Princess Cruises launches new Singapore season

SINGAPORE – Carnival Corporation & plc today announced that its Princess Cruises brand has launched its second season in Singapore with Sapphire Princess. As the local and regional cruise industry gains momentum and expands rapidly, the line also announced that Diamond Princess will begin her first Singapore season in November 2016.

Princess Cruises celebrated the launch of the second homeporting season today with a special charity event for children, as part of its on-going Corporate Social Responsibility Programme for the second year running. One hundred underprivileged children from three homes (PERTAPIS, Children’s Aid Society and The Haven at Salvation Army) were invited to spend a day onboard the Sapphire Princess and experience the premium cruising activities that all guests can enjoy onboard.

The cruising industry continues to grow quickly in Asia, and Princess Cruises strives to invest in the future of cruise travel in Asia markets, including Singapore, China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea. Singapore is at the epicentre of this growth, leading the Southeast Asia region with a majority (60 per cent) of the economic impact from the cruise industry. As the principal turnaround port, Singapore also accounted for 68 per cent of total turnaround passenger visit days in Southeast Asia last year (Business Research and Economic Advisors, 2014).

“Singapore’s cruise industry is flourishing and living up to its true potential, and this is only the beginning,” said Mr Farriek Tawfik, Director of Southeast Asia for Princess Cruises. “Princess had an outstanding inaugural season in 2014 and 2015 is shaping up to be even more successful and with higher customer satisfaction. Princess Cruises continually delivers the best cruise experience at sea through the international dining options, excellent service and diverse entertainment programmes.”

Following a very successful inaugural homeport season with high customer satisfaction in 2014, Princess Cruises’ second homeporting season is set to attain the same level of success. Sapphire Princess sets sail from Singapore this evening on a five-day Thailand and Malaysia roundtrip calling at Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Penang and Phuket before returning to Singapore.

To better serve Singapore and Southeast Asia guests, both Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess will have multi-lingual crew members in key guest-facing positions in their homeport seasons from Singapore. Local food has been added to dining room menus to complement the line’s international offerings. Specially-designed enrichment programmes and other amenities, such as the selection of retail stores and spa treatments, have also been tailored to suit local preferences.

“Princess Cruises aims to bring the best the world has to offer to more guests in Asia for an unparalleled premium and international vacation that is inspired by our passion for the many places we sail. We expect a double-digit growth in Singaporean and Southeast Asian travellers opting for cruise travel in the near future,” added Tawfik.

Princess Cruises offers travellers meaningful and enriching vacation experiences by connecting them with each other, nature, different cultures and new foods. Guests can also look forward to Discovery at Sea, a special onboard programme created in partnership with Discovery Communications. The programme is based on top-rated Discovery network shows such as Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet and Science Channel, including Shark Week and Deadliest Catch.

The 116,000-ton Sapphire Princess carries 2,678 passengers and features a large number of staterooms with private balconies, the award-winning Lotus Spa, steakhouse, wine bar, patisserie, pizzeria, boutiques and Internet café among other amenities.

For 2016, the experience on board Diamond Princess in Singapore will substantially be the same as that offered by Princess Cruises around the world, providing an impressive array of dining and entertainment options in addition to the line’s signature innovations, such as its popular Movies Under the Stars Poolside Theatre and The Sanctuary, an exclusive top-deck retreat. Enhancements have also been made to appeal to the Asian market, such as the Izumi Japanese bath – the largest of its kind at sea – as well as the Kai Sushi restaurant. Dining room menus will offer international Princess cuisine, while additional offerings will cater to Southeast Asian tastes.