At last we had embarked on our New Zealand cruise aboard Princess Cruises‘ Royal Princess. After our very busy five days in Sydney, we looked forward to the three days we would have at sea before we arrived at our first port in New Zealand. We could indulge in all kinds of activities on the ship, from classes and workouts in the large, well-equipped, 24-hour Fitness Center to game shows in the lounges and gambling action in the Casino. We could also relax poolside or in the hot tubs on the Lido Deck, find a cozy nook to curl up in with a book or schedule a treatment in the Lotus Spa from a whole range of options.

And, of course, there was absolutely no chance at all that we would go hungry (or thirsty) on this trip! Included in every fare is unlimited dining in the ship’s three main dining rooms and the extensive buffet offerings across a host of cuisines (including vegan and gluten-free choices) in the Horizon Bistro on the Lido Deck. Beyond those very good options, the ship boasts some casual dining places (Alfredo’s Pizzeria, International Café, Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar and a gelateria) and a couple of specialty dining spots. We enjoyed several meals at those places . . . but that’s for another blog. We found plenty of places to wet our whistles, too, from the friendly little Vines Wine Bar to the Wheelhouse Bar adjoining the Crown Grill and the fun and lively Good Spirits at Sea cocktail lounge.

One of the things we really love about sailing with Princess is the Medallion tech they have, making shipboard life very easy. The disc, about the size of a half-dollar coin, can be worn on a lanyard or popped into a wristband, a clip or jewelry-quality pieces. It serves as your room key and allows your travel companions to identify your location (with the help of the Princess app on your phone). It also allows ship crew to know your location, so you can order a drink or food via the app to be delivered to wherever you are, whether in your stateroom, by the pool or in a show lounge. Purchases in any of the shops, bars, restaurants, casino or spa are immediately billed to your account; it really makes everything easier!

We also chose to add the Princess Premier package to our base fare. This includes a host of amenities for which passengers otherwise pay individually, including the crew appreciation charge (which would have been $238 per person for our 14-day cruise, otherwise), up to four devices per guest for WiFi service (which was excellent, by the way), unlimited specialty dining (one meal in the Crown Grill, the ship’s steakhouse restaurant, is charged at $68 Australian — all shipboard charges are in Australian dollars), unlimited fitness classes, a photo package with the ship’s photography studio, unlimited premium desserts (including decadent sundaes, cakes and gelato) and an unlimited beverage package with premium spirits and wine. When we did the math, we realized that was the way to go for us.

On the night of embarkation we chose to eat in the Symphony dining room. We hadn’t made reservations, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. Guests can choose to dine at the same time with the same companions each evening or may make a reservation each evening or just drop in. Over the course of the cruise, we found service ranged from quick and efficient to (a few times) inexplicably slow. Always our servers were friendly and courteous and the food quite good, though, for our tastes, sometimes not as flavorful as we would expect. Many times the menu might feature an over-arching theme, such as Australian or New Zealand specialties, but always there was a choice of salads, soups and starters; a few pasta dishes; and mains that included a vegetarian option, meats and seafood. In addition, every night one could choose from a list of “Princess Favorites” which, on this itinerary, included a prawn cocktail, Aussie fish and chips, an Australian strip steak, Caesar salad and French onion soup. Every meal wrapped up with a selection of beautiful, delicious desserts — always hard to pass up!

On this first night I opted for a nice Barossa Valley salad and pork medallions with loganberries and finished up with a light hazelnut soufflé with an amaretto sabayon.  Harry went for the French onion soup and a creamy asparagus risotto and enjoyed the signature Princess Love Boat Dream dessert. Our friend Paul finished his meal with a warm blueberry cobbler; I made a note to try this one at another meal.

The next day I made my way to the Fitness Center for a 9 a.m. yoga class. I realized that the schedule of classes would make it difficult to get to the ones I was interested in when we were in port, as they ran at an hour when we would be getting off the ship to explore. Late afternoon/evening classes would overlap with shore time and/or dinner preparations, so my good intentions of taking a daily class would be challenged. After a very basic half-hour class, I headed outside to take a few laps around the Jogging Track on the 18th deck. Other folks were trying out the pickleball courts, ping pong tables, driving range and laser range, all of us battling breezy conditions but enjoying the sunshine and the blue Tasman Sea.   I also checked out a few other features of the ship, including the dizzying SkyWalk on the Lido Deck, offering views straight down to the sea through its glass floor panels. The Casino was still quiet at this hour, but everywhere one looked the ship was dressed out in its holiday finest.  

For lunch, Harry and I decided to try the sushi at the Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar. Located on the level 7 Promenade Deck overlooking the three-story Piazza, it offered a great people-watching perch as well as some very good sushi, made right at the bar there. Rather than perching on the stools to watch the chef at work, we opted for a table, enjoying the clever table setting. We ordered the set lunch menu in order to sample a range of the dishes available and found everything delicious.

The next few days found us continuing to find our way around the ship, taking in some of the entertainment in the lounges and show rooms, and enjoying our comfortable stateroom and being spoiled with the excellent service. Next time I’ll share with you some of our fine-dining experiences.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor