Recent misfortunes may have left some cruise companies in troubled waters, but that hasn't stopped Ezra Levant from getting on board Sun News Network's Freedom Cruise. The host of "The Source" is one of eight scheduled guests set to join travellers on board a seven-day cruise from Vancouver to Alaska and back.
"There are hundreds of cruise ships plying the seas at any time, and the occasional mishap generally makes news. But my experience on cruise ships has been uniformly positive, and I have sailed this exact route before, on Holland America, which is quite a nice line," Levant told The Huffington Post Canada in an email.
And while passengers can expect the usual offerings -- fine dining, off boat excursions and plenty of bars -- Levant says the cruise will feature plenty of political discussion for fans of Sun News, hence the emphasis on 'freedom'
"The phrase 'freedom' emphasizes our political philosophy, and lets people know that it's more than just a regular cruise -- there will be a seminar aspect to it as well," said Levant, referring to sessions hosted by speakers such as Danielle Smith of Alberta's Wildrose Party, Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, and John Robson, a columnist with Sun media.
Levant says the idea for the Freedom Cruise came from similar cruises he created when he was publisher of the Western Standard magazine. And while he thinks the cruise will mainly appeal to Sun viewers, he hopes since not all the speakers are from the channel, the voyage will also appeal to families.
"My experience with the Western Standard cruises was that it's great for families where one person is very political, and the other spouse (and kids) aren't. Because while we're having our political sessions, there are so many other things to do on the ship for non-political people, from kids activities to the spa. Remember, we're spreading out the politics over a week, so it's still 90% vacation time."
The cruise is the latest iteration of Sun's "freedom" inspired getaways. Last year, the channel held a 'Freedom Weekend' in Muskoka, Ont. where guests met with Levant and other Sun personalities in between snowshoeing, star gazing and talks about Canada's political landscape. But as Levant puts it, one weekend just wasn't enough time for those who travelled to the Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa from outside Ontario.
The Freedom Cruise is set to leave Vancouver on Aug. 3, 2013 and will include stops in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan Alaska.
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