Special Guests to Headline Princess Cruises' Valentine's "Cruise with a Heart"

December 20, 2013 /3BL Media/ - Princess Cruises’ second “Cruising for a Cause” sailing will set sail in February to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special line-up of expert guests and celebrities who will help educate passengers about heart health. These guests include a renowned cardiac surgeon, a celebrity chef, a fitness expert, an award-winning author, a four-time Super Bowl champion, and a beloved cast member from the hit television series The Love Boat. The benefit cruise will raise funds for the American Heart Association’s (AHA) programs and educational outreach.

Sailing from February 10-15, 2014, aboard Ruby Princess on a Caribbean cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, the five-day voyage will offer passengers a heart-themed experience, focused not only on “affairs of the heart,” but also a variety of onboard features themed around healthy living and heart health awareness.

Among the educational opportunities available exclusively for this cruise are training in the American Heart Association’s Hands-OnlyTM CPR; seminars on how to better manage stress, diet, and exercise; and a heart disease and stroke survivor reception. Passengers can also take advantage of complimentary blood pressure screenings and participate in a fundraising walk on deck, patterned after AHA’s successful HeartWalks. Valentine's Day themed programming will include a special onboard renewal of vows and other romantic touches. The cruise will be capped off with a Ruby Red Gala party.

Special guests appearing exclusively on this sailing include:

• Dr. Kathy Magliato, MD, MBA, FACS – Dr. Magliato is one of the few female cardiothoracic surgeons in the world with specialization in heart failure, heart transplantation, and artificial/mechanical heart technology. A nationally recognized expert on heart disease in women, she is currently the Director of Women’s Cardiac Services at Saint John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, where she is developing a Multidisciplinary Women’s Health Center to address the cardiac needs of female patients.

• Jesse Sapolu – Four-time Super Bowl champion Jesse Sapolu played center and offensive guard for the San Francisco 49ers during his15 year football career. He now serves as the 49ers’ alumni coordinator, and is a motivational speaker and author of the biography “I Gave My Heart to San Francisco.”  He is also the co-founder of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association.

• Chef Marc Anthony Bynum – Cook Healthy; Cook Delicious! A finalist on Food Network's “Chopped,” celebrity Chef Bynum will be offering fun, innovative healthy cooking demonstrations for passengers.

• Ary Nunez – Fitness expert Ary Nunez is a celebrity personal trainer who is passionate about educating people about how to live a healthy lifestyle. In addition to being a Nike-sponsored athlete, health and fitness personality, and an internationally renowned celebrity personal trainer, Nunez also holds black belts in karate, tae kwon do and kung fu and has appeared on most major television networks. She is actively involved with many charitable causes including the American Heart Association.

• Diana von Welanetz Wentworth – An award-winning author and national speaker on many facets of heart health, Wentworth’s passion for nurturing women’s hearts arose from her own surprising heart attack.  Drawing from the recommendations of the American Heart Association, she developed a unique, fun, holistic program of heart-health care that is the topic of her newest book: “Love Your Heart: Follow the Red Thread to a Heart-Centered Life.”

• David and Karen Gamow – The authors of “Freedom from Stress,” the Gamows have provided workplace stress management training to clients including NASA, CBS, GE, Marriott, Intuit, Nokia, Stanford School of Medicine, and the U.S. Army. The founders of Clarity Seminars, they have personally trained more than 20,000 people throughout North America to reduce stress and change their lives for the better.

• Bernie Kopell – For 10 seasons, Bernie Kopell looked after the health of passengers aboard TV’s version ofPacific Princess as Doctor Adam Bricker (“Doc”) on The Love Boat. Kopell will be available to meet with and sign autographs for passengers.

“These terrific guests and the line-up of special heart health-themed activities will make this cruise a special opportunity for our passengers to learn how to build healthier lives,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “We look forward to a heart-felt cruise that will raise important funds for the American Heart Association.”

A portion of each passenger’s cruise fare, totaling approximately $500,000, will be matched by Princess Cruises with an additional $500,000, for a total of $1 million. The proceeds will be used to support the American Heart Association’s mission to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

The American Heart Association cruise will sail on a Western Caribbean itinerary roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, with calls at Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

Cruise fares range from $379 to $1,649 per person based on double occupancy. A tax-deductible portion of each fare ranging from $100 to $300 per person, depending upon cabin category, will be donated to the American Heart Association.

The cruise is the second of the company’s new “Cruising for a Cause” initiative where Princess will dedicate entire sailings to support select charitable causes. This new, industry-leading program will provide the line’s passengers, many of whom are looking for opportunities to make positive contributions to their communities and the world, a way to make a difference even as they vacation. The first cruise, to support U.S. veterans, sailed in November to much acclaim.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, or by visiting the company's website at princess.com.