Princess Cruises Begins 50th Alaska Season

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Apr 30, 2019, 11:00 ET

#1 Cruise Line in Alaska Opens Season with New Land Venues and Guest Favorites

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., April 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Princess Cruises 50^th year sailing in Alaska began this weekend with the arrival of Ruby Princess into Ketchikan and Juneau. This summer, seven Princess Cruises ships will sail to Alaska with the inaugural season of Royal Princess beginning on May 11.

Princess Cruises Begins 50th Alaska Season

New programs will be available onboard all Princess Cruises ships sailing in Alaska for the upcoming May through September season, marking the cruise line's largest deployment ever. Royal Princess debut marks the first time a Princess MedallionClass ship will be sailing in Alaska. Powered by OceanMedallion, the most advanced wearable device in the global hospitality industry, delivering a hassle-free, personalized vacation that gives guests more time to enjoy what they love most about cruising.

"We've hosted more guests in Alaska than any other cruise line – more than 5 million over the last 50 years, and this season will be the best one yet," said Lisa Syme, Princess Cruises vice president marketing. "With some sailings still available, think about spending summer vacation experiencing the awe-inspiring beauty of the Great Land with its glaciers and wildlife, create lifelong vacation memories."

As the recognized cruise line leader, Princess offers a variety of cruise and cruisetour options highlighting the state's must-see attractions, including Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park. Alaska cruises range in length from seven to 12 days and depart from Vancouver, Anchorage (Whittier), Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Princess also owns and operates five wilderness lodges nestled in scenic riverside locations near National Parks offering more than 20 unique cruisetour options for guests. Princess cruisetours highlight the best of Alaska by combining a seven-day cruise with a multi-night land tour and exclusive "Direct to the Wilderness" rail service – giving travelers a seamless Princess vacation experience in the Great Land.

New for 2019, as part of the Alaska cruisetour offerings, is the grand opening of Fannie Q's Saloon at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. This new restaurant and bar named after famed Alaskan pioneer, Fannie Quigley, will showcase her story and locally inspired dishes in a modern saloon setting, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just outside of Fannie Q's Saloon, the new Fireside Patio also debuts with three firepits offering a new gathering place for guests to roast marshmallows, talk about their adventures and have a drink in the midnight sun. Light refreshments will be available for purchase at this new cozy spot. Last, newly named Grizzly Burger offers a fast-casual restaurant serving up the cruise line's award-winning "Ernesto" burger, named "Best Burger at Sea" by Cruise Critic. This uniquely crafted ribeye burger was created exclusively for Princess by burger expert Chef Ernesto Uchimura.

Additionally, an exclusive treehouse experience at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge built by Pete Nelson of Animal Planet's Treehouse Masters offers guests the ultimate Denali view in an unforgettable setting.

New Onboard Guest Experiences

For this 50^th anniversary year, specially-themed offerings are being added to the award-winning "North to Alaska" onboard lineup that brings unique Alaska experiences to life, like Puppies in the Piazza, through local seafood including our popular "Cook My Catch" shore excursion and with real Alaskans coming aboard to share their stories.

Northern Lights Planetarium – Gazing up at the Northern Lights is an unforgettable natural phenomenon. Now, guests have the opportunity to enter the indoor planetarium in the Princess Theater and look up at this aurora, a natural and colorful light display.

McKinley the Moose – Introduced last week, McKinley, "Mac," the moose, is the plush character friend of Stanley, who was first introduced in 2017 as the official bear plush for the cruise line, named after the company's founder Stanley B. McDonald. McKinley, in reference to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge was named by Princess Cruises Facebook fans. Stanley will be joined by Mac onboard Princess Cruises 2019 Alaska sailings starting in May. Life-size characters will make special appearances for photo opportunities with guests and during entertainment events. Plush Stanley and Mac will be available for purchase on board in The Shops of Princess for $24.95, with a portion of the proceeds from sales supporting PAWS: Princess Animal Welfare Sponsor.

Adventures Ashore – A number of new shore excursions in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Icy Strait Point will be available for guests to truly connect with the local nature, culture and adventures only found in Alaska, including:

Hubbard Glacier & Wilderness Exploration – Hubbard Glacier
Luxury Whale Watch by Yacht – Juneau
Interactive Self-Guided Jeep Adventure – Juneau
Ketchikan Pub Walk – Ketchikan
Rainforest Trail Bike & Hike Adventure – Ketchikan
Seafood Feast & Tribal Dance Show – Icy Strait Point
Tree Top Adventure Park & Zipline – Icy Strait Point
Adventure Park & ZipRider Combo – Icy Strait Point
Wilderness Hike & Kayak Adventure – Icy Strait Point
Discovering the Birds of Hoonah – Icy Strait Point

Local Guest Speakers – From naturalists, to a "Deadliest Catch" fisherman captain, to a world champion lumberjack and the first female winner of the Iditarod, guests will meet with local experts and hear first-hand how Alaska's unique environment has fueled their lifestyles, passions and professions.

A Taste of Alaska – With fresh menu offerings in the main dining rooms, guests will delight in seafood, such as salmon and crab, and locally inspired dishes.

"Glacier Tea" & Beer Tastings - A new celebratory cocktail will also be served up - a take on a Long Island Ice Tea, topped off with Blue Curacao, similar to the brilliant glacier blue color found in Alaska. For beer lovers, a special Alaska beer tasting flight will be offered, featuring blends from Juneau-based Alaskan Brewing Company.

Historical Alaska Display in the Piazza – Guests will enjoy a mini museum exhibit featuring notable images throughout the 50 years Princess Cruises has sailed to Alaska.

For more information and current sale offerings to Alaska visit princess.com, call 1-800-PRINCESS (774-6237) or contact your professional travel advisor.

About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the fastest growing international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries."

In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the OceanMedallion, the vacation industry's most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to a hassle-free, personalized vacation giving guests more time to do the things they love most. MedallionClass Vacations will be activated on five ships by the end of 2019. An activation plan will continue across the global fleet in 2020 and beyond.

Princess Cruises continues its multi-year, "Come Back New Promise" – a $450 million-dollar product innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will continue to enhance the line's onboard guest experience. These enhancements result in more moments of awe, lifetime memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise vacation. The product innovations include partnerships with award-winning Chef Curtis Stone; engaging entertainment inspired shows with Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the whole family from Discovery and Animal Planet that include exclusive shore excursions to onboard activities; the ultimate sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed and more.

Three new Royal-class ships are currently on order with the next new ship under construction, Sky Princess, scheduled for delivery in October 2019, followed by Enchanted Princess in June 2020. Princess previously announced that two new (LNG) ships which will be the largest ships in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests are planned for delivery in 2023 and 2025. Princess now has five ships arriving over the next six years between 2019 and 2025. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

SOURCE Princess Cruises