Lessons learned, love shared: Golden Princess to Hawaii 3/27/13

[cvpends]

You definitely deserve the Cruise Critic story teller of the century award, Tim. Looking forward to hearing more, as always :)

[terrific_surprise]

When we returned to our home, we gave the ukuleles we had purchased in Hawaii to two of our teenage sons. They both play guitar, so their transition to ukulele players was almost instantaneous. It has become common to hear them playing songs from the little ukulele song book we had received during our classes on the ship. "Over the Rainbow" seems to be their favorite (which is fine with us).

 

Terri had learned just before the cruise began that I had been writing about my cruise planning experiences here on CC, but it wasn't until after the cruise that she took the time to read the entire thread. (I had saved all of it on my computer so that she could read it on the ship without Internet charges, but there were so many other things to do onboard that we never found time to even start reading it until we returned home, except for a few brief excerpts I shared with her and bon voyage wishes others posted.) That thread gave her a new perspective on what she had just experienced, filling in some blanks that had initially puzzled her.

 

The Hawaiian souvenirs and goodies we had brought back also helped to extend our "cruise" feelings at home. We saved most of the cookies and candies for a welcome home party one of our friends had said she hoped to plan, but the party never happened. The ensuing uncertainty caused us to delay opening some of the goodies for months. (And we still have some of them left, so we still have an opportunity to give each other a Hawaiian treat from time to time. For example, last night after dinner I put a macadamia kiss on Terri's plate.)

 

The chocolate macadamia items we had purchased at Costco in Hawaii Kai were still delicious and in virtually perfect condition many months later. However, we had also purchased some boxes of Mauna Loa Mountains (macadamia nuts covered in milk chocolate) at the ABC store on Maui. Not long after leaving that store, we had gone to the beach, leaving our chocolates locked in the car. (You probably can guess what happened next.)

 

Although it wasn't a hot day, it doesn't need to be very hot outside to melt chocolate in a car. The lesson is obvious, but I guess I need to spell it out for people (like me) who at times lack common sense: if you intend to purchase anything susceptible to melting while in port, you should plan to make such purchases at the end of your port day, and you certainly shouldn't leave it locked in a vehicle while you're at the beach. (I think a good general rule is probably that if it's warm enough to wear a swimsuit, it's too warm to leave chocolate in a car.)

 

Nevertheless, even the once-melted Mauna Loa Mountains were delicious when we finally opened them months later. We had intended to give them as gifts to some people but I'm glad we saved ourselves that embarrassment (actually, I think we did give a couple of boxes out and nobody complained).

 

From time to time in the weeks following the cruise, if we ate out or if I made an omelette for Terri, I would include a Princess napkin with the meal, having saved some extra paper napkins from the cruise. We had also saved some of the after dinner mints.

 

Although Terri had become accustomed to drinking Hawaiian water months before the cruise (and during the cruise itself she actually didn't drink much of the Hawaiian water we brought onboard), she has continued to fill herself with the aloha of the cruise by maintaining her now-well-established habit of drinking Hawaiian water.

 

Of course, Terri's cruise-related jewelry (including the charm bracelet) brought back pleasant memories of the cruise from time to time, even though she has never been in the habit of wearing much jewelry. For a few weeks after the cruise, she wore the charm bracelet almost all of the time, but eventually she noticed that her wrist was turning green due to a couple of the cheaper charms I had purchased to supplement the Princess charms. So now she just saves the bracelet for special occasions.

 

After the cruise I placed the digital photo frame where Terri would see it often (displaying the pre-cruise photo-clues alongside pictures taken during the cruise). She put the framed puzzle and golden clue envelopes nearby, providing a constant reminder of what we had experienced together.

 

And every time Terri gets in the driver seat of our van, she sees stickers which remind her of the cruise.

 

 

I had put the stickers on the dash on Valentine's Day 2013, several weeks before the cruise (as inspired by CC user "silverbird").

