With more people trying and loving the cruise experience every year, cruise lines must keep up with increasing demand for places on their ships. A number of companies have announced new routes and more destinations, and now Princess Cruises have followed suit, by announcing their plans to expand itineraries in the UK for 2018.
What does this mean for cruise lovers?
Starting May 2018, Princess will be moving some of its best ships over to the UK, enabling them to offer British passengers more routes, more variety and more nights at sea. The Royal Princess, with all its 3,560 passenger places, will be back in the UK along with the 2,700-passenger Sapphire Princess. Homeporting in Southampton, Sapphire will cover Mediterranean itineraries as well as those in northern Europe.
The Royal Princess on the other hand, will be cruising to destinations around Europe. Its round-Britain trips will comprise night stays in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dublin as well as a late night in Belfast. After the Duchess of Cambridge launched the ship in June 2013, its return to the UK will be a big boost for Princess cruises UK expansion. And specialising in Mediterranean cruises, Crown Princess will take over 3,000 passengers around Europe’s highlights such as Rome, Athens and Barcelona from April to October.
More ships, more destinations
Also based in the UK will be Pacific Princess, which will offer a European capitals cruise. Sailing to Amsterdam, Oslo and Copenhagen from Dover, guests will enjoy 12-nights on the 800-passenger liner. On top of these great destinations, Princess will be expanding their programmes to northern America, including Canada, Alaska and New England.
“We are very excited to welcome Sapphire Princess, which has never sailed in Europe before and boasts unique features that we are confident our UK guests will enjoy,” said Tony Roberts, Princess UK Vice President. “The return of Royal Princess will be a special moment as 2018 will mark five years since she was launched in Southampton by HRH, the Duchess of Cambridge.”
In total, the expansion will mean over 40 sailings are available for UK passengers from Princess alone. Popular destinations like Barcelona, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Boston and Venice will be boosted by even more overnight stays on shore, which is ideal for those who like to spend more time in the destinations. On sale from December 2016, the cruises will continue to offer the same culture-rich experience that keeps cruise lovers coming back for more.
Set sail with Princess
Sound good? Princess Cruises will now be offering more UK itineraries than ever before. Whether you want to visit European cities, Mediterranean beaches, or set sail on a round-Britain trip, the best way to book is through Cruise1st. With dedicated UK specialists and a range of cruise packages available, we can help you find your perfect cruise getaway. Our cruise packages with Princess include exclusive packages and prices you won’t find anywhere else. Call our cruise experts on 0808 2746 777 for more information.
