Stan Newman's Crossword University tm P.O. Box 69 Massapequa Park, NY 11762 (516) 795-8823 - StanXwords@aol.com - Fax 516-795-6788   Dear Puzzle Friend: You're invited to join me on our Eight Annual Crossword-theme event: a relaxing 7-day cruise from Ft Lauderdale, on Holland America Line's beautiful ms Statendam. The itinerary includes 4 terrific Caribbean Ports as well as well as several relaxing days at sea. You can count on me for an entertaining program of puzzle activities while you're on board. You'll have a "full boat" of crosswords, word games, and other puzzles to keep you busy, and I'll be leading instructional seminars on improving your solving skills and creating puzzles of your own. Of course, the Statendam has plenty of non-puzzle activities for you and "signifcant others" to enjoy, plus all the luxurious amenities you would expect from Holland America Line. Special Event Cruises, who has handled the travel arrangements for our previous six cruises, is a first-rate company that specializes in organizing seagoing theme events at discount prices. Their people are friendly and accommodating, and I'm sure you'll find it a pleasure dealing with them. For more information, or to book your cruise, call Special Event Cruises at 1-800-326-0373. Looking for a roommate? Ask Special Event Cruises about Holland America's unique cabin share program. They will attempt to find you a cabin-mate, and if they can't, you'll get a single room at the "per person" double-occupancy rate. You must book your cruise through Special Event Cruises to participate in the crossword program. For any puzzle-related questions, please contact me directly, either by regular e-mail or e-mail at the addresses at the top of this letter. I look forward to seeing you - and puzzling you - on board the ms Statendam. Sincerely, Stanley Newman President

Read what puzzle fans say about Crossword Cruises!

About Stanley Newman:

Formerly a Wall Street executive, his prowess in crossword solving won Newman the first U.S. Open Crossword Championship in 1982. He entered the puzzle business as a hobby the next year, founding the American Crossword Federation and starting a puzzle newsletter. After retiring from Wall Street in 1987, Newman plunged into crosswords full-time, as a puzzle creator, editor, publisher, syndicator, and mail-order bookseller - becoming the first to achieve concurrent success in five different arenas of puzzledom

Newman joined Random House in 1993 to head its Puzzles & Games imprint, and while there published over 200 titles from America's best-known sources, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times and Games magazine. He is the author/editor of more than 70 of his own books, most published by Random House. These include books of crosswords and word games, two New York Times crossword-reference books, and the just-published 10,000 Answers: The Ultimate Trivia Encyclopedia. Newman has organized and conducted  scores of puzzle and trivia events nationwide over the past 15 years, including seminars on "brain games" and trivia at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

In addition to his Random House activities, Newman has been crossword editor for the Long Island, New York newspaper Newsday since 1988, whose puzzles are currently syndicated worldwide to over 100 daily, Sunday and Internet newspapers. In 2002, he succeeded Mel Rosen as Editor of the Crosswords Club. As puzzle creator, his work has appeared regularly in People, Sport and Business Week magazines. And as puzzle solver, he holds the world's record, set in 1996 under Guinness Book conditions, for the fastest completion of a New York Times crossword: 2 minutes, 14 seconds.

You must book your cruise through Special Event Cruises to participate in this program.

Itinerary

Day	Ports of Call	Arrive	Depart
Sat Jan 3	Ft Lauderdale		5:00 PM
Sun Jan 4	At Sea
Mon Jan 5	Grand Turk, Turk & Caicos	7:00 AM	2:00 PM
Tue Jan 6	Mayaquez, PR	10:00 AM	7:00 PM
Wed Jan 7	St Thomas, USVI	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Thu Jan 8	At Sea
Fri Jan 9	Nassau, Bahamas	1:00 PM	6:00 PM
Sat Jan 10	Ft Lauderdale	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Schedule subject to change.