Princess Cruises Showcases Destination Partnerships to Create Exclusive and Authentic Shore Experiences

Princess Cruises recently announced an unprecedented, industry-leading destination initiative that combines the cruise line’s deep destination expertise with a groundbreaking collaboration with local experts in key regional cruise destinations.  This initiative is designed to provide guests with the most meaningful, authentic and exclusive experiences ashore. Debuting in regions throughout the world, Global Partners + Local Experts features partnerships with Cruise Europe, Cruise Baltic and MedCruise.

The Global Partners+ Local Experts program is the first of its kind in the industry, and is yet another element of the company’s recently announced “Come Back Home” promise featuring a multi-million-dollar array of new product innovations offering guests enriching vacation experiences by connecting them with different cultures and each other in unique ways.

The innovative partnership aims to inspire the line’s guests by sharing the passion and pride the company’s port partners have for their destination, while taking full advantage of the suggestions and creativity of those partners who know the destination best. Global Partners + Local Experts will feature exclusive destination content and shore experiences designed in partnership with a network of local experts to highlight the most authentic and inspiring experiences in each port.

The experts include partners from ports, tourism boards, tour operators and port agents.

A special feature of the program is the filming of the individual partners sharing their thoughts, experiences and recommendations about the places they call home. The footage will be used in a number of interesting ways including before the cruise on direct e-mails as well as onboard for port enhancement presentations.

Here are some examples of footage used in pre-cruise direct e-mails:

Experience Glasgow:

Meet Andrew Hemphill, the Port Director for Greenock, the port for Glasgow. Andrew is part of the Cruise Europe team and one of the line’s Glasgow local experts. A lifelong Glaswegian, Andrew describes his favorite place, Glasgow Cathedral.

Experience Helsinki:

Meet Kim and Jan Long, tour operators in Helsinki. They are part of the Cruise Baltic team and are Helsinki local experts. Kim and Jan are brothers, and are the head of a multi-generational family-owned tour company with over 20 years of local experience.

Experience Florence/Livorno:

Meet Giovanni Spadoni the Commercial Director of the port for Liovorno. Giovanni is part of the Med Cruise team and one of the line’s Tuscan regional experts.

In addition to the film project the program will include a number of other destination-based elements including local speakers; exclusive guest experiences in port; new tour programs and tours; partner port guides and walking maps; new port welcome and departure experiences; and an insider’s guide including “cool things” made in each port.

The cruise line’s first new destination partnerships are with the three leading port and cruise associations in Europe. Cruise Baltic is the partner for Regal Princess Scandinavia & Russia cruises, Cruise Europe is the partner for Caribbean Princess British Isles cruises, and MedCruise is the partner for Royal Princess Mediterranean sailings. All three programs have or will  debut during the 2016 summer season.

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