Princess Cruises has been talking about amazing experiences for a while now with their popular 50 Essential Experiences blog, now up to week 13 in the year-long run. From week to week, Princess employees relate personal bucket list travel experiences, causing readers to think about and plan their own essential travel experiences. Now, the line is taking it a step further, offering its Facebook fans a chance to make a big dent in their own bucket lists.
The Travel Bucket List contest kicks off today with Princess inviting fans to share their own most essential travel experience, giving them a chance to win a vacation to their choice of eight remarkable cruise destinations including Europe, Asia, Tahiti, Australia/New Zealand, the Holy Land, Panama Canal, Alaska or South America.
The winner, to be determined by popular vote, will choose a cruise vacation ranging from 10 to 16 days in length in a balcony stateroom including airfare for two people.
“We’re encouraging our Facebook fans to share an inspiring travel experience they think everyone should do at least once in their lifetime,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “And the unprecedented aspect of this contest is that the winner gets to choose from among eight incredible cruise destinations, and cross yet another experience off their travel bucket list.
Entries can be made with a written story or with a video submitted any time until February 7, 2011. Fans can vote between February 11-25, 2011 and the winner will be announced on or around March 11, 2011.
Want to go on the newest cruise ship but having a hard time justifying the premium price they sometimes demand? The cruise lines hear you and are adding features from the newest ships on older models that are often much less expensive to sail.
New features on new cruise ships are something we almost just expect to happen. The latest, greatest ship coming out always has the very newest and innovative attractions and reflects what we want out of a ship. Royal Caribbean International introduced the world’s largest cruise ship, Allure of the Seas in 2010 but has not forgotten the rest of the fleet. Throughout 2011, the line is adding new features to older ships. Here’s a breakdown of what’s coming up.
Down one class in size to Liberty of the Seas, starting January 30th, that one too will have the Dreamworks Experience and a Broadway hit, Saturday Night Fever:The Musical. Add on a 3-D theater here too as well as The Cupcake Cupboard made popular by Oasis-class ships and Vintages Wine Bar plus a Royal Babies and Tots Nursery.
Sister to Liberty, popular Freedom of the Seas sailing from Port Canaveral will have all that plus a BRITTO Gallery starting March 27. No need to get off the ship in the Caribbean for shopping, this one has it all right on board.
Older ship Radiance of the Seas will add new specialty restaurants Park Cafe, Giovanni’s Table, Samba Grill and Rita’s Cantina in the Summer and get new interactive flat-screen televisions in staterooms plus the Touch-screen signage made popular on Oasis-class ships that helps guests navigate the ship.
Splendour of the Seas will see probably the biggest change. Royal Caribbean is adding 100 balcony staterooms and more inside and oceanview staterooms too. New specialty restaurants and special lounges for Diamond-level members of the line’s Crown and Anchor past guest club plus an exclusive Concierge Lounge for guests booked in suites.
Technology is front and center too on Royal Caribbean with iPod/iPhone docks in each cabin.
It’s not just Royal Caribbean either. Carnival Cruise Lines recently added their popular Punchliner Comedy Clubs, SuperStar LIVE karaoke, huge LED screen Seaside Theater and more to most ships and the popular Chef’s Table dining experience to the entire fleet. Older ships have gone through a $350 million Evolutions of Fun adding Carrnival Waterworks, Adult Serenity areas and more.
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Over at Princess Cruises they may not be pumping out the new ships line other lines (although they do have a couple in the works), but they’ve been busy with a keen focus on quality and an evolution of their on-board product with some pretty cool new features.
The Sanctuary is a secluded spa-like setting complete with massage cabanas, light meals, and signature beverages provided by “Serenity Stewards” assigned to the area. For a minimal charge, guests can reserve space in the Sanctuary for the day and be treated to chilled face towels, music via the area’s MP3 players or Evian water atomizers. Tip: when you get on board, RUN to this place and reserve it for the entire cruise.
The Ultimate Ships Tour takes guests deep into areas of the ship normally off-limits on a 2 to 3 hour journey through the ships engine control room, medical center, print shop, laundry, photo lab, bridge and other crew-only areas of the ship. A$150 per person fee is a bargain for those interested in seeing just what makes a ship work
Even the Room Service Menu was recently revised, enhancing the standard menu with hearty fare such as Chili Con Carne, Baked Lasagna, Moroccan Vegetable Crock Pot with Pita Bread and more served 24 hours a day.
Princess added a Pub Lunch Enhancement for Longer Voyages offering more traditional British dishes, served on days at sea with items like Chicken Curry, Steak and Kidney Pie, Bread and Butter Pudding and more
Up-To-Date on technology is on all the ships too with flat-screen TVs and each ships atrium has Wi-Fi Internet access as do all passenger staterooms.
