Riding the wave of taking the great big cruise ship experience and breaking it down to a personal level, cruise lines are tapping our emotions, asking us to step outside of our comfort zone and end up with some great travel memories.  Always a step or two ahead on the heart-tapping marketing efforts, Princess Cruises blazed the trail for storytelling with its Inspired to Cruise series that featured a new reason to cruise every week for a year. That was a follow up to their year-long, award-winning blog, 50 Essential Experiences.  Now, Princess is back with a new inspired cruise story-based promotion that could win one lucky winner a ride on the line’s first-ever Rose Parade float.

Princess Cruises wants its past guests to join in celebrating the Come Back New line’s 50th anniversary by participating in an “Inspiring Stories” essay contest, sharing a moving experience that occurred on a Princess cruise vacation. The winner will ride on the line’s first-ever float in The Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif.

“Since the Rose Parade theme is ‘Inspiring Stories’, we want to uncover an amazing experience one of our guests has had aboard a Princess cruise,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “We often hear stories from our guests about reconnecting with loved ones, celebrating milestone occasions, falling in love or getting married, and we’re looking forward to selecting one to represent the wonderful memories that are made on our cruise ships every day.”

The author of the winning inspired cruise story entry, and up to three guests featured in the story, will be awarded a four-day trip to Pasadena, Calif., to join the cast members of The Love Boat as they “cruise” down the five-and-a-half-mile parade route on January 1, 2015. The winner will also receive a $1,500 gift card, tickets to the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game, as well as airfare and hotel accommodations for up to four people.

The inspired cruise story contest runs through Friday, October 31, 2014, and the entry form, sample stories, rules, prize description and eligibility details are available at http://www.princess.com/inspired.

The “Inspiring Stories” essay contest is one of many special activities planned for the line’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2015. Anniversary festivities will be held across the line’s fleet of 18 cruise ships and will officially kick off with theNovember 5th naming ceremony for Regal Princess in Ft. Lauderdale before she sets sail for her maiden season ofCaribbean cruises.