Princess Cruises - Summer Caribbean in 2010

2010 Summer Caribbean

Now Open for Booking!

Emerald Princess® joins Caribbean Princess® for Summer 2010 Roundtrip sailings from Ft. Lauderdale and New York

Emerald Princess features alternating 7-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale throughout the summer. Both itineraries visit Princess Cays®, an exclusive island experience in the Bahamas.

Caribbean Princess returns with 9-day itineraries roundtrip from New York featuring visits to Bermuda and a special 7-day Eastern Caribbean sailing from San Juan to New York.

Emerald Princess® – Sail to sunny shores on alternating 7-day sailings

In Summer 2010, you can enjoy voyages to Eastern or Western Caribbean islands on this exquisite vessel. Spend a week sailing our popular sailings of the region, visiting Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Jamaica – all featuring Princess Cays®.

Caribbean Princess® – More time to explore at sea and ashore on9-day sailings

Relish more leisurely days at sea while you visit the irresistible islands of Bermuda, St. Thomas, Grand Turk and beyond. Sail during the months of May to July with departures from New York, making your Caribbean adventure as carefree as it is unforgettable.

A Bahamian island reserved just for Princess® guests

A delightful island retreat awaits your discovery on sun-drenched Princess Cays, featured on all 7-day Emerald Princess® Eastern or Western Caribbean voyages from Ft. Lauderdale. From snorkeling and kayaking to island cuisine and drink, there's something to do for the entire family.

Are you a past guest on Princess Cruises?

Princess Captain's Circle® Launch Savings Exclusive

$50 per person discount for past passengers on 2010 Summer Caribbean voyages. Expires 12/31/09. Call or email me for more details about any of these summer cruise vacations.

Sail With Disney Channel Stars

aboard Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship

This summer, you can sail with popular Disney Channel stars aboard the Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship during the first-ever "Disney Channel Summer at Sea," presented by Kodak.

Popular stars from Disney Channel shows like "Hannah Montana," "Sonny With a Chance," "JONAS," "The Suite Life on Deck," "Camp Rock," "High School Musical" and "Hatching Pete" will join Guests on 3- and 4-night cruises beginning July 9 through Aug. 2, 2009.

All eight sailings are available to book now with special fan activities included in the prevailing cruise rate.

During the voyages, Disney Channel stars will participate in onboard deck parties and join Guests for Q&A and autograph sessions as well as preview screenings of Disney Channel programming.

The onboard fun culminates with a "Party with the Stars" event, an evening in which Guests are invited to join the stars for a special musical performance by a Disney recording artist.

Each cruise will include multiple Disney Channel stars. Among those scheduled, with more to be announced shortly, are:

3-Night Disney Channel Summer At Sea Cruise
Sail Dates and Appearance Schedule*

July 9 to 12, 2009 – Tiffany Thornton (Sonny with a Chance) and Nicole Anderson (JONAS)
July 16 to 19, 2009 – Jason Earles (Hannah Montana)
July 23 to 26, 2009 – Jason Dolley (Hatching Pete)
July 30 to August 2, 2009 – Debby Ryan (The Suite Life on Deck)

4-Night Disney Channel Summer at Sea Cruise
Sail Dates and Appearance Schedule*

July 12 to 16, 2009 – Tiffany Thornton (Sonny with a Chance) and Nicole Anderson (JONAS)
July 19 to 23, 2009 – Musical Act Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles (Hanna Montana)
July 26 to 30, 2009 – Jason Dolley (Hatching Pete)
August 2 to 6, 2009 – Alyson Stoner (Camp Rock)

*Schedule and talent subject to change. Not all stars available for each sailing.

Let the Magic Begin this Summer aboard the Disney Wonder. Call or email me for details.

Princess Ships Spotlight Alaska Culture for 50th Anniversary

Princess Ships Spotlight Alaska Culture This Summer for State’s 50th Anniversary Year

Passengers Will Experience Local Flavor Right Onboard with Alaska Cuisine, Guest Experts,
Cultural Presentations and Special Children’s Programs

Princess Cruises begins their Alaska Season this weekend offering passengers more local tastes and culture onboard than ever before, giving them a rich “Great Land” experience not only on land, but also while at sea.

