Discovery Princess

Scheduled for inauguration in November 2021, Discovery Princess cruise ship is the 6th Royal-Class vessel in Princess Cruises fleet, with fleetmates and sisterships Royal Princess (2013), Regal Princess (2014), Majestic Princess (2017), Sky Princess (2019) and Enchanted Princess (2020). In the same series is also the P&O UK's liner Britannia (2015).

History - construction and ownership

Princess Cruises is a US cruise company headquartered in Beverly Hills CA. A former subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (founded 1977), in 2003, the company merged with Carnival Corporation - the world's largest passenger shipping company. Among Princess Cruises 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 3600-passenger Discovery Princess is among the world's largest cruise liners. The vessel was built at Fincantieri shipyard, Italy and has 19 decks. Discovery Princess features an impressive number (16) of bars and restaurants and a luxury spa. The ship offers unique features to her guests, such as a glass-enclosed walkway over the ocean known as the SeaWalk.

Cruise itinerary program

Discovery Princess itinerary program starts with an inaugural cruise season in Europe (Mediterranean), followed by a Transatlantic repositioning crossing to USA (Caribbean) and around South America (relocation cruise) to California for Mexican Riviera cruises in 2022. The vessel is the first-ever newbuild for Princess Cruises to be deployed on the US West Coast, with homeporting in Los Angeles.

The inaugural cruise (November 3, 2021) is a 7-day "Mediterranean and Aegean" itinerary from Civitavecchia-Rome to Piraeus-Athens. The inaugural season includes 30 departures on a total of 21 unique itineraries to over 50 destinations in 23 countries.

• The Mediterranean cruise program includes 8 itineraries to 19 destinations in 8 countries, ranging in length from 7 to 21 days and 3 optional homeports (Athens, Rome, Barcelona).
• The Caribbean cruise program includes 6 voyages (4-8-16 days) and 8 destinations in 7 Eastern-Southern Caribbean countries).
• The South American program includes 6 departures to 22 destinations in 11 countries, including the 50-day South America circumnavigation (relocation cruise) from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles.
• Ship's US West Coast (Mexico and California) program starts on March 1, 2022, from LA. Bookings are offered for 7-day Mexican Riveria and 5-day short-breaks with Cabo San Lucas overnight. The 7-day "Classic California Coast" itinerary offers extended port stays in San Diego and San Francisco.

During summer 2022, the Princess Cruises Discovery ship could be deployed to Alaska or operate Baja Mexico and Hawai cruises from LA.

Cabins

Most Discovery Princess staterooms are 220-sq.foot balcony rooms (724). Almost 80% of ship's outside accommodations have private balcony views. There are a total of 1539 staterooms in 38 categories. 36 are the wheelchair-accessible rooms. The largest accommodations on Discovery Princess are the Balcony Suites (440 ft2). The ship has no Oceanview cabins.

Sky Suites (new cabin category) are Princess Cruises first staterooms for 5 people and feature 270-degree top-deck views. These are also the fleet's largest cabins and with fleet's largest balconies. Both Sky Suites are located midship on Sports Deck 18, Each Sky Suite has 700 ft2 (65 m2) wraparound terrace providing a private unobstructed view of the outdoor theatre Movie Under the Stars (fleet's biggest LED screen).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

There are many for-fee dining options onboard Discovery Princess, but guests who would rather not pay are offered enough quality and variety to satisfy. Those who prefer tradition will choose between the three main dining rooms: Allegro, Concerto, and Symphony.

Horizon Court and Horizon Bistro are the buffet options, providing a more casual vibe. Passengers who want to have lunch in their swimsuits can take a burger from Trident Grill or a slice at Prego Pizzeria. Indoors, Alfredo's features delicious calzones, salads, and thin-crust pizza. Allegro Dining Room is the only option for free dinner with traditional set dining. Passengers can eat at 5:45 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. Allegro's menus are diverse and offer a soup or salad course, an appetizer, pasta, and an entree. There is also a special dessert menu.

