I was lucky enough to make my first visit to Rosyth and in particular to the Royal Princess this week. The visit was arranged jointly by the Ocean Liner Society and Princess Cruises Captains Club, although I didn't see any other OLS people (we had badges) on board. Rosyth and the Firth were having quite a shipping week what with the
visit a couple of days before of QM2. Many of you will have giggled at the local paper reports that people waved off the Superfast ferry to Belguim, mistaking her for the QM2. I've included a couple of
pictures of her in the Photobucket album, which you can find below.
Royal Princess (soon to be Artemis) was built in 1984, making her the oldest Princess. However this age never showed in the condition of the ship in any spaces we visited, only manifesting itself 2
ways. Firstly the decor on board, and second the constant engine rumble which could be felt everywhere, even though the ship was tied
up. Firstly the Decor. The furnishing and style of the rooms was very 1980s and one suspects each refit must have replaced, rather than updated the furnishings. Passenger facilities are centred on 2
main and 2 outside decks. From the front there is the show lounge, heading aft a bar, Princess court seating area, Casino and shops, followed by another lounge. Each area being furnished with very
similar Mint Green furnishings. A very nice aspect are the large windows, and the overall ships size feels very manageable. There was also a games room and a very small Cinema/ Theatre space. Downstairs the Dining room was a substantial and nicely kept, if exceedingly bland space. The upper decks had the usual tiny pools, Solarium, plus an
observation lounge built around the base of the funnel. Again very well maintained spaces, but nothing special. If you are looking for Glitz or wow then this ship is not (currently) for you. Over lunch I
sat with members of the Captains Circle (P&Os) loyalty programme. My table had veteran cruisers and although the average age was mid 40s
plus, they were all very lively characters. They even commented on how bored they had been on some cruises when there was noone in the
nightclub after 11pm!. Their recent cruising experiences included the Grand Class ships
mainly and they tended to find the Royal pleasant, but 'not for me'. This made me think that Princess is right to dispose of her since she clearly is somewhat out of kilter with their other ships.
Speaking to the charming lady from Captains Circle who organised the event, she said that Royal Princess will be having a refit of the order of 50m pounds. They had noted that the Oceana and Adonia were transferred with very little expenditure and wouldn't be doing the same again. They were also noting how easy it should be to reintegrate Adonia into the fleet. One thing which kind of surprised me is how much my fellow diners
knew about their ships. They all knew the names, something about the history and plans for the Royal Princess, and similar stuff about the other vessels they had sailed on. I thought it was only us
enthusiasts which were interested in these kind of things.
Thanks to OLS and Princess for a nice day out, and to the nice people I met, especially the lovely couple who gave me a lift to the station! Quick tip Rosyth Station is NOT near Rosyth port. Get off
at Inverkeithing instead. Check out the album at
http://img32.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Mattsudds/Royal%20Princess/

Reply from Bruce Peter
A wonderful period piece and in excellent condition. Only the restaurant has been significantly altered and 'blandened' by that talentless woman Theresa-What's-'er-face. The Royal Princess is a splendid liner and one can see elements of Canberra in her upper deck arrangement and of Nordic Prince/Song of Norway and the Royal Vikings in other aspects
of her design and detailing.

Oh - and she's in splendid condition for a 20-year old! As you say, she's a real 1980s period piece - like a Silja Line ferry of the same period. I can't understand why firms like P&O think one can just shift a ship from one brand to another - she's NOT an Aurora or an Oriana and the fact that Adonia is being returned to Princess is surely revealing.