Passengers who want to share in the excitement of Princess’ two 2009 world cruises but can’t commit to the full 107-day voyages now have the opportunity to choose from four segments ranging from 22 to 35 days. And for those with a bit more time to travel, Princess is also introducing the opportunity to combine segments into “Liner Voyages” of 45 to 80 days in length.
The segments and Liner Voyage options offer passengers 25 different ways to be a part of the Princess world cruise experience. The line’s 107-day world cruises aboard Tahitian Princess and Royal Princess set sail on January 14 and 20, 2009 respectively. Each full world cruise travels to more than 40 destinations on six continents in total.
For passengers choosing to take the full 107-day worldwide adventure, a number of special benefits have been announced as well. Airfare to Ft. Lauderdale and home from Rome, Dover or Stockholm will now be included for world cruise passengers booking a balcony stateroom or above, all world cruise passengers will also receive complimentary hotel and dining charges, and suite passengers will have their mini-bar setups replenished weekly. Onboard cruise credits of up to $1,000 per person will be issued to full world cruise passengers who book before January 31, 2008, while those booking Liner Voyages (at least two segments) will receive an onboard credit of up to $500 per person for early bookings.
“These new segments offer some great travel options for our passengers who have less available time, but who would still like a longer exotic adventure,” said Jan Swartz, Princess’ senior vice president of customer service and sales. “And we think some of the additional benefits we’re offering to passengers on the full voyages will add to their enjoyment of this global adventure.”
Available segments include:
Ft. Lauderdale to Sydney (35 days) – Both ships set sail from Ft. Lauderdale on an adventure through the Panama Canal taking in South America, including opportunities to visit Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands, plus the islands of the South Pacific on the way to Australia. Ports of call include Grand Cayman; the Panama Canal; Quito (Manta), Ecuador; an overnight stay in Lima (Callao), Peru; Easter Island; Pitcairn Island (scenic cruising); Tahiti (Papeete); Rarotonga; Auckland and Burnie (Tasmania), before arriving in Sydney.
Sydney to Hong Kong (23 days) – The perfect choice for exploring the Great Barrier Reef and the mysteries and wonders of Japan and China. Passengers on this segment head off to see Brisbane; Cairns (for the Great Barrier Reef); Rabaul (Papua/New Guinea); Guam; Osaka (for Kyoto); Hiroshima, Seoul (Inchon); and Shanghai on the way to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong to Dubai (22 days) – The flavors of Asia take center stage on this shortest segment, including opportunities to visit Cambodia’s famed Angkor Wat and explore India. From Hong Kong the ships head to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Sihanoukville (Cambodia); Bangkok, Singapore; Kuala Lumpur (Port Kelang), Malaysia; Port Blair, Andaman Islands (maiden Princess call); Mumbai, India and then to Dubai.
Dubai to Rome or Dover (27 days) – On the final segments the ships’ paths diverge, heading to different European destinations. After leaving Dubai, passengers will visit Salalah in Oman, followed by the wonders of Egypt with calls in Safaga (for Luxor/Karnak) and Port Said (for Cairo/Giza). After Egypt, each itinerary heads in a different direction. Tahitian Princess heads for Athens (Piraeus); Sorrento/Capri; Rome (Civitavecchia); Cannes (for Monte Carlo); Barcelona; Gibraltar; Lisbon; Cork (Cobh – for Blarney Castle), Ireland; and Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), before arriving in Dover (for London). Meanwhile, passengers aboard Royal Princess will stay in the Mediterranean with visits to Jerusalem (Ashdod), Istanbul; Athens; Sicily (Messina); Barcelona; Cannes; and Florence/Pisa (Livorno), before their final stop in the eternal city of Rome.
These segments are available in a variety of Liner Voyage combinations. In addition, Tahitian Princess passengers can extend their voyage with a 10-day Scandinavia and Russia sailing including a call in St. Petersburg and ending in Stockholm. Or they can choose to combine their world cruise with a six-day transatlantic crossing from Southampton to New York aboard the legendary Queen Mary 2. Full world cruise passengers receive a discount on the QM2 sailing.
Early booking fares for the 22-day segment of Princess’ world cruises begin at $4,361 per person, based on double occupancy.
