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Miami December 28, 2005 - Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises' guests can now complete the dreaded airline and luggage check-in process for their flights home even before they step off the ship.

The new service enables guests to bypass the traditional airport check-in process, adding convenience and reducing wait time by an estimated 45 minutes to two hours. The service is being rolled out at ports across the United States, based on approval by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Patrol, as well as seaport, airport and airline security personnel.

Called "Onboard Check-in and Luggage Valet," the service is now available to Celebrity Cruises' guests whose cruises conclude in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Miami; San Diego; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Seattle. The service is available for Royal Caribbean guests whose cruises end in San Juan and Seattle. Both brands also offer the service for arrivals in Vancouver, British Columbia. To qualify, guests must fly to a U.S. city on an expanding list of airlines on the same day their cruise ends.

Before leaving the ship, guests confirm with cruise staff their flight information and the number of bags to be checked. Based on that information -- which also is electronically forwarded to the airlines -- boarding passes, luggage tags and claim checks are printed and given to guests.

Guests with afternoon flights can take advantage of shopping or city tours before going to the airport directly to security checkpoints and on to their gates and flights. While guests take in the sites, their luggage is securely transported to the airport, processed and moved directly to their aircraft. There is a nominal fee for the service, ranging from $10 to $20 per guest, which varies by port and service offering.

The service was first piloted at the port of Vancouver during the 2003 Alaska cruise season. The 10-week test program involved two airlines and approximately 2,000 guests. In 2004 and 2005, the Vancouver service was expanded to include eight airlines and about 52,000 guests. Up to 75 percent of eligible guests used the service, averaging more than 500 guests per sailing and nearly 65,000 pieces of luggage this year.

"The luggage valet service makes returning home easier than ever," said Nick Hafner, vice president of Air, Sea and Hotel for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. "Our guests don't have to locate their luggage, transport it to the airport or stand in long lines, waiting to check in. Our goal is to provide an improved guest experience and an enhanced security process. We have accomplished both."

"This service brings innovation to the travel industry by dealing with check-in formalities and luggage before going to the airport, all at a very reasonable cost," said Alexander Gerdts, project manager. "We are adding more airlines and ports with the vision of offering this great service to all of our guests."

Spirit of Vancouver Island to Receive Major Upgrade

Victoria BC December 29, 2005 - The Spirit of Vancouver Island will be removed from service on the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route for its annual refit and a major passenger services upgrade on Tuesday, January 3, 2006.

Similar to the 2005 upgrade of the Spirit of British Columbia, the Spirit of Vancouver Island will see all the interior passenger areas completely renovated. Among the many improvements to the 1994 vessel will be an upgraded cafeteria, a redesigned buffet, renovated washrooms, new seating, flooring and carpeting, and the replacement of the Lantern Coffee Bar with the Seawest Lounge.

The passenger-service improvements, which are part of a major initiative to revitalize the fleet, represent an investment of approximately $10 million that, when combined with the refit budget (which includes overhauling two of the four engines and repainting the vessel), total $13 million.

While the Spirit vessel is out of service the Queen of Saanich will be the replacement vessel. The Queen of Saanich is a smaller vessel with fewer passenger amenities. Some overloads may be expected at peak sailing times.

BC Ferries looks forward to introducing the renovated Spirit of Vancouver Island to service in spring 2006.

Tampa December 30, 2005 - A rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater medevaced an elderly woman from the cruise ship Legends of the Sea at about 6:30 p.m. today 90 miles southwest of Tampa, Fla.

Jean Freeman, 77, of St. Louis, Mo., suffers from low blood pressure and was in need of an emergency blood transfusion due to internal bleeding. She will be medevaced and transported to Blake Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Fla.

The cruise ship is homeported in Tampa, Fla.

Fort Lauderdale December 2, 2005 - Hospitality Brands, Inc., a leading provider of brand extensions for cruise lines, hotels and airlines, has announced the successful completion of the first Presidential Wine Club cruise in conjunction with Carnival Cruise Lines. The cruise, which was held December 4 - 10, 2005 onboard Carnival's newest ship, the Carnival Liberty, sailed from Fort Lauderdale to the Western Caribbean. Onboard were hundreds of wine aficionados, representatives of the travel press, and renowned wine experts and wine makers who conducted a wide range of tastings and seminars. Bob Dickinson, President and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines personally hosted the cruise.

HBI, as the administrator of the Presidential Wine Club for Carnival, worked closely with Carnival on the development and implementation of the wine cruise. HBI's parent company, WSN Systems Corporation, provided logistical support for the cruise, including the shipping and delivery of the $80,000 in fine wines and champagnes that were poured during the six-day cruise.

Major sponsors included Allied Domecq and its principal brands -- Perrier Jouet, Champagne Mumm, Clos du Bois, Cockburns, William Hill, Buena Vista, Atlas Peak, Jake's Fault, Geyser Peak, Brancott and Campo Viejo. Other participating wineries included Spann Winery, Broadbent Selections and Domaine Carneros by Taittinger. Non-wine sponsors included Riedel Crystal of America, which conducted a wine tasting exclusively for Presidential Wine Club members, and Wine Spectator magazine, which presented a gift bag to all participants.

"This cruise was a lot of work," notes Alan Abrams, Vice President of Wine Programs for HBI, "but it was truly a labor of love for all involved. We had a great time, and based on the feedback we've received, so did the guests and sponsors."

"The first Presidential Wine Club Cruise was perhaps the most ambitious wine event ever held onboard a cruise ship," says Edie Bornstein, Vice President of Business Development for Carnival Cruise Lines. "With over a dozen events over six days, thousands of bottles of wine to serve and hundreds of participants, our shore-side and onboard teams worked overtime to pull this off. And by all accounts, they did."

The Presidential Wine Club is the first wine club sponsored by a cruise line. Under the direction of Bob Dickinson, a renowned wine collector and expert, the goal of the club is to make wine fun and accessible to everyone, just as Carnival has done with cruising.

Fort Lauderdale January 3, 2006 - The holiday decorations are packed away and your list of New Year's resolutions hangs on your refrigerator door. The top 5 resolutions -- lose weight, go to the gym more, spend more time with the family, relax more and perfect your golf game -- are made with the best of intentions, but often go unfulfilled. CruiseOne has the miracle cure for the resolution blues: a cruise vacation!

In today's fast-paced society, we sometimes forget to stop and smell the roses, or in this case, the sea air. Nothing compares to the ease and value of a cruise vacation. The cruise ships of today are floating resorts. One price covers your meals, shipboard activities, entertainment and more and you only have to unpack once. Experience stress-free days without cell phones and traffic jams. What is your favorite exercise? Chances are they have it at sea. Prefer a sauna and relaxing massage, go ahead. After all, it's part of your New Year's resolution to relax more! Choose to do as much, or as little as you want.

"In the past 15 years there have been big changes taking place in the cruise industry with regard to the shipboard activities offered," said Joe Ewart, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CruiseOne. "Today's cruise market offers everything from ice skating to miniature golf and now 'surfing.' There's an entire staff on board organizing activities to ensure that you and everyone you are traveling with always have a wide variety of activities to choose from. This creates some outstanding opportunities for parents and grandparents to relax in the spa, read a book by the pool, see a movie, try their luck in the casino or attend a wine tasting while your kids are having a great time on a treasure hunt."

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