Princess Cruises is to repeat its Alaskan initiative, offering low-cost, pre-cruise packages to the Canadian Rockies in 2000.
The company introduced the three-star, five-night pre-cruise option, priced ú95 per person, last autumn, to boost Alaskan business. The package is followed by a one-week cruise to Alaska out of Vancouver.
Princess marketing manager Gill Haynes said the three-star product – distributed exclusively through Thomas Cook – sold out for the 1999 season within two months. This represented 1,000 extra bookings for Princess.
Haynes claimed the success of the offer had not impacted on sales of the cruise line’s traditional five-star, five-night pre-cruise packages to the Canadian Rockies, which lead in at ú395 per person. Prices for the low-cost packages, which will continue to be sold through Thomas Cook, have not yet been finalised for summer 2000.
n Princess has sold its 640-passenger ship Island Princess to an undisclosed Asian buyer. The 400 UK passengers booked on the vessel’s next Mediterranean cruise will be offered compensation and accommodation on Pacific Princess.