Princess Alaska Off the Beaten Path & Connoisseur 2012

Princess Cruises Alaska Cruisetour Images 

Courtesy Princess Cruises

If you are interested in this article, also see:

Princess Alaska Denali Explorer 2012
Princess Alaska Deployment 2012 

Time to Explore Alaska by Land and Sea 

A la Carte Princess Alaska Cruisetours 

Princess Cruises Alaska Land Excursion Options 

Princess Family Cruisetours to Alaska Back in 2011

 
Land & Sea Vacations

Off the Beaten Path tours include key benefits of  Denali Explorer itineraries, plus visits to less-frequented regions like Copper River and Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, the Kenai Peninsula or Prudhoe Bay above the Arctic Circle.

Cruisetour	Itinerary Highlights†	Tour Number*	2012 Dates
M	13 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 2 nights Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge® • 2 nights Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Natural History Tour in Denali National Park • 1 night Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge • 1 night Anchorage	MA6 After Cruise MB6 Before Cruise	Island Princess: May 23; Jun 6, 20; Jul 4, 18; Aug 1, 15, 29 Coral Princess: May 28; Jun 11, 25; Jul 9, 23; Aug 6, 20; Sep 3 Diamond Princess: May 26; Jun 9, 23; Jul 7, 21; Aug 4, 18; Sep 1 Sapphire Princess: May 19; Jun 2, 16, 30; Jul 14, 28; Aug 11, 25; Sep 8 Island Princess: May 24; Jun 7, 21; Jul 5, 19; Aug 2, 16, 30 Coral Princess: May 29; Jun 12, 26; Jul 10, 24; Aug 7, 21; Sep 4 Diamond Princess: May 27; Jun 10, 24; Jul 8, 22; Aug 5, 19; Sep 2 Sapphire Princess: May 20; Jun 3, 17; Jul 1, 15, 29; Aug 12, 26; Sep 9
N	14 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 1 night Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge • 1 night Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Natural History Tour in Denali National Park • 2 nights Fairbanks • Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise & Gold Mine Tour • 2 nights Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge • 1 night Anchorage	NA7 After Cruise NB7 Before Cruise	Island Princess: May 23; Jun 6, 20; Jul 4, 18; Aug 1, 15, 29 Coral Princess: May 14, 28; Jun 11, 25; Jul 9, 23; Aug 6, 20; Sep 3 Sapphire Princess: May 19; Jun 2, 16, 30; Jul 14, 28; Aug 11, 25 Coral Princess: May 28; Jun 11, 25; Jul 9, 23; Aug 6, 20; Sep 3 Sapphire Princess: May 19; Jun 2, 16, 30; Jul 14, 28; Aug 11, 25; Sep 8
O	14 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 2 nights Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge® • 1 night Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge • 2 nights Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Natural History Tour in Denali National Park • 2 nights Fairbanks • Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise & Gold Mine Tour	OA7 After Cruise OB7 Before Cruise	Diamond Princess: May 26; Jun 9, 23; Jul 7, 21; Aug 4, 18; Sep 1 Sapphire Princess: May 19; Jun 2, 16, 30; Jul 14, 28; Aug 11, 25; Sep 8 Island Princess: May 23; Jun 6, 20; Jul 4, 18; Aug 1, 15, 29 Diamond Princess: May 26; Jun 9, 23; Jul 7, 21; Aug 4, 18; Sep 1 Sapphire Princess: May 19; Jun 2, 16, 30; Jul 14, 28; Aug 11, 25; Sep 8
P	15 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 3 nights Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge • 1 night Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge • 2 nights Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Natural History Tour in Denali National Park • 2 nights Fairbanks • Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise & Gold Mine Tour	PA8 After Cruise	Coral Princess: May 28; Jun 11, 25; Jul 9, 23; Aug 6, 20; Sep 3
Q	14 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 2 nights Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Natural History Tour in Denali National Park • 2 nights Fairbanks • Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise & Gold Mine Tour • 1 night Coldfoot • 1 night Prudhoe Bay • 1 night Anchorage	QA7 After Cruise QB7 Before Cruise	Diamond Princess: May 26; Jun 9, 23; Jul 7, 21; Aug 4, 18 Island Princess: Jun 6, 20; Jul 4, 18; Aug 1, 15, 29

Connoisseur deluxe escorted cruisetours represent the highest level of service with a tour director on land and most meals included. They include up to four nights at a combination of both Mt. McKinley and Denali Princess wilderness lodges, with enhanced sightseeing experiences, such as the longer Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park. Plus, there are options to visit the Kenai Peninsula and Wrangell–St. Elias National Park.

