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Courier-Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Three Aussies a day celebrate their wedding aboard Princess Cruises' Love Boat
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. It is a love story for the ages, and it all began on The Love Boat. When Princess Cruises events and guest services supervisor Louie Engelbrecht looks back on all the weddings he has organised, which averaged around three a day on Royal Princess during the last Australian summer season, one truly stands out. X Learn More SUBSCRIBER ONLY 'My most unforgettable wedding was for a couple in their 70s. They had met aboard the original Love Boat many years ago and then by chance met again on another Princess ship,' Engelbrecht says. Cue the theme song from the popular 1980s TV show where special guest stars from Andy Warhol to Betty White found romance on the high seas under the navigation of Captain Merrill Stubing. 'This couple had never forgotten each other so their meeting by chance was very special, (then) they were engaged aboard Royal Princess during her 2023-24 summer season and then decided to marry on Royal Princess last summer season 2024-25.' Engelbrecht says that wedding day was pure magic, a ceremony filled with romance. 'When she walked down the aisle, the groom's eyes sparkled with a love so genuine, as if it was the very first moment they saw each other more than 50 years ago. There were no dry eyes in the house,' he says. The Princess team organise it all, from sunset ceremonies to parties. Picture: Supplied. Forget expensive wedding venues and catering, a wedding at sea could be the perfect way to tie the knot. And it's a destination wedding with a difference – all the guests celebrate with you on your honeymoon. Engelbrecht says the Princess team organise it all, from sunset ceremonies to parties. And unlike land weddings when venues sometimes need to be secured years ahead, there is no such planning needed at sea. 'I would recommend planning your wedding with Princess at least two months in advance,' says Engelbrecht. 'The process begins simply by filling out a form online with your preferences for flowers, cake, music, and vows and upon boarding, you will be greeted by your dedicated wedding co-ordinator, who will guide you through every step of your planned event.' Around three couples a day got married on Royal Princess during the last Australian summer season. Princess Perfect Weddings offer legal or symbolic ceremonies on sea days, officiated by the captain. Planning for a wedding on-board is done via a wedding portal, allowing guests to hold a date while customising, and there are bespoke packages available. For example, the Timeless Ceremony at Sea for a couple plus eight guests includes the ceremony, flowers, a cake, chocolate-covered strawberries, a toast, photography including a digital USB and prints, a romantic breakfast, premium stateroom gifts, and a certificate. The price? From $US3995. Engelbrecht says vow-renewal ceremonies are also popular. 'One highlight over the recent summer season in Sydney was our Valentine's Day mass vow renewal on the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and Australia where several couples renewed their vows with the captain and our crew,' he says. 'It was very special for all involved –we are the Love Boat, after all.' Originally published as A cruise ship is the ultimate destination wedding
Sydney Morning Herald
13-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
On board the modern version of the Love Boat headed for Australia
Via the app on my phone, I easily connect to MedallionNet, the ship's Wi-Fi. Having encountered many frustrating challenges when connecting to Wi-Fi on other ships, this instantly puts me in a good mood. The design All that cruisers know and love of other Royal Class ships in the Princess fleet (including Majestic Princess and Royal Princess) is on Discovery Princess, only better. There are even more open deck areas, more premium accommodation, new dining venues and new entertainment productions. The colour scheme is lighter and brighter, creating a sunny ambience with sand-coloured carpets, light wood and neutral curtains that make spaces feel bigger. The heart of the ship is The Piazza, a grand atrium that spans several decks and features spiral staircases, glass-walled lifts and several bars and cafes. There's always something happening in this area, including daily dance classes, live music and the captain's champagne welcome. The spaces Something for everyone, from the party atmosphere of the main pool deck to the tech-forward kids' club, to the tranquil thermal spa, and the glitzy Princess Theatre with capacity for close to 1000 guests. Princess understands that multi-generational groups and travellers of all ages are their demographic, and they design accordingly. I enjoy the adults-only pool and bar area for quiet swimming and reading time. Nearby is The Retreat, a bougie bargain at $30 for