Crown Princess

The 2006-built Crown Princess is the 7th Grand-class Princess Cruises ship, together with Caribbean, Diamond, Golden (Pacific Adventure), Grand, Emerald, Ruby, Star (Pacific Encounter) and Sapphire.

The vessel (IMO number 9293399) is currently Bermuda-flagged (MMSI 310500000) and registered in Hamilton.

History - construction and ownership

Princess Cruises is a USA-based passenger shipping company headquartered in Beverly Hills CA. A former subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (1977-founded), in 2003, the company merged with Carnival Corporation - the world's largest cruise shipowner. Among Princess Cruise Lines Ltd's assets is the Caribbean private island resort Princess Cays (on Bahamas Eleuthera Island's southern end), located approx 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

The 3100-passenger ship Crown Princess aims to showcase everything which has come to define the cruise line. This is quintessential Princess with marquee facilities: Movies Under the Stars, a poolside big-screen theater represented on Caribbean Princess cruise ship (and since nicked by just about everyone in the sphere); the bustling, 3-deck Piazza, a combination bakery, Internet cafe, wine/sushi/tapas bar and performance facility; the Sanctuary which is only for adults, a mostly shaded top-vessel retreat with thick, plush loungers, massage cabanas and a spa menu; and Princess' signature duo of specialty dining venues, the Crown Grill (steaks, chops and seafood) and Sabatini's (Italian multi-course repast).

Decks and Cabins

Most Crown Princess staterooms (1531 total, in 33 grades) are 170-ft2 balcony cabins (677). Almost 80% of the ship's outside accommodations have private step-out balconies. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 31. The largest accommodations are the Balcony Suites (410 ft2 / 38 m2, with terrace sized 180 ft2 / 17 m2).

The boat has 18 decks, of which 15 are passenger-accessible and 9 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Crown Princess features three dining rooms, all offering tasteful, Caribbean-themed menu. Botticelli is for fixed-seating dining, while Michaelangelo and Da Vinci are for passengers who have chosen "Anytime Dining". Reservations are available but are not required. Da Vinci also welcomes guests for waiter-service breakfast and lunch. Rotating menu options include soups, appetizers, mains and desserts. There are also signature pasta and choices like Caesar salad and salmon. The healthy Lotus Spa selections are low in sodium and fat. Cafe Caribe and Horizon Court look identical and are open all day long. The Horizon section serves as a lido buffet restaurant and features breakfast buffets. Lunch choices may include unusual dishes like peanut butter sandwiches and fried banana. 

Follows the complete list of Crown Princess restaurants and food bars.

• Michaelangelo Restaurant (ship's aft Dining Room; dinner only - offers “Anytime Dining” between 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.)
• Crown Grill (160-seat steakhouse/seafood restaurant, reservations recommended; on select days serves British Pub Lunch, complimentary)
• Da Vinci Restaurant (ship's forward Dining Room for Breakfast 7-9 a.m., Lunch 12-1:30 p.m., Afternoon Tea 3:30-4:30 p.m.; features “Anytime Dining” for Dinner between 5:30-8 p.m. or 8-10 p.m.)
• Botticelli Restaurant (dinner only aft Dining Room; with 2 fixed seatings at 6 p.m. or 8:15 p.m.)
• Sabatini’s Restaurant (Italian speciality restaurant; reservations recommended)
• Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria (self-service, complimentary fast food bar)
• Horizon Court (self-service buffet restaurant, complimentary)
• Cafe Caribe (aft self-service buffet restaurant)
• Pizza & Ice Cream Bar (complimentary).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Princess Crown Theater is the main venue on Crown Princess for comedy acts and production shows with a variety of music and selections appealing to a broad mix of ages. Each of the ship's venues has a different offering. Crooners feature music trivia contests and a pianist. Explorer's Lounge hosts events for everything from Wii sports tournaments to art auctions, plus comedy shows and magicians. The Piazza offers various demonstrations, circus-lite acts and musical performances throughout the day. Club Fusion is a part game show, part nightclub venue. Skywalker Nightclub, Princess' trademark, hosts the 70's-, the 80's- and the 90's-inspired nights and a few nights with a variety of modern music. For low-key dancing, head to the Wheelhouse Bar, which hosts combos playing standards and soft rock.

