Princess Fall 2011–Spring 2012 Americas Program

Caribbean & Mexican Riviera

Nothing says escape like the warm, welcoming islands of the turquoise Caribbean and the colorful culture of the Mexican Riviera. Princess® has a variety of festive voyages sailing the Caribbean on five ships in 2011 and 2012, visiting over 20 of the region’s very best ports. Frolic on white sand beaches and swim above coral reefs on islands such as St. Thomas, Antigua and Tortola. Or cruise to festive Mexican ports like Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.

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 2011 and 2012, you can join one of several incredible Princess itineraries to see its mighty locks up close. Choose voyages from 10 to 19 days with either partial or full transit or with a 2-Day Experience.

 Coastals

Getaways of 1 to 7 days along the Pacific Coast are a wonderful, relaxing way to escape for those with less time. These convenient sailings are offered in 2011 and 2012 on four ships, including Island, Coral, Golden and Sapphire Princess,® and include our popular 7-day Wine Country Coastal sailing, a 7-day California Coastal roundtrip from Los Angeles and 1- to 4-day Pacific Coastals. It’s the perfect easy getaway to leave your responsibilities behind and enjoy all the leisurely activities, entertainment and amenities of a Princess® ship.

Highlights of 2011-12 Americas Program

• Caribbean: Five ships with 12 itineraries visiting over 20 sun-kissed ports; sailings range from 7 to 14 days. Crown Princess sails a NEW 7-day Western Caribbean and a NEW 7-day Southern Caribbean itinerary, both roundtrip out of Ft. Lauderdale.
• Panama Canal: Princess is the best choice for Panama Canal cruising with five itinerary options in all, including two NEW 14-day options -- one with a full transit and one with a full transit and a 2-Day Canal Experience. Plus, there are 10-day partial transits and full transits on sailings of 15 to 19 days.
• Mexican Riviera: Sapphire Princess offers 11 sailings of our popular 7-day itinerary roundtrip from Los Angeles, featuring festive Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán.
• West Coast Cruising: Sapphire Princess sails NEW 7-day California Coastals, roundtrip from Los Angeles. Additional coastal cruises include our popular Wine Country 7-day cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver. We also have a selection of additional 1- to 5-day coastal getaways available on select ships. 

More information about Princess Cruises ships and itineraries (click here)

Bookings are being accepted starting June 17th

Carnival Corp. Places Orders With Fincantieri Shipbuilders

Fincantieri Shipyard Monfalcone, Italy - Courtesy Carnival Corp.

Carnival & Princess Ships on Order

Italian shipbuilder, Fincantieri, has long been associated with Carnival Corporation.  Fincantieri is one of the largest groups in the world in the design and construction of merchant and naval vessels specializing in the construction of complex ships with high technological content such as cruise ships and large ferries.

The shipyard is currently constructing Carnival Magic, the second ship in the Carnival Dream class of ships which is due for completion in May, 2011.   The Carnival Magic will debut in Europe.

Introducing Carnival Breeze

Carnival Breeze has been selected as the name for the new 130,000-ton cruise ship scheduled to enter service in spring 2012.

The 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze will be the third in the line’s Dream class, the first of which debuted in 2009.

Carnival Breeze will offer many of the popular innovations featured on Carnival Dream as well as some exciting and unique new elements created just for this vessel that will be detailed at a later date, along with homeport and itinerary information.

“Carnival Breeze promises to be a spectacular addition to our fleet and its name reflects the continued evolution of our brand while conveying the fun and carefree spirit associated with a Carnival cruise,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO.

Carnival Breeze highlights include a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa and The Lanai, an outdoor promenade featuring cantilevered whirlpools that extend over the ship’s sides, a WaterWorks aqua park with a 300-foot-long corkscrew water slide, and an indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza.

Families will love the Carnival Breeze due to the  wide range of staterooms including deluxe ocean views with two bathrooms, some of which feature five berths and hold particular appeal for families.

Carnival Breeze will be the 24^th vessel in Carnival Cruise Lines’ fleet, which operates three- to 15-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Bermuda and Europe.

Princess Cruises 

Orders 2 New Ships

Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation jointly announced that contracts to build two 3,600-passenger ships have been finalized.

 The unnamed new ships are scheduled to enter service in spring 2013 and spring 2014. The two new 141,000 ton vessels will be the largest cruise ships ever built by Fincantieri and the flagships of Princess Cruises fleet.

Although the design incorporates a number of features which have contributed to the success of the Fincantieri’s most recent vessels, an in-depth review has been carried out in order to develop a ship of superior quality.  Among the new innovations are all outside cabins will feature balconies, bringing the percentage of balconies on the ships to 80 percent of all staterooms. 

Princess Cruises signature Piazza, the ship's central atrium featuring dining, entertainment and retail, will be expanded, as will the popular Sanctuary, spa, and restaurants.

"We're pleased that in this challenging economic environment, the order for these new ships is a testament to the confidence in the growth potential of the Princess brand," said Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises. "These new ships will include the features from our newest ships that have been so well received, and take them to the next level," he added. 

Giuseppe Bono, chief executive officer of Fincantieri, said, "We are grateful to the Carnival Group for this further vote of confidence in Fincantieri. We are proud to have met the requirements of Princess Cruises, one of Carnival's most prestigious brands, with an innovative design both from a technical and architectural point of view."

Bono continued, "This is a highly important order for us, especially as it comes in a period of economic crisis. We succeeded in securing these orders with assistance and support of the Italian export credit companies, in particular SACE S.p.A."

One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided in an environment of exceptional customer service. A recognized leader in worldwide cruising, Princess offers its passengers the opportunity to escape completely to the top destinations around the globe, with sailings to all seven continents.


Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise vacation group in the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe and Australia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, The Yachts of Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Ibero Cruises, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia.

Together, these brands operate 95 ships totaling more than 186,000 lower berths with 12 new ships scheduled to be delivered between May 2010 and spring 2014. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

Every year more and more people are discovering cruise vacations.   The cruise industry has one of the highest guest satisfaction ratings and repeat guest  percentages in the travel industry.   If you are new to cruising, see my Cruise Rookies article to learn more about a vacation on a cruise ship.