#1 Cruise Line in Alaska Marks Milestone with Enhanced
Guest Experiences
SANTA CLARITA, Calif.,
Jan. 23, 2019 /CNW/ -- Princess
Cruises first began cruising to Alaska on June 3,
1969 with Princess
Italia carrying 525 guests to this breathtaking
bucket-list destination. This year, the #1 cruise line in
Alaska is celebrating its 50 years
of sailing to the Great Land by introducing new entertainment,
shore excursions and culinary offerings to mark this significant
milestone.
New programs will be available onboard seven Princess Cruises
ships sailing in Alaska for the
upcoming May through September season, marking the cruise line's
largest deployment ever and featuring the debut of Royal Princess,
the first time a Princess MedallionClass™ ship will be sailing in
Alaska. Considered a breakthrough
in the vacation industry, the OceanMedallion wearable device
features leading-edge technology that delivers personalized
service through enhanced guest-crew interactions, eliminates
friction points and enables interactive entertainment.
"We've spent half a century developing our legacy in
Alaska and host more guests there
than any other cruise line – more than 5 million over the last 50
years," said Jan Swartz, Princess
Cruises president. "We invite guests to celebrate this 50-year
milestone with us, to try new and authentic experiences, combined
with the awe-inspiring beauty of the Great Land and embark on
an unforgettable journey."
As the recognized cruise line leader, Princess offers a variety
of cruise and cruisetour options highlighting the state's must-see
attractions, including Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park. Alaska cruises range in
length from seven to 12 days and depart from Vancouver, Anchorage (Whittier), Seattle, San
Francisco and Los
Angeles.
Princess also owns and operates five wilderness lodges nestled
in scenic riverside locations near National Parks offering more
than 20 unique cruisetour options for guests. Princess cruisetours
highlight the best of Alaska by
combining a seven-day cruise with a multi-night land tour and
exclusive "Direct to the Wilderness" rail service – giving
travelers a seamless Princess vacation experience in the Great
Land.
New for 2019, as part of the Alaska cruisetour offerings, is the grand
opening of Fannie Q's Saloon at the Denali Princess Wilderness
Lodge. This new restaurant and bar named after famed
Alaskan pioneer, Fannie Quigley,
will showcase her story and locally inspired dishes in a modern
saloon setting, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just outside
of Fannie Q's Saloon, the new Fireside Patio also debuts
with three firepits offering a new gathering place for guests to
roast marshmallows, talk about their adventures and have a drink in
the midnight sun. Light refreshments will be available for purchase
at this new cozy spot. Last, newly named Grizzly Burger
offers a fast-casual restaurant serving up the cruise line's
award-winning "Ernesto" burger, named "Best Burger at Sea" by
Cruise Critic. This uniquely crafted ribeye burger was created
exclusively for Princess by burger expert Chef Ernesto Uchimura.
An exclusive treehouse experience at the Mt. McKinley Princess
Wilderness Lodge built by Pete
Nelson of Animal Planet's Treehouse Masters offers guests the ultimate
Denali view in an unforgettable setting.
For this anniversary year, specially-themed offerings are added
to the award-winning "North to Alaska" onboard lineup that brings unique
Alaska experiences to life through
local seafood and real Alaskans coming aboard to share their
stories:
Northern Lights Planetarium – Gazing up at the Northern
Lights is an unforgettable natural phenomenon. Now, guests have the
opportunity to enter the indoor planetarium in the Princess Theater
and look up at this aurora, a natural and colorful light
display.
Adventures Ashore – A number of new shore
excursions in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Icy Strait Point will be
available for guests to truly connect with the local nature,
culture and adventures only found in Alaska, including:
- Hubbard Glacier & Wilderness Exploration – Hubbard
Glacier
- Luxury Whale Watch by Yacht – Juneau
- Interactive Self-Guided Jeep Adventure – Juneau
- Ketchikan Pub Walk – Ketchikan
- Rainforest Trail Bike & Hike Adventure – Ketchikan
- Seafood Feast & Tribal Dance Show – Icy Strait Point
- Tree Top Adventure Park & Zipline – Icy Strait Point
- Adventure Park & ZipRider Combo – Icy Strait Point
- Wilderness Hike & Kayak Adventure – Icy Strait Point
- Discovering the Birds of Hoonah – Icy Strait Point
Local Guest Speakers – From naturalists, to a "Deadliest
Catch" fisherman captain, to a world champion lumberjack and the
first female winner of the Iditarod, guests will meet with local
experts and hear first-hand how Alaska's unique environment has fueled their
lifestyles, passions and professions.
A Taste of Alaska – From fresh menu offerings in the main
dining rooms to a new Chef's Table featuring the local cuisine of
Alaska, guests will delight in
seafood, such as salmon and crab, and locally inspired dishes.
"Glacier Tea" & Beer Tastings - A new
celebratory cocktail will also be served up - a take on a Long
Island Ice Tea, topped off with Blue Curacao, similar to the
brilliant glacier blue color found in Alaska. For beer lovers, a special
Alaska beer tasting flight will be
offered, featuring blends from Juneau-based Alaskan Brewing
Company.
Historical Alaska Display in the Piazza –
Guests will enjoy a mini museum exhibit featuring notable images
throughout the 50 years Princess Cruises has sailed to Alaska.
Now is the perfect time to book a cruise or cruisetour vacation
to Alaska during the All
Aboard Sale that is available through February 28. For more information visit
princess.com, call 1-800-PRINCESS (774-6237) or contact your
professional travel advisor.
About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a
global premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 17
modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to more
than 360 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera,
Europe, South America, Australia/New
Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia,
Canada/New England and World
Cruises. A team of professional destination experts has created
more than 150 award-winning itineraries, ranging in length from
three to 111 days and Princess Cruises has been continuously
recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries."
Princess Cruises continues its multi-year, "Come Back New
Promise" – a $450 million-dollar
product innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will
continue to enhance the line's onboard guest experience. These
enhancements result in more moments of awe, lifetime memories and
meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise vacation.
The product innovations include partnerships with award-winning
Chef Curtis Stone; engaging
entertainment inspired shows with Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the
whole family from Discovery and Animal Planet that include
exclusive shore excursions to onboard activities; the ultimate
sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed and much
more.
Three new Royal-class ships are currently on order with the next
new ship, Sky Princess, under construction scheduled for delivery
in October 2019. Princess recently
announced that two new (LNG) ships which will be the largest ships
in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests
with expected delivery in 2023 and 2025. Princess now has
five ships arriving over the next six years between 2019 &
2025. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc
(NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).
Newsroom:
Additional media information is available at
princess.com/news.
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SOURCE Princess Cruises