Royal Caribbean International Announces Special Cruises Celebrating Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial
New Orleans-Based Grandeur of the Seas Offers Guests Tastes,Sounds, Sights of Louisiana
MIAMI, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Royal Caribbean International, the Official Cruise Line of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Celebration, is offering guests on all Grandeur of the Seas' New Orleans departures in 2003 a chance to enjoy the unique tastes, sounds and sights of Louisiana during their Caribbean cruise vacation.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference with Royal Caribbean, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, and Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco aboard Grandeur of the Seas before the ship left port on the official Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial kick-off cruise. The Jan. 4 cruise
started a year of statewide celebrations for the Bicentennial, featuring special guests, including Louisiana musicians Irma Thomas of New Orleans and Rockin' Dopsie of Lafayette, and Chef Susan Spicer of Bayona, Herbsaint and Cobalt restaurants in New Orleans.
"The food, the music and the landscape of Louisiana is unique, exciting and the perfect complement to a Royal Caribbean cruise experience," said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president, North American Sales, for Royal Caribbean. "In addition, we've put together an array of very special onboard activities and amenities to celebrate the history of Louisiana and pay tribute to the distinctive flavor of the state."
Guests aboard all of Grandeur's Caribbean 2003 cruise departures will enjoy the tastes of Louisiana with featured menu items throughout their cruise. In addition to their own recipes, Royal Caribbean's world-class chefs will also prepare a selection of signature dishes created by New Orleans' own Chef Susan Spicer. For guests looking for something refreshing to sip by the pool, Grandeur's bartenders will be mixing up Hurricanes, Mint Juleps, Louisiana Lemonades, and other specialty drinks.
Regional entertainers will treat guests to the sounds of Louisiana, while the versatile Royal Caribbean musicians will keep the beat going throughout the ship. Guests can join in by dancing under the stars at the poolside Mardi Gras bash.
For quieter evenings, Grandeur offers the sights of the state with a Louisiana Film Festival. A rotating schedule of movies will be shown in the ship's theater as well as on a dedicated channel on stateroom televisions. Festival selections include "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," "Interview With the Vampire," "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Steel Magnolias," and "Great Balls of Fire," as well as Bob Hope's "Louisiana Purchase" and Elvis Presley's "King Creole."
At 74,140 tons, Grandeur of the Seas is 916 feet long and holds 1,950 guests double occupancy. In addition to a variety of dining and entertainment options, Grandeur offers a full-service spa and fitness center, an Adventure Ocean Youth Center, a video game room, six whirlpools and two pools, including an indoor/outdoor pool with sliding glass roof.
In 2003, Grandeur offers two different seven-night Caribbean cruise vacation itineraries out of New Orleans with stops in George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Progreso, Mexico; or Progreso, Cozumel and Key West, Florida. Grandeur sails from New Orleans through April 26, 2003, and then heads to Europe where she sails 12-night British Isles/Norwegian Fjords and 12-night Scandinavia/Russia vacations for the summer season. Grandeur will return to New Orleans in early November for the 2003-2004 winter season. The Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Celebrations activities will continue on the November and December 2003 sailings. Prices for a seven-night Caribbean cruise on Grandeur of the Seas start at $499.
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand currently with 16 ships in service and three more under construction or on firm order. For additional information about the cruise line, please visit the company's web site at http://www.royalcaribbean.com or call 800-327-6700.
