Royal Princess debuts in Barcelona

The second Princess ship to make its debut this month sailed out of Barcelona on Thursday. The Royal Princess—a former Renaissance ship now named after a previous Princess ship—is currently cruising the Mediterranean and plans to call in Marseille, France; Livorno/Florence/Pisa, Elba, and Palermo, Italy; and Mallorca, Spain.

The 710-passenger Royal Princess is smaller than many of Princess’ ships but is a sister to the Pacific Princess and Tahitian Princess. The ship provides a boutique version of Princess’ onboard experience with several dining and entertainment options and a high percentage of cabins with balconies. To become part of the Princess fleet, the Royal Princess received new carpet, upholstery, mattresses, and bedding.

This summer, Princess’ newest addition will sail a series of “Elite Mediterranean” cruises featuring smaller ports and new itineraries. The Royal Princess will visit Ravenna, Italy; Split Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; and Canakkale/Troy, Turkey, all of which are new ports for the cruise line. The ship will also sail to the Crimean coast, Egypt, and the Middle East.