RCI Announced Godmother Finalists!

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Royal Caribbean Announced Godmother Finalists NBC’s “Today” and Royal
Caribbean International Selected Three Finalists in ‘Today Sets Sail’
Search for Godmother of Freedom of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International and NBC’s “TODAY” were one step closer
to selecting the winner of ‘Today Sets Sail,’ a national search for
the Godmother of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship,
Freedom of the Seas. Three finalists were selected from thousands of
entries, and their inspirational stories were profiled on “TODAY”
earlier this morning. The Web-based viewer vote is now officially
open, and the winner will be announced live from the Torino Winter
Olympics in February.

A new twist on a long-standing maritime tradition, the Godmother
search seeks to honor an everyday person who has demonstrated
exceptional courage, determination, inspiration and dedication, just
as the following three finalists have (listed in no particular order):

• Katherine Louise Calder of Portland, Oregon, has been a foster
parent to over 400 children in the last twenty-seven years, acting as
a “level three” special needs foster care provider and adoption
advocate in her area.

• Ieta Kimbrough of Indianapolis, Indiana, overcame homelessness and
domestic violence as a young mother and eventually founded The House
of Refuge in 2001, a support system for victims of domestic violence
in Indiana.

• Robyn Raphael of Roseville, California, founded the Keaton Raphael
Memorial, in memory of her five year-old son who died of neuroblastoma
in 1998, to assist children and their families in their fight against
pediatric cancer.

Viewers are encouraged to go to www.today.msnbc.com and vote for their
favorite finalist. All votes must be submitted by 9:00 P.M. EST (USA)
on Friday, January 20, 2006.

The winner selected to be Freedom of the Seas’ Godmother will preside
over the most exciting and innovative ship at sea and will be allowed
to cruise for life on any Royal Caribbean cruise once a year for free
with the guest of their choice. Freedom will feature the first-ever
surfing simulator at sea, an interactive water park, two cantilevered
whirlpools that extend 12 feet out from the sides of the ship and a
pool deck with dedicated sports pool that transforms into an open-air
nightclub each night.

At 160,000 GRT and holding 3,634 guests double-occupancy, Freedom of
the Seas will be the largest cruise ship in the world when she debuts
in May 2006. The first in Royal Caribbean’s new Freedom class, she
will sail seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami calling
in Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Montego Bay, Jamaica;
and Royal Caribbean’s private destination, Labadee, Hispaniola.