all aboard
Princess cruises back into Galveston with new voyages to sunny spots
Houstonians ready to cast off on a voyage upon the deep blue now have a new nearby option. Princess Cruise Lines is back in Galveston after a six-year hiatus with a slew of new trips to popular destinations.
The premium carrier will operate in the Galveston homeport with its Ruby Princess liner and sail from December 2022 to April 2023, per an announcement. Cruises range from five to 11 days, headed mainly to the Western Caribbean.
The Ruby Princess will also trek through the Panama Canal on two 16-day, ocean-to-ocean transits between Galveston and San Francisco. The ship houses 900 balconies and can carry up to 3,080 guests.
Local cruisers ready for adventures out of Galveston can start booking trips on April 7, the company notes; those interested should call 1-800-PRINCESS or visit princess.com.
Elsewhere, Princess announced service from San Diego starting in September and a return to cruises in Australia in June, citing more comfort with sea-born travel in the region.
“Returning a ship to San Diego gives more options for our West Coast guests and Galveston makes a Princess cruise easily accessible to millions of Texans,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president, in a statement.
Promising “world-class” dining and entertainment, Princess boasts resort-style topside pools, two-bedroom suites, sweeping balcony views, and sporty fun like golf on the deck. The company has gone techy with the Medallion, a quarter-sized, wearable device that allows expedited, contactless boarding, locating loved ones anywhere on the ship, and special deliveries anywhere on board. The liner also offers Wi-Fi on all journeys, perfect for streaming, posting pics to Instagram, or for those working — albeit from a water-borne office.
Princess cruises range from three to 111 days, with some 170 itineraries servicing 380 destinations across the globe.
As CultureMap has reported, Galveston is seeing a resurgence of cruise line offerings. Last year, Disney Cruise Line announced trips from the port to the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean International recently broke ground on a $125 million cruise terminal that’s set to open this fall.
