We chose to take the inaugural sailing on the Royal Princess for the novelty of an inaugural cruise. We came with open minds, understanding that any large construction project, be it on land or sea, can face deadline challenges. We were well-prepared for some things to not be available or completed. In fact, we were very surprised how ready the ship and her crew were.

Boarding was delayed somewhat at Southampton, but proceeded efficiently once it began, with the staff using a color and lettering system to call passengers to the counter in groups. Because so many of us upper-tier Captains Circle members were onboard for the inaugural, the standard Preferred Check-In area and process went out the window. Instead, Preferred passengers were called in groups and in order from the afore-mentioned letter system, followed by general passengers.

Boarding itself was a breeze, as Princess funneled passengers into three separate and adjacent chutes to scan cards and photo-ID passengers. The new entry way, through an elegant portal adjacent to the new Facets on the Promenade Desk, made the entry and arrival experience classier and with an opportunity to gain one's bearings in the Piazza. Read more