The ROYAL PRINCESS

The ROYAL PRINCESS has been compared to a very nice country club, or an upscale boutique hotel.  In a world where cruise ships just keep getting bigger and bigger, ROYAL PRINCESS is a ship that, well, looks and feels like a cruise ship, not like a massive hotel afloat.  For one thing ROYAL PRINCESS is only 31,000 tons, carries 710 guests, in mostly outside, verandah staterooms. The ship has:

5 Bars and Lounges
4 Dining Rooms
Spa & Fitness Center
4 Pools
9 Hole Putting Course
Casino
Princess Theater

The ship was originally being built for the now-defunct Rennaissance Cruise Line.  She sailed for a while under the Swan Hellenic flag, but was transferred by the parent company of Swan Hellenic and Princess to the Princess fleet in 2007.   Princess has three smaller ships described thus, “The small cruise ships of Princess evoke a contemporary take on a more refined, bygone tradition of cruising. Each sparkling vessel carry around 700 mostly adult passengers in a relaxed, sophisticated style.”

As presently scheduled, I will join ROYAL PRINCESS as Port Lecturer in Civitaveccia (the port for Rome) on November 28th on a 21 day voyage from Rome to Manaus. [Itinerary here - should you want to come along!] Then the ship will do a series of 15 day cruises between Manaus and Ft. Lauderdale, cruising the Amazon and Caribbean through the end of March. [Typical Itinerary here]

While I love Holland America, and loved being on the VOLENDAM, ZUIDERDAM and VEENDAM, and thoroughly enjoy doing the Canal itinerary, this will give me the opportunity to experience working on a small ship, re-experience Princess and get back to Europe and experience the Amazon.