Cruise ship hits whale off Alaska

by Kraig Becker on

For the third time in the past decade a Princess Cruises luxury ship has struck and killed a whale in the waters off the coast of Alaska. That latest incident occurred last Tuesday evening just south of Juneau, where the ship the Sapphire Princess apparently hit the creature, whose corpse was discovered attached to the hull on Wednesday morning. Last year, the same ship arrived in Vancouver following a routine voyage, with a fin whale stuck to its hull.

This current whale was an adult female humpback that measured more than 43 feet in length. Humpbacks are found in waters all over the world, but in the summer months they tend to feed in colder, polar waters. The species is an endangered one and the giant mammals are protected under U.S. law, with stiff fines levied against those who do them harm. It is unclear at this time whether or not Carnival Corp., the parent company of Princess Cruises, will face any fines for this latest incident. They paid out a settlement of $750,000 for a similar incident that occurred in 2001.

On Friday, investigators were still studying the whale’s carcass to determine the exact cause of death. They have not ruled out the possibility that the beast was already dead when the ship struck it, and that the Sapphire Princess played no role in killing it.

[Photo credit: D. Gordon E. Robertson via WikiMedia Commons]

Princess Cruises brings back the good old days of saying bon voyage to friends on the ship

by Scott Carmichael on

Princess Cruises just announced the return of a great nostalgic cruise feature – embarkation day “bon voyage” visits.

With the return of this service, friends and family can come on board with you on departure day to say their goodbyes.

The “Bon Voyage Experience” will roll out to the Princess fleet starting on March 6th on the Sapphire Princess making its way to the other vessels by June 1st.

For just $39, guests can join passengers for the day. Their $39 gets them a lunch with wine, a ship tour and even a souvenir photo. And best of all – the $39 can be applied towards a future Princess cruise.

Seriously – how brilliant is this? You get to entertain your friends or family for a day, and they get to see just how awesome a cruise ship is. Chances are, once they see the fun, they’ll be booking their own cruise as soon as they can.

Passengers can book a Bon Voyage experience beginning 120 days before the cruise, up to six days before departure. Of course, guests will need to go through the same security procedures as the passengers. If you are sailing on a Princess Cruise, you’ll receive an email telling you about the program, and how to make reservations.%Gallery-71848%

Princess cruises holds its first ever “High Seas” talent showcase

by Scott Carmichael on

I’ll admit that I know very little about the entertainment world, but for some reason, I imagine that being part of a cruise ship entertainment team is a ton of fun. You get to sail around the world, and you get to put on your best act once a night.

Princess Cruises just held its first ever talent showcase at their very own entertainment studio in Santa Clarita. They had it all – from a Beatles tribute band to various comedy and variety acts. The showcase featured nice finalists, chosen from thousands of applicants.

The finalists will compete for a spot on one of the 17 ships in the Princess Cruises fleet. The cruise line puts on over 8000 performances each year, making them one of the largest producers of entertainment in the country. If you have a special talent you’d love to share with the cruising public, head on over to the Princess Cruises entertainment recruitment site.

(The photo posted above is of Ashley Winn from Sarasota, Florida as she performs her act with more than 30 hula hoops!)
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Cruise ship arrives in port with dead whale on its bow

by Katie Hammel on

On Sunday, the Vancouver Sun reported that the Princess Cruises ship that arrived in port the day before brought with it something unexpected, and a little disturbing. Stuck to the bow of the boat was a 21 meter (about 69 feet) long dead fin whale.

The Sapphire Princess was returning from Alaska and most likely picked up the whale north of Vancouver Island, as fin whales, which have been designated as an at-risk species, don’t often inhabit the waters off Vancouver.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans plans to do a necropsy to determine if the whale was alive when it was struck by the boat or if it had been floating dead on the water. Whales are generally too small to show up on a ship’s radar, so captains rely on sightings and information from other boats in the area to help avoid them. While ship collisions with whales aren’t common, this isn’t the first time a ship has arrived in Vancouver with a fin whale stuck to the bow. In 1999, a Celebrity Cruise ship had a similar incident.

The whale was removed from the ship’s bow with the aid of two tugboats. After it is examined, it will be dropped back into the ocean where it will become an important part of the underwater ecosystem, providing food for fish and other sea creatures.

Yet another terribly depressing airline tale

by Jerry Guo on

I just came across an almost-unbelievable story of how downright mean US airlines have gotten. Customer service stateside simply can’t compare to the elegance of Singapore Air or even the straightforwardness of EasyJet and Ryanair. The front-page Washington Post story tells the sad tale of a 78-year-old woman who was forced to take a 3-leg flight on three separate airlines to catch a cruise she spent 10 years saving for.

Of course, one of the connecting flights was delayed. Her subsequent flight was full, as was the next one, and the next one. At this point, a passenger who had gotten a seat offered it up for her, but Northwest Airlines refused. The kicker: they also refused to let her use a corporate phone to call home.

More fiascos ensued. The cruiseline, Princess Cruises, was also to blame for keeping her $2,500 and when one of the airlines, United, finally refunded her money, it went to Princess! Even the government thinks this is all too much. “Princess is adding insult to injury,” a FTC spokesman was quoted saying.

What has the travel industry come to when everyone’s squeezing a 78-year-old woman for all she’s worth?