Royal Caribbean International and USA TODAY Announce Winner of 'Reporter at Sea' Contest
06 November 2009 - 12:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
South Carolina College Student to Report Live from Oasis of the
Seas MIAMI, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The votes have been
tallied and the results are in! Following a six-week long search,
Joyce Allison of Simpsonville, S.C. has been named winner of Royal
Caribbean International and USA TODAY's "Reporter at Sea" contest.
The budding journalist won the assignment of a lifetime: the chance
to help cover the debut of Royal Caribbean's newest ship, Oasis of
the Seas - the world's largest and most revolutionary cruise ship -
for USA TODAY's Cruise Log along with cruise editor, Gene Sloan.
Voters across America selected Joyce from 10 finalists who were
vying for the opportunity to represent the United States as the
citizen reporter who would nab the inside scoop on one of the
biggest and most buzzed about travel stories of the year. Joyce, a
22 year-old student at Clemson University, focused her entry on the
ship's innovative amenities, specifically Central Park, the first
living park at sea and the AquaTheater a spectacular entertainment
venue at the stern of the ship. Her reporting skills and
personality in front of the camera truly showcase why America has
chosen her as Royal Caribbean's "Reporter At Sea." She will be
flown with a guest to board Oasis of the Seas at Port Everglades in
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to cover the ship's first preview cruise from
Nov. 19 to Nov. 22. Joyce's blog posts and video reports
highlighting her experience onboard Oasis of the Seas will be
featured on USA TODAY's Cruise Log at cruises.usatoday.com during
the cruise. "It has always been my dream to be a reporter and I am
very excited about my assignment onboard the world's largest cruise
ship. I want to thank Royal Caribbean, USA TODAY, and everyone who
voted for me for giving me this amazing opportunity," said Joyce
Allison. While onboard, Joyce will be joined by aspiring
journalists from Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom,
who were selected as contest winners in their respective countries.
For more information on the "Reporter at Sea" contest and to view
Joyce's reports, please visit reporteratsea.usatoday.com. Oasis of
the Seas is the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the
world. An architectural marvel at sea, she spans 16 decks,
encompasses 225,282 gross registered tons, carries 5,400 guests at
double occupancy, and features 2,700 staterooms. Oasis of the Seas
is 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 21 ships currently in
service and one 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. Readers can log on to cruises.usatoday.com for
an active community of cruise enthusiasts and get an extensive
resource of useful information for all their cruise traveling
needs. Readers also can check out Gene Sloan's cruising blog and
join the discussion at USA TODAY's cruise forum all at
cruises.usatoday.com. DATASOURCE: Royal Caribbean International
CONTACT: Royal Caribbean International Media Contacts: Tracy Quan,
+1-305-539-6577, ; Erin Burden, +1-212-445-8164, ; USA TODAY Media
Contact: Alexandra Nicholson, +1-703-854-5872, Web Site:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/
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