First look: Solar Princess, the enormous new ship from Princess Cruises

Name it a brand new period for Princess Cruises.

The California-based line’s new ship, Solar Princess, is its greatest ever by far. But it surely’s not simply measurement that units it aside.

As I’m seeing this week throughout an early have a look at the still-not-quite-finished, 4,300-passenger vessel, its design marks a flip for the road because it tries to attraction to a youthful viewers and extra “new to cruise” clients who may not have thought-about the model earlier than.

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Solar Princess is extra energetic, extra kid-friendly and extra chock-full of eating, ingesting and leisure choices than every other Princess ship that has come earlier than.

It is also the primary Princess ship with a separate suite complicated aimed on the rising variety of big-ship-loving vacationers prepared to pay large bucks to be additional pampered whereas at sea.

Will it’s successful? Solely time will inform. Princess regulars know what they like, and what they like is not essentially big, activity-packed vessels. However that may not matter if Solar Princess succeeds in drawing in a brand new wave of Princess followers.

Listed here are my first impressions of the ship after three days aboard Solar Princess.

It is extra kid-friendly

Princess has by no means been often known as a household model. Till lately, the common age of a Princess cruiser was practically 60, and its ships catered closely to older {couples} and retirees. However with Solar Princess, the road is making an enormous transfer to make households with youthful children really feel extra welcome, even when they’re nonetheless not the goal market.

Notably, a big chunk of the highest deck of Solar Princess is roofed with a family-friendly play zone known as Park19 — the form of factor that, till now, Princess simply hasn’t finished. Park19’s marquee attraction is Sea Breeze, a hang-gliding-like experience expertise that’s billed as a primary on a cruise ship.

The realm additionally has a ropes course with swinging bridges and stability beams and a climbing wall-like expertise that can take guests to a lookout on the very prime of the ship, with slides that can take them again down. There is a splash zone with water jets, too.

Alas, none of those points of interest have been open this week, as they weren’t fairly prepared. I thus did not have an opportunity to strive them. However from what I noticed, it will likely be a serious improve to the family-fun expertise on a Princess ship.

As well as, youthful vacationers will discover main new tween and teenage hangout zones (known as Neon Grove and The Underground, respectively) inside the ship, plus a big playroom for the littlest Princess cruisers known as Firefly Park.

Neon Grove and The Underground have all the types of video games your tweens and youths will love, from PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Change consoles to foosball and air hockey tables, and so they’re residence to film and disco nights, scavenger hunts and the like. Firefly Park is about up for arts and crafts, themed events and group video games aimed on the little ones.

One other main family-friendly improve for Solar Princess is the addition of much more connecting cabins (100) than is typical for a Princess ship, in addition to a brand new class of bigger Cabana Mini-Suite cabins that can attraction to households in search of more room.

In including all of the above, Princess is doubling down on a market that’s already in its wheelhouse: multigenerational teams that always embrace the grandparents, their middle-aged youngsters and their youthful grandchildren. It is giving that demographic simply sufficient household enjoyable to ensure the youthful set in these teams feels at residence.

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That mentioned, Princess is not making an attempt to be a household line like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line. You will not discover the actually over-the-top household points of interest resembling big water parks, go-kart tracks and water coasters that these strains supply sprawled throughout Solar Princess’ prime decks. And for the everyday Princess cruisers, that is most likely simply effective.

It is obtained much more choices for foodies

Are you the form of cruiser who by no means likes to eat in the identical place twice? Solar Princess is the Princess ship for you. The vessel has a much more various array of eateries than any Princess ship so far — a aware effort by the road to supply its clients extra choices.

Along with the 2 specialty eating places discovered on virtually each Princess ship (the Crown Grill steakhouse and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria), Solar Princess is residence to the Butcher’s Block by Dario, a brand new meat-focused grill designed in partnership with celeb Italian butcher Dario Cecchini (should you’ve seen Netflix’s “Chef’s Desk,” you realize who he’s).

It additionally has three new Asian eating choices: Makoto Ocean, a sushi eatery designed by James Beard Basis honoree Makoto Okuwa; teppanyaki-serving Umai Teppanyaki; and sizzling pot venue Umai Sizzling Pot (the latter two retailers share the identical house).

