Relax, and Come Back New

Adrenaline junkies may seek danger at every turn, but most of us go on vacation to relax.

We think a vacation should relieve stress, not create it. Then, as the new Princess tag line goes, you can  "Come back new."

Some people, however, become so stressed about hitting every item on their carefully planned list of vacation activities that they miss not only the relaxation but even the exact experiences they've ticked off.  They might have done exactly what they said they would do, but they were so intent on getting to the next activity that they never truly experienced anything.  As my late, great friend Bob once said after a week driving through beautiful parts of Germany and France, "I went more places in that week than I ever did any time in my life, and I don't remember any of it."

A few months later, Bob went on a river cruise in China, returning to say it was the best vacation he ever had.  From that point on, Bob was an avid cruiser.  However, I should add that he went on back-to-back transatlantic cruises with his mother, who wanted to share her passion for the experience of day-after-day at sea with Bob and his lovely wife Billie.  While they found the Queen Mary 2 is a beautiful, elegant ship, Bob said he was bored to tears after two days, with the highlight of the trip being lunch with friends in London before getting back on the ship to return home.  Some levels of unwinding can make you become unglued.

In between the extremes, there is a balance that is right for you, and a cruise visiting some of the great ports in the world allows you and your traveling companions to seek the ideal level of activity for each of you, maybe only meeting for a delicious meal once a day while you all enjoy your personal perfect vacations.

In seeking our perfect vacations, my wife and I have cruised more with Princess than any other cruise line.  A large reason, of course, is our satisfaction with the ships and service, but with so many great cruise lines from which  to choose, I have to point to their great itineraries as the main reason. 

When we went on a cruise from Australia to Hawaii with Princess, my gorgeous wife Julie feared we may, like Bob on his transatlantic crossings, be climbing the walls with four days at sea, but in conjunction with lots of ports before cruising from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere, we found the onboard live presentations about the history of the region, dance lessons, fantastic shows, pub lunch and everything else found on cruises kept us smiling throughout.

Our most recent Princess cruise was a short voyage from Los Angeles, and we were reminded again just how reinvigorating such cruises, with no hassles of airports or even much planning, can be.  If you're a southern Californian in particular, I strongly encourage you to try one of these voyages this spring or next fall, just to see how it feels to "Come back new."

However, it has always been my contention that a vacation is far more than the time of travel itself.  It is also the pleasant memories of places you've been, which is an area Bob missed in Europe by moving at a pace too fast for his life rhythm.  And it is about planning the trip.

Planning a trip should be fun.  Reading up on where you plan to go, chatting with friends who have been there, sharing your excitement about your upcoming sojourn...all are part of the vacation experience, allowing you to begin enjoying it while still in the planning stage.

However, if you find yourself confused by conflicting trip advisor reviews, worrying about specific elements to the point of losing sleep, and sweating over whether you can save a dollar (or lose your entire vacation budget) by using some web site you've never heard of, you should relax.  You have a friend in the travel business who will help you.  Planning a vacation, as part of the vacation, should also be relaxing, not creating stress.

Where in the world would you like to go?

Better service leads to better trips.