Princess Cruises has announced an industry-first initiative, Global Partners + Local Experts, that combines the cruise line’s destinations expertise with local experts’ insider knowledge to provide guests with meaningful and exclusive experiences onshore.
Launching mid-year, 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 ways including before the cruise on direct e-mails as well as onboard for port enhancement presentations.
Some examples include:
Experience Florence/Livorno: Meet Giovanni Spadoni, Commercial Director of the port for Liovorno. Giovanni is part of our Med Cruise team and one of our Tuscan regional experts. Giovanni describes how Livorno is the gateway to many places and experiences. View here.
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. View here.
A number of innovative destination-based features are also featured in the program 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.
Global Partners + Local Experts is part of Princess Cruises’ ’Come Back New Promise’ which features an array of product innovations to offer guests a more enriching holiday experience, connecting them with different cultures as well as with each other via shared experiences.
Princess Cruises Vice President Australia & New Zealand Stuart Allison said the cruise line’s research had revealed that holidaymakers want to authentically connect with the destination, people and culture.
“While Princess has always been a destination leader, this is a powerful new way to showcase our expertise by enhancing the guest experience in each port both before and during the cruise. Through engaging stories from people who live there, exclusive guest experiences and expert recommendations, we want to inspire our guests and help them create lifelong memories,” Mr Allison said.
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.
A full video playlist of Global Partners + Local Experts is available here.
SOURCE: Princess Cruises