Princess Cruises

MV Royal Princess

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Operator: Princess Cruise Lines
Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1984
Length / Tonnage: 761 / 44,348
Number of Cabins / Passengers: 600 / 1,200
Officers / Crew: British / Italian
Operating Area: Canada, New England, South America, transatlantic, Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Russia and the Baltic Sea
Telephone / Fax: Tel 144 0211 / Fax 144 02154

In the early 1980s, Princess had to order a new ship because all they had were the PACIFIC PRINCESS, ISLAND PRINCESS and SUN PRINCESS... three ships, one pair of sisters and a contemporary having little but the Princess name and logo in common....oh yes, that and those tiny cabins that you know we don't like. Princess had to order a new ship, because their competition was intent on expansion, and they couldn't afford to be left behind. Never mind Princess' British ownership....never mind Britain's illustrious past as shipbuilder to the world....Princess took a look at British yards and realized none of them had built a modern cruise ship since 1973 when the John Brown yard delivered the VISTAFJORD. And let's face it, good as she is....she just might be the best cruise ship in the world....there was really nothing original about her. Soooo, Princess turned to Finnish shipbuilder Wartsila, a concern that had managed to gain for itself a name and reputation far beyond anything the quality of their work really entitled them to. But Wartsila it was....and for Princess, the yard built the then enormous 45,000 ton ROYAL PRINCESS. Even her name bespeaks an appeal to the snobbery of legions of all manner of passengers...christened by Diana Princess of Wales, after the launching Princess publicity writers went as far as saying that this ship was named in honor of the Princess Royal! They stopped making an attempt to link ROYAL PRINCESS with any royal family members about the time the STAR PRINCESS came out.

With this ship, the line tried out a number of novelties if not actual innovative features. For a change, most lounges were located down deep in the passenger accommodation, all the better to provide room above for the cabins.....no doubt a psychological advantage to those housed in the least expensive rooms, as they have been moved well above the water line with this arrangement. When I first saw the ROYAL PRINCESS, I thought her exterior was exceedingly ugly, and time has not softened her aesthetic harshness. Whether I like it or not is of no interest to the cruise lines.....who ended up copying her apartment block look in ships that have come later. Crystal Cruises, for example, must have been quite impressed with her looks.....I think of the ROYAL PRINCESS as the mother of the CRYSTAL HARMONY.

But who cares how she looks on the outside...provided she's well maintained....and in that department, there are no problems here. Actually, except for my distaste for the standard cabin layout on the ROYAL PRINCESS, there are no major problems anywhere on this vessel. But I must restate my same old whine.....though this is not a phenomenon exclusive to this ship or line, Princess is relentlessly and shamelessly harassing the passengers to fork over money on board until they bleed....they have turned their ships into floating flea markets, gambling temples and auction houses.

The onboard paper delivered each night to your cabin, the Princess Patter, is chock full....in fact mostly full....of bar news, gift shop news, spa news....telling when and how you can take advantage of these exciting on board opportunities to spend your money....it has reached such a ludicrous point that you could count on one hand the number of scheduled activities that won't cost you anything to attend. I condemn Princess more vehemently than other companies for this practice, because Princess doesn't own up to this in their brochures....the image they want you to buy into is one of more refinement and sophistication.....but the reality is you'll be inundated with offers of sale tee shirts, "inches of gold", Lladró....and that doesn't even cover the beauty salon concession's exhortation to get your daily aromatherapy. At least competitors like Carnival don't pretend to be something they are not. I abhor false advertising!!! I, more than anyone, would love to overlook this irritation....but I can't....Princess won't let me!

If you're living on Lido Deck, it's a long haul.....down....to the bulk of the lounges. They're on Riviera Deck, just under the open promenade. I'd wager that no one's mouth will drop because of garish and jarring color schemes....because there are none here! All lounges are comfortable testaments to good taste.....a rarity these days, it would seem. The International Lounge, the place for floor shows, is versatile enough to serve as a regular quiet place to sit during the day....there's a delightful bar just around the corner. Princess Court is another fun place to sit and watch those coming and going....you can also sit along its rail and look down onto the Plaza, the extra large foyer from where you'll enter the dining room. I find the Riviera Club a delight....with big leather chairs, a great bar, and lots of potted palms to give the room a homelike feel. Far, far away from all these centers of activity....or lassitude....as you prefer....is the wonderful Horizon Lounge. This is the observation room of the ROYAL PRINCESS....and there are views of all directions from here. Also, it's but a door away from the Sun Deck outdoor areas. And what areas they are! A lap pool, a smaller dipping pool and yet a third pool are nearby....along with a well equipped gymnasium complex, a couple of outdoor bars, and a sun bathing platform. I've always loved the idea of having a lap pool on a ship....and ROYAL PRINCESS and the ROYAL VIKING SUN are the only two ships I know of with this delightful feature.

