a passion for sailing.

The blog's first 26 posts have spanned a wide range of reasons to cruise:

1. To Marry Each Other...Twice
2. To Take One Last Trip Before the Kids Leave the Nest
3. To Spoil the Grandkids
4. To Get Away with Girlfriends
5. To Dance with My Husband
6. To Visit Family Far Away
7. To Cruise on the "Love Boat"
8. To Surprise a Loved One
9. To Revisit Wartime Memories
10. To Bridge a Generation Gap
11. To Get Married...by Surprise
12. To Revisit Vietnam
13. To Learn About Family Ancestry
14. To Escape the Ice Storm
15. To Travel the World with a Purpose
16. To See My Wife Smile Again
17. To Quit Smoking
18. To Fulfill My Husband's Bucket List
19. To Keep a Promise
20. To Renew Our Vows
21. To Honor a Family Member
22. To Conquer My Fears
23. To Thank My Family
24. To Relax
25. To Celebrate with Three Generations
26. To Sail the Open Seas Again

Each week, the blog also showcases a short "Escape Inspiration" video about a favorite moment at sea. This week's video, introduced by Coral Princess Captain Nicolo Binetti, takes viewers along on the romance of a wedding at sea.