More Jessica Lynch

[TracGunny]

Last modified Tue., December 02, 2003 - 01:23 AM
Originally created Tuesday, December 2, 2003

Former POW to christen ship on First Coast

Jessica Lynch will be named 'godmother' of Carnival Cruise Line's newest vessel.

By CHRISTOPHER CALNAN
The Times-Union

Carnival Cruise Lines said Monday former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch will visit Jacksonville in February to dedicate the company's newest cruise ship during a ceremony at Dames Point.

Lynch, a former Army private, will attend the event in which the Carnival Miracle is named and introduced as the first brand-new cruise ship to operate from Jacksonville, the nation's newest cruise homeport.

Lynch is expected to break the traditional bottle of champagne across the bow of the Miracle on Feb. 27, before it departs Jacksonville for a special three-day inaugural cruise, Carnival said in a news release.

The 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, is under construction in Helsinki, Finland, the company said.

"We are privileged that Miss Lynch, who represents the thousands of courageous American men and women serving in our armed forces, has accepted our invitation to be godmother of our newest ship," Carnival President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Dickinson said. "And Jacksonville, with its long military and maritime history, is a perfect venue for this ceremony."

The Jacksonville Port Authority agreed.

"It is very appropriate that Carnival would select someone with military ties to represent a ship sailing from Jacksonville, given our great military presence here," authority spokesman Robert Peek said. "We're pleased to have the opportunity to host Ms. Lynch in February."

Jacksonville's new cruise business got off to a quick start this year. Celebrity Cruises, a premium division of Royal Caribbean, began operating voyages from the new Jaxport Cruise Terminal at Dames Point in October.

Carnival plans to permanently base in Jacksonville its ship Holiday and operate the vessel from here year-round beginning in October.

In the meantime, the Miracle is scheduled to operate 12 three-day and six-day voyages through April 17. The company plans to operate a series of summer cruises on its ship Jubilee from May through August.

After Jacksonville, the Miracle is scheduled to operate seven-day cruises from Baltimore and New York before moving to Tampa for year-round cruises beginning in November 2004, Carnival said.

Lynch gained the national spotlight after her 507th Maintenance Company convoy was ambushed March 23 near the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. Eleven soldiers from the convoy, including two from the 3rd Forward Support Battalion, were killed. Five others were captured and held apart from Lynch for three weeks before their release.

Lynch, a 20-year-old Army supply clerk, received multiple broken bones and other injuries after her Humvee utility vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during the ambush and crashed into another vehicle. She was in an Iraqi hospital in Nasiriyah where she was rescued by Special Forces on April 1.

Dickinson said Carnival will make a contribution to the Jessica Lynch Foundation, established to assist children of soldiers that have either served in the military or were killed while on duty. Lynch also plans to use the foundation to benefit the community of Wirt County, W.Va., where she lives, Carnival said.

This story includes material from the Associated Press.
christopher.calnan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4404

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...14190083.shtml

[USMC-FO]

I would not be thrilled with that "honor" since it seems that most of Carnivals ships seem to go out and come back early with hundreds, if not thousands, of passengers suffering from some variation of "Montazumas Revenge"

Poor Jess....I would think all this would be already over the top in terms of personal embassament for her.

[G.L.B.]

That makes me sick!!!! I hope that ships to the deepest part of the ocean on its way over from Finland

[G.L.B.]

ship sinks-------sorry, Chandler

[bobpage]

Geez...here we go again