half-day access to a peaceful, private area with sun lounges, cabanas, jacuzzi, afternoon tea and a special menu of cocktails and food. The stateroom There are 1830 staterooms, including two Sky Suites featuring Princess' largest balconies at sea. I'm in a Balcony Cabin on Deck 10, one of 753 on the ship. This category ranges in size from 214 to 222 square feet (20 to 20.6 square metres), including the outdoor space, which accommodates a table and two chairs. Again the colour scheme leans into the beige/bone/sand palette. A queen-sized bed can be converted to two twin beds. There's a desk with chair, a minibar fridge, a flat-screen TV and an enormous open-style wardrobe. There is plenty of storage on shelves, in drawers and in cleverly designed spaces. This, plus the abundance of USB and power outlets, gets my tick of approval. The bathroom is on the squeezy side. The food I've cruised on luxury ships that cost much more than Princess and eaten food that isn't half as good. Included in the fare are three main dining rooms, a vast buffet at World Fresh Marketplace, pizza at Slice, poolside burgers, Swirls Ice Cream Bar, and pub fare at O'Malleys Irish Pub. International Cafe is a popular 24/7 takeaway venue, serving toasted sandwiches, pies, croissants and snacks. No need to spend extra on specialty dining if you don't want to, though you probably will want to, in which case it's smart to upgrade to the Princess Premier package (from $100 a person, a day) as it includes unlimited specialty meals. The Crown Grill steakhouse is reliably good, but don't overlook Gigi's Pizzeria, Sabatini's Italian Trattoria (order the huge veal Milanese) and Ocean Terrace Sushi. When the ship comes to Australia, as many as 70 new menu items will be added to suit local preferences. That means more seafood, roast dinners, pavlova and Vegemite, among other things. Wellness No excuse to skip a workout: the 24-hour gym on Discovery Princess is better than most expensive city gyms. As well as the latest equipment and fitness machines, there are daily classes from well-known franchises including CycleBar, StretchLab and PureBarre. For outdoor exercise and recreation, make use of the swimming pools, jogging track and basketball court. At The Lotus Spa, enjoy massages, facials, acupuncture, nail and hair services, and a range of 'anti-ageing' treatments, including Thermage non-invasive facelifts. The extra-fee thermal suite, The Enclave, has a sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy pool and rain shower. If you plan to visit more than twice, it's better value to buy a pass for the entire voyage. Entertainment It's showtime in the Princess Theatre, with all-singing, all-dancing cast productions. A new show, Viva La Musica, celebrates the best of Latin music. There's comedy in the Laugh Lounge, movies under the stars, a raucous crowd-participation game of Deal or No Deal, and plenty of live music around the ship. Dance classes in the Piazza are popular, as are culinary demonstrations and wine tasting. The crew gets in on the act with creative towel-folding demos, 'meet the crew' Q+As and a formal night hosted by the officers. The crew The friendly crew members of Discovery Princess work cohesively to create a carefree holiday environment for guests. The boss sets the tone of an organisation, and in this case, it's Captain Alessandro Genzo, a charming Italian mariner who leads by example with warmth and humility. Listen for his 'ciao, ciao' sign-off on future sailings in Australia. Special mention to the spa therapists, who create such a convivial experience, I sign up for two more treatments after a fun manicure. The verdict There's a lot to love on this Love Boat. The ship is designed to be an all-round crowd-pleaser, catering for families, couples, solos and friend groups of all ages. Even at full capacity, there's room for everyone to do their thing. Dive into the onboard entertainment and dining options, and consider upgrading to the Plus or Premier package for inclusions such as Wi-Fi, specialty dining, drinks and fitness classes. Loading The Princess MedallionClass app, not as intuitive as it could be, has room for improvement. We'd like to be able to make spa appointments in the app, and it would be handy to see all restaurant opening hours at a glance. The details From December 2025, Discovery Princess will call Sydney home for a debut summer season of voyages to New Zealand and Australian ports. This home port in the harbour city will mark 50 years since the first Princess ship sailed into Sydney in 1975. From $2149 a person, twin share, for a 14-night New Zealand itinerary from Sydney. See Our rating out of five ★★★★½ Swell Isn't it great when things just work? There's an easygoing 'no worries' vibe onboard that encourages guests and crew to relax, smile and go with the ocean flow. Not so swell It's handy to order food and drinks on the app, but irksome when deliveries take a long time or arrive incomplete (no milk for the tea, no condiments for the fries).
