“Cruising for a Cause” was launched by Princess Cruises in 2012 with the goal of dedicating entire sailings for charitable causes. When Princess Cruises presented the American Heart Association with a check for $832,000 earlier this month, it brought the total from the 2 charity cruises to over $1.4 million.
Cruise Fever was honored to take part in the “Cruise with Heart” in February 2014 on the Ruby Princess. Princess not only donated a portion of each passenger’s cruise fare ($100-$300) to the American Heart Association, but also contributed a dollar for dollar match for a grand total of $832,000.
In addition to the usual entertainment and activities that are normally offered on each cruise, this special 5 night cruise over Valentines Day to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico was packed with seminars and activities that promoted heart health.
Princess brought several guest speakers and celebrities onboard including Dr. Kathy Magliato, Celebrity Chef Marc Anthony Bynum, Author Diana Wentworth, 4 time Super Bowl Champion Jesse Sapolu, Nike sponsored fitness instructor Ary Nunez, and Authors Karen and David Gamow.
However, it was Bernie Kopell that stole the show everywhere he went on the ship during the cruise. Kopell played Doctor Adam Bricker (“Doc”) for 10 years on the hit TV show, The Love Boat. Many cruise industry experts credit The Love Boat for the huge growth that cruising has had over the past few decades.
Jan Swartz, the president of Princess Cruises gave the following statement:
“We are pleased to have presented such an enlightening cruise experience, as well as raise money to educate and provide resources to combat heart disease which is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States. Because we care about the health and well-being of our employees and guests, supporting the American Heart Association was a great partnership.”
In addition to the Heart Cruise, Princess Cruises had a 4 night cruise on the Caribbean Princess in late 2013 that raised $600,000 for two U.S. Veterans charities. The cruise was hosted by Princess President and CEO Alan Buckelew, who is also a Vietnam veteran.
The two charity cruises that have been hosted by Princess are an industry leading program that allows passengers to make a difference while on vacation.
