Crown Princess – Cruise Ship Review

I have been onboard the ever so popular Crown Princess in Southampton last Saturday 27 May 2017 and wanted to share some pictures and insights with you. Princess Cruises is so amazing and offers itineraries for everyone, you can sail from Southampton or go on a fly cruise to the Caribbean, Alaska or Asia. With 28 ships and over 360 destinations, there is very little to dislike.

Find out more about my day onboard and read my Crown Princess ship review.

Food

The food was divine and this is one of the elements that Princess is most proud of. Read below for more on Princess Cruises’s eating venues.

Wine bar

International Cafe

Painting at the International Cafe

Pizza station

Sabatini’s

Crown Grill

• International Cafè: this place is mouthwatering, from the fridges delicious cakes and many other delicatessens are visible. This is a complimentary venue, ideal for a bit to eat, 24 hours per day. The fresh is fresh, of course.
• Free tapas & sushi at the wine bar: when you order a glass of wine at the vibrant wine bar, you receive complimentary tapas and even sushi. A perfect spot for gathering with friends before dinner.
• Voted Best Pizza at Sea: on the upper deck there is a fresh pizza station that has also won the US Awards Best Pizza at Sea, I was lucky enough to try out a slice and it was very good.
• Convenient Speciality Restaurants: we viewed the steak house and a traditional Italian restaurant, prices are very competitive. At the steak house, you eat for $29pp whatever you like from the menu, they not only have massive steaks but also lobster and surf & turf are available too, for a supplement. At the Italian restaurant, the cost is only $25pp, another very good way to spend your onboard spend for example.
• Not just one dining area: there are various dining areas for the evening, not just a big dining venue, this allows guests to sit in a less crowded space and enhances the feeling of intimacy.

My lunch onboard

I couldn’t have asked for a better meal, the fish was very fresh and delicate. Nicely prepared.

Cold Smoked Salmon and Crayfish Tails

Trout Amandine – toasted almonds, brown butter, parsley potatoes

Milky Chocolate – Hazelnut Soufflé

Entertainment

Princess Cruises are well known for their distinguishable entertainment, in fact, the acts and performances on board are exclusively prepared for the cruise line. West-end shows are available which are not copied from the famous ones but crafted for the occasion. Famous musicians and producers have also worked with Princess to get the best entertainment possible on board. Walking through the ship on embarkation day you can hear the motivational song for the crew purposely written.
The venues are endless, there is the theatre, piano bar, jazz venue and also theme parties in a pub style bar.

Facilities

There are many facilities on board, such as a spacious gym, various venues for pre-dinner drinks, a big theatre, many pools, a nice SPA and the outdoor cinema.

Gym

Movies under the Stars

Lounge

Casino

Suite guests have the advantage of being able to relax at the Sanctuary which is a specially reserved area of the deck, there are palm trees, and extremely comfortable chairs. There is also someone available to get your favourite drink, and there is a massage area too.

Pool overlooking the Sanctuary

Sanctuary

Types of Decor

The decor is very traditional, marble floors and columns can be found throughout the ship. Something more to say is that all the ships of the fleet have the same layout and decor and this because guests are able to choose a cruise because of the itinerary rather than the ship itself, such as the iconic atrium (photo).

What did you like most about this ship?

The Movies Under the Stars, this is a feature of Princess Cruises, which has been copied by other cruise lines. Notwithstanding the clones at sea, Princess seems still to be the best for this kind of entertainment, they provide blankets, popcorn and even hot chocolate. I also like the fact that the ships are very similar so the cruise line can focus on the itineraries.

What did you like least of this ship?

I would say that I prefer more modern and contemporary interiors, so the decor is not too my taste.

Any exciting news about Princess Cruises?

Yes, the Ocean Medallion. The Medallion will be onboard of some of the ships from November 2017, this wearable gadget will help to stay in touch with the people at home and on board and to customise your cruise, for example. The Ocean Medallion will allow a fast check in and works as a room card, so you can get all your expenses credited, it also gives you recommendations based on your preferences, allows you to share your memories on social media, to call the room service and to gather all your cruise photos. But the good news is that you can start using it even before your cruise, from home you can purchase your excursions, discover what’s on board and much more.