A Royal Gem

Royal Princess is a remarkable gem of a ship. At a little over 30,000 gross tons, she would be considered a small cruise ship. However, she is large enough to have scaled-down versions of many of the trademark Princess features familiar to travelers on the Princess mega-cruise ships. In addition, the ship is tastefully decorated throughout with extensive use of wood paneling and the type of furnishings that one would expect to see in an English country house.

This ship was the last of a nearly-identical series of eight ships built for Renaissance Cruises. Following Renaissance’s bankruptcy in 2002, the ships were scattered and are now favorites of travelers on several cruise lines at the upper end of the market including Azamara and Oceana. Princess has two others in its fleet (Pacific Princess and Tahitian Princess). After a refit, Royal Princess joined her Princess sisters in 2007.

Because of her size, Royal Princess can go where larger ships cannot. Accordingly, Royal Princess does longer than average cruises and includes in her itinerary some ports that are less visited. This tends to attract more mature, experienced travelers.

My profile of Royal Princess can be found at http://beyondships.com/Princess-RP-Profile.html. The in-depth photo tour and commentary starts at http://beyondships.com/Princess-RP-Tour-1.html

Acting On Queen Mary 2

One of the more unique activities on Queen Mary 2 is the program resented by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts or RADA. Just about every major name in British film or theater over the last century has studied at RADA and thus it is well-qualified to give acting lessons to the passengers on QM2’s voyages.

Of course, there is no guarantee that one will emerge as the next Anthony Hopkins, Glenda Jackson or Diana Rigg by attending the three workshops that are given on a typical voyage. They are simply a taste of what it is like to study at RADA. However, passengers do have a good time and by the end of the voyage, most find that they have the confidence to perform a short scene from Shakespeare in front of the group.

In addition to the acting lessons, the RADA troupe also perform two plays per voyage. One is a Shakespeare play and the other a more modern play. Although they are condensed versions, they are very entertaining. It is especially interesting to see how they do it with just six actors.
Finally, twice during the voyage, the actors give poetry recitals prior to dinner. A harpist or other musician accompanies the readings - - quite peaceful and entertaining.

My profile of the RADA program including an interview with actor Will Norris is at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-rada.html

P&O's Artemis - - quietly special

Artemis may be the smallest ship in the P&O fleet but she is a special one.

First, there is her historical connection. When the ship worked for Princess Cruises she was named Royal Princess in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales. This connection remains as her current name is the Greek name for the goddess that the ancient Romans called Diana.

Then, there is the design. Because of the thoughtful placement of the ship’s machinery, her open decks are uncluttered. In addition, all of her cabins have ocean views.

Next, Artemis does not do the same itinerary week after week. Rather, she moves all over the globe. Also, because of her size, she is able to go to ports that many large cruise ships cannot. This is one of the reasons why most of the passengers that travel on Artemis are experienced cruisers.

Finally, Artemis has a friendly atmosphere. Traditional and British, yes, but the passengers appear to enjoy each others company and that of the service-oriented crew.
My profile of Artemis appears at: http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary starts at: http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Tour-1.html

Holland America's Eurodam - - Incorporation of excellence

Eurodam is Holland America’s newest and largest ship. Named by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in July, Eurodam seeks to incorporate all of the best elements of Holland America’s premium style cruising. Indeed, her designers sought to take all of the concepts developed during HAL’s multi-million dollar Signature of Excellence fleet upgrade program and include them in the the ship.

The ship started off from the design used for HAL’s Vista class ships, the most recent of which is the Noordam. To this design was added an extra deck that enable HAL to include a new Asia-fusion specialty restaurant as well as a series of spa-staterooms. These staterooms have special access to the ship’s spa and are based on the idea that a cruise can be like a spa retreat. There is also an open deck area with private luxury cabanas.

Although the remainder of the ship also has some new features. An Italian specialty restaurant has been added to the buffet area. The Explorations library/internet center/specialty coffee bar has been moved up higher on the ship so that it has spectacular views. A movie screening room and a digital camera workshop have been added to the public rooms.

While there is much that is new about Eurodam, the ship is very much in the Holland America mold. The public rooms are restrained in their décor punctuated with fine art and fresh flowers. The officer and crew are still friendly and eager to please.

My profile of Eurodam appears at: http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam.html and the photo tour and commentary begins at: http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam-Tour1.html