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More Than 14,000 Consumers Across the Country Experienced Royal Caribbean Cruises Through In-Home Parties

Posted on: Monday, 24 August 2009, 10:32 CDT

IRVINGTON, N.Y. and MIAMI, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- House Party, a leading consumer activation and experiential marketing company, Royal Caribbean International and Cruise Planners/American Express recreated a cruise experience in almost 1,000 homes across the country on Saturday, August 8. As a result, more than 14,000 consumers enjoyed the Royal Caribbean Get Away from the Everyday House Party event with their friends and family.

House Party's word-of-mouth marketing platform specializes in engaging thousands of qualified consumer advocates to host in-home parties where a brand or product is at the center of the party.

Hosts invite their friends into their homes to hold a fun, authentic party. Each event is tracked and monitored by a custom-branded microsite, launched to gather, galvanize and manage the party community and track the powerful and carefully engineered outcomes of each House Party event.

The Royal Caribbean Get Away From the Everyday House Parties built buzz before, during and after the event through the customized online community space. The hosts are asked to recount their party through photo downloads on the event's microsite as well as posting detailed blog entries. House Party recorded excellent viral activity and consumer advocate excitement on the site with more than 3,000 digital photos uploaded and more than 2,500 blogs posted.

"In-home parties are an excellent opportunity for Cruise Planners to connect with their brand advocates as well as future cruisers," said Kitty Kolding, CEO of House Party. "What better way for people to experience some of the enjoyment and relaxation offered through cruising than in a fun and authentic party atmosphere?"

House Party, Royal Caribbean International and Cruise Planners/American Express looked for past Royal Caribbean cruisers who are passionate about the cruise line to host the Royal Caribbean Get Away From the Everyday parties. Selected hosts were given the tools and tips to recreate a fun cruise experience in their home through the House Party Web site and the party pack which every host received. In addition, the hosts and their guests received exclusive gifts, offers and discounts for future cruises that are only available through Cruise Planners.

As a bonus, hosts and guests were encouraged to visit the Cruise Planners Web site to sign up for a sweepstakes to win a cruise. Hosts and guests could register by hosting or attending a party, and they could gain additional entries by participating in various activities (i.e. filling out registration form from party packs, uploading various request photos such as best decorations or Karaoke performance.)

"We wanted and found consumers who were willing to share their enthusiasm and love of cruising with their friends and family," said Michelle Fee, CEO and co-founder of Cruise Planners/American Express. "The hosts and guests shared their passion for travel and learned more about all the fun and activities that Cruise Planners and Royal Caribbean International have to offer."

Royal Caribbean International offers departures from 13 year-round and seasonal convenient U.S. ports, including New York City (Cape Liberty, Bayonne); Baltimore, Md.; Port Canaveral, Fla.; Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, and Miami; and Los Angeles. The cruise line offers vacationers some of the world's largest and most innovative cruise ships, some featuring exclusive onboard amenities such as the FlowRider surf simulator; ice-skating rink; in-line skating track; cantilevered whirlpools; H2O Zone water park; the cruise line's iconic rock-climbing wall; and the Royal Promenade, a boulevard of boutiques, restaurants, bars and lounges that run nearly the length of the ship. With a modern spa; world-class gaming in Casino Royale; spectacular theatric productions; and award-winning Adventure Ocean and teen program aboard every ship, a Royal Caribbean International is geared towards every member of the family, and girlfriends or couples getaways.

About House Party

Founded in 2005, House Party is a leading consumer activation and experiential marketing services company that engages thousands of qualified consumer advocates who host in-home parties featuring a brand, product or element of entertainment programming. Managed via a proprietary, customized online community space for each brand event, consumers engage both in home and online to explore and promote brands they love. Today House Party stands alone as the most trusted, influential and comprehensive medium for generating in-home marketing results. Headquartered in Irvington, NY, House Party is dedicated to creating and executing successful, high-impact, consumer activation campaigns for a diverse range of industries and Fortune 1000 companies: NBC, Kraft, Ford, Johnson & Johnson, Canon, Gerber and Microsoft Xbox among them.

About Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 20 ships currently in service and two under construction. The line also offers unique cruise tour vacations in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand. For additional information or to make reservations, call your travel agent, visit www.royalcaribbean.com or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN. Travel professionals should go to www.cruisingpower.com or call (800) 327-2056.

About Cruise Planners / American Express

Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Services Representative, is the largest home-based travel agent network in the cruise industry with more than 700 franchise owners across the country that independently book cruises and associated travel. Named No.1 Cruise Tour / Travel Agency by Entrepreneur Magazine for the past five years, Cruise Planners positions franchise owners for success by providing them with innovating marketing, booking and lead-generating tools as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry's top executives. Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla., Cruise Planners generates more than $120 million in sales each year and has achieved top producer status with every major cruise line. Accolades include Royal Caribbean International Home-based Partner of the Year (2007 - 2008); Regent Seven Seas Top Producer (2009); and American Express Travel Representative Excellence Awards (2004 - 2009). For more general information, please visit www.CruisePlanners.com or 800-683-0206.

SOURCE House Party

Source: PR Newswire

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