News Article

What's New for Princess Cruises in 2009
More Ships to Receive Innovative Features; New Itinerary Options Debut

The Sanctuary Added to Princess Fleet -- Prompted by enthusiastic response from its passengers, Princess Cruises' ground-breaking "pocket of tranquility" -- The Sanctuary -- has become such a popular haven for passengers looking to escape to a serene hideaway, that it will be added to the entire fleet of Princess ships. The Sanctuary debuted in 2006 aboard Crown Princess and was an instant success as it gave passengers the perfect place to take a break and indulge in a private getaway in a plush, outdoor spa-inspired setting. The area is complete with massage cabanas, signature beverages, light meals, attentive service and relaxing personal entertainment. The exclusive adults-only retreat is currently also available on Emerald Princess, Ruby Princess, Island Princess and Star Princess.

Movies Under the Stars Added to More Ships -- Princess' signature "Movies Under the Stars" poolside screens have become such a popular feature since debuting in 2004, that the line will add the dramatic 300-square-foot movie screens feature to most of the fleet over the next several years. Princess was the first cruise line to introduce this unique entertainment experience aboard its ships and Movies Under the Stars has subsequently revolutionized movie-watching at sea.

Caribbean Princess and Golden Princess Enhancements -- Following the recent renovations to Star Princess, which dramatically transformed several onboard spaces, Caribbean Princess and Golden Princess will receive similar makeovers in drydocks scheduled for January and April of 2009, respectively. Updates to Caribbean Princess and Golden Princess will not only include turning the ship's atrium into a vibrant street cafe-like piazza, adding The Sanctuary, and installing a 300-square-foot Movies Under the Stars poolside screen (Golden Princess), but also additional enhancements including a new Crown Grill steak and seafood restaurant, a new casino area and six additional suites.

Wheelhouse Bar Pub Lunch -- After a successful debut aboard Ruby Princess, several other ships will soon offer a special English-style pub lunch on sea days in which the Wheelhouse Bar serves a selection of traditional fare. A menu of British favorites, including bangers & mash, fish & chips, ploughman's lunch and cottage pie, will complement a selection of traditional pub brews such as Stella Artois, Bass Ale or Guinness. Pub lunch meal service is free of charge and will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sabatini's Breakfast for Suite Passengers -- Also launched on Ruby Princess, a new program for suite passengers will be expanded across the fleet, offering them the opportunity to enjoy an exclusive breakfast in Sabatini's. Beginning with a "Good Morning Mimosa," the menu features a variety of breakfast favorites, plus specialty items such as brioche French toast with apple & cinnamon compote, yogurt and super granola parfait with raspberry swirl, soft-poached egg over potato & vegetables with hollandaise sauce, and freshly made Belgian waffles. Suite passengers can enjoy this new amenity, along with the restaurant's dramatic top-of-ship views, from approximately 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. daily.

A Few Fine Touches -- A number of new service touches are being introduced to delight passengers across the fleet. In the Horizon Court buffet, new waffle stations will offer fresh cooked-to-order waffles at breakfast and throughout lunchtime, and the buffet will also begin serving complimentary lemonade as a beverage choice. In the evening, passengers will find a selection of canapes in several of the ship's public lounges. Passengers arriving back from shore will be greeted with chilled face cloths, and by the pool, "misting stewards" will offer a quick refreshing spritz with Evian to cool off.

New Enrichment Programs -- A number of new ScholarShip@Sea enrichment programs will expand passengers' horizons, whether they aspire to host the perfect party or increase their maritime knowledge. The Art of Entertaining offers passengers the opportunity to learn party-planning tips from lifestyle expert Susie Coelho via a multimedia presentation hosted by the cruise director. Navigation@Sea focuses on the history of navigation as well as the complexities of plotting the route of a modern cruise ship, with a presentation by the ship's navigator. Mixology@Sea lets passengers channel their inner bartender with a hands-on course taught by the ship's bar manager. For star gazers, the new Astronomy@Sea program provides passengers with the opportunity to explore the night sky through a telescope on the top deck, with the expert guidance of a ship's bridge officer. Developed in conjunction with Dr. Thomai Serdari, Professor of Art History and Director of Research Collections for New York University, Art History@Sea: Botticelli to Warhol, The Evolution of Art makes 500 years of art come to life with a special hour-long presentation.

Most Extensive Europe Season Ever in 2009 -- Princess will feature more sailings and new opportunities for cruisers to explore Europe in 2009 with additional departures to the historic Holy Land, and nine new itineraries and 11 new ports of call. In total, Princess' 2009 Europe program features a six-ship fleet sailing on 90 voyages of 36 different itineraries to 132 ports and destinations. Sailing choices range from seven to 31 days, during a season that runs from April 10 to November 30.

