List of cruise news articles updates on Princess Cruises thoughtout the day en-gb http://www.iglucruise.com 2010-03-18 Ocean Village, which will cease to exist as a brand later this year, Princess Cruises has decided to increase its Mediterranean fly-cruises programme

The firm launched its biggest plan in Europe for 2011, which revealed it will have seven ships next year, up from the current six sailing in the region.

British cruise lovers will be well-catered for as Grand Princess and Crown Princess will be based in Southampton once more, while Ocean Princess will offer itineraries from Dover.

Pieter van der Schee, head of brand marketing for the firm, which will also offer three-night weekend voyages from Southampton for the first time, was bullish about its prospects.

"With the additional capacity of fly-cruises, we think we will appeal to Ocean Village customers looking for other opportunities.

"Princess has a more American style and it's a slightly more upmarket version of the more informal style of cruising which Ocean Village offers."

A number of cruise ship operators have been relocating vessels to Europe to capitalise on the growing market.

Written by Chris Smith.



]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/princess-looking-to-attract-ocean-village-customers_a19674192 2010-03-17 Princess Cruises opting to send more ships to the region for the 2011 summer season.

Back in 2006, the cruise liner only sent four vessels to Europe, but improved demand saw this figure jump to six this year and another one of the fleets 17 boats will head to European shores in 2011.

Among the ships that can be travelled on by European passengers next year are the Ruby Princess, Emerald Princess and Crown Princess, with 42 different itineraries planned to take in over 135 ports across the continent.

Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president, said: "As a leader in Europe cruises we constantly aim to design an intriguing range of vacation choices.

"Whether they want the amenities of a large ship or the intimate experience of a smaller vessel; a short, seven-day getaway or an extended adventure over several weeks, there's a Princess cruise to match."

Meanwhile, the different itineraries on offer include visits to the Mediterranean, the Baltic region and the Norwegian Fjords.

The 17 elegant ships from Princess Cruises sail to all continents and are known for a cosmopolitan onboard ambiance alongside excellent service.

Written by Chris Smith

]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/princess-cruises-to-send-an-extra-ship-to-europe-next-year_a19663989 2010-03-11 Princess Cruises.

Non-travellers will be allowed to get a taste of the onboard experience while accompanying ticketholders through a new programme dubbed the Bon Voyage Experience.

Accompanying guests will be able to not only enjoy lunch in the company's ships' dining rooms but also have a tour of the vessel as part of the tradition, which had disappeared with the advent of tighter security.

"Long-time cruisers will recall the fun of the bon voyage send-off with their family and friends, and we're excited to re-introduce a new, modern version of this experience," explained Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.

The programme will be launched in March in the ports of Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale, with vessels such as Coral Princess participating.

Written by Chris Smith.



]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/princess-cruise-to-bring-back-bon-voyage-tradition_a19611810 2010-02-11
According to the Canwest News Service, Karen Candy, a spokeswoman for Princess Cruises, highlights that all parts of the holiday are under one roof, meaning that people do not have as many decisions to make once stepping on a ship.

The news provider reports that she said: "Choosing a cruise vacation versus a land vacation is a great value, since it takes the hassle out of booking several properties to see various destinations and a cruise includes meals, entertainment and incredible service."

However, passengers are still given a vast amount of choice when deciding to take a break with Princess Cruises, as 17 vessels sail to seven continents.

One of the ships that individuals can select to board is the Golden Princess, which features a 24-hour panoramic buffet, nine whirlwind spas and a nine-hole golf putting course.

Furthermore, the ship plays host to a casino, an outdoor pizzeria, a theatre and a sports bar.

Written by Chris Smith

]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/cruise-holidays-offer-little-stress-and-good-value-for-money_a19586882 2010-01-29 Princess Cruises has been honoured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for its efforts to enhance the tracking of global weather patterns.

While cruise lovers relax and explore the world aboard its vessels, the company's ships send weather observations to the NOAA thereby helping it track the patterns.

The organisation awarded the Weather Cruise Ship Company of the Year gong to Princess Cruises after its ships made 20,139 weather observations, more than any of its peers.

Coral Princess made the largest contribution after achieving 5,142 observations for the voluntary reporting system, which involves air temperature, humidity, wind direction and strength, sea waves and swells.

"With Princess ships sailing around the globe to all seven continents, we're in the unique position to be able to take weather readings in a multitude of destinations," said Princess Cruises executive vice president Jan Swartz.

Princess Cruises is part of the Carnival Corporation & plc group of companies, which recently announced a multi-million dollar donation to Haiti's earthquake victims.