Follows the complete list of Crown Princess lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• The Piazza Atrium (3-deck open floor area; features live performances entertainment and lobby Bar Piazza)
• Princess Fine Arts Gallery; Photo Gallery & Shop; Platinum Studio
• International Cafe (24-hour specialty coffee bar and patisserie); Escapes Travel Cafe (computer room)
• Vines Bar (wine/seafood/sushi bar)
• Library (with Internet stations); Internet Cafe (24-hour)
• Princess Crown Theatre (2-level musical and show productions; hosts workshops, seminars, game shows)
• Speakeasy Lounge & Bar (smoking lounge and sports bar)
• Calypso Cove Shop; Essence Shop; Meridian Bay Shop; Facets Shop
• Gatsby’s Casino
• Crooners Lounge & Bar (live music; also used for seminars); Adagio Lounge & Bar
• Explorers Lounge & Bar (disco/show lounge; hosts karaoke, comedy, game shows and art auctions)
• Wheelhouse Bar (piano bar during the day and an English pub nightly)
• Club Fusion Lounge (hosts dance classes and quizzes, after 7:30 p.m. becomes Disco & Nightclub)
• Outrigger Bar (poolside bar); Tradewinds Bar
• Crown’s Lotus Spa complex; Beauty Salon; Fitness Center (with Aerobics Studio)
• Hearts & Minds (Wedding Chapel)
• Movies Under the Stars (LED screen outdoor cinema)
• Video Games Arcade; Teen Center; Youth Center with Paddling Pool and outdoor playing areas
• The Sanctuary (adults-only sundeck/open-air area)
• Calypso Reef & Pool area; Neptune’s Reef & Pool area
• Jogging Track; Center Court (volleyball, basketball, European football); Shuffleboard; Princess Links mini-golf course
• Skywalkers Disco & Nightclub.

Itineraries

Crown Princess itinerary program is based on 3- and 4-day Baja Mexico and 7-day Mexican Riviera voyages departing roundtrip from homeport Long Beach-Los Angeles CA USA. In the summer, the ship sails in Alaska with departures from Seattle WA.

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the Crown Princess ship was paused for 2+ years (March 2020 thru May 2022). Operations were scheduled to restart on May 7th (7-day Alaska from Seattle).

The Fincantieri Monfalcone-built Princess Cruises Crown ship is from the company's Grand-class series, with (same-designed) sisterships Emerald and Ruby, and also Pacific Dawn (now Ambassador Ambience). The rest (similarly-designed) liners from this series are the Caribbean, Diamond, Golden (now Pacific Adventure), Grand, Sapphire, Star (now Pacific Encounter).

Ship's christening ceremony was held on June 13, 2006, in Port NYC (New York USA). Liner's godmother was Martha Stewart - US author, TV woman, successful business lady). On June 14 started the inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) from Port Canaveral (Florida USA) to the Caribbean (Grand Turk, Ocho Rios Jamaica, Grand Cayman).

The ship's Captain is Domenico Lubrano Lavadera.

Crown Princess refurbishment 2018 review

The ship's last drydock was in 2022 (conducted at Vigor Shipyard in Portland OR). The drydocking project included hull cleaning and coating/repainting, below-waterline hull works (steel, stabilizers, thrusters), plus minor hotel updates.

The ship's 2018 drydock (10-day project, March 24 - April 3) was at Grand Bahama Shipyard (in Freeport Bahamas). Following the refurbishment, the liner now offers the following new and enhanced amenities:

• 4 top-deck dining venues were renovated, enhanced and renamed (Salty Dog Grill, Slice, Coffee and Cones, The Mix).
• The Salty Dog Grill (former Trident Grill) offers Princess burgers (with 100% all-beef meat and onboard baked buns) and Street Tacos (with roasted sweet potato-green chile or grilled chipotle-lime chicken.
• Slice (former Prego Pizzeria) offers Neapolitan-style pizzas.
• Coffee and Cones (former Sundaes Ice Cream Bar) offers complimentary ice cream in cones, gourmet ice-cream sandwiches, fresh-brewed specialty coffee (by the company's new "New Grounds Crafted Coffee" program).
• Sabatini's restaurant was renamed to "Sabatini's Trattoria".
• Sun Deck's LED screen (at the outdoor theatre) was replaced with a bigger one.
• Horizon Court (buffet restaurant) was reupholstered.
• The Mix (former Mermaid's Tale) is a poolside bar with an upgraded menu.
• Club Class Mini-Suite is a new premium cabin category with exclusive dining and VIP amenities (new Club Class Dining, reserved dining area with an expanded menu, expedited seating, priority embarkation-disembarkation).

All cabins were upgraded with custom-made Princess Luxury Beds.

Camp Discovery Center (kids and teens facilities serving children ages 3-17) is created via a partnership with Discovery Channel as part of Princess Cruises "Discovery at Sea" onboard enrichment program.

The wellness complex (Lotus Spa and Fitness Center) received renovated and upgraded treatment rooms and beauty salon. The fitness received the latest indoor training equipment.

The Casino received new carpets, light fixtures, large TVs at its Bar.

Shops of Princess (onboard boutiques) were upgraded, and the Effy Fine Jewelry boutique was added.

All lounges received new carpeting and all soft furnishings were cleaned.

Ocean Medallion (digital connectivity technology) was also installed.