Registered visitors prior to port departure?

I remember Princess announcing that pre-registered visitors were allowed to board the ship for a tour and lunch (for a fixed cost) prior to the ship's departure. Haven't seen anything lately on this and wondered if it was still being offered, and if the program is/was successful. Has anyone taken advantage of this? What was your experience?

It is still offered and there have been several threads about this. In general, favorable opinions.

Not available for departures from Australian Ports . Princess advised me they planned to introduce the facility last July, but that it is now off the agenda ex Australian Ports - all too hard .

Search on 'Bon Voyage' program for related threads. We're doing this next month on the Emerald. Reserving space for our guests was no problem (ask for the Bon Voyage desk when you call Princess) but they balked at the hoops they needed to go through to get their boarding passes. As my brother said, it is a rather onerous process for lunch and a tour. They had to fill out all the info - including passport numbers (I guess they're afraid of stowaways :)) and credit card number on the cruise personalizer. We got that done this past weekend so we're all ready -- and we are all looking forward to it.

It is still being offered - as always only from US embarkation ports. As a previous poster mentioned there have been several threads about this. Do a seach for "bon voyage". You cal also call Princess and ask about their "Bon Voyage Experience" - the customer service rep I got last wk was pretty informative.

The cost is $39pp, you need to register the person no later than one week prior to sailing and they do only take a limited amount of ppl, so call ahead to ensure you get a spot.

It usually lasts 4 hrs and includes an optional tour, lunch in the dining rm, wine for your friend, and a photo.

Yesterday, someone posted that its not available on holiday sailings this december.

The $39 goes towards a future cruise if that person books within 90 days.

That's all I remember for now. Definitely do a search, also a recent review posted on this board detailed the experience, so the search should also bring that up.

Thanks - couldn't remember what it was called - I will do a search of "Bon Voyage".

Thanks - couldn't remember what it was called - I will do a search of "Bon Voyage".

News Article

2/11/2010

Princess Revives Nostalgic Cruising Tradition with New Bon Voyage Experience

Passengers Can Once Again Invite Friends and Family Aboard Ship On Embarkation Day

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (February 11, 2010) -- Reviving a signature tradition from the early days of cruising, Princess Cruises is debuting an innovative, new program giving passengers the opportunity to invite their friends and family aboard their ship on embarkation day to wish them "bon voyage" and get a taste of the onboard experience.

Called the "Bon Voyage ExperienceSM," the program is a new twist on the departure celebration of bygone days, when friends and family would routinely come aboard to see off passengers. Because of increasingly tighter security procedures, this practice disappeared more than two decades ago, but it's now back -- complete with lunch in the dining room and tour of the ship.

Unique in the cruise industry, the Bon Voyage Experience enables passengers to extend an invitation to their guests to join them onboard during sailing day for a four-course dining room lunch with wine, a ship tour and even a souvenir photo. Passengers and their guests can enjoy priority embarkation and will be able to spend approximately four hours together on the ship before it sets sail. The cost for the program is $39 per person, which can be applied toward a future Princess cruise.

The program will debut in March in the ports of Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale, and then roll out to New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

"Long-time cruisers will recall the fun of the bon voyage send-off with their family and friends, and we're excited to re-introduce a new, modern version of this experience," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.

Cruise passengers will be notified about the program through the pre-cruise emails they receive from Princess as their cruise date approaches. In-port guests can be booked through a travel agent or by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, beginning 120 days before the cruise and up to six days before the sailing date. Once registered, guests will be able to input their required security information through the line's Cruise Personalizer.

The number of guests who will be able to participate in the Bon Voyage Experience on any given embarkation day will be approximately 50.

The roll-out schedule for the launch of the Bon Voyage Experience is: Sapphire Princess -- March 6 in Los Angeles

Crown Princess -- March 6 in Fort Lauderdale

Coral Princess -- March 7 in Los Angeles

Emerald Princess -- March 7 in Fort Lauderdale

Island Princess -- March 10 in Fort Lauderdale

Ruby Princess -- March 10 in Fort Lauderdale

Golden Princess -- March 14 in Los Angeles

Royal Princess -- March 27 in Fort Lauderdale

Star Princess -- April 10 in Fort Lauderdale

Caribbean Princess -- May 18 in New York

Sea Princess -- June 1 in San Francisco

During the Alaska season, Sapphire Princess, Golden Princess and Royal Princess will offer the program in Seattle, beginning in May.

Yesterday, someone posted that its not available on holiday sailings this december.

I've booked the Bon Voyage Experience for my parents to join us on our cruise December 18 - 28, 2010, Emerald Princess, Ft. Lauderdale. That is a holiday cruise to me.

They are booked, paid for, and I've filled in all their info online.