ONBOARD THE CROWN PRINCESS -- There is only one way to begin a
trip on the Crown Princess cruises from New York: perched on a
balcony, eyes set on the Manhattan skyline or Statue of Liberty and
feasting on a Brooklyn Balcony Nosh.
The meal, a Nathans hot dog, Juniors cheesecake and bottle of
Brooklyn Lager, is the ships hat-tip to its new Brooklyn homeport.
It includes three of the boroughs most famous delicacies and is
available only via room service, and unfortunately, only on
embarkation. (Its also a relative bargain: If anyone can find that
trio for $7 in Brooklyn, its on me.) Tip: Book a balcony cabin on
the starboard side of the vessel for the best sail-away views.
The Balcony Nosh is not a slight to the masses: The Crown
Princess has 900 cabins with balconies, second of any ship at sea
(the Queen Mary 2 has 955 balcony cabins).
The Nosh is just one way Princess Cruises has adapted the ship
to its surroundings and the times by making some marked departures
from its sister vessels. 
The slight relocation of Skywalkers Nightclub created what Rai
Caluori, senior vice president of fleet operations, called a domino
effect. The purpose was to free up deck space in the sun. It
allowed the designers to move the sports court, then move the
childrens area, and then relocate the signature restaurants. The
result was a space in the uppermost forward deck of the ship for
what became the Sanctuary, an adults-only, quiet retreat that was
the most talked-about feature on the ship during its first preview
sailing with travel agents and the media.
Caluori said that Princess had discussed the idea of an
adults-only area for a while but felt it didnt have a controllable
space like the very front of the ship offers. Princess has serenity
stewards on hand to enforce the rules, in addition to providing
Evian water atomizers and a menu of healthy drinks and food. On the
ships first sailing, the two outdoor private massage cabanas in the
Sanctuary sold out, and early on the first morning the spongy,
bamboo deck chairs were full.
Its a good indication that this is needed on ships, Caluori
said. Even on cruise ships, [passengers] want to get away to
somewhere quiet and not go back to their room or balcony. Our next
new ship will probably have such an area.
Passengers were concerned about the Sanctuarys popularity. One
agent remarked, Are people going to fight for that key position on
the ship? Theres not a lot of space there. Caluori mentioned that
if it got too crowded, Princess might impose a small usage fee.
Another well-received feature was the new piazza-style atrium
featuring casual dining options, a wine bar, a coffee bar and an
Internet cafe.
It is meant to serve as the ships hub, said Caluori.
Princess seemed to take its new entertainment options straight
from TV Guide. The Ballroom Blitz event includes basic ballroom
dance lessons in preparation for a series of competitions, a la
Dancing With the Stars; the Princess Peer Factor pits teams against
each other to perform shipboard tasks such as pizza making and
casino dealing; the Bee at Sea is a two-day spelling bee for adults
and children; and teens can get personal makeovers with an onboard
beauty advisor.
Guests seem to like it. Jerry and Irene Davis of Alice Travel
said the ballroom dance class they took was the best dance lesson
they ever had.
To contact reporter Johanna Jainchill, send e-mail to[email protected].