 

Recently we realized that we should sell our van (which passed 300,000 miles months ago), but Terri couldn't stand the thought of losing the stickers, even when I told her that I could put new stickers on whatever vehicle we decide to buy. At some point very soon her sentimentality will need to surrender to reality, but for the time being, she still gets to see those stickers whenever she is driving -- and sometimes she has been driving us to places that definitely bring back very vivid memories of our Golden Princess cruise to Hawaii.

 

So even after we had been home for weeks, the cruise feeling was still there... at least sometimes (for some reason we no longer seem to have a steward so the cabin doesn't seem as tidy as it used to be).

Edited January 21, 2014 by terrific_surprise

[san diego sue]

Tim you are such a loving husband. One can tell how you write about Terri

and of course meeting you in person, it is apparent.

I am sure that is why God chose to give you 11 children, to share the love.

[Colo Cruiser]

What ever became of the wallet? :confused:

[terrific_surprise]

What ever became of the wallet? :confused:

 

Unfortunately, post #395 above has the end of the wallet story. :(

 

Nobody contacted us by mail, nothing was found in the van. It's still a mystery.

 

Of course Terri now has a new ID and "all is well." :)

 

Tim

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Colo Cruiser]

Unfortunately, post #395 above has the end of the wallet story. :(

 

Nobody contacted us by mail, nothing was found in the van. It's still a mystery.

 

Of course Terri now has a new ID and "all is well." :)

 

Tim

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks missed that.

[terrific_surprise]

Tim you are such a loving husband. One can tell how you write about Terri

and of course meeting you in person, it is apparent.

I am sure that is why God chose to give you 11 children, to share the love.

 

Aww, thank you!

 

It's so easy to be a loving husband on a cruise, but sometimes not so easy at home. We do sometimes get on each pther's nerves. But we are around each other so much that we have a lot of opportunities to irritate each other. (Today we even orchestrated things so that we could do jury duty together.)

 

We are having lunch together right now, so I showed her your message and asked "should I burst her bubble and tell her the truth?"

 

Terri laughed "you're definitely the best husband I've ever had!" :D

 

Tim

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[MJSailors]

So, now that the Hawaiian cruise is over ,Tim, when are you planning your next cruise?

You entitled your thread using the words,"lessons learned".

I am wondering if some of your experiences on this cruise have given you some thoughts on how you would arrange your next vacation?Perhaps you would change a few things ?

For example, you and Terry seemed to be rushing about on the cruise from place to place ,activity to activity.

If you choose to cruise again,would you keep the same pace or perhaps relax a bit more?

Would you give thought to planning port visits a bit more carefully than you did for the Hawaiian ports? For example, Lahaina is an interesting seaport town.

There are beautiful beaches nearby with hotels that serve lovely breakfasts and offer day passes within a short driving distance from Lahaina. Some preplanning may have made your visit to Maui more enjoyable,relaxing and interesting.

While I compliment your thoughtfulness in all the pre cruise clues presented to your wife and the charm bracelet that you carefully created for her,I had to wonder how she felt about some of the things you mentioned in your posts.

Terry must be an extrordinary person with the gifts of patience,acceptance and understanding.

I am not certain that I would appreciate sleeping in a van the night before a cruise, going without breakfast (at least having some coffee)before a long port visit andhelping to carry so many bags off the ship without the aid of a porter.

When you cruise next time, I hope that you may consider her comfort level when you are considering the vacation budget.

Also,while I appreciated your insights into the cruise experience and the sights of Hawaii,

I was a little uncomfortable reading about some of your alone time with Terry.

I am not sure that such information was needed to give CCreaders information about the Golden Princess cruise to Hawaii. TMI ,Tim!

You do have a knack for story telling and you might want to persue writing as a hobby or other career.

But,it seems that your info regarding this cruise as it interests CCreaders is coming to a close.

You will just have to begin planning another vacation for Terry and you.

Perhaps for her next big birthday or an anniversary?

Sincere good wishes for another bon voyage in your near future!

[MauiLvrs]

I was a little uncomfortable reading about some of your alone time with Terry. I am not sure that such information was needed to give CCreaders information about the Golden Princess cruise to Hawaii. TMI, Tim!