As well as, Solar Princess is simply the fifth Princess ship to get a model of the brand new Princess seafood eatery, The Catch by Rudi, designed by Princess head of culinary arts Rudi Sodamin. (Holland America followers know Sodamin as that line’s longtime grasp chef, a place he retains.)

Yet one more new venue, Love by Britto, is coming to the ship quickly. Billed as an “artistic-inspired eating expertise” designed in partnership with the artist Romero Britto, it will overlook the wake of the ship in an area that is not fairly prepared.

Throughout my crusing, I’ve solely had an opportunity to strive Makoto Ocean and Umai Teppanaki. Makoto Ocean serves up the Edomae-style sushi that Okuwa showcases in his eating places in Miami, Brazil, Mexico Metropolis and Panama. (You may additionally know Okuwa from his stint on The Meals Community’s “Iron Chef.”)

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Overlooking the ship’s central Piazza, Makoto Ocean wows with a tasting menu of well-presented and high quality sushi and handrolls (at a set worth of $45 per individual).

Alas, it is a venue marred by its location, because the noise from leisure within the Piazza is overwhelming. Whereas I dined, there was the cacophony of a stay sport present with cheering crowds happening simply steps away, adopted quickly after by a high-volume tribute to Motown. When you’re delicate to sound, carry your noise-canceling headphones.

Umai Teppanyaki (additionally $45 per individual, mounted worth) is a traditional Teppanyaki eatery, full with cooks yukking it up whereas they prepare dinner in entrance of you in a method your children will love.

Amongst different eating modifications, Princess has shaken up its no-extra-charge major eating room format with the debut of Solar Princess to supply extra range. The highest stage of the three-level venue is now often known as Americana and presents a speedier meal service with an all-day menu of consolation meals gadgets resembling fish and chips, hen wings, fried hen and breakfast burritos. (Sure, you may order the breakfast burrito and different breakfast gadgets for dinner.)

It is an incredible choice if you’d like a fast chew with out braving the insanity that’s The Eatery, the ship’s too small and crowd-packed buffet.

The center stage of the principle eating room (known as Horizons) presents come-when-you-want anytime eating with the conventional drawn-out service. The decrease stage (additionally known as Horizons) presents the extra conventional fixed-seating dinner format that when was de rigeur at Princess.

I used to be impressed with the presentation and high quality of the Horizon menu gadgets. It was a particular step up from what you will discover within the included eating places on another large, mass-market ships.

Taken collectively, the additions and modifications to eating on Solar Princess as in comparison with earlier Princess ships quantity to a serious new path in eating for the road. Not like such rival big-ship strains as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, Princess has by no means been identified for providing quite a lot of eating selections on its ships.

It is bustling at evening

Solar Princess has the liveliest evening scene of any Princess ship within the fleet. And that is a saying lots, as Princess ships are historically energetic at evening. Princess has lengthy been identified for having numerous leisure operating directly in a number of venues.

On Solar Princess, a visit down the vessel’s major leisure drag on Deck 7 within the night takes you previous one bustling nightspot after one other, from an Irish pub with stay music to a comedy membership that doubles as a karaoke lounge.

Among the many greatest modifications as in comparison with earlier Princess ships is that the principle theater (on the entrance finish of Deck 7) has gotten a serious improve to permit for extra high-tech exhibits. Dubbed the Princess Area, it is an modern, 990-seat house that may be configured three other ways: As an “in-the-round” theater, a 270-degree “keyhole” theater and a standard proscenium theater.

Princess is looking the sector probably the most technologically superior leisure venue at sea ever, although we’re positive Virgin Voyages and Royal Caribbean (two strains identified for some very high-tech shipboard theaters) would quibble with that.

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The Princess Area will finally be residence to 4 principally new manufacturing exhibits, none of that are prepared. For now, the road is utilizing the house for performances by characteristic entertainers resembling magicians and vocalists.

Amongst different large modifications, the ship’s central hub, The Piazza, has been remodeled into far more of a showroom (extra on that in a second), and there is yet one more main new leisure house on the prime of the ship in The Dome — an uncommon glass-covered venue. Princess is promising aerial exhibits in The Dome, however these, too, aren’t fairly able to go.

The Dome itself felt a lot smaller than it regarded within the drawings the road launched prematurely of the ship’s debut. There was additionally a restricted quantity of house for seating throughout nighttime exhibits or lounging in the course of the day (when it serves as a solarium-like lounge and pool house). For exhibits, it is billed as having a capability of simply 250, a few fourth the quantity of the Princess Area.

