We're definitely in the SKI mode these days (spending kid's inheritance), so we travel whenever something piques our interest. That's usually three or four cruises a year with a couple land trips thrown in -- plus visits to the kids to show them the pictures :D .
Don, don't despair about the Grand Princess--it's not that bad (if you don't count embarking and disembarking). The ship is laid out so you never feel crowded anywhere. Book some sort of suite and you get special priviledges like priority tender tickets (you can go on the tender whenever you're ready). We're thinking about doing the Grand one more time before she leaves Galveston--they have some great fares for February!!!
Oh, and yes, for the murder at sea--try not to kill off one of us old folks--that might be a little too realistic...