Fit for a Royal Princess

I was one of 2,500 UK travel agents invited for an overnight stay on board the new Royal Princess at the weekend. Christened in Southampton by the Duchess of Cambridge, the ship has many innovations on board including a walkway with only glass between your feet and the ocean below, poolside cabanas that seem to float on water and the first television studio at sea. However, this ship is classic Princess and those of you who have already cruised Princess will see the familiar style which Princess has throughout its fleet. Highlights on the ship for me include the vastly increased atrium 'the social hub of the ship', that is 50 per cent larger than others in the fleet. In it, the 3,600 passengers can descend three decks on marble staircases to the Piazza and find Bellini's cocktail bar and the Crooners lounge offering 75 different martinis, a tea tower with a sommelier offering 250 blends, along with the Celebrations gift shop and the Gelato ice-cream parlour. The ship has a steel and glass Sea Walk on deck 16 where it curves 28ft beyond the side of the ship, 128ft above the water. You can sit at the Sea View Bar and enjoy a cocktail while watching the waves below. The popular Movies Under the Stars screen on the top decks is the biggest yet, enhanced by a computerised light show and a palm tree fringed dancing fountain shooting jets 33ft into the sky. The Sanctuary is one of the best adults-only pool areas I have seen yet. Surrounded by private cabanas that give the feel you are on the water when you gaze out, it is an ideal place to chill. Stewards are on hand to provide for your every whim, from a drink or snack to a relaxing massage. There will be a daily Wake Show broadcast from the first television studio at sea, which will feature game and talk shows and cookery demonstrations. Princess's signature restaurant, Sabatini has been enhanced by its setting of a unique Italian Trattoria with ocean views. Royal Princess will cruise the Mediterranean this summer, then sail the Eastern Caribbean over the winter. The sister ship - Regal Princess - will debut in June 2014 and will cruise the Med while the Royal will sail the Baltic from Copenhagen. Contact me for more details.