Princess Cruises launches new 2008 brochure

Princess Cruises today announced its biggest ever cruise programme in Europe 2008 with an unprecedented fleet of six luxurious Princess ships deployed to the continent. From the newly launched superliner, Emerald Princess and her sister ship, Crown Princess, to the more intimate boutique-style ships, Royal Princess and Pacific Princess. Prices start from £649 for a 7-night cruise.

Both Sea Princess and Grand Princess will sail from Southampton in 2008 – with a combined ship capacity of 4,550 beds.

“After a record year in 2007, Princess has reaffirmed its growing commitment to Europe with our biggest ever cruise programme. With the deployment of six ships – including the brand new, 3,110 passenger, Emerald Princess and Crown Princess in Europe for the first time – we offer really diverse itinerary choices for discovering the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Canada and New England,” said Peter Shanks, UK Director, Princess Cruises.

“Such choice is terrific for experienced and first-time cruisers alike and for families – especially with our new Kids programmes”.

Princess’s new ‘Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Canada and New England 2008’ brochure features a wider variety of itineraries than ever before with a choice of 7, 10, 12, 14 and 16-night cruises as well as providing more balcony staterooms than any other major cruise line in the UK market.

Across all six ships, British passengers can enjoy the luxury style of Princess Cruises combining a relaxed, cosmopolitan atmosphere with high standards of ‘can do’ service and unrivalled entertainment and dining options including Princess’s signature ‘anytime’ dining. And four of the superliners - Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Sea Princess and Grand Princess - have the iconic ‘Movies Under the Stars’ giant poolside screen.

The new programme goes on sale on Monday 2 April. Early bookers can benefit from discounts of up to 45% for cruises booked by 31 August 2007. Additionally, Princess offers a number of free kids places on selected Sea Princess cruises from Southampton as well as free coach transfers or car parking in Southampton on all 14-night Mediterranean cruises on Sea Princess and 12-night ‘Fire & Ice’ cruises on Grand Princess for bookings made by 31 August 2007.

Shanks continues “more and more of our travel agent partners are recognizing the edge Princess has both in terms of the scale and quality of our ships and in our leadership in ‘can do’ service. We are totally committed to our agents and delighted to bring them the biggest ever European programme from Princess Cruises”.

New to Europe in 2008 - Highlights

• Princess will continue with its successful, highly popular no-fly Mediterranean cruising with Sea Princess departing from Southampton with a choice of two different 14-night Mediterranean cruises, a 7-night cruise to Spain and Portugal and a 7-night Scandinavia cruise. Prices for a 14-night Mediterranean cruise on Sea Princess starts from just £1,059 per person and 7-night cruises start from £649 per person.

• Following the success of Grand Princess's cruises from Southampton to the Norwegian Fjords, North Cape and Iceland in 2007 an additional sailing has been added for 2008 and Princess anticipates demand for these cruises growing by 50% in 2008. A 12-night ‘Fire & Ice’ cruise on Grand Princess starts from just £1,089 per person.

• The popular ‘Sailaways’ offering of free coach transfers or free car parking is available on all Sea Princess 14-night Mediterranean cruises and 12-night ‘Fire & Ice’ cruises on Grand Princess sailing from Southampton.

• Following her maiden season this year, Emerald Princess, the new 3,110 passenger superliner, is set to return as the newest ship in the Med in 2008 to sail Princess’s popular 12-night Mediterranean and Greek Island fly-cruises. With exclusive direct charter flights from London and Manchester to Barcelona, Venice and Rome complete with extra legroom, luxury leather seats and healthy menu, prices start from just £1,389 per person.

• Crown Princess will join her sister ship Emerald Princess in Europe for her first ever season of 10- night cruises from Copenhagen, visiting the capitals of the Baltic region and with a full two-day visit to St. Petersburg. The 3,110 passenger Crown Princess will be the biggest superliner ever to cruise in the Baltic Sea. Prices start from £1,099 per person.

• Pacific Princess will offer a more intimate boutique-style, 'off-the-beaten-track' cruise, visiting Ravenna (Italy), Split (Croatia), Kotor (Montenegro) and Canakkale (Turkey); all UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as the Holyland, Egypt, the Black Sea and many other interesting places in her first season of Mediterranean cruising.

• A series of new ‘Classical Europe’ cruises which take in many of the major cities in both the Mediterranean and Scandinavia as well as St Petersburg in Russia are on offer from Royal Princess after her maiden season in 2007. Her itineraries include Princess's first ever series of regular transits of the Kiel Canal as she sails roundtrip from Rome to Stockholm on a 16-night itinerary from £1,699 per person.

Canada and New England in 2008 - Highlights

• In Autumn 2008, Sea Princess will offer a new programme of Canada & New England cruises, with a new itinerary sailing between New York and Quebec, and an exciting repositioning cruise from Southampton to New York via Iceland and Greenland with prices starting from £1,349 per person.

The new Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Canada & New England 2008 brochure is available from your local ABTA travel agent. To book a Princess cruise, contact your local ABTA travel agent, or book online at Princesscruises.co.uk.