Norwegian Cruise Line commemorated the debut of its newest ship Norwegian Prima and the line’s first-ever voyage from Galveston, Texas with an exclusive concert by singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson.
The ship also served as the venue for this year’s Norwegian’s Giving Joy awards ceremony, where the cruise line and Clarkson recognized 100 teachers with a free cruise and nearly $170,000 for the top three Grand Prize winners and their schools.
Giving Joy is a month-long campaign that launched during National Teacher Appreciation Week back in May to recognize deserving educators for their commitment to bringing joy to the classroom.
During the celebration, Kelly Clarkson delivered a performance of some of her greatest hits including “Miss Independent,” “Stronger,” and “Since You’ve Been Gone.”
The three Grand Prize winners this year are:
- Patricia Hosmer from Bayonne High School in Bayonne, N.J. ($25,000)
- Theresa Schrager from Falcon Cove Middle School, Fla. ($15,000)
- Anthony Stirpe from New Rochelle High School in New Rochelle, N.Y. ($10,000)
In addition to the expected donations for their schools, each of the three winners received a huge surprise — nearly $40,000 each in prize money thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line partners.
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“Norwegian Prima’s debut in Galveston was extra special, We really did it big…and what better place to do it big than in Texas,” said Harry Sommer, president of Norwegian Cruise Line.
“We introduced our new, magnificent ship to a market new to NCL, we welcomed 100 unbelievably deserving teachers to experience her, awarded the Grand Prize winners with nearly $40,000 in surprise prize money in addition to a donation for their school – and we put on an unforgettable celebration with two of our NCL godparents, Elvis Duran and Kelly Clarkson. Norwegian’s Giving Joy campaign is very special to us as we see an undeniable connection between travel and education.”
In addition to winning a balcony stateroom during Norwegian Prima‘s current five-day roundtrip voyage from Galveston, each of the 100 winners walked away with an AMEX gift card. One randomly selected winner was also awarded with a trip to San Francisco with two VIP Adrenaline Lounge Passes to any one of the SailGP Season3 events taking place May 6-7, 2023, donated by Survitec Group.
This year, Norwegian’s Giving Joy drew support for teachers all across North America, with winners from 27 states, two Canadian provinces, and Puerto Rico.
To learn about the 100 winners and their stories, click here.
Following Norwegian Prima‘s inaugural Galveston voyage, she will sail an 11-day Caribbean cruise before arriving to Miami. She will return to Galveston next winter for a season of Caribbean voyages.
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