Princess Cruises
This multi-choice, family-friendly resort ship has contemporary Asian styling
The Ship. Although large, the ship’s profile, which is tailored somewhat for the Asian/Chinese market (at least for its first season), has a decent balance. In terms of practical design, the lifeboats are located outside the main public room areas, so they don’t impair the view from balcony cabins. There is a complete walk-around promenade deck.
An over-the-water SeaWalk, an open deck glass-bottomed enclosed walkway (first introduced in 2013 aboard Royal Princess) on the starboard side extends almost 30ft (9.2m) beyond the vessel’s edge and forms part of a lounge/bar venue. This is the place to view the sea 128ft (39m) below, so you can ‘walk’ on water (well, over it).
There are two principal stair towers and elevator banks, plus four panoramic-view elevators in a third, central bank (these elevators do not go between decks 7 and 16 – stairways are only at the forward and aft elevator banks).
The interior decor includes an abundance of bright colors to suit Chinese tastes. This ship features a large amount of space dedicated to gaming, including VIP and private gaming rooms (for high rollers).
The Piazza Atrium is the ship’s multi-faceted, multi-level social and dining hub, with a horseshoe-shaped flowing stairway and four panoramic elevators. The base level includes the Harmony Chinese Restaurant and the large International Café.
Princess Cruises delivers a consistent, well-packaged cruise vacation, with a range of entertainment options, at an attractive price. One downside (and a serious design flaw) is the lack of a central stairway above two of the main restaurants, which leads to severe crowding of the adjacent elevators.
Accommodation. There are six main types of accommodation and numerous price grades: (a) Grand Suite; (b) suites with balcony; (c) mini-suites with balcony; (d) deluxe outside-view balcony cabins; (e) outside-view cabins with balcony; and (f) interior cabins (no view). Pricing depends on two things: size and location. Outside-view cabins account for about 81 percent of all accommodation, and all have a small balcony; those located at the stern are the quietest and most sought-after. Some of the most sought-after suites are located aft, occupying the corner (port and starboard) positions.
All accommodation grades share energy-efficient key card-controlled lighting. All cabins have beds with upholstered headboards, wall-mounted flat-screen TV sets, 220v electrical socket, turndown service, bathrobes (on request, unless you are in suite-grade accommodation), and toiletries. A hairdryer is provided, sensibly located at the vanity desk unit. Bathrooms have good shelf storage space for toiletries, and all have hand-held, flexi-hose showers, and decent shower enclosures.
Dining. There are three ‘formal’ main dining rooms (Allegro, Concerto, and Symphony), assigned according to your accommodation grade. The Harmony Chinese Restaurant, located off The Piazza (atrium) features Cantonese cuisine with menus designed by Richard Chen. Other restaurants and eateries clustered around various levels of The Piazza include Alfredo’s Pizzeria (named for Princess Cruises’ executive chef Alfredo Marzi), the International Café (for extra-cost coffees and teas), and Vines Wine Bar (for wines and tapas).
Elsewhere, there’s the Crown Grill, serving extra-cost steaks and seafood. For casual meals, there’s a large self-serve buffet venue, World Fresh Marketplace, which offers food by theme and features active cooking stations.
Entertainment. The Princess Theater, the main showlounge, is a two-deck-high venue for the large-scale production shows that Princess Cruises is renowned for. There’s also a ‘Princess Live’ auditorium for and other small-audience entertainment features.
Spa/Fitness. Lotus Spa is located forward on the lower atrium level. Separate facilities for men and women include a sauna, steam room, and changing rooms; common facilities include a relaxation/waiting zone, body-pampering treatment rooms, and a gymnasium with the latest high-tech, muscle-pumping cardio-vascular equipment. Some fitness classes are free, while others cost extra. Children and teens have their own fitness rooms adjacent to their age-related facilities.
Spa operator Steiner Leisure runs the Lotus Spa. You can make online reservations for any spa treatments before your cruise, which could be a great time-saver, as long as you can plan ahead.