Princess Cruises is rolling out its lineup of cruise itineraries for 2019, including the line’s largest-ever deployment in Alaska and its schedule for the Caribbean.
Alaska Cruises
In 2019 Princess Cruises will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in Alaska with its largest-ever deployment in the region, highlighted by the debut of the Royal Princess.
Seven Princess Cruises ships will sail to Alaska with the inaugural season of Royal Princess, bringing the largest Princess ship ever to sail the region. In addition, 76 percent of all voyages sail to Glacier Bay National Park. To enhance the cruise experience and to see more of Alaska, guests can also choose from more than 23 cruisetours while visiting Princess Wilderness Lodges and Denali National Park.
While on board, guests will encounter a variety of ways to engage in authentic experiences through the North to Alaska program, featuring Cook My Catch, an exclusive culinary program allowing guests to return from select Princess fishing excursions to have the chef prepare their very own catch of the day. Also offered is Puppies in the Piazza, where real Alaska sled dog puppies are brought on board in Skagway for guests to interact with.
The 2019 program also includes the first full season of an exclusive treehouse experience at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge built by Pete Nelson of Animal Planet's Treehouse Masters. In addition, lodge guests will hear first-hand tales from mountain climbers who have conquered Denali as they tell the exhilarating stories of their journey in the Hudson Theater.
Other cruise highlights include:
- Voyage of the Glaciers – Princess' most popular sailings between Vancouver and Whittier include two glacier-viewing experiences on every voyage, with visits to the UNESCO-listed Glacier Bay National Park plus either Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord. These seven-day cruises are offered aboard Royal Princess and Golden Princess (departing Saturdays) and Coral Princess and Island Princess (departing Wednesdays). Every northbound Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary on Island Princess includes Icy Strait Point.
- Inside Passage –This awe-inspiring part of Alaska, known for its lush scenery and pristine fjords, will be featured on seven-, 10- and 12-day roundtrip voyages from Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
- Seven-Day Roundtrip Seattle – Ruby Princess departs on Saturdays and sails to Glacier Bay. Star Princess departs on Sundays and visits Tracy Arm Fjord. All Inside Passage voyages from Seattle offer More Ashore late-night calls in Juneau.
- 10-day Roundtrip San Francisco – Grand Princess
- 12-day Roundtrip Los Angeles – Three voyages aboard Royal Princess, Ruby Princess and Star Princess
- Roundtrip Cruises from Vancouver - Four seven-day Inside Passage sailings on Coral Princess, Island Princess and Golden Princess; Two four-day Alaska Samplers on Golden Princess and one five-day Alaska Sampler on Island Princess.
The categories of cruisetour options are:
- Denali Explorer – As Princess' most popular cruisetour, these itineraries include multiple nights at the line's Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and/or Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. Most offer Princess' exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service between the ship in Whittier and the Denali area in one day, plus the opportunity to explore Fairbanks and/or Anchorage.
- On Your Own – An affordable option for independent-minded travelers, these itineraries offer a flexible way to see the heart of Alaska. Tours follow similar routes as Denali Explorer options, but do not include any pre-planned excursions, giving travelers the opportunity to customize their own experience.
- Off the Beaten Path – These itineraries are designed to take travelers beyond Denali to sought-after, remote regions of the state such as the Kenai Peninsula and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
- Connoisseur – The line's highest level of service, these tours aim to provide a truly immersive experience. With a professional tour director, most meals included and enhanced sightseeing; guests experience the best of the Great Land.
- Heart of the Rockies Plus Rail – This 14-night cruisetour originates in Calgary and includes daylight Silverleaf rail service on the Rocky Mountaineer. The fully escorted land tour combines with a seven-day northbound Voyage of the Glaciers cruise on Royal Princess and Golden Princess and includes most breakfasts and dinners. Overnight accommodations are offered at Fairmont Calgary Palliser Hotel, Banff, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Four Seasons Vancouver.
Caribbean Cruises
Meanwhile, in the Caribbean, Princess will continue offering summer itineraries from Florida in 2019. The May through July 2019 summer season includes 17 cruise departures roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, visiting seven countries on four unique itineraries, including the East/West Adventurer, which combines seven-day itineraries into a 14-day voyage.
Highlights include:
- Seven-day Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean voyages, combinable for a 14-day Caribbean East/West Adventurer
- Calls to the cruise line's private beach resort, Princess Cays, in the Bahamas on every seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise
- More Ashore late-night stays in St. Thomas on every seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise and in Cozumel on every seven-day Western Caribbean cruise
- Access to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on every Western Caribbean cruise
- Other noteworthy sites accessible through shore excursions include Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John, Blackbeard's Castle in St. Thomas, Stingray City in Grand Cayman, and the Mayan Ruins at Tulum
Unique features aboard Caribbean Princess include exciting specialty dining options such as Planks BBQ, Steamers, World Fresh Market, Coffee & Cones as well as Camp Discovery, a themed youth and teen center for kids of all ages.
Captain's Circle Savings and Early Booking Deposit
Princess guests holding Elite status will have the opportunity to secure their booking a day earlier than other past guests and the general public, which goes on sale December 14, 2017. In celebration of the 50 years in Alaska, all passengers in North America, Asia and Australia can take advantage of a 50 percent reduced deposit for any 2019 Alaska voyage. This reduced deposit offer expires April 30, 2018. In the Caribbean, a reduced deposit of 10 percent is available for Captain Circle guest's bookings made by August 31, 2018.
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