Princess Cruises' passengers sailing in Alaska around the Fourth of July will have an unusual opportunity courtesy of the line.
When the ships reach Juneau during the period of July 1-8, each ship will display an original copy of the Declaration of Independence for its passengers for a two-hour period.
When the Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, 200 official copies were printed to be distributed to the colonies and King George. Of those, only 25 are still known to exist, and the one displayed on the Princess ships was discovered and authenticated in 1989. It was purchased by television producer Norman Lear in 2000 for $8.14 million. This will be the first time one of these copies has been displayed in Alaska, and certainly the first time on a cruise ship.
Details were carried in the June 18 edition of Cruise News Daily.
