There's a whole lotta Oprah going on at Holland America Line.
And not surprisingly, the Oprah-themed cruise scheduled for next January 30, 2019 is already sold out.
You heard that right. Holland America has partnered with O, The Oprah Magazine, to make the magazine come alive for hundreds of Oprah-loving passengers. Next January 30, 2019, the premium cruise line -- which is currently undergoing $300 Million in brand enhancements -- will debut a special three-day Girls' Getaway Cruise on its newest ship, the Nieuw Statendam. Ms. Winfrey herself -- who has been chosen to be the Godmother of the ship, a very high honor -- will embark on the inaugural HAL cruise, and will be joined by the magazine's Editor-At-Large, Gayle King.
Oprah’s picture will hang in the ship for its life with Holland America Line, honoring her as its Godmother. Naming a ship's Godmother is a 4,000-year-old maritime tradition believed to bring good luck to the ship and all who sail on it, so this certainly is an exciting new title to add to Oprah's many others.
All kinds of Oprah special events and presentations will be held on the new ship, which is currently under construction at Fincantieri's Merghera Shipyard in Italy.
The idea for the cruise partnership came about in 2016 when one of HAL's marketing executives met with Jayne Jamison, senior vice president, publisher and chief revenue officer of O, The Oprah Magazine. The two discussed how transformational travel can be, and they brainstormed to develop a special joint program between the cruise line and the magazine. In an exclusive interview for Forbes.com, Ms. Jamison told me, "Oprah has done it all. She's an actress, author, and philanthropist and we thought, 'Why not make her the ship's Godmother?' We found something that Oprah actually hadn't done before," Ms. Jamison said with an enthusiastic laugh.
On the debut cruise next year, a wealth of wonderful Oprah events and presentations will be given to the 2600 passengers -- all women, "with the exception of 200 brave men who are coming," quipped Ms Jamison. Editorial staff from O, The Oprah Magazine will be on board hosting some of the special events; these individuals include Editor-in-Chief Lucy Kaylin, Creative Director Adam Glassman, Beauty Director Brian Underwood, and Book Editor Leigh Haber.
Some of the Girls' Getaway cruise events will include "A Conversation with Oprah," in which she will share highlights of her career, as well as "Love That! Style Session with Adam Glassman" and "O's Reading Room," in which authors of books featured in the O Book Club will offer presentations and book-signings onboard. The ship's retail shops will also be chock-a-block with great Oprah merchandise from special brands "with mass appeal," says Ms. Jamison. "We are known for curating the latest and best in all price points."
The ship's turndown service will feature Oprah quotes printed on cards that are placed on all beds. But without question, one of the greatest advantages of the Oprah-themed cruise is not just the opportunity to see Ms. Winfrey in person, but, to also meet other like-minded women who share Oprah's energy and inspirational spirit, and to make meaningful friendships.
The Oprah-themed cruises -- without in-person appearances from Ms. Winfrey -- were initially started in 2017 to the Caribbean and Alaska, featuring unforgettable moments inspired by content in the magazine. They have proven to be enormously successful, and were co-branded with deluxe merchandisers such as Roberto Coin, Chico's and Land's End.
This August 11, 2018, will feature an Alaska itinerary, and on October 28, there will be a seven-day Caribbean sailing.
For example, here are some highlights for the upcoming Oprah cruise in August:
Brian Underwood, Beauty Director, will host O Beautiful on the Main Stage, offering tips and beauty advice, and doing before/after makeovers with cruisers; he will also host two Beauty Talk segments in The O Shop, talk-show style segments focused on product that guests can find in the store, with how-tos, tutorials, and Q&A;
Corrie Pikul, Health Editor, and Cathryne Keller, Food and Wellness Editor, will host Let’s Eat and offer ways to eat smarter and improve our energy through super foods;
Leigh Haber, Books Editor, will host an O Reading Room discussion with American author Laura Lippmann on her New York Times bestselling book, Sunburn;
Amy Macklin, Executive Editor, joins Brian, Corrie, Cathryne and Leigh for The Making of O, a behind the scenes look at how the magazine gets put together each month;
Dr. Shefali Tsabary, clinical psychologist, speaker, and author, named to the SuperSoul 100 by Oprah, will help guests let go of their traditional ways of thinking to become who they truly are;
and Sara Auster, renowned sound therapist, will lead Just Breathe, offering mindful meditation through sound bath therapy.
Knowing the popularity of Oprah and her magazine, these upcoming sailings will most likely sell out just as did the three-day debut cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. Says Ms. Jamison, "Once Oprah posted about the Girls' Getaway cruise, it sold out. That was it."
For 2019, the magazine is also producing video content that will appear on all of the ships in the HAL fleet. For example, Adam Glassman, Creative Director, will provide packing tips for booked guests who will be traveling on HAL cruises that year. When guests are on board, they will see videos of Adam in their stateroom and outside the Shops, offering advice on the essential pieces that every woman should have in her closet.
Here's what I have to say about it all -- O, that's good!
