One of Australia's Most Popular Ships to Debut in Europe
Date: 05 Jun 2007
Australian fans of Princess Cruises’ popular ship, Pacific Princess, will be able to sail aboard her in Europe next year as part of Princess’ biggest-ever program for the booming cruise region.
Carrying just 670 passengers, the multi-award-winning boutique liner will debut in 2008 in the Mediterranean where she will offer voyages to less-visited destinations such as Albania, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ukraine and also the Holy Land.
Pacific Princess has won acclaim from Australian passengers since she pioneered premium cruising from Australia in 2002. She will be succeeded here this November by the bigger 1950-passenger Sun Princess.
Pacific Princess will join five other modern Princess ships carrying between 670 and 3070 passengers each to offer 87 sailings ranging from seven to 23 days to an unprecedented 115 ports across Europe between April and November, 2008. Vessels include the new megaliner Emerald Princess with its piazza-styled atrium and poolside ‘Movies Under the Stars’, and the new-look, intimate Royal Princess.
Princess Cruises’ 2008 line-up for Europe embraces everything from Iceland, Ireland’s Blarney Stone, czar’s palaces in Russia and medieval towns to sun-drenched Greek Islands, romantic Venice, the Egyptian pyramids and fabled cities of the ancient world.
New ports next year include the wild Danish island of Bornholm, Dartmouth and Harwich in England, the far-northern Scottish town of Scrabster near Highland castles, and Sarande in Albania where passengers can explore the ruins of the ancient Greek and Roman city of Butrint and the Ottoman town of Gjirokastra – both World Heritage sites.
For passengers who can’t decide between a northern Europe voyage and a Mediterranean cruise, Princess Cruises will next year introduce a new 16-night journey aboard the stylish, 710-passenger Royal Princess, cruising from Stockholm to Rome. Destinations include Tallinn in Estonia, St Petersburg, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Lisbon, Cannes and Florence.
One of the most popular cruise regions in the world for Australians, Europe is easiest seen by sea, with passengers needing to unpack just once as their ship treats them to a banquet of dream destinations as part of the one live-it-up, hassle-free holiday, with fares including all main meals and entertainment.
Other highlights of Princess Cruises’ 2008 program in Europe include:
• A series of Princess Cruises’ signature ‘Grand Mediterranean’ voyages from Venice to Barcelona aboard the recently launched megaliner Emerald Princess
• Exotic 10-night voyages to the Baltic and Scandinavian countries of Russia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway aboard Crown Princess
• Circumnavigations of the British Isles by Grand Princess
• Adventure voyages to Iceland, Greenland and the stunning Norwegian fjords aboard Sea Princess
Princess Cruises has released a 2008 Europe brochure for Australians, with fares starting at A$1399* per person, twin share, for a seven-night roundtrip cruise aboard Sea Princess from London to Spain, Portugal and France. A 12-night voyage aboard Pacific Princess from Venice to Athens via Egypt, the Holy Land and the Greek Islands is available from A$3779 * per person twin share.
* Fares are cruise only. Air and hotel packages are also available. Conditions apply and fares are subject to availability. See a travel agent, call 132 488.
