Supplement to Travel Trade
March 2003

Coral Princess:

Making a Splash at Sea

By Carol Eannarino

The new jewel in Princess Cruises’ fleet is the Coral Princess, an 88,000-ton, 1,970-passenger vessel. The first in a new ship design series for Princess, the Coral Princess incorporates the Personal Choice Cruising features of the company’s larger Grand-class ships in a more compact vessel designed for transiting the locks of the Panama Canal.

It’s a concept that works beautifully. With spacious public rooms and restaurants and sophisticated décor, the Coral Princess is a standout, offering big ship choices with a small ship feel.

Step into the 4-story atrium, with its soaring sculpture and changing color lights, brass railings, glass elevators and marble and brass stairways, and the theme is set for a truly memorable cruise experience.

Innovations include the Bayou Café, the first New Orleans-Style restaurant at sea, a casual eatery with a French Quarter atmosphere. Creole and Cajun favorites are served at lunch and dinner, with a $10 per person cover charge that includes a complimentary cocktail. Bar service is available between and during meals. Entertainment and dancing take place at night.

Another Personal Choice dining option is Sabatini’s Trattoria, a Grand-class ship favorite, with its sumptuous Italian fare. Brunch, served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on sea days, is billed as a “gastronomic extravaganza” — and that may be an understatement. The cover charge of $15 per person is well worth the experience — and the service is superb.

The two main dining rooms, both with a similar, elegant décor, offer either traditional fixed seating in the Provence Dining Room, (6:15 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.), or anytime dining in the Bordeaux Dining Room, between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The informal Horizon Court on the Lido Deck 14, open 24 hours, is a popular spot with superb sea views and tasty hot and cold buffet offerings. A full-service Bistro dinner menu is offered from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., with everything from cooked-to-order pasta (truly excellent in all the restaurants), to broiled Alaskan salmon, to sirloin steak and chicken.

The Grill, on Sun Deck 15, features hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. La Patisserie serves coffee specialties and pastries on Deck 5. Room service is available 24 hours a day.

In between meals, there’s plenty going on. Guests can take advantage of the Scholarship@Sea program, which is being “bench tested” on the Coral Princess.

The Scholarship@Sea program shows great promise, particularly for today’s “knowledge-hungry” baby boomer cruisers. Plans are to eventually roll out the program fleetwide.

Fees are charged for some activities (such as pottery handbuilding or painting ceramics; computer instruction, including Web design, etc.), while lectures and culinary demonstrations are complimentary.

On our cruise, celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken (of “Too Hot Tamales” fame) offered culinary demonstrations, as did corporate executive chef Alfredo Marzi.

The venue for many of the Scholarship@Sea Programs is the spectacular state-of-the-art Universe Lounge. Split over two decks, the lounge was designed to accommodate a wide variety of entertainment options, from production shows to movie screenings, as well as many of the Scholarship@Sea enrichment classes. Featuring the latest in lighting technology, digital surround sound and video systems, the venue can accommodate up to three revolving stages with integrated lifts and giant projection screens. There’s also a spiffy working kitchen that takes center stage for the culinary demonstrations.

Network plug-ins are available for some 60 laptop computers, and an infrared headset system is available to assist the hearing impaired. Seating for 424 is offered on comfortable couches and club chairs.

Sun worshipers congregate in the Lido Pool area, with a swimming pool and three whirlpools, plus frequently organized pool games and live entertainment. Freshly made pizza by the slice is served until 6 p.m. at the poolside pizzeria.

On the same deck, the more placid Lotus Pool area is covered by a retractable glass magradome. A swim-against-the current pool (twice the size of those on previous Princess ships) and two whirlpools are featured. There’s also a Haagen Dazs ice cream bar by this pool (fee charged).

The Lido Pool area’s Indonesian-inspired natural materials and colors carry over to the adjacent Lotus Spa, a soothing retreat with its dark wood, black stone and deep green glazed tiles.

The Spa is divided into two areas: one for fitness classes and gym equipment and the other for spa and beauty treatments. These include a series of pampering treatments, such as Chakra Stone Therapy, Asia Lotus Ritual (massage with reflexology, Reiki and Shiatsu, plus Silk Booster Facial) and a Lime and Ginger Salt Glow. There are also manicure, pedicure, hair coloring and styling options. The Lotus Sanctuary, complimentary for guests receiving spa treatments, features gentle steam and sauna rooms and heated couches.

Expanded fitness options include a selection of exercise classes, fitness instructors and gym supervision, personal training and consultation sessions and a series of health and nutrition seminars. There is a fee for some programs, such as $10 for Pilates, Cardio-Kick Boxing and Pulse Group cycling sessions.

Evenings sparkle on the Coral Princess. Guests gather in their favorite lounges. Crooners, a classic 1960s-style martini bar in the atrium on Deck 7 is themed to the Las Vegas “Rat Pack” era of Frank, Dean and Sammy, while the larger Wheelhouse Bar, also on Deck 7, has a plush, private club atmosphere for music, dancing or cocktails. On Deck 7, the Explorers Lounge, with its Far East and Africa ambience, offers cabaret acts, singers, magicians and comedians and also serves as a late-night disco. The cozy (seats 15) Churchill Lounge is designed for those who enjoy spirits and cigars.

The Princess Theater, with its 326-foot proscenium arch stage, offers lively production shows as well as featured performers (comedian Marty Allen performed on our cruise with his wife, singer Karon Kate Blackwell). The entertainment options are eye-popping: on one evening of our cruise, in addition to the Princess Theater performance, choices included a Tex Mex Country Hoe Down in the Explorer’s Lounge followed by a late night comedy club and dancing, jazz in the Bayou Café, a cabaret act in the Universe Lounge and cocktails and music at the Wheelhouse and Crooners lounges.

The spacious London-themed Casino, complete with two realistic-looking Beefeaters at the entry, offers slots and gaming tables until the wee small hours.

Deck 8 houses the card room, Internet Café (with 10 computer stations) and library, where the cushy lounge chairs facing the sea include listening devices for CDs.

Pelican’s Playhouse (ages 2-7), The Fun Zone (ages 8-12) and Off Limits teens (ages 13-17) facilities on Aloha Deck 12 aft are bright and cheerful. An outdoor area includes a dedicated children’s pool. Supervised activities are offered both in-port and at sea, and there’s group kid-sitting in the late evenings.

Staterooms are well appointed, with private balconies on 527 of the 671 standard outside staterooms, which measure 217-square feet without the balconies. Inside cabins are 156-square feet, while standard outside cabins measure in at 162 square-feet.

Standard cabins have turndown service with pillow chocolates, a spacious closet and bathroom with shower. Our mini-suite with balcony (285-square feet without balcony) one of 184, included a bathroom with tub and shower and separate sitting area with sofa bed, plus two televisions (one aimed at the bed, the other at the sofa).

At 470-square feet, 16 suites feature a large private balcony, walk-in closet, bathroom with whirlpool tub and wet bar. There is ample closet and shelf space, and private safes and hair dryers in each cabin.

Finally, if your clients want to tie the knot, the intimate Wedding Chapel is available for weddings-at-sea and renewal-of-vows ceremonies, featuring Internet “wedding cam” capabilities.

The Coral Princess features a 10-day Panama Canal itinerary roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale through April 13, following by 7-day alternating Northbound and Southbound Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Anchorage (Seward).