It's not a story about information about the Golden Princess ... It's a love story ! Love is part of a love story. We think that Tim did a great job of telling the touching parts of their story; tastefully and touching.

Ya didn't have to read it and he gave you a heads up.

 

 

I am not certain that I would appreciate sleeping in a van the night before a cruise

I might or might not. We did discuss how much to spend for a few hours sleep on the way to the ship and considered catching some winks in a rest stop on the way down and be at the dock at 5am when the ship sails in. Decided not to do it this time, but have done it in the past.

 

I'm not expecting Tim to give a list of I learned A, B, and C.

I think that he expects us to pick up those lessons as we read through his story and be able to apply them to our life.

 

Nice job Tim and thank you for sharing you story with us.

 

We hadn't included a trip like this on our list to do one day as the time on the Islands is so limited. But, after reading your story and a couple of others, we're looking into making that voyage.

 

Being a plan all of the details type, I appriciate all of the planning efforts that went into your trip.

 

BTW: in the end we thought that you might find the wallet in the salon. Sorry it didn't turn up, happy that its absance didn't prevent you adventure.

Edited January 22, 2014 by MauiLvrs

[skiladyldp]

Tim, I loved your story just the way you have told it. We have slept in our van too. On the way to Disneyland with the kids we pulled over to grab a few hours of sleep before continuing our journey.

 

 

Virginia

[catergirl]

yes we are here to read and enjoy their journey, not critique!! he didnt ask us for our opinions just to join them if you want to:)

[terrific_surprise]

So, now that the Hawaiian cruise is over ,Tim, when are you planning your next cruise?

You entitled your thread using the words,"lessons learned".

I am wondering if some of your experiences on this cruise have given you some thoughts on how you would arrange your next vacation?Perhaps you would change a few things ?

For example, you and Terry seemed to be rushing about on the cruise from place to place ,activity to activity.

If you choose to cruise again,would you keep the same pace or perhaps relax a bit more?

Would you give thought to planning port visits a bit more carefully than you did for the Hawaiian ports? For example, Lahaina is an interesting seaport town.

There are beautiful beaches nearby with hotels that serve lovely breakfasts and offer day passes within a short driving distance from Lahaina. Some preplanning may have made your visit to Maui more enjoyable,relaxing and interesting.

While I compliment your thoughtfulness in all the pre cruise clues presented to your wife and the charm bracelet that you carefully created for her,I had to wonder how she felt about some of the things you mentioned in your posts.

Terry must be an extrordinary person with the gifts of patience,acceptance and understanding.

I am not certain that I would appreciate sleeping in a van the night before a cruise, going without breakfast (at least having some coffee)before a long port visit andhelping to carry so many bags off the ship without the aid of a porter.

When you cruise next time, I hope that you may consider her comfort level when you are considering the vacation budget.

Also,while I appreciated your insights into the cruise experience and the sights of Hawaii,

I was a little uncomfortable reading about some of your alone time with Terry.

I am not sure that such information was needed to give CCreaders information about the Golden Princess cruise to Hawaii. TMI ,Tim!

You do have a knack for story telling and you might want to persue writing as a hobby or other career.

But,it seems that your info regarding this cruise as it interests CCreaders is coming to a close.

You will just have to begin planning another vacation for Terry and you.

Perhaps for her next big birthday or an anniversary?

Sincere good wishes for another bon voyage in your near future!

 

Thanks for your detailed response to my review, and your thought-provoking questions. Having read many CC reviews before beginning to write my own, I knew from the outset that it would turn some people off. I hoped to wave off the snarkiest CC users with my very first post on this thread, sincerely hoping that such people would steer clear of my writings.

 

But I myself can be snarky at times (as I'm about to prove), so I do want to get one pet peeve off my chest: my wife's name is "Terri," not "Terry." :mad:

 

(Ahh, now I feel better!)

 

However, I do appreciate the obvious fact that you read my entire thread even though it wasn't quite your cup of tea, and I think that you do have some valid objections. Our lives become richer when we can allow ourselves to learn from others who approach life from a different perspective.

