A Week in Paradise

Vacations can be expensive. I realize that. In this economy it's hard to plan and get the funds available for the trip of a lifetime you have always wanted to take. For Lisa, this has been Hawaii.

When she was growing up, her father was in the Air Force. Jack was a mechanic on some of the cargo planes that were used in Vietnam. He would go to where the plane was to make sure it was ready for flight. As such, he saw much of the world, while his family was at home. His last year in the Air Force, he asked for a posting so that his family could go with him and see some of what he saw in the world. That posting was in Okinawa.  They enjoyed their time there, but one of the things she has said numerous times, is that they landed in Honolulu, but only saw the airport.

She wants to see more of Hawaii. We have never been able to do a trip like that. We have done numerous cruises and other vacations, but nothing on a scale of getting to Hawaii for a week or more. That is going to change.

NCL Pride of America

Norwegian Cruise Lines has the only cruise that begins and ends in Honolulu that covers all of the islands. When you look at the itinerary for the Pride of America, it seems like it is docked more than it is sailing. Gee, it's Hawaii, that's exactly what we are looking for, the ability to see the islands, but not have to island hop and change hotels. It is a resort that is moving to the islands with us.

So, here it is. September 15, 2012, yes, that is well over a year from now, Lisa is going to be able to see the islands of Hawaii. This happens to be her birthday and not long after our anniversary, so I don't have to worry about presents for 2012.

Yes, it isn't an inexpensive trip, but planning it this far ahead allows us to pay all along the way. Here is how it is going to work. Final payment is going to be due the end of June 2012. That is 14 months from now. We are getting a balcony cabin. The price per person for the cabin (balcony) is about $1800. A $250 deposit is due to book the cruise, so that leaves a balance of $1550/person. That means we can have the balance paid by putting an average of $225/mo as a couple.

That is for a balcony cabin. As this is a cruise that will have us spending a lot of time off the boat, we are definitely going to consider an inside or oceanview cabin. The inside cabin starts at $1220/person and the Oceanview just over $1300/person. That means for an inside, under $150/month will have the cruise for 2 paid for!

We have set up a block of cabins on the Pride of America. If Hawaii is on your bucket list, if Paradise is where you have always wanted to go, but didn't think you could afford, if you just want to get away for awhile, we would love to have you join us. You can get a flyer here that has more information.

USS Arizona Memorial

In future days, I will be sharing more about Hawaii and some of the experiences that can happen there. I can tell you this much, one of the places I look forward to seeing is Pearl Harbor. It will be with a solemn heart that I will view the place where so many of our service men served and died. But it shows the resolute heart of America. That will be one of the items on my Bucket List that can be checked complete.