Princess Cruises is introducing an inclusive onboard experience that enrolls guests in a chance to win prizes every time they unlock their cabin door. Guests selecting the Premier Package will be eligible for Princess Prizes, which transforms entering a cabin into a game.
Guests will have a chance to win prizes every time they cross their threshold using their Ocean Medallion wearable. Included prizes are annual cruises for two for a decade, a cruise for two in a balcony cabin, onboard credits from $25 to $250, wine tastings, and chefs-table dinners. Guests can also win entry into an end-of-cruise drawing for $5000. Winners are notified of winning a prize via a screen adjacent to their cabin. Only adults have a chance to win, and the system is programmed to guard against people repeatedly trying to open their doors to win prizes.
The chances to play are included in the Premier bundle only, which is priced at $75 per person per day and includes a higher-tier beverage package with top-shelf drinks valued at up to $18 each and 25% off bottles of wine. The Premier package also includes two specialty-dining meals per passenger, daily gratuities, unlimited WiFi on up to four devices per passenger, and unlimited pictures taken on the ship by a professional photographer and three 8 x 10 prints. Princess also offers the Princess Plus bundle, priced at $50 per person per day and includes WiFi for one device per guest, drinks up to $12 in value and daily gratuities. Guest who purchased the Plus Package for sailings on or after Jun 25 can upgrade to the Premier Package.
Carnival Cruise Lines is opening its wedding program with reservations for weddings and vow renewals in September. Guests can choose a wedding at sea onboard or on embarkation day. This enables guests who are not sailing to debark after the ceremony and at select ports of call. In addition, Carnival can provide the ceremony, music and décor, photography, and a cocktail reception. Packages range from intimate ceremonies to larger celebrations. A team of trained wedding planners will work with the guests requiring these services. Planning a Cruise Ship Wedding.
Carnival has also recently revised its protocols for the youth programs onboard their fleet of ships. Young cruisers are no longer required to be vaccinated. Carnival like many of the other cruise lines is experiencing staff shortages and a few dining venues on their ships are not open on sailings through June 30th. Also, events that they normally hold for past guests such as cocktail receptions are canceled and instead those people will receive a $50 onboard credit.
Royal Caribbean has made a few itinerary changes for two of their ships. The Freedom of the Seas first sailing on July 4th will visit the same ports as listed but in reverse order. The Odyssey of the Seas changed a departure to December 17th which is one day earlier than originally scheduled which now makes it a 6-night cruise instead and will not stop at CocoCay.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines will extend its health and safety protocols on all sailings in North America and Europe through the summer. Protocols on ships sailing out of North American ports were scheduled to expire on June 30 but will now be in place until September 30. European departure protocols were extended through June 30.