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

• Sabatini’s Restaurant (Italian speciality restaurant, a la carte: offers 3-course Italian/seafood menu; open between 6 p.m. -11 p.m., reservations recommended). This space blends the spaciousness of a contemporary setting with classic Italian accents, featuring handmade pasta courses via collaboration with LA chef Angelo Auriana which is prepared daily.
• La Mer by Three-Michelin Star Chef Emmanuel Renaut offers casual, French bistro-style dining with a contemporary twist inspired by the flavours of the French Alps and contrasts from the ocean. La Mer carries a cover charge of US$35 per person.
• Symphony Restaurant (midship location; offers “Anytime Dining” for Dinner; with “Wine Cellar” area serving “Wine Maker’s Dinner” for $40, capacity 12 guests)
• Alfredo’s Pizzeria (121-seat; the largest complimentary pizzeria at sea)
• Concerto Restaurant (forward Dining Room; offers “Anytime Dining” 5:30 p.m. -10 p.m.; serves “Wine Maker’s Dinner” package for $40)
• Allegro Restaurant (aft Dining Room; offers formal dining and two fixed dinner seatings at 6 p.m. or 8:15 p.m.; “Chef’s Table Lumiere” private dining for $115, 12 guests)
• Ocean Terrace (speciality seafood bar)
• Crown Grill (160-seat steakhouse/seafood restaurant, reservations recommended; on select days serves British Pub Lunch, complimentary)
• Salty Dog Grill & Alfredo's Pizzeria (self-service, complimentary fast food bar). The rustic pub space, Salty Dog Gastropub, is a new venue where passengers can watch sporting events, gather over small bites and drinks, and partake in Ernesto Burger by chef-partner, Ernesto Uchimura, founding chef of the original Umami Burger and owner of the new LA-based restaurant and bar, Electric Owl.
• Calypso Cabana (food bar offering picnic baskets, desserts, champagne and wine packages)
• World Fresh Marketplace (self-service buffet restaurant, complimentary); Horizon Buffet (indoor sitting) and Horizon Terrace (outdoor seating)
• Swirls Bar (ice cream).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The bulk of performance action takes place in the 2-level Princess Theater (decks 6 and 7). This is the ship's main show lounge with palladium-style seating and grand-style evening show productions.

Theatre lounge doesn't offer tables or drink holders, so if you order one preshow or come with a drink, you'll have to hold it. The entertainment program is excellent and varied, with a beat that is quite innovative. In addition to the production shows, the Princess theatre hosts other acts including vocalists and instrumentalists.

In comparison to Royal-Class Princess ships, Discovery Princess has the new Wakeview swimming pool (aft-located) plus 2 deep-water top deck swimming pools and Retreat Pool (adults-only), also more Jacuzzis (including 2 cantilevered, over the deep-water pools). The expanded Sanctuary area offers new design and twice as many private cabanas as the sister ships. Vista Lounge is also redesigned. The Princess Live! and Cafe is a new restaurant serving quick bites, speciality teas, and barista-made coffees. The venue offers premium drinks and live performances.

Follows the complete list of Discovery 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; Limelight photo studio; Platinum Studio
• International Cafe (24-hour speciality coffee bar and patisserie)
• Vines Bar (wine/seafood/sushi bar)
• Gelato (the largest ice cream bar at sea)
• Library (with Internet stations); Internet Cafe (24-hour)
• Princess Discovery Theatre (2-level musical and show productions; hosts workshops, seminars, game shows)
• Celebrations Shop; Calypso Cove Shop; Essence Shop; Meridian Bay Shop; Facets Shop
• Club 6 Disco & Bar; Churchill’s Lounge & Bar (cigar bar); Bellini’s Bar; Crooners Lounge & Bar; Princess Live Lounge; Vista Lounge; Concierge Lounge (Suite guests only); SkyLight Bar; Seaview Bar
• Princess Casino (gambling lounge and bar)
• Wheelhouse Bar (piano bar during the day and an English pub nightly)
• Lotus Spa complex; Beauty Salon; Fitness Center (with Aerobics Studio)
• Wedding Chapel
• Movies Under the Stars (LED screen outdoor cinema)
• The Game Lounge (Video Games Arcade); Teen Center; Youth Center; Remix Disco & Lounge (teen club)
• The Sanctuary (adult-only open-air area)
• SeaWalk (glass-bottomed cantilevered walkway, 18 m/60 ft long)
• Fountain Pool area; Retreat Pool area
• Princess Sports Central - Center Court (volleyball, basketball, European football); Tennis Tables, Game Lounge virtual gaming, The Greens golf nets, Golfing Cage, Laser Shooting; Jogging Track
• "Take 5" (deck 6 midship-portside) is world's only jazz theater at sea. The new jazz-themed bar lounge features a chic setting, live performances by renown jazz musicians (including iconic female singers), hand-crafted premium cocktails (developed by Rob Floyd/master mixologist), guest performers, late-night themed parties, daily enrichment programming (with engaging speakers and workshops). Custom media content is displayed on lounge's TV screens.

