Princess Cruises have already told us about the innovative SeaWalk (above), the poolside cabanas and the Chef’s Table restaurant which will all feature on their newest ship, Royal Princess, when it debuts in Southampton in June.
Now they have come up with 20 more features to whet our appetites. I will be getting a chance to see some of them when I take a look at the ship in an Italian shipyard on a few days’ time, and I know which I will be looking forward to with most enthusiasm. I would probably have listed them in a different order – see if you can guess my favourites.
1. On-demand stateroom TV programming – A new generation of in-room television entertainment will debut on Royal Princess, offering an extensive array of on-demand movies and other programming options. The entire library of hundreds of movies, as well as classic and contemporary television show episodes, will be offered free to passengers. The system will also offer a live feed from the ship’s television studio Princess Live!
2. Brand-new production shows – The Princess Theatre on Royal Princess will debut four production shows, including “Colours of the World,” an experiential journey through the destinations visited by Princess ships; “Spectacular!” a colourful music extravaganza; “Sweet Soul Music,” a tribute to rhythm and blues; and “What the World Needs Now,” an elegant show celebrating the music and style of the ’60s.
3. Tea tower with 250 blends – Featuring a tea sommelier and a choice of 250 blends, tea lovers will revel in Royal Princess’ unique tea tower located in the ship’s central Piazza. Passengers can enjoy pre-blended tea varieties or create their own custom flavours. The ship’s tea sommelier will host tasting events and a new royal afternoon tea experience, inspired by some of the most famous tea spots in London.
4. Art and architecture tour – A self-guided tour will enable passengers to explore the ship’s extensive art collection using their own smart phones or tablets. Passengers can enjoy the 30-stop tour at their leisure, or scan a QR code located at each artwork to discover interesting facts about the artist and their work.
5. Outdoor art installation – Famous marine artist Wyland is creating a dramatic piece of sea-inspired art to be installed on the ship’s top deck. It’s under wraps until June.
6. Flair bartending shows – The top-deck SeaView Bar will feature midday and sunset flair bartending shows where talented bartenders will entertain passengers with their bottle-tossing and mixing skills.
7. Whisky flights – Inspired by the growing popularity of whisky, the line’s signature Wheelhouse Bar will feature a menu of three different whisky flights – each featuring three whiskies. Passengers can choose from single malts, three “Glens,” and other iconic whisky options, each featuring tasting notes.
8. Daily pub lunch – Also in the Wheelhouse Bar, a pub lunch will be offered daily instead of only on a limited number of sea days. Fish and chips and ploughman’s will be ever-present on the menu.
9. Information intranet – Princess@Sea, a brand-new mobile-friendly intranet site will enable passengers to easily access daily updates about entertainment, onboard specials, weather and port news, as well as review their onboard folio from their personal mobile or tablet devices.
10. Royal indulgence package – New cabanas in The Sanctuary – which offer an array of exclusive treatments in this adults-only setting with incredible ocean views – will feature customised packages that range from $320 to $3,000, the latter for a “Royal Indulgence” package for four people. This exclusive experience will provide the ultimate in pampering with all-day massages and gourmet food and beverage offerings.
11. Concierge Lounge for suites – For the first time on a Princess ship, suite passengers can access an exclusive area to relax or work, with full front-desk services, plus light snacks and beverages. Dedicated staff will assist passengers with reservations for shore excursions, specialty dining or the Lotus Spa.
12. Largest gelato menu at sea – Whether passengers prefer vanilla, chocolate, dulce de leche, or butter pecan, Royal Princess’ gelateria will serve up the largest variety of creamy Italian-inspired gelato and ice cream creations at sea. Gelato will feature a menu of eight flavours prepared by the ship’s pastry chef, plus more than 20 toppings and sauces, and specialty items such as sundaes, waffle cones and sweet crepes.
13. Sabatini’s bites and flights – As the line’s signature Sabatini’s Italian restaurant will be located next to Vines on deck 5, the wine bar will now offer Sabatini’s Bites to accompany its popular wine flights. Passengers can sample small bites of such dishes as Tuscan brochettes, beef carpaccio and lamb chop lollipops.
14. Largest outdoor movie screen at sea – Princess was the first cruise line to introduce this innovative offering in 2004. On Royal Princess, the Movies Under the Stars screen is 30 percent larger than our current screens, it will be the largest on any cruise ship.
15. Touch-screen photo finder – The photo gallery will feature digital kiosks that use facial recognition technology to help passengers find all of their photographs. Passengers can save favourites, customise prints, and take advantage of special packages, all from the convenience of the kiosk.
16. Princess Live! – The new television studio, a first for Princess, will feature programming throughout the day from 8 am until midnight. Passengers will enjoy live talk shows, demonstrations and performances here, including the daily Wake Show. With seating for just under 300, the space will give passengers a more intimate opportunity to meet the ship’s entertainers, play games and enjoy refreshments with the dedicated café.
17. Water and music shows – The ship’s central pool area will feature daily and nightly performances of four separate themed sequences comprising dancing fountains, special music and live performers.
18. Tuscan wines at sea – More than 20 choices of headline-making wines from Tuscany will be available in Sabatini’s, either by the bottle or in a wine tasting event, where passengers can sample the wines accompanied by small plates from the Italian restaurant.
19. Largest pizza restaurant at sea – Alfredo’s Pizzeria, already a passenger favourite on several vessels, will take Princess’s reputation for serving the best pizza at sea to a new level. With 121 seats, Alfredo’s on Royal Princess claims to be the largest pizza restaurant at sea.
20. Princess’ greenest ship – Royal Princess has been designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, making it the line’s greenest ship. Some of the key areas of focus include the ship’s extremely efficient hull and propeller design, which requires the same energy as the line’s smaller ships to drive it; a distributed air conditioning system with a large number of fan coil units rather than a centralised system; usage of low energy lighting throughout the ship with an emphasis on LED; the addition of variable speed drives to the biggest electrical consumers such as ventilation fans; a tunnel washer in the laundry which will reduce water consumption; and the introduction of additional monitoring of the ship’s overall energy usage.
About the Author: John Honeywell
John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.
You’ll be a pub lunch and whisky tasting man I would think. Plus Sabatini’s and pizzas unless I’m very wrong