One lucky Instagram user has won a coveted "intern-ship" that's practically just a paid vacation. After beating out 75,000 other submissions, Ciara Flynn, a tour guide from Dublin, Ireland was chosen to cruise around the world over a three-week period.
The lucky aspiring photographer gets to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise and get paid to post on Instagram. All it took for Flynn to win this prize was to post an exceptional photo on Instagram tagging @Royal Caribbean along with #ExtraordinaryExplorer.
'Intern-ship Of The Seas'
In the three-week cruise, Flynn will travel across three oceans and get to ride three different Royal Caribbean cruise ships free of charge. The all-expense-paid trip covers accommodation, food and drink, entertainment, flights, and all other expenses. Apart from the trip itself, Flynn will also receive £3,000 in cash or approximately $3,700.
During the trip, Flynn will have the chance to go to New York, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean.
Though the contest was only open to UK and Ireland, almost 350,000 people worldwide posted on Instagram to enter. Applicants had to be 21 years of age and older and have complete Instagram literacy.
The winning shot is that of two young monks in Kathmandu. Flynn said she watched the young monks for hours in the monastery before taking the photo.
Official Instagrammer
The contest that began in January came after the Royal Caribbean research team revealed that almost half of people between the ages of 18 and 24 rely completely on Instagram to plan their holidays. Further, their research also showed that over a third of their respondents admit that social media encouraged them to book their trips.
It is for this very reason that Royal Caribbean opened the contest to aspiring photographers who can inspire people and give in to wanderlust.
As Royal Caribbean's intern, Flynn will have to post three photos each day while on the cruise and go on at least three shore excursion activities. In each Instagram post, Flynn will have to share her experiences on the cruise and relay to other users the experiences they must try. Not bad, right?
"We’re confident that throughout the 'Intern-ship,' Ciara will be able to skillfully shoot similarly amazing moments on board our fleet, capturing the imaginations of the younger generation and inspiring them to consider cruising as their next big adventure," said Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean UK and Ireland's managing director.