 

I never attempted to explain all of the lessons we learned, but pointed out in my very first post on this thread that some lessons would require "some reading between the lines." Nevertheless, I did specifically explain some of those lessons, starting with post #1 of this thread. For example:

 

Many of our problems were caused by over-planning: I often tried to squeeze too much into a single day (especially port days). But isn't a cruise supposed to be a vacation, an opportunity to relax? How can you relax when you're constantly trying to hurry to the next event?

 

After I read your post to Terri, we agreed that having daily rehearsals for hula, ukulele, and the choir were more than we would want to do again. (Even during the cruise itself I had been hesitant to join the choir, but only did so because Terri really wanted to do it.)

 

But knowing our own humanity, I wouldn't doubt that if we were to take this same cruise again, it's possible that we might make the same mistake anyway. :rolleyes:

 

In fact, before this thread is over, it is likely that you might legitimately ask yourself if we truly "learned our lessons."

 

(I can't resist inserting this, even though it probably won't resonate with you unless you are familiar with Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland. Having watched that movie many times with our kids over the years, often probably enjoying it more than our kids did, this little song Alice sings often comes to mind: "I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it, that explains the trouble that I'm always in...." I also think of a scripture which talks about looking into a mirror and then forgetting what you look like.)

 

I think that a major part of the problem was that we truly looked at this cruise as a "cruise of a lifetime," something we would only do once, which meant that we had to try to somehow fit in everything. It would have been much more relaxing to be able to think that if we missed a certain activity, we might have a chance to try again on a future cruise. While there are some people for whom a cruise is truly a one-time-only blessing, I think many people assume incorrectly (as we once did) that cruising is out of their price range.

 

Regarding the way we planned port visits, I think that my decision to rent cars in each port was our biggest problem (and as we just discussed this, Terri agreed). Had Terri been able to drive we might have felt differently about that (because she enjoys driving so much), but under the circumstances the car rentals took too much of our limited time out of our days and added significant costs to our trip. Nevertheless, renting those cars obviously gave us some flexibility we wouldn't have had without them. Of course if we chose not to rent cars, we might need to limit our options of what we would try to see. (Even if we chose to rent cars again we would likely need to limit our options.)

 

Specifically, we probably wouldn't bother renting a car again on Maui. As I explained in post #269, we could easily spend a day in and near Lahaina:

 

As I'm sure by now you expect, our Maui story has some ups and downs, and I prefer to take a while to get to the point (believing that often the journey is as important as the destination). But I'll share one "lesson learned" in advance, for any of you who are sailing tomorrow: don't underestimate Lahaina, especially if you have never been to Maui before.

 

Hopefully few people would tend to make the mistake I did, considering the obvious fact that Lahaina is where the ship brings you. But sometimes I can miss the obvious things until it is too late.

 

Candidly, Terri has not been thrilled about everything I have shared in all of my posts. Originally I had hoped to write this review collaboratively with her, but accomplishing that became too difficult (threatening to delay forever the beginning of this review), so in order to get it done I had to write it myself (while trying to frequently consult her for her thoughts about what we experienced). In some cases I goofed and posted things she may not have wanted me to say, and the CC system would no longer allow me to edit what I had written. But I don't recall her taking exception to any of my descriptions of our romantic encounters. Her objections related to other aspects of what I wrote (which I won't specify here because it would just draw more attention to things she would have preferred that I hadn't mentioned). But you are quite right that Terri is "an extraordinary person with the gifts of patience, acceptance and understanding." :)

 

Although it is probably obvious that I greatly enjoyed writing about our romantic encounters (and tried to keep it within a PG-13 level), I do appreciate that for many readers like you I did cross the TMI boundary.

 

I think I began to cross that boundary when I felt that I needed to explain why we missed dinner one night, and having once crossed that boundary, it became easier to cross it again. If by some chance I cross that boundary again (which I don't currently plan to do), I'll try to begin with a "TMI warning."

