For those looking to hit the high seas, cruises in 2022 are looking strong. Princess is charting a course to create a robust sailing roster for February, March and April for ships departing from Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver and Ft. Lauderdale.
Between February 13 and April 22 three additional Princess MedallionClass™ ships will take guests to the Caribbean, Hawaii and the California Coast. Crown Princess, Island Princess and Royal Princess join the eight Princess ships scheduled to restart in 2021, representing 79 percent of Princess’ ship capacity.
Crown Princess: On February 13, Crown Princess will join Majestic Princess and Grand Princess for sailings from Los Angeles to the California Coast and Hawaii. Then, Crown Princess will position to Seattle to sail on a couple of Pacific Northwest Coastal voyages and to Hawaii. Crown Princess will also add another Alaska departure with a new 8-day Inside Passage cruise with Glacier Bay starting on April 29, 2022.
Island Princess: Travels to the Caribbean starting March 6, from Ft. Lauderdale on a 14-day, 10-day and series of 7-day cruises to the Southern, Eastern and Western Caribbean.
Royal Princess: California Coast sailings from Vancouver beginning April 8, 2022.
“It has been thrilling to have our guests on board enjoying real vacations in Alaska and on the west coast,” said Deanna Austin, Princess Cruises chief commercial officer. “By April of 2022 we will have 11 of our ships back at sea, with the support of government and port officials, creating vacation memories for our guests.”
Princess cruises sailing through February 2022 are available for guests who have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination. Crew vaccinations will be in accordance with CDC guidelines.
OceanMedallion wearable devices replaced the traditional cruise card. They pair embedded IoT (“Internet of things”) -driven innovative technology to expand touch-free options and personalization on board, including:
• Touchless embarkation and disembarkation
• Keyless stateroom entry
• Completely contactless commerce
• Simplified safety training
• On-demand food, beverages and retail items delivered anywhere on board
• Guest service requests via mobile device chat
• Location-based gaming and wagering
• Entertainment content via smart devices
In other cruise news, Sir Richard Branson’s new Virgin Voyages, is now sailing from Miami after seven years in the making. Featuring a mix of four- and five-night Caribbean itineraries, the brand offers a consumate Virgin experience with a mega yacht-inspired boutique hotel at sea. As an adults-only experience it presents a perfect backdrop for an easy vacation.
Dubbed, the Scarlet Lady’, the ship’s “Fire & Sunset Soirées,” a four-night cruise, will stop in Nassau and then head to the Beach Club at Bimini, a signature waterfront experience in an alluring Caribbean destination. Passengers can enjoy restorative morning yoga classes or lounging by the pool in a private cabana, paired with sunset bonfires and DJ-led floatilla parties.
In this inaugural season, Scarlet Lady will sail a mix of Mexican and Caribbean voyages, including five-night “Riviera Maya” sailings to Cozumel/Playa Del Carmen; five-night “Mayan Sol” voyages to Costa Maya, Mexico, and five-night “Dominican Daze” voyages to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
The vessel offers 1,330 cabins and 78 RockStar Quarters with some 86 percent of the cabins featuring a balcony and 93 percent offering ocean views. Additional design highlights include rainfall showers, ambient mood lighting and smart controls, adjusting automatically with the ship’s geo-navigation system.
Cruising Back to Africa
For those able to travel far and take in the exotic, Azamara recently announced its return to South Africa this winter, as the country reopens international cruising in South African waters and ports. The Azamara Pursuit will set sail from January to March 2022 with six back-to-back voyages – five of which are country-intensive itineraries – and will resume pre- and post-cruise land explorations with leading luxury safari operator, Micato Safaris.
“A trip to Africa is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so pleased to confirm our guests are now welcome back to South Africa following the reopening of its ports to international cruising,” says Azamara President, Carol Cabezas. “Once again Micato Safaris will deliver unrivaled pre-and post-cruise land programs, as they share Azamara’s love of travel, exploration and value of creating one-of-a-kind experiences for travelers.”
Immersive pre- and post-land programs with Micato:
Greater Kruger National Park Safari & Winelands (five nights pre-cruise, five nights post-cruise):
Azamara travelers will be introduced to two very different sides of South Africa – first exploring the Kapama Game Reserve, home to more that 40 mammal species, including Africa’s Big Five: the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. Then, visit the Western Cape, blessed with the perfect climate for making world-class wines, to explore the country’s wine region and sip local vintages from wineries like Vergelegen Estate followed by a gourmet meal from Tokara Restaurant.
Victoria Falls & Chobe Game Park Safari (five nights pre-cruise, five nights post-cruise):
Guests will travel through Zimbabwe to Botswana: Experience Victoria Falls – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Then continue to Botswana to enjoy both dawn and evening game drives through Botswana’s Chobe National Park to scout out wildlife like Cape buffalo, lions, elephants and more.
Azamara’s voyages in South Africa will offer 16-late nights and 11-overnights throughout the winter season, as well as five dedicated Country Intensive itineraries, allowing guests to travel deeper and visit more ports in one country.
More Azamara Highlights:
PerryGolf Sailing
Azamara’s South African voyages will also feature a 12-night Golf Voyage through its continued partnership with PerryGolf, the leading provider of international luxury golf vacations. Providing a seamless and truly integrated golf cruise program, the voyage will include five rounds, beginning with Humewood Golf Club, a true links course in Port Elizabeth which has hosted numerous PGA events, and is one of South Africa’s top-rated gold clubs, and will stop for play at notable clubs along the coast, including East London, Zimbali, Durban Country Club and Pearl Valley.
Author: Lark Gould
Lark Gould has been a travel industry journalist for more than 30 years. She shares her insight on cruise travel, air travel, hotels, resorts, popular activities, attractions and destinations to assist travel advisors and travelers with the current news and information they need to travel well.
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