Princess Cruises have always upheld the legacy of providing both, the best hospitality at high seas as well as unmatchable panache. After all, they have Princess in their very name! Starting with a single ship back in 1965, today Princess Cruises is the third largest cruise line in the world with approximately 1.7 million passengers sailing on a Princess ship each year. After the staggering success of the Royal Class ships – the Majestic Princess (2017), Regal Princess (2014) and Royal Princess (2013), Princess Cruises is all set to win hearts and conquer the ocean with the 4th ship in the Royal Class, the Sky Princess!

The thousand feet long Sky Princess continues the Royal Class lineage with a distinctive contemporary design, weighing over 141,000 tonnes, and innumerable excursions spread out over nineteen decks. Sky is truly the limit to what the Sky Princess has to offer! She had her maiden voyage on October 20th and with an enviable line-up of sailing itineraries for the next twelve months, there are plenty of occasions for you to experience the new gold standard of cruising. This blog takes you through some of the best features of the ship, as well as pretty much everything you need to know to book yourself a cabin onboard (if you aren’t teeming to already).

Ship Highlights:

The Sky Suites
While the previous Royal Class ships all had the famed Seawalk, the Sky Princess takes its grandeur further, or, rather higher with the Sky Suites. Over 1,000 square feet of interior space at the very top of the ship, with a 270-degree panorama view of the ocean at all times, a deluxe telescope for stargazing, exclusive in-suite access to Lotus Spa’s Enclave and a direct view of the Movies Under the Stars Screen, is pretty much like being in heaven on the sea. These suites are a perfect abode for a small family, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an indoor living and dining area.

The Piazza
Like any other Princess Ship, the Piazza on the Sky Princess will indeed make you feel like you too have entered a royal residence of an enchanting era. The central heart of the ship, the Piazza is replete with street performers, trapeze artists, a magical, golden aura coupled with spiraling staircases, niche boutiques and the Best Wines at Sea (as per USA Today). The Piazza is pretty much a summary of what the ship has to offer.

Vegas Style Casino 
Oh yes, you read it right, somewhere in the middle of a vast ocean, Princess brings you good old Vegas style casinos. Whether you are an expert poker player or a novice testing your luck, the Princess Casinos are the perfect place for you with planned events ranging from gaming lessons to slot machines, from blackjack or ‘21’. For gamers who flock to the Princess line exclusively for their love of the casinos, Sky Princess also has the Princess Players Club.

Princess Live!
Princess Live! And Café is an unpredictable and thoroughly rejuvenating part of the ship to spend an evening with your family in. Unpredictable, because you never know what form of entertainment is going to accompany your meal that evening – it could be a dose of stand-up comedy, or a dance performance, or scintillating magic tricks. Rejuvenating, on the other hand, because this very bizarreness of the unknown livens up an intimate family meal, with laughs, whoops and shrieks. To understand the thorough enchantment of this place, you need to be there – Live!

Princess Theatre
After a casino, a shopping complex and world class restaurants, Sky Princess also has a Broadway class Theatre hidden in its folds. The Princess Theatre will transport you to an Opera in Vienna with its dazzling stage sets, and give you a taste of being at the West End with global artists honoring the stage. Among an interesting line-up of stage performances are shows of The Voice of the Ocean as well a host of original Musicals.

For Pleasing the Palate:
If you have built somewhat high hopes for what dining options on the Sky Princess would be like, you will not be disappointed. All dishes served onboard, whether in Anytime Dining cafes, Traditional Dining restaurants, Pizzerias or dress-code affixed specialty dining bistros are made from scratch using fresh, organic ingredients and are inspired from the 380 destinations that Princess visits over the globe. Dining here is not merely restricted to satiating your appetite by eating very fine food,but getting a taste of visiting the world through its food, all the while being on a vessel in the middle of an ocean.

While it is not possibly possible to enlist all the dining options on the Sky Princess, below are a select few:

Chef’s Table Lumiere
If you just happen to be on the ship during a birthday, anniversary, or any great milestone in life, do yourself a favour and book yourself a table at the Chef’s Table Lumiere. An evening here consists behind-the-scenes tour with champagne and hors d’oeuvres flowing aplenty, followed by a sumptuous, multi-course dinner hosted by the ship’s executive chef himself.

