Princess Cruises and Brightline New Florida Rail & Sail
Princess Cruises, in partnership with Brightline, has introduced an exciting ‘Rail & Sail’ program. This new service provides guests with a seamless transportation option, traveling by Brightline rail from Orlando to Princess cruise ships that depart from Fort Lauderdale.
Where Does Brightline Go?
Just about everyone has heard of Princess Cruises, but not everyone is familiar with Florida’s new Brightline trains. Beginning with a short route between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018, Brightline has expanded its route coverage all the way from Miami to Orlando. The colorful train makes a total of four station stops en route between the two endpoints. These include (going northbound from Miami and southbound from Orlando) Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach. Future stops are planned for Stuart and Cocoa.
The location in Cocoa is perfect for cruise departures from Port Canaveral as well as vacation stays in Cocoa Beach.
Located just a short walk from the Orlando International Airport (MCO), the Brightline station has train departures throughout the day between Orlando and Miami.
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Brightline has four specially-designed cars that showcase Princess’ Love Boat branding including their signature blue seawitch logo plus representations of Princess Cruises destinations. Princess’ branding will be on display in Brightline’s five terminals throughout Florida.
Also featured in the Princess Cruises announcement is their upcoming move to homeport a ship at Port Canaveral. This will be the first time that Princess will homeport a ship on Florida’s Space Coast.
Luggage Handling and Discounts
For those taking a Brightline train to Fort Lauderdale, there’s a new luggage express service. You can check your luggage at the Brightline station in Orlando and your bags will be delivered directly to your ship’s stateroom.
Special discounts of up to 15% if you book their Smart or Premium Class Rail & Sail packages through Brightline’s website. Book a Princess cruise through May 5, 2024 and receive a Brightline credit of up to $150 per person for its signature Smart and Premium class service. The amount of the credit is based on your stateroom category.
“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.”
Where to Board Brightline for Your Princess Cruise
Princess guests can choose which Brightline train departure to take to their cruise. Brightline has a full schedule of convenient trains with 16 daily round-trip departures between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
Brightline Routes for Princess Include:
Southbound: Orlando to Fort Lauderdale (plus stops at West Palm Beach and Boca Raton)
Northbound: Fort Lauderdale to Orlando (with stops at Boca Raton and West Palm Beach)
If you live in South Florida, you can take Brightline from its downtown Miami or Aventura terminals to Fort Lauderdale or Orlando.
Princess also provides complimentary motorcoach service for its passengers between Brightline’s Orlando and Fort Lauderdale stations to their embarkation terminal.
Current Discounts for Luggage and Brightline
With Princess’s new luggage express service, you can check your bags when you arrive at your Brightline station. Your luggage will be automatically delivered to your stateroom. The cost is $35 per bag. Luggage express will begin with the Orlando-to-Fort Lauderdale trains. The cruise line plans to add luggage express to Fort Lauderdale-to-Orlando trains to coincide with the arrival of Caribbean Princess to homeport at Port Canaveral in November 2024.
For those who book a cruise through May 5, you will receive a credit that can be used toward Brightline’s signature Premium and Smart class.
Interior/Oceanview stateroom – $50 per person Brightline credit
Balcony/Deluxe stateroom – $100 per person Brightline credit
Mini-Suite/Suite – $150 per person Brightline credit
What are the Differences Between Brightline’s Smart and Premium Service?
Both classes of Brightline service includes hand-stitched leather seats, complimentary WiFi and multiple power and USB connections at each seat. Premium class adds complimentary snacks and beverages plus exclusive access to the Premium Lounge.
Hi Marilyn, It’s Wes. Maybe try reaching out to the cruise line and see if there is something they could offer. Also we run a travel agency and would be happy to help see if there is anything we can do on the flights for you.
WE have a Princess cruise booked for Dec. 22 out of FLL l and flights are so high into FLL; we are thinking of cancelling ; then this train service came in so we were thinking of flying into MCO and taking train to FLL; Feel upset the special is only for new people who book Princess cruises.