Royal Princess Cruise Ship

I have always been fascinated with the appeal of a cruise. In my mind, it was just a larger version of a cross channel ferry. I was therefore excited to have a tour round Royal Princess when it was docked at Southampton earlier this month.

Cross channel ferry it was not!

The atrium of the ship had a light and airy feel to it and it reminded me of a large American hotel.

I have already written a post about the amazing food available on the ship, and it also includes a special sneak peek of one of the many kitchens.

My favourite part of the ship was the deck. A massive TV screen is used to show movies under the stars. I loved the idea of cuddling up under a blanket with a hot chocolate and watching an outdoor movie.

We were treated to a Tom Cruise style cocktail show which was lots of fun. The cocktails tasted great too!

One of the features of Royal Princess is this fantastic glass walkway. I would love to walk across this when it is sailing the seas of the Caribbean.

This was a theatre which seats 900 people and hosts a variety of shows.

The ship even has it's own TV station. This year they are introducing their version of The Voice and you can audition one evening and then see it played across the whole ship! I am not sure this would be a great idea for me as after one of those cocktails I would think I was the next Whitney Houston. Whilst I think I have the voice of an angel, I have yet to find anyone that agrees.

There are some adult only spaces, including a spa, on the ship where you can get away and relax.

Whilst you do so, there is a childcare for your children. The groups are split by age, with soft play for the little ones, and more adult spaces as they get bigger, with laptops and TV screens. One thing I thought was great is that you can leave your children here whilst you go and explore onshore. Let's face it sometimes my children would be far happier playing with their new friends than going on a sightseeing trip.

After all the great food you can eat, you might want to work off a few of those extra calories. There are classes such as Zumba run up by the pool area and there is a running track on the deck. Even I wouldn't mind working out in a gym where I could look out to sea.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to have a look at any of the rooms on the ship as it was due to set sail. However, my perception of cruises has certainly changed after this experience. Have you been cruising? What do you like about it?