Princess Cruises Unveils ‘Free Upper’ Deal in May

Princess Cruises has rolled out a limited-time promotion on its Japan cruises in May, offering free upper bed accommodations to the third and fourth guests in a stateroom onboard Diamond Princess.

The deal is inspired by a series of family-oriented holidays, including the upcoming Mother’s Day celebration.

Offer Aims to Inspire Family and Friends Groups

Princess Cruises’ 3,660-guest Diamond Princess is once again deployed to Japan, sailing between Tokyo and Kobe on a schedule that calls in multiple countries on itineraries ranging from 5 to 19 days.

The cruise line’s Free Upper Promotion is tied to Mother’s Day, on May 14, and also to Japanese Golden Week, which is a cluster of national holidays celebrated through May 5, and to Korea’s Family Month, a set of special days honoring families and children in May. (Some itineraries call at Korean ports.)

Free bookings for third and fourth guests are intended to inspire more family and friend groups to travel together on The Love Boat cruise line.

The promotion is valid on new stateroom bookings only, through May 15, and requires a 100% deposit on the cabin fare. The deal also is non-refundable and non-transferable, and cannot be combined with other offers.

Diamond Princess returned to the Japanese market in March 2023. Her deployment was announced in December 2022 following the Japanese government’s decision to begin allowing international cruise ships to dock at its ports. The country had imposed a more than two-year ban at the start of the pandemic.

In early 2020 Diamond Princess was stranded at Japan’s Yokohama Port at the start of the pandemic, with several hundred cases of Covid-19 onboard. The ship was quarantined for weeks at the port.

“After investing lots of effort to resume in Japan, I believe that many people are as excited as I am to see Princess Cruises return to Asia again. We’re optimistic that more routes and homeports will be resumed in a near future,” said Princess Cruises’ Regional Director Gee Chan.

Diamond Princess Now Features MedallionClass

The Gem-class Diamond Princess, which was built in Japan by Mitsubishi and entered service in 2003, was designed for the Japanese market. It features the Lotus Spa and the Izumi Japanese Bath, Japanese cuisine and amenities, and Japanese-style experiences such as Club Fusion, a nightclub offering karaoke and other activities.

Cruisers sailing aboard Diamond Princess’ Japan sailings this spring are the ship’s first to experience Princess MedallionClass, the wearable device that enables guests to use the technology to access many onboard services and amenities.

The quarter-size Medallions enable touch-free boarding and keyless stateroom entry, and can locate other guests onboard the ship, make dining reservations, order food and drinks, and access other shipboard conveniences.

Diamond Princess Returns to Japan in 2024

Princess Cruises announced earlier this year that Diamond Princess will return to Japan in spring 2024, home-porting in Tokyo and offering 36 departures of 7- to 23-day voyages between March and August.

The ship will sail 31 unique itineraries with calls in three countries, focusing on the spring flower season and on summer festivals. Highlighted festivals include the Kochi Yosakoi Dance Festival, one of the country’s largest festivals, and the Tokushima Awa Odori Dance Festival, an event that dates back to the 1500s. Both are held in August.

Also, in 2024, the line will operate a new cruise itinerary that includes a North Pacific crossing from Tokyo on Royal Princess, making her the first Royal-class ship to operate in the region.

The Japan & North Pacific Crossing will depart from Tokyo on April 27, 2024, and visit the northern Tohoku and Hokkaido regions during cherry blossom season.

The 3,560-guest ship, making her debut in Japan, will cross the Northern Pacific and sail to Whittier, the port for Anchorage, Alaska. Cruisers can disembark in Whittier or add a 7-day cruise to Vancouver, B.C., to create a 22-day voyage.