January 28th, 2012 | 
Author: Princess Cruises’ 2012-2013 Hawaii, Tahiti and South Pacific Program Offers More Cruises to Hawaii, Plus Favorite Routes to French Polynesia and Samoa
Santa Clarita, Calif. (PRWEB) January 06, 2012
Mention “paradise” and most people will conjure up images of pristine beaches and lush, tropical islands. Princess Cruises passengers can make paradise a reality with 10 itinerary choices to the breathtaking islands of Hawaii, Tahiti and the South Pacific between fall 2012 and spring 2013.
New next season, Princess will offer more Hawaii cruises than ever before, with four ships sailing roundtrip to the islands from both Los Angeles and San Francisco. In addition, the renovated Grand Princess will make her debut voyages to Hawaii as part of her first West Coast season.
In total, eight Princess ships will sail on 56 voyages throughout the Pacific, including favorite itineraries such as the 10-day Tahiti & Polynesia route that sails roundtrip from Papeete, Tahiti to some of the most gorgeous islands of French Polynesia. An 11-day Hawaii & Tahiti itinerary offers the best of both the Hawaiian Islands, as well as the highlights of French Polynesia. And the cruise line’s 28-day Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa itinerary that debuted last season returns with two sailings roundtrip from Los Angeles to American Samoa, taking in Hawaii and Tahiti along the way.
“The storied and romantic South Pacific just might capture the imagination of travelers more than most destinations,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “We’ve been traveling to the South Pacific for more than 30 years and these idyllic islands never cease to deliver a breathtaking and relaxing vacation to our passengers.”
Princess’ 2012-2013 cruises to Hawaii, Tahiti and the South Pacific include:
Tahiti & Polynesia – This classic Princess itinerary sails roundtrip from Papeete, Tahiti for 10 days among the islands of Polynesia, with two overnight visits. Ocean Princess starts with an overnight in the Tahitian capital and then calls on Huahine, Rangiroa, Raiatea, Bora Bora (Two-day Experience includes two full days and an overnight), and Moorea. Sailings depart on December 18, 2012; January 19 and 29, and February 8, 2013.
Hawaii & Tahiti – Travelers can enjoy the intimacy of a small cruise ship on a voyage that features both the Polynesian paradises of Hawaii and French Polynesia. These 11-day sailings between Papeete and Honolulu on Ocean Princess include calls at Moorea, Bora Bora, Hilo, Maui, and Kauai. Sailings depart December 28, 2012; January 8, February 18, and March 1, 2013.
Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa – This 28-day itinerary aboard Sapphire Princess and Star Princess offers an unusual roundtrip voyage from Los Angeles, to three island groups in one convenient roundtrip sailing. The ship calls at Hilo, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui, Pago Pago, Apia, Bora Bora, Moorea and Papeete (overnight). Two sailings depart on October 20, 2012 and March 26, 2013.
South Pacific & New Zealand Cruises – Sailing between Sydney and Papeete, Ocean Princess offers a 16-day voyage including Tauranga, Auckland, Tonga, Apia, Pago Pago, Bora Bora, and Moorea. The ship departs on December 3, 2012 and March 12, 2013.
Hawaii, Tahiti & South Pacific – Sea Princess sails across the Pacific between San Francisco and Sydney on a 27-day voyage to Honolulu, Kauai, Papeete, Bora Bora, Pago Pago, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Fiordland National Park scenic cruising. The sailing departs on September 20, 2012.
Hawaiian Islands from Los Angeles – Golden Princess, Sapphire Princess and Star Princess will sail from Los Angeles on a 14-day roundtrip voyage to the “Land of Aloha” with calls at Hilo, Honolulu, Kauai, and Maui, plus Ensenada, Mexico. The ships will sail on 24 voyages between September 26, 2012 and April 24, 2013.
Hawaiian Islands from San Francisco – Star Princess and Grand Princess will offer 15-day itinerary round-trip voyages from San Francisco, with calls at Hilo, Honolulu, Kauai and Maui, plus Ensenada. The ships will offer seven departures between October 6, 2012 and April 25, 2013.
Aussie Experience Voyages
Sailings aboard Sun Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess head to the islands from Sydney or Brisbane and feature onboard amenities tailored to appeal to Australian tastes.
Hawaii, Tahiti & South Pacific – Sea Princess will sail on a 35-day roundtrip voyage from Sydney, with calls at Nuku’Alofa (Tonga), Apia, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui, Hilo, Kona, Papeete, Moorea, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Pago Pago, Suva (Fiji) and Nouméa (New Caledonia). The ship sets sail on April 15, 2013.
Fijian Jewels – Sun Princess sails roundtrip from Brisbane on an 11-day journey to Nouméa and Isle of Pines in New Caledonia; two Fiji ports, Suva, and Port Denarau; and Vila (Vanuatu). The ship sails on November 7, 2012 and January 13, February 7, and March 18, 2013.
