After a nationwide search by Princess Cruises asking “Are You the Greatest Romantic?,” father of four and minister Phil Roberts of Lexington, Ky. was crowned with the title after nearly 100 romantic hopefuls across the country submitted heartfelt videos nominating themselves or someone in their lives for the honor. The line’s Department of Romance experts narrowed the field to five finalists, and then thousands of people voted for their favorite entry.

Roberts personally received the news this morning from “Love Boat” star Gavin MacLeod (”Captain Stubing”), who is also part of Princess’ Department of Romance. “I was shocked and amazed when I picked up the phone this morning,” said Roberts. “First, I was so excited to win the contest and I’m truly touched that America felt my video and story was romantic enough to receive this honor. Then, to hear Gavin MacLeod on the other end giving me the good news — I was stunned! The entry deadline was the 10-year anniversary of my proposal to my wife Lisa, and what better way to honor this special memory than to win a contest that helped me pay tribute to my wife and family.”

Roberts’ winning entry, which he titled “The Greatest Romantic???,” received a large majority of the votes. In the cleverly produced video, Roberts nominated himself with a creative and touching poem narrated by his 3-year-old daughter, Ashley. The 37-year-old shared the ups-and-downs and joys of his nine-year marriage to his wife, Lisa, and said that romance has always been the core of their relationship. After learning that Lisa had always dreamt of becoming engaged at the ocean, Roberts created a beach scene in his apartment in Ohio, complete with a thousand pounds of sand, stars in the sky and a fluorescent beach scene painted on the walls. Roberts’ video can be seen at http://www.princess.com/romance.

With four children, the Roberts don’t get a lot of opportunities for date nights. But one way that they spend quality and rewarding time together is through monthly meetings with families of premature babies at the Lexington Ronald McDonald House. Their work also supports their charity, Project Seashore (http://www.projectseahorse.net), created in memory of their daughter, Emily, who passed away at birth. Winning this Princess cruise will be their first real vacation without their children.

“I just loved Phil’s video and his story, and I’m so glad the public felt the same way,” said MacLeod. “His entry had it all — it was touching, emotional, creative and truly romantic.”

MacLeod, together with the other experts in Princess’ Department of Romance, selected the five finalist videos they felt best embodied romance, along with creativity and originality. The other department members include Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the always-provocative couples therapist; Alex Michel, the first “Bachelor” on ABC’s hit show; Trish McDermott, vice president of love at Engage.com; and Lisa Light, destination wedding expert and author.

“We’re delighted to name Phil as our new ‘ambassador of love’ and have him join our Department of Romance for the next year,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises’ senior vice president. “We agree with voters that he embodies what it means to be a romantic, as he makes romance a part of his daily life. His personal love story is very inspirational and touched many people. So we’re looking forward to enabling him to share his advice to others through our web site.”

After Roberts is officially inducted into Princess’ Department of Romance, his story, advice and podcast will be featured on
http://www.princess.com/romance. In addition to becoming one of the line’s romance ambassadors, he will also receive a seven-day cruise for two to the Caribbean or the Mexican Riviera, so he can truly celebrate with the love of his life.

The other finalists included Brian Krall of Manchester, N.H., who nominated his wife in “Everyday the Greatest Romantic;” Lydia Kimball Gibbons of Orem, Utah, who nominated her husband Ted in “40 Years of Romance;” Kacey Evans of Ramsey, N.M., who nominated himself in “Our Story — Ashley and Kacey Evans” and Justin D’Ambosio of Jersey City, N.J., who also nominated himself in his “Practice Makes Romance.”

All five finalists will receive prize packages including decadent chocolates from Godiva Chocolatier, pampering products from Princess’ exclusive Lotus Spa and flowers from Teleflora.

Long known as a leader in romance, Princess has been offering romantic cruise vacations around the world for more than 40 years. Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, or by visiting the company’s website at http://www.princess.com.

About Princess Cruises:

One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 16 modern ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided in an environment of exceptional customer service. A recognized leader in worldwide cruising, Princess offers its passengers the opportunity to escape to the top destinations around the globe, with sailings to all seven continents, ranging in length from seven
to 107 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK).

Princess Cruises is a proud member of World’s Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest, and a commitment to quality and value, our member lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. Together we offer exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world’s most desirable destinations.

News, background information and photography are available 24/7 at http://www.princess.com/news.

SOURCE Princess Cruises / PRNewswire