The Age
13-06-2025
- The Age
On board the modern version of the Love Boat headed for Australia
Via the app on my phone, I easily connect to MedallionNet, the ship's Wi-Fi. Having encountered many frustrating challenges when connecting to Wi-Fi on other ships, this instantly puts me in a good mood. The design All that cruisers know and love of other Royal Class ships in the Princess fleet (including Majestic Princess and Royal Princess) is on Discovery Princess, only better. There are even more open deck areas, more premium accommodation, new dining venues and new entertainment productions. The colour scheme is lighter and brighter, creating a sunny ambience with sand-coloured carpets, light wood and neutral curtains that make spaces feel bigger. The heart of the ship is The Piazza, a grand atrium that spans several decks and features spiral staircases, glass-walled lifts and several bars and cafes. There's always something happening in this area, including daily dance classes, live music and the captain's champagne welcome. The spaces Something for everyone, from the party atmosphere of the main pool deck to the tech-forward kids' club, to the tranquil thermal spa, and the glitzy Princess Theatre with capacity for close to 1000 guests. Princess understands that multi-generational groups and travellers of all ages are their demographic, and they design accordingly. I enjoy the adults-only pool and bar area for quiet swimming and reading time. Nearby is The Retreat, a bougie bargain at $30 for half-day access to a peaceful, private area with sun lounges, cabanas, jacuzzi, afternoon tea and a special menu of cocktails and food. The stateroom There are 1830 staterooms, including two Sky Suites featuring Princess' largest balconies at sea. I'm in a Balcony Cabin on Deck 10, one of 753 on the ship. This category ranges in size from 214 to 222 square feet (20 to 20.6 square metres), including the outdoor space, which accommodates a table and two chairs. Again the colour scheme leans into the beige/bone/sand palette. A queen-sized bed can be converted to two twin beds. There's a desk with chair, a minibar fridge, a flat-screen TV and an enormous open-style wardrobe. There is plenty of storage on shelves, in drawers and in cleverly designed spaces. This, plus the abundance of USB and power outlets, gets my tick of approval. The bathroom is on the squeezy side. The food I've cruised on luxury ships that cost much more than Princess and eaten food that isn't half as good. Included in the fare are three main dining rooms, a vast buffet at World Fresh Marketplace, pizza at Slice, poolside burgers, Swirls Ice Cream Bar, and pub fare at O'Malleys Irish Pub. International Cafe is a popular 24/7 takeaway venue, serving toasted sandwiches, pies, croissants and snacks. No need to spend extra on specialty dining if you don't want to, though you probably will want to, in which case it's smart to upgrade to the Princess Premier package (from $100 a person, a day) as it includes unlimited specialty meals. The Crown Grill steakhouse is reliably good, but don't overlook Gigi's Pizzeria, Sabatini's Italian Trattoria (order the huge veal Milanese) and Ocean Terrace Sushi. When the ship comes to Australia, as many as 70 new menu items will be added to suit local preferences. That means more seafood, roast dinners, pavlova and Vegemite, among other things. Wellness No excuse to skip a workout: the 24-hour gym on Discovery Princess is better than most expensive city gyms. As well as the latest equipment and fitness machines, there are daily classes from well-known franchises including CycleBar, StretchLab and PureBarre. For outdoor exercise and recreation, make use of the swimming pools, jogging track and basketball court. At The Lotus Spa, enjoy massages, facials, acupuncture, nail and hair services, and a range of 'anti-ageing' treatments, including Thermage non-invasive facelifts. The extra-fee thermal suite, The Enclave, has a sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy pool and rain shower. If you plan to visit more than twice, it's better value to buy a pass for the entire voyage. Entertainment It's showtime in the Princess Theatre, with all-singing, all-dancing cast productions. A new show, Viva La Musica, celebrates the best of Latin music. There's comedy in the Laugh Lounge, movies under the stars, a raucous crowd-participation game of Deal or No Deal, and plenty of live music around the ship. Dance classes in the Piazza are popular, as are culinary demonstrations and wine tasting. The crew gets in on the act with creative towel-folding demos, 'meet the crew' Q+As and a formal night hosted by the officers. The crew The friendly crew members of Discovery Princess work cohesively to create a carefree holiday environment for guests. The boss sets the tone of an organisation, and in this case, it's Captain Alessandro Genzo, a charming Italian mariner who leads by example with warmth and humility. Listen for his 'ciao, ciao' sign-off on future sailings in Australia. Special mention to the spa therapists, who create such a convivial experience, I sign up for two more treatments after a fun manicure. The verdict There's a lot to love on this Love Boat. The ship is designed to be an all-round crowd-pleaser, catering for families, couples, solos and friend groups of all ages. Even at full capacity, there's room for everyone to do their thing. Dive into the onboard entertainment and dining options, and consider upgrading to the Plus or Premier package for inclusions such as Wi-Fi, specialty dining, drinks and fitness classes. Loading The Princess MedallionClass app, not as intuitive as it could be, has room for improvement. We'd like to be able to make spa appointments in the app, and it would be handy to see all restaurant opening hours at a glance. The details From December 2025, Discovery Princess will call Sydney home for a debut summer season of voyages to New Zealand and Australian ports. This home port in the harbour city will mark 50 years since the first Princess ship sailed into Sydney in 1975. From $2149 a person, twin share, for a 14-night New Zealand itinerary from Sydney. See Our rating out of five ★★★★½ Swell Isn't it great when things just work? There's an easygoing 'no worries' vibe onboard that encourages guests and crew to relax, smile and go with the ocean flow. Not so swell It's handy to order food and drinks on the app, but irksome when deliveries take a long time or arrive incomplete (no milk for the tea, no condiments for the fries).
