Princess Cruises will flip the highlight on American historical past in the summertime of 2024, when two of its cruise ships will name on the port of Yorktown, Virginia, and provide company the chance to discover Virginia’s Historic Triangle — Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg.
The port of Yorktown is inside a small harbor the place Chesapeake Bay meets the York River in southeastern Virginia. Princess would be the first main cruise line to name on the port.
Ties to Revolutionary Conflict
Two Princess Cruises ships will embody five-day-long port calls to Yorktown on their itineraries in summer season 2024, with three visits by the 92,000 gross ton, 2,200-guest Island Princess and two visits by the 113,561 gross ton, 3,080-guest Emerald Princess.
Dates and itineraries shall be introduced in coming weeks, the road mentioned, together with excursions, that are sure to incorporate the traditionally important websites and occasions that tie the area’s Historic Triangle locations to the Revolutionary Conflict.
Princess Cruises President John Padgett mentioned, “Princess is already well-known for our distinctive itineraries that enchantment to our company who gravitate towards fascinating historic and cultural alternatives and Yorktown is completely in tune with that philosophy, providing not solely a glimpse on the Revolutionary Conflict but additionally eating, buying and exercise choices with wide-ranging enchantment. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
It was the Battle of Yorktown that decisively ended the struggle when British Normal Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered to Normal George Washington in 1781.
Williamsburg is residence to Colonial Williamsburg, a historic district and living-history museum, whereas Jamestown has the ruins of the primary everlasting English settlement in North America in addition to a living-history museum. The three historic websites are inside a brief drive of one another.
Based on Padgett, the calls at Yorktown and excursions to the area’s historic websites are important because the nation approaches the 250th anniversaries of the beginning of the Revolutionary Conflict and the writing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The anniversary shall be celebrated in 2026.
Padgett added, ”We couldn’t be extra enthusiastic about this unbelievable alternative so as to add this actually unforgettable vacation spot expertise to our already spectacular array of itineraries. As a local Virginian myself, I can attest that an itinerary that gives the prospect to go to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown guarantees to be a most welcome addition for our company, offering them with memorable trip experiences that they’ll’t discover anyplace else.”
Native Tourism Enhance
With the Princess ships crusing at full capability, the 5 port calls might ship round 14,000 cruise company to the realm, representing a lift to native tourism and to native tour operators.
York County Financial & Tourism Improvement Director Kristi Olsen-Hayes mentioned, “Our neighborhood is rooted in historical past and it is a crucial a part of our customer combine. We’re honored that Princess Cruises sees the worth in bringing their prospects to Yorktown.”
“Further guests coming to our space through the cruise line would contribute to the area’s financial system, benefiting retail, eating places, and regional points of interest, in addition to producing income for each the Commonwealth and a number of native governments,” Olsen-Hayes added.
Excursions are more likely to embody revolutionary battlefields, colonial structure, gardens, the living-history museums at Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg, and different space points of interest.
As a small port with restricted docking services, the Princess ships will tender company ashore. One other cruise line already consists of Yorktown on its itineraries, American Cruise Traces, which operates small ships carrying beneath 200 company.
The road’s 170-guest American Structure calls at Yorktown on her 6-night Chesapeake Bay Cruise and 10-night American Revolution Cruise, each departing from Baltimore.
The Princess announcement of port calls at Yorktown was the second itinerary reveal by the road this week. On February 7, it unveiled its Alaska 2024 schedule, which is able to see seven vessels deployed to the vacation spot.
