Dawn Princess  -  May 4th through May 6th, 2008  San Diego-Ensenada-San Diego

*Notes:

*Modified booking information: When you call Princess (1-800-PRINCESS) to make your reservation (or get more info) tell them you are part of a group booking. Give them the following information: The group number is T.P.T. - The Birthday Cruz, Voyage# D819N, a Direct Group under the phone number 323-099-9999. Sounds complicated, but it's not. It just keeps us all under the same umbrella of goodies.

*We're looking into hiring a bus to take all of us to the pier (and back). We'll let you know what the cost will be once we nail it down, but we're hoping it will be about $50 per couple round trip. There is a charge for parking near the pier, plus the cost of gas...so doing the bus thing makes sense to a bunch of us. Besides, the cruise party can start once we're on the bus! If you're interested, let us know.

*Passports are NOT required for the cruise - but a certified birth certificate along with a valid US issued ID is. If you don't have a  certified birth certificate, you can go to www.vitalchek.com and request one. It's not the cheapest, but it's the best (in our experience).

*George & Halle will be hosting an onboard cocktail party for everyone in our group...

 The Princess Cruise Line recently announced a special 2 night cruise from San Diego to Ensenada & back departing Sunday, May 4th.  Because so many of us are celebrating birthdays in April and May, we thought it would be fun to do something fun and different.  The cruise is on the Dawn Princess - the same ship we (George & Halle) traveled on last August to Alaska...and will be taking to Alaska again this summer. 
It's a beautiful ship, great food (lots of it), free room service and entertainment - and the fares on this particular cruise are unbelievably cheap (okay...it's all relative...but consider how much bang you get for your bucks compared to a weekend at a beach resort hotel!!!).

The cruise leaves San Diego at 5pm on Sunday, May 4th….returning to San Diego on Tuesday, May 6th at 7:00am. The one and only port of call is Ensenada…but who cares!?!

All of the inside cabins are waitlisted, but ocean view and balcony (perfect for people who smoke) cabins are still available.  Surprisingly, the cost difference between an ocean view and a balcony is VERY small...so you might want to splurge a bit. Last time I checked (at 4:30pm on 3/11), the lowest available rate for an ocean view was $474.26, and the lowest balcony was $534.26. Keep in mind that the price is for the whole shebang (except for beverages, gift shop purchases, shore excursions and gratuities), not each person.

If you call and book your cabin, they will hold your reservation for free for 24hours - but payment will be required in full after that.
If you want to check out the ship, the cruise, the onboard amenities, or prices, go to  www.princess.com . You'll have to click on Search Cruises, then choose Dawn Princess, and May 2008 as options.  After you book the cruise, you can do all of your pre-boarding check in stuff at the same website (go to Cruise Personalizer) and print it out.  Passports ARE required but you have enough time to get one if you jump on it right away.

In our circle of friendstomers (customers who've morphed into friends) many of us are Spring (old) Babies, we are planning to have everyone get together in the dining room on the first night of the cruise for a birthday celebration. If you or your significant other have a birthday or anniversary in either of those two months, please let Princess know when you call to make a reservation. They will be doing something special for us…woohoo!!!!

If you'd like to go on this cruise, call Princess at: 1-800-PRINCESS...or book online. If you call and let the agent know that you are booking under the Group Name of TPT-The Birthday Cruz - you may be able to finagle a better rate than what's posted. We currently have 10 cabins booked as of 3/12/08 (that's 20 desert rats going to sea)...we'd love to have you join us!