 

However, in my weak defense I would point out that I did introduce this as a love story, both in my initial post and in the title. And the little blushing-face icon :o I tagged this thread with might have also been a clue. (When we watch the Love Boat I think we all understand what happens when the cabin door closes.) But I realize that many may have been surprised by how far I went in describing that love story (as I myself was at times).

 

While I agree that at times I should have considered Terri's comfort level more carefully (and in particular, as I explained in post #273, I agree that I shouldn't have made her delay breakfast so long on our Maui day), making her comfortable is usually a major focus of my plans. Sleeping in a van may not seem to be a comfortable experience to you, but there have been times that Terri has specifically chosen to do so, because doing so opened up some other opportunities for us. I'm sure that such an experience wouldn't be best for everybody.

 

Regarding pursuing writing as a career, I'll just have to tip my hat here to my First Grade teacher, Mrs. Finkel (at Vineland School in Sun Valley CA), who told me I would write a book someday. Could she have ever imagined (back in the 1960's) the opportunities CC would one day give us to express ourselves?

 

Oh, and our next cruise? Stay tuned. There's more to come. ;)

Edited January 22, 2014 by terrific_surprise

[CoronaCRZR]

Tim, no need to try and explain the how & why you wrote the way you did.

It is your story and keep it coming. !!!

 

 

Ted

[blazerjan]

Tim, no need to try and explain the how & why you wrote the way you did.

It is your story and keep it coming. !!!

 

 

Ted

 

 

I totally agree!!

[Kennedysa]

I have enjoyed reading every post and look forward to reading more.

[melody hounddog]

Tim

 

I learned so much from your review. Thanks for taking the time. We had a fantastic cruise to Hawaii on the Star for Christmas. Made lots of wonderful memories.

[CruiseIreland]

Hi Tim & Terri. I have read your review from the start and waited keenly for each instalment. To be honest, I am not a lot wiser about Princess or Hawaii because, very quickly, the story became about your devotion to your wife and your heroic efforts to make it a fabulous cruise. I really enjoyed the story which was so much more than a cruise review which are 'ten a penny' on here. Your story, however, is unique and well told with candour and detail. I hope to read more of your adventures in the near future. Thanks again, Ken

[MauiLvrs]

Hi Tim & Terri. I have read your review...

As well as a lot of other folks it seems....

the view count seems to be rather large ....

 

ready.....

 

 

 

68,042 :D

 

Not counting the sticky notes .... #6 overall

 

Great job Tim and Terri

Loved your story.

Edited January 23, 2014 by MauiLvrs

[Cruisin' Chick]

It does sound like you have learned about not trying to do "everything," which I think many of us have seen when newbie cruisers post their port-day plans or talk about all the things they should immediately book as soon as they cross the threshold of the ship.

 

I'm a planner, but have learned that with two others in my party, I can't always do what I want to do (for example, I would have loved to visit Goldeneye, where Ian Fleming wrote many of the James Bond novels, while we were on Jamaica (it was about 11 miles from the port). And even though my hubby (then my boyfriend) is a major James Bond fan too, we settled for a taxi driver's guided tour in the morning (we had a booked excursion for the afternoon).

 

On our third Hawaiian cruise, we had planned to see the Iolani Palace in Honolulu after our submarine excursion. But hubby wanted to hang out in Waikiki (by the hotel we stayed at on our honeymoon...he keeps wanting to visit that area each time we were there for a cruise:rolleyes:) so we never made it to the palace. But all three times, I honored his request not to rent a car -- he would feel he's going to do much of the driving, and it just requires a bit more creativity on my part -- plus, as Tim figured out, often getting a rental car does require a bit of logistics, and takes time away that you can be actually sightseeing. Some people feel they need to do this, and others let others do the driving (we did rent a car on Kauai for our honeymoon, but our daughter isn't big on sightseeing anyway, even though she enjoyed the tour I picked on Kauai for our 2012 cruise -- the Waterfalls and Movies tour).

