The Bon Voyage Experience

THE BON VOYAGE EXPERIENCESM

Princess Cruises revives a nostalgic cruising tradition with the new Bon Voyage Experience, allowing family and friends to come aboard and wish passengers a wonderful trip before they sail!

As a Princess Commodore, I've received advanced information about an exciting new program starting this spring aboard many of Princess Cruise Ships.

If you are a long-time cruiser, you may recall the bon voyage experience when family and friends joined you onbaord for a send-off on your cruise journey.

Reviving a signature tradition from the early days of cruising, the Bon Voyage Experience is an innovative new program giving passengers the opportunity to invite their friends and family aboard their ship on embarkation day to share the fun and excitement of sail-away day. The program allows booked passengers four hours to show off their stateroom and other signature Princess innovations.

For just $39 USD per person, participants will enjoy priority embarkation, a guided ship tour, a souvenir photo, and a delectable four-course lunch (wine included) in one of the ship’s beautiful main dining rooms. In addition, each participant will receive a $39 Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to be used on a Princess booking made within 3 months of the Bon Voyage Experience.

To ensure that guests are able to get the most of their visit onboard, program participants will be allowed priority embarkation. If participants are friends or family of booked passengers, this benefit will be extended to their sailing friends so they can enjoy the day’s festivities together.

Depending on the ship and itinerary, participants should be able to enjoy up to 4 hours onboard (until approximately 3:00 pm on most itineraries). When making a reservation, exact times for embarkation and disembarkation will be shared.

The Bon Voyage Experience will debut in March in the ports of Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale and roll out to New York, San Francisco and Seattle. The schedule for the launch of the Bon Voyage Experience is:

• Sapphire Princess on March 6 in Los Angeles
• Crown Princess on March 6 in Fort Lauderdale
• Coral Princess on March 7 in Los Angeles
• Emerald Princess on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale
• Island Princess on March 10 in Los Angeles
• Ruby Princess on March 10 in Fort Lauderdale
• Golden Princess on March 14 in Los Angeles
• Royal Princess on March 27 in Fort Lauderdale
• Star Princess on April 10 in Fort Lauderdale
• Caribbean Princess on May 18 in New York
• Sea Princess on June 1 in San Francisco

During the Alaska season, Sapphire Princess, Golden Princess and Royal Princess will also offer the program from Seattle, beginning in May.

Have your family and friends come aboard

and wish you a wonderful trip before you sail!

I am happy to see the return of an old tradition. Cruising was meant to be a special vacation, originally afforded only to the "well to do". Thankfully it is now an experience that can be enjoyed by most people. The return of this old tradition allows an opportunity for friends and family to briefly experience life onboard a cruise ship, and perhaps take away some of the mystery about what it's like to take a cruise vacation.

For more information about Princess Cruises, Click HERE

Cruise to Hawaii for Golden Anniversary of Statehood

On August 13, 2008, members of Hawaii's 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission announced a comprehensive plan to commemorate Hawai‘i’s golden anniversary of statehood, with a year-long series of events and activities.

50 is a landmark anniversary to celebrate, and Hawaiians plan to do it in style. There's plenty of time to join in the festivities which will be held around the state. A cruise is an excellent way to see the Islands of Aloha.

Hawai‘i’s Governor Lingle spoke about the Commission's plans saying “In emphasizing education and passing on of Hawai‘i’s rich history to a new generation of leaders, I believe that we are giving this milestone the weight and attention it deserves".

"The plan’s varied components will provide residents and visitors of all ages with opportunities to reflect on how statehood has contributed to the Hawai‘i of today and the direction we are headed as the youngest and most ethnically and culturally diverse state in America,” the Governor added.

Road to Hawaii Statehood

The road to statehood began on May 18, 1959 when Congress passed a bill proposing that the Territory of Hawaii become the 50th state of the union. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill making it official on August 21, 1959.

Planned Events

To commemorate the day in 1959 that the U.S. Congress passed the bill which allowed Hawai‘i to be admitted as a state, the Commission will host a public event at the State Capitol on March 18, 2009, which will include various family activities from noon until 1:30 p.m. in the Rotunda and Capitol grounds. A special joint session of the Hawai‘i State Legislature has also been requested.

In addition, a Memorial Day commemorative event and an arrival ceremony for the first commissioned submarine named for the State of Hawai‘i, the USS Hawai‘i, are being planned for summer 2009 to recognize the invaluable contributions made by the military to Hawai‘i both before and after statehoodCoordinated by neighbor island representatives to the Commission and their local planning committees, each county will host several island-specific events to commemorate statehood.

The year-long activities will culminate with a one-day public conference on August 21, 2009 called Commemorating the 50th State: New Horizons for the Next 50 Years, at which local, national and international leaders will gather to discuss topics about Hawai‘i’s past, present and future, including technology in our daily lives, education for the next generation, the 21st century economy, and a break-out session entitled “Native Hawaiians: Cultural Navigation in a Sea of Change.”

For additional information see the following websites:

• Hawaii 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission
• Hawaii the Islands of Aloha - Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau
• Statehood Hawaii
• Hawaii Statehood Postage Stamp
• U.S. Mint - Hawaii Statehood Coin
• Cruise Destination - Hawaii

I'll take a closer look at the Islands of Aloha in future columns.