Princess Unveils Details of 2011-2012 Asia Cruise Season

For the fall 2011-spring 2012 Asia season, Princess Cruises will offer 14 itineraries that include more than 60 ports throughout Asia and beyond, plus cruise-tours to mainland China.

Itineraries include Southeast Asia and China routes, roundtrips from Australia, and multi-continent adventures that include Alaska, Australia or Africa. The cruises are offered by Diamond Princess, Ocean Princess and ships based in Australia.

China cruise-tours spend extra time in Beijing to explore a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Forbidden City, The Great Wall, Xian and the Terra Cotta Warriors. On the Yangtze River cruise, passengers sail through the region’s gorges and visit the Three Gorges Dam site.

The Southeast Asia and China sailings travel between Beijing and Singapore. The 16-day voyage visits Busan, Nagasaki, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and Bangkok, with the option to add an overland excursion to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. Sailings depart throughout the season aboard Diamond Princess from October 2011 until April 2012.

The Diamond Princess offers sailings between Sydney and Singapore or Beijing. The “Australia & Asia” itinerary is a 19-day journey from Singapore to the Asian ports of Ko Samui, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bali, plus Australian calls at Darwin, Port Douglas and Airlie Beach for the Great Barrier Reef. The 23-day “Australia & China” route also sails around northern Australia and adds ports such as Taipei, Nagasaki, Busan, Shanghai and Dalian. Sailings depart Nov. 27, 2011, and Feb. 4, 2012.

Ocean Princess offers journeys between Australia and Asia, on the smaller Ocean Princess. The 20-day “Australia & Asia” voyages sail to northern Australia, including the Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef and Darwin, plus call in Bali, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok and Ko Samui in Thailand. Departures are Nov. 12, 2011, and March 17, 2012.

Princess passengers can also explore the northern reaches of the Pacific with voyages between Alaska and Asia. Diamond Princess sails on 15- and 19-day itineraries between Beijing and either Anchorage or Vancouver. The ship takes passengers across the international dateline and calls at Sapporo (Muroran), Vladivostok, Busan, and Qingdao and Dailan in China. Sailings depart on Sept. 24, 2011, and May 1, 2012.

Ocean Princess also offers a 28-day voyage from Rome to Singapore aboard Ocean Princess. The ship will visit Sorrento, Athens and Kusadasi before transiting the Suez Canal and continuing on to Sharm El Sheik, Aqaba, Safaga, Dubai, Muscat, Mumbai, Cochin and Kuala Lumpur. The departure date is Oct. 15, 2011.

The Ocean Princess also offers a 30-day journey from Singapore to Cape Town. The cruise will visit Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Maldives, Mumbai, Muscat, Dubai, Mauritius, Reunion, Durban and East London, plus an overnight call in Cape Town. Travelers have the option to visit the Taj Mahal in India or take a safari to Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa. The sailing departs on April 6, 2012.