Emerald Princess Itinerary, Current Position, Ship Review | CruiseMapper (2024)

The 2007-built Emerald Princess cruise ship is the 8th Grand-class Princess Cruises liner, with sisterships the fleetmates Caribbean, Diamond, Golden (now Pacific Adventure), Grand, Crown, Ruby, Star (now Pacific Encounter) and Sapphire.

The vessel (IMO number 9333151) is currently Bermuda-flagged (MMSI 310531000) and registered in Hamilton.

History - construction and ownership

Princess Cruises is a USA-based passenger shipping company headquartered in Beverly Hills CA. A former subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (1977-founded), in 2003, the company merged with Carnival Corporation - the world's largest cruise shipowner. Among Princess Cruise Lines Ltd's assets is the Caribbean private island resort Princess Cays (on Bahamas Eleuthera Island's southern end), located approx 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

The 3100-passenger ship Emerald Princess follows the highly evolutionary Crown Princess cruise ship, whose debut took place in March 2006. The vessels are virtually the same in layout and design, so if travelers have sailed on Crown, they will not have any trouble finding their way around Emerald or Ruby (which followed in 2008). But for those who have not traveled on Princess' Grand-class vessels, or for cruisers for whom an Emerald Princess sailing is their first cruise with the line, the ship is going to surprise, and in most cases, delight them with far higher levels of kitchen, service and facilities than passengers would expect on a stylish, mega-vessel catering to over 3000 passengers.

Decks and Cabins

Most Emerald Princess staterooms (1533 total, in 33 grades) are 170-ft2 balcony cabins (676). Almost 80% of all outside cabins have a private step-out balcony. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 31. The largest accommodations are the Balcony Suites (410 ft2 / 38 m2, with terrace sized 180 ft2 / 17 m2).

The boat has 18 decks, of which 15 are passenger-accessible and 8 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Emerald Princess features three dining rooms, all offering a tasteful, Caribbean-themed menu. Botticelli is for fixed-seating dining, while Michaelangelo and Da Vinci are for passengers who have chosen "Anytime Dining". Reservations are available but are not required. Da Vinci also welcomes guests for waiter-service breakfast and lunch. Rotating menu options include soups, appetizers, mains and desserts. There are also signature pasta and choices like Caesar salad and salmon.

The healthy Lotus Spa selections are low in sodium and fat. Steamers Seafood (fka Cafe Caribe) and World Fresh Marketplace (fka Horizon Court) look identical and are open all day long. The Horizon section serves as a lido buffet restaurant and features breakfast buffets. Lunch choices may include unusual dishes like peanut butter sandwiches and fried bananas.

There is also the Italian-styled Piazza/Atrium, around which are located the International Cafe (with its wonderful coffees and scrumptious pastries, quiche and chocolate fondue); across the way is Vines, ship's wine and sushi bar (it got the only really good wine list onboard).

In January 2016, celebrity chef Curtis Stone teamed up with Princess Cruises for his first-at-sea specialty restaurant serving high-quality, inventive food. Share replaced the signature Italian Sabatini's and introduced new bedding, dining options, entertainment and more. Share is only open for dinner and applies a $39 cover charge. Its menu features five areas from which to select multiple dishes and a charcuterie platter. It's hard to order only one of each, as there are enticing recipes like a twice-cooked duck with fennel, parmesan crumb and bacon jus; or shrimp salad with turnip, citrus salt, brioche and lemon gel.

Share is only found on board Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess, for now. "Crafted by Curtis" dishes are on the MDR menus fleetwide. If you wonder why to pay extra at Share, here are the cool things about the brand new Curtis Stone restaurant which make it worth the splurge. Food like this can't be found anywhere else on the ship.

Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess are simple when it comes to dining venues. Before Share, both ships had three main dining rooms, a steakhouse and a buffet, all of which were average in terms of overall experience and quality. From its celebrity chef to its natural ingredients and perfectly sized portions, you won't find food like Share's anywhere else on the ship.

Perfect for couples and large groups. This space is open, airy and large, with long tables and more intimate seating arrangements. Large groups have enough room to engage and share dishes. Couples can enjoy more peace and quiet. The ambience is upscale, yet not stuffy. Share's family-style dining and chic decor allow guests to dress their best and still feel relaxed. Passengers will feel more like they're in someone's home, talking and passing plates across the table.

Service at Share is second to none. The wait staff is knowledgeable about the menu and all ingredients handpicked by the celebrity chef's team. According to Stone: "The enthusiasm in that kitchen right now is actually unparalleled to anything I've ever done; they're so energetic and so up for it."

