Princess Cruises to christen 2 new ships

In celebration of the historic dual naming of its two newest ships, Emerald Princess and Royal Princess - which takes place in Santorini, Greece on Saturday 12th May - Princess Cruises will reunite a pair of television's favourite mothers and daughters to christen its pair of vessels.

Television icons Florence Henderson, best known as "Carol Brady" on The Brady Bunch, and Marion Ross, aka "Marion Cunningham "of Happy Days fame will christen the large Emerald Princess, while their TV daughters, Susan Olsen ("Cindy Brady") and Erin Moran ("Joanie Cunningham") will christen the smaller Royal Princess.

"Millions in Britain know Florence Henderson and Marion Ross as America's quintessential mothers and Susan Olsen and Erin Moran as their daughters from the iconic television programmes ‘Happy Days 'and 'The Brady Bunch "said Pieter van der Schee, Head of Brand Marketing, Princess Cruises.

"Princess is one of the top three cruise lines in America and the fourth biggest in the UK, blending British expertise and style with American 'can do'service and high standards. Emerald Princess is one of the world's biggest superliners while Royal Princess is a small boutique style ship, and choosing mothers and daughters for this dual naming symbolizes our range in the Princess fleet" continued van der Schee.

Florence Henderson, Marion Ross and Erin Moran also share the distinction of guest-starring in episodes of The Love Boat, which was set on Princess Cruises 'Pacific Princess. In their inaugural season, the two new ships will sail a varied choice of itineraries. Emerald Princess will sail Princess's popular 12-night fly-cruises to the chic and historic highlights of the Mediterranean, including Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Florence, Rome, Venice, Athens, Rhodes, Santorini and Istanbul.

Royal Princess's boutique cruise experience is the perfect complement to its series of off-the-beaten-track itineraries, also 12 nights, taking advantage of its small size to visit the new ports of Ravenna, Italy; Split, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; and Canakkale (for Troy), Turkey - all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Other unique destinations include Corsica, Sardinia and the Crimean coast.

Emerald Princess - will offer Princess's latest design innovations, similar to those on her sister ship, Crown Princess. Her amenities will include a dramatic piazza-style atrium with a patisserie and coffee-bar, a two-storey Lotus Spa with an adults-only retreat called The Sanctuary, a sumptuous steak and seafood grill and an extended Sabatini's Trattoria. The ship will also feature the many hallmark features that define the Princess experience, such as the dramatic Movies Under the Stars poolside movie screen, unrivaled entertainment options, the choice of 'anytime' and 'traditional' dining, an extensive kids center, a wedding chapel and, at nearly 900, more balcony staterooms than any other ship in the world.

Royal Princess - will expand Princess's fleet with an intimately sized sister vessel to the popular Tahitian Princess and Pacific Princess. The 710-passenger Royal Princess takes the name of a much-beloved former Princess ship. The 30,000-ton successor is currently cruising as Swan Hellenic's Minerva II. Royal Princess will give passengers a cruising experience with all the hallmarks of choice for which Princess is known, including a variety of entertainment and dining options, like Sabatini' s Trattoria and a Sterling Steakhouse.

She will also offer onboard weddings and more than three-quarters of her staterooms have private balconies. For further details of the new ships or booking a cruise, visit princesscruises.co.uk.