Travel: A right royal sail

Emma Wilson joins the Royal Princess on her maiden season through the Mediterranean, to find out.

If it’s good enough for royalty, it’s good enough for me. And the Princess Royal, the latest addition to the Princess cruise fleet, is no exception.

Christened by the Duchess of Cambridge back in June, this sleek, upmarket vessel has earned itself almost as many column inches as the country’s would-be future queen.

Keen to find out what all the fuss was about, my husband and I eagerly joined the ship on her maiden season through the Mediterranean.

There are echoes of the Duchess throughout ship - from the huge portrait of her hanging near reception, to sumptuous finishing touches fit for a member of the Windsor clan.

Many describe cruise ships as floating hotels, but Princess Royal is very different: it’s a huge floating holiday complex, catering for 3,600 passengers.

The ship is very calm, and very spacious. In fact, I got lost several times while trying to find a bar, or a restaurant!

My husband and I are both keen travellers and enjoy being independent, so we were both a little reserved about going on a cruise. Would it be full of old people? Would we feel trapped? Would we get bored?

But we were put at ease as soon as we saw our room. With floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony, and enough space for my ‘cruise wardrobe’ (which consisted of most of the maternity range at several high street shops), we were more than happy with our place to unwind after a hard day’s cruising.

We didn’t have to worry about the age issue either. Yes, there were some older passengers, but families and younger couples were the staple on the Princess Royal. It wasn’t noisy, either. The children were really well-behaved (more so than my husband), and while they could happily splash around in a top deck swimming pool, we could escape to an exclusive adults-only area.

The Retreat is the perfect place to laze in the sun while sipping a cocktail or two, and the pool area - The Sanctuary - is great for a leisurely dip.

Thanks to a good selection of port excursions, we had plenty to keep us occupied throughout the journey. We would dock for the whole day, giving us a chance to do lots of sightseeing.

Naples was our first port of call in Italy, and an air-conditioned minibus whisked us from the dock to Sorrento, about an hour’s drive away. The Amalfi Coast looked stunning as we climbed the hills, and whizzed past olive and lemon trees.

There was a lot to cram in on excursion days, as we wanted to see as much as we could. Trips usually lasted around eight hours, but it was worth it, especially in Rome.

We had our own personal tour guide (and private air-conditioned coach), and the group we were in consisted of 15 people, so it was a great size to sightsee at a relaxed pace.

The royal treatment continued from ship to port, as we queue-jumped at the Colosseum, avoided the long lines at the Vatican Museum, and got our own rosary beads for our tour around St Peter’s Basilica.

Our tour guides were great fun too. Nicole at Pompeii wanted to show us all “the dead bodies”, while Marco in Rome reminded me a little of Peter Capaldi (without the Malcolm Tucker obscenities). However, he did pour scorn on the Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator: “At no point did the gladiators fight against many soldiers - they fought one-on-one.” So, consider yourself told, Ridley Scott.

After each day trip, we were exhausted. However, it was easy to forget our achy feet and sunburnt skin as we relaxed in the on-board spa - the dark, quiet and soothing Lotus.

We had access to The Enclave at the spa, which is available to guests for a supplement. A huge hydrotherapy pool fills the room, with a sauna and steam room hidden behind vast, dark marble walls.

The quality of food had also been a concern, but we needn’t have worried. Upon docking in every port, fresh food is delivered to the ship.

The on-board steak house, Crown Grill, was very impressive. Huge hunks of beef were on display, showing us exactly what we were about to devour.

The Winemaker’s Dinner, held in the Symphony dining room, was another treat. We were tucked away in a private dining room, surrounded by hundreds of bottles of expensive wine.

Hosted by Diletta Frescobaldi, part of the famous Italian winemaking family, we were treated to a seven-course meal, paired with some of the Frescobaldi Super Tuscan wines. They are exclusively available on board the Princess Royal, and if you’re feeling especially flush, or you’ve just won the lottery, because each bottle costs roughly around $300.

As well as the main dining rooms, Symphony and Concerto, there are plenty of other restaurants to choose from on the ship, making it a lot easier to avoid eating the same thing every night.

Sabatini’s is a great Italian, where I gorged on lobster and tiramisu, while Alfredo’s is perfect for a quick Neapolitan pizza and a few glasses of wine. The chef was trained in Naples, and was very keen to stress that he followed traditional recipes.

There are also plenty of bars dotted around the Atrium. Our favourite bar was Vines, with its brilliant wine list and endless canapes. Tray after tray of food was brought out, and I was appreciative of my elasticated maternity trousers.

Entertainment is also held on the ground floor of the Atrium; we saw gymnasts defy gravity, heard orchestras perform and even took part in some salsa dancing. While walking across the Atrium, I was grabbed by one of the dancers, and found my husband skulking at the bar when I’d finished. It’s certainly not boring!

When we first looked at our itinerary for the trip, I thought we’d be a frazzled, claustrophobic mess when we docked at our final port, Barcelona. That couldn’t have been further from the truth.

I was stress free, relaxed and not very enthusiastic about leaving the ship.

Every member of staff went out of their way to really make our trip special. It especially broke my heart that I wouldn’t have a turndown service at home, with petit fours delivered to our room nightly.

After coming back one day to find a cup and saucer made entirely from chocolate, I bounded around the room like an excited puppy. It’s the little things that get you through pregnancy, it really is...

Despite our sea legs (we were rocking for days after landing at Heathrow), and the extra pounds we’d put on (“I’m preparing for winter,” I told my midwife), it was an unforgettable experience.

It is pricey, yes, but, if you’re going to be sailed around the Med, sipping fine wines, eating fabulous food and chocolate crockery, it’s totally worth it.

Travel facts - Royal Princess

Emma Wilson was a guest of Princess Cruises (www.princess.com; 0843 373 0333). The Royal Princess will be visiting Scandinavia and Russia for an 11-night trip from May 12-23, 2014, from £1,245 per person (based on two adults sharing an inside stateroom). Fare includes all accommodation, all main meals and on-board entertainment, and return flights from a London airport. All offers are subject to availability.

The Regal Princess will operate a 12-night Med cruise from July 13-25, from £1,839 per person.