Great News for West Coast Cruisers in 2013

Grand Princess 

Sailing Year Round 

from San Francisco

For several years, the cruise itineraries have been limited from ports on the West Coast of the United States.The Mexican Riviera cruises continued to diminish and even the California Coastal cruises all but disappeared.

There were of course cruises to  Alaska, but even those were primarily sailing from Seattle or Vancouver instead of San Francisco.

Princess Cruises has just announced that the newly renovated Grand Princess will homeport in San Francisco starting in May, 2013.

San Francisco Departures

10-night Alaska sailings, departing between May 10 and September 7, 2013

10-night Mexico sailings, departing on September 17, 2013, and March 5, 2014, and featuring two new ports for Princess -- Loreto and La Paz

7-night California Coastal sailings, departing on September 27 and October 19, 2013, and March 15 and April 6, 2014

15-night Hawaii sailings, departing between October 4, 2013, and April 28, 2014

Grand Princess Makeover

Last spring, Grand Princess, the 109,000-ton, 2,600-passenger vessel, underwent the most extensive drydock in Princess Cruises history with a 24-day drydock that transformed it from top to bottom and also made the vessel a media star with daily video updates that attracted more than a half million views.

Now that the ship has been transformed, passengers will find a completely new Piazza atrium, several new eateries -- including Alfredo's Pizzeria and the Crown Grill -- and the line's first specialty tea lounge called Leaves. Also included in the renovation were seven new window suites; remodeled casino, boutiques and art gallery; enhancements to the Horizon Court, Lotus Spa, and wedding chapel; and the addition of Crooner's Martini Lounge. A new nightclub, The One5, replaced Skywalkers.

Pre and Post-Cruise Destinations

San Francisco will always have a warm place in our hearts, since we spent a portion of our honeymoon there and have visited the city several times in the years since then.   It makes a perfect destination for extending your cruise vacation either before or after the cruise, depending  on the itinerary.

Recently, interest in San Francisco has been rekindled by the television show Alcatraz that takes place on "The Rock".  Some of the most notorious criminals were incarcerated there.    Of course there are other less sinister locations for you to visit, such as Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding area, Fisherman's Wharf, Muir Woods and the Petrified Forest, and of course the Wine Country in Napa Valley and Sonoma.  There are many other destinations within an hour or so drive from San Francisco.





Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans | Dining Menus | Wine Lists |   Kids Programs | Ship Reviews | 360 Tours | Photos 
We are glad to see Grand Princess taking up residency in the Port of San Francisco and hope that it is the first of many ships returning to the West Coast.

Grand Princess Drydock Week 1

Grand Princess in Drydock            Photo Credit: Princess Cruises

Two months ago, Princess Cruises announced plans for a 24-day remake of the Grand Princess.  That work has begun and the line is producing a video diary of the event.   For more details about the planned improvements, see our previous post:  Grand Princess Gets Major Facelift

The Grand Princess® drydock video series is hosted by Cruise Director Martyn Moss and shows highlights of the dramatic transformation of Grand Princess during her revitalization project.

Episode 9 - An Update on the Piazza, Casino, Oceanview Suites & Crown Grill
Join Grand Princess Cruise Director Martyn as he ventures to what's becoming the new Piazza and takes a look at the progress being made on the tile floor and the new restaurants. He also provides an update on the Casino, new oceanview suites and the Crown Grill. 

Episode 8 - An Update On the Lotus Spa And Youth Center
Martyn checks in on the progress at the Lotus Spa before heading over to chat with the architect behind the renovations at the Youth Center.

Episode 7 - An Interview With The Captain 
Martyn has the good luck to get an audience with the Captain, one of the busiest people on the ship.

Episode 6 - The Travelator Removal 
Martyn heads over to Skywalkers to get the scoop on the Travelator removal project.
 
Episode 5 - The Atrium Stairs Come Down 
Martyn visits the steakhouse before looking in on the crew as they take down the atrium staircase in preparation for the new piazza.

Episode 4 - A Look Underneath Grand Princess
Martyn ventures out onto the drydock facility to take a peek at the work being done on the bottom of the ship.


Episode 3 - Piazza Beginnings 
Martyn shows us the beginning transformation of the atrium turning into the Piazza.

Episode 2 - Grand Princess Enters Drydock 
Grand Princess Video Journal - this episode highlights the ship entering drydock at the Grand Bahamas Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas.

Episode 1 - Grand Princess Drydock Introduction 
First video in the Grand Princess Drydock video journal series hosted by Cruise Director Martyn Moss.


Thanks to Princess Cruises for sharing this behind the scenes look at the transformation of  Grand Princess.  They are showing that it isn't necessary to build a new ship to have some fantastic offerings for passengers.   We look forward to sailing on the Grand Princess after she returns to service.