Anytime Dining
After a long day of sight-seeing at the port if you wish to merely pop-in and have a meal (sans all the etiquettes associated with fine-dining), Anytime Dining is the option to go for. It enables guests to dine anytime between 530 am and 10 PM with whoever they wish. Eat what you want, whenever you want for however long. Anytime.

World Fresh Marketplace
Sky Princess’ promise of bringing the world closer manifests itself at this unique marketplace, with food from all around the world at one’s disposal.  Eating options range from regional foods at individual tables to fusion ‘East Meets West’ street food specialties. Not just delicacies, even bread is baked with specially curated recipes from Asia, Europe and Africa.

Chocolate Journeys
Chocolate Journeys is an ode to the millions of chocolate lovers all over the world. Curated as part of the Princess’ Chocolate Journeys Program, it has been designed by master chocolatier Norman Love. Find some of the world’s best treats, desserts and heart melting chocolate at this delicious little corner of the Sky Princess.

Ultimate Balcony Dining
Its very name is clear enough, a meal with nothing but the endless ocean and excellent food to keep you company (and your loved ones of course)! Whether you want to look at the rising sun or have a romantic dinner at the edge of the ocean, a multi-cuisine, multi-course meal awaits you with the Ultimate Balcony Dining. It is indulgence and decadence at its peak, and sometimes, it is well deserved!

For what else is there to do?
For the tiny tots
Sky Princess has enough amenities to keep your children – whether they are three-year-old toddlers or seventeen-year-old teenagers – thoroughly occupied throughout the duration of your voyage. For the tiniest travelers, there is the Tree House, a forest themed home of activity and inquisitiveness. Other hubs for the kids are hang-out places such as Camp Discovery and the Beach House, as well as a host of activities like dance classes, Yoga, teens-only contests and obviously, competitive sports!

For the cinephiles
Movies Under the Stars is a romcom-esque destination with movies, concerts and sporting events going on all day and night. A perfect place for a tub of popcorn, wind and conversation, especially for those who fancy watching a movie under a blanket of stars.

For the Party animals
If a holiday for you means endless hours of carefree partying, Sky Princess does not disappoint on this account also! Select sailings have the Festivals of the World Princess Party, which is essentially a timeless celebration of all the festivals of the world. Another aspect the Princess cruises are famed for are the Top Deck Parties, with a promise of non-stop fun, frolicking and drinks regardless of where the sun is in the sky. There are also numerous clubs, bars and pubs throughout the ship, each with their own brand of fun. Whatever you do, wherever you go, if you want to party, the Sky Princess will make sure you do!

For those seeking tranquility, space and rejuvenation
Your cabins will have some of the world’s most comfortable beds (that much is a given), but Sky Princess also has certified sleep experts on board, as well as therapy-based sessions on sleep counselling, so that you not only get all the rejuvenation you wanted out of this holiday, but also excellent sleep. A special mention goes undoubtedly to the Lotus Spa with service so good that it has already been named the ‘Best Spa on a Cruise Ship’ by Spafinder Wellness 365. The Sanctuary is another hub of privacy, with a private deck for those looking to steal a few moments of peace amidst all the hubbub of the ship

Where does this Princess take us?
The Sky Princess had its maiden tour just a couple of weeks ago, and for the rest of this year atleast, she will be in and around the Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea before moving to the Caribbean. Below is a list of all of the Sky Princess’ upcoming voyages:

(*Note: Listed Cabin Prices state the lowest charges for inside cabins, excluding port charges and gratuities and are subject to availability at the time of booking and alteration at the discretion of the cruise line)

With this newest addition to the Royal Class ships, Princess Cruises has added a new feather to their own proverbial cap. If early reviews are anything to go by, a voyage on this ship is the stuff of legends. Walk the SeaWalk and embrace the ocean, visit ports on either end of the earth with magic and adventure as your constant companions and watch the horizon become a complete blur, with the sea meeting the sky and you watching it unfold from the deck of the Sky Princess!