I’ve heard of booking a cruise, but this is…
…amazing! 😉
Amazon was nice enough to send me information about a recent collaboration they are doing with Princess Cruises.
Theme cruises are quite a thing, and I can see how it can be great. I’ve been on one real cruise like this would be…to Alaska. It wasn’t a theme cruise, but it was so relaxing and fun! I went with my whole family (my parents arranged the whole thing).
Everything we might want was pretty much within reach. We didn’t have to get in a car and drive, whether that was for a meal or shuffleboard or dancing…or reading.
I wouldn’t do this now, but yes, they had a 24-hour ice cream sundae bar. 😉
It was all accessible and felt safe (not that I haven’t read murder mysteries set on cruise ships). 😉
Another interesting thing: there was a lot of time to talk, even to strangers.
That’s how cruising with celebrities can work. It’s a chance for them to talk with fans…and vice versa.
In this
Princess Cruises press release
they announce an upcoming cruise (sailing February 8th…and running for seven days, so it includes Valentine’s Day).
It’s in collaboration with
which is an online community that Amazon has for romance readers.
It’s part of their traditional publishing group…which includes Montlake, their romance publishing arm.
I haven’t really looked at that before: it looks pretty cool!
Anyway, this cruise has two special guests:
Sylvia Day (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit by shopping*)
and
Meredith Wild (at AmazonSmile*)
They are both New York Times bestselling authors…who will spend a slow-paced week with fans.
Oh, that doesn’t mean they’ll be available to chat with you whenever you want. 🙂 That have booked events, but there is a pretty good chance you can at least say, “Hi!”
The cost?
Fares start at $649 per person, based on double occupancy.
That may sound like a lot, but it’s not that much when you compare it to the cost of staying in a hotel (and paying for everything else) for the same amount of time.
They are going to have a chance to win this cruise for two, although it isn’t up yet.
That could be a really indulgent gift for a romance reader!
What is cruising isn’t your thing?
Amazon has three free e-books linked on his page:
Kindle Love Stories (at AmazonSmile*)
They are by three authors going on an earlier cruise which sails today (November 3). It’s sold out (which could happen with the cruise listed above)…and they didn’t alert me to that one. 😉
The books are
- Kiss Me Maybe by Heather Burch
- Once Upon a Night at Sea by Barbara Longley
- To Catch a Bouquet by Carolyn Brown
They are inspired by Princess Cruises.
I think cruises like this are definitely a way to go! It supports literary fandom…and cruises make a lot of sense for bookworms. 🙂
I can think of a few cruises they could put together where I would definitely consider going! Of course, it might be a bit tougher to find authors that would appeal to both me and my Significant Other, but we’d enjoy the cruise regardless. 😉
How about you? Are there authors that Amazon could arrange to have on a cruise which would make you want to book it? Care to share who they are?
Enjoy the free books!
What do you think? Is Amazon doing cruises a good idea? Does this make you feel like Amazon loves books, or does it just seem like another commercial opportunity? Did you know about Kindle Love Stories? Have you read Sylvia Day or Meredith Wild? Feel free to tell me and my readers what you think by commenting on this post.
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* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. 
Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.
I Love My Kindle 