Stars shine bright at Los Angeles premiere of 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'
Celebrities strut the blue carpet in Hollywood for the world premiere of the final chapter of the 'Star Wars' franchise.
Liana Moore vividly remembers when her husband was almost "apprehended" on their cruise. It happened in a ship hallway, in front of her two young kids. The Imperial Officers sure were threatening, but they let him go with just a warning.
The mom behind the travel blog Insider Families will also never forget how her 5-year-old approached Darth Vader to tell him he was his favorite "Star Wars" character when suddenly, without warning, the Dark Lord started swinging a lightsaber at him. Fortunately, her son was also armed.
The daylong celebration, dubbed Star Wars Day at Sea, is being offered on offered on nine Disney Fantasy Caribbean sailings between January and March. (Matt Stroshane)
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Once again, Disney, which acquired the Star Wars franchise for $4 billion in 2012 and is getting ready to launch its fifth cruise ship, is taking this year’s Star Wars Day at Sea sailings very seriously. Forgot to pack your favorite crystal-powered energy sword? Pop into the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, wade through racks of Jedi robes and the crowd fighting for the last Baby Yoda doll, and you’ll find yourself facing a dizzying array of lightsabers. In fact, the only other place bound to have a wider selection will be the gift shop at the Star Wars hotel scheduled to open in 2021.
While Walt Disney World’s new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride had a rough opening, Disney has been offering Star Wars Day at Sea since 2016. Of course, as the franchise grows — the trilogy’s final film “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” just hit theaters on December 20 — so does the experience. For example, when Moore and her family cruised last year, no one knew of the little legend recently named “2019’s biggest character” by The Guardian.
According to Liana Moore, who took her family on a sailing last year, said the Stormtroopers weren't shy about arresting her husband on Star Wars Day at Sea. (Matt Stroshane)
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The newest Star Wars Day at Sea — offered on nine Disney Fantasy Caribbean sailings between January and March — actually starts the night before the festivities officially commence. The saga begins when unsuspecting passengers notice the ominous "Imperial March" playing over the loudspeaker. Forget pirates of the Caribbean — the next few hours are Stormtroopers of the Caribbean with appearances by droids, Jedi and the world’s most famous Wookie, among others. But guests don’t have to be a Chewbacca mom to appreciate being able to drop their kids off at Jedi Training: Here, instead of fighting each other, siblings can team up against Kylo Ren. Meanwhile, the Disney Oceaneer Club is transformed into the Star Wars: Command Post, complete with starship flight simulators, interactive holographic models and a noisy, nosy BB-8 standing by.
If you're one of the few people who got a hankering for a frozen dessert after seeing Han Solo frozen in carbonite, this cruise is for you. (Matt Stroshane)
The theme extends to the dining rooms, where the "Star Wars" menu includes Princess Leia pudding and Hans Solo frozen carbonite sundaes. The day ends when everyone, including Padawans, Rebel pilots and even Tusken Raiders, rub elbows at a galactic gala featuring special effects and stunts normally reserved for Burbank film lots. Then it's time for a pyrotechnic show set to the "Star Wars" soundtrack, which itself is so culturally and historically significant (and embedded in our collective brains) that it’s stored in the Library of Congress.
“The crew members were fantastic and did not stray from character,” said one passenger, before adding that casual fans may be overwhelmed by the "Star Wars"-iness of it all. “There’s no getting away from it.”
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But like most vacations offered by the white-gloved mouse, it’s not cheap: The seven-night cruise sailing from Port Canaveral starts at $3,100 per stateroom. Is it worth it? “The crew members were fantastic and did not stray from character,” recalls Moore, whose family loved it. Still, she cautions that it’s the kind of itinerary you take on only if everyone in the family is a "Star Wars" fan. In her words, “There’s no getting away from it.”
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To Moore's point, Disney likely knows it toes the line of going overboard with its Star Wars Day at Sea, but the brand simply doesn’t do themes half-asked. In Yoda’s words, “Do or do not, there is no try.”
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