Princess Cruises announced today that its new Pacific Princess will be joining the company's 2003 Alaska fleet, offering 11-day roundtrip voyages from San Francisco. The small 688-passenger vessel, formerly sailing for Renaissance Cruises, will reposition to Alaska after cruising in French Polynesia and, for sister company P&O Cruises Australia, in the South Pacific.
 
Pacific Princess will offer 10 departures between May 29 and September 5, 2003 on an Inside Passage itinerary that includes calls at Victoria or Vancouver, Ketchikan or Sitka, Skagway and Juneau, plus sailing through the dramatic glaciers, rock walls and waterfalls of Tracy Arm and the twin Sawyer Glaciers.
 
"This new addition to Princess' fleet is enabling us to return to San Francisco next year with a very distinctive summer Alaska program," said Dean Brown, Princess' executive vice president of customer service and sales. "San Francisco has historically been a great summer home port for us, and now passengers can combine the convenience and appeal of departing from this world-class city, with sailing on a small ship that offers ‘big ship choice.'"
 
The line's "new" 30,227-ton Pacific Princess, built in 1999, will feature a boutique version of Princess' Personal Choice Cruising experience, with two-thirds of the outside cabins featuring Princess' trademark balconies, plus alternative dining in a variety of different restaurants. "I can't think of a better way to experience the stunning Alaska scenery than from a private balcony," added Brown.
 
The vessel will join six other Princess ships in Alaska next summer -- Coral Princess, Island Princess, Dawn Princess and Sun Princess sailing the Gulf of Alaska route, as well as Diamond Princess and Star Princess which will debut first-time round-trip Inside Passage cruises from Seattle.
 
"With two new spectacular ships sailing roundtrip from Seattle and a small, intimate ship sailing from San Francisco, our Alaska/Inside Passage itineraries will be hard to beat," said Brown. "And for the maximum Alaska experience, we'll again have four ships sailing across the Gulf of Alaska, which can be linked with one of our famous wilderness land tours."
 
Pacific Princess will be operating on a split deployment, sailing half the year as part of the Princess Cruises fleet, and the other half for the P&O Cruises Australia brand during their summer cruise season. Following the 2003 Alaska season, the ship will return to the French Polynesia region to join her sister ship Tahitian Princess, with a series of sailings beginning on October 3, 2003.
 
Early booking fares for Pacific Princess Alaska voyages start at $1,349 per person, double occupancy. Passengers can also choose to extend their vacation with a Princess Cruise Plus package to enjoy extra time in the "City by the Bay." One- and two-night packages are available and begin at $179 per person.
 
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