Princess’ 2009 Alaska season begins May 9 and runs through September 14, featuring a total of 130 sailings aboard Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Coral Princess, and Island Princess traveling on the line’s signature Gulf of Alaska sailings; Golden Princess, Star Princess and Sea Princess sailing the Inside Passage routes from Seattle and San Francisco and Pacific Princess offering the line’s small ship experience on 14-day Connoisseur voyages to some of the state’s less-visited ports.

“Alaska’s 50th anniversary year is the perfect time to celebrate the wonders of this magnificent state,” said Jan Swartz, Princess executive vice president. “And this summer, especially, our passengers will enjoy a multi-faceted shipboard program to immerse them in the flavors, culture, history and natural wonders of Alaska throughout their cruise.”

The Princess Onboard Alaska Program:

Sanctuary Glacier Viewing Experience - Aboard Golden Princess, Star Princess and Island Princess, The Sanctuary will become a prime location for glacier viewing of the unforgettable Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm. It will offer passengers a variety of ammenities to make their viewing comfortable. It will be educational as Park Rangers and Naturalists will be on hand to provide commentary to Sancturary guests. A variety of special food and beverage offerings will also be avaialable.

Tastes of Alaska – Passengers can experience the flavors of Alaska with a number of special opportunities. Food dishes that reflect the state’s culinary delights, featuring fresh local fish, savory meats, and an assortment of seafood specialties will be served throughout the Alaska fleet. Some of the highlights include:

• Glacier Bay Champagne Breakfast
• Glacier Bay Gala Buffet
• Alaskan Dinner
• On Deck Fish Barbecue
• Reindeer Chili & Rockfish Chowder Cook-off
• Warm up on Deck
• Alaskan Beers/Hot Toddy
• Chef's Table
• Culinary Demonstrations

Local Experts – Passengers can learn about many aspects of life in Alaska and the state’s natural wonders from a variety of special guests onboard:

• Iditarod Champion Libby Riddles: Sled Dogs and Adventure
• Alaska Naturalists
• Park Ranger Programs in Glacier Bay
• USDA Forest Service Partnership – Ketchikan/Misty Fjords

Award-winning video presentations – Passengers can learn more about the wonders of Alaska from the comfort of their own stateroom, with these specially produced videos, including a series of Telly Award-winning port videos.

• “The Heart of Alaska”
• Glacier Bay Videos
• Alaska Port Presentations

Alaska Youth Program – Special programs especially for younger cruisers will give them an appreciation for the wonders of the state’s wildlife, people and natural beauty

• Glacier Bay Junior Ranger/Teen Explorer
• Ketchikan/Tongass National Forest

Alaska Mementos – Princess ships offer a number of opportunities for souvenirs and unique Alaska gifts

• Alaska’s 50th Anniversary Statehood Commemorative Souvenirs
• Art Auctions to Feature Alaskan Wildlife
• Exclusive Cruise Companion Book/Map and Video
• Gold Rush Marketplace

There are a limited supply of cabins still avaialable for the remainder of the Alaska Season. If you are interested in celebrating Alaska's 50th Anniversay of Statehood, I suggest you contact me very soon. This will be one of your most memorable cruise vacations ever, so don't let it pass you by.

H1N1 Cruise Line Update - Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line's scheduled deployment does not include any ports of call in Mexico until the end of September 2009. However, they have proactively taken increased health and safety measures as a matter of caution.

The company has stringent protocols for cleaning and sanitation on all of its vessels to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In addition, the company is taking proactive precautionary measures to protect its valued guests, including, but not limited to:

Fleet-wide guest screening via a health questionnaire prior to embarkation. Any guests exhibiting influenza symptoms which meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's case definition of suspect H1N1 influenza will not be allowed to board the vessel.

On-board education regarding H1N1 symptoms and preventative actions. An informative flyer is being placed in all staterooms fleetwide.

A mandatory visit to the ship's medical center for further evaluation and treatment if necessary for those guests who may develop flu-like symptoms while sailing.

On-board medical centers are stocking an appropriate amount of the anti-viral medication used to treat the illness, in the unlikely event the need for its use becomes necessary.

Norwegian Cruise Line will continue to closely follow developments regarding the H1N1 Influenza. Additional information regarding H1N1 is available at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/.

