Princess Cruises Anticipates Welcoming Guests Back Onboard with Enthusiastic Majestic Princess Captains & Teammates with More Than 100 Years’ Experience
SANTA CLARITA, Calif., (July 13, 2021) – When Princess guests embark Majestic Princess next week, they will be warmly welcomed by the ship’s Captain, senior officers and crew who are highly anticipating hosting guests for the first time in 16 months.
Previously announced, the cruise line is slated to return to service in the United States with a partial season of Alaska sailings roundtrip from Seattle, with seven-day cruises scheduled to depart July 25 through September 26, 2021, onboard Majestic Princess.
Captain Dino Sagani and Captain Tony Draper will trade off at the helm of Majestic Princess, leading a senior officer team with more than 100 years of seagoing experience among them.
Captain Dino Sagani has served Princess Cruises for 26 years and had the privilege of being named the master of Majestic Princess when the ship first debuted in 2017. Captain Sagani has commanded a number of Princess vessels, including Sea Princess, Dawn Princess, Sapphire Princess, Diamond Princess, Caribbean Princess, Golden Princess and served as relief captain for Royal Princess and Regal Princess. He was born in Trieste on the Northeast Adriatic coast of Italy. Following the family tradition, he studied at the Nautical College in Trieste, which is one of the oldest nautical schools in Europe. On completion of his studies, he joined the Italian Navy, serving on a minehunter during the first Gulf War. He then joined Princess Cruises in 1995, where he quickly climbed the ranks and was promoted to Captain in 2007 at the age of 37.
Captain Tony Draper has been in command of a number of the cruise line’s vessels since 2006, including the inaugural of Royal Princess in 2013, where he had the distinct honor of hosting the ship’s Godmother, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. He has also been Fleet Captain and has captained Ruby Princess, Emerald Princess, Crown Princess, Caribbean Princess, Dawn Princess, Sun Princess and Coral Princess, as well as ships for sister company P&O Australia. He began his seagoing career with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the civilian-manned supply and logistics division of the UK’s Royal Navy. In 1994, he not only gained his Master’s Certificate but also achieved a UK commercial pilot’s license, reflecting his lifelong interest in aviation. In 1995, he joined Princess as Navigator of the original Island Princess.
Chief Engineer Massimiliano Imperiale, Hotel General Manager Charles Verwaal and Staff Captain Petar Lešić complete the leadership team.
“On behalf of the entire Majestic Princess team, we couldn’t be more excited to be the first to welcome our guests back on board to reconnect and help them create lasting memories and connections,” said Captain Sagani. “We’ve been anticipating this moment for 16 months and we’re ready to deliver our world-class service and highly personalized MedallionClass experience.”
Princess MedallionClass Vacation
A significant part of the guest services experience includes the cruise line’s effortless and personalized Princess MedallionClass vacation.
Majestic Princess offers TrulyTouchless™ experiences with more ways to support physical distancing and personalization that simplifies the guest experience and delivers next-level service supporting new health protocols.
The cruise line’s award-winning OceanMedallion wearable device replaces the traditional cruise card and pairs with embedded IoT (“Internet of things”) - driven innovative technology to significantly expand touch-free options and personalization on board Majestic Princess. The cruise line just announced CrewCallTM service on demand is available on stateroom TVs as well as the MedallionClass app and leverages the innovative OceanMedallion wearable to guide a crew member to a guest’s exact location to be of service to the guest. Additional features include:
- Touchless embarkation and disembarkation
- Keyless stateroom entry
- Completely contactless commerce
- Simplified safety training
- On-demand food, beverages and retail items delivered anywhere on board
- Guest service requests via mobile device chat
- Location-based gaming and wagering
- Entertainment content via smart devices
Majestic Princess offers the best Wi-Fi at sea, MedallionNet™, so guests can stay connected to the things and people they love and share vacation memories with ease. MedallionNet offers unprecedented connectivity that’s fast, unlimited, reliable, and affordable with an access point in every stateroom, so guests can stream favorite movies, shows, games and music; connect to favorite social media sites; and video chat from anywhere on the ship.
Cruise with Confidence
The 2021 Princess Alaska cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination. Crew vaccinations will be in accordance with CDC guidelines.
As of now and subject to change as CDC guidance, medical, and public health guidance evolves, the line’s Cruise Health program provides steps to enhance public health. Please check regularly, as there will be updates as new procedures are finalized and existing protocols may evolve.
Updates to the cruise line’s Cruise with Confidence program are also being implemented, providing peace of mind for booked guests who may encounter an unexpected trip cancellation or interruption due to COVID-19. Guests can cancel for any reason up to 30 days before departure and receive a Future Cruise Credit for any cancellation fees and a refund of additional funds received to the original payment method. As an enhanced benefit, guests may cancel and receive the same Future Cruise Credit and refund within 30 days all the way to sailing day if they test positive for COVID-19. Full details can be found here.
Alaska 2021 cruises can be booked through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.