Cruisetour	Itinerary Highlights†	Tour Number*	2012 Dates
R	12 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 2 nights Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park • 2 nights Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge • 1 night Anchorage	RA5 After Cruise RB5 Before Cruise	Island Princess: May 23; Jun 6, 20; Jul 4, 18; Aug 1, 15, 29; Sep 12 Coral Princess: May 14, 28; Jun 11, 25; Jul 9, 23; Aug 6, 20; Sep 3 Diamond Princess: May 26; Jun 9, 23; Jul 7, 21; Aug 4, 18; Sep 1 Sapphire Princess: May 19; Jun 2, 16, 30; Jul 14, 28; Aug 11, 25; Sep 8 Island Princess: May 25; Jun 8, 22; Jul 6, 20; Aug 3, 17, 31; Sep 14 Coral Princess: May 30; Jun 13, 27; Jul 11, 25; Aug 8, 22; Sep 5 Diamond Princess: May 28; Jun 11, 25; Jul 9, 23; Aug 6, 20; Sep 3 Sapphire Princess: May 21; Jun 4, 18; Jul 2, 16, 30; Aug 13, 27; Sep 10
S	13 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 2 nights Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge • 2 nights Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park • 2 nights Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge • Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise & Gold Mine Tour	SA6 After Cruise SB6 Before Cruise	Coral Princess: May 14, 28; Jun 11, 25; Jul 9, 23; Aug 6, 20; Sep 3 Island Princess: May 24; Jun 7, 21; Jul 5, 19; Aug 2, 16, 30; Sep 13 Diamond Princess: May 27; Jun 10, 24; Jul 8, 22; Aug 5, 19; Sep 2 Sapphire Princess: May 20; Jun 3, 17; Jul 1, 15, 29; Aug 12, 26; Sep 9
T	15 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 2 nights Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge • 2 nights Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge • 2 nights Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park • 2 nights Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge • Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise & Gold Mine Tour	TA8 After Cruise TB8 Before Cruise	Island Princess: May 23; Jun 6, 20; Jul 4, 18; Aug 1, 15, 29 Coral Princess: May 27; Jun 10, 24; Jul 8, 22; Aug 5, 19; Sep 2 Diamond Princess: May 25; Jun 8, 22; Jul 6, 20; Aug 3, 17, 31
U	15 Nights • 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise • 3 nights Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge • 1 night Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge • 2 nights Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge • Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park • 2 nights Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge • Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise & Gold Mine Tour	UA8 After Cruise UB8 Before Cruise	Coral Princess: May 28; Jun 11, 25; Jul 9, 23; Aug 6, 20; Sep 3 Island Princess: May 22; Jun 5, 19; Jul 3, 17, 31; Aug 14, 28 Coral Princess: May 27; Jun 10, 24; Jul 8, 22; Aug 5, 19; Sep 2 Sapphire Princess: Jun 1, 15, 29; Jul 13, 27; Aug 10, 24; Sep 7

†Port order and content for all itineraries may vary.
*After Cruise = Land tour after cruise, Before Cruise = Land tour before cruise

Princess Family Cruisetours to Alaska Back in 2011

Direct to the Wilderness Rail Service

  

Princess Cruises

Family Cruisetours 

to Alaska

Return for Second Season

in 2011

Specially Designed Tours Add a Variety of Included Extras Especially for Families

Glacier Bay Junior Ranger Program

Looking for 2012 Season ... see: Princess Alaska Denali Explorer 2012

As the 2010 Alaska cruise season draws to a close this month, we turn our focus on next year's programs.  In this article, we'll take a look at a success offering that Princess Cruises debuted this year which will return in their 2011 Alaska Program.

Princess Cruises is once again offering special Alaska cruisetours designed just for families.  These unique tours incorporate a variety of features not usually included in a cruisetour package, such as the opportunity to learn about dog mushing at the Iditarod Headquarters, pan for gold, take an interactive tour of Denali National Park, and enjoy a fun campfire experience.


The 12-night family cruisetours include a seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise plus a five-night land tour.  The land segment also features such family-friendly extras as daily breakfasts, a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and a dinner theater performance.  At sea, families can also take advantage of Princess’ many onboard programs especially for children, including a special Junior Ranger program in Glacier Bay National Park.


“Alaska is the perfect place for a family vacation,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.  “There are amazing wildlife viewing opportunities, awesome scenery and lots of active adventures.  With this in mind, we wanted to make it easier for family groups to plan the perfect Alaska experience with activities that will appeal to many ages and interests.”

Passengers can choose to sail aboard Diamond Princess or Coral Princess, and the cruisetour land itinerary includes stays at three of Princess’ own wilderness lodges – one night at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, two nights at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and two nights at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.  The tours are offered on 34 departures with both northbound (#FUN) and southbound (#WOW) itinerary options.

The following special extras are included in the 2011 season tours:

Daily Breakfast – Everyone in the family can start their morning off with the most important meal of the day.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center – Wildlife appeals to all ages, and families will be able to see a variety of animals such as bears, elk, bison, moose, caribou, musk ox, coyotes and eagles with a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  This non-profit organization takes in injured and orphaned animals and gives a permanent home to those that can’t be returned to the wild.

