Having sampled Sky Princess last year, I was excited when Princess Cruises invited me to join Enchanted Princess in May for a 5-night sailing to Bruges, Rotterdam, and Guernsey. This would be my second cruise since the Covid lockdown and my first time on international land since March 2020, I couldn’t wait to get back out there!

I’m a big fan of the Royal-class ships and I was certainly charmed by Sky Princess, so could Enchanted keep my interest? We’ll find out! Although I was excited to explore ashore, I wanted this trip to be more about the ship than anything else, so I only went ashore in Rotterdam. I’d never been before and had always wanted to visit, so I joined a beer crawl tour which was packed with far more than I expected! It was also a lovely city walking tour and if it’s offered on your next Princess cruise, I’d highly recommend you consider it. I’m not a huge fan of beer, but I was pleasantly surprised, and each stop offered something different – there was more to it than just alcohol and nibbles.

As I said, I wanted this to be more about the ship herself, so let’s get down to business!

She’s beautiful! Very similar to Sky Princess, so when I first started exploring, I had the advantage of already knowing the brief layout of the ship. I was given a mini-suite and it was perfect. One thing I really like about Princess Cruises is that you know what you’re going to get. I’ve sailed with Princess several times and I’ve never been disappointed. I was on the Princess Plus fare option for this cruise, so certain drinks (up to $12 in value) were included, along with Wi-Fi and gratuities. Personally, I would always book this option. For £40 per person per day, it’s well-worth the additional cost.

Onboard, you’ll find a wide variety of dining options, including World Fresh Marketplace, The Salty Dog Grill, Slice Pizzeria, Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, and Bistro Sur La Mer. Some restaurants are included in the fare price, but others, such as the Crown Grill, Sabatini’s and Bistro Sur La Mer do require an additional charge.

On this cruise I dined in Sabatini’s and the Crown Grill, and both were excellent! In Sabatini’s, I ordered the calamari to start (along with a burrata that I shared because I was desperate to try that, too) and then the lemon and rosemary chicken scaloppine for my main course. I was too full for dessert, but I was utterly content with what I’d been served. There wasn’t a single thing on any plate that I didn’t enjoy. The warm bread and sliced ham were also a nice touch while we waited for our starter courses.

In the Crown Grill, I had to go for it! It’s my favourite dining option on Princess and there was no question as to what I was going to order. To start, it had to be the seared jumbo sea scallops, followed by Crown Grill’s signature surf and turf – 8oz filet mignon with a 6-7oz main lobster tail. It was just heavenly! Again, perfectly cooked and presented, and paired with creamed spinach and garlic and herb French fries, what more could you ever want from a plate of food? I’ve never been on a Princess cruise and not dined in Crown Grill. In fact, I’ve always dined in Sabatini’s, too!

Enchanted Princess also boasts several swimming pools and hot tubs, Crooners, Princess LIVE!, Take Five, Casino, Movies Under the Stars, a huge sports court and a kids’ club. There are so many nice areas to enjoy, and my favourites were Take Five (such a beautiful space), the atrium and the Sea View Bar. In my option, the latter offering some amazing sunset viewing opportunities and as we were blessed with such great weather, it was also a nice place to chat with other passengers.

I managed to have a look around the kids’ club on this cruise and what great spaces they offer! Obviously, I usually wouldn’t venture into these areas – I think I outgrew trikes and toddler-sized chairs a long time ago – but as it was offered, I went and had a look so I could share some pictures with those of you that may be thinking of cruising with children. The clubs cater for children aged from 3 to 17 years and from what I could see, they’d never be bored! In fact, I could have quite happily stayed in the teen zone – they had incredible views from up there! The kids’ clubs on Enchanted Princess are located on Deck 17 aft.

When I first ventured into the buffet (World Fresh Marketplace) on Sky Princess, I didn’t know where to look and Enchanted Princess was no different. The quality of ingredients is exceptional, and the choice is out of this world. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner could be a huge culinary feast if you’re not careful.

MedallionClass, I love it! I have heard people complaining about the app and some features not working, but aside from the odd glitch here and there, I can’t say I had any problems using my fob or the app for ordering food or drinks, checking menus, or accessing my account and so on. The only issue I did have started maybe 2-days before the end of the cruise when the cabin door system wouldn’t recognise the fob at a distance, so rather than approach the door and it unlock, I’d have to tap the fob on the screen. I could have gone to Guest Services and had it fixed, but I can’t say having to lift my arm was any sort of effort!

I like the ease of it and being able to order food and drinks to anywhere onboard. I like not having to swipe my card to open the cabin door and I really like the fact I can load the screens dotted around the ship with info specific to me. I decided to try one of the games, so logged in by tapping my medallion and I was in a quiz one moment and then a treasure hunt the next! OK, I know, they’re geared more towards the kids, but come on, I had to try it, for research purposes, obviously! 😉

Another nice area to relax in onboard is The Sanctuary. It’s one of those places where you can just shut the world out for a while and enjoy lounging, sunning yourself, reading, or even watching something on your own private TV. I’m not a huge fan of these types of areas onboard, I must be honest, but I do always like to visit The Sanctuary when I’m on a Princess ship. It’s an adult-only area and it does come with an additional charge, but for peace and quiet away from the rest of the ship, it’s ideal. Enchanted Princess offers 8 private cabanas where you can enjoy light meals and al-fresco massages.

Overall, I had a wonderful time on Enchanted Princess. I met some lovely people, whom I socialised with every day from embarkation, ate some superb food and enjoyed the hospitality of a cruise line that I’ve come to enjoy very much in recent years. Princess Cruises has something for everyone and that’s very appealing to me. She’s a big ship, but she doesn’t feel as big as she is once you’re onboard, yet at the same time you have this constant feeling of space – it’s an odd one. I’d hands down recommend her for couples, solos (I was travelling solo), families and groups of friends. How you create your Princess experience is entirely up to you, but the abundance of options makes it so easy to tailor-make every aspect of your cruise.

Ad | I was a guest of Princess Cruises for this sailing. #PressTrip.