 

Sometimes one just has to be flexible and not expect the others in your family or group to want to do everything you want to do (advice that many of CC members give to those planning a group cruise: give suggestions that people can do, but don't expect them to be joined at the hip to your...maybe your cousin wants to zipline while your son wants to just hang at a beach).

 

My hubby learned the hard way that what one person might think is pampering...might not be the other person's idea, when he booked me a spa treatment on our Alaskan cruise. I just didn't enjoy it because I didn't know what to expect or what was expected to me (when I was on the warm bed, I didn't know if there was a time limit or not, so at some point, I got up and left). To me, pampering is not having to cook or clean for several days, have some luscious desserts to choose from, be able to play trivia matches or be able to just lie on a deck chair and read a chick lit book or watch movies. To each his own. So to me, surprises aren't necessarily always a good thing.

 

One thing I did for the first time after my first cruise and realizing I would want to do that again, was to get a passport. Despite the cost, I like the idea of having it for an official government photo ID. And we decided after my daughter's first cruise to get her one at age 3. Since then, we've renewed it a couple more times, and next time, it'll be an adult passport. She used it for her official photo ID when she took the SAT exam (they do accept a school ID). As she doesn't have her driver's license yet, I like that we have this official ID for her.

 

I'm still puzzled that Terri was able to get onboard without one and without even a DL. If Tim and Terri had passports, and stashed them in a safe place in the carryon (my hubby will have a plastic envelope with our passports, kept separate from our DLs), the cruise would have been less nerve wracking for her (something to consider that it might be worth the cost for IDs that are good for ten years). She just wouldn't have been able to drive the rentals.

 

To me, reviews (actually a trip report) will give people a good idea what to expect and maybe some ideas of what to do. Maybe some people will see the Hawaiian activities that many of us mention in our reports and decide to give it a go, or decide since the cruise has so many sea days they'll be bored (definitely not my opinion if you read my report). Maybe some people will decide to get their passports as a good investment. Hopefully people will know to NOT fly in the same day of one's cruise (there was a major debate in one thread when one couple missed a whole week of their Hawaiian cruise earlier this month when they gambled and the weather gods didn't smile upon then...and then wanted reimbursement from Princess for their stupidity as veteran cruisers, they should have known better).

 

Each person has a different experience, even on the same sailing.

[cr8tiv1]

As well as a lot of other folks it seems....

the view count seems to be rather large ....

 

ready.....

 

 

 

68,042 :D

 

Not counting the sticky notes .... #6 overall

 

Great job Tim and Terri

Loved your story.

 

Thanks for posting this information. I think Tim has quite a following. Next: His own webpage. Let's hear some encouragement from the crowd.

[ar1950]

.............One thing I did for the first time after my first cruise and realizing I would want to do that again' date=' was to get a passport. Despite the cost, I like the idea of having it for an official government photo ID. ...........[/quote']

 

Or if you are only traveling by ship to the Caribbean or by ship or land to Mexico or Canada, a passport card will work and is a much less expensive alternative. :cool:

[cruisemama5]

I have read your stories (both threads) from the beginning. I agree with the others that it is a wonderful love story and you have no need to explain why you wrote what you did. It is your story and others can choose not to read it if they think there is TMI. I personally think you did a fine job of telling your story, even the TMI. Have loved it!

 

We have slept in our car several times on the way to cruises. I don't mind because it enables us to get to the port in the time we had available. You and your wife have a very special bond with each other.

 

Can't wait for the rest of the story!!

[terrific_surprise]

Thanks for all of the love, everybody! (Or perhaps I should say "aloha"!) I feel like I just saw Dave Soreff bounding across the stage again, milking the crowd for applause. ;)

 

I'm so glad to hear that my review somehow contributed to your fantastic cruise, Melody. It's nice to know that our story has been appreciated not only by some who live just a freeway away but also by others who live very far away (even "across the pond").

 

And it's always good to hear from those whose reviews and posts captivated me long before the cruise. (I still remember that submarine excursion, Patty, as if I was there with you.) You'll be glad to know that Terri and I have been discussing getting passports.

