Princess Cruises Launches Facebook Contest for Best Travel Bucket List Story

Princess Cruises Launches Facebook Contest for Best Travel Bucket List Story;
Winner Picks Their Dream Cruise Destination

Most Inspiring Video or Essay Submissions Determined by Popular Vote

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (January 17, 2011) – Princess Cruises is today launching a Facebook contest inviting its fans to share their most essential travel experience for a chance to check another place off  their travel bucket list.  The contest winner, to be determined by popular vote, will receive their choice of eight remarkable cruise destinations -- Europe, Asia, Tahiti, Australia/New Zealand, the Holy Land, Panama Canal, Alaska or South America.

The cruise vacation choices range from 10 to 16 days in length in a balcony stateroom, and include roundtrip airfare for two people.

Travelers can submit their compelling tales through the special contest tab on the line’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PrincessCruises) either as a written story or video.  The public will then have the opportunity to vote on the experience that inspires them the most, and the eligible entrant with the highest number of votes will win their dream cruise vacation.

There are two ways to enter the Princess Cruises Travel Bucket List Contest – with a written story up to 300 words and up to five photos, or with a video up to two minutes in length.  Entries can be submitted any time until February 7, 2011.  Fans can vote for the story that inspires them most between February 11-25, 2011 and the winner will be announced on or around March 11, 2011.

The contest is inspired by Princess’ popular blog, 50 Essential Experiences, which chronicles bucket list travel experiences from the company’s most-traveled employees.  The blog, which has attracted over half a million page views since it launched in October, has motivated many travelers to think about their own travel bucket lists and plan essential travel experiences.

“We know our passengers are passionate about travel, so we’re looking forward to reading some wonderful stories,” said Swartz.

The eligible top vote-getter will receive his or her choice of one of the following eight cruise itineraries:

• 13-day New Zealand
  Sydney, Bay of Islands, Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch (Lyttelton), Dunedin (Port Chalmers), Fiordland National Park Scenic Cruising, Sydney
• 12-day Holy Land
  Rome (Civitavecchia), Sorrento (for Capri & Pompeii), Patmos, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Galilee/Nazareth (Haifa), Jerusalem (Ashdod), Port Said (for Giza/Cairo), Alexandria, Santorini, Athens (Piraeus)
• 16-day Southeast Asia & China
  Beijing (Tianjin), Busan, Nagasaki, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Singapore
• 12-day Grand Mediterranean
  Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples (for Capri & Pompeii), Mykonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus), Venice (Overnight)
• 14-day Panama Canal
  Ft. Lauderdale, Aruba, Cartagena, Full transit of the Panama Canal, Fuerte Amador, Costa Rica (Puntarenas), Los Angeles
• 12-night Alaska Connoisseur Deluxe Escorted Cruisetour
  Vancouver, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord, Whittier/Denali, Denali, Denali/Mt. McKinley, Mt. McKinley, Anchorage/Mt. McKinley, Anchorage
• 10-day Tahiti & Polynesia
  Tahiti (Papeete), Huahine, Rangiroa, Raiatea, Bora Bora (Overnight), Moorea, Tahiti (Papeete)
• 14-day Cape Horn Route to Rio
  Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Falkland Islands (Stanley), Cape Horn scenic cruising, Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), Punta Arenas (Strait of Magellan), Chilean Fjords scenic cruising, Santiago (Valparaiso)

The Princess Travel Bucket List contest is open to all residents of the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, aged 21 years or older.  Official rules can be found at http://tinyurl.com/4ap4mdz.