Emerald Princess Sails on Inaugural Voyage

Princess Cruises' new Emerald Princess welcomed its first passengers on board Wednesday as it set sail on its maiden voyage from Rome's seaport, the town of Civitavecchia. The 113,000-ton ship's first cruise is a 12-day Greek Isles voyage to Venice that will take passengers to some of the most scenic spots in the Mediterranean and Aegean, including Naples/Capri, Santorini, Rhodes, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Mykonos, Athens (Piraeus), Katakolon (for Olympia), Corfu and Dubrovnik. Thereafter the ship will offer a series of Greek Isles and Grand Mediterranean cruises before crossing the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale in October. The new vessel includes many of the elements and amenities that debuted last year on sister ship Crown Princess, including a piazza-style atrium, a multitude of casual dining venues and an adults-only retreat called The Sanctuary. A number of new culinary enhancements also debuted on the ship, including a Chef's Table dinner for epicurean aficionados, all new dining room menus, enhanced buffet service, and a number of special touches such as an afternoon cookies and milk break featuring fresh-from-the-oven soft-baked cookies, and in-cabin delivery of pizza. For more information, call 800-913-7245 or visit www.planmycruise.net.