Princess Cruises opens the books on 2013-2014 exotics and Americas sailings

Highlights Include New Short Cruises in Caribbean and West Coast, Grand Princess Based
Year Round in San Francisco, and Caribbean Debut of Royal Princess

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Princess Cruises is booking its 2013-2014 Americas and Exotics cruises, offering a variety of vacation options from close-to-home cruises to far-flung worldwide adventures.

The season includes a new series of shorter cruises in the Caribbean and along the West Coast, the line’s first year-round ship based in San Francisco, and the Caribbean debut of the new Royal Princess.
 
Passengers can now book cruises to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, West Coast, Hawaii, Mexico, South America, the South Pacific, Asia & Africa, Australia & New Zealand, as well as a 100-day World Cruise.

In total, the line’s 17 ships will sail on more than 400 cruises on 90 itineraries to 182 destinations around the globe. Together the ships will debut seven new ports – Loreto, La Paz and Progreso in Mexico; Komodo Island, Indonesia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Rouen, France; and Kangaroo Island, Australia.
 

Among the new offerings debuting this season are Princess’ first-ever series of shorter cruises. These three- to five-day sailings are perfect for a quick break or as a way to sample the Princess experience. In the Caribbean, passengers can enjoy four- and five-day sailings aboard Ruby Princess visiting one to three ports, while on the West Coast, three- and four-day cruises aboard Golden Princess head for a variety of Southern California destinations.
 
Also for the first time, Princess will have a year-round ship based in San Francisco, giving the line two West Coast homeports, with an expanded schedule of cruising from California. Bay Area cruisers will now be able to sail aboard the extensively renovated Grand Princess throughout the year to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and on the line’s popular California Coastal cruises, never before offered from San Francisco.
 
Another highlight of the new program is the line’s largest ever deployment to the Caribbean, including the first season for the new Royal Princess, which will be based in Ft. Lauderdale for a series of Eastern Caribbean cruises.
 
“With sailings from three days to 100 days, this cruise season really does offer something for everyone,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “Those looking for a quick break will love our new shorter cruise options, while our most adventurous passengers will find an extensive collection of enticing areas of the world to explore.”
 
Full details of the 2013-2014 Americas and Exotics seasons are available here.

Highlights include:
Asia & Africa – Two ships will sail to the wonders of Asia and Africa with 17 itineraries that can take passengers to more than 60 destinations. Diamond Princess passengers can explore the best of Asia on a 17-day Grand Asia voyage between Beijing and Bangkok or Singapore, while small ship Ocean Princess offers a variety of intriguing adventures, including a 30-day West Africa cruise from Cape Town to London, and a 31-day voyage from Singapore to Cape Town. Travelers can also choose optional overland excursions to “must see” UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Taj Mahal and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat on select voyages.

Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific – Pacific islands and “Down Under” destinations are the main attraction on 27 itineraries throughout the season, with five ships sailing on 76 voyages. Diamond Princess will again sail between Sydney and Auckland on 12-day Australia & New Zealand cruises, while Sun Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess will offer a variety of “Aussie Experience” sailings – offering authentic Aussie-style food, music and ambience – from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, to a variety of “Down Under” and South Pacific destinations. Ocean Princess will return to the heart of the South Pacific for a series of 10-day Tahiti & Polynesia and 11-day Hawaii & Tahiti cruises. Passengers who want to see more of Australia can choose from several land & sea vacations that visit iconic UNESCO sites such as Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kakadu National Park in the Outback, the Great Barrier Reef, and Hayman Island.
 
Canada & New England – Two ships, Caribbean Princess and Emerald Princess, return to offer sailings along the Eastern seaboard to see the spectacular fall scenery. Itinerary options include seven-day roundtrip sailings from New York and 10-day itineraries between New York and Quebec. In addition, a 14-day voyage from Quebec to Ft. Lauderdale will take passengers along the full eastern coast. All itineraries with Quebec City include an overnight in this historic city. For passengers wanting to extend their vacation, Princess offers cruisetour options with land tours to fabled sites of Colonial America or fascinating Canadian cities including Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.
 
