The hidden Dallas themed cruise

[Honolulu Blue]

One of the gems in the flyer that @ceilidh1 revealed to us was a soap opera themed cruise.  Here's the blurb from that:

 

Hold on, wait.  😮  "Dallas" was a very big deal back in the late 70s and into the 80s.  It got higher ratings than Princess' favorite show from the era.  😁 Surely there are fans of that show and these actors that are roaming these boards.  They snuck this theme and these guests on this sailing but gave virtually no notice other than this flyer blurb.  Perhaps they didn't want to upset the "Dynasty" fans onboard who would demand a refund if they knew such things were happening.

 

Here's the listing on Princess' site.  See, it's not just a dream!

 

What kind of company adds a theme like this with almost no notice and no hype??  Princess, you do some good things, but sometimes I wonder about you guys (and gals)...

Edited August 23, 2023 by Honolulu Blue

[memoak]

These theme cruises are usually not done by the cruise lines but by travel agents who have groups on board who are paying to meet the celebrities. I was on a coastal cruise a few years ago awash with SF 49er  players and fans

[Honolulu Blue]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

These theme cruises are usually not done by the cruise lines but by travel agents who have groups on board who are paying to meet the celebrities. I was on a coastal cruise a few years ago awash with SF 49er  players and fans

 This may be true in general, but this theme was organized by Princess all the way.

[rj59]

There are other themed ones, with naturalists or others. Usually they're on low-demand cruises, like CA coastal or September Alaska ones. This started last year, with generic Comedy or other themed cruises, one with Gavin McLeod--there are probably striking actors and writers happy to take a cruise gig now.

[Honolulu Blue]

33 minutes ago, rj59 said:

There are other themed ones, with naturalists or others. Usually they're on low-demand cruises, like CA coastal or September Alaska ones. This started last year, with generic Comedy or other themed cruises, one with Gavin McLeod--there are probably striking actors and writers happy to take a cruise gig now.

The themed cruises actually started two years ago with the 80s, comedy, and Love Boat themed cruises. They seem to be giving less and less notice these days and I struggle to understand why.

[memoak]

If you google a ship and date you can often find more information on cruises like these

 

[wallyj]

I am booked on the Majestic YVR to LA cruise that is now this Themed Dallas cruise. I booked it in early July and it was not at that time labeled Hollywood Insider Dallas, so it is a little surprising to me to see it is now a theme cruise.

 

While on my last cruise, Emerald August 5-21, I heard references to other theme cruises that I do not remember seeing Princess advertising such as the Magic cruise in early October this year and the ‘Mythbusters’ cruise I think is after Thanksgiving.

 

 

[Honolulu Blue]

2 minutes ago, wallyj said:

I am booked on the Majestic YVR to LA cruise that is now this Themed Dallas cruise. I booked it in early July and it was not at that time labeled Hollywood Insider Dallas, so it is a little surprising to me to see it is now a theme cruise.

Lucky you! 😋. Have fun!!

[ceilidh1]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

One of the gems in the flyer that @ceilidh1 revealed to us was a soap opera themed cruise.  Here's the blurb from that:

 

Hold on, wait.  😮  "Dallas" was a very big deal back in the late 70s and into the 80s.  It got higher ratings than Princess' favorite show from the era.  😁 Surely there are fans of that show and these actors that are roaming these boards.  They snuck this theme and these guests on this sailing but gave virtually no notice other than this flyer blurb.  Perhaps they didn't want to upset the "Dynasty" fans onboard who would demand a refund if they knew such things were happening.

 

Here's the listing on Princess' site.  See, it's not just a dream!

 

What kind of company adds a theme like this with almost no notice and no hype??  Princess, you do some good things, but sometimes I wonder about you guys (and gals)...

My theory (which could be totally wrong) is that they need more bookings so they threw in a "theme" last minute, promoted it to TAs and now TAs will find guests with interest in the theme. I don't know why they wouldn't just promote it themselves, but I don't know why they do/don't do a lot of stuff...

[wallyj]

10 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Lucky you! 😋. Have fun!!

Thanks, I booked the cruise because it was included as one of the on board booking sailings you can get at 50% off. I think originally the cruise was stopping in SF, but now will skip and arrive LA early for an overnight. 
 

The Emerald just came back early to LA for an overnight because of Hurricane Hillary and it was a bit of a mess. As it was our first US port after visiting a foreign port, everybody has to do immigration and customs. The ship was also allowing any passengers the option to disembark early on Sunday instead of normal Monday scheduled arrival. You had to complete form and turn into guest services. The form stated you were leaving the ship early voluntarily and no compensation will be given.

 

I was told about 700 passengers opted to leave Sunday morning and there was a delay, as you had to be able to carry ALL your luggage, plus many passengers who were staying on board got in the line early, instead of waiting for their decks to be called which was the protocol. In San Pedro, there is only one small elevator and the escalator is not very wide so with all the passengers with luggage, it was a challenge.
 

I assume this process will be repeated for this cruise.

[Honolulu Blue]

2 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

My theory (which could be totally wrong) is that they need more bookings so they threw in a "theme" last minute, promoted it to TAs and now TAs will find guests with interest in the theme. I don't know why they wouldn't just promote it themselves, but I don't know why they do/don't do a lot of stuff...

One thing they've done for past themed cruises, but not this one (so far), is list it on their themed cruise page at Themed Cruises – On Board Special Events - Princess Cruises .  Maybe it'll show up there eventually.  I hope so. 🙏

[Honolulu Blue]

UPDATE:  Finally Princess did what they should have done two weeks ago and de-cloaked this cruise with more details.  The link to the site where it's listed is at Themed Cruises – On Board Special Events - Princess Cruises.  The direct link to the cruise is at https://www.princess.com/cruise-search/details/?voyageCode=8333 .

 

[Honolulu Blue]

UPDATE #2:  The Princess media push, such as it is, continues for this Dallas cruise and the other ones in their Hollywood Insider series.  They dropped a press release a couple of days ago; you can read it at Hooray for Hollywood! Princess Cruises to Roll Out the Red Carpet on Three California Coastal “Hollywood Insider” Theme Cruises in October 2023 - Princess Cruises ,

[Rick&Jeannie]

[sunviking90]

We are actually booked on this cruise. It was on the hot deals sheet on our cruise back in June. I didn’t know about any of the Dallas people. What I find funny is that when I look up the cruise on the Princess website it is now called “5-Day Pacific Coastal Hollywood Insider with 80s Primetime Stars”, but has no other details. There is no description on the booking page of who these “stars” are. Pretty weak selling on the part of Princess.

We just wanted a quiet cruise to enjoy sea days and reading, and that’s what we will still do.

[DCThunder]

Maybe they need a Miami Vice themed cruise from Miami!

[Honolulu Blue]

13 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

Maybe they need a Miami Vice themed cruise from Miami!

Maybe, but Princess would have to sail out of Miami first.  Has Princess ever sailed out of Miami?

[DCThunder]

29 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Maybe, but Princess would have to sail out of Miami first.  Has Princess ever sailed out of Miami?

No, but somehow "Port Everglades Vice" just doesn't have the same ring.

[LACruiser88]

Here is the Carnival Corp press release for these themed cruises.  It was released on 9/15/23, a bit late for a notification?  Personally, these themed cruises have no appeal whatsoever for us.  🤷‍♂️  

 

