Royal Princess – a taste of Hollywood on water

KEITH SAVIDGE reviews Princess Cruises’ latest ship Royal Princess on her first return to Southampton since she was launched by the Duchess of Cambridge

Royal Princess must be one of most glamorous cruise liners at sea boasting a Hollywood sparkle all the way from the glass chandeliers and twinkling lights in the atrium to the unique glass-bottomed ‘seawalk’ which extends some 28 feet beyond the ship’s edge.

Royal Princess is big with 1,780 staterooms, accommodating 3,560 passengers – but don’t be deterred as she is more than capable of handling this number of guests.

 

Interestingly, 1,438 staterooms have balconies, but more important, 36 are wheelchair friendly. 

Wi-Fi is available on payment and unusually, for most cruise ships, staterooms have 220 volt sockets, so converters are no longer required.

 

One of Royal Princess’s more unusual and certainly unique features is a glass sea walk, which allows passengers to stand on a glass platform which extends some 28 feet beyond the ship’s edge and enjoy dramatic views, including the sea, some 128 feet below.

There are also poolside cabanas that seem to float on water and a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience surrounding you in a curtain of light. It’s a bizarre sensation walking through a wall of light. It brings back memories of Alice through the Looking Glass.

 

There’s a great choice of dining venues too. Other than the three main dining rooms, there are two Speciality Dining Rooms (at a nominal charge) and lots of Casual Dining, not forgetting the 24-hour stateroom menu.

A “must for seafood lovers” is the Crab Shack which offers mallets, bibs and buckets of shell fish.

 

There’s also a Princess Theatre; television studio, the largest big screen at sea to watch movies under the stars; a Casino; a number of lounges and a dazzling Water and Light Show.

And for total relaxation, the Lotus Spa will deal with all your pampering needs.

 

The main purpose of my visit was to hear about a four-part ITV documentary series due to be aired this summer all about Royal Princess.

The short excerpt showed life on board, with specific interest in the staff and their interaction with the passengers.

It took eight weeks to film and should be of great interest, particularly to those that have never cruised before.

 

Paul Ludlow, Princess Cruises UK and Europe Managing Director said: “We are so proud of everything Princess Cruises has to offer and can’t wait for television viewers to see this for themselves.”

 

If the food and service that I experienced on my visit was anything to go by, booking Royal Princess will be a special treat.

 

And if you missed the launch in June you can see the dress worn by her Royal Highness which is displayed on board.

 

More information about cruises on board Royal Princess can be found at www.princess.com

 

Bookings can  also be made through www.cruiseline.co.uk/ freephone 0800 008 6677 or www.cruise.co.uk