The Dome on Solar Princess is not something shut in measurement (or impressiveness) to the large new glass-covered dome atop Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas — the brand new world’s greatest cruise ship.

One different new leisure venue, a magic-infused nightspot known as Spellbound by Magic Fort, debuts Wednesday. Keep tuned for a full report right here at TPG later this week.

Its pepped-up Piazza may flip off regulars

If Princess ships have a signature aspect, it’s The Piazza, a central atrium-like house discovered on most Princess ships that serves as a form of city sq.. You will usually discover an espresso drink-serving, conducive-to-conversation cafe on the base of every of those areas and different venues for dialog, resembling wine and Champagne bars, plus a couple of retailers. Among the piazzas are surrounded by pizzerias and seafood bars, too.

For a lot of longtime Princess followers, The Piazza has all the time been a stunning place to calm down with a espresso, as you’d at a sq. in Italy, and speak with pals or take within the occasional low-key leisure that Princess has historically placed on — violinists, guitarists, jugglers and the like. It’s, as Princess says on its web site, a “diversified and enjoyable expertise” — to me, enjoyable all the time being the operative phrase.

It’s enjoyable no extra. On Solar Princess, The Piazza has been changed into far more of a full-blown leisure house, one that’s residence to an virtually nonstop rotation of musical performances, sport exhibits and group actions like line dancing, that’s broadcast throughout audio system at generally ear-splitting decibels.

Rising three decks, the round house options stadium-like seating round its second and third ranges that provides it the texture of a theater within the spherical. It has a big LED display screen at one finish and a stage that may rise from the ground.

It is also rigged for aerial performances, which weren’t operating once I was on board as they weren’t fairly prepared. However they’re going to be coming.

There’s additionally a DJ sales space, from which a DJ was blasting music at shut to bop membership ranges on the primary day of our voyage.

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As a longtime Princess cruiser, I discover all of it a bit a lot. I miss my quieter atrium, and I believe different Princess regulars will really feel the identical. That mentioned, The Piazza as a much bigger leisure house may be simply what Princess wants to attract in youthful, extra entertainment-driven clients, significantly the coveted “new to cruise” crowd that hasn’t sailed with the road earlier than.

Judging from the truth that The Piazza has usually been filled with onlookers this week in the course of the many performances happening in it, it may be that Princess has performed this transfer to extra piazza pizzazz good.

Its cabins get the fundamentals proper …

The usual rooms on Solar Princess aren’t flashy, however they get the fundamentals proper — greater than proper. In lots of respects, they’re fantastically designed. And you’ll’t ask for far more on a mid-priced cruise ship.

Whereas the finishings aren’t luxurious, Deluxe Balcony Staterooms (the kind of cabin that I used to be in and the most typical cabin class on the ship) have an inviting, trendy look with the correct amount of furnishings and facilities, all in the appropriate locations.

Measuring 200 sq. toes, not together with the balcony house, the Deluxe Balcony Staterooms are simply large enough to slot in a queen measurement mattress flanked by two small nightstands and an adjoining sitting space with a settee and a (very) small espresso desk.

There’s additionally a built-in desk space throughout from the couch with a chair and a beneficiant quantity of built-in closet storage close to the entryway. The closet is deep sufficient to include my large-size males’s shirts and jackets on hangers with out crushing them sideways, one thing that is not all the time the case with built-in closets on newer ships.

The desk space is nearly as completely designed as could be, with a large-for-a-cruise-ship work floor, a big lighted mirror, three deep and helpful built-in drawers, and extra retailers and USB ports than even probably the most device-laden traveler might need. (We’re speaking a number of U.S.-style retailers, a European-style outlet, a number of USB ports and even USB-C ports!)

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Extra energy factors are above the nightstands subsequent to the mattress — a U.S.-style outlet, a USB port and a USB-C port on all sides. Plus, the nightstands have little drawers and cabinets that increase the room’s storage.

The mattress itself is cloud-like snug, with high-thread-count cotton sheets that had me drifting right into a deep slumber very quickly. For these of you who wish to watch a present earlier than bedtime, a big and crisp TV is positioned completely on the wall simply past your toes.

