Winner of “Freedom to Explore” Art Contest to be Honored Aboard
By Paramus Post Saturday, May 12, 2007, 02:43 PM EDT
Cassy Stone
8-year-old’s artwork receives permanent home on world’s largest cruise ship
NEW YORK -- May 3, 2006 -- When Royal Caribbean International’s newest cruise ship Freedom of the Seas debuts in New York Harbor on May 12, it will not only mark a series of “firsts” for the cruise industry, it will also indelibly mark the life of Cassandra Stone of Paramus, New Jersey whose artwork will grace the staircase of the world’s largest cruise ship as it sails the ocean blue.
The 8-year-old is the winner of the “Freedom to Explore” art contest created by Crayola and Royal Caribbean International to celebrate the launch of its newest vessel. Her whimsical drawing, depicting an exotic safari scene, was selected from more than 350 entries submitted for the grand prize -- a 7-night family cruise for four, and the distinction of having her artwork recreated on a 4 x 4-foot tapestry and hung permanently onboard Freedom of the Seas.
Cassandra will be honored during a special tribute onboard the 160,000 GRT ship when it sets sail on its maiden voyage on May 11th before cruising into New York Harbor for its grand debut and naming ceremony the following day. The A-student, with family roots in Burma, described her thoughts on the contest theme “freedom to explore” as . . . “whenever you close your eyes you imagine you are in a jungle on a safari and you discover animals you never saw. You want adventure and amazing things to happen. You want to swim with the dolphins and jump with the frogs.” Cassy’s artwork and essay was chosen based on its creativity and originality, relevance to the contest theme, visual appeal and use of Crayola products.
Freedom of the Seas will also offer a Crayola interactive art studio, as part of its “Adventure Art by Crayola” area for its younger guests. The program allows children to sample the culture of exotic destinations by creating hands-on art projects with a variety of different Crayola products.
About Freedom of the Seas
Holding 3,634 guests double-occupancy, Freedom of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world. The first in Royal Caribbean’s new Freedom-class, she sails seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami calling in Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Royal Caribbean’s private destination, Labadee, Haiti. Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand currently with 20 ships in service and three under construction. The line also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Canada and Europe through its cruisetour division. For additional information or to make reservations, go to www.royalcaribbean.com or call (800) 327-6700.
About Crayola
Since 1903, Crayola art materials, made by Binney & Smith based in Easton, Pa., have provided fun and imaginative ways for children to colorfully express their boundless creativity at home and in the classroom. With products that are unmistakably Crayola like Color Explosion, mess-free Color Wonder, Erasable Markers, Twistables and Washable crayons, markers and paints, Crayola brings children innovative arts and crafts materials that lets them create the art of childhood. Crayola makes more crayons than any other manufacturer. To date, more then 120 billion have been made and used by children all over the world.
