Supplement to Travel Trade
June 2007

By Carol Eannarino

Travel agents who book Princess Cruises regularly give a dozen reasons why — including the fact that the line is consistent in offering clients a high quality cruise experience. They add that Princess has tuned into the tastes and needs of today’s cruiser, incorporating welcome changes while retaining elements to please even the most “traditional” cruiser.
These agents, it appears, are right on the mark. It’s been four years since we last cruised with the line (on the Coral Princess’ 2003 inaugural sailing). Based on that positive experience, we embarked on the 12-day inaugural sailing of the Emerald Princess last month with fairly high expectations, which, happy to say, were fulfilled — and then some.
The Emerald Princess, a Grand class ship, is almost identical in layout and design to its sister, the Crown Princess, launched last year. At 113,000 tons, with a passenger capacity of 3,070, the Emerald Princess is a spacious ship with a tasteful, subdued (i.e., never glitzy) décor.
The three-deck high piazza-style atrium starts on Deck 5, where passengers can pick up a bite at the International Café, with its rotating menu of snacks (such as quiche, Greek salads, mini-sandwiches, etc.) and tasty desserts, including ice cream. While there’s a charge for some offerings, many treats — such as cookies and milk, served in the late afternoon — are complimentary. The adjacent coffee bar serves specialty coffees, hot chocolate and premium tea.
Passengers who gravitate to this area, with its comfortable seating, are treated to lively “street theater” entertainment in the late afternoon and early evening, including comedy jugglers, stilt walkers and what is described as “physical comedy.” Passengers from Decks 6 and 7 watch (and frequently laugh and cheer) from the railings above. (A circular staircase connects decks 5 through 7). At other times, a talented musician plays favorite tunes on the white piano in the center of the room.
Tucked away in a cozy corner with subdued lighting is Vines, a wine and seafood bar resembling a wine cellar and serving various wines by the glass and seafood appetizers.
Another corner houses the Internet Café, with 25 computers. During our cruise, the satellite was a bit erratic, resulting in frequent slowdowns. As a result, Internet service was complimentary. Wi-Fi is available in all public lounges and open deck areas for 50 cents/minute.
All accommodations are tastefully furnished. Each of the 1,326 standard balcony, oceanview and inside cabins come with twin beds, which make up into a queen size bed with European style duvets and bed linens; a TV featuring movies, CNN International, ESP International, TNT, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network and more; a refrigerator; turndown service; hairdryers; safe; and a bathroom with shower.
Our roomy mini-suite, (324 square feet, with balcony; one of 178), offered additional features, such as a separate sitting area with a sofa bed and extra TV, bathrobes and slippers, a bathroom with tub and shower, luxury mattresses and plush towels. The 26 suites have even more — including a bathroom with whirlpool tub and shower, DVD/CD players plus access to a 100-title DVD library, etc. There are two family suites.
The 434 inside cabins are 163’ square feet; 218 oceanview cabins range from 158-182, and there are 674 balcony cabins, 233 to 285 square feet, including balcony.
Princess definitely “gets it” when it comes to “different strokes for different folks.” Its Personal Choice Dining program offers traditional fixed dinner seating (two sittings) for those who choose the Botticelli Dining Room. For others, there’s Anytime Dining, when and with whom the passenger chooses, in either the Da Vinci Dining Room or Michelangelo Dining Room between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. (Pagers are available, if necessary, during peak dining hours). Each of the three dining rooms is elegant and similar in design, except for the artwork.
Rather than featuring many specified courses, menus have been redesigned, offering diners a greater variety of starters, entrees and desserts from which to fashion their own dining experience. Healthy Lotus Spa dishes are now also available on the luncheon menu.
Note: the food on the Emerald Princess — from snacks to sophisticated dining fare — is delicious.
Among other dining options is the popular Horizon Court, the top-of-the-ship Lido venue with lovely sea views, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and during teatime. Various stations feature a wide variety of hot and cold dishes to please all taste buds. There was even a sushi and Japanese food station at breakfast to please the Japanese passengers on board. Tables are preset with cutlery and napkins and servers provide beverages; some (such as iced tea) are complimentary, while others (canned soda, wine by the glass, etc.) are ordered from the bar.
One of our favorite alternative dining venues was Café Caribe, adjacent to the Horizon Court. This cafeteria-style buffet serves different and delicious themed dinners each night, with specialties from Provence, Greece, Italy, Asia, Bavaria and the like. The vegetarian in our party appreciated the variety of meat-free dishes from which to choose. (Every eatery on board offers options for vegetarians.)
The outdoor, poolside Trident Grill serves freshly grilled burgers, veggie burgers, fries and hot dogs, while a poolside pizzeria offers excellent, complimentary pizza by the slice. An adjacent ice cream counter has a variety of flavors and toppings at reasonable prices.
Tell clients to reserve early for the Crown Grill, an elegant alternative restaurant with an open kitchen and club-like atmosphere ($25/person). Specialties are premium beef and very fresh seafood.