Guests will have room for dessert. Appetizers, entrees and dessert options, complementing a cheese plate, are conservative in size. Passengers will not only expand their palate by picking at multiple dishes but will also be able to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Follows the complete list of Emerald Princess restaurants and food bars.

• Michaelangelo Restaurant (ship's aft Dining Room; dinner only - offers “Anytime Dining” between 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.)
• Crown Grill (160-seat steakhouse/seafood restaurant, reservations recommended; on select days serves British Pub Lunch, complimentary)
• Da Vinci Restaurant (ship's forward Dining Room for Breakfast 7-9 a.m., Lunch 12-1:30 p.m., Afternoon Tea 3:30-4:30 p.m.; features “Anytime Dining” for Dinner between 5:30-8 p.m. or 8-10 p.m.)
• Botticelli Restaurant (dinner only aft Dining Room; with 2 fixed seatings at 6 p.m. or 8:15 p.m.)
• Share (ex-Sabatini’s Italian specialty restaurant; reservations recommended)
• Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria (self-service, complimentary fast food bar)
• World Fresh Marketplace (fka Horizon Court) is the ship's self-service buffet restaurant (complimentary) on Lido Deck (deck 15/pool deck).
• Steamers Seafood (fka Cafe Caribe) is an aft self-service buffet restaurant located aft on Lido Deck /pool deck.
• Pizza & Ice Cream Bar (complimentary)

In April 2024 Princess Cruises announced that starting September 14th (2024) fleetwide would be introduced 3 distinct main dining/dinner table service options – Traditional, Reservable, and Walk-in Anytime. By the new program (introduced with Sun Princess) on each ship are allocated 3 separate dining rooms - one for Traditional dining (offering early and late dinner seating), one with Reservable times, and one for Walk-in Anytime (open-seating). The new options are integrated with the OceanNow service, allowing anything to be ordered anytime, and delivered anywhere onboard.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Princess Emerald Theater is the main venue on Emerald Princess for comedy acts and production shows with a variety of music and selections appealing to a broad mix of ages. Each of the ship's venues has a different offering. Crooners feature music trivia contests and a pianist. Explorer's Lounge hosts events for everything from Wii sports tournaments to art auctions, plus comedy shows and magicians.

The Piazza offers various demonstrations, circus-lite acts and musical performances throughout the day. Club Fusion is a part game show, part nightclub venue. Skywalker Nightclub, Princess' trademark, hosts 70s-, 80s- and 90s-inspired nights and a few nights with a variety of modern music.

For low-key dancing, head to the Wheelhouse Bar, which hosts combos playing standards and soft rock.

Follows the complete list of Emerald Princess lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• The Piazza Atrium (3-deck open floor area; features live performances entertainment and lobby Bar Piazza)
• Princess Fine Arts Gallery; Photo Gallery & Shop; Platinum Studio
• International Cafe (24-hour specialty coffee bar and patisserie); Escapes Travel Cafe (computer room)
• Vines Bar (wine/seafood/sushi bar)
• Library (with Internet stations); Internet Cafe (24-hour)
• Princess Emerald Theatre (2-level musical and show productions; hosts workshops, seminars, game shows)
• Speakeasy Lounge & Bar (smoking lounge and sports bar)
• Calypso Cove Shop; Essence Shop; Meridian Bay Shop; Facets Shop
• Gatsby’s Casino
• Crooners Lounge & Bar (live music; also used for seminars); Adagio Lounge & Bar
• Explorers Lounge & Bar (disco/show lounge; hosts karaoke, comedy, game shows and art auctions)
• Wheelhouse Bar (piano bar during the day and an English pub nightly)
• Club Fusion Lounge (hosts dance classes and quizzes, after 7:30 p.m. becomes Disco & Nightclub)
• Outrigger Bar (poolside bar); Tradewinds Bar
• Emerald’s Lotus Spa complex; Beauty Salon; Fitness Center (with Aerobics Studio)
• Hearts & Minds (Wedding Chapel)
• Movies Under the Stars (LED screen outdoor cinema)
• Video Games Arcade; Teen Center; Youth Center with Paddling Pool and outdoor playing areas
• The Sanctuary (adult-only open-air area)
• Calypso Reef & Pool area; Neptune’s Reef & Pool area
• Jogging Track; Center Court (volleyball, basketball, European football); Shuffleboard; Princess Links mini golf course
• Skywalkers Disco Nightclub.

Emerald Princess 2016 refurbishment review

The ship's drydock refurbishment in 2015 November 30 - December 13) was for general maintenance (no deck plan changes were announced ahead).

