Cruising on the Caribbean PrincessCaribbean Princess Revisited

Incentive “Fam” Trip March 18-25, 2006

In case you are not aware, Princess Cruises has recently revamped their incentive department. After Carnival Corporation purchased Princess and her subsidiaries, a new major emphasis was placed upon incentive and charter opportunities. Our little group of key incentive buyers were treated to a seven night Caribbean cruise to St. Thomas, St, Maarten/St. Martin and Princess Cays on board the Caribbean Princess.

We spent the first day at sea in a seminar which highlighted the new charter and incentive department, which has taken a year to put together. Princess has an incentive and charter director and sales manager and nine operations people in their Southern California office. We were promised quick quotes and seamless operations with a real “can do” attitude. The main theme of the seminar was “ Just Ask” and if we can do it we will do it. This is very refreshing in an industry which seems to be going in the opposite direction. Did you know some cruise companies are now charging more for the special services incentives requirements… How user friendly is that? Princess vows their operations team is fully trained in the “can do” attitude.

Steve and Diana Bloss reviewed the ship in our September newsletter, so I will merely add to their comments….

The ship is very luxurious and we did not feel like 2 of 3500+ passengers, except at Princess Cays.  The food on board is comparable to premium cruise lines but offers a real plus with “Anytime Dining”. For incentive groups this gives the flexibility to dine as a group or the freedom to explore the six dining experiences on board.

The cabins are well equipped and relatively large however, the bathrooms are small. We were told Princess is going to upgrade all ships in the fleet with better beds, linens and towels which will make them more competitive in the incentive market.

The service was very good and genuine, the staff made you feel welcome and went out of their way to make your cruise just what you expected. Our cruise was packed with extended families and even with over 600 children on board, the staff kept their smiles.

The public areas were large and the décor was sophisticated and subtle. The BIG screen TV was incredible…you could actually watch a movie or concert in full daylight. The sound system was fabulous, yet could only be heard in the viewing area. The bars and lounges had varied entertainment which was all very professional. From jazz to full stage productions Princess puts a lot of thought into the varied acts and there is something for everyone.

This is a very good option for any Caribbean incentive or charter program, but remember the Caribbean Princess sails year round from Fort Lauderdale making her the very best summer 7 night ship.  We were very pleased to see the progress Princess has made in creating an incentive product worthy of consideration by our clients who are seeking quality and value in the large ship market…

Welcome back Princess!

Please see Steve Bloss review of the Caribbean Princess in September of 2005
 

Contributed by Jim Huff.  The views expressed in this report are solely those of the author and not necessarily those or WWTCA.  March 2006.

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