Princess Cruises’ 91,000-gross ton Island Princess, homeporting this year in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, will cruise from Dubai in 2020 on her repositioning voyage to the waters of Southeast Asia.
Princess Cruises will be sailing from Dubai three times during the 2020 season, Island Princess is one of two that are going from the UAE to Singapore (the other being Regal Princess for her own Asian deployment).
Island Princess (Image courtesy ShipParade.com)
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Like Regal Princess, Island Princess’ cruise from Dubai to Singapore will be a comparatively short itinerary of just 11 days compared to the two week itineraries offered by most cruise lines sailing between Dubai and Singapore (such as Celebrity Constellation).
This is mainly because Princess Cruises have gone for a port-lean itinerary, with port calls only in Muscat in Oman, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, with Island Princess arriving in Singapore on December 17th, 2020.
In comparison, Celebrity Constellation, which will be doing a regular cruise program between Dubai and Singapore from November, 2019 to March, 2020, will be taking her time on the journey.
The 15-night itinerary includes calls in Muscat in Oman, Mumbai, Goa and Cochin in India, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Phuket in Thailand. In addition, the first night of the cruise is spent overnight in Dubai and the port call in Mumbai is also an overnighter.
Princess Cruises had not published its 2021 cruise itineraries at the time of writing, but it’s likely that Island Princess will be homeporting in Asia, possibly Singapore or Japan, for the 2021 winter season, alongside at least two other Princess ships.
Princess Cruises’ ship Island Princess is one of three ships the line has cruising from Dubai in 2020.
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At 91,000-gross tons, Island Princess is a ship large enough to be comfortable and capable of offering all the amenities modern cruisers expect (several pools, spa, kids facilities, multiple dining options and a two-deck theatre), while still retaining and old-world charm.
The ship will be 17 years old when she cruises from Dubai next year, and it does show, despite a 2015 refurbishment. In the corridors, the floor can be uneven in places in a similar way to ocean liners of yesteryear, which adds to her charm.
Less appealing on a cruise itinerary with so many sea days will be the ship’s noticeable lack of common areas (some lounges and facilities were given over to 150 new staterooms during the 2015 refit).
The eye-catching four-story atrium with its waterfall, glass-fronted elevators, comfortable seating, white grand piano and profusion of greenery exudes all the grandeur of Princess Cruises, but can feel crowded during the pre-dinner cocktail rush.
She excels in on-board entertainment options, though, and Princess is known for offering a good selection of shore excursions, good food and fantastic kids’ programs.
It therefore won’t be hard to fall in love with her during an 11-night jaunt from Dubai to Singapore.
Categories: Middle East Cruise News
