Cruise-Guru: Princess Cruises Unveils 2014 Alaska Tours and Cruise Season

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Princess Cruises Unveils 2014 Alaska Tours and Cruise Season

Princess Cruises' Crown Princess Sails Alaskan Waters in 2014

Princess Cruises has opened the books on its 2014 Alaska cruise and cruisetour season, which will feature the debut of the line’s largest ship in the state, Crown Princess, plus the return of small-ship cruising aboard Pacific Princess.

Throughout the 2014 season, passengers have the opportunity to explore the best of Alaska by both land and sea, with a selection of sailing options aboard seven ships as well as a variety of Princess’ signature cruisetour options to experience the heart of the state at the company’s own riverside wilderness lodges.

Highlights of the program include Crown Princess’ debut in the 49th state, Princess’ largest ship to sail in the region, which will cruise on the line’s popular “Voyage of the Glaciers” route through the scenic Gulf of Alaska, joined by Coral Princess and Island Princess. Small ship Pacific Princess, which last sailed in Alaska in 2009, will again bring its intimate cruise experience to Inside Passage cruises from Vancouver. Golden Princess and Grand Princess will offer Inside Passage cruises from Seattle, and Star Princess will depart on 11-day Inside Passage journeys from San Francisco.

The cruisetour program combines a seven-day “Voyage of the Glaciers” cruise with three to eight additional nights on land exploring Alaska’s interior. Passengers can pick their perfect Alaska experience with four types of land and sea packages – Denali Explorer, On Your Own, Off the Beaten Path and Connoisseur. All Princess cruisetours include the company’s exclusive wilderness lodges, rail or motorcoach travel, plus the top two attractions in the state – Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park, where visitors spend at least one night exploring the wonders of this area.

“We will once again lead the way in Alaska next year, offering our most diverse choice of ships ever,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “And more than half of our Inside Passage sailings include a visit to Glacier Bay National Park. This number-one Alaska attraction is always a highlight with its dazzling blue glaciers.”

Princess’ 2014 Alaska program includes:

Cruises – Passengers have a variety of options for exploring “The Great Land,” with seven ships sailing on seven itineraries to more than 14 destinations. In total, the line will offer 123 Alaska cruise departures in 2014.

    Voyage of the Glaciers – Princess’ favorite Gulf of Alaska route between Vancouver and Whittier (for Anchorage) features two glacier-viewing experiences on every sailing, with visits to Glacier Bay National Park plus either Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord. Ships also call at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Crown Princess will join Coral Princess on this signature itinerary for Saturday departures, and Island Princess will set sail on Wednesdays. In total, the ships will offer 54 sailing choices between May 10 and September 17, 2014.

    Inside Passage from Seattle – Golden Princess and Grand Princess offer convenient weekend departures on two different seven-day roundtrip itineraries from Seattle along the scenic Inside Passage. Both visit Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, B.C., and passengers will enjoy dramatic glacier viewing in either Glacier Bay National Park (Golden Princess) or Tracy Arm (Grand Princess). The two ships will sail on 38 departures between May 3 and September 14, 2014.

    Inside Passage from Vancouver – Pacific Princess will offer an intimate cruise experience on a seven-day roundtrip cruise from Vancouver, taking in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan plus dramatic glacier viewing in either Glacier Bay National Park or Tracy Arm Fjord. The ship will offer 19 sailings between May 13 and September 16, 2014.

    Inside Passage from San Francisco – Star Princess will sail from the “City by the Bay” on 11-day roundtrip cruises. The ship offers 12 voyages from San Francisco featuring the scenery of Glacier Bay National Park or Tracy Arm Fjord, with calls at Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria (with some sailings substituting Icy Strait Point). Departures sail between May 12 and September 10, 2014.

Cruisetours – Princess cruisetours offer passengers 23 itinerary options for a complete land and sea Alaska experience ranging from 10 to 15 nights. All cruisetours include a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers sailing including a visit to Glacier Bay National Park, plus up to four nights in the Denali National Park area with stays at Princess’ riverside wilderness lodges.

    Denali Explorer – Princess’ most popular cruisetour option, Denali Explorer packages feature multiple nights at the line’s Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and/or Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, plus the exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service between the Whittier cruise terminal and the dramatic Denali National Park area. Most also offer the opportunity to explore Fairbanks or Anchorage.

    On Your Own – An affordable option for independent-minded travelers, these tours offer a flexible way to see the Heart of Alaska. Tours follow similar routes as Denali Explorer options, but do not include any pre-planned excursions, giving travelers the opportunity to customize their own experience.

    Off the Beaten Path – For those who want to explore Denali and beyond, these tours offer options to the Kenai Peninsula with stays at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge or Wrangell-St. Elias National Park with stays at Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge.

    Connoisseur – These cruisetour options offer the services of a professional tour director and additional time for passengers to experience the Great Land. Offering the highest level of service, these tours include most meals and enhanced sightseeing options.

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