About 2 years ago my husband and I were on a cruise through the
> > western Mediterranean aboard a Princess liner. At dinner we noticed an
> > elderly lady sitting alone along the rail of the grand stairway in the
> > main dining room. I also noticed that all the staff, ships officers,
> > waiters, busboys, etc., all seemed very familiar with this lady. I asked
> > our waiter who the lady was, expecting to be told that she owned the
> > line, but he said he only knew that she had been on board for the last
> > four cruises, back-to-back.
> > As we left the dining room one evening I caught her eye and stopped to
> > say hello. We chatted and I said,
> > "I understand you've been on this ship for the last four cruises."
> > She replied, "Yes, that's true."
> > I stated, "I don't understand" and she replied, without a pause, "It's
> > cheaper than a nursing home."
> > So, there will be no nursing home in my future.
> > When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship.
> > The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on
> > reservations on a Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior
> > discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for:
> > 1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.
> > 2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can
> > waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service (which means I can
> > have breakfast-in-bed every
> > day of the week).
> > 3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free
> > washers and dryers, and shows every night.
> > 4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
> > 5. They will even t reat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5
> > worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
> > 6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.
> > 7. TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress
> > replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your
> > inconvenience.
> > 8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for
> > them.
> > 9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare;
> > if you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they will upgrade you
> > to a suite for the rest of your life.
> > Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama
> > Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to
> > go?
> > Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing
> > home, just call shore to ship.
> > PS: And don't forget , when you die, they just dump you over the side --
> > at no charge.