Three ships will be homeport in UK, while line's two newest vessels will be based elsewhere in Europe
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Princess Cruises is to offer its longest-ever cruise season in the UK and Europe in 2021, with three ships offering almost 500 sailing days from Southampton, England.
Between April and November, the 2,600-guest Grand Princess will offer a total of 207 sailing days from Southampton – the longest-ever period for a UK-based cruise ship. She will visit destinations in Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Canada and New England. Island Princess will also homeport in Southampton between June and October, providing itineraries across Northern Europe.
Arriving in Southampton in April, the 3,080-guest Crown Princess will operate 14 voyages around the British Isles, calling at ports such as Liverpool in England, Dublin in Ireland, and the Orkney Islands and Edinburgh in Scotland. Select itineraries will include overnight calls in port.
Princess Cruises’ two newest ships will also be based in Europe in 2021. Sky Princess will spend April to September sailing Scandinavia and Russia roundtrips from Copenhagen, Denmark. Guests will be able to visit destinations including Tallinn, Estonia; Oslo, Norway; Helsinki, Finland; Berlin, Germany; and St Petersburg, Russia.
Meanwhile, Enchanted Princess will offer Mediterranean cruises between April and October, sailing from Rome in Italy, Athens in Greece, and Barcelona, Spain. Destinations highlights will include the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini, as well as Kotor in Montenegro, Florence in Italy, and Istanbul in Turkey.
The two vessels will bring the total European cruise days up to almost 1,000.
“Europe continues to go from strength to strength as the destination of choice for UK guests and we are thrilled to be able to offer our longest season in history,” said Tony Roberts, vice president of UK and Europe at Princess Cruises. “We will offer more choice than ever before, with UK guests able to take advantage of a huge range of fantastic destinations sailing from right on their doorstep.”
All five ships will offer the MedallionClass experience, which is facilitated by the complimentary OceanMedallion wearable device and is designed to offer guests a fully personalised cruise experience. The Ocean Medallion can be worn or carried by passengers to anticipate their every onboard need, giving them access to personalised dining experiences, interactive entertainment and games, wayfinding capabilities, transaction-free payments and expedited embarkation and disembarkation. Other benefits include touch-free access to staterooms, enhanced interactions with crew members and other guests, and the ability to connect to portals throughout the ship to see a real-time overview of shipboard events and activities.
Guests will also be able to use MedallionNet to stream TV shows, movies and sports events, as well as to make voice and video calls.
“Having five MedallionClass ships based in Europe, including our latest vessels Sky Princess and Enchanted Princess, is testament to Princess Cruises’ commitment to offering UK guests new onboard experiences, premium services and a wealth of holiday options,” said Roberts.