As Americans celebrate Veterans Day and remember and thank those who fought for the country, Princess Cruises announced a special Veterans Day cruise for 2013 in which the cruise line hopes to raise a $1 million.
Princess Cruises will hold a special four night cruise next year to benefit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Inc. and Operation Homefront Inc., which provides emergency financial support to families of veterans and wounded warriors, according to the Examiner.
On November 5, 2013, the Caribbean Princess will leave Galveston, TX for the four night cruise which includes a stop in Progreso, Mexico. A portion of the fares will go towards the veterans charities.
The donations from cruise fares start at $100 per passenger for an interior room. An ocean view room is $150. A Balcony room donation is $200. A mini-suite is $250 and a full suite is $300. A portion of these fares will be donated to the charities and it is tax deductible.
Cruise fares start at $604 per person for an interior room and up to $1,704 per person for a suite. The rates are based on double occupancy.
The cruise will include special programs and activities such as guest lecturers, a special Stars and Stripes Sailaway, service branch get-togethers, film festivals and more.
Princess President and CEO Alan Buckelew is Vietnam veteran and he hopes to raise a million dollars for the charities through this specal voyage. He'll be on board the ship to host the cruise.
"We all know someone - a family member, a neighbor, a friend, perhaps ourselves - who has served," said Buckelew. "As a veteran myself, I know that America's warriors face immeasurable challenges both during active duty and when they return home. I look forward to meeting many of our passengers on board to help us raise much-needed funds to assist our veterans."
The Vietname Veterans Memorial Fun and Operation Homefront are ver excited to team up with Princess Cruises.
"We are humbled by such a generous gift and grateful to our friends at Princess Cruises, and we're looking forward to the voyage," Jan C. Scruggs, VVMF's founder and president said, according to the Examiner. "We thank the company for honoring America's military members, past and present, and for supporting our efforts to ensure their sacrifices and stories will always be remembered."
"Our military families continue to make sacrifices after more than 10 years of war, and the American public has been generous in its support," Jim Knotts, chief executive officer of Operation Homefront said, according to the Examiner. "We simply wouldn't be able to help these families without donations from companies like Princess Cruises and its passengers. It is significant to note that the gratitude and respect shown by the public to our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is very different than how our Vietnam veterans were treated. This cruise will allow passengers to express their gratitude to veterans of ALL eras. It is an honor long overdue."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