Caribbean – Princess’ largest deployment ever in the Caribbean features five ships sailing on more than 160 voyages of 14 different itineraries. Sailings range from four to 20 days, and depart from Ft. Lauderdale and Galveston. The new Royal Princess will make her North American debut, starting with a five-day Eastern Caribbean cruise followed by a program of popular seven-day Eastern Caribbean sailings. The season also sees a new series of four- and five-day cruises on Ruby Princess, offering quick getaway options featuring one to three ports. Other Caribbean options include Crown Princess sailing on seven-day Southern Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean itineraries; Caribbean Princess sailing from Galveston on seven-day Western Caribbean voyages; and Emerald Princess sailing on two 10-day options to the Southern or Eastern Caribbean.
 
Panama Canal – Princess continues to lead the way in Panama Canal cruising with Coral Princess and Island Princess offering full seasons of cruising this landmark waterway. A variety of full-transit options include 15-day sailings between Ft. Lauderdale and Los Angeles, and select 15-day Canal voyages featuring Princess’ signature 2-Day Canal Experience – one day cruising through the Panama Canal, and a one-day call at Fuerte Amador on the Pacific Ocean side of the Canal. Partial transit cruises offer a convenient 11-day roundtrip itinerary from Ft. Lauderdale, with transit through the Gatun Locks.
 
South America – Two Princess ships will sail on South American itineraries, including Pacific Princess cruising the Amazon and Golden Princess, which returns to South America cruising for the first time in more than a decade. Passengers can choose from two itinerary options for their 14-day Cape Horn & Strait of Magellan cruise – with departures from either Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires around the southernmost tip of the continent. In addition passengers can expand their South America experience by combining a Cape Horn cruise with a 17-day Andes cruise to or from Los Angeles. Cruisers can also choose to explore the Amazon on a 14-day itinerary between Manaus and Ft. Lauderdale. For those who want to explore some of the continent’s most famous landmarks, Princess cruisetour options include opportunities to visit dramatic UNESCO sites such as Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian-Argentine border or mysterious Machu Picchu in the Andes.
 
West Coast Sailings – Princess cruises from the West Coast take on a new dimension with two homeports – Los Angeles and now, San Francisco which will see Grand Princess based there year-round. New three- and four-day sampler cruises aboard Golden Princess add a new shorter vacation option to the line-up of sailings to Hawaii, Mexico, the California Coast and even the South Pacific with 28-day Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa sailings from Los Angeles. In total, four ships will sail on 14 different itineraries from West Coast ports, ranging from three to 28 days. Three ships, Grand Princess, Star Princess and Sapphire Princess will sail on 15-day voyages to the fabled Hawaiian Islands from both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Mexico sailings from San Francisco offer a 10-day itinerary featuring the new ports of Loreto and La Paz on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. The season will also offer more Pacific coastal sailings than ever before, including California Coastal voyages now roundtrip from San Francisco as well as Los Angeles.
 
World Cruise – Pacific Princess will again set out on a round-the-world adventure in January 2014, sailing on a 100-day World Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Athens, visiting six continents and 40 destinations in 25 countries. The itinerary includes new opportunities to sail along the south coast of Australia and into the Black Sea. World Cruise passengers also have the chance to spend more time in Tahiti, Dubai, Istanbul and Safaga, with overnight or late evening calls to these intriguing destinations.
 
Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.

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About Princess Cruises:
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 16 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 carries 1.3 million passengers each year to destinations around the globe ranging in length from seven to 107 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).
Princess Cruises is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and value, World’s Leading Cruise Lines inspires people to discover their best vacation experience. Together, we offer a variety of exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world's most desirable destinations. Visit us at www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com

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