Princess’s Crown achievement

By Anita Dunham-Potter

Travel columnist

updated 2:06 p.m. ET July 14, 2006

The brand-new, 113,000-ton, 3,080-passenger Crown Princess introduces several innovations to the Princess Cruises fleet, including a three-story atrium, new casual dining venues, a “Serenity” area, passenger reality shows and an expansion of some shipboard favorites. It’s all part of Princess’s new company motto: “Escape Completely,” which I did last month, on a nine-day round-trip cruise to the Caribbean from New York City.

Something old, something new

While the ship is new, its name is not. Named for one of Princess’s most popular ships of the recent past, the all-new Crown Princess is a big ship with a small-ship feel. Even with 3,000 passengers on board, everyone can find a place to call his own, and there is something for everyone.

In fact, Princess’s passenger demographic has changed over the past few years. The explosion of family travel has meant there are fewer old men playing shuffleboard than in the past, although I’m glad to say some still do. You can usually find them sequestered in the aft, adults-only Terrace Pool area. Drinks and party games draw lots of young couples and groups of friends to the Neptune’s Reef pool area, while families head to the Calypso Reef pool area, where they can splash and dog paddle while watching movies on the giant screen above.

Two new features offer completely different takes on the “Escape Completely” theme. In the dramatic, three-story Piazza Atrium, passengers can eat, drink, be entertained and shop till they drop. Exhausted? Then head for the new, adults-only “Serenity” area where, for a $15 half-day pass, you can lounge on luxury chaises and receive Evian water spritzes and cold towels. As the ship’s official godmother, Martha Stewart, would say: “It’s a good thing.”

Food, food and more food

After observing the feeding frenzy on board this ship, I came to realize that people are, basically, no different from dogs. Remember when you left the bag of Alpo out and Fido tried to eat himself to death? Well, it’s the same here, and many passengers seem to prize this big ship primarily for its ability to dispense mass quantities of munchies at all hours. Happily, the food is great, and there are plenty of excellent dining options. There are 13 places to eat meals, plus free 24-hour room service (with 55 items on the menu) and constant snacks on offer.

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A great way to start a New York sailing is with a “Brooklyn Balcony Nosh” on your balcony. The Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty make the perfect backdrop for this typical New York meal: a Nathan’s hot dog, Junior’s cheesecake and a bottle of Brooklyn Lager ($7; available only on embarkation day).

Princess’s flexible dining plan allows passengers to choose assigned tables or open seating in any of the three dining rooms: Botticelli, Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Buffet-style dining is offered in the Horizon Court and Café Caribe; both have excellent breakfast and lunch entrees, and Café Caribe offers themed dinner menus.

Looking for something special? Check out the two pay-as-you-go restaurants: The Crown Grill, an upscale New York-style steak-and-seafood restaurant ($25), and Sabatini’s, on scenic Deck 16, where you can dine on terrific regional Italian cuisine ($20). Tip: Go hungry to Sabatini’s; it’s a continuous feeding frenzy.

There are two casual dining venues in the Piazza Atrium: The International Cafe, offering pastries and sandwiches along with coffee drinks (some for a fee) and Vines Wine & Seafood Bar, where for a nominal charge you can indulge in sushi and cocktail-style shellfish along with premium wines.

Without question, Princess has the best pizza at sea (more than 12,000 slices were served on this cruise alone). For a taste, hit the poolside venues of Prego, Trident Grill and Scoops, which also serve hot dogs and ice cream. If you want a cocktail before or after dinner, you have a choice of a dozen bars (but the view from Skywalkers Nightclub on Deck 18 can’t be beat).

The in-room “Ultimate Balcony Dinner” is a wonderfully intimate dining experience. For $50 per person, you’ll get your own waiter and a table beautifully decked out in crisp linens, flowers, silver, crystal and china. My companions and I dined on lobster and filet mignon (the best steak on the ship) and were delighted with the food – and with the sunset in the background. The “Ultimate Balcony Breakfast” ($25), on the other hand, isn’t nearly so ultimate. While the entrees are lovely, there is no setup; room service staff just drops off trays full of food.

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