Princess Announces 2011 and 2012 World Cruises

mercedes · July 7, 2010

Princess Cruises will offer adventurous passengers two opportunities in 2011 and 2012 to experience one of travel's most grand voyages -- the World Cruise. Sailing to multiple continents and encompassing dozens of the globe's treasured places, these fascinating itineraries will give travelers the unique opportunity to experience the world while enjoying Princess' famed style and service.

Just announced, the intimate Pacific Princess will sail on a 107-day journey from Ft.Lauderdale to Venice, departing January 13, 2012, offering the line's popular small-ship cruising experience. For an Australian-style world cruise, Dawn Princess will sail roundtrip from Sydney on May 25, 2011.

Travelers on these voyages will be able to experience numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites -- such as FiordlandNational Park in New Zealand, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, and historic Cairo -- and can opt to travel beyond the ports in some locations with overland excursions to such must-see destinations as the Great Wall of China and Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Pacific Princess will also introduce three new ports for Princess -- Santa Marta, Colombia; Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica; and Manama, Bahrain.

"As we know from our long-standing emphasis on destination cruising, our passengers are globetrotters by nature," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. "And these world cruises are the ultimate way for them to truly experience so many places of a lifetime all in one voyage -- from the Panama Canal to the pyramids of Egypt."

Pacific Princess -- 107 days -- January 13, 2012:

This Ft.Lauderdale to Venice itinerary will visit 38 destinations in 28 countries, including the mighty Panama Canal, the idyllic South Pacific, plus the "down under" experience of Australia and New Zealand. Passengers will explore a variety of vibrant Asian cities such as Toyko, experience the bustle of India and Egypt's legendary monuments, and see some unique European ports, such as Dubrovink, before finally arriving in breathtaking Venice.

Three new ports debut on this voyage: Santa Marta, the oldest city in Colombia, is the site of the last days of Simon Bolivar, the liberator for whom Bolivia is named. From this port, passengers can visit a number of historical sites, including the oldest church in Spanish America, or can enjoy TayronaNational Park for ecological tours and time at the beach. Puerto Quepos offers an off-the-beaten-path experience in Costa Rica, near the ecotourism destination of Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. Manama, the main port for Bahrain, a small island country in the Persian Gulf, is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fort of Bahrain or Qal'at al-Bahrain (the AncientHarbour and Capital of Dilmun) plus other numerous archeological sites.

Pacific Princess passengers will also have the opportunity to experience a variety of other UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These remarkable places that make up the planet's cultural and natural heritage include Fiordland National Park in New Zealand, Sydney Opera House, the Great Blue Mountains near Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef (from Cairns), the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the historic center of Macau (from Hong Kong), the Taj Mahal (from Mumbai), ancient Petra (from Aqaba), historic Cairo (from Alexandria) and the old city of Dubrovnik. Passengers may also take in UNESCO sites such as the Great Wall of China and Cambodia's Angkor Wat with several overland adventures available during the voyage.

The full itinerary for the Pacific Princess world cruise adventure starts in Ft.Lauderdale, followed by calls in Aruba and new port of Santa Marta (Colombia), before transiting the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal. The ship then heads up the coast to new port of Puerto Quepos (Costa Rica), and San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua), to San Diego. Passengers will then enjoy crossing the Pacific with visits to Honolulu, Kauai (Nawiliwili), Pago Pago, Tonga (Nuku'Alofa), and then Auckland, and FiordlandNational Park in New Zealand. In Australia, the ship visits Burnie, Tasmania and spends two days in Sydney, plus visits Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef. Heading for Asia, the ship calls at Guam, then Tokyo, Hiroshima, Busan, Shanghai, and two days in Hong Kong. Next is Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Singapore and Phuket. In India, passengers will experience Chennai and Mumbai (for a full-day tour to the Taj Mahal), then the ship reaches Bahrain for the new port of Manama, followed by an overnight call in Dubai. Then it's on to Salalah, Safaga (for Luxor/Karnak), Alexandria (for Cairo/Giza), and a transit of the Suez Canal. Once in the Mediterranean, the ship calls at Dubrovnik and Koper (for the capital of Slovenia, Lubljana), and then finally on to the final port of Venice.

Dawn Princess -- 104 days -- May 25, 2011:

Sailing roundtrip from Sydney, this world cruise features an Australian flavor. Dawn Princess will call at 43 intriguing ports on six continents and will introduce some new destinations not seen on her previous global voyages, including Costa Rica, Morocco, Jordan, Israel, Scotland and Norway. Popular destinations such as Singapore, Dubai, the Mediterranean, the Panama Canal and the Hawaiian Islands are also included.

The full cruise itinerary will take passengers from Sydney to Darwin, then across the Equator to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (Port Kelang), and Langkawi, Malaysia. Then the ship sails to India with calls at Cochin, and Mumbai (for the Taj Mahal). The cruise continues to Abu Dhabi, Dubai (overnight), Muscat (Mina Qaboos), and Aqaba in Jordan (for Petra). Dawn Princess will then sail through the Suez Canal to reach Port Said (for Cairo/Giza), followed by Jerusalem (Ashdod). Then it's on to the Mediterranean with visits to Mykonos, and Istanbul, with a cruise by ANZAC Cove. The classic ports of Athens (Piraeus), Naples (for Capri & Pompeii), Rome (Civitavecchia), Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Monte Carlo, and Barcelona come up next, followed by Casablanca (for Rabat), Lisbon, Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), and then on to London (Dover). Northern Europe ports include Amsterdam and Bergen, Norway as the ship then sails to Britain and Ireland with calls at Edinburgh/Glasgow (Greenock), Dublin, and Cork (Cobh -- for BlarneyCastle). Dawn Princess next crosses the Atlantic with a stop in Bermuda on the way to Ft.Lauderdale. Passengers will then visit Cartagena and transit the spectacular Panama Canal. Sailing up the PacificCoast, the ship reaches Costa Rica (Puntarenas), Acapulco, Manzanillo, and then Los Angeles. Passengers will then enjoy sailing across the Pacific to Honolulu, Tahiti (Papeete), Bora Bora, and Apia (Western Samoa), as the ship heads for home with a final call in Auckland before reaching Sydney once again.