WHY IT RATES: To celebrate Princess Cruises’ 50th year sailing to Alaska, featured shore excursions will give guests a close-up look into the local lives of chefs, artists and seafaring captains in the unique ports of the state. – Mackenzie Cullen, Editorial Associate
New for the 2019 season and celebrating the cruise line’s 50th year sailing in Alaska, Princess Cruises has partnered with a team of local experts in Alaska to give guests even more exclusive and authentic experiences ashore as part of the cruise line’s award-winning Local Connections program.
“Local Connections in Alaska was designed to connect our guests with the people of the destination, and offer them interactive experiences with local chefs, artists and expert guides,” said Bruce Krumrine, Princess Cruises vice president of shore excursions. “With 50 years of experience sailing to the Great Land, we know the type of shore excursions our guests desire. From cooking with an Alaskan Chef to axe throwing with Lumberjacks, we know they’ll love every authentic experience and create long-lasting memories.”
With a total of 15 featured shore excursions in four Alaska ports, Princess Cruises has partnered with well-known chefs, artists, wildlife experts, seafaring captains and much more. Examples include:
– Icy Strait Point – Cooking in Alaska’s Wildest Kitchen with Alaskan Chef: Learn to prepare wild, natural and sustainable Alaska seafood in a hands-on tasting session hosted by wilderness chef Dodie Lunda. Living on a floathouse for 23 years in remote Alaska made her a creative and accomplished cook.
– Juneau – Culinary Demonstration with Alaskan Chef: Winner of 2017’s Great American Seafood Cook-Off, Chef Lionel Uddipa takes local Alaska flavors and ingredients and updates them with modern flair. During the one-hour cooking lesson you can witness the exquisite creations of this inspiring chef and artist as he shares how evolving and creative cooking can be used with Alaska’s bounty of fresh seafood.
– Ketchikan – Ketchikan Photo Safari with Nature Photographer: Photographers and outdoor enthusiasts will thrill to an excursion designed for the novice, as well as the professional. Led by one of three local photographers, your guide will share area history, facts and stories as you travel from six to eight different sites in a Ford transit passenger van through town and into the wild.
– Skagway – Ghosts & Goodtime Girls Walking Tour Created by Madam Jan: Learn about the strong and courageous women of the past as you hear stories from Red Onion Saloon owner and “head madam,” Jan Wrentmore. This excursion celebrates their enterprising spirit.
Other Alaska Local Connections shore excursions include:
Juneau
Whale Watching & Wildlife Quest Created by the Allen Family
Discover Alaska’s Whales – A Small-Group Experience Created by Alaskan Captain
Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Photo Safari Designed by Alaskan Photographer
Ketchikan
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show & Axe Throwing Challenge Created by Champion Ironjack
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Created by Captain David Lethin
Ketchikan Pub Walk Created by Bar Historian
Skagway
Skagway Street Car City Tour with Storyteller
White Pass Rail Bennett Lake & Yukon Adventure Created by Train Historian
Hands-On Kitchen Science with Alaskan Chef
Golden Glassblowing Experience at Jewell Gardens Designed by Glass Artist
Princess Cruises has an expansive offering of Alaska cruise and cruisetour vacations on sale now. Guests who have booked Princess Cruises to Alaska can pre-reserve Local Connections Shore Excursions online for each port their itinerary visits, or on board with a knowledgeable Shore Excursion team member.
The award-winning and cruise industry first Local Connections program launched in 2016 as part of Princess Cruises’ “Come Back New” Promise, a multi-million-dollar array of new product innovations and guest experience enhancements designed to create lifelong memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise vacation. Local Connections connects guests with different cultures in unique ways by sharing the passion and pride the company’s port partners have for their destination. Princess Cruises currently offers Local Connections shore excursions, lecturers and inspiring content in the worldwide destination the cruise line visits including Alaska, Australia & New Zealand, the Baltics, British Isles, Japan, Mediterranean, Mexico, Panama Canal and South America.
The leader in Alaska, Princess Cruises, is celebrating its 50th year sailing in Alaska in 2019 with its largest deployment ever and special onboard offerings. The cruise line also recently marked the debut of Royal Princess on the west coast and the first time a Princess MedallionClass ship is sailing in this region. Powered by OceanMedallion, the most advanced wearable device in the global hospitality industry, delivering a hassle-free, personalized vacation that gives guests more time to enjoy what they love most about cruising.
As the cruise line that hosts the most passengers in Alaska, Princess Cruises offers a variety of cruise and cruisetour options highlighting the state’s must-see attractions, including Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park. Alaska cruises range in length from seven to 12 days and depart from Vancouver, Anchorage (Whittier), Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The cruise line also owns and operates five wilderness lodges nestled in scenic riverside locations near National Parks offering more than 20 unique cruisetour options for guests. Princess cruisetours highlight the best of Alaska by combining a seven-day cruise with a multi-night land tour and exclusive “Direct to the Wilderness” rail service – giving travelers a seamless Princess vacation experience in the Great Land.
Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company’s website at princess.com.
Learn more about Local Connections by visiting princess.com/localconnections.
SOURCE: Princess Cruises press release.