Iditarod Headquarters with Dog Sled Ride – En route to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, family members will enjoy a stop at the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla.  Here travelers can learn about mushing and its importance in Alaskan culture.  The center offers the opportunity to meet sled dogs and see them at work with wheeled cart rides.

Evening Campfire Experience (Mt. McKinley) – An evening campfire near the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge is the perfect way for families to end the day, complete with treats such as s’mores and hot chocolate, plus unique Alaska stories and songs.

Music of Denali Dinner Theater (Denali) – This rollicking musical comedy tells the legend of the first expedition to the summit of Mt. McKinley, accompanied by a hearty, family-style meal featuring smokehouse ribs and Alaska salmon.

Experience Denali with Alaska Geographic Tour (Denali) – A more intimate tour of Denali National Park, this special excursion includes a variety of interactive experiences, including an enhanced view of the Denali ecosystem and current research taking place.  The narrated bus tour takes guests 15 miles into the park to a beautiful river valley where they embark on a short walk to the historic Savage River Camp, where they can participate in a number of hands-on activities.

Sourdough Expedition Breakfast (Denali) – While fueling up for the day with an Alaskan roadhouse-style breakfast, guests experience an unforgettable journey up Denali through breathtaking images in Laurent Dick's Climb Denali.  Participants have the opportunity to meet this real mountain climber and ask questions about mountain climbing.

Riverboat Cruise and El Dorado Goldmine Tour (Fairbanks) – Families can enjoy traveling on an authentic sternwheeler for a fully-narrated cruise along the Chena River and try their hands at gold panning at the El Dorado Gold Mine, where they will learn about Alaska's gold mining history.

Now is the time to start planning your 2011 Alaska cruisetours.   The Alaska cruise season goes from May through September.   These family cruisetours will fill up fast. 

Princess Announces 2010-11 Panama Canal & Coastals Program

2010-2011 Panama Canal & Coastals Program Opens

Princess® Cruises opened the bookings for Panama Canal and Coastals program for 2010-2011 starting today. In this post, I'll focus on the Panama Canal. This is one of the marvels in engineering in our world. If you've not been to the canal yet, you really should put this on your short list of cruise destinations to visit.

Get a Princess® Perspective on the Epic Panama Canal
It’s a modern wonder winding through 51 miles of jungle, mountain and granite to connect the world’s two greatest oceans —The Panama Canal. It’s also one of the most popular destinations for cruising, and is high on most travelers’ lists of the world’s “must-see” landmarks. Which is why Princess offers such a wide variety of ways to experience the Canal. In 2010 and 2011, you can join one of several incredible Princess itineraries to see its mighty locks up close. Choose voyages from10 to 19 days with either partial or full transit — or with a 2-Day Experience.

3 Ships, 5 Unique Itineraries

Princess® showcases mankind's greatest engineering feat on voyages ranging from 10 to 19 days.

Island and Coral Princess®, with over 700 balcony staterooms, are custom-built to traverse the canal, offering guests the chance to see the impressive locks of this modern marvel up close.

Sea Princess® offers over 400 balcony staterooms and features the outdoor big-screen sensation, Movies Under the Stars®. 2-Day Panama Canal Experience

2-day Canal Experience

Experience at the Panama Canal, available on all itineraries of 15 to 19 days. A full transit of the Canal is combined with a full day and overnight stay at Fuerte Amador on the Pacific side — giving you time to partake of such exciting shore excursions as a ride on the Panama Canal Railway, a tour of breathtaking Soberania National Park Rainforest, a visit to an authentic Embera Indian village or a trip into the bustling capital of Panama City. It’s the best way to experience both the Canal in all its engineering glory, and the scenic and cultural attractions of one of Central America’s most intriguing regions.

10-day roundtrip Panama Canal (Partial Transit)

Sailing roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, this is a voyage as convenient and relaxing as it is wondrous. Your host is the lovely Island Princess,® a ship custom built for visiting the canal. Pass through the incredible Gatun Locks, where you’ll see the Canal in operation first-hand, and on to beautiful Gatun Lake. You’ll also enjoy islands in the turquoise Caribbean and a call in Costa Rica.

10-day Panama Canal Adventurer (Full Transit)

Enjoy the Canal as it was meant to be experienced by those who built it — with a full transit between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Sail between Ft. Lauderdale and Acapulco, visiting ports in the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera and Central America including Jamaica’s wonderful Ocho Rios — home to the spectacular Dunn’s River Falls — Costa Rica’s Puntarenas, San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua and Huatulco, Mexico.

15- to 19-day Panama Canal cruises with 2-day Canal Experience
These are the best voyages for those who wish to immerse themselves in the history of the Canal and the natural beauty of the surrounding Central American scenery. Sail from 15 to 19 days between either Los Angeles, San Francisco or Vancouver and Ft. Lauderdale, with two full days in Panama to take in all the sights.

SEARCH FOR PANAMA/TRANSCANAL CRUISES (CLICK HERE)

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