However, during the dry dock, an extensive refurbishment plan was implemented targeting ship’s spring-summer 2016 cruises from the UK. The 2016 deck plans changes and news include:

• Two new premium dining venues were added. The new “Share” is a family-style restaurant by Curtis Stone (an Australian celebrity chef). Its menu features charcuterie (pork meat products) and also homemade pasta. The new “Salty Dog Gastropub” cuisine experience (by chef Ernesto Uchimura) is provided by a classic pub menu offered nightly in the Wheelhouse Bar (on Promenade Dec 7) with craft beers and pub favourites served in small plates.
• On Deck 16, “Share” replaced the Sabatini’s” – the Italian restaurant, which is also featured on the Princess ships Coral, Ruby and Sun. “Salty Dog Gastropub” was introduced for the first time on the Crown ship (in 2015 October) and will also be introduced on the Ruby ship.
• Passenger cabins upgrades include the line’s new luxury mattress.
• Ship’s gym was upgraded with new sports equipment and free weights.
• 100 cruise staterooms became “family cabins” after being fitted with interconnecting doors.

Itineraries

Emerald Princess itinerary program is based on cruises to Norway's fjords, Baltic, Mediterranean sea and the Canary Islands. The European homeport is Southampton (England UK). In November 2016, the boat inaugurated homeporting in Sydney NSW (Australia).

In July 2022 was opened for sale Emerald Princess' summer 2023 season (May-August). The Hawaii-Mexico-California Coast program is based on homeporting in Los Angeles/Long Beach (California USA) and a series of 5- to 16-day long itineraries.

• 7-day "Mexican Riviera with La Paz" (June-July) visists Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Ensenada.
• 16-day "Hawaiian Islands" (May-June-July-August) visits Hilo, Honolulu, Maui/Lahaina, Kauai/Nawiliwili, Ensenada.
  7-day "Classic California Coast" (May-June-July) visits San Francisco (overnight), Ensenada, San Diego.
• 5-day "Cabo San Lucas Getaway" (May) visits Cabo San Lucas (overnight).
• 5-day "West Coast Getaway with San Francisco" (July) visits Ensenada.

WIth the Diamond and Emerald ships, Princess Cruises marked its first year-round voyages out of LA.

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Other Princess Cruises cruise ships

The Fincantieri Monfalcone-built Princess Cruises Emerald ship is from the company's Grand-class series, with (same-designed) sisterhips Crown and Ruby. The other (similarly-designed) liners in this class are Caribbean, Diamond, Golden (Pacific Adventure), Grand, Sapphire, Star (Pacific Encounter).

The ship was delivered in March 2007. The christening ceremony was held on May 13, 2017, in Port Piraeus (Athens Greece). The cruise ship has four godmothers - the actresses Florence Henderson, Marion Ross, Erin Moran and Susan Olsen. The naming ceremony was preceded by the inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) - which is not the common practice. The voyage started from Port Civitavecchia-Rome, cruising around the Greek Isles and other Mediterranean destinations. The ship spent its summer 2007 season in Europe, then was repositioned to Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida) for roundtrip Caribbean itineraries.

Emerald Princess refurbishment 2016 review

The ship's last major drydock refurbishment was in 2019 (April 1-14) in Victoria BC (Canada). The vessel was in drydock in 2015 (November 30 through December 13) initially scheduled for general maintenance works only, and without planned deckplan changes. However, during the drydocking, an extensive refurbishment plan was implemented targeting the spring-summer 2016 voyages out of the UK.

The deckplan changes following drydock 2016 included:

• Two new premium dining venues were added. The new “Share” is a family-style restaurant by Curtis Stone (an Australian celebrity chef). Its menu features charcuterie (pork meat products) and also homemade pasta. The new “Salty Dog Gastropub” cuisine experience (by chef Ernesto Uchimura) is provided by a classic pub menu offered nightly in the Wheelhouse Bar (on Promenade Dec 7) with craft beers and pub favorites served in small plates.
• On Deck 16, “Share” replaced the Sabatini’s” – the Italian restaurant, which is also featured on the Princess ships Coral, Ruby and Sun. “Salty Dog Gastropub” was introduced for the first time on the Crown ship (in 2015 October) and will also be introduced on the Ruby ship.
• Passenger cabin upgrades included Princess' new luxury mattress.
• The Gym was upgraded with new sports equipment and free weights.
• 100 staterooms became "family cabins" after being fitted with interconnecting doors.

The ship's last drydocking was in 2022, conducted at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam in Port Rotterdam (Netherlands).