Once again this year, we're leaving without being certain for how long. I'm almost sure we'll do at least 100 nights. I mean, how can we do less than last year? I strongly suspect we'll do at least 110 nights. And I won't be surprised if we do 120 or 130, although cruising the entire 140 days we have booked would shock me, knowing how much we enjoy spring at home. Just as "100 nights" had a nice, round "Mr. Monk-ish" feeling to it last year, 120 nights feel the same this year. But we're not ready to commit just yet. Final payments, which pretty much lock us into a cruise, are due 75 days prior to sailing date, so we're still making them for the cruises in January/ February/March. We'll just have to see how we feel when we get on the Emerald.
By now you know that we've spent a fair bit of time on the Emerald Princess over the years. In fact, the ticker is already at 170 days and counting. Is it any wonder, then, that stepping back on the ship on Day 1 of a cruise is like coming home after a long shore excursion? This reality is actually a bit troubling. Worrier that I am, every year I get concerned that the next year might not be as perfect as all the others. I mean, how can it be? It's hard to improve on near-perfection, and the bar was set so high last year, I can't imagine it can be equaled, let alone topped. But, somehow, Princess- the Emerald Princess in particular- always delivers. Which just sets me up to worry even more come next winter...
So, for now, we're not certain how many days we'll be cruising. But there is one thing I know for sure: no matter how long it is, in the end we'll wish it was longer. As I stood wailing1 last year, feet on the gangway, hands firmly clinging to the ship when I was forced to disembark, it was very clear that 100 days were not enough.
It's an addiction, and we've got it bad.
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1OK, so I wasn't quite wailing. But I WAS blubbering a bit2.
2Actually, a lot.
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7 day weeks mean nothing to us on the ship. It's all about groups of 10 days, each one a different cruise. Days are not named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday..., they're named St. Thomas, Antigua, Barbados...
I make up this calendar in Excel and we hang it on the wall in our cabin, marking off each day at its end. At first, it seems like it will last forever; by the end, it's hard to believe it's almost over.
You can click on each photo to enlarge it for more detail.
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