Among the many room’s little touches, I cherished the hidden nightlights below the nightstands that snap on as you stroll to the toilet in the course of the evening, illuminating your method simply sufficient so you do not crash into the wall. One other nightlight within the rest room flips on as you strategy. Why do not extra cruise strains add these?

The toilet itself is a lesson in everything-in-its-place effectivity. Modern and trendy, it presents a glass-walled bathe simply large enough to allow you to get all soapy in consolation with none wasted house and a just-big-enough sink space topped with a big lighted mirror.

If there may be one flaw to the rooms (and this one is a head-scratcher), it’s that their “don’t disturb” buttons are on the exterior of the cabins. In different phrases, while you’re prepared to fall asleep or in any other case be left alone, you need to open your door and attain round to change in your “don’t disturb” mild. To me, that is simply bizarre. Why not have the button on the within?

Practically 1,000 of the two,157 cabins on Solar Princess are Deluxe Balcony Staterooms. A number of different cabin classes on the ship, together with Premium Oceanview and Inside cabins, have the same look and options however lack a balcony.

… however its new suite zone is a miss

Princess is sort of 20 years behind a few of its big-ship rivals in including suite zones to ships. However the line is lastly acknowledging it may need made a mistake in not leaping on the pattern.

Solar Princess is the primary vessel within the line’s 59-year historical past to have a big grouping of suites — 50 in all, ranging in measurement from a comparatively modest 304 sq. toes (for what’s often known as a Signature Penthouse Suite) to a sprawling 1,260 sq. toes (for a Signature Sky Suite).

Much more notably, all of those suites, dubbed the Signature Assortment, include unique entry to a personal restaurant, a two-deck-high lounge overlooking the ship’s wake and an outdoor solar deck — a primary for Princess.

These unique suite-only areas characterize Princess’ first transfer towards providing the form of upscale “ship inside a ship” that has been a mainstay on lots of the large vessels operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises for years and which have extra lately been popping up on Royal Caribbean ships and Celeb Cruises vessels, too.

Sadly, Princess did not cluster all the brand new suite options in a single space, which appears odd given the road’s executives mentioned they began from a clean slate when designing this new class of vessels.

The Signature Restaurant, unique to suite visitors, is in a busy (and noisy) public space off the ship’s central Piazza on Deck 7, removed from a lot of the greatest suites. These lodging are in the back of the ship on decks 15, 16 and 17.

And whereas the Signature Lounge is logically nestled among the many greatest suites on Deck 16, it is comparatively modest in measurement and never effectively tied into the suites round it. When you’ll want a set keycard to get into the lounge, the suites themselves will not be inside a keycard-access-only space and thus could be reached by any passenger on the ship — a turn-off to privacy-seeking suite visitors. This isn’t the best way most different cruise strains do these particular suite areas.

The Signature Solar Deck, in the meantime, is simply above a number of the greatest suites. But it surely’s only a breakout part of The Sanctuary, the extra-charge, adults-only lounge space discovered atop Princess ships. It additionally appears small given the variety of folks staying in Signature suites (100, assuming two folks for every of the ship’s 50 suites).

The suites themselves, whereas large in lots of circumstances, lack the form of high-end design that you’re going to usually discover in prime cruise ship suites. Every of the Signature Sky Suites, as an illustration, has an unlimited grasp rest room, however the house is poorly used with a bizarrely small bathe in a single nook, a slim bathtub laid out sideways alongside the wall subsequent to it, an virtually amusingly tiny rest room jammed into the far nook and a slim sink space, all on the perimeters of what’s an enormous empty house in the course of the room.

It is as if the ship’s architects forgot to specify what was going to enter the toilet till it was too late, and the shipyard simply caught in no matter it had.

My take: Princess nonetheless has a methods to go if it desires to supply a really world-class suite expertise.

Backside line

Solar Princess is the primary of an all-new class of ships at Princess Cruises which might be far greater and extra venue-packed than any vessel the road has debuted earlier than. For vacationers who like quite a lot of alternative after they journey, whether or not it’s for eating, ingesting or leisure, it will little question be the very best Princess ship but. For many who choose an older-style, extra intimate Princess expertise, it may be a ship to skip.

That mentioned, as I’m seeing this week, there’s nonetheless lots on Solar Princess that Princess regulars will acknowledge. It is a ship designed to be evolutionary for the model, not revolutionary.

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