By
Rebecca Gibson |
Princess Cruises’ flagship Royal Princess made her inaugural visit at the US port of Boston on 29 September.
Calling as part of her Canada/New England itinerary, Royal Princess arrived from New York City and headed for Maine after departing Boston. Royal Princess, which measures 1,083 feet in length and accommodates 3,560 passengers, is one of the largest ships ever to call at the port.
Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) marked the call with a plaque presentation.
“We are proud to welcome Royal Princess as one of eight maiden calls this season at Cruiseport Boston,” said Thomas Glynn, Massport CEO. “It shows the partnerships that we continue to build and our commitment to providing good-paying blue-collar jobs in the cruise industry as well as contributing to the regional economy.”
Cruiseport Boston experienced record cruise seasons in both 2012 and 2013, with 382,885 passengers passing through the facility last year. The port generates around 2,000 direct jobs and more than US$187 million in annual economic impact.
“Boston is both an extraordinary homeport and a great port of call and our economy benefits each time someone cruises into or out of Boston,” said Deborah Hadden, Massport port director.
Meanwhile, Princess has announced that passengers onboard its other newbuild Regal Princess will soon be able to access its free Princess@Sea Messenger service.
Integrated in the complimentary Princess@Sea mobile app, the Princess@Sea Messenger service enables guests to connect with other passengers, share updates and make plans while onboard the ship. It debuts on Regal Princess when she embarks on her Caribbean cruise season this November and will be rolled out to all cruise ships in the entire fleet by the end of 2015.
“We know it’s important for our guests to be able to stay in touch with their fellow cruisers,” said Jan Swartz, Princess’ president. “With the new Princess@Sea Messenger we’re making it even easier for them to share their experiences, stay in touch and even make new friends.”
Guests will be able to download the complimentary Princess@Sea Messenger via the Apple or Android app store before boarding the ship, or onboard the vessel after purchasing an internet package. Limited messaging functionality will also be available in Princess@Sea without downloading the app. The service can be accessed via a smartphone or tablet browser.
The Princess@Sea mobile app debuted on Royal Princess in 2013, enabling guests to check the day’s events and activities, review the ship’s itinerary and port guides, browse restaurant menus and even access their stateroom account.
Regal Princess begins her Caribbean cruise season on 6 November with a short preview sailing, followed by a schedule of seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises to ports such as St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Princess Cays in the Bahamas.