As a travel writer, I get all kinds of great offers, including
the chance to cover the maiden voyage of Royal Caribbean
International's newest ship, Allure of the Seas. I'll
be on the ship in late November.
Turns out you might be able to be on the ship with me.
Royal Caribbean and USA Today are running a joint contest to
find a family who also will sail on the preview sailing and cover
the opening. Here are all the details:

ROYAL
CARIBBEAN AND USA TODAY KICK OFF "REPORTERS AT SEA: FAMILY STYLE"
CONTEST
Contest Invites Families to Try Their Hand As
'Reporters At Sea' Aboard Cruise Line's Newest
Ship, Allure of the Seas
MIAMI (September
22,2010)
- Calling all
families! Royal Caribbean
International and USA TODAY announced today a search for
America's best and brightest family to cover the unveiling of
Allure of the Seas,
which will share the title of the world's largest and most
revolutionary cruise ship along with sister ship, Oasis of the Seas. Today
through October 29, 2010, families
are invited to enter to win the coveted role of field
correspondents alongside USA TODAY'S own cruise editor, Gene Sloan.
Once onboard the ship, the lucky winning family of up to six will
receive behind-the-scenes access to file reports that will appear
at USA TODAY's Cruise Log about one of the most buzzed-about
hospitality and entertainment stories of the year.
While embarking on a four-night preview
sailing, the winning family will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at
The DreamWorks Experience featuring the "How To Train Your Dragon
On Ice" show, an aqua show featuring "Madagascar", character breakfasts,
activities for the kids in Adventure
Ocean, character meet-and-greets, parades, sail-away
parties, 3D films in the ship's 3D theater, as well as backstage
access to Chicago: The Musical. In
addition to the United States, the "Reporters at Sea: Family Style"
contest is searching for family journalists in Canada, Germany,
Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, South
Korea, China and Venezuela.
Reporters-to-be can audition for the
assignment of a lifetime by submitting a creative video of 45
seconds or less in length and no more than 100 MB in size at www.allureoftheseas.usatoday.com. The
video should showcase the family's best reporting skills and tout
why Royal Caribbean should select them to be USA TODAY's
correspondents onboard Allure of the
Seas. Videos will be judged on the entrants'
ability to entertain, as well as effectively bring to life and
clearly explain innovative and imaginative
travel or cruising concepts.
Once the entry period ends, judges will
select three finalists per country, and Americans will vote for
their favorite U.S. video between October
15 and October 29, 2010. Multiple generations are
encouraged to enter. The individual who enters the contest on
behalf of his or her family must be 18 years of age. Winning
families of up to six members from each country will be
simultaneously announced on November 15,
2010, and will be flown to Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, to cover two exclusive preview cruises
onboard Allure of the
Seas from November 19
to November 23, 2010.
Allure of the Seas
shares the title of the world's largest and most
revolutionary cruise ship with its sister ship, Oasis of the Seas. An
architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass
225,282 gross registered tons, carry 5,400 guests at double
occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms. Allure of the Seas will
tout Royal Caribbean's exclusive neighborhood concept of seven
distinct themed areas, which will include 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 alternate a Western Caribbean with an Eastern Caribbean seven-night itinerary from her
home port of Port Everglades in
Fort Lauderdale,
Fla. Additional information is available at www.AllureoftheSeas.com.
The Reporters at Sea: Family Style contest
builds on the success of last year's Reporter at Sea contest, in
which winners from five countries reported individually about the
launch of the groundbreaking Oasis of the Seas. For
more information about the Reporters at Sea: Family Style contest,
how to enter and vote, the official rules and details on the prize,
please visit www.allureoftheseas.usatoday.com.
ROYAL
CARIBBEAN AND USA TODAY KICK OFF "REPORTERS AT SEA: FAMILY STYLE"
CONTEST
Contest Invites Families to Try Their Hand As
'Reporters At Sea' Aboard Cruise Line's Newest
Ship, Allure of the Seas
MIAMI (September
22,2010)
- Calling all
families! Royal Caribbean
International and USA TODAY announced today a search for
America's best and brightest family to cover the unveiling of
Allure of the Seas,
which will share the title of the world's largest and most
revolutionary cruise ship along with sister ship, Oasis of the Seas. Today