Reservations are also a must at Sabatini’s, Princess’ Italian trattoria, with a Deck 16 location offering stunning ocean views, a recently updated menu, custom-made fine china and new stemware. A savory sampling of Italian appetizers and pastas are served before the main course, which includes delicious beef, chicken and fish dishes, including lobster tail, (or pasta, on request). The service is superb — as it is throughout the ship. ($20/person.)
Right next door is Adagio, a sedate lounge dripping in atmosphere, complete with pianist, luscious martinis and delicious desserts from Sabatini’s.
Twenty-four hour room service, basically salads and sandwiches, is available. From 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., passengers can order a pizza ($3) that arrives in a delivery box, with plates, napkins and cutlery.
For a memorable dining experience, advise clients to book the Chef’s Table, which is making its debut on Emerald Princess. At $75/person (a minimum of 10 diners per night required), it’s well worth it! We were greeted by Emerald Princess’ executive chef in the ship’s galley during the busy dinner hour for pre-dinner cocktails and sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, followed by a specially prepared multi-course tasting dinner in a private area in the dining room.
An asparagus risotto with lobster tail and claws and Bloody Mary sorbet palate cleanser was followed by a real show stopper — a trio of beef, veal and port tenderloin attached to medieval roaster racks. The meat was flambéed within an arm’s length from our tables, and each table got its own rack plus delicious side dishes. Red and white wine is served.
This was followed by Stilton cheese with port wine and walnuts and an iced amaretto parfait served inside a spun sugar “dish” that resembled art glass and was topped with a futuristic spun sugar coil. This is a very special experience not to be missed and will be eventually introduced fleertwide.
Another “should do” is the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, which must be reserved 24 hours in advance. Two waiters arrive 30 minutes in advance to set up and transform the balcony table and then serve champagne, cocktails, canapés, and a choice of filet of beef, surf and turf or broiled tail of cold-water lobster (special vegetarian entrées upon request). A photographer arrives for a photo and fresh flowers are delivered. ($50/couple.) This was a truly memorable experience — and isn’t that what cruising is all about? (A Champagne Balcony Breakfast is also available for $28 per couple.)
Passengers have their choices of lounges on Deck 7: The Explorers Lounge has dark woods, dim lighting and exotic art work. Depending on the night, a comedian or live band offers three performances (and dancing) here. The Wheelhouse Bar features live entertainment for dancing from 5:15 p.m. while Crooners Martini Bar whips up 52 martini varieties and features live grand piano entertainment from 9:15 p.m. Club Fusion, a lively, multipurpose entertainment venue, is the place for everything from Las Vegas-style games, high definition video screens, karaoke hours, dance parties with a live DJ and live bands to high stakes Bingo games and events, such as “Princess Pop Star,” an “American Idol” type competition.
The Speakeasy Cigar Lounge on Deck 6 serves a selection of ports and cognacs. Nearby is Gatsby’s Casino, which has the requisite slot machines plus black jack, poker and roulette.
Skywalkers Nightclub, perched high atop the ship, offers floor-to-ceiling windows, cushy seating and serves as a quiet observation lounge retreat by day and, starting at 10 p.m., a lively nightclub, with state-of-the art lighting, sound and video effects for dancing the night away.
The two-level, state-of-the-art Princess Theater — with non-obstructed sight lines — hosts two nightly shows that might include a comedian, vocalist and/or the Emerald Princess Cast. The latter did a thoroughly professional job in the show we attended, which featured Cole Porter songs, terrific singing and dancing and period costumes.
“Movies Under the Stars” actually starts early in the morning and continues throughout the day on a 300-square-foot LED screen that can be seen clearly at mid-day overlooking the Calypso Pool on Deck 15. There are two shows in the evening — perhaps a “live” concert or a first-run PG-13 rated movie. Poolside loungers are fitted with padded cushions and warm blankets. Complimentary popcorn is served.
Although there weren’t many children on this cruise, Princess has thoughtfully asked families with children to make full use of both the Neptune and Calypso pools. The swim against the current Spa Pool on Sun Deck 16 and the Terrace Pool on Deck 14 are quiet areas for adults only.
Young passengers are entertained at three age-specific programs, Princess Pelicans (ages 3-7), Shockwaves (ages 8-12) and Remix (ages 13-17). Each has its own cheerful facilities (including an outdoor play area for the Pelicans). Group babysitting is available for ages 3-12 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at $5/hour/child.
The Sanctuary on Deck 17 offers adult passengers an outdoor spa-inspired retreat with signature beverages (such as smoothies and fresh lemonade), light meals, private outdoor cabana massages and stewards who can proffer everything from a chilled face towel to Evian water atomizers and noise-canceling headphones rentals. A half-day pass is $10/person.
The Lotus Spa has a full range of treatments (including teeth whitening and acupuncture) along with couples’ massages and beauty salon and barber services. The Lotus Thermal Sanctuary Suite consists of aromatic steam chambers, sauna suites, heated stone benches and “rainforest” showers. Passes can be purchased for the entire cruise. The exercise studio offers state-of-the-art equipment and is the place for early morning stretches, health-related seminars and activities such as indoor cycling spinning ($10).
Shopping is available in several boutiques on decks 6 and 7.
ScholarShip@Sea programs include courses in culinary arts, scrapbooking, ceramics or pottery, Web page design, etc. — along with a new “Celebrate Romance” course offering tips and tools on how couples can rediscover romance and sustain it after their cruise.
There’s so much more — including afternoon tea, a Sports Court with basketball, a cyber golf simulator and paddle tennis and fun daytime activities, including challenges such as “Faster, Stronger, Higher Trivia.” Indeed, as savvy travel agents could have predicted, Princess has “done it again” in introducing Emerald Princess, a gem of a ship.
The ship is offering 12-day Greek Isles and Mediterranean voyages through the summer and will cross the Atlantic in October to begin a series of 10-day Caribbean cruises from Ft. Lauderdale.

VITAL STATISTICS

Emerald Princess
Entered Service: April 11, 2007
Passenger Capacity: 3,070
Tonnage: 113,000
Length: 951’
Width: 159’ (including bridge wing) 118’ (excluding bridge wing)
Draft: 26’
Passenger Decks: 15
Space Ratio: 37
Wheelchair Accessible Cabins: 31, including: 21-balcony/4 oceanview/6 inside
Service Speed: 21.5 knots