The Experience Center (Deck 18 aft-starboard) has max capacity 6 people and no age restrictions. This is ship's Escape Room hosting the "Phantom Bridge" game that combines physical and virtual/digital elements for unique puzzle-solving experiences at sea. The attraction is part of Princess Cruises' onboard enrichment program (Discovery at SEA) and offers interactive (real-world + virtual) adventure gaming experiences with 700+ different outcomes. Phantom Bridge's gaming sessions last 23 min each and allow passengers to navigate the virtual cruise liner, watch as the generated simulations change, uncover the clues and solve puzzles (current game's mystery). The implemented technologies include a physical steering wheel and touch-screen surfaces (in the room), projection mapping, top-notch sound-, lighting- and digital effects, hidden physical elements (throughout the ship).

In late-January 2017, the shipowner Carnival Corporation announced 2 more shipbuilding orders. The new liners were ordered for the brands Princess Cruises (Royal-Class) and Holland America Line (Pinnacle-class). Carnival signed an MoA (memorandum of agreement) with the shipbuilder Fincantieri (Italy) to construct both vessels, with scheduled deliveries in 2021 (Nieuw Ryndam-Rotterdam for HAL, at Marghera yard) and 2022 (Discovery Princess, at Monfalcone yard). By the time when both shipbuilding contracts were finalized (February 2017), Carnival Corporation had a total of 19 new ships scheduled for delivery between 2017 and 2022.

The vessel's construction officially started with the steel-cutting ceremony on February 14, 2019. On the same day was launched (floated-out from drydock) Sky Princess and held the keel-laying ceremony of Enchanted Princess. Princess Discovery ship's steel-cutting was broadcasted live to Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard from Fincantieri's shipyard in Naples. Vessel's name (Discovery Princess) was officially announced on October 4, 2019.

The cruise liner's powerplant includes four Wartsila marine diesel engines (model 46F, 2x 12V plus 2x 14V) with combined power output 62,4 MW (83,700 hp). The propulsion system is based on two azipods with combined power output 18 MW (24,000 hp).

Inaugural cruise itineraries 2021-2022

Next tables show the ship's inaugural cruise season (Europe-Mediterranean) and the liner's USA deployment (as homeports, call ports and prices per person) in 2021.

21-day Maiden Voyage (themed "Grand Mediterranean Collection") - from USD 4400 pp. The inaugural cruise (Nov 3 departure) was also available as a 14-day itinerary (Civitavecchia to Barcelona, USD 2950 pp) and 7-day itinerary (Civitavecchia to Piraeus, USD 1550 pp).

21-day Inaugural Transatlantic repositioning cruise from Europe-Mediterranean to USA-Florida (Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale) - from ~USD 2600 pp. The Transatlantic crossing was also available for booking as a 14-day itinerary (Civitavecchia to Fort Lauderdale, USD 1300 pp).

4-day Inaugural Caribbean cruise (themed "Eastern Caribbean Getaway) - from USD 500 pp.

Inaugural 16-day "Caribbean Southern Adventurer" itinerary (Christmas 2021 cruise) - from USD 2450 pp.

The 8-day itinerary (themed "Eastern Caribbean Explorer", maiden voyage prices from USD 950 pp) visits Tortola, St Kitts, Puerto Rico, and Grand Turk.

In January 2022 starts the "mini-world cruise" (around South America repositioning voyage), priced from ~USD 7400 pp.

Inaugural 7-day "Classic California Coast" cruise - from USD 950 pp

Inaugural 7-day "Mexican Riviera" cruise - from USD 900 pp

Godspeed to the new ship!