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Princess has tapped noted relationship experts to serve in its new Department of Romance - prominent dating and romance guru Trish McDermott, couples therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, seasoned wedding planner Alba Carreras, and America's favorite Love Boat captain, Gavin MacLeod. Together, these authorities will guide and inspire the line's passengers to rediscover romance, and incorporate it into their everyday lives.
"I don't think there's any better company to be an expert in romance than Princess Cruises," says Macleod, former Captain Stubing of The Love Boat. "Ever since our show launched - which is 30 years ago this year - I have been amazed by the number of passengers who come up to me and share their romantic stories. For instance, that they met their future spouse onboard, or that a moment on the cruise brought them closer together. Princess is synonymous with love on the high seas, and I'm delighted to play a role in helping couples embrace this important aspect of our lives."
"We consider the art of romance so integral to our passenger experience that it makes sense for us to dedicate an entire department to the cause," says Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice president.
The department has planned a busy 2007, with a variety of romantic pursuits scheduled to launch throughout the year:
Romance by Room Service
Couples who want to snuggle up in their stateroom can create the perfect
atmosphere by ordering Princess' new "Romance by Room Service" package
which includes a special presentation of champagne and chocolate,
scattered fresh rose petals and flameless scented candles, all set to a
background of romantic music. Adding the line's "Ultimate Balcony"
dinner provides all the ideal ingredients for a romantic evening.
"Become a Certified Romantic"
Scholarship@Sea
Course
For couples seeking to rekindle the romantic side of their
relationship, Princess will be introducing an entertaining new class for
its popular ScholarShip@Sea
learning programme - Become a Certified Romantic. The course will offer
tools on how couples can rediscover romance, as well as tips for
sustaining romance long after passengers return home from their cruise.
Romance TV
The romantic cabin ambience will be enhanced with the
introduction of in-stateroom Romance TV programming featuring timeless
romance movies such as "An Affair to Remember" and "Sleepless in
Seattle."
Daily Romance Advice
Passengers aboard Princess ships will receive daily reminders on how to
celebrate and strengthen their relationships, as the daily Princess
Patter activities programme will feature a romantic tip or quotation to
inspire affection.
Virtual Romance
A new section of the Princess website will be devoted
exclusively to the subject of romance, with tips, Q&As, resource
information for romantic travellers, articles from the department
experts and more.
Romance Report
A semi-annual Princess Romance Report will debut on February 14th, in
which the company's romance experts sound off on the "state of love"
with facts, stats and forecasted trends.
These programmes, to be launched with the debut of Emerald Princess
this coming April, will join Princess' already existing line up of
amenities and services for travellers with romance on their minds.
Princess was the first - and is still currently the only - major North American cruise line on which passengers can be wed at sea by the ship's captain (with the "Tie the Knot" Wedding Programme). In 2006, Princess launched a unique "Engagement Under the Stars" programme for passengers who want to "pop the question" with a surprise video-taped proposal on the ship's 300-square-foot LED Movies Under the Stars screen.
"As our lives get busier and more complex, romance easily drops to
the bottom of our 'to-do' lists," says Swartz. "We want to remind our
passengers that it's important to rediscover those connections that
brought them together in the first place."