Cruise Review: Royal Princess

Princess Cruises put a lot of thought into the design of the new Royal Princess. Cruise passengers who are already fans of the brand will find all their favorite features: great service, quality food, comfortable cabins, and a sense  of genuine welcome from all members of the ship’s company.

What I liked:

For me it’s all about the bling.

I was in the hunt to discover the latest and greatest Royal Princess had to offer. I searched the Princess Patter for classes, workshops and port lectures; I attended wine tastings and ship tours; I used the new automated computer kiosk to print my shipboard account statement; and I walked every deck of the ship looking for those tucked away gems like The Pastry Shop at Horizon Court.

When I ran into Micky Arison, Carnival Corp chairman, before before heading into a wine tasting seminar, I told him what I thought of the ship: “amazing and beautiful.”

Once I got over the fact that I was on a large ship (the maximum number of passengers is 4,222), I saw the possibilities that large ship cruising offers: more space to differentiate cruise experiences for passengers.

Princess Cruises did a great job developing new concepts for Royal Princess. For example, Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar, a new Gelato shop, and a redesign of the Horizon Court allow cruise passengers to spread out and to choose the old standbys at the buffet or an opportunity to eat premium sushi, caviar, or handmade ice cream (at a nominal charge).

I tend to gravitate towards health and wellness choices, which include food, spas, and learning. On Royal Princess there are plenty of activities and venues to help me reach my vacation goals. My best advice for cruise passengers sailing on Royal Princess is to consider giving up a port day to spend time on the ship. I gave up a day in port (tromping though Rome on a 100+ degree day) to spend the day creating a spa day.

Create your own escape on Princess Cruises

I made a spa day. Book the Sanctuary and a spa treatment (make sure to use the Enclave at Lotus Spa and their steam chambers, aromashoweres, and hydropool).Remember that if you book spa treatments when the ship is in port, there are usually bargains to be had. Also, booking the Sanctuary on a sea day is next to impossible (a ship this size means that it it more likely that other people have the same idea as you).

 

What some cruise passengers wont like:

 

Cruise passengers who don’t like the noise accompanied by outdoor theaters at sea probably will not appreciate the high-definition screen that seems to be on all day and night.

Also, cruisers who typically want outside cabins without balconies will not be pleased. Of the 35-cabin types there are no outside (window only) cabin options.

Of course, those that want a small ship experience can try a Princess Cruises voyage on one of their smaller vessels.

 

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