Princess Cruises has partnered with Brightline, the intercity passenger rail system in Central and South Florida, to introduce the Rail & Sail program. The Rail & Sail program offers cruisers “swift and hassle-free” transportation to Princess cruise ships at both Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral in Orlando.
Brightline also unveiled a train with four custom-designed cars wrapped with the Princess’ iconic Love Boat branding, the famous seawitch logo and depictions of popular ports. Additionally, Brightline’s five terminals throughout Florida will also feature Princess’ branding.
As an added value, Princess guests will be able to check their luggage at their Brightline station and have it waiting in their stateroom when they arrive.
“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.”
Princess guests who book Smart and Premium Rail & Sail packages through Brighline’s website will receive a discount of up to 15%, and through May 5, 2024, Princess guests who book a cruise will receive a credit of up to $150 per person toward Brightline’s signature Premium and Smart class.
“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.”
Brightline’s “Rail & Sail” offers a full schedule of 16-roundtrip transits between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale daily. Options include southbound from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, northbound from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando and routes from Miami and Aventura to Fort Lauderdale or Orlando. Once at their stop, Princess will provide guests a complimentary motorcoach service to their embarkation terminal.
Currently, Princess is one of Port Everglades’ largest cruise operators. The cruise line sails seven of the eighteen ships in its fleet from Fort Lauderdale. Itineraries range from week-long getaways to longer 10- to 20-day voyages to the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Canada and New England, South America as well as transatlantic cruises.
While Princess Cruises does not have any ships sailing out of Port Canaveral, Caribbean Princess will begin sailing from the port November 27, 2024. She will sail 4- to 14-day itineraries throughout the Western Caribbean through April 2025.