Written by Chris Smith.



]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/princess-cruises-receives-noaa-award_a19573873 2010-01-22 Princess Cruises.

The company has launched a new deal offering discounts of up to £800 per couple on Grand Princess itineraries, which sail from the port of Southampton next year, and it expects the demand to be high.

Introduced on December 28th, the balcony stateroom promotion, which runs until January 31st 2010, is also offering cash in onboard credit for those who book within this period.

The company's head of brand marketing Pieter van der Schee explained that "as the market is changing, many passengers now expect a private balcony as standard.

"Balcony staterooms have become much cheaper and our Princess Sale is offering massive price reductions, making cruising better value than ever before."

An estimated 1.65 million UK cruise holidays are expected to be taken in 2010, according to the Passenger Shipping Association.

]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/princess-cruises-offering-bargain-cruises_a19533814 2009-12-30 Princess Cruises' naming of its new ship Ocean Princess.

The company has broken with tradition and decided to host the naming ceremony for Ocean Princess, which was formerly known as Tahitian Princess, entirely on the internet.

Running throughout the ship's 16-day Southeast Asia cruise, which ends on December 18th, the virtual ceremony is also aimed at raising funds for the New England Aquarium.

Princess Cruises' executive vice president Jan Swartz explained: "In this digital age, we wanted to design a way that all our fans worldwide could be part of the celebration.

"But not only do we want to entertain people with this fun approach, we also want people to think about our oceans and in doing so support the important work of the New England Aquarium."

Oasis of the Seas also this week broke maritime tradition by having seven celebrity godmothers presiding over its inauguration.

Written by Chris Smith.

]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/virtual-ceremony-for-ocean-princess_a19496128 2009-12-04
The company's Alaska Cruisetour gives passengers the opportunity to enjoy a seven-night trip from Vancouver to the town of Whittier in the 49th state of the USA.

From here, Princess customers will then be able to take a train inland to the base of Mount McKinley in the company of local park rangers who will bring them up-to-speed on Alaska's history and nature.

Announcing the launch of the new package, Pieter van der Schee, head of brand marketing at Princess cruises, told Travel Weekly: "Princess' expertise in cruise holidays and land tours in the region has enabled us to put together a fascinating itinerary that will appeal to families of all ages at better value than ever before."

Princess Cruises was established back in the 1960s when the company's founder Stanley McDonald reached a deal to use Alaskan cruise liners for summer tours of Mexico during months when they would normally have lain dormant.

Written by Chris Smith

]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/princess-cruises-launches-new-alaska-cruise-package_a19487853 2009-12-01 Princess Cruises' prized vessels will receive a new name as part of its two-week renovation.

Tahitian Princess will be turned into Ocean Princess, with the makeover process documented in the latest edition of the Princess online dry dock journal.

Princess Cruises' executive vice president Jan Swartz said that the response to the journals had been "remarkable".

"This latest journal will give cruise fans yet another insiders' peek behind the scenes, with the added interest in seeing the name change," he commented.

Viewers of the journal will be able to see the vessel's name being removed and replaced on equipment such as the ship's lifeboats.

Following its renovation, the newly-named Ocean Princess will embark on a 16-day tour of south-east Asia from Singapore to Shanghai.

The cruise will begin Princess Cruises' winter season of voyages throughout Asia, India and Africa before it reverts back to Europe during the summer months.

Earlier this month, Tahitian Princess docked at Mumbai following a cruise from Muscat.

Written by Chris Smith

]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/tahitian-princess-to-be-renamed-during-makeover_a19476794 2009-11-24 Princess Cruises to review its global cruises programme for 2010/11.

The company is expanding its offering of such voyages, which see the firm's cruise liners visit destinations such as South America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Far East and Hawaii, reports Travel Weekly.

According to Princess Cruises' head of brand marketing Pieter van der Schee, the company's exotic cruise offering was just around a third of today's size three years ago.

He told the publication: "We have done a lot of work to increase awareness and agents have played a big part in its success, but a lot of the growth is down to demand.

"People are looking for new destinations and, as cruising grows, more people are realising it's a great way to see lots of places on one holiday."

Meanwhile, Princes Cruises has abolished charges on some of the food outlets on board its ships, citing changing consumer attitudes in the recession, reports TTG.

Ice cream charges across the line have been dropped despite accounting for £1 million in revenue in a bid to ensure cruise lovers get value for money while holidaying.

Written by Chris Smith.

]]> http://www.iglucruise.com/news/princess-cruises-to-offer-more-exotic-breaks_a19359422 2009-09-14