AOL, Princess Cruises in Marketing Pact

America Online and P&O Princess Cruises, one of the world’s largest cruise companies, Monday announced they would work together in a multi-million-dollar marketing alliance.

Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Under terms of the multi-year agreement, the companies will develop online and offline programs to market P&O Princess’s Princess Cruises unit to users of several AOL brands.

Under the agreement, P&O Princess Cruises will provide cruise and tour information to several AOL properties, including AOL, CompuServe, AOL.COM, Netscape Netcenter and localized content play AOL Digital City.

The companies will also offer special vacation packages for users of the AOL brands, and personalized content for Princess passengers.

Additionally, AOL and P&O Princess said they will create an “online community center,” designed for Princess Cruises’ passengers. According to the companies, the site will enable passengers to share stories and information with other passengers who are planning cruises or who have recently returned.

In the future, the companies said they plan to explore undisclosed on-board interactive programs.

The companies say the arrangement will benefit consumers in making it easier and more convenient for AOL’s 27 million users to research cruise and tour information.

“P&O Princess Cruises has grown to one of the largest global cruise brands because of their focus on both product innovation and customer service, philosophies we at AOL share,” said AOL president of interactive marketing Myer Berlow.

The alliance marks the first online initiative for London-based P&O Princess.

“The global aspects of both our businesses make this a very synergistic relationship, and we’re looking forward to co-developing some exciting promotions, now and in the future, with the power of the top interactive services company behind them,” said P&O Princess chief executive officer Peter Ratcliffe.