Princess Cruises — a.k.a. "The Love Boat" — finds creativity is in when it comes to "popping the question"

Business Wire, Jan 22, 1997

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 1997--

Bride's magazine readers respond to nationwide contest with

stories of celebrities, scuba diving, pumpkins and clowns

With Valentine's Day approaching, love is in the air and plans for popping the question are being mulled over by men across the country.

According to a contest conducted by Princess Cruises, the cruise line that brought us years of love stories as the Love Boat, today's engaged couples show an abundance of creativity, uniqueness and 1990s-style romance when it comes to marriage proposals.

Princess Cruises' "Pop The Question" contest ran in the December 1996/January 1997 issue of Bride's magazine and asked readers to share their own creative proposal stories. Here are some of the highlights from among the more than 380 entries: -0-

-- One man presented his girlfriend with a book of more than a dozen personalized messages from her favorite celebrities, each of whom encouraged her to accept his proposal.

-- One man dressed up as a clown, joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and presented his girlfriend with an engagement ring in front of millions of New Yorkers.

-- A woman proposed to her boyfriend on the "Today" show by holding up a homemade sign. The program encouraged her to place a call to her intended on national television.

-- A man, dressed as a knight in shining armor, went into the school where his girlfriend teaches fourth grade and proposed to her in front of her students.

-- A man rented a movie theater to surprise his girlfriend with a video (music and pictures) of their relationship. He filled the theater with their friends and family, and after the screening, he proposed.

-- At 35 feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean, a man wrote "will you marry me?" in the sand and presented his girlfriend with a ring made of shells. Once on land, he exchanged the shell for a diamond engagement ring.

-- While carving pumpkins for Halloween, a woman cut open the top of the pumpkin and found a plastic bag with an engagement ring inside. Her boyfriend had carved a hole in the bottom, place the ring inside and sealed it back up.

-- While skydiving in Key West, at 10,000 feet, there suddenly appeared a banner in the drop zone that screamed, in large letters, "Will you marry me?" Upon landing, the man who had arranged it all got down on one knee and popped the question himself.

Of the entries received, one lucky couple will win a seven-day Caribbean cruise aboard the recently introduced Sun Princess. Princess Cruises is one of the industry's "big three" cruise lines and operates a fleet of nine ships offering nearly 150 different itineraries and calling at more than 200 ports around the globe.

For more information and brochures, call 800/PRINCESS. To make reservations, contact your travel agent.

CONTACT: Princess Cruises, Los Angeles

Jill Biggins, 310/553-1770 (ext. 5824)

e-mail: jebiggins@aol.com

or

Julie Benson, 310/553-1770 (ext. 5815)

e-mail: jbensonpc@aol.com