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Princess Cruises passengers warn of chaos at in-demand port
Princess Cruises passengers warn of chaos at in-demand port originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Many cruise passengers know that there's always a chance that their cruise itinerary can change, causing them to miss one of their planned ports of call. Usually this happens when weather conditions are unfavorable, but other factors can also contribute to unexpected changes to cruise port even when your cruise itinerary doesn't change, the port experience might sometimes not turn out like you expected. Staying flexible and open to the idea that plans could change usually leads to a better cruise experience no matter where you sail, but missing a port or activity you were looking forward to experiencing can still be frustrating. Some Princess Cruises passengers unfortunately found out what that's like as they missed planned shore excursions in one sought-after port due to a situation outside of their control — a situation that can happen on any busy day in this destination. Even though their ship was docked in port and they were ready to disembark at their assigned time, the process of getting passengers off the ship and into the port experienced an hours-long to Princess Cruises passenger posts on Reddit, some cruisers have experienced a chaotic disembarkation situation in Skagway, Alaska, on recent days with multiple cruise ships visiting the port simultaneously. 'Currently on an Alaskan Cruise with Princess, and unfortunately we missed our morning excursion (White Pass Scenic Train) in Skagway because Princess absolutely fumbled the de-boarding progress,' pingypongypangy posted in the Princess Cruises community on Reddit. The cruiser's ship was required to transport passengers to shore via tender boats during its visit to Skagway, and the process got really backed up. This sometimes happens with tendering, especially when weather conditions aren't Princess passenger chimed in on the thread to note that rough weather conditions caused a similar backup for their ship's tendering process on the day before. 'We are on the Royal Princess right now, and were in Skagway yesterday. We were late getting on land as well because of the tender situation," Rstuart11 noted. "But, to add an extra point in, they had to stop the tender boats altogether for almost an hour because of the weather.' Not every cruise ship that visits Skagway has to deal with the hassle of tendering, however. Tendering is only required at one dock location in the port, which is only used on busier days when there are multiple ships in of safety concerns related to a past rockslide from the hill above Skagway's Railroad Dock, cruise passengers can't walk the pier closest to the hill. If your ship is assigned to one particular berth by the hill (Railroad Forward, or RRF), you'll be shuttled from the ship to shore via a tender boat. 'Since the landslide a few years ago, they tender you a few hundred feet from the cruise ship pier to a typical tender pier as a legal/safety issue if the ship is parked at that pier,' Cuedon explained in the Reddit thread. Sometimes, a cruise ship's crew doesn't know in advance if they will be assigned to the tendering berth in Skagway.'Based on some of my trips last season, the ships themselves don't always know which pier they're going to be at until the day before or day of,' Cuedon added. 'Sapphire got the walk-off yesterday (and the week before), Royal got to suffer the tender.' The Skagway Visitor Department posted a 2025 cruise ship arrival schedule with each ship's dock assignment on its website, but all dock locations are subject to change. If your cruise is scheduled to visit Skagway on a busy day, your port experience can vary based on your ship's dock location. If you do find out that your ship will be the unlucky one required to tender, be prepared to get up early to get off the ship as soon as possible and avoid potential tendering delays and even missed excursions. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