The two sitting Continental Dining Room, situated where a dining room ought to be if a smooth ride is important to you, is midships on Plaza Deck. It's well designed, with square and round tables for two, four, six or eight.....many of them are located along the large windows on either side of the room. The standard of service here is excellent.....you will be pleased....and the quality of the food is right up there at the top of Princess' fleet. Flambe freaks will be rhapsodic on the ROYAL PRINCESS.....there are a number of mini bonfired chafing dishes doing their thing at any given time....filled with yummy pastas or intoxicating desserts.

Deck buffets on Princess have always been a weak point in their dining service...it's better than it had been but it still lacks pizazz...the selection is lackluster and the quality is rarely as good as what you'll find downstairs. But the setting for breakfasts and lunches is delightful....so if you're angling for nothing more complex than a sandwich or burger, the charming and spacious Lido Cafe is a good place to go.....and as another option, there's always the Princess trademark pizzeria.

Here's a big plus for ROYAL PRINCESS.....all outside cabins! Well, they're all outside, but some have almost totally obstructed views....however, even in the minimum priced cabins, you'll at least get some natural light. Here's another plus.....all cabins have good sized bathrooms, with both tub and shower! And from there, we go downhill just a bit, because the cabins, though well fitted with reasonably good storage space, are sooooo narrow......and during the day, you won't be so bothered by it with one of the beds folded into the wall....but by night, it's another story....and if you must travel with a heavy snorer, as I do, there's no escaping the lullaby of the nasal passages. Don't take my word for it....look closely at the small pictures Princess has deigned to print over the course of her fourteen years of life. You will not see anything terribly revealing....Princess has always photographed these narrow confines to look like they are much wider, because if intending first timers knew how small these cabins really are, they would probably think twice and book some other ship, where they might have a better chance of being able to maneuver about the cabin once both beds are set up for sleeping. Quarters are tight in standard cabins on this ship, and you already know how that sets me off.

By the way, if you insist on sleeping side by side, through some cabin steward hocus pocus the beds can be arranged as a queen. You may find it well worth the supplement you can pay to reserve one of the cabins with a balcony. There are a number of the standard sized cabins with these porches up on Aloha Deck....though there are three categories of them, they're all identical in size and amenities....only their locations differ. On the ROYAL PRINCESS, I'm happiest when I'm housed in the larger mini suites....they're much wider, and have lots of floor space. Two beds can be joined to make a queen size....there is a pleasant adjacent sitting room....and the private deck is large enough for two or more people to enjoy without climbing over one another. Suites up on Lido Deck are really just larger versions of the mini suites....and there are two Penthouse cabins up here two...complete with living room, dining room and of course, private balconies.

If it weren't for the legion of repeat Princess Cruise passengers, the ROYAL PRINCESS might have been sold years ago....because she's not a vessel that caters to first timers....and if there's one thing she's not, it's a party ship. Her voyages to all corners of the globe attract exotica seekers....but they are people who are more comfortable seeing a soupçon of different regions in comfort.....rather than take an in depth land tour of any one place. As for families, feel free to haul your more mature kids along....but remember that the standard cabins are crowded enough with two occupants....a third and fourth habitant can create chaos when dressing for dinner.

September and October of 1998 will find the ROYAL PRINCESS meandering around New England and Eastern Canada....on a series of ten night trips from New York to Montreal or reverse. From November through March, she'll be plying the waters off South America...offering cruises from eleven to seventeen days to different regions of that fascinating continent. Most of the trips are Cape Horn and Strait of Magellan cruises between Chile and Argentina. Returning to the Northern Hemisphere at the end of March via a Buenos Aires/Barcelona sailing, the ROYAL PRINCESS will take up a few Mediterranean thirteen night cruises...then she'll move up to Scandinavia, Russia and the Baltic Sea for April through most of August. Departing London for her always popular transatlantic trip, she'll end in New York around America's Labor Day....and then she'll be ready to repeat her previous twelve months' itineraries.

If I had a direct line to the heads of Princess Cruises, I'd shout "Come on guys.....you have a great ship in the ROYAL PRINCESS....come to think of it, I like almost all your ships....but please, oh please, tone down the Turkish bazaar feeling. We're not all shopaholics, and I can't believe the resultant ill will you are creating among your passengers is worth the few extra dollars you're making by hounding us to buy 'til we're numb." That's my ONLY major complaint with Princess....and it's the ONLY reason I cannot assign their ships higher ratings. The food on the ROYAL is the best Princess offers, the service is excellent and the atmosphere is lovely. So if you are a stronger person than I, and can pay no mind to the endless barrage of on board merchandising, I think you'll have a wonderful cruise on the ROYAL PRINCESS. luxury.....but it IS a travel experience not to be missed!