It’s always exciting to board a new ship and that was true with the Crown Princess. The terminal that we used in Copenhagen, was simply a large tent, but that will be changing in the future as the port makes improvements. After dropping our luggage off earlier in the day, we spent the morning at the Tivoli Gardens. We arrived by city bus – #26, which stops very close to the port. We walked right up to the desk and checked-in quickly. Since we arrived later in the afternoon, we were able to go directly to our stateroom.
The Crown Princess in the port of Dover.
We proceeded on our usual exploration of the ship, starting at the top and descending as far as we could until it was time for our muster drill. The Crown Princess offers many areas for relaxation that are not part of a public walkway through the ship. I find this type of design most pleasing and enjoy finding a nook or cranny to get away from the hustle and bustle. There are several bars fitting this requirement, including the Explorer’s Lounge, Adagio Bar and Crooner’s Lounge.
The Adagio Bar.
The multitude of colors used throughout the ship please rather than shock and provide a very relaxing atmosphere. The outdoor areas are well-laid out and there is a promenade, although to complete a full lap, climbing up and down stairs is required.
The dining rooms, Botticelli and DaVinci convey the appearance of a country club dining room with their subtle decor. It made me realize that I do appreciate the dining rooms with a little glitz added to them. But, if the food is good, who pays attention to their surroundings? Well, I do.
Overall, the ship is very well-maintained and clean. It was easy enough to navigate, especially by day 10 of the journey. Isn’t that always the case? Even after almost two weeks onboard , I found previously undiscovered sunning decks at the top of the ship.
The ship carries 3050 passengers, but never seemed crowded. What did surprise me is the passengers who thought that the bars were places for laying down on a couch to read a book. This is fine when the bar wasn’t open, but seeing this or somebody who took up an entire seating area with her scrapbooking supplies spread on every chair became a bit annoying. The stocking feet resting on the table were equally impressive. The ship has plenty of space for spreading out and enjoying your favorite hobby, but commandeering a bar – often Crooner’s during happy hour- is inexcusable and makes it an unhappy minute.
More photos of the public areas of the Crown Princess can be found here.
Sail Away