Booked on Emerald Princess – Read On!

Emerald Princess, 3092 passengers, built in 2007 and completing a huge refit in 2015 has been the talk of 2016. Sailing out of Southampton and offering some amazing prices it is of no surprise many of her sailings this year are now sold out!

I sailed on the Emerald Princess on her 3 night ‘taster cruise’ last weekend, leaving Southampton to Guernsey and then of course back to Southampton. After travelling on Princess many times before I was interested to see whether the new features would enhance Emerald already so what did I think. This is a completely honest review and of course my own personal opinion.

Embarkation was quick and easy and although long queues as you would normally expect check in was around 10 minutes then security a further 10 minutes, I was impressed. Once on board we headed up to the pool bar on deck 15 for a well earned drink before meeting up with the Princess Team for a ship Tour followed by the muster drill. I have to say during the tour I found Emerald Princess to be a stunning ship, especially the Atrium , there was a real buzz there great atmosphere and ambiance . You could spend your time sat in the Atrium any time of day whilst listening the gent on the Piano, sampling the delicious bakery offerings that were complimentary from the International Cafe or being waited on by a waiter who was more than happy to bring you a cocktail or two. In the evening the Atrium was busy with live entertainment in the form of dancers or magicions, really lovely to keep you entertained as you sit with a pre or post dinner drink.

I stayed in cabin L246 on deck 15 BC grade port side and to be honest this was a fantastic location in the sense of we were already on pool deck alos on the same deck as Horizon court for Buffet Breakfast and lunch and two minutes from the bar for tea or coffee in the morning. I so miss not having tea and coffee facilities in the room but not a big issue due to the location of our cabin. You can order room service anytime and the staff will be more than happy to bring tea and coffee to you together with breakfast which we did one morning.  The bathrooms were as you would normally expect shower with shower curtain, I prefer glass  and have been spoilt by Celebrity but even so enough room and toiletries provided to do the trick.

This was a picture from our cabin of the captain on the bridge looking out whilst beeping his horn as we passed Britannia heading out of Southampton.

Each Stateroom has been fitted with a luxury mattress as part of Princess cruises new sleep programme, designed by clinical pyschologist and ‘Sleep Doctor’ Dr Michael Breus, the beds feature a luxurious pillow-top mattress, individually wrapped coils to reduce surface sway and motion transfer and hypoallergenic duvets. Now I have to say all sounds good and I slept like a baby. I have to admit though what I did find interesting was the cabin girl explaining to us that it took hours and hours of training for cabin crew to learn how to make the beds in such a way that the pillows were in the right order and the sheets folded in such a way that the pattern matched and flowed, I think wallpapering my lounge would be an easier job. Apparently it matters to some well not to be personally but her efforts were appreciated.

Top Tip , for ladies taking hair straighteners and you are looking for a plug you will find one behind the bed on the right hand side near the wall. The only one of course and why put it there who knows , I felt I was in a series of Treasure Hunt.

If you want to go somewhere for a pre dinner drink then head to Wheel house Bar where you can sample one of the amazing chocolate journey cocktails, definitely a must. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to sample all of them but what I did have was the Chocolate Mistress which was a mix of Champagne and chocolate. Chocolate Journey cocktails are not included in the drinks package but well worth splashing out .

I ate in the Da Vinci Dining Room on open dining and I had to say the food served here was great , the seafood stew with clams and the chocolate brownie filled with custard was really good, great choice of food for all. Having been with Princess before nothing can compare to the Crown Grill. The food here is something special and to say only $29 cover charge is nothing for the dining experience you receive. Well worth trying or maybe for a special occasion. crown Grill is one of my most favourite restaurants of all cruises I have sailed on. 

Served with fantastic Garlic Fries, creamed spinach and buttered asparagus, washed down with the finest of wines. Truly delicious.

All deserts on one plate or your could have bigger portions individually of course if preferred.

A new alternative dining restaurant for Princess in ‘Share’ which replaces Sabatinis restaurant. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I have to say the layout kind of reminded me of a posh Jamie’s Italian restaurant. Chef Curtis Stone shares a passion for bringing people together through food that creates happiness around the table. His menu features enticing charcuterie, composed salads, handmade pastas and premium quality meats, an array of decadent desserts and more. Over a multicourse meal of shareable small plates, guests can reconnect with those who matter most in a place that feels like home. I have to say I love this restaurant not as much as the Crown Grill but I like the concept of sharing exciting dishes as you would do with Tapas. $39 per person cover charge and again great value compared to what some other cruiselines charge for speciality dining.

After dinner entertainment was varied, you could choose a show, karaoke, casino or have a drink in one of the many bars before heading down to the nightclub if you prefer. As I was only on for 3 nights you will find that when you book a speciality restaurant the whole experience takes a wonderful 3 hours and believe me after dinner the only thing you could possibly fit in is a nightcap before bed. On a longer cruise though I would prefer open dining as I find on later sitting I miss things going on I would like to see in many entertainment venues.

If you are taking children with you then the children’s club is great and the itinerary Princess has for children of all ages is fab. I have added a copy below

Overall I was impressed with Princess cruises and the changes they had made on Emerald Princess. After speaking to other passengers on board that hadn’t sailed on a taster cruise before I think it was unanimous that certain passengers now see these cruises as booze cruises with stag and hen parties on board. That said yes there were many groups on board but no trouble at all and it is great to see people of all ages having a good time. there were no drunken antics to report.

Finally when it comes to sailaway parties although this was good P&O definitely have the winning formula.

Emerald Princess Sailaway Party