ORLANDO (April 5, 2024) – Princess Cruises, the world’s most iconic cruise brand, and Brightline, the intercity passenger rail seamlessly connecting travelers to top destinations and major events in Central and South Florida, have joined forces to introduce the innovative Rail & Sail program, offering guests swift and hassle-free access to Princess cruise ships departing from two popular Florida homeports – Fort Lauderdale and Orlando (Port Canaveral).

 

With Rail & Sail, guests enjoy a seamless journey in luxurious comfort, arriving at their preferred homeport in significantly less time than traditional travel methods.

 

The announcement also included the debut of a train with four custom-designed cars adorned with Princess’ iconic Love Boat branding, complete with its signature seawitch logo and depictions of popular ports of call. Princess’ branding will also be featured within Brightline’s five terminals throughout Florida.

 

Also announced was a value-added luggage express service offering guests the ultimate convenience as their bags are checked at their Brightline station and are waiting for them securely in their stateroom upon arrival to the ship.

Princess guests can also enjoy special discounts of up to 15% when booking Smart and Premium Rail & Sail packages through Brightline’s web site. And for a limited time only, guests who book a Princess cruise through May 5 will receive a Brightline credit of up to $150 per person for its signature Smart and Premium class service based on stateroom type.

 

“A Princess cruise is already the best value in travel and this new partnership with Brightline makes it even easier and more enjoyable to sail with us from the top-rated ports in South and Central Florida,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. “Our guests can just sit back, relax, and let us do the rest, including delivering their luggage directly to their stateroom.”

 

“Brightline has been connecting travelers to South Florida ports since we began operations in 2018 and cruisers from the beginning have found our train to be the easiest way to start their vacation,” said Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline. “Today’s partnership with Princess Cruises and this train wrap with the iconic Love Boat branding is yet another example of the connection between cruisers and Brightline.”

 

One-of-a-Kind ‘Rail & Sail’ Service

Princess guests will have access to Brightline’s full schedule of convenient trains departing daily with 16 round-trip transits between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Options include:

• Southbound from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale (with stops at West Palm Beach and Boca Raton)
• Northbound from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando (with stops at Boca Raton and West Palm Beach)
• South Florida residents can also take Brightline from its downtown Miami and Aventura terminals with stops in Fort Lauderdale or Orlando.

Princess will also provide guests with complimentary motorcoach service between Brightline’s Orlando and Fort Lauderdale stations and their embarkation terminal.

 

Special Discount Offer, Convenient Luggage Express Service

With the convenient new luggage express service guests can check their bags upon arrival at their Brightline station and their luggage will be automatically delivered to their stateroom, making their cruise experience seamless and hassle-free and saving valuable time and effort. The cost is $35 per bag. Luggage express will be initially available on Orlando-to-Fort Lauderdale trains with plans to add the service to Fort Lauderdale-to-Orlando trains ahead of Caribbean Princess’ arrival and homeport at Port Canaveral in November.

 

For a limited time only, Princess guests who book a cruise through May 5 will receive a credit that can be used toward Brightline’s signature Premium and Smart class:

• Interior/Oceanview stateroom – $50 per person Brightline credit
• Balcony/Deluxe stateroom – $100 per person Brightline credit
• Mini-Suite/Suite – $150 per person Brightline credit

Brightline’s Smart service includes hand-stitched leather seats, complimentary WiFi and multiple power and USB connections at each seat while Premium service adds complimentary snacks and beverages and access to a Premium Lounge.

 

Love Boat Sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Space Coast

• Fort Lauderdale:  Princess is one of Port Everglades’ largest cruise operators with seven ships – nearly half its fleet – sailing from Fort Lauderdale. Voyages include week-long getaways to the Caribbean to longer length 10- to 20-day cruises offering guests a chance to explore a host of tropical island destinations, including through the Panama Canal.
• Port Canaveral: Caribbean Princess will inaugurate Love Boat cruises from Port Canaveral November 27, 2024, with a series of four- to 14-day sailings visiting some of the western Caribbean’s most picturesque locales, including Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, San Juan, Belize, Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) and Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan). The program runs through April 2025.

Additional information on the new Rail & Sail service is available at princess.com/Brightline or gobrightline.com.

 

About Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is The Love Boat, the world’s most iconic cruise brand that delivers dream vacations to millions of guests every year in the most sought-after destinations on the largest ships that offer elite service personalization and simplicity customary of small, yacht-class ships. Well-appointed staterooms, world class dining, grand performances, award-winning casinos and entertainment, luxurious spas, imaginative experiences and boundless activities blend with exclusive Princess MedallionClass service to create meaningful connections and unforgettable moments in the most incredible settings in the world - 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. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).

 

About Brightline

Brightline seamlessly connects travelers to top destinations and major events between Central and South Florida.  The company serves Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando with future stops in Stuart and Cocoa. Brightline is recognized by Inc. 5000 Regionals as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southeast for 2023 and is one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative by Fast Company in 2024. Brightline offers a guest-first experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road. The company plans to bring its award-winning service to additional city pairs and congested corridors across the country that are too close to fly and too long to drive, with immediate plans to connect Las Vegas to Southern California. For more information, visit www.gobrightline.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS

For Brightline

Vanessa Alfonso, Vanessa.alfonso@gobrightline.com

Michael Hicks, mhicks@bltrain.com

 

For Princess Cruises

Caitlin Dineen, cdineen@princesscruises.com

Vance Gulliksen, vgulliksen@princesscruises.com

 

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