“If I Was A Cruise Passenger, What Would I Like to See or Do In My Country”

Pembroke Pines, FL (February 21, 2006) – The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has released their 2007 Essay Competition topic – “If I Was A Cruise Passenger, What Would I Like To See or Do In My Country”.

Destinations throughout the Caribbean and Latin America are invited and encouraged to participate in the FCCA Foundation’s 2007 Children’s Essay Contest. The top three winners from both junior and senior division categories will obtain academic scholarships of $3,000, $1,500 and $1,000 with a separate monetary award provided to their schools.  The first place winners from both categories will be invited to read their essay and receive their scholarships at FCCA’s 14th Annual Caribbean Cruise Conference & Trade Show – October 8-12, 2007 in Cozumel, Mexico.  Each school must submit their entries written in English, one from each category, to their country’s selection committee no later than Monday, July 2, 2007.  Each country is to submit the original essays written in English, for their two winners (one from each category) to the FCCA no later than Monday, July 30, 2007. Thereafter, the FCCA selection committee will determine a first, second and third place winner for the two categories from among the essays submitted by all participating countries – this desicision is final and will be announced Monday, August 27, 2007.

Contest rules and guidelines are distributed through the Ministry of Tourism or Tourism Office in each destination.  Further information can also be provided by Monica Rojas of the FCCA, tel: 954-441-8881, fax: 054-441-3171, e-mail: mrojas@f-cca.com.

To reward students for their efforts, all finalists (except first, second and third place winners in each category) submitted but their countries will receive US $200.00.

NOTE TO EDITORS:  THE TEXT OF THE WINNING ESSAYS IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

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