Travel lover from Dublin beats 75,000 others to win experience as Royal Caribbean’s official Instagrammer

Experience includes travelling three oceans on three Royal Caribbean cruise ships, receiving £3,000

Image of Nepalese monks captures simple magic of daily life

A tour guide from Dublin, has won the experience of a lifetime, after being selected from over 75,000 UK and Irish applications to travel the world over a three week period as Royal Caribbean International’s official Instagrammer.

Lucky Ciara Flynn, who earns a living working as a tour guide to fund her travels around the world, will spend three weeks travelling three oceans, on three ships this summer; with all of her food, drink, accommodation, entertainment, flights and expenses covered by Royal Caribbean. In addition, the budding snapper will also receive £3,000.

The search to find someone to fulfil the Instagram ‘Intern–Ship’ was launched by Royal Caribbean in January. The campaign was the brainchild of Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director UK & Ireland, and came in response to data showing that more and more people were using social media channels as inspiration when booking their holidays.

Bouldin said: “Our research revealed that social media has redefined the holiday market. Over half (51 per cent) of 18–24 year olds rely completely on channels such as Instagram when researching holidays and more than a third (40 per cent) of people said that seeing their friends’ bragging posts from abroad had encouraged them to book a trip.”

The application mechanic was simple; post your favourite, most–inspiring image on Instagram, anchored to the hashtag #ExtraordinaryExplorer. Although Royal Caribbean limited their search to British and Irish candidates, it clearly struck a chord with travellers all over the world, with over 330,000 people globally, posting to the hashtag, hoping that their image might be considered.

A judging panel comprising travel blogger Johnny Ward; Travel Weekly Editor–in–Chief Lucy Huxley and Royal Caribbean’s Ben Bouldin sifted through the entries, and were huge fans of Ciara’s snap of two young Buddhist monks taking some time out at Kathmandu. The shot was taken shortly before Ciara’s trek to Mount Everest and provides a rare snapshot into the lives of two children half the world away.

Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director, UK and Ireland said: “Ciara’s entry was everything we were looking for when we launched our Instagram ‘Intern–ship’. Her image has strong visual appeal, originality and inspires viewers to jump out of the ordinary and explore the world.

“Most importantly, it also captures a subtle but amazing moment that draws the viewer into her story. We’re confident that throughout the ‘Intern–ship’, Ciara will be able to skillfully shoot similarly amazing moments onboard our fleet, capturing the imaginations of the younger generation and inspiring them to consider cruising as their next big adventure.”

Ciara Flynn said: “Becoming Royal Caribbean’s Extraordinary Explorer is the experience of a lifetime. I’ve always loved photography and have been doing it for as long as I can remember. Capturing the magic in the ordinary moments in life tells a much richer story than words ever could, so I’m thrilled to be able to get the chance to do this with Royal Caribbean.”

She continued: “I spent hours sat in the monastery at Kathmandu just watching these young monks before I shot this picture. Seeing them subtly switch between being children and monks gave me a glimpse into a different and fascinating culture. As a unique moment in time, I wanted to use Instagram to share it with the world.”

Ciara’s image stood out above the rest, but there were huge numbers of extraordinary shots that told incredible stories. Those that made the shortlist were:

·         @russ_francis with his shot of New Year’s Eve in London

·         @tots_travel with their image of a snowy Central Park

·         @backpacksandbunkbeds with her shot of a hazy sunset on the coast of Ghana ·         @travelwith_chris with a snap from 3500ft over the Grand Canyon ·         @diazapan’s snap of an Indian man with a painted face in the city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges ·         @jasonthomasphoto’s shot of a cyclist enjoying a ray of winter sun on an overcast Welsh landscape ·         @mal_photo_ with his image of a taxi driver in Rio de Janeiro ·         @robertmitson’s photo of a peaceful temple in Seoul ·         @ryan_domenico’s snap of Milford Sound in New Zealand, with the 5,540ft Mitre Peak shrouded in cloud For further information on the Extraordinary Intern–ship, please contact the Royal Caribbean press office on RoyalCaribbean@aikenpr.com or visit www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/extraordinary–intern–ship/   –ENDS–   Notes to Editors:   About Royal Caribbean:  At Royal Caribbean, our aim is to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. We are the pioneers of many firsts at sea, offering a playground of incredible experiences both off and onboard. With a fleet of 25 innovative and spectacular ships that visit 250 destinations over 77 countries and 6 continents, we truly have a holiday to suit everyone. We are revolutionising the cruise industry to make sure that every holiday with Royal Caribbean is like no other. Whether that’s wowing guests with our robotic bartenders, exhilarating them with our skydiving and surfing simulators, or thrilling them with breathtaking destinations, we want to help them create unforgettable stories that they can tell over and over again. What’s more, Royal Caribbean was recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2016 – a distinction granted to only 130 companies – highlighting our continued commitment and dedication to putting sustainability into the heart of our business. Even better, Irish consumers and travel agents think we’re doing great things too – in 2016, Royal Caribbean was awarded “Best General Cruise Line” at the Irish Travel Trade Awards and more recently awarded “Best General Cruise Company” at the 2017 Irish Travel Industry Awards, as well as being named “Ireland’s Favourite Cruise Line” by readers of the Irish Independent. Media can stay up–to–date by following @MyRoyalUK on Twitter, and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, guests can visit http://www.royalcaribbean.ie  or call 0844 493 4005, or call their travel agent.     %fSp��3�0���`