Fiji & South Pacific – A popular roundtrip sailing from Sydney featuring 14 days with calls at Lifou, Vila, Port Denarau, Suva, Savu Savu, Dravuni Island and Nouméa. Available on Dawn Princess, Sea Princess and Sun Princess, sailings depart August 29, October 10 and December 29, 2012; January 25 and April 12, 2013.
Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company’s website at http://www.princess.com.
About Princess Cruises:
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 16 modern ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided in an environment of exceptional customer service. A recognized leader in worldwide cruising, Princess carries 1.3 million passengers each year to destinations around the globe ranging in length from seven to 107 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc.
Princess Cruises is a proud member of World’s Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and value, World’s Leading Cruise Lines inspires people to discover their best vacation experience. Together, we offer a variety of exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world’s most desirable destinations. Visit us at http://www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com.
Find us:
Blog: InspiredToCruise.com
Facebook: facebook.com/PrincessCruises
Twitter: twitter.com/PrincessCruises
YouTube: youtube.com/princesscruises
Flickr: flickr.com/photos/princesscruises
Pandora: princess.com/radio
Newsroom: princess.com/news
Google+: https://plus.google.com/112949289750199509638/posts
For further information contact:
Karen Candy, kcandy(at)princesscruises(dot)com, 661-753-1540
Julie Benson, jbenson(at)princesscruises(dot)com, 661-753-1530
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TripShock.com Increases Marketing Spend in Panama City Beach for 2012 Season
Panama City Beach, FL (PRWEB) January 06, 2012
Travel website TripShock.com announced on Wednesday it will increase marketing spend by nearly double in Panama City Beach, FL for the 2012 tourist season. The company also announced earlier in the week they will start selling hotel rooms as well. Panama City Beach has been one of the best selling markets for the travel company in 2011, but it has a lot of room to grow. Market manager, Greg Fisher, says that TripShock.com has nearly scraped the surface of the potential in Panama City Beach.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to spend more time and resources in Panama City Beach. There are several unique attractions and beautiful lodging options for visitors to choose from. With all the extra marketing spend, we should be able to have an impact on the local economy in 2012.” Fisher says.
The company has already signed up popular attractions such as the Sea Scaremer Dolphin Cruise and Panhandle Helicopter. Customers can now book these tours online at the convenience of their home or mobile device. Any lodging or activity companies that are looking to join with TripShock.com can sign up by calling 800-450-7139 or emailing gfisher [at] tripshock [dot] com.
About TripShock.com
TripShock! ® is the one and only travel agency that enables travelers to book hotels, tours, and activities online directly for the Northern Gulf Coast. TripShock! offers trusted reviews from real travelers, photos, videos and other planning tools to help create the perfect Gulf Coast vacation. TripShock! attracts more than 500,000 visitors annually and partners with over 100 activity and lodging providers from Florida to Louisiana.
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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Posted in Northern Europe Cruise | 
Tags: 2012, Beach, City, Increases, Marketing, Panama, Season, Spend, TripShock.com | 
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2012 Cruise Trends: Substantial Cruise Savings Remain in Caribbean and Mediterranean
Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) January 06, 2012
Cruise prices remain in consumers’ favor going into 2012, according to the Cruise Holidays 2012 Cruise Trends survey, with prices to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean still averaging lower than they were in 2008, 2009 and 2010. However, prices to these destinations have actually risen slightly since 2011, which is seen as a positive trend overall by the cruise industry because it demonstrates increased demand for travel.
Additionally, Celebrity Cruises boasts the most popular new ship for 2012, according to Cruise Holidays cruise experts across North America.
These are just two of the more noteworthy trends coming out of the Cruise Holidays 2012 Cruise Trends survey, which is based on actual bookings from Cruise Holidays’ proprietary booking system, as well as from a supplementary opinion survey taken by 118 Cruise Holidays owners and agents. The bookings include any staterooms booked by Cruise Holidays in 2011 for any cruises slated to begin in 2012.
Most Popular Ships:
Celebrity’s “Solstice” Class & New European River Ships Capture Cruisers’ Hearts
In this year’s survey, Cruise Holidays experts voted the fifth and final Solstice-class ship, Celebrity Reflection, as the ship they are most anticipating for 2012. Reflection will sport an additional deck compared to previous Solstice-class ships, with three new types of suites, and more than 50 international craft beers in its enhanced “Michael’s Club.” Reflection will do a short series of European itineraries when it debuts in October, then will cross the Atlantic to cruise the Eastern Caribbean.
The second most popular ship expected in 2012 is an upscale river cruise ship: AmaWaterways’ Amacerto. The Amacerto is a 164-passenger ship that will mark its inaugural cruise with a cruise through Holland and Belgium this April. Thereafter, it will sail some of AmaWaterways’ most popular itineraries, with frequent visits to Prague, Nuremburg, Budapest, Vienna and more. The Amacerto features extra-spacious suites, deluxe hotel-style bedding, and a heated sun deck swimming pool.
Rounding out the top five in the survey of most popular ships for 2012 are the Disney Fantasy, Oceania Cruises’ Riviera and Viking River Cruises’ Freya, also a river-cruise ship.
