Princess Historic Cruise Ship Christening!
 

Hi Everyone,

I received this press release from Princess and thought it would be of
interest. If you have missed any of my news' postings, they are
available on my web site.

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com


6/10/2004

SAPPHIRE PRINCESS MAKES HER DEBUT IN THE EMERALD CITY

Historic Cruise Ship Christening in Emerald City Sparkles with Help
from World's Largest Sapphire and First Lady of Alaska

Nancy Murkowski, the First Lady of Alaska, became the godmother of the
new Sapphire Princess this evening in an elegant ceremony in the port
of Seattle -- the first ever cruise ship naming held in the Emerald
City. With the pull of a lever, Mrs. Murkowski broke the ceremonial
bottle of Washington State Mountain Dome Brut sparkling wine to
officially name the new 116,000-ton vessel.
The traditional ceremony kicked off an evening of festivities
celebrating Princess' ties to Alaska and the city of Seattle. The
music of hometown favorites HB Radke and the Jet City Swingers set the
tone for the black-tie top deck sailaway party, and the dinner that
followed featured an array of pacific northwest delicacies, including
huckleberries, shellfish, and Copper River salmon. VIP guests were
also treated to a private two-day exhibition of the world's largest
carved sapphire, The Millennium Sapphire. The 61,500 carat gemstone
was showcased on the Sapphire Princess to add extra "sparkle" to the
event.

"It's wonderful that Nancy Murkowski could be with us to help us
celebrate our long history with the state of Alaska and name our
newest Alaska-bound vessel," said Alan Buckelew, president of Princess
Cruises. "And, as this ship significantly expands our use of Seattle
as a homeport, we're also delighted to christen Sapphire Princess in
the Emerald City."

The 2,670-passenger Sapphire Princess follows in the wake of sister
ship Diamond Princess, also summer based in Seattle, which launched a
new ship design for Princess when it debuted earlier this year. The
vessel incorporates Princess' trademark design philosophy -- including
an abundance of balcony cabins, flexibility in dining and
entertainment options, Princess' renowned service and a variety of
intimate spaces -- giving the ship all of the choice of a large ship
with the feel of a much smaller vessel. The ship offers passengers a
unique dining program with four themed dining rooms, complimenting the
main dining room and Sabatini's trattoria -- Princess' trademark
alternative restaurant; a new Princess Concierge Service; a new
Princess-operated Lotus Spa; the fleet's largest Internet Café, and
Club Fusion, a new high-tech entertainment lounge.

Through summer the ship will sail on a seven-day Inside Passage
itinerary roundtrip from Seattle visiting the ports of Juneau,
Ketchikan, Skagway and Victoria, BC, plus glacier cruising through the
dramatic scenery of Tracy Arm. Starting September 22, the ship will
move to San Francisco for a series of 10-day Mexican Riviera cruises.
In November the ship begins a season of Exotics voyages to
Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific and Asia.

One of the best-known names in North American cruising, Princess
Cruises is a global cruise and tour company. Part of Carnival
Corporation & plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK), its current fleet of 14 ships
sail on approximately 150 different itineraries around the globe,
calling at more than 260 ports on all seven continents. Additional
information is available through a professional travel agent.