Princess Cruises Celebrates 50 Years of Alaska Sailings
#1 Cruise Line in Alaska Marks Milestone with Enhanced Guest Experiences
SANTA
CLARITA, Calif. (January 23, 2019) – 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.
For
further information, contact:
Negin Kamali,
661-753-1539, nkamali@princesscruises.com
Alivia Owyoung, 661-753-1542,
aowyoung@princesscruises.com