Something super fun they have is called the Bon Voyage Experience.Princess now makes it possible for friends or family to register from 120 days prior to sailing for a short visit on the day of embarkation in select ports of call. For a fee of $39 per person, guests enjoy a nice taste of on board life including a four-course dining room lunch with wine, a ship tour and souvenir photo. Additionally, the $39 fee can be applied towards a future cruise within 3 months of their ship visit.
The only problem I can see with that one is that you have to get off the ship and say good-bye to your friends as they sail off into the sunset.
A recent poll by Princess Cruises revealed Alaska, not the warm-weather-dreamy Caribbean, as the number one destination choice for cruising in the coming year. The poll, fielded from the line’s 76,000 Facebook fans, had some other surprising results as well.
Among other results, one-fourth of those responding chose Alaska as their top choice to visit this year, followed by the Caribbean (15%) and Europe (14%) Hawaii (8%); Panama Canal (7%); Africa (5%); Australia (5%); Amazon (4%); Asia (2%); Canada/New England (2%); Mexican Riviera (2%); New Zealand (2%); South America (2%), and India (1%).
The pool also revealed that the most desired traveling companion by far (68%) was the respondents “other half” followed by good friends (15%) almost leaving kids at home with a measly 6% vote.
Asked what celebrity they might choose to travel with, Oprah (19%) beat out Jack Black, Tina Fey (no doubt in Sarah Palin mode),Bono, Heidi Klum, Mario Batali, Michelle Obama, Peyton Manning and Justin Bieber among others.
Top choice for what Princess fans want on a vacation? Relaxation (50%) was far ahead of Adventure, Entertainment, Culture and Romance.
So lets add this up. Most people want to go to Alaska with Oprah and/or their “better half” to relax. Almost nobody wants to go to India with Justin Bieber for romance.
It’s been two years since Carnival Corp, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Brooklyn cruise terminal port authority agreed to enable cruise ships to plug in to green shore-side power. West coast ports are doing it already with San Diego going online just last month.
All parties agree that it’s a good idea and are ready to move forward. But an agreement on maintenance and operating costs just can’t be reached.
Environmentally angry diesel fuel burned by cruise ships idling while docked can spew a ton of pollutants into the air, about the same amount as 1000 idling cars.
Nearby neighbors of the port are angry, tired of it all and want action.
“The emissions are invisible but get in people’s lungs and cause all sorts of damage,” said activist Anthony Armstrong, who lives with his wife and two children just two blocks from the cruise terminal. “It’s a huge concern around here.” reports the New York Post.
Carnival Cruise Line is ready to go and knows what they need to do. Sister-lines Princess Cruises and Holland America Line already have ships outfitted with the new green power technology and are plugging in on the West coast. They know how to do it.
The EPA and port authority have set aside $15 million to make it happen. All that remains is an agreement on who will pay ongoing costs of maintaining and operating the system.
“We need a comprehensive shore power agreement now,” Councilman Brad Lander told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “We’ve had two years of idling ships and idling negotiations. We have a tremendous opportunity to make a real difference in the health of our communities, and the sustainability of our port.”
Here we have the cruise industry, sometimes criticized for its polluting ways, stepping up to do the right thing. The cruise port wants green power. Neighbors are all over it and no one can figure out how to make that happen.
Wouldn’t it kind of make sense that whoever uses the power from the new system would pay for it?
Cruise vacations that include New Years Eve are among some of the most highly sought-after sailings of the year, and for good reason. On board, the mood is festive, drinks flow freely, entertainment and dining is included and nobody has to drive home.
But that’s pretty much what cruise lines do every day. Sailings that include New Year’s Eve have special bonus events and amenities well worth the premium price of ringing in the new year at sea.
If you want to book one it’s probably too late now as these are some of the quickest to book of all sailings. Along with Christmas, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July they fill up fast with many guests booking a year or more in advance.
On Princess Cruises, guests get a fun-filled New Years Eve party with music, confetti, noise-makers and champagne and the festivities range from black-tie affairs to casual depending on the ship and itinerary. On New Years Day, football fans won’t miss their games and served alongside will be popcorn, chips, mini hot dogs or burgers and other stuff that is equally bad for you but surely part of it all. Other major lines run similar on board programs but are not the only choices for sailing over the holiday.
Pretty much any city with a large body of water close-by has New Year sailings with special packages available. Those too fill up fast though so its probably too late to book those as well.
This year we don’t even need to be at sea to get in on the cruise line fun though. Carnival Cruise Lines has been crowned “Official Confetti Sponsor” of New Year’s Eve in New York’s Times Square and confetti-fever is building in anticipation. Streaming video starting at 8PM ET will feature the line’s zany Senior Cruise Director John Heald who performed a confetti-worthiness test yesterday.