Royal Princess - episode 3

We had opted for Freedom Dining - mainly because we thought two friends would be joining us for dinner - but this never happened. It was my first time on Freedom dining and, in the event, we were rarely ready before 8.30 pm anyway so could just have easily opted for fixed dining, not that it really mattered on such a short cruise.

We were seated on a table for 8, close to the galley door - in the Concerto Dining Room on Fiesta Deck. I have to say the food was superb to my mind- that is the starter and main course. The deserts come in a separate menu because they are the same every night! Not good!  I tend to work backwards - so I know how much room I have to leave!  Not that much as it happened.  The company was good, but I would not like a new table every night as I am sure you would cover the same ground every time. It was a nice enough dining room but no "Wow" factor and I didn't like the large amount of bench seating but there was a pretty "bauble" feature at the entrance.

So - what to do after dinner. This is where we felt the entertainment fell down. There was no show the first night, and a Beatles tribute the second night - not my scene!  The shows/quizzes etc in the "TV Studio" were good but not very long. I was bored! Aside from finding a bar to drink in I was not impressed. The only other "activity" was shopping. The shop are was large with an excellent range of Maiden Season souvenirs, as well as the usual clothing, handbags, jewellery and duty free.

The following morning we arrived in Guernsey - Hurray! I finally made it ashore here. The passengers on the next 2 night preview cruise didn't make is ashore due to rough seas, as has happened to me before, so we were very lucky. Of course the main attraction for tendering ashore was to be able to take photos of the ship from the tenders!

 

 

It was a misty grey day in St Peter Port but I could see how pretty it would look in sunshine. The tendering went extremely smoothly, but the of course the ship was only half full, and only about half of those bothered to go ashore.

 

That evening we packed once again ready to disembark early the following morning. Then it was time to go and see the Champagne Fountain - a Princess tradition but a first for me. Somehow even that seemed a bit of a anti-climax. After dinner, my friend when the Beatles show while I wandered round again with my camera. Then we both retired to our cabin to raid the mini-bar!

 

 

So, in conclusion, some stunning décor, but not really my kind of ship. I feel you would need to spend much more on the Spa, Sanctuary and other dining venues to gain the most from a cruise on Royal Princess. Having said that, I am very glad to have sailed on, and even better - I had a day visit the following day............