Next year, four ships will sail 38 itineraries to 70 destinations in 40 countries on six continents
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Princess Cruises is to offer 58 departures ranging from three to 111 days on four of its ships as part of its 2016-2107 Exotics programme.
Next year, four ships will sail 38 itineraries to 70 destinations in 40 countries on six continents, including cruises to South America, Southeast Asia, Japan and China.
“Our Exotics programme will continue to offer our guests the chance to travel to fascinating destinations around the globe resulting in lifelong memories of different cultures and people,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises’ president. “We’re proud that our award-winning itineraries position us as a destination leader in the cruise industry.”
Crown Princess will be Princess’ largest ship to ever sail a full season of 14- and 33-day itineraries in South America. Offering nine departures, the ship will sail between Santiago in Chile and either Rio de Janeiro in Brazil or Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Princess will also offer combined land and sea vacations in South America for guests on Crown Princess. Guests on the South America, the Andes & Argentina Wine Experience will be able to visit three wineries in Argentina’s Mendoza wine region, as well as a tango show and dinner in Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, the Iguazu Falls Adventure tour includes a day of sightseeing in Rio de Janeiro and a trip to Iguazu Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the Machu Picchu Explorer cruisetour, guests will visit Machu Picchu, another UNESCO site, and visit Cusco and the Sacred Valley with sightseeing to Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo and an authentic Pisac Market.
Meanwhile, Diamond Princess will sail her first full season from Singapore in winter 2016-2017. The ship will provide three- to 11-day roundtrips from November 2016, enabling guests to visit Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Borneo. She will also offer 14 combination voyages ranging from nine to 21 days.
Next autumn, Diamond Princess will offer a 17-day Grand Asia from Tokyo in Japan, calling at Hong Kong; Shanghai, China; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Osaka, Japan. In spring 2017, Diamond Princess will sail from Singapore to Tokyo for a 14-day voyage visiting Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
Golden Princess will also be in Asia to provide two voyages starting or ending in Australia. Ranging from 21 to 25 days, the cruises will operate between Sydney or Melbourne in Australia, and Hong Kong or Beijing in China, and include visits to Darwin in Australia, Bali, Singapore and Nha Trang in Vietnam.
Combined land and sea tours in Asia include a visit to the Great Wall, Beijing’s Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Xian and the Terra Cotta Warriors; and The Yangtze Experience, which includes three nights cruising the Yangtze River and visits Beijing and Xian.
Princess will also offer a variety of 10- to 21-day cruises in Southeast Asia for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year.
Pacific Princess will sail a third annual World Cruise roundtrip from Los Angeles or Fort Lauderdale in the US. The 111-day voyage will visit 38 destinations, 30 countries and include overnight stays in Hong Kong, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and Venice in Italy. The ship will also make maiden calls to Acajutla in El Savador; Bodrum, Turkey; Yap, Micronesia; and Hvar and Sibenik, Croatia.
Guests also have the opportunity to join the World Cruise for a portion of the journey including a 22-day Hawaii and South Pacific, 18-day Australia and New Zealand, 18-day Southeast Asia and India, 18-day Dubai cruise to Europe, 18-day Mediterranean Passage and a choice of a 17-day Panama Canal sailing between Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale.