Print Preview : Celebrity Cruises expands `celebrity discoveries`

Celebrity Cruises expands `celebrity discoveries`
From world affairs to wines, from culture to caricatures, Celebrity Cruises` Celebrity Discoveries program will enrich guests` cruise experience with an expanded array of fascinating people and topics in 2005.

One of the most extensive enrichment programs at sea, Celebrity Discoveries presents up to four lecturers on every cruise. Caricature artists add an imaginative touch to Celebrity`s seven-night Caribbean and Bermuda sailings, while resident naturalists on the line`s cruises in Alaska, Hawaii and South America offer illustrated wildlife presentations, live commentaries from the bridge, and small group question-and-answer sessions about the region. For wine enthusiasts, Celebrity`s wine appreciation program features prominent wine makers who share their expertise during onboard seminars and pre-dinner varietal tastings, allowing guests to interact directly with the wine maker to learn about the evening`s selection.

Among the new components of the program in 2005 are lively port presentations by Celebrity`s Cruise Directors, designed to inform guests about what there is to do and see in each port of call, to help them make the most of their time in each location.

But Celebrity Discoveries wouldn`t be complete without celebrities -- and once again, in 2005, the line has secured a stellar lineup of personalities who will share slices of their life stories with Celebrity guests:

Orson Bean -- January 2 onboard Millennium: A star of stage and screen, Bean has been acting since 1945. Most recently, he starred in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and the film, Being John Malkovich. Bean is founder of the arts-oriented 15th Street School of New York, author of the oddball 1971 volume, Me and the Oregon, and one of the charter members of The Sons of the Desert, a Laurel and Hardy appreciation society.

Irving R. Levine -- January 3 onboard Infinity; May 7 and July 25 onboard Galaxy: Former NBC News Chief Economics Correspondent Irving R. Levine is one of the most renowned and respected figures in broadcast journalism. He was one of the first television network correspondents to cover the economy full-time, winning a number of awards for his groundbreaking reporting. Today, Levine is a frequent commentator on Nightly Business Report.

Dick Morris -- January 31 onboard Infinity; June 13 onboard Galaxy; July 16 onboard Constellation: Once called the most influential private citizen in America by Time magazine, Morris is widely credited with driving Bill Clinton`s stunning re-election victory in 1996, after the president lost Congress to the Republicans two years earlier. Morris now serves as a political analyst for the FOX News Channel.

Dr. Patch Adams -- February 15 onboard Infinity: Patch Adams, M.D., is founder and director of the Gesundheit Institute, which has served more than 15,000 people with free medical care. Dr. Adams complements his training as a physician with his experience as a street clown, believing that medical professionals should examine the relationship between humor and therapy by using a unique blend of knowledge, showmanship and hands-on teaching techniques.

Ernest Borgnine -- May 1 onboard Millennium: Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine has appeared in more than 100 films, including, The Dirty Dozen (1967) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972). In 1953, he starred as the brutal stockade sergeant, Fatso, in the classic film, From Here to Eternity. Borgnine went on to become famous around the world for his Oscar-winning portrayal of the Bronx butcher Marty in 1955. From 1962 to 1966, Borgnine starred in the television series, McHale`s Navy.

Walt Cunningham -- May 23 onboard Galaxy: On October 11, 1968, Walt Cunningham occupied the lunar module pilot seat for the 11-day flight of Apollo VII, the first manned flight test of the third-generation U.S. spacecraft. Cunningham executed maneuvers enabling the crew to perform exercises in transposition and docking and lunar orbit rendezvous with the S- IVB stage of their Saturn IB launch vehicle.

Larry Hagman -- August 13 onboard Constellation: Best known for his work as J.R. on Dallas and as Captain Tony Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie, Hagman has been a star of stage and screen for more than 50 years. He has appeared in such hit films as Primary Colors, Nixon and Superman.

Cathy Rigby -- August 14 onboard Millennium: A former Olympic gymnast, Cathy Rigby earned the highest U.S. gymnastic scores in the 1968 Summer Olympics and was the first American woman to medal at the World Championships. Rigby transitioned to acting in 1981, in the stage role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. She has appeared in numerous television programs and starred in plays, including Meet Me In St. Louis and South Pacific. Rigby won a Best Actress Tony Award for her performance in her most famous role, as Peter in Peter Pan.

Jane Powell -- August 27 onboard Constellation: The star of more than 20 major MGM musicals, including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Royal Wedding, Jane Powell has been an icon in Hollywood since her arrival in Tinseltown.

Ike Pappas -- September 10 onboard Constellation: As a CBS correspondent on the CBS Evening News with both Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, Pappas reported on major world events, including the Vietnam War, the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, the Space Program and seven presidential campaigns. Pappas also witnessed the murder of accused Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald at the Texas Police Headquarters.

Rita Moreno -- July 30 onboard Constellation: Moreno is best known for winning hearts in The King and I and starring as Anita in West Side Story, which brought her fame and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Moreno was the first actress to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony.

Celebrity Cruises is the industry`s highest rated premium cruise brand with a taste of luxury. The cruise line has 10 ships in its fleet, which sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera, the Panama Canal and South America. In addition, Celebrity Xpeditions offer exotic travel experiences in the Galapagos Islands, the Arctic, and Antarctica. Vicky Karantzavelou - Tuesday, November 23, 2004