Two Brand New Princess Cruises to Set Sail from Southampton this Autumn
The leaves might be starting to fall by September but you could finally be packing your suitcase for an exciting voyage to sunnier climes. Do you want to sound the klaxon, or shall we?
With the date of 21 June having now been firmly set in our calendars as the potential beginning of the end of lockdown, an autumn holiday sounds (dare we say it?) wonderfully feasible. And that's why we’re delighted to hear about two new Princess Cruises voyages departing in September and October aboard the stunning Regal Princess.
On sale from Tuesday 2 March, you could be setting sail from Southampton for sun-drenched Spain and France, or enchanting Belgium and the Netherlands before you know it. What’s more, you can secure your booking with as little as £50 deposit per person, and take reassurance from Princess Cruises’ extended ‘Book with Confidence’ policy.
This welcome safety net means you can relax knowing that if you need to change your travel plans, you can cancel up to 30 days before you sail and get your cancellation fees back as a future cruise credit, to be used on any sailing by 21 December 2022. Better start digging out those budgie smugglers now.
The ship: Introducing Regal Princess
You couldn’t ask for a better vessel to mark your return to travel after the long drought than the magnificent Regal Princess, which doles out discovery and rejuvenation in equal spades.
She has a whopping 1,400 cabins or more with balconies, enabling guests to breathe in the fresh sea air and enjoy sweeping ocean views from their staterooms. And the dramatic SeaWalk, a clever, cantilevered glass walkway – the first of its kind at sea – makes an impressive feature, extending 8.5metres beyond the edge of the ship for thrilling vistas.
From the tranquil adult-only Sanctuary with its whirlpools and cascading waterfalls to the soothing Lotus Spa, where you can indulge in a detoxifying ocean wrap or aromatherapy massage, your downtime is just as relaxing as your on-shore explorations are exhilarating.
By night, you can sip cocktails in the grand Piazza, check out Broadway-quality shows, or try your luck on the slot machines and blackjack tables in the casino. Gourmet cuisine is a big part of life aboard Regal Princess, with three main dining rooms, plus speciality dining restaurants from which to choose. Bag a table at Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria for signature pasta dishes and Italian wines. Or tuck into Bayou-style boiled crawfish and steaming clam chowder at Crab Shack.
Regal Princess also makes use of the innovative OceanMedallion, a wearable device and separate smartphone app that’s used to unlock your cabin door, provide wi-fi and locate and message other passengers on board, as well as order food and drinks to your poolside deck chair. Bliss.
The itineraries
Check out these shiny new autumn itineraries and start dreaming now.
7-night Spain and France
Departs 30 September 2021
Prices start from £899pp
Calling at La Rochelle, Bilbao, La Coruña, Guernsey (St Peter Port). Discover grand Châteaux and exquisite Cognac tastings in La Rochelle. Tour the treasures of the Guggenheim Museum or take part in a Basque cuisine masterclass with a local chef in beautiful Bilbao. Use La Coruña as the perfect base to explore nearby Santiago de Compostela, with its ancient churches, medieval architecture and plazas packed with statues, fountains and facades. In Guernsey, cycle its pretty coastline on a guided bicycle tour, check out its miniature church, built from shells, pebbles and tiny fragments of china, or delve into the island’s German military occupation by exploring its atmospheric underground hospital; a maze of winding tunnels which cover an area of about 75,000 square feet.
5-Night Belgium & Netherlands Sampler
Departs 7 October 2021
Prices start from £399pp
Calling at Zeebrugge (for Brussels/Bruges), Rotterdam and Guernsey (St Peter Port). Sample craft Belgian beers, gawp at Flemish architecture, and climb the iconic belfry for stunning panoramic views in Bruges, just half an hour from the port town of Zeebrugge. Enjoy the vividly coloured tulip fields and browse the countless antique shops in and around Rotterdam, before cruising its ancient canals past centuries-old mansions and warehouses, or joining an excursion to see the incredible windmills of nearby Kinderdijk, now a Unesco World Heritage Site, to see what gets visitors to this part of the world in such a spin.
Learn more about these cruises and their ports of call by visiting princess.com.
