This was published 6 years ago
Sea Princess has facelift just in time for summer season
Multimillion-dollar facelift: Sea Princess will spend the summer season cruising out of Brisbane.
One of Australia's favourite ships, the 2000-passenger Sea Princess, recently had a multimillion-dollar facelift in Singapore, just in time for its summer season cruising out of Brisbane. Princess Cruises vice-president Australia and New Zealand Stuart Allison said, "Queenslanders have a true affection for cruise holidays, with guests from the state attracting our highest repeat-cruiser rate than any other state in Australia.
"Aboard the reimagined Sea Princess, among other itineraries, Brisbane guests will be able to embark on voyages to New Zealand's stunning Fiordland National Park, which was recently revealed as Princess Guests' favourite destination in the Pacific, right from their doorstep."
Club-Class mini-suites are a new category of suites for the ship, which come with an array of perks: Club Class passengers will have priority check-in and disembarkation, in-suite treats such as welcome bottles of wine and evening canapes, queue-free dining and dedicated wait-staff who will prepare tableside dishes from an expanded menu.
National Geographic Expeditions and Scenic have teamed up to launch National Geographic River Cruises, which will feature lectures and informal discussions hosted by experts.
All suites and staterooms have been fitted with new Princess Luxury Beds, designed for a blissful night's sleep by US sleep expert Dr Michael Breus, and to get you into sleep mode a Sleep Princess Kit is supplied, containing eye shades, earplugs, aromatherapy scents and the Dr Breus' Good Night app.
Sea Princess' upgrade includes a new Osteria Corniche menu at Cafe Corniche restaurant, which serves classic Italian cuisine and pizza, and The Wheelhouse Bar has a revised cocktail menu. The main dining room serves signature dishes designed by Curtis Stone and the Horizon Court buffet.
On the entertainment front, the musical Encore, directed by world-renowned creative director Danny Teeson, showcases pop, opera and musical theatre in the Princess Theatre. The Voice of the Ocean, inspired by the hugely popular TV show, features live performances, professional mentors, blind auditions, charismatic judges and those famous rotating chairs. The Movies under the Stars screen has also been upgraded.
For younger cruisers, Sea Princess offers new Camp Discovery youth centres and a teen lounge. In partnership with Discovery Channel, the centres cater to specific age groups: the Treehouse for three- to seven-year-olds, the Lodge for eight- to 12-year-olds and the Beach house for teens.
Sea Princess sails to destinations in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands until May 2018, when it will embark on a 35-night Hawaii, Tahiti and South Pacific cruise. From June to September 2018, Sea Princess will sail a 106-night world cruise before returning to Brisbane until January 2019. See https://www.princess.com.
SHORE THING
THE PORT Honolulu, Hawaii
WHO GOES THERE Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, HAL, NCL's Pride of America, Oceania, P&O UK, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea.
WHY WE LOVE IT Home to nearly half a million people, Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is Hawaii's state capital and only major city. It's not all about surf beaches – there is a wealth of historic, cultural and scenic attractions, plus the world's biggest open-air shopping centre, Ala Moana.
TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? The cruise-ship terminal is close to Aloha Tower and Aloha Tower Marketplace, a huge shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and is also within walking distance of Chinatown and downtown Honolulu. If you're not taking an organised tour, check out buses and taxis to local attractions; Waikiki, for example, is about five kilometres from the port. A steep walk to the top of nearby Diamond Head, the landmark dormant volcano, takes about 45 minutes – a must-do for panoramic views. Learn about Pearl Harbour and World War II history on a day tour that takes in the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri Battleship, Pacific Aviation Museum and the USS Bowfin Submarine and Museum.
MUST SEE The interactive Hawaii Children's Discovery Centre; Honolulu Museum of Art; Iolani Palace, the official residence of Hawaii's last royals; Shangri-La, the cliffside home of heiress Doris Duke, which now houses a major collection of Islamic Art.
MUST EAT Hawaiian cuisine combines Polynesian, Asian and Filipino influences and seafood and pork are popular in many forms. Try poke (cubed and seasoned raw fish); fish, chicken or pork laulau (meat wrapped in taro leaves, traditionally cooked in hot rocks underground); lomi-lomi salmon (raw salmon cured with salt and diced up with tomatoes, onions and chilli); Japanese dishes such as ramen noodles; and sweet "shave ice" desserts.
NEED TO KNOW Check smartraveller.gov.au for details about entry to the US via the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
ESSENTIALS https://www.gohawaii.com
CRUISE FACT
Princess Cruises first set sail in 1965 with one ship, Princess Patricia, cruising to Mexico; today there are 17 ships in the fleet, with Sky Princess coming in 2019.
NEWS
Having a laugh
P&O Cruises is launching The Big Laugh, the biggest comedy festival at sea, on Pacific Explorer next year. Fourteen big-name comics including Jimeoin, Matt Okine, the Scared Weird Little Guys and Dave Callan will deliver 36 shows at the jam-packed, four-night festival, leaving Sydney on June 20, 2018. P&O Cruises president Sture Myrmell said, "Aussies and Kiwis are renowned for their great sense of humour and our guests love comedy. The Big Laugh will serve up many different types of comedy genres every day and night, from big marquee performances right through to intimate gigs in our many stylish bars and lounges." There will be 72 dedicated short-break comedy cruises in 2018 and 2019, departing Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Cairns and Auckland. See www.pocruises.com.au .
National Geographic river cruises
National Geographic Expeditions and Scenic have teamed up to launch National Geographic River Cruises. Starting in 2018, cruises will be accompanied by a National Geographic expert who will present lectures and host informal discussions throughout the trip. European cruises will also have a National Geographic photographer on board to share professional techniques and help guests hone their photography skills. The new partnership will offer numerous sailings in Europe, on the Rhine, Danube, Main and Moselle Rivers; in Holland and Belgium; through France's Bordeaux region and Portugal's Douro Valley, as well as on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar (Burma). Guests will have a range of shore excursions to choose from, ranging from hikes and bike rides to in-depth learning experiences that focus on the natural world, culture and history. See www.scenic.com.au.
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