Celebrity Watchers Won't Feel Left Out of Hollywood's Biggest Party: Princess to Celebrate 75th Academy Awards at Sea.

Business Editors

SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2003

Passengers Can Cheer for "Chicago" or Applaud "The Hours" at

Seagoing Oscar Parties

Yards of red carpet, gallons of champagne -- the preparations are intense, but Princess passengers won't need security clearance to be part of the festivities at the Kodak Theater on March 23. Instead, they can stroll down the red carpet at their leisure and pull up a comfortable seat in the ships' main lounges to witness this year's diamond anniversary celebration of Hollywood's biggest party, the Academy Awards.

Following the success of last year's onboard viewing parties, Princess ships will again broadcast the ABC ceremony live across most of the Princess fleet, so that movie fans can follow the fortunes of their favorite films and celebrities at the 75th annual ceremony.

Cruise directors and their staff will be in their formal best to host festive Oscar parties for viewers as they find out whether "Gangs of New York" can outwit the sirens from "Chicago," or if it will take "The Hours" to topple "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" for best picture, or if "The Pianist" will get top billing. While Martin Scorsese ("Gangs of New York") or Nicole Kidman ("The Hours") may walk away with a golden statuette, astute passenger film critics who pick the winners can win one of many prizes awarded throughout the evening, such as dinners in Sabatini's Italian trattoria or spa treatments.

Passengers will feel like stars themselves as they stroll down Princess' own red carpet, posing for "paparazzi" photographers and mingling with celebrity look-a-likes. And shipboard fashionistas will be as busy as Joan and Melissa Rivers determining the best- and worst-dressed passengers.

"We want our passengers to know that, even at sea, they'll have a great time participating in this fun Hollywood tradition," said Dean Brown, Princess' executive vice president of customer service and sales. "And, of course, we're sure that all our many other Personal Choice Cruising options will also 'razzle dazzle' them...and all that jazz."

Note: An electronic copy of this release, and access to Princess' on-line newsroom containing past news releases, background information and photography, is available at www.princess.com/news.