Cruise News: Royal Princess Introduces Updated Amenities & A New Balcony Stateroom Category

When Princess Cruises latest Royal Princess launches in June 2013, she will feature a brand new balcony stateroom category and new amenities suggested by Princess past passengers.

“Our passengers really did design these stateroom additions, because we’ve incorporated many small changes that they’ve requested over the years,” noted Swartz. “And often the smallest changes make the biggest difference.”

Royal Princess will be one of the most balcony-rich ships afloat, with 80 percent of all cabins including this popular feature. Some changes have also been added to make traveling with technology easier. Electrical sockets have been spaced farther apart to accommodate multiple plugs and now offer a 220-volt socket. Additionally, energy-saving features have been built in to the staterooms, including a card reader that activates the room’s lighting, plus low-energy LED lighting fixtures. Families traveling in more than one cabin can take advantage of another new option with the addition of 50 adjoining staterooms.

Royal Princess Staterooms and Amenities

Deluxe Balcony

• Deluxe Balcony: Debuting on Royal Princess, this new category of stateroom is an extra spacious balcony cabin with a comfortable sofa bed (in place of a side chair) and some of the upgraded amenities found in a mini-suite stateroom, including enhanced bathroom amenities, waffle bathrobe, and an upgraded duvet. Royal Princess will feature 358 deluxe balcony staterooms throughout the ship.

• Mini-Suite: In addition to featuring the new general stateroom amenities, mini-suites will offer a decorative central lighting fixture, a privacy curtain between the bed and sitting area, and marble-topped counters.

• Suite: Suites will feature larger televisions, two sinks in the bathroom, accent lighting and a glass-paneled shower. Suite passengers can also take advantage of Royal Princess’ new Concierge Lounge, offering an exclusive space to enjoy refreshments, make reservations for dining, spa services and shore excursions.

• Stateroom Amenities: All staterooms will include a variety of subtle changes based on feedback from passengers. Room décor will feature contemporary and rich finishes, modern carpet patterns, and soft, soothing colors. Bathrooms will offer larger shower spaces and hand-held shower heads. Sinks will be square in shape to provide more vanity space, mirrors will feature built-in vanity lighting, and beds will have pillow top mattresses and upholstered headboards. Decorative wall sconces will provide enhanced lighting and televisions will be larger and wall-mounted.

Currently under construction, the 3,600-passenger Royal Princess is a new-generation ship for Princess Cruises that adds new features such as a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; the dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed enclosed walkway on the ship’s starboard side extending more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on the water; Alfredo’s Pizzeria, a gelateria, Bellini’s cocktail bar, Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar, Vines Wine Bar, a dazzling water and light show, and an expanded version of Princess’ signature adults-only haven, The Sanctuary, and the popular poolside theater, Movies Under the Stars.

As time nears for bookings to open on Princess Cruises’ highly anticipated new ship, the line is holding an unprecedented charity auction for a chance to secure a stateroom aboard Royal Princess’ inaugural sailing on June 16, 2013. The auction, which is now open on eBay under the eBay Giving Works program, will enable one lucky bidder to become the very first passenger booked on the ship, while at the same time raising money to support worldwide charitable causes. All proceeds from the eBay auction will go directly to the Princess Cruises Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity, which supports causes around the globe.

The winning bidder will secure a coveted cruise for two on the Royal Princess maiden voyage, a 7-day, 4-port Iberia sailing from Southampton to Barcelona with calls at Vigo, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Malaga. The lucky passengers will sail in th new class of accommodation debuting on Royal Princess, a deluxe balcony stateroom. Bidding started at just $1 and has reached $12,500.00 at this writing. The 10-day auction will close with the highest bid winning the cruise on March 12, 2012. Anyone with an eBay account, regardless of location, may bid on the cruise.

“We don’t open the books on Royal Princess until March 15, but we know many passengers are eager to reserve their stateroom,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “This auction will give someone the unique opportunity to be the very first passenger booked aboard the ship’s maiden voyage while at the same time supporting the worldwide charities that benefit from the work of the Princess Cruises Community Foundation.”

All proceeds from the eBay auction will go to the Princess Cruises Community Foundation, a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provides financial and in-kind support to non-profit organizations dedicated to children, education, the environment, disaster relief and community health in ports visited by Princess ships, in regions where Princess seafarers reside, and locales from which Princess operates. More information about the Foundation’s work is available at Princess Cruises Community Foundation. Additional information about Princess Cruises is available by visiting the company's website at Princess.com.

Find more Royal Princess details on Cruise Diva's blog at:

• Princess Cruises Newest Ship Will Be A Royal
• Royal Princess: Expanded Atrium, New Features

Images Courtesy of Princess Cruises