Princess Cruises said it has reached an agreement to build a third in the class of ships that began with Royal Princess.
The new ship, to be built by Fincantieri, will carry 3,560 passengers at double occupancy and is scheduled for delivery in 2017.
Princess said the price is around 600 million euros, or just over $800 million at current exchange rates.
The Royal Princess was the largest ship to date for Princess when it was delivered in 2013. It was followed by the Regal Princess earlier this year.
Princess said the new ship will include its signature elements such as a soaring central atrium hub with multiple dining, entertainment and retail venues; the adults-only Sanctuary; the Movies Under the Stars cinema experience; and 80% of all cabins with balconies. The ship will also include some new innovations, Princess said.
While virtually all seagoing ships have a selection of resistance and strength training stations that many landside gyms would envy, some have gone much further in offering travelers options to stay fit during their cruise.
In addition to the basics — treadmills, elliptical trainers, exercise bikes, free weights and more — many cruise lines provide passengers with cutting-edge fitness equipment that add opportunities for body makeovers to a cruise vacation. The newer ships in a cruise line’s fleet generally have the most unusual exercise facilities, though there are exceptions.
Here are our top picks for the most creative and forward-thinking onboard activity and fitness options offered at sea.
Royal Caribbean
Beyond the rock climbing walls and surfing simulators, the nearly 10,000-square-foot fitness centers on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom-class ships have full-size boxing rings; Pilates studios with six reformers and extensive mat work equipment; and first-generation Power Plate equipment that uses vibration to boost a workout, stimulate circulation and build bone density.
The Allure and Oasis of the Seas also have 12 gravity fitness machines each, plus Kinesis Walls that use a system of pulleys to help build total body strength and the longest jogging tracks at sea.
Princess Cruises
Princess offers popular Zumba classes at sea, TRX Suspension Training classes and Tour de Cycle, a three-part spinning program based on the Tour de France. The brand’s signature fitness classes focus on Pilates for core work, yoga for balance and cardio for overall strength and cardiovascular health. Larger vessels also offer swim-against-the-current pools with an adjustable current for endurance training.
Seabourn Cruises
Seabourn’s Odyssey-class ships have Kinesis Walls that can be used by four people at a time and stern marinas that give passengers access to snorkeling, kayaking, sailing and swimming. Seabourn Sojourn and Quest have Kneipp Walk Pools, which feature different sections of water at different temperatures designed to help walkers cleanse toxins from the body, increase circulation, balance hormones and reduce stress. And, at the end of a full workout, these two Seabourn ships offer passengers an “experience shower” featuring special lighting and a variety of sensory adjustment options.
Crystal Cruises
Crystal’s proprietary Walk-On-Water program isn’t aqua aerobics, as many passengers think. It’s a full fitness program, designed exclusively for Crystal, where participants walk with weighted vests on the ships’ promenades (the water part is the surrounding sea). Crystal also provides Nordic Walking Poles for a full-body workout, along with Pilates sessions featuring mat work and reformer equipment, yoga classes, Kinesis fitness equipment and golf instruction from PGA professionals. Both the Serenity and Symphony offer paddle tennis onboard, and new “Site Running” land excursions are available on all of Crystal’s itineraries. An outdoors fitness garden will be added to Crystal Symphony in September.
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Magic and Breeze feature SportSquare, a large outdoor recreation area with a ropes course 150 feet above the water, an eight-mile jogging track and outdoor weightlifting and resistance machines, in addition to basketball, volleyball and soccer courts. There’s also a six-station Vita Course, which features workout stations with instructional signage and a miniature golf course. Indoor fitness options include yoga, Pilates and stretching classes and cardio equipment.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian has a range of unusual outdoor exercise facilities onboard Norwegian Epic, from full-sized basketball courts with spectator bleachers to a bungee trampoline and a 24-foot climbing cage known as the Spider Web. The Epic also features a rappelling wall, a rock climbing wall and TRX Suspension Training, a program used by the Navy Seals. Onboard Norwegian’s newest ship, Norwegian Breakaway, guests will find additional fitness options, such as Flywheel Fitness spinning classes and interactive Nexersys equipment featuring automated combat/boxing fitness technology.
Windstar Cruises
Windstar, which pioneered a revolutionary spa on the Wind Surf years ago, has its own stern marina and a variety of water sports equipment, including windsurfing boards, kayaks, inflatable boats, Topper and Rumba Escape sailboats, snorkeling equipment and waterskiing gear. Windstar also offers a two-hour diving course given by PADI-certified instructors on all ships. In addition, the Wind Surf offers guests an onboard trampoline and a Hobie Bravo catamaran for sailing excursions.
British viewers will get a warts-and-all look at the workings of a cruise ship in a new four-part documentary coming to ITV next month.
Called The Cruise Ship, the documentary will go behind the scenes on board the 3,600-guest Royal Princess vessel, giving the general public access to footage of staff and crew members.
The footage was shot as the ship sailed across the Caribbean, which included a stop at Princess Cruise’s private island.
It will air on ITV on consecutive Friday nights beginning on July 11th.
Managing director of Princess Cruises for UK and Europe, is convinced that the documentary will prove positive for the cruise holiday industry as a whole.
“Cruise holidays are an increasingly popular choice in the UK and we are confident that this series will widen the appeal even further,” he stated.
This will not be the first cruise ship documentary aired in the UK, as the National Geographic Channel broadcasted a series called Cruise Ship Diaries, which was filmed on board the Costa Serena.
The question is, do behind-the-scenes documentaries ever paint a good picture? Will this documentary actually put people off?
Princess Cruises said it has reached an agreement to build a third in the class of ships that began with Royal Princess.
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