Cruising In Style or those who had the opportunity to attend the 2012 Royal International Miss National Pageant in Orlando, a magical week was had by all. The summer sun of Flori- da was the backdrop for this incredible week of pageantry, fun and excitement. Delegates from all over the country came with dreams of taking home one of the seven prestigious National titles of Royal International Miss. In addition to the prestigious title, custom crown, beautiful rhinestone- trimmed sashes, custom designed flower bouquet and elegant tro- phies, the lucky ladies chosen as the 2012 National Queens would also be ready to set sail with their new sister queens aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines for a Royalty Cruise to the Caribbean. The week began with an amazing welcome dinner and “get ac- quainted competition” in which the delegates were assigned to teams and then participated in fun games and competitions, all geared to help them get to know the other delegates. It was quite an entertaining evening. The competition officially kicked off with a fantastic array of optional competitions, including the signature Royal Top Model competition, in which the girls participate in a fashion photo shoot and have the opportunity to experience what it is like to shoot a fashion commercial. With fans blowing and flashes flying, the true beauty of these wonderful young ladies was captured. The second part of this competition transported the delegates to the runways of Paris and Milan, as they worked the catwalk and showed off their senses of style modeling fashion forward outfits of their choice. This was truly a must-see event. Many of the del- egates also participated in the Project Purple competition. This is always a fun event that showcases the amazing creativity of the F 78 PAGEANTRY BILL KRAUTLER PHOTOGRAPHY In front of a capacity crowd, the new National Queens of the Royal International Miss Pageant delivered an incredible and magical event to remember contestants. The participants are given two yards of purple fabric at registration and asked to construct an outfit of their choice. All rules were out the window as the contestants cut, sewed, glued, and embellished to their hearts’ content. This was truly a chance to let their inner designers come to life. After the creative work was done, the delegates worked the runway, modeling their cre- ations. The outfits created by these talented young ladies did not fail to impress. The day of optional competitions was capped off by the talent, spokesmodel and actress competitions. After all that hard work and competition, it was time to party at the “Welcome Back to the 80s” dinner and dance party. As the contestants arrived dressed in their favorite 80s fashions, they were greeted with a special gift bag full of goodies. They danced the night away with an amazing Madonna impersonator and special guest DJ who rocked the 80s hits. As always, in true Royal International Miss style, there was plenty of food and fun for all. As the next morning arrived, the 2012 Delegates were bright- eyed, wearing their favorite suits, and ready to get down to busi- ness, as the Interview competition was about to begin. It was clear that the distinguished panel of judges had a difficult job in front of them as each of the delegates had the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with them. The judges were amazed at the level of poise these ladies exhibited and the impact that they are mak- ing on their communities with time spent in volunteer service. With the optional phase of competition and the interviews be- hind them, the delegates were prepared to hit the stage and show off their personal senses of style in the Fashion Wear competition. This fast-paced, runway-style modeling competition featured each