Princess Cruises has announced its largest Europe season ever, with
six ships calling at over 115 ports throughout the continent in
2008.
Eight new ports will debut, including unique locales such as
Albania.
And, five new itineraries will be introduced, including a new
Classical Europe option that combines the best of Scandinavia and
Russia with the Mediterranean.
The six vessels in Princess’ European fleet will range in capacity
from 670 to 3,070 passengers. Itineraries will range from seven to
23 days. Additionally, two ships will make their European debuts:
Crown Princess, which brings extra capacity to Scandinavia/Russia
itineraries, and Pacific Princess, which offers an intimate cruise
experience throughout the Mediterranean, including a significant
increase in Holy Land sailings. For the 2008 season, Royal Princess
returns with an all-new schedule and Emerald Princess sails once
again throughout the Mediterranean and Greek Isles, Grand Princess
showcases both Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, and Sea
Princess sails on a selection of one- and two-week Mediterranean
and Northern Europe itineraries from Southampton.
The eight new ports on Princess’ 2008 European schedule include
Sarande, Albania featuring the remains of the ancient Greek and
Roman city of Butrint and the Ottoman town of Gjirokastra, the
nation's two UNESCO World Heritage Sites; Dartmouth, a charming
seaside town at the heart of Devon in the UK; Harwich, a convenient
alternative port for visits to London; Bornholm (Rønne), a scenic
Danish island; and Scrabster in the very north of Scotland, a
convenient jumping off point for visits to the Scottish Highlands
and the Castle of Mey. Passengers on transatlantic sailings will
also be able to explore new ports on the way to or from Europe with
visits to Banjul, capital of The Gambia offering wildlife
sightings, colorful markets and intriguing local villages; Horta, a
small village in the Portuguese Azores Islands; and St. Anthony,
Newfoundland, offering an opportunity to go whale watching or visit
Viking ruins at L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, another
UNESCO site thought to be one of the earliest European settlements
in North America.
Passengers can add to their European adventure with a choice of
cruisetour options offered in conjunction with Grand Princess,
Emerald Princess, Crown Princess and Pacific Princess sailings.
These fully escorted tours include "Under the Tuscan Sun,"
highlighting Florence, Siena and Milan; "Cathedrals and Castles of
Imperial Europe," featuring four capitals: Budapest, Vienna, Prague
and Berlin; and the "Ring of Kerry," with visits to Shannon,
Killarney and Cork. All tours are designed to mesh seamlessly with
Princess' cruise itineraries for a complete land/sea vacation.
Early booking fares for Europe cruises start at $1,640 per person,
based on double occupancy.
Travel agents interested in learning more about Princess' Europe
program can enroll in the Princess Academy online training program,
which has launched an updated Europe 2008 course. Agents who have
previously completed the Academy Europe course can review the
updated details in their "Your History" section.
800-421-1700
www.onesourcecruises.
