A game changer coming for Florida cruising

[Host CJSKIDS]

2 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

I don't live in Florida so I'm not invested in this news, but I just noticed the demographic they are apparently marketing to.  Looks like a much younger crowd 🙂 

True and they are showing them all having cocktails on the train.

[AlpacaBag]

Just now, Host CJSKIDS said:

True and they are showing them all having cocktails on the train.

Too bad we can't use our Princess Plus or Premiere beverage benefits on the train....

[Host CJSKIDS]

4 minutes ago, AlpacaBag said:

Too bad we can't use our Princess Plus or Premiere beverage benefits on the train....

 

Oh that's funny!!! LOL

 

[Paula_MacFan]

9 minutes ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

True and they are showing them all having cocktails on the train.

I noticed that too! 🙂  Get the (younger) party started! LOL

[Host CJSKIDS]

Look, it a great thing for some people and will be a nice way to travel.  As I said, I enjoy the Brightline product and know people who commute on it from Miami to Fort Lauderale for work & meetings. 

 

My issue is Princess marketing this as some huge game changer for the local market that is a true innovation.  That's how this was touted and it falls far short of that. 

 

@voljeep what say you?  Is this something you would do?

[Dietemann]

Not much use to us on the FL West Coast

[dog]

Anything about New York?

[LACruiser88]

35 minutes ago, AlpacaBag said:

Too bad we can't use our Princess Plus or Premiere beverage benefits on the train....

Now that would be a game changer! 🤣🍷🤣

[LRY229]

36 minutes ago, Dietemann said:

Not much use to us on the FL West Coast

Or NE FL.  Seems more for travel between Orlando & south FL

[555]

1 hour ago, AlpacaBag said:

Too bad we can't use our Princess Plus or Premiere beverage benefits on the train....

I'd bet the drink prices on the train make the on board prices look cheep. 😘

[FLAlaska]

I live in Broward so really doesn’t apply but good for them for offering something new and options for people. 

[LACruiser88]

Here is the just released Press Release:

 

April 5, 2024 4:17 PM EDT

 

Princess and Brightline Unveil New 'Rail & Sail' Program Offering Affordable, Convenient Transportation and Luggage Express Service for Guests Sailing from Florida Ports

 

New Customized Train Wrap Design, Special Limited Time Offer Herald New Partnership

 

ORLANDO, Fla., April 5, 2024

/PRNewswire/ -- Princess Cruises, the world's most iconic cruise brand, and Brightline, the intercity passenger rail seamlessly connecting travelers to top destinations and major events in Central and South Florida, have joined forces to introduce the innovative Rail & Sail program, offering guests swift and hassle-free access to Princess cruise ships departing from two popular Florida homeports – Fort Lauderdale and Orlando (Port Canaveral).

 

 Princess and Brightline Unveil New ‘Rail & Sail’ Program Offering Affordable, Convenient Transportation and Luggage Express Service for Guests Sailing from Florida Ports  

 

With Rail & Sail, guests enjoy a seamless journey in luxurious comfort, arriving at their preferred homeport in significantly less time than traditional travel methods.

 

The announcement also included the debut of a train with four custom-designed cars adorned with Princess' iconic Love Boat branding, complete with its signature seawitch logo and depictions of popular ports of call. Princess' branding will also be featured within Brightline's five terminals throughout Florida.

 

Also announced was a value-added luggage express service offering guests the ultimate convenience as their bags are checked at their Brightline station and are waiting for them securely in their stateroom upon arrival to the ship.

 

Princess guests can also enjoy special discounts of up to 15% when booking Smart and Premium Rail & Sail packages through Brightline's web site.

 

And for a limited time only, guests who book a Princess cruise through May 5 will receive a Brightline credit of up to $150 per person for its signature Smart and Premium class service based on stateroom type.

 

"A Princess cruise is already the best value in travel and this new partnership with Brightline makes it even easier and more enjoyable to sail with us from the top-rated ports in South and Central Florida," said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. "Our guests can just sit back, relax, and let us do the rest, including delivering their luggage directly to their stateroom."

 

"Brightline has been connecting travelers to South Florida ports since we began operations in 2018 and cruisers from the beginning have found our train to be the easiest way to start their vacation," said Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline. "Today's partnership with Princess Cruises and this train wrap with the iconic Love Boat branding is yet another example of the connection between cruisers and Brightline."

 

One-of-a-Kind 'Rail & Sail' Service

Princess guests will have access to Brightline's full schedule of convenient trains departing daily with 16 round-trip transits between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Options include:

 

Southbound from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale (with stops at West Palm Beach and Boca Raton)

Northbound from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando (with stops at Boca Raton and West Palm Beach)

South Florida residents can also take Brightline from its downtown Miami and Aventura terminals with stops in Fort Lauderdale or Orlando.

Princess will also provide guests with complimentary motorcoach service between Brightline's Orlando and Fort Lauderdale stations and their embarkation terminal.

 

Special Discount Offer, Convenient Luggage Express Service

 

With the convenient new luggage express service guests can check their bags upon arrival at their Brightline station and their luggage will be automatically delivered to their stateroom, making their cruise experience seamless and hassle-free and saving valuable time and effort.

 

The cost is $35 per bag. Luggage express will be initially available on Orlando-to-Fort Lauderdale trains with plans to add the service to Fort Lauderdale-to-Orlando trains ahead of Caribbean Princess' arrival and homeport at Port Canaveral in November.

 

For a limited time only, Princess guests who book a cruise through May 5 will receive a credit that can be used toward Brightline's signature Premium and Smart class:

 

Interior/Oceanview stateroom – $50 per person Brightline credit

Balcony/Deluxe stateroom – $100 per person Brightline credit

Mini-Suite/Suite – $150 per person

 

Brightline credit

Brightline's Smart service includes hand-stitched leather seats, complimentary WiFi and multiple power and USB connections at each seat while Premium service adds complimentary snacks and beverages and access to a Premium Lounge.

