Princess Cruises is marking Veterans Day by announcing an unprecedented cruise to support U.S. veterans, expected to raise $1 million for two highly regarded U.S. veterans organizations â the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) and Operation Homefront. Princess President and CEO Alan Buckelew, himself a Vietnam veteran, will be on board to host the sailing.
Sailing from November 5-9, 2013 aboard Caribbean Princess from Galveston to the Western Caribbean, the four-day cruise will offer passengers the opportunity to honor both those who have served in the military as well as active duty military personnel. Onboard programming and activities â including guest lecturers, special topic panels, a Stars and Stripes Sailaway, service branch get-togethers, a film festival and more â will be custom-designed to celebrate those who have, and are, serving our country.
A portion of each passengerâs cruise fare totaling approximately $500,000 will be matched by Princess Cruises with a further $500,000, for a total of $1 million earmarked for the two veterans causes. Funds raised will be shared equally by both organizations.
âWe are humbled by such a generous gift and grateful to our friends at Princess Cruises, and weâre looking forward to the voyage,â said Jan C. Scruggs, VVMFâs founder and president. âWe thank the company for honoring Americaâs military members, past and present, and for supporting our efforts to ensure their sacrifices and stories will always be remembered.â
“Our military families continue to make sacrifices after more than 10 years of war, and the American public has been generous in its support,â said Jim Knotts, chief executive officer of Operation Homefront. âWe simply wouldnât 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.â
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Photo and article courtesy of Princess Cruises Public Relations.