Top Cruise Destinations
The top 10 cruise destinations for 2012, based on bookings made in 2011, are as follows:
1. Caribbean (includes Bahamas)
2. Europe (includes Med, Baltic, Scandinavia and Greek Isles
3. Alaska
4. Bermuda
5. Hawaii
6. Panama Canal
7. Mexican Riviera
8. Trans-Atlantic
9. Canada/New England
10. South Pacific
Value in Caribbean & Europe
Cruise Holidays experts predict the best cruise values will also remain in the Caribbean and Europe. “These two regions are the clear-cut leaders when it comes to the bang for the buck that a cruise vacation can provide,” stated Schiffner. “On the flip side, with fewer cruisers turning to the Mexican Riviera as a top vacation choice, its value proposition is increasing. Mexico’s famed Gold Coast is pulling out all the stops to showcase its world-class beach communities, which depend on tourism for their livelihood,” added Schiffner. The top five “cruise value leaders” are as follows:
1. (tie) Caribbean
1. (tie) Europe
3. Alaska/Pacific Northwest
4. Mexican Riviera
5. Other (including Hawaii, Bermuda, Asia, South America and Dubai)
6. Trans-Atlantic
Cruise Holidays is the most successful cruise-specialty retail franchise in North America, with stores and virtual offices in both the United States and Canada. Cruise Holidays is also a distinguished provider of land tour vacation packages. Founded in 1984, Cruise Holidays is part of Travel Leaders Group. With approximately 30% of all travel agencies in the U.S. and Canada under its umbrella, Travel Leaders Group serves millions of individual leisure travelers, as well as select corporate clients and destinations.
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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Posted in Northern Europe Cruise |
Tags: 2012, caribbean, cruise, Mediterranean, Remain, Savings, Substantial, trends |
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Survivors from a luxury cruise ship that ran aground and tipped over, leaving at least three dead and 69 people still unaccounted for, described Saturday a chaotic evacuation. (Jan. 14)
Texas-Based Valencia Group Hotels Set the “Gold Standard”
Houston, Texas (PRWEB) January 06, 2012
Valencia Group, a Houston-based hotel management and development company, is pleased to announce that two of its Texas properties have earned coveted spots on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List for 2012. Hotel Sorella, a key anchor of Houston’s CITYCENTRE district, and Hotel Valencia Riverwalk, located in the heart of downtown San Antonio, were among eight properties around the state to receive the prestigious honor, which places them in the ranks of the top 511 hotels, resorts and cruise lines in the world. The 2012 Gold List is featured in this month’s issue.
The Gold List accolades resulted from a 93.2/100 guest score for Hotel Sorella and an 89.6 score for Hotel Valencia Riverwalk, which secured them the #12 and #54 positions, respectively, on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards list of the Top 200 US Hotels. Approximately eight million votes are tabulated, taking into account criteria that includes rooms, service, food, location, design and activities.
According to Roy Kretschmer, Executive Vice President of Operations for the Valencia Group, “We are thrilled that a quarter of the Texas honorees are Valencia Group properties and are tremendously proud that these hotels have been chosen among the best in the world by our loyal customers.”
This is the second year in a row that Hotel Sorella has attained Gold List status. It is the only Houston hotel represented in 2012 and ranks second in the state. The property, which debuted in 2009, provides guests pedestrian access to an array of premium shopping, dining and entertainment options within CITYCENTRE such as Studio Movie Grille, the 140,000-square-foot Lifetime Athletic club and a central plaza with ongoing programming. The contemporary, 255-room destination features award winning Bistro Alex restaurant, striking Monnalisa bar and rooftop pool terrace, fitness center, dedicated 15,000-square-foot Meetings & Events Centre and penthouse level with 11 suites averaging 1,500 square feet and boasting gourmet kitchens with Viking appliances.
While new to the Gold List, Hotel Valencia Riverwalk has earned spots on numerous Condé Nast Traveler polls since its 2003 opening – most recently the 2010 Readers’ Choice list of Top 100 Hotels in US. One of San Antonio’s premier hotels for business and leisure travel, the 213-room property offers a premier waterfront location, providing a chic oasis steps from the city’s top attractions. Highlights include casually elegant Citrus restaurant, dazzling Vbar and nearly 7,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.
About Valencia Group
Valencia Group, a Houston-based company, provides management, development, branding and repositioning services for full-service, boutique, independent hotels owned by Valencia as well as third-parties. As with Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, California, Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE in Houston, TX and Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX, most Valencia sponsored hotels are set in the cultural heart of each city. Valencia Group hotels fuse globally-inspired modern design with Mediterranean influences, becoming popular destinations for guests and visitors alike. Valencia Group continues to forge its position as a mixed-use anchor with projects where the right balance of residential, restaurant, retail and office coalesce to create full-spectrum accretive value in great urban settings. Known for exceptional service and style, Valencia Group properties have received international recognition by magazines such as Condé Nast and Travel + Leisure, and by discerning travelers seeking a memorable experience. For more information, please visit http://www.valenciagroup.com.
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©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
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