Taiwanese Travelers Are the Most Passionate Cruise Lovers in Asia

Princess Cruises Group President Visits the Third Time to Announce Five New Ships in Six Years,Majestic Princess in in 2020

TAIPEI,May9,2019 -- Cruise market is prospering in Asia,among which Taiwan shines as a surprising hotspot for the industry. According to CLIA survey,cruising has become the fastest growing leisure travel option in Asia,while Taiwan is the second largest sourcing market in the region. Princess Cruises,the global No.1 premium cruise line that started operating in Taiwan since 2014,is committed to local market with outstanding results. According to a survey by InsightXplorer in 2018,Princess Cruises has enjoyed the highest brand preference,and it's the favorite cruise brand among consumers in Taiwan. From 2014 to 2018,Princess Cruises have increased its itineraries 6.5 times,and passenger numbers nearly 10-fold. Jan Swartz,President of Princess Cruises,visited Taiwan for the third time today to announce Taiwan homeport plans in 2020 with Stuart Allison,Senior Vice President of Princess Cruises Asia Pacific Commercial & Operations. The luxurious Majestic Princess,especially designed for Asia,will serve from Keelung port for six months next year from March to August.

Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz,Senior VP Stuart Allison,and Regional Director Peter Chen announced Taiwan 2020 homeport deployment with 11 travel advisors.

President of Princess Cruises Jan Swartz personally showcased the wearable equipment named Ocean Medallion which is exclusive for Princess Cruises

Majestic Princess,based in Keelung port,provides various itineraries to Japan and to Korea for Taiwan guests

Senior VP of Princess Cruises - Stuart Allison shared the cruise trends in Asia

Taiwan is the third largest sourcing market worldwide,five ships in six years will deliver best customer experiences

"In 2018,Princess Cruises first deployed three cruise ships to Keelung port," said Jan Swartz,Princess Cruises President. "Taiwan has become the largest sourcing market in Asia and the third largest worldwide. We are also the cruise line that carries the most passengers on average each day in Keelung port. We are very proud of these impressive achievements as we see them as recognition of our efforts in Taiwan. We are committed to offering enhanced and diverse services and products to local travelers." In the coming six years,Princess Cruises will welcome five new ships to our fleet,including Sky Princess this October,Enchanted Princess in June 2020,and a third yet to be named ship in 2021. Two LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas)-powered cruise ships will soon join the fleet.

Taiwan is leading trends in the industry,Princess Cruises is the fastest growing premium cruise line worldwide

Stuart Allison,Asia Pacific Commercial & Operations Senior Vice President,also shared comments on the booming cruise industry in Asia. "The number of cruise passengers in Asia has hiked by 4.6% in 2018 to a groundbreaking 4.24 million,after 20.6% growth in 2017," said Allison. "Cruise has become the fastest growing leisure travel in Asia,and Asian passengers now account for 14.8% of global market. Taiwan,being a key player in Asian cruise market,in 2018 alone,has seen 391,000 cruise passengers on cruises,a 4.7% growth compared to the previous year. From 2016 to 2018,the number has boosted by 35%. In 2018,Princess Cruises carried over 394,000 passengers in Asia and is now perfectly positioned to meet the growing demand as the fastest growing international premium cruise line in the world. Princess Cruises offers Asian travelers a transformative cruising experience with 125 itineraries visiting popular destinations including 10 new ports of call in Asia by eight cruise ships.

Cherry blossoms and Kumamoto Port are included in exclusive Princess Cruises plans in 2020

Stuart Allison,took this opportunity to announce Taiwan deployment plans in 2020. "With Majestic Princess,we have our first homeport ship in Taiwan for a full season offering 43 voyages across 158 days in 2020. We also aim to carry over 160,000 passengers from Taiwan next year. As Japan is the favorite destination to the local travelers,Princess Cruises has worked with 11 travel advisors,including Best Way Travel,Spunk Tour,Life Tour,Pro Tour,SET Tour,Lion Travel,Phoenix Tours,Star Travel,Best Tour,ezTravel,and Ta Hsin Tour,to design itineraries in spring to Japan and Korea for cherry blossoms. Kumamoto Port is covered as a new stop,so guests enjoy more varieties in their travel plans. Majestic Princess will serve in summer of July and August for the first time to Japan and Korea. New itineraries and better services will elevate our guests' vacation experiences."

In 2018 and 2019,Keelung port has served as homeport for the luxurious Majestic Princess,the renovated Sun Princess,and the Japanese-style Diamond Princess. In 2020,Majestic Princess,the most welcomed by consumers among all,will join and serve in Taiwan for an extended period of time. Princess Cruises will continue to plan more diverse itineraries and enhance service quality onboard,creating even more memorable cruise vacations for all.

About Princess Cruises

One of the best-known names in cruising,Princess Cruises is the fastest growing international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern cruise ships,carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe,including the Caribbean,Alaska,Panama Canal,Mexican Riviera,Europe,South America,Australia/New Zealand,the South Pacific,Hawaii,Asia,Canada/New England,Antarctica and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries,ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries."

In 2017 Princess Cruises,with parent company Carnival Corporation,introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the OceanMedallion,the vacation industry's most advanced wearable device,provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to a hassle-free,personalized vacation giving guests more time to do the things they love most. MedallionClass Vacations will be activated on five ships by the end of 2019. An activation plan will continue across the global fleet in 2020 and beyond.

Princess Cruises continues its multi-year,"Come Back New Promise" – a $450 million-dollar product innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will continue to enhance the line's onboard guest experience. These enhancements result in more moments of awe,lifetime memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise vacation. The product innovations include partnerships with award-winning Chef Curtis Stone; engaging entertainment inspired shows with Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the whole family from Discovery and Animal Planet that include exclusive shore excursions to onboard activities; the ultimate sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed and more.

Three new Royal-class ships are currently on order with the next new ship under construction,Sky Princess,scheduled for delivery in October 2019,followed by Enchanted Princess in June 2020. Princess previously announced that two new (LNG) ships which will be the largest ships in the Princess fleet,accommodating approximately 4,300 guests are planned for delivery in 2023 and 2025. Princess now has five ships arriving over the next six years between 2019 and 2025. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

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