Imagine: finishing a romantic dinner for two at a world-class restaurant that specializes in Italian food and seafood, spending a while at the casino, then catching a Cirque de Soleil performance, and ending the night tasting wine and eating sampling artisan cheeses. It sounds like a great night in Las Vegas, and it could be, but it could also be a great night on one of the passenger ships of Princess Cruises.
Princess Cruises, already a leader in the overall cruise industry, is taking strides to become the leader for adults. They offer family cruises as well, but their primary focus is on adults. Cruises designed for couples, cruises designed for groups of couples who like to vacation together, and cruises designed for singles are all options now offered by Princess.

The company’s new tagline states it all: “How can we help you escape completely?” Princess has created a variety of programs designed to offer entertainment targeted to adults. High-end dining, adult (not “adult”) entertainment options, and adult (again, not “adult”) activities are one part of their approach. At the other end of the “escape” approach are individual activities: full-service spas or massages can relax a guest, or a hardcore one-on-one fitness workout can invigorate a guest.
So much is Princess Cruises’ commitment to romance, they have their own online “Department of Romance.” Here, individuals are invited to share their ideas to make a cruise more romantic, and there are celebrity postings—including a regular column from actor Gavin McCloud, the captain of TV’s Love Boat.

Princess Cruises offers a club called the Princess Captain’s Circle. Like airline miles and such, membership to the Circle offers frequent cruisers discounts, rewards, and so on. But the Captain’s Circle offers much more—effectively, members are VIPs. They can get on and off the ship faster, have access to certain member’s only events, and receive a quarterly magazine discussing upcoming special cruises.
While not the only major cruise line aiming for the mostly-adult market, Princess Cruises is certainly making an effort to become the best. Their packages offer items that, quite honestly, families might shy away from, and they offer customer service and a rewards program that encourages repeat business.

When looking for a family cruise, at first glance, most of the major cruise lines look to be much the same, but this is not the case. While they are high quality lines, Princess Cruises are heavily-intensive on the romantic experience, and Carnival (as hinted by its name) focuses on a fun, party atmosphere, often with a good deal of alcohol involved. Both lines do, of course, allow children, but when you are thinking of a family cruise, one name should pop to mind, just like when you are thinking a fun family vacation: Disney.

