LACruiser88

September 5, 2023 2:00 AM EDT Princess Cruises Expands Environmental Stewardship in New Zealand to Support Blue Penguin Colony and Last Major Yellow-eye Penguin Colony on the Mainland Princess’ Local Partnerships Program expanded across North and South Islands Princess Local Partnerships Video Link Princess Cruises today announced it is expanding its environmental stewardship in New Zealand by offering funding from its Princess Local Partnerships program to Dunedin-based Natures Wonders, an organisation that is key to helping safeguard the country’s iconic wildlife. The new partnership will support building habitat for an emerging Blue Penguin colony in Otago and the preservation of the last major yellow-eye penguin colony on the mainland of New Zealand. Princess Cruises Senior Vice President Asia Pacific, UK + Europe, Stuart Allison, said the cruise line is committed to supporting conservation and culture in New Zealand by using tourism as a vehicle for regeneration. “This expanded partnership will further support community-based conservation efforts in New Zealand playing a pivotal role in the protection of these treasured species for generations to come,” he said. Perry Reid, owner of Natures Wonders, said, “We are thrilled to be formalising a partnership with Princess Cruises after so many years of introducing Princess guests to the wildlife here at Natures Wonders. With the generous funding from Princess Cruises, we will be building more nesting boxes for the flourishing Blue Penguin colony and extending our predator-free boundary. We expect that this will have a huge impact on Blue Penguin numbers while also preserving the neighbouring Yellow-Eyed Penguin colony as well.” Launched in 2019, the Princess Local Partnerships program is funded by guest donations and also supports Bay Bush Action in the Bay of Islands, a cause it has backed since inception. “Thanks to the generous donations of our guests and the hard work of Bay Bush Action trustees and volunteers, in recent years we have seen a 120% increase in Kiwi numbers in the Ōpua State Forest and revival of the Kaka and Kokako native bird species in the region,” Mr Allison added. “And now with our partnership with Natures Wonders, an organisation we’ve been bringing our guests to for over 20 years, our guests will be able to directly contribute to conservation efforts in the Otago region as well as see the results of their donations when they visit Dunedin in the months and years to come.” Craig Salmon, Bay Bush Action Trustee, said, “The support from Princess Cruises has allowed us to make a lot of headway in our work at Bay Bush Action. Not only are we able to work on restoring a forest that has been forgotten about for over 25 years; we are also creating jobs and supporting our local economy. It has been so heartening to see the increase in Kiwi numbers and the regeneration of native plants in Ōpua State Forest, which we couldn’t have done without the generous donations of Princess Cruises guests.” Princess Cruises will return to New Zealand with four ships for the summer cruise season commencing with Coral Princess in Auckland on 16 September. Royal Princess will make her maiden visit to New Zealand, with her first call in Tauranga on 18 October while Majestic Princess will return visiting Auckland on 30 October. Grand Princess will also make a number of calls to New Zealand as part of her summer season visiting Auckland on 17 October. “For over 20 years we have been bringing our guests to Natures Wonders, and now those guests will be able to directly contribute to conservation efforts in the Otago region. Funding from the Princess Local Partnerships program will support a thriving Blue Penguin colony by building new habitat and ensuring their home remains predator-free. Furthermore, conservation efforts will be replicated to preserve the Yellow-Eyed Penguin colony nearby which is the last major colony on the mainland of New Zealand. Guests will be able to see the results of their donations when they visit Dunedin in the months to come.” Perry Reid, owner of Natures Wonders, said, “We are thrilled to be formalising a partnership with Princess Cruises after so many years of introducing Princess guests to the wildlife here at Natures Wonders. With the generous funding from Princess Cruises, we will be building more nesting boxes for the flourishing Blue Penguin colony and extending our predator-free boundary. We expect that this will have a huge impact on Blue Penguin numbers while also preserving the neighbouring Yellow-Eyed Penguin colony as well.” For more details on Princess Cruises, visit princess.com, call 13 24 88 or connect with a professional travel advisor. Travel agents are encouraged to call 1300 587 473 or visit onesourcecruises.com.au.

Our experience has been similar, rarely do fares go down. When they do, we either re-fare or re-book if the reduction is only for new bookings. It pays to book far in advance!

We had the same table and servers in the Botticelli MDR for the entire cruise. We made the request on the first night. You should be able to request the same table/servers in any of the MDR's.

Same here. That is a plus when booking way in advance of the sailing, we have been able to secure the same cabin for multiple segments.

Below is a link to a current thread that is on topic...

Interesting glitch. I was able to check prices for the Enchanted, Majestic, Coral and the Sky.

While checking prices, I saw that no pricing is currently available for any cruises on the Sapphire. Glitch or ???

Our personal preference is the Emerald. Have a great cruise!

They no longer have bars of soap, only liquid. We bring our own.

DH = Dear Husband DW= Dear Wife

We cover the sensor with black electrical tape.

We use the below lights, they work great and plug into the bathroom socket.

Fyi, Jan is no longer in the Princess realm, she is Executive VP, Strategic Operations at Carnival Corporation.

Here is a link to a thread regarding the bidding process.

@meldal I might suggest you peruse the Cruise Insurance Forum here on CC, a link below. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

At home, we also wash in cold water. We regularly send out our workout clothes, underwear, pj's and socks with no issues while onboard. My DW washes everything else in the laundry room. We do write "cold water wash only" on the laundry slip. We don't know if they actually use cold water? 🤷‍♂️

Yes, we were in Port Stanley this past March and went to Volunteer Point. Shaun, one of Patrick's long-time guides, took over the business. We have already booked him again for our return visit in December of 2024. One of the best tours ever!

We always work the math on whether to book as one voyage or separate voyages. Since the start-up, we have found booking as one has been more financially advantages for us. Say hello to Ken for us, hope to see you guys onboard soon!

On our July, Hawaii cruise on the Emerald, the cut-off for the MTG Luncheon was 585 sea days.

On our April, 32-day, Buenos Aires to LA cruise (was also sold as two segments) on the Sapphire, we had 2 luncheons (one for each segment) and a cocktail party. This was the first time we had both on a cruise.

We have also boarded in Barcelona many times. We will also be boarding there in November for our Med/TA on the Enchanted. The Barcelona terminal has always been very organized and timely. You'll have no problem knowing where to go, as they will be directing you from the time you enter the building. We tend to arrive after 12:00 to avoid any lines and usually just walk right onboard.

You can do it on the 1st day of your 1st segment.

We will be in Sydney for a week before boarding the Majestic Princess in April. We hope the test requirement is gone by then. As mentioned by @Thrak, it is easily faked by those wishing to skirt the rules.