Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1039775
B M & T ••• September/October 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 39 The west coast's leading cruise line, Princess Cruises, returns to the region in 2019-2020 with itineraries visiting top destinations includ- ing Monterey, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Diego. Princess continues to provide guests new and enriching destination experi- ences featuring award-winning culinary and entertainment programming while sailing the west coast. Highlights for the 2019-2020 season include the introduction of one of the line's newest ships to the California Coast, Royal Princess, for her first full season based in Los Angeles. Royal Princess( will offer nine coastal departures including the Classic California Coast itinerary. Royal Princess itineraries offer guests a variety of More Ashore opportunities, allowing guests to spend more time in port, as well as the opportunity to enjoy evenings in San Francisco and San Diego. "Bringing Royal Princess to the west coast for her first season is just one of the ways we are solidifying our commitment to providing our guests even more opportunity to sail the California coast," said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises. "She joins a fantastic roster of ships sailing the region which are already offer- ing guests some of our newest innovations including SHARE by Curtis Stone, The Salty Dog Gastropub, and entertainment experi- ences including the Voice of the Ocean." As the only cruise line to sail year-round out of San Francisco, Princess offers Grand Princess sailing along the west coast once again in 2019. San Francisco departures for the sea- son include a new five-day West Coast Getaway itinerary featuring a late night departure in San Diego, and a call to Ensenada, Mexico. The ship will also offer two variations of coastal sail- ings including the Classic California Coast itin- erary featuring More Ashore late night calls in Los Angeles and San Diego, and the Pacific Northwest Coast itinerary featuring More Ashore late night calls in Seattle and Vancouver, Canada. Star Princess will make her return to the west coast in 2019 featuring departures from Seattle and Vancouver. Itineraries include a seven-day Northern California Coast sailing from Seattle with late night calls in San Francisco and Victoria, Canada and a 10-day Coastal sailing from Vancouver with a late night call in Los Angeles and overnight stay in San Francisco. Other west coast cruises offered in 2019 include six or seven-day Pacific Wine Country voyages between Los Angles and Vancouver aboard Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, Star Princess, and Island Princess. For those guests with less time to get away, Princess also offers shorter coastal sailings of less than five days on eight ships in the region. Princess guests sailing onboard California Coast cruises will have an exclusive opportuni- ty to get a behind the scenes glimpse into the Hollywood experience as part of the Encounters with Discovery at SEA program, fea- turing special celebrity speakers showcasing their work in the music and movie industry of Los Angeles. The experience includes an event hosted by celebrity presenters incorporating interactive media, live music, special perform- ances, and hands-on workshops. The program aims to teach guests about the elements required to produce movies and music for the entertainment industry. Additionally some speakers will be judges on 'The Voice of the Ocean," an onboard singing competition for guests that Princess features in partnership with the worldwide TV hit phenomenon. Princess Cruises continually adds guest stars to the Encounters with Discovery at SEA lineup in destinations around the globe throughout the year. Princess has also developed enhanced shore excursion offerings in collaboration with Bill Esparza, noted author and leading expert on Latin American cuisine. Guests sailing the California coast are invited to sample local cui- sine, specifically focused on the Latin American influence in California. Esparza has developed exclusive culinary shore excursions for Princess in Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Ensenada. In addition, Princess offers excursions to the California wine country, visiting local vineyards and winemakers throughout the region. Princess Cruises is a recognized destination leader in the cruise industry, named "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries" numerous times by Recommend magazine. More details about California Coast offerings can be found at https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-dest - ninations/california-coastal-cruise/. Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional trav- el agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS or by vis- iting the company's website at www.prin- cess.com. PRINCESS CRUISES UNVEILS 2019-2020 CALIFORNIA COAST SAILINGS New Season Welcomes Royal Princess for her First Season and Provides Guests Unique West Coast Entertainment and Culinary Offerings