Royal Caribbean to Grant Wishes Onboard Oasis Of The Seas
17 October 2009 - 2:21AM
PR Newswire (US)
World's Most Revolutionary Ship to Donate 100 Percent of Allocated
Stateroom Sales to the Make-A-Wish Foundation MIAMI, Oct. 16
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When Royal Caribbean International
officially names Oasis of the Seas - the world's largest and most
revolutionary cruise ship - on Nov. 30, 2009 from Port Everglades
Cruise Terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the renowned cruise line
will be doing more than making wishes come true for vacationers, it
will be granting wishes for children across the country through the
Make-A-Wish Foundation. Royal Caribbean will be hosting an
inaugural celebration-fundraiser onboard Oasis of the Seas and has
donated 100 percent of the sales from 1,000 of the ship's
staterooms for this once-in-a-lifetime event to the non-profit
Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with
life-threatening medical conditions. Tickets for the event begin at
$750 per person. Guests who purchase one of the staterooms and wish
to continue their adventure onboard will receive an exclusive
discount price, beginning at $650 per person, on a four-night
cruise package sailing to the cruise line's private beach
destination, Labadee, departing the morning following the event on
Dec. 1 (rates based on double-occupancy and stateroom package).
Wish kids and their families will participate in the onboard
festivities during the celebration on Nov. 30, including the
official naming ceremony of Oasis of the Seas, and will enjoy the
ship's world-class entertainment amenities during the spectacular
inaugural event. Onboard amenities for guests' enjoyment will
include two rock-climbing walls, two FlowRider surf simulators,
four unique types of pools in the Pool and Sports Zone, spa
treatments at the Vitality Spa and Fitness Center, and an acrobatic
diving show in the AquaTheater. Additionally, guests will enjoy a
special dinner featured in the Opus Dining Room after which they
can catch side-splitting comics in Comedy Live, relax in one of the
ships many lounges, or join in world-class gaming in the Casino
Royale. The Make-A-Wish celebration-fundraiser is part of Royal
Caribbean's ongoing support of the organization. Since 2000, the
cruise line has hosted more than 1,300 children who wished to go on
a cruise to destinations around the world and has contributed more
than $2.8 million in in-kind services and $372,000 in discount
savings through its Wishes at Sea program. Through employee and
guest fundraising efforts, Royal Caribbean has also raised more
than $480,000 and 460,000 frequent flier miles, used to secure
airline tickets for children's wish travel and help the Make-A-Wish
Foundation conserve critical financial resources. "The generosity
of sponsors like Royal Caribbean has greatly enhanced our ability
to grant life-affirming, world-class wishes and is critical to the
mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation to bring hope, strength and
joy into the lives of children with life-threatening medical
conditions," said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
president and chief executive officer. "We hope that people across
the nation will support the Foundation by joining us for this
special inaugural cruise celebration and fundraising effort,
enabling us to bring smiles to the faces of even more children -
children who are waiting for wishes." Anyone interested in
attending the Nov. 30 festivities and/or booking the exclusively
discounted four-night cruise to Labadee departing Dec. 1 should
contact Cynthia Paez, Royal Caribbean International, at (877)
202-1520, ext. 12751, or , Monday - Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
EST. When she launches in December 2009, Oasis of the Seas will be
the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. An
architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass
225,282 gross registered tons (GRT), carry 5,400 guests at double
occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms. Oasis of the Seas will be
the first ship to tout the cruise line's new neighborhood concept
of seven distinct themed areas, which includes Central Park,
Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality
at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.
The ship will sail from her home port of Port Everglades in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. Additional information is available at
http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/. Royal Caribbean International is a
global cruise brand with 20 ships currently in service and two
under construction. The line also offers unique cruise tour land
packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New
Zealand. For additional information or to make reservations, call
your travel agent, visit http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ or call
(800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN. Travel professionals should go to
http://www.cruisingpower.com/ or call (800) 327-2056. The
Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with
life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience
with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring
volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a
police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting
charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its
territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000
volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40
minutes and has granted more than 180,000 wishes in the United
States since its inception. For more information about the
Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can
share the power of a wish®. DATASOURCE: Royal Caribbean
International CONTACT: Tracy Quan, Royal Caribbean,
+1-305-539-6577, ; or Erin Burden for Royal Caribbean,
+1-212-445-8164, ; or Vicki Greenleaf, Make-A-Wish Foundation,
+1-323-660-5800, Web Site: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/
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