September 15, 2023 9:30 AM EDT   Hooray for Hollywood! Princess Cruises to Roll Out the Red Carpet on Three California Coastal "Hollywood Insider" Theme Cruises in October 2023   SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bringing together the stars of Dallas, musicians, special effects and makeup artists to share personal stories working in the entertainment industry, Princess Cruises is debuting a series of three "Hollywood Insider" theme cruises, sailing on California Coastal voyages in October 2023.     "As the leading cruise line on the west coast and with our connection to Hollywood as the idyllic, co-starring backdrop on 'The Love Boat,' it's a natural fit for us to introduce a series of cruises highlighting notable entertainment industry artists who have shaped television and film through the decades," said Denise Saviss, vice president of entertainment experience, Princess Cruises. The three specially-themed "Hollywood Insider" voyages, ranging in length from three to seven days, include:   Hollywood Insider with 80's Primetime Stars Majestic Princess, October 3-7, 2023 5-day Pacific Coastal from Vancouver to Los Angeles Embark on a journey along the coast of the Pacific with some of the legendary stars from the 80's primetime TV smash hit Dallas. This specially-themed, five-day cruise sails along the coast from Vancouver to Los Angeles, with a stop in beautiful Victoria, Canada. Guests will enjoy meet & greets and speaker events from some of their favorite Dallas stars sharing stories behind the infamous Texas oil family drama, including:   Linda Gray "Sue Ellen Ewing" from 1978-1989, also starring opposite Sylvester Stallone in the 1991 film Oscar, the FOX drama Models Inc. from 1994-1995 and numerous television movies.   Charlene Tilton "Lucy Ewing" from 1978-1985 and 1988-1990, also appearing in Happy Days, Eight is Enough, Knots Landing and made her first film appearance alongside Jodie Foster in Freaky Friday in 1976.   Sheree J. Wilson "April Stevens Ewing" from 1986-1991, where she earned a Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Death Scene in 1991, as well as four other nominations.   Christopher Atkins "Peter Richards" from 1983-1984 playing Sue Ellen's controversial young lover and came onto the movie scene in the worldwide blockbuster film, The Blue Lagoon, opposite Brooke Shields.   Hollywood Insider: Behind the Screen EFX Crown Princess, October 16-19, 2023 3-day Pacific Coastal from Seattle to Vancouver The perfect cruise for screen buffs who love to go behind the scenes of their favorite TV shows and movies to meet the real magic makers of Hollywood, who have transformed some of Hollywood's greats into beloved characters. Guests cruise from Seattle to Vancouver alongside some of Hollywood's renowned EFX artists to enjoy personal stories and specially-themed events from guests including:   Michael Westmore, nine-time Emmy-award-winning makeup artist best known for his work in various Star Trek productions.   Johnnie Spence, special effects for notable films such as Man of Steel, Spider-Man 3, Face Off and more.   Tym Buchaarern, double Emmy-award winning makeup artist with film & TV credits including Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Hairspray Live!, and Glee.   Hollywood Insider: Music Connection Discovery Princess, October 21-28, 2023 7-day Classic California Coast from Los Angeles Calling all music-lovers! Sail the coast of California on this specially-themed cruise featuring some of the music industry's most talented lyricists, vocalists, and more. Roundtrip from LA and visiting San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, this cruise features special vocal performances, meet & greets, speaker events and more from guests including:   Allan Dennis Rich, two-time Oscar®, Grammy®, Golden Globe® and Emmy®-nominated songwriter whose songs have sold more than 65 million copies worldwide, most notably Whitney Houston's "Run to You" from The Bodyguard hit soundtrack, James Ingrams' "I Don't Have the Heart," and Natalie Cole's "I Live for Your Love."   Freda Payne, American singer & actress best known as one of the legendary Supremes and as a solo artist for her 1970 hit single "Band of Gold."   Al Jardine, an American musician and original co-founder of The Beach Boys, best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and singing lead vocals on hit singles such as "Help Me Rhonda."   Kimberley Locke, American singer-songwriter and television personality who gained fame with her participation in the 2003 fan favorite American Idol reality TV vocal competition.   Leo Rossi, former Fleetwood Mac tour director and road crew member for Led Zeppelin, The Who, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, and more.   More information about the "Hollywood Insider" cruise series can be found at https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/special-events/.

[Honolulu Blue]

2 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

Here is the Carnival Corp press release for these themed cruises.  It was released on 9/15/23, a bit late for a notification?  Personally, these themed cruises have no appeal whatsoever for us.  🤷‍♂️  

Thanks for sharing the full release.  

 

Personally, I'm glad there are all kinds of cruises and cruise themes for all kinds of cruisers.  These aren't my favorite themes (the music one is the best of the bunch, IMHO), but Princess has gotta know if they can slap an 80s theme onto one of their random cruises (nighttime queen bees optional), then I'll do my best to get on their ship.  Inviting these guys would help:

[Steelers36]

Out of the group from Dallas, I think it would be quite interesting to hear from Linda Gray as I really respected her as an actress.  I think she was very good on the show and of course she would have worked closely with Larry Hagman. 

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

 

Never bothered to watch Dallas but once saw a sign in a liquor store (many years ago) that said, "If you don't know who shot J.R. you are too young to purchase alcohol".  (I was plenty old enough but, to this day, I have never bothered to find out who shot J.R. as it wouldn't make much sense to me anyway.)

[Honolulu Blue]

42 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Out of the group from Dallas, I think it would be quite interesting to hear from Linda Gray as I really respected her as an actress.  I think she was very good on the show and of course she would have worked closely with Larry Hagman. 

Ah, another satisfied customer. 🤑  Plus or Premier? 😁

[Steelers36]

17 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Never bothered to watch Dallas but once saw a sign in a liquor store (many years ago) that said, "If you don't know who shot J.R. you are too young to purchase alcohol".  (I was plenty old enough but, to this day, I have never bothered to find out who shot J.R. as it wouldn't make much sense to me anyway.)

But you might have been able to make an educated guess that it was a woman if you knew anything about the show.  😉

 

[Steelers36]

6 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Ah, another satisfied customer. 🤑  Plus or Premier? 😁

Not sure I understand the remark.  We are not going on this voyage if that is what you meant.  Sorry, not getting it.