Princess British Isles - Iceland - Canary Islands 2012

Tower of London Bridge

British Isles, Iceland & Canary Islands cruises

The British Isles, Iceland and Greenland beckon adventurous travelers with the promise of welcoming shores, fascinating cultures and awe-inspiring landscapes. Sail with Princess Cruises on a journey to the storied cities and natural wonders you’ve always wanted to see.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

• Our popular 12-day British Isles sailing offers the best of England, Ireland and Scotland with a visit to dazzling Paris.
• 7-day Interlude Cruises on large and small ships explore charming ports in England, Ireland and Scotland.
• Sailings of 18 days or longer to remote Iceland and Greenland, some including a transatlantic crossing.
• Ring of Kerry cruisetours pairing a 12-day British Isles cruise with Ireland's most famous attractions.

If you are interested in this article, also see: 

Princess Cruises 2012-13 Europe Deployment 

Princess Mediterranean - Greek Isles - Holy Land 2012 

Princess Scandinavia - Russia - Norway 2012 

Itinerary	Itinerary Highlights†	Ship	2012 Dates
Western Europe Sampler	3 Nights London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton)	Grand	Sep 1
Ireland & Scotland Interlude	8 Nights London (Dover), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Waterford, Dublin, Glasgow (Greenock), Edinburgh (Rosyth), London (Dover) Note: These departures will offer an Optional Shore Excursion in Edinburgh to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo	Ocean	Aug 2, 17
Canary Islands	11 Nights London (Southampton), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote (Arrecife), Madeira (Funchal), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), London (Southampton)	Grand	Apr 21
Canary Islands	12 Nights London (Southampton), Lisbon, Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote (Arrecife), Madeira (Funchal), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), London (Southampton)	Grand	Oct 22
British Isles	12 Nights London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Cork (Cobh – for Blarney Castle), Dublin, Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton) Note: 8/1 departure will offer an Optional Shore Excursion from Glasgow (Greenock) to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo	Caribbean	May 26; Jun 7; Jul 8; Aug 1
British Isles	12 Nights London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Holyhead, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton) Note: 8/13 departure will offer an Optional Shore Excursion from Glasgow (Greenock) to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo	Caribbean	May 14; Aug 13
Iceland & Norway	12 Nights London (Southampton), Bergen, Olden/Nordfjord, Hellesylt (drop-off for Geiranger Fjord Shore Excursion), Scenic cruising of Geiranger Fjord, Geiranger, Ålesund, Akureyri, Reykjavik, London (Southampton)	Caribbean	Jul 20
Iceland, Greenland & British Isles Explorer	14 Nights London (Southampton), Cornwall (Falmouth), Dublin, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Reykjavik, Qaqortoq (Greenland), St. John’s (Newfoundland), New York (Brooklyn)	Caribbean	Aug 25
British Isles Passage	14 Nights Ft. Lauderdale, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Dublin, Cornwall (Falmouth), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton)	Grand	Apr 7
Western Europe Passage	14 Nights London (Southampton), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), Lisbon, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Bermuda (West End), Ft. Lauderdale	Grand	Nov 3
Passage to Europe	11 or 15 Nights San Juan, New York (Brooklyn), Halifax, Dublin, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), London (Southampton) Note: This voyage may be booked at 11 days from New York, departing May 3 or 15 days from San Juan, departing Apr 29 Apr 29 (15 days)	Caribbean	Apr 29 (15 days) May 3 (11 days)
Iceland, Greenland & Norway Explorer	16 Nights Copenhagen, Oslo, Kristiansand, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Dublin, Belfast, Reykjavik, Qaqortoq (Greenland), New York (Brooklyn)	Emerald	Sep 10
Northern Europe Passage	16 Nights Ft. Lauderdale, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Cork (Cobh – for Blarney Castle), Cornwall (Falmouth), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Dover), Rotterdam (for Amsterdam), Oslo, Copenhagen	Emerald	Apr 26
British Isles & Canary Islands Grand Adventure®	25 Nights Ft. Lauderdale, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Dublin, Cornwall (Falmouth), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote (Arrecife), Madeira (Funchal), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), London (Southampton)	Grand	Apr 7
Canary Islands & Western Europe Grand Adventure®	26 Nights London (Southampton), Lisbon, Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote (Arrecife), Madeira (Funchal), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), London (Southampton), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), Lisbon, Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Bermuda (West End), Ft. Lauderdale	Grand	Oct 22
Iceland, Greenland & British Isles Grand Adventure®	26 Nights London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Holyhead, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton), Cornwall (Falmouth), Dublin, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), Reykjavik, Qaqortoq (Greenland), St. John’s (Newfoundland), New York (Brooklyn) Note: This departure will offer an Optional Shore Excursion from Glasgow (Greenock) to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo	Caribbean	Aug 13
Northern Europe & British Isles Grand Adventure®	23 or 27 Nights San Juan, New York (Brooklyn), Halifax, Dublin, Glasgow/Edinburgh (Greenock), London (Southampton), Guernsey (St. Peter Port), Holyhead, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), London (Southampton) Note: This voyage may be booked at 23 days from New York departing May 3 or 27 days from San Juan, departing Apr 29	Caribbean	Apr 29 (27 days) May 3 (23 days)

†Port order and content for all itineraries may vary.