H1N1 Cruise Line Update - Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines has cancelled all port of call visits in Mexico for 16 of its ships that were previously scheduled to stop in that country. Itineraries for vessels departing between now and June 15, 2009 that included stops in Mexico have been modified. In many instances, the modification simply involved substituting an alternate port. For full details on modified itineraries, click here.

Guests who do not wish to sail on a modified itinerary may opt to receive a refund in the form of a future cruise credit equal to the full amount paid for the voyage. The credit may be applied to an alternate sailing departing through the end of 2010. Compensation for missed ports/altered itineraries (where applicable) for guests who sail varies by itinerary. With four and five-day cruises from Galveston and New Orleans that are being converted to seven-day voyages, those guests may opt to receive their refund in the form of a future cruise credit or money back.

Princess Cruises has modified its itineraries to suspend calls to Mexican ports through the few remaining voyages of the spring season, which concludes in May. Seven voyages were impacted by this change. More details ...

Carnival Cruise Lines is dedicated to the health and safety of all guests and crew. The recent emergence of H1N1 flu has caused concern among public health authorities and the traveling public. Although there have been no suspected or confirmed reports of H1N1 flu on any Carnival cruise ship, we have proactively taken increased health and safety measures as a matter of caution.

Carnival maintains close coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and utilizes very stringent recommended sanitation protocols to minimize the possibility of viral transmission of infectious diseases. Our onboard medical centers have supplies of antiviral medications, personal protective equipment and appropriate diagnostic test kits, as recommended by the CDC.

For further information on H1N1 influenza, visit the CDC’s web site at http://www.cdc.gov/.

H1N1 Cruise Line Update - Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have temporarily suspending their port calls in Mexico. The decision was made in an abundance of caution, and to allow additional time to better understand the full impact of the Swine Flu.

The temporary suspension involves four Royal Caribbean International ships currently making regularly scheduled port call in Mexico - Enchantment of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas. It also involves one additional Royal Caribbean International ship scheduled to make upcoming Mexico port calls as it reposition - Radiance of the Seas.

The temporary suspension involves one Celebrity Cruises ship scheduled to make upcoming Mexico port calls as it repositions - Celebrity Infinity.

Itinerary updates are provided daily at 1 PM. See the following link for latest update.

Royal Caribbean will continue to closely follow developments regarding the H1N1 Flu. Additional information regarding the H1N1 Flu is available at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: www.cdc.gov

Cruise Line Industry Enhanced Screening Guidelines

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the enhanced screening guidelines the cruise industry is beginning to implement to continue ensuring the healthiest environment for all cruise passengers. It is important for you to know that the cruise industry is taking these proactive steps out of an abundance of caution to identify, isolate and treat any suspect cases as appropriate.

Under new CLIA member cruise line health screening procedures, All passengers scheduled to board CLIA member line cruise ships will be required to complete the new public health questionnaire prior to boarding at any port. Under the enhanced screening protocols, CLIA member lines will perform a secondary screening if a passenger reports on the questionnaire flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat, or contact with a confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) case. Medical personnel at each cruise line will make case by case decisions regarding the boarding of these passengers. Passengers will not be permitted to travel if they exhibit influenza-like-illness or meet the suspect case conditions for swine flu as defined by CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/casedef_swineflu.htm). All other passengers will be permitted to travel.

If you have questions about these procedures, contact your cruise specialist or the cruise line.

Further information on travel and the swine flu can be found on the CDC Web site at: www.cdc.gov/swineflu. CLIA will continue updating its communications as necessary and I will keep you apprised of any significant developments.

The cruise industry always takes your safety and health seriously, so I am confident that with passenger cooperation, you will be assured of a safe and healthy cruise vacation during these difficult times.

As I have said many times in this column, I stronly recommend the purchase of travel insurance. I offer my customers a customized Travel Guard policy which provides emergency assistance amongst the other benefits. Travel Guard has announced that it is Offering Free Assistance and Information on Swine Flu to U.S. and Canadian travelers affected by or concerned with the recent Swine Flu outbreak. They have the most up-to-date information for travelers seeking travel status updates, health warnings, prevention and treatment tips.