 

I'm not sure just what to make of those view counts -- personally, I'm cheering for Gavin MacLeod -- he deserves so much more than 3,462! :confused:

 

And Renee (cr8tiv1), you are far too kind. But as you know well, I am still "far behind."

 

Tim

[MauiLvrs]

... I'm cheering for Gavin MacLeod -- he deserves so much more than 3,462! :confused:

Tim

I found that was surprising too. If you are under 50 yo don't know about the Love Boat and Crew :confused:

[terrific_surprise]

Anniversary plaque by Terrific_surprise, on Flickr

 

Terri had given me the above plaque for our 27th anniversary, but I include it here just because it seems so appropriate. The photo upon which this plaque was based was taken during our first Princess cruise, on the Sapphire Princess (in celebration of our 25th anniversary).

 

Our 28th anniversary, April 28, was less than three weeks after the end of our Golden Princess cruise to Hawaii. Throughout the years, our anniversaries have usually been much more important to us than our birthdays, but after having a two week cruise, I had worried that the actual day of our anniversary would be anticlimactic. As you may recall, however, during the cruise a seed was planted that would help to make our anniversary a bit more exciting. (As I've previously explained, that "seed" was not the conception of another baby; admittedly that would have been much more exciting.)

 

Speaking of seeds, the plumeria cutting I had bought on Maui still remained in its package. I had intentionally saved it for our anniversary, deciding that it would be more appropriate to plant it on that special day (I decided to put it in a pot I had decorated with a message of love for Terri several years ago, because the plant which originally lived in that pot had long ago died).

 

We had a quick getaway to a cheap hotel for our 28th anniversary weekend, bringing along some of our young kids (therefore, no TMI warning applies here). Having been away from them for so long, it didn't seem right to leave them again quite yet. In the early morning hours of April 28, before Terri woke up, I posted something special on the inside of our hotel room door: the Happy Anniversary sign which had been on the door of our Golden Princess cabin! (I thought I took a picture of the sign on that hotel room door, but I can't find it, so here's a picture of the Happy Anniversary sign on our Golden Princess cabin door.)

 

Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday door signs by Terrific_surprise, on Flickr

 

When Terri woke up, I gave her a very inexpensive anniversary present. In fact, it didn't cost me a penny. My unwrapped anniversary present was a pamphlet I had obtained from the Future Cruise Sales office on the Golden Princess.

 

West Coast Departures brochure by Terrific_surprise, on Flickr

 

As you can probably see above, on the front of this Princess Cruises West Coast Departures brochure, I wrote this message (using one of the golden pens with which I had written the little clues I had given her for the preceding year):

 

"Maybe we could surprise" -- after crossing out the word "surprise," I continued writing -- "plan together with each other for our 30th? Or just enjoy dreaming?" (While I still like to give Terri little surprises, the benefits of planning something big together seem to outweigh the benefits of attempting to plan another big surprise. Another "lesson learned.")

 

At the bottom of the brochure I wrote "SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY BONUS! Subtract $200 from prices listed!" (Really I should have told her to only subtract $100 from the per-person price, but I was trying to make a point regarding the total cost of our deposits.)

 

Until I had given Terri this brochure, she still had not known that I had made any deposits on the ship. She had seemed slightly disappointed during the cruise when she had thought that I hadn't done so, but she never challenged the sad decision she thought I had made.

 

The brochure did list some short 3 and 4 day getaways, but neither of us seemed drawn toward such short cruises. We had greatly enjoyed our first short cruise, a 4 day cruise to Catalina and Ensenada, but the end of the cruise had seemed much too abrupt, almost traumatic. Our 7 day Sapphire Princess cruise, however, seemed to be just the right length (although the end of that cruise was also a sad day, unlike the day when we returned to LA on the Golden Princess).

 

As the message I wrote on the brochure indicates, I sincerely thought that the earliest we could hope to cruise again would be in 2015 for our 30th anniversary. Even then, I thought that we might find ourselves needing to extend the deposits or ask for a refund. But I thought that it would be nice for us to have something to dream about, even if our dream didn't come true.