Tahitian Princess in Northern Europe -- Tahitian Princess introduces a lineup of brand new adventures in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea in 2009, with visits to places such as Iceland, Greenland, Scandinavia, the British Isles, Russia, Latvia and Lithuania. Choices include a new 12-day Emerald Isles & Russian Splendors itinerary between Stockholm and Dublin; an 18-day Land of the Midnight Sun journey above the Arctic Circle that includes calls in Murmansk, Russia and Spitsbergen, Norway; and a Connoisseur's Scandinavia & Russia itinerary traveling to new ports on the Gulf of Bothnia and in Lithuania.

50th anniversary of Alaska's statehood -- Princess celebrates Alaska's 50th anniversary in 2009 with a full season of cruisetour and cruise itineraries showcasing the best of the state, including the incomparable Denali National Park and Glacier Bay National Park. Complete land and sea vacations feature the line's own wilderness lodges and Direct to the Wilderness rail travel, and the company's eight-ship Alaska fleet sails the state's dramatic glacier rimmed Gulf Coast and scenic Inside Passage.

Tahitian Princess to be Renamed Ocean Princess -- Tahitian Princess, one of the small ships in the Princess fleet, will be renamed in 2009, becoming Ocean Princess. The new name is intended to reflect the ship's new deployment on worldwide itineraries. The renaming will take place while the ship is out of service during a routine maintenance period in Singapore in November 2009.

New Sailings to Asia, India and Africa -- Tahitian Princess will sail on one last Africa, India and Southeast Asia itinerary from Cape Town to Singapore before being transformed into the new Ocean Princess. The newly renamed ship will then set off on a series of cruises through Asia, including new itineraries such as the Treasures of Southeast Asia between Singapore and Shanghai, South China Sea Explorer between Shanghai and Bangkok, and China & Japan Explorer between Shanghai and Tokyo. The ship will end the season with an Africa, India and Southeast Asia voyage from Singapore to Cape Town and a West Africa Adventure from Cape Town to London (Dover). Sailings depart between September 17, 2009 and May 7, 2010.

Two-Day Canal Experience -- To give travelers more time in Panama, Princess Cruises is introducing a new "Two-day Canal Experience" on all 2009-10 Panama Canal transits of 15 days or longer, featuring a second day in port so passengers can enjoy both the engineering wonder of the Canal and further discover the country. The Two-day Canal Experience will feature the full Canal transit plus a day with the ship at anchor at Fuerte Amador, on the Canal's Pacific side. Passengers can take advantage of this day to enjoy a variety of shore excursion options including the Panama Canal Railway, Panama City, Soberania National Park Rainforest or a visit to an authentic Embera Indian Village.

New ports for 2009-10 -- The Princess lineup will include 23 new ports around the world in 2009-10. In Europe, they include Sochi, a Russian resort city on the eastern shores of the Black Sea which will be home to the 2014 Olympics; Murmansk (Russia), the largest city north of the Arctic Circle; Lule? (Sweden), the gateway to Lapland, located in the Gulf of Bothnia; Mariehamn (Finland), a charming destination on ?land Island, between Sweden and Finland; Klaipeda (Lithuania), Lithuania's primary seaport; Barrow, for visits to England's picturesque Lake District; Seydisfjordur (Iceland), noted for its picturesque community of well-preserved wooden buildings; Grundarfjordur (Iceland), known for dramatic natural beauty, particularly the impressive Sn?fellsjokull Glacier; Kristiansand, a historic Norwegian seaport; Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish city in Morocco; and St. Pierre et Miquelon, a bit of France off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. On Exotic itineraries new ports include Muscat, the capital of Oman; Yangon in Myanmar; Qingdao, a beautiful seaside city in China; Fukuoka, western Japan's major cultural center; Phillip Island in southern Australia, where visitors can watch the local penguins on their daily parade; Newcastle, Australia; the Caribbean island of Nevis; and on the world cruise Topolobampo, the gateway to the majestic Copper Canyon in Mexico; Picton, New Zealand at the head of the South Island's lovely Queen Charlotte Sound; Halong Bay/Hanoi (Cai Lan) in Vietnam; and Sharm el-Sheik, a resort city on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. On Panama Canal itineraries, the port of Puerto Chiapas in Mexico debuts, the gateway to the rich culture of the Mayan region featuring opportunities to explore coffee plantations and architectural landmarks.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.