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Friday, 27 September 2013 04:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
A total of 1,210 passengers to Colombo on board the Dawn Princess had booked excursions to various tourist destinations such as Kandy, Pinnawela, Ingiriya and down south. On return they will continue their journey to Australia, with the next port being Port Kelang in Malaysia.
The tour excursions to the various tourist destinations in Sri Lanka were handled by Ceylon Roots Ltd., the appointed tour operators.
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises first set sail in 1965 with a single ship cruising to Mexico. Today, the line has grown to become the third largest cruise line in the world, renowned for innovative ships, an array of onboard options, and an environment of exceptional customer service. A recognised leader in worldwide cruising, Princess offers approximately 1.3 million passengers each year the opportunity to escape to the top destinations around the globe, aboard a fleet of 16 modern vessels.
Princess Cruises was catapulted to stardom in 1977 when one of its ships, Pacific Princess, was cast in a starring role on a new television show called ‘The Love Boat’. The weekly series, which introduced millions of viewers to the concept of a sea-going vacation, was an instant hit and both the company name and its ‘seawitch’ logo have remained synonymous with cruising ever since. The show, which can still be seen around the world, has been widely credited with fuelling the dramatic expansion of the industry.
Since the line’s beginnings, Princess has frequently paved the way in the cruise industry, evolving to meet the needs of the today’s vacationer. In fact, several Princess concepts have since been adopted by the entire cruise industry.
The company has also long been the leader in building ships specifically designed to accommodate an extensive number of the most sought-after shipboard luxury – the private balcony. In the 1980s Princess pioneered the concept of the affordable veranda, once an exclusive feature incorporated in only the most expensive suites. Today, Princess’ fleet offers one of the highest percentages of balcony cabins in the industry, across all cabin categories.
Princess features more than 150 different itineraries which offer travellers the opportunity to literally cover the globe, with sailings to all seven continents that call at more than 300 ports and destinations around the world.
Destinations include the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Europe, Mexico, South America, Australia/New Zealand, South Pacific, Hawaii, Tahiti/French Polynesia, Asia, India, Africa, Canada/New England and world cruises. Princess passengers can enhance their cruise experience with a wide array of in-port excursions worldwide, and the company’s cruise tour offerings enable passengers to combine their cruise with a full land tour.
Malship (Ceylon) Ltd. is the appointed agents for Princess Cruises in Sri Lanka, to handle their vessels in Colombo. Their next vessel, Ocean Princess, is scheduled to call in Colombo on 10 October 2013. Their schedule for 2013/14 has four calls between December 2013 and end March 2014. Malship (Ceylon) as the agents for Princess Cruises USA was pleased that its principals have scheduled calls to Colombo on a long-term basis after a lapse of 10 years.
Expressing views at the ship’s maiden call to Colombo Port, SLPA Director (Operations) Upali De Zoysa stated that it was encouraging to see the developments in the sector as more and more passenger vessels were calling Colombo within a few years of successful eradication of 30 years terrorist conflict in the country.
“This is a clear sign of credibility and faith kept by international communities on Sri Lanka and the prevalence of sustainable peace in the country,” he said.
In view of the maiden call of the vessel Dawn Princess, an exchange of plaques on board the vessel was also arranged between SLPA Director (Operations) Upali De Zoysa and the Master of the vessel Capt. Phillip William.
SLPA Chief Manager (Logistics) Jayantha Perera, SLPA Chief Manager (Marketing & BD) Upul Jayatissa, SLPA Senior Manager (Security) K.A.K. Kaluarachchi and the agents from Malship (Ceylon) Ltd., the appointed agents for Princess Cruises in Sri Lanka, including Chairman Hussain Hashim, Managing Director Macky Hashim, General Manager Shahid Mohideen, Assistant General Manager Ajith Perera, Director Faizer Hashim and Additional General Manager Mohan Perera were also present at the occasion.