through October 29, 2010, families
are invited to enter to win the coveted role of field
correspondents alongside USA TODAY'S own cruise editor, Gene Sloan.
Once onboard the ship, the lucky winning family of up to six will
receive behind-the-scenes access to file reports that will appear
at USA TODAY's Cruise Log about one of the most buzzed-about
hospitality and entertainment stories of the year.
While embarking on a four-night preview
sailing, the winning family will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at
The DreamWorks Experience featuring the "How To Train Your Dragon
On Ice" show, an aqua show featuring "Madagascar", character breakfasts,
activities for the kids in Adventure
Ocean, character meet-and-greets, parades, sail-away
parties, 3D films in the ship's 3D theater, as well as backstage
access to Chicago: The Musical. In
addition to the United States, the "Reporters at Sea: Family Style"
contest is searching for family journalists in Canada, Germany,
Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, South
Korea, China and Venezuela.
Reporters-to-be can audition for the
assignment of a lifetime by submitting a creative video of 45
seconds or less in length and no more than 100 MB in size at www.allureoftheseas.usatoday.com. The
video should showcase the family's best reporting skills and tout
why Royal Caribbean should select them to be USA TODAY's
correspondents onboard Allure of the
Seas. Videos will be judged on the entrants'
ability to entertain, as well as effectively bring to life and
clearly explain innovative and imaginative
travel or cruising concepts.
Once the entry period ends, judges will
select three finalists per country, and Americans will vote for
their favorite U.S. video between October
15 and October 29, 2010. Multiple generations are
encouraged to enter. The individual who enters the contest on
behalf of his or her family must be 18 years of age. Winning
families of up to six members from each country will be
simultaneously announced on November 15,
2010, and will be flown to Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, to cover two exclusive preview cruises
onboard Allure of the
Seas from November 19
to November 23, 2010.
Allure of the Seas
shares the title of the world's largest and most
revolutionary cruise ship with its sister ship, Oasis of the Seas. An
architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass
225,282 gross registered tons, carry 5,400 guests at double
occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms. Allure of the Seas will
tout Royal Caribbean's exclusive neighborhood concept of seven
distinct themed areas, which will include 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 alternate a Western Caribbean with an Eastern Caribbean seven-night itinerary from her
home port of Port Everglades in
Fort Lauderdale,
Fla. Additional information is available at www.AllureoftheSeas.com.
The Reporters at Sea: Family Style contest
builds on the success of last year's Reporter at Sea contest, in
which winners from five countries reported individually about the
launch of the groundbreaking Oasis of the Seas. For
more information about the Reporters at Sea: Family Style contest,
how to enter and vote, the official rules and details on the prize,
please visit www.allureoftheseas.usatoday.com.
Royal Caribbean International is a global
cruise brand with 20 ships currently in service and two 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 www.royalcaribbean.com or call (800)
ROYAL-CARIBBEAN. Travel professionals should go to www.cruisingpower.com or call (800)
327-2056begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (800) 327-2056
end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and
information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is
to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make
the USA truly one nation. Today, through its newspaper, website and
mobile platforms, USA TODAY connects readers and engages the
national conversation. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper
in print circulation with an average of more than 1.8 million
daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning
newspaper website launched in 1995, reach a combined 5.9
million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications
with more than five million downloads on mobile devices. The
USA TODAY brand also includes USA TODAY Education and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is
owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:
GCI).
As a tr

Cindy Richards is the mom of two who gets her muse from traveling the world, usually with kids in tow. She also writes for TravelingMom.com, where she also serves as editor.
See more of Cindy's stories here.

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