Princess Cruises Celebrates Valentine’s Day by Naming Ruby Princess Godparents Trista and Ryan Sutter to Department of Romance

‘Love Boat Line’ Also Launches New Facebook Group as Online Community for All Princess Cruises Romantics

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ — Love is “exciting and new” at Princess Cruises in celebration of Valentine’s Day, as the line announced that the christeners of Ruby Princess, Trista and Ryan Sutter, will join its Department of Romance as its newest experts, and that a new online community for all Princess Cruises romantics has debuted on Facebook.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090212/LA70252)

Trista and Ryan are known as one of the most romantic duos in recent broadcast history following their courtship and marriage on the popular TV series The Bachelorette, and this past November they marked their fifth wedding anniversary by christening Princess’ latest cruise ship, Ruby Princess. As part of their new role, the Sutters will offer their advice on love for Princess’ exclusive online home for all things romantic.

“We’re thrilled to join Princess’ Department of Romance and share our unique perspective on dating, falling in love, getting married and having a family,” said Trista Sutter. “After having the honor of christening Ruby Princess, we’ve seen firsthand the romantic ambiance of a Princess cruise and we look forward to offering our tips for helping couples reconnect and make romance a priority.”

Further celebrating romantic connections with its past passengers, the cruise line is also launching an “I’m a Princess Cruises Romantic” group on Facebook. This special group will let passengers share their memorable love stories and moments from their Princess cruise vacation. Group members are encouraged to post their personal stories, photos, videos and engage in discussions about romance-related topics.

Princess’ Department of Romance, a tribute to the company’s decades-long legacy as the setting for the iconic TV show The Love Boat, is made up of noted experts on a variety of romantic topics and includes actor Gavin MacLeod, The Love Boat’s “Captain Stubing;” Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the always-provocative couples therapist; and Lisa Light, destination wedding expert and author. Throughout 2009 the Department will feature a changing array of expert topics, advice and points of view on everything from reinvigorating romance to tips on planning a destination wedding.

“It was such an exciting moment when Trista and Ryan christened Ruby Princess this past fall,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “So they seemed a natural choice to become a more permanent part of our company’s romance story, especially on Valentine’s Day.”

Trista and Ryan, the first and only couple from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette franchises to have actually gotten married, met in 2002 when Trista was America’s first Bachelorette. The two shows were the first and still are the most popular reality dating shows in which one man or woman searches for their soul mate out of 25 potential suitors. Over the course of the show, the bachelorette bestows roses on those bachelors she wishes to continue dating. Trista presented Ryan with her final rose and he proposed on the show’s finale in November 2002. The couple wed on December 6, 2003 in an elaborate television ceremony watched by 26 million viewers, making it one of the most widely watched episodes in the history of reality TV and one of ABC’s top rated shows of the year. After their highly visible courtship, Trista and Ryan moved to Vail, Colo., where they currently reside with their son, Max, and are awaiting the birth of their second child, a daughter, this spring. In addition to frequent TV interviews and promotional appearances, he is a firefighter and she is a stay-at-home mom and designer for her eco-friendly diaper bag line, Trista Baby (www.tristababy.com). Ryan can found on the web at http://ryansutter.com/blog/.

Princess has been offering romantic cruise vacations around the world for more than 40 years. 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 www.princess.com.

SOURCE Princess Cruises