Sea Princess - travel industry

Cruise Travel, Oct, 2001 by M.T. Schwartzman

Trendy, Traditional, & Everything In-Between

If Cruise Travel readers ever got together to design a cruise liner, the ship would probably look a lot like the Sea Princess. At 77,499 gross register tons, she is big without being overwhelming. The atrium rises a modest four decks, with sea views from every level. The two main dining rooms are single-deck affairs, meant to be intimate and inviting. And when it comes to the things that really matter--private balconies, options for dining, a diversity of entertainment--the Sea Princess puts her size to good use.

From the outside, the 1,950-passenger Sea Princess is a handsome ship, her crisp lines accentuated by an all-white paint scheme. A distinctive arched funnel, emblazoned with the "Sea Witch" insignia, identifies this as a Princess Cruises' vessel. At the stern, decks are slightly angled rather than abruptly chopped off. The cruise liner has a wide, teak-lined outdoor promenade, and several more forward-looking observation decks.

Inside, she is equally appealing. Public rooms and thoroughfares blend seamlessly together. Decor is universally warm and generally understated--striking a tasteful balance between brass and flash. It can get glitzy at times, but for every showy spot like the disco or casino, there's a more subdued spot like the patisserie. There are intimate lounges that seat as few as 12, and larger public areas that seat a reasonable 120.

The overall result is decidedly comfortable. It's easy to find a place to read a book, sip a cappuccino, or just enjoy the view.

Services include everything one might want on a cruise ship. Cabins can be made to feel like home with fresh-cut floral arrangements, custom-made to order. Kids have a ball communicating by walkie-talkies, which can be rented at the reception desk. And business-minded passengers have an array of equipment at their disposal--strategically located right next to the golf simulator.

The most significant feature of the Sea Princess, as well as other ships in what Princess loosely defines as its "Grand Class," is the new "Personal Choice" open-dining arrangement. Here's how it works. Before their cruise, passengers indicate whether they want traditional dining or open dining. Then, upon embarkation, they are assigned to one of two dining rooms. Traditional diners eat in the Sicilian Dining Room at 5:45 or 8 p.m. Open diners may enter the Neapolitan Dining Room at any time between 5:30 and 10 p.m. (Breakfast and lunch are open-seating regardless of your dining plan.)

In either case, passengers may opt for one of three other dinner alternatives. The ship's casual restaurant, the Horizon Court, serves a buffet dinner from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. before converting to bistro service from 10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m., then resuming buffets (the Horizon Court serves 24 hours a day). The bistro menu, which remains fixed throughout the cruise, offers a choice of appetizers, desserts, and five main courses including steak, fish, a chicken dish, and pasta of the day--a Princess specialty that's served every night in the formal dining rooms as well.

Another option is Lago's Pizzeria, serving gourmet pies until 1 a.m. Varieties include Californian, Hawaiian, Margherita, pepperoni, and vegetarian pizzas. Calzones are also on the menu. The third and newest option is the indoor/outdoor Sterling Steak House, serving by reservation from 6 to 9 p.m. (an $8 per person cover charge applies).

The latter is the most enticing of the alternative options. Depending on the itinerary, the steak house operates under a covered section of the outdoor deck near the pool or a reserved section of the Horizon Court. As a prelude to the meal, patrons are presented with their choice of cuts before cooking--filet mignon (8 or 10 ounces), New York strip (10 or 12 ounces), rib eye (10 or 12 ounces), or giant porterhouse (20 ounces). Steaks are cooked to order, and served with a choice of fresh-baked breads, appetizers, vegetables, and desserts, adding up to a most satisfying dining experience.

When combined with the various dress codes, Personal Choice Dining can provide a very natural and flexible dining schedule, allowing passengers to indulge in the ceremony of formal night with a formal dinner to match or, on casual night, to stay in the spirit of things by catching a quick but satisfying bite to eat. In fact, you could even draw up a plan at the beginning of your cruise, matching each evening's dress code with your dinner plans. For example a typical seven-day sailing could be arranged as follows: Day one--Casual dress/buffet for dinner; Day two--Formal dress/main dining room for dinner; Day three--Informal dress/steak house reservations; Day four--Casual dress/pizzeria for dinner; Day five--Casual dress/bistro for dinner; Day six--Formal dress/main dining room again; Day seven--Casual dress/buffet for dinner.

The reaction to Personal Choice Dining has been very positive, according to Nigel Stewart, Sea Princess director of passenger services. The Sea Princess was the first ship in the Princess fleet to offer the steak house option, and in the Caribbean up to 20 percent of the passengers sampled this new choice during the course of their cruise, Stewart reported. In addition, once onboard many traditional diners have switched to Personal Choice Dining, he said, which can be done by simply contacting the maitre d'.