kimchee1212

I would imagine it has to do with the Chinese government...

 

I was thinking this too, but RCCL goes direct to consumer on their website. Hmm..maybe Princess is just trying to play it safe with charters until the market develops more.

I think I found the answer to my question reading a different thread - the ships get chartered by CNTA. Does anyone know why Princess would charter out the ships rather than sell directly like they do in Japan? Or if they plan to ever start selling them in a more traditional way without charters?

Hi all,

 

I just found out from reading a different thread that Princess doesn't sell its China voyages directly on princess.com. How does one go ahead and book one of these voyages? And what would be there business rationale from taking it off their website and restricting it to Chinese travel agents? Are these ships even selling at full occupancy/higher price points?

We just disembarked the Crown this morning and had a wonderful experience. It wasn't the best Princess cruise we've been on, but it was certainly a great time. I think the food was on par with other Princess cruises, as well as the entertainment. Service was slightly below what we've had on other cruises, but there were no major complaints at all.

Interestingly, we were told to vacate our staterooms by 8:00 am, so I wonder if this was a recent change.

Any more comments? What sorts of activities are there for kids? Will Santa be on board?

 

 

You should be safe on either one; both will have plenty of kids on board that time of year. I'm not sure about NCL, but Princess definitely does Santa on Christmas Day. He hands out small gifts to all the children in the atrium. I wouldn't be surprised if NCL did the same.

Wouldn't surprise me if this was kitted out for the Japanese market from day 1. That would be a big selling point ... let's say it does a few European cruises in 2017, a TA, a few Caribbean before a South America (I imagine it is too big for even the new locks of the Panama Canal) and a transpacific ... it could be there by spring 2018.

 

I don't think the Royal Class ships can fit in the widened Panama Canal, unfortunately :(

 

Wouldn't this ship have to do a South America re-positioning to get to the West Coast or to Asia?

Not sure if this is posted yet, but:

 

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., July 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc (nyse/lse:CCL) CUK +0.58% , announced that it has reached an agreement with the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to build a new ship, which will enter service in 2017.

 

The as-yet unnamed 143,000-ton vessel, which will be built at an all-in cost of approximately 600 million euros, will carry 3,560 passengers, and feature the successful design platform introduced by sister ships Royal Princess in 2013 and Regal Princess which entered service this past May.

 

The new ship will include the signature elements that have become synonymous with the Princess Cruises guest experience such as a soaring central atrium hub with multiple dining, entertainment and retail venues; the adults-only Sanctuary; Movies Under the Stars cinema experience, and 80 percent of all staterooms with balconies. The ship will also include some brand-new innovations to enhance the guest experience even further.

 

"We are incredibly excited to add this fabulous new ship to our already formidable fleet," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. "Royal Princess and Regal Princess have been exceptionally successful for us and have received numerous accolades from guests, travel agents and media, so adding another sister ship will enable us to continue to expand our innovative vacation experiences. We're very pleased that this new ship order is an indication of the confidence that our parent Carnival Corporation has in the future of the Princess brand." She added that this is the only new order Carnival Corporation & plc anticipates for 2017.

 

Specific features and amenities for the ship, along with deployment details, will be revealed in the coming months.

 

Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri Chief Executive Officer, commented: "All the orders we win are important for our Group, but some are more special than others. The one we're announcing today certainly belongs to this select category. In fact, it's no coincidence that Fincantieri is the universally recognized leader among the builders of cruise ships. It's a source of great pride to be able to immediately build another ship for a prestigious brand like Princess Cruises following the successful deliveries of two jewels like "Royal" and "Regal," which have already become part of maritime history." Bono ended by saying, "Our objective has always been to build ships of the future, and thanks to the Carnival Group, the leading market player, which has reconfirmed its well-founded confidence in us, we have proven over time not only to have kept faith with this ambitious goal but also to have been able to consolidate our world leadership in a sector of absolute technological excellence, like cruise ships."

 

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 http://www.princess.com .

 

About Princess Cruises:

 

One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 18 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 1.7 million guests each year to destinations around the globe ranging in length from three to 111 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc.

 

(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/princess-cruises-to-add-new-ship-to-fleet-2014-07-30?reflink=MW_news_stmp)

Grilled Salmon in Alaska

 

Mt. Helena From Airplane Flying Into Seattle

 

So many beautiful pictures from all of you--great photography!

 

 

Almafi Coast

 

 

Alaska

 

 

 

 

Flag Over Athens, Greece

 

 

 

Tastes better than it looks...and it looks pretty good. TASTY Lunch in Kusadasi, Turkey

 

Hi, we're right behind a tender on our upcoming cruise on the Island, and are curious as to the noise level that the cabin provides, especially when the tender needs to be lowered in the morning.

 

And if anyone has pictures of E312 on the Island or the Coral, it'd be much appreciated :)

 

Thank you~

I stayed in the Forward part of the ship on the Sapphire, and when they anchored, I thought there was an earthquake. It woke me up around 4 AM or so, and I panicked a little bit, until I remembered that we were tendering that day. It was so loud, I couldn't believe it.