 

Love Boat Sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Space Coast 

 

Fort Lauderdale: Princess is one of Port Everglades' largest cruise operators with seven ships – nearly half its fleet – sailing from Fort Lauderdale. Voyages include week-long getaways to the Caribbean to longer length 10- to 20-day cruises offering guests a chance to explore a host of tropical island destinations, including through the Panama Canal.

 

Port Canaveral: Caribbean Princess will inaugurate Love Boat cruises from Port Canaveral November 27, 2024, with a series of four- to 14-day sailings visiting some of the western Caribbean's most picturesque locales, including Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, San Juan, Belize, Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) and Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan). The program runs through April 2025.

 

Additional information on the new Rail & Sail service is available at princess.com/Brightline or gobrightline.com.

[Host CJSKIDS]

Thanks @LACruiser88 for the press release.  Interesting to read.  

 

Guess they have raised the price of the checked bags for their service.  I'm surprised to see it's only a 15% discount on the fare.  

 

 

 

[JimmyVWine]

27 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

Princess guests can also enjoy special discounts of up to 15% when booking Smart and Premium Rail & Sail packages through Brightline's web site.

How many Special Desserts do you get with the Premium Rail & Sail package?

[voljeep]

2 hours ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

Look, it a great thing for some people and will be a nice way to travel.  As I said, I enjoy the Brightline product and know people who commute on it from Miami to Fort Lauderale for work & meetings. 

 

My issue is Princess marketing this as some huge game changer for the local market that is a true innovation.  That's how this was touted and it falls far short of that. 

 

@voljeep what say you?  Is this something you would do?

Our house to Southport Raw Bar - 4 hours driving with an hour buffer for 'pit stops' - leave at 6 am, having a beer at 11 am - then check in, if possible, at Hilton Marina for our pre-cruise night stay.

 

Our house to OIA - about an hour depending on Brightline schedule - 3 hour trip with the 2 stops, then shuttle to ??? - ship if same day, or uber to Hilton/Southport if going down the day before - which we would, then have to uber anywhere we went, which wouldn't be much.  So, we really wouldn't save the one-night stay.

 

For us, not economical ... and we also don't travel light either ... if it fits in the car ...

 

for Port Canaveral - day of drive, easy hour - pay to park at port or at Brightline. Our house to Brightline to PCanaveral - I'd guess close to 3 hours - so that's a definite no go

[EDVM96]

2 hours ago, Paula_MacFan said:

but I just noticed the demographic they are apparently marketing to.  Looks like a much younger crowd 🙂 

 

[Jemnibabe02]

3 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

So my opinion  - look at the HUGE drive market in Orlando, The Villages/Ocala and Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater.  For many the convenience of driving/ubering to Orlando airport, parking and taking the train vs battling the turnpike/I-95 and dealing with port traffic/parking (on port or off) will be beneficial.  There is also the savings of fuel/tolls to consider.

 

Once the shuttle to/from Port Canaveral starts this will be beneficial to the South Florida consumer who wishes to cruise from there as an alternate to Port Everglades especially as many will be able to uber to/from the So FL stations rather than paying for parking.

 

This this an earth shattering "game changer"?  Not really, but there will be many who will find the partnership beneficial

And what possible good does that do the entire werst side of Florida?  Absolutely nothing. Thanks Princess.

[reedprincess]

Game changer? Hardly.

 

MSC did this with Brightline pre-pandemic. Lasted a year or so, maybe. So it's not new, at all...

 

And  this "program" seems to preclude anyone in Miami, as they only mention it being offered between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale... And of course, obviously , everywhere in the state that doesn't have Brightline... 

 

Not exactly game changing. And for most, who usually drive, it's still easier and cheaper to drive and park rather than Uber to station, buy tickets, pay extra for the luggage service (per bag!),  etc.   

 

SMH.

 

 

[cruisequeen4ever]

It’s definitely cool for those who live and transfer between those cities, but is it earth shattering? IMHO, no. I don’t think it warrants as much hype as they gave it.

[cr8tiv1]

Chiming in....I'm not "wow'd".  I do hope some from Florida will find this enticing.  Thanks for the full Press Release.  Ho Hum

[reedprincess]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5ZfLjXuAOD/?igsh=MTlybXNmZ3ljMDJvbg==

 

IG video announcement...

Edited April 5 by reedprincess

[CruisinFinsUp]

Is it just for Florida residents or could we possibly fly into Orlando and use the train to get to Ft Lauderdale? 

We'd consider adding a couple days in Orlando to the vacation.....  

[Host CJSKIDS]

This will be interesting to see how this plays out. . Anyone remember when Brightline was rebranded as Virgin Trains USA?  They even renamed the Miami station to Virgin Miami Central.  All was going to tie into their cruise line and the hotel they were going to build in Brickell on a friend's property.  

[Host CJSKIDS]

49 minutes ago, CruisinFinsUp said:

Is it just for Florida residents or could we possibly fly into Orlando and use the train to get to Ft Lauderdale? 

We'd consider adding a couple days in Orlando to the vacation.....  

 

you can always take Brightline and they run specials frequently. Just Uber from the station to the port. 
 

and the tie with Princess is for anyone. They just did PR making it seem like it was a game changer for those who live here. But I would take advantage if you want to stay in Orlando before. 
 

The premium lounge in Fort Lauderdale and Miami are both nice. The trains are very nice. Haven't been to Orlando yet. 
 

below is their latest promo. 

[Host CJSKIDS]

Thank you @reedprincess for posting that link.