Woman Has Spent the Past 30 Years Taking Nearly 300 Cruises
Sailing off to sea on a cruise ship is something many people only dream of. For one frequent sailor, however, this is more often than not her reality.
Eighty-one-year-old Ilene Weiner set sail on her first cruise in 1989. From there she was hooked. The Florida native couldn’t stay put in one place for long.
She’s sailed the world. While she started out taking her ocean adventures with her husband, Weiner continued returning to the sea on her own even after he passed in 2014.
With 2,500 days — about 7 years — at sea under her belt, Weiner has no plans of slowing down.
She’s Princess Cruises’ most loyal customer and she’s even made friends with the captain and crew. And when she boards a cruise, she does so in style — booking first-class suites each time and dining on lobster and steak.
“We’re incredibly honored to have the loyalty and passion for Princess Cruises that Ms. Weiner exudes as our most-travelled guest,” Princess Cruises president, Jan Swartz, said in a press release, according to Southern Living.
“Not only has she celebrated her own milestones throughout the years,” Swartz went on, “she’s found pure joy and happiness in discovering the world’s beauty and local cultures from a cruise ship.”
Now Weiner has even more to celebrate than the 291 cruises in 30 years that she’s ventured on. A more recent cruise connected her with 76-year-old Carl Cutting, and the two soon became more than just friends.
“It was a true ‘Love Boat’ experience and still is today,’’ Weiner told Sun-Sentinel. She and Cutting met on the Crown Princess on a trip from Scandinavia to New York.
“For me, the Princess ships are the most romantic destination — so many possibilities and endless activities to truly connect with someone special. And, you can even watch ‘The Love Boat’ in your stateroom!”
Sounds pretty dreamy to us. What a way to spend her retirement years! So many places to see and go, but Weiner says her favorite by far is Australia.
Overall, Weiner expressed how much she’s loved being a “most traveled” Princess Cruises customer. “People come up to me and say, ‘Oh my goodness, you’ve spent 7 years on a ship!'” she told Inside Edition.
“They make you feel like they know you, like you’re special,” she added of the cruise line. She looks forward to more cruises with Cutter by her side. At this rate, she’ll make it to her 300th cruise in no time!
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