The Emerald Princess

We are looking forward to sailing again in 2011. The Emerald Princess, a grand-class ship, was launched in 2007. We sailed on her back in 2009 when she was less than two years old. The Emerald Princess weighs 113,000 GT. Is 951 ft in length and has 15 passenger decks. She can carry 3114 passengers and 1200 crew members and can reach a speed of 21.5 kn or 39.82 km/h.

The Emerald is a sister to two other ships, the Crown and the Ruby Princess. They all have identical layouts which includes a gym, spa, several dining areas (traditional, anytime, buffet, pizzeria, grill (hamburgers, hotdogs, etc), Scoops (ice cream), International Cafe/Patisserie, the huge LED MUTS (movies under the stars) screen, handful of entertainment venus, casino, 3-level piazza, shops, four pools, golf simulator, small jogging track, the Sanctuary, library, internet cafe, and much more.

The cabins range from interiors to exteriors (158 to 181 sq ft), balconies (233 to 285 sq ft), mini-suites (323 sq ft), to regular suites (468 to 591 sq ft).



We are looking forward to cruising again on the Emerald.

Getting Ready

We're back! We're getting ready for another cruise within 30 days. There is so much to do as far as preparations. I already have 75% of my warm weather clothes set aside along with the shoes (minimal) that I plan on bringing along. I've been updating my checklist because I have to bring my gadgets with me and need to make sure I bring my associated batteries and chargers. Do I know where my priorities are?

I have our luggage tags printed out. Still contemplating what I'm going to use to attach them to the handles. I do have a tiny portable stapler that I'll throw in my suitcase as a last minute fix. I've been to my local office supply store in the hopes of finding a plastic pouch, long and narrow, to place the tag. No luck. Looks like I'll be heading to CruiseCritic.com and see what the other experienced cruisers recommend.

We are definitely looking forward to this trip. It's been two whole years since we've last cruised and we miss it big time. We were suppose to sail on the Ruby Princess in January of this year, but had to cancel as a result of losing one salary. I had hoped to find employment right away, but it didn't work out. So we celebrated our 25th anniversary in a very low keyed manner.

In January, we're doing a combination cruise celebration on the Emerald Princess for our past 25th and most recently 26 year anniversary plus my DH's upcoming 50th birthday. We are both looking forward to a much earned vacation to re-energize and start another adventurous year in 2011.

So, stay tuned as I start posting about our upcoming trip.