Princess Cruises is set to make next year’s wave season its own, with a record number of ships and itineraries and 25 per cent more beds than any other line.
“No other line has had six ships in Australia over the summer. I think having six ships sailing from six different home ports helps confirm our position as the destination leader,” Princess Cruises Vice Present Asia Pacific Stuart Allison told Cruise Passenger this week.
“Over the 12 month from April 2020 to March 2021, we’ll have 200 different cruises, 118 different destinations visiting 175 ports in 52 countries. All of that is quite incredible.”
The new Princess fleet will next year cover all options: the mighty Majestic Princess, the fleet’s newest ship, the Regal Princess, another Royal class with room for 3,500 passengers, and the smallest addition to the Australian fleet, Pacific Princess, at just 650 passengers.
These three join regulars Sapphire Princess, Sun Princess and Sea Princess to give the line its most extensive homeport coverage across Australia.
To mark the announcement and recalling that the December 2020 arrival of Pacific Princess in Sydney coincides with the 45th anniversary of Princess Cruises’ first roundtrip cruise from Australia, the line flew out TV’s Love Boat star and 80s legend Ted Lange.
Pacific Princess was the star of the Love Boat, and the line has made the series its own, playing its theme song from its fog horns.
“I’m so excited to return to Australia. I first fell in love with the country while I was filming an episode of ‘The Love Boat’ in Sydney back in the 1980s,” said Lange, who played barman Issac Washington for ten seasons.
“Australia holds a special place in our hearts. I can’t wait to show Aussies how to make my signature cocktail, The Isaac!”
“When you think about the Australian fleet, we’ve now got every kind of category of ship,” Mr Allison told Cruise Passenger.
He agreed Pacific Princess adds another dimension to the Princess offering.
“She’ll give us the opportunity to go to places we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to go to.
“She’s do NZ cruises over Christmas and New Year. But rather than following the same itineraries as Regal and Majestic, we’re going to add three new ports we’ve never done before because our ships are too big: Stewart Island, Kaikoura and New Plymouth.
“Similarly, we’ve put together a gem of a Papua New Guinea and Soloman Islands cruise which adds Wewak and Gizo. It think there will be interest in these ports not just from Australia but internationally.
“Gizo is famous for Kennedy Island where JFK got marooned in World War II. Wewak is where the Japanese surrendered. So there are stories behind these ports.”
Mr Allison is also excited by the arrival of the Ocean Medallion – the high-tech personal service device that is already hugely popular in the Caribbean and Europe.
Ruby Princess will be the first in the region to have the tech device, which allows guests to order food and drinks and turns on their cabin lights and air conditioners.
“First Ruby Princess and then the full season for Regal Princess we’re very excited to see that in this part of the world.
“I think it will take what is a great service delivery from our Princess crew to the next level,” he said.
See more at princess.com
Related Posts
-
There has been an outpouring of love and affection for the highly-rated Coral Princess as its second season sailing out of Brisbane comes to a close.
-
An Aussie favourite, Grand Princess has bid adieu to Australian shores as it heads to Puerto Rico. While she sadly won't be here for Australia's next cruise season, the good…
-
Celebrity Cruises is getting its sixth Edge-class ship, with delivery scheduled for 2028.
-
Princess Cruises, one of Australia's favourites, has just two ships in Australia in 2025 after cancelling Grand Princess sailings
Looking at the new intineries for 2021 etc. it looks like Princess is more interested in chasing the Asian Gamling Dollar than providing interesting itineries other than more of the same-same. All of the repositioning intineries go to asia, no more to the US or EU.
Need more destinations from Fremantle …. eg: Africa, Mauritius
When you have done Asia to death there is NO incentive to want to use Princess.
We are Elite, still don’t get anything outstanding like Diamond Class with another cruise line.
Looking forward to the new cruise ships coming down & some of the new cruise place as I have done a lot of cruising with princess.
Back to Tonga, Samoa, Solomons, Samurai would be a good start for new ports. Back in the 80s we always went out there on longer trips. The other scenic cruising which seems to be forgotten is Balls Pyramid, off Lord Howe. Spectacular in the extreme!!! The old Oriana always passed by it round lunch time the day before Sydney! Madang in PNG and Talasea, round the other side from Rabaul. These were very interesting ports from Fairstar days. Plenty out there to choose from. Just needs more imagination from Princess!!
Love to do more cruises like every one else does, but my sister and I are not that lucky yet we still have to work, the government keeps on putting the retirement age up, have to work until we are 68 plus prince doesn’t have many going out of Brisbane, the dates we need, all right if you want to go to new Zealand have been out of Sydney a few times but you have to pay airline tickets and hotel accommodation so next June we are going up the coast with po have been with them before if I can’t get on princess have to try something else, and po are fantastic
It would be great if Pacific Islands cruises were extended to include Samoa , Tonga and Cook Islands .
Lovely to see smaller ship as this opens up more ports , the big ships ports of call get restricted due to size and draught .
Personally find too many tender ports
Would love to see more round trip cruises from australia to other countries not just hawaii NZ or the islands love princess cruises
There does not seem to be any new places for Princess Cruise Lines to visit from Australia. New Zealand is one, then there are various trips to various Pacific Islands.
It would be nice to have some new cruises, going a little further away from Australia.
Please more cruises from Fremantle not just Asia
Different destinations
Yes more from Fremantle we seem to get forgotten .
We love cruising with Princess Cruises, now having completed 545days and with a further 4 cruises booked with another 115days.
Looking forward to further itineraries for 2021.
Our second favourite cruise line is Cunard – it’s a pity we can’t add those to Princess especially since it’s owned by the same Carnival Company.
Why can’t we have more princess cruising out of fremantle it cost us Perth people alot of money for flights
Princess Cruises, I love cruising with you. I have 2 Cruises already booked for next year. I can’t remember how many I have done with you.
Love to know what ships will be sailing out of Brisbane when the new terminal is finished, just saves a lot of hassle than flying to other capitals to get an alternative cruise
Look forward to cruising from Brisbane to NZ in Jan/Feb 2020
I can’t wait to see your new itineraries and what you are offering from my home port Melbourne.