The Godmother of Royal Princess, H.R.H. Princess Diana’s portrait hangs proudly on board Royal Princess.

The natural teak Promenade Deck, completely circles Royal Princess. This is a REAL promenade, not some silly thing as on poorly designed boats that only connect the forward lounge with the rear lounge or dining room: those are lifeboat stations, not promenades!

The Continental Dining Room. A nice, multilevel dinning area with good views of the sea. Not so large as to be overpowering, the aisles are wide enough to provide wait staff with easy passage without the need to constantly jostle passengers seated at their tables. Note the chairs with armrests! Some cheap, but pretentious lines, Celebrity for one, in order to lend a false appearance of roominess, don’t provide them!

A standard cabin, cat HH. Not a large cabin, but all are outside, and each is complete with a tub and shower and a refrigerator. Storage space is sufficient for longer cruises. All passengers are provided with terry robes.

Another view of the cabin, showing the large window with a partially obstructed view, the couch/bed and the folded Murphy bed. Crew members perform maintenance on the life boats during the course of the cruise, sometimes early in the morning. In order not to startle them into falling overboard, you might consider wearing your robe before looking outside to discover the cause of any noise you might hear.

The Plaza Atrium, location of the Pursers and Shore Excursion Desks. Also the grand entrance into the Continental Dining Room. This was the ship that started the concept of using an atrium design provide a centralized locale for passengers gathering for functions and events. Sovereign of the Seas, the first ship to provide a truly Grand atrium was still 4 years off.

The Princess Court, the upstairs portion of the atrium. Enjoy quiet piano music before making your entrance to dinner, just down the Grand Stairway. The court is also used for Formal Teas in the afternoons, the traditional Princess’ Champagne Fountain, and the Crepes Suzette buffet, among other events during the cruise.

The International Lounge. This is about a large as a lounge can be while still retaining the sense of intimacy associated with a smaller ship. It provides generally good site-lines in spite of the occasional stray pillar. Seating is very comfortable, so, after a long day of touring, try not to sit within seeing range of the ship comedian: Zzzzzzzzzzzz!!!

Copyright © 1998 Mel Litzenberger. All Rights Reserved.