|
ETIQUETTE TRAINING ON ALASKA SAILINGS
FEATURES NEW FRONTIERS FOR JUNIOR CRUISERS
| Kids 12 And Under Sail Free On Nine
Crystal Cruises Voyages To Alaska LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2003 -- By the time Junior and Janie disembark from the Six-Star Crystal Harmony they'll be able to elegantly navigate their way through a six-course dinner as if it were second nature. And, believe it or not, they'll have had the time of their lives learning the finer nuances of which fork to use first and the proper way to butter - and break - a dinner roll, thanks to an exclusive new Crystal Cruises program, Etiquette Training for Juniors. Available on Crystal Harmony's entire roster of 12-day Alaska itineraries, which conveniently sail roundtrip from San Francisco, young cruisers will not only learn the proper way to handle themselves in a variety of social situations they will also learn the ins and outs of social etiquette, poise, ballroom dancing and public speaking. "Parents will greatly appreciate this opportunity for their children and, eventually, so too will the kids,'' says Kristin Turner, Crystal's manager, enrichment programs. "It's fun, stimulating, and there couldn't be a greater setting to help our young cruisers simultaneously boost their confidence and self-esteem.'' The luxury line saw a 12 percent increase in its youngest cruisers, ages 17 and under, during its 2002 summer Alaska season. As a result, etiquette training and a host of additional activities for juniors have been added to Crystal's revamped junior activities program. Children 12 and under sail free on all 2003 voyages to Alaska when sharing the same stateroom with two adults. Although etiquette may be low on the roster of what children deem important, program instructors say they have seen a dramatic rise in the number of parents who wished they had received such training when they were younger and who now want their own children to receive such training. "Parents in their 40s and 50s now have children of cruising age, and they want their kids to have the experience to learn to be polished," says program instructor Darcee Gollatz-Klapp, third generation owner of Gollatz Cotillion, a venerable 71-year-old California-based etiquette training school. "Parents believe etiquette will give their children that extra edge to get ahead in business, and for that matter, in life." The classes, says Gollatz-Klapp, will be embraced, rather than dreaded, by young people and will vary depending on the mix of children on board. "We're going to have fun," she said. "These are not lecture classes." Furthermore, negative reinforcement is verboten. "We'll have prizes, games, and everything will be done in fun." A variety of dance nights - Swing, Salsa, Latin and Ballroom - will be offered, but the music will be contemporary, and kids can expect to dance to U2 rather than the Benny Goodman Band. The line's Alaska season will kick off on May 23 with
a 10-day itinerary departing from Vancouver and ending in San Francisco.
The 10-day cruise will be followed by eight 12-day departures: June 2, 14;
July 8, 20; August 1, 13, 25; and September 6. The itinerary will call at
the Alaskan ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Vancouver and Victoria
and British Columbia. The Gollatz Cotillion hosts 25 locations in California and Nevada. They have instructed children, schools, universities, businesses, major hotel firms and foreign countries in etiquette. For the seventh consecutive year, Crystal Cruises was named the best large cruise line in the 2002 readers' survey conducted by Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler magazines. Crystal Cruises is booked exclusively through professional travel agents. For a complimentary brochure on the 2003 Alaska season, or any of Crystal's worldwide sailings, call 800.820.6663. |
|