I recently was lucky enough to experience a 5 night ‘European Sampler’ cruise on board Enchanted Princess. Departing from Southampton UK, this mini European adventure included stops at Rotterdam (Amsterdam), Zeebrugge (Bruges) and Guernsey (UK channel island). It also allowed one full day at sea, where I was able to enjoy all the amazing facilities on board Enchanted Princess.
Enchanted Princess is cruising from Southampton for the whole of Summer 2022, and there are plenty of Southampton cruise deals to choose from, including a 4 night ‘sampler’ cruise to Rotterdam and Guernsey from £379 per person. There are also 7 night Mediterranean cruises from £459 per person. Tempting right? But before you think about a cruise of your own, get to know Enchanted Princess a little better in this ultimate cruise ship guide.
This blog post has been written in sponsored partnership with Princess Cruises. All views are my own.
Ultimate Cruise Ship Guide to Enchanted Princess
Enchanted Princess at a Glance
Officially launched in 2021, Enchanted Princess is one of the newest ship in the Princess fleet and can accommodate up to 3,660 guests.. There are more than 15 dining options on board, from speciality restaurants to buffet dining at the World Fresh Marketplace. There are 3 outdoor pools onboard, one of which is adult only. All pools are surrounded by plenty of hot tubs, which can be enjoyed even on the coldest of cruises. There’s also a state-of-the-art gym, a theatre, a sports court, basketball courts, mini golf, an open air running track, the Lotus spa with its own hydrotherapy pool and wellness area, a casino, bars, nightclubs, a kid’s club and so much more.
Enchanted Princess: What’s Included
From a la carte dining to West End-calibre entertainment and the kids club, so much on board is inclusive of the price of your cruise. You could dine a la carte for every meal of your cruise at no extra cost in the main dining rooms, or enjoy fresh local food in the expansive World Fresh Market, the ship’s buffet dining option. As a parent myself,I think fact that the kids club is inclusive and can be used every day of the cruise is brilliant and it massively enhances this cruise ship’s appeal to families.
When you’re not off the ship exploring different ports, there is a whole programme of daily activities and entertainment which is all inclusive of the cost of your cruise. Look out for the Daily Patter arriving on your bed at turndowns service each night to see ‘what’s on’ the next day.
Go all-inclusive with Princess Plus
Water, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are not included in the cost of your cruise, although upgrading to the Princess Plus package (£40 per day per adult) allows guests up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day (up to the value of $12 each).
It also includes all unlimited Medallion Net Wi-Fi and gratuities, so this package does provide excellent value for money. We were signed up to the Princess Plus package on our recent cruise and we definitely made the most of it.
If you enjoy having a few drinks each day on holiday it’s an option worth considering. For those that don’t drink alcohol, it wouldn’t be cost effective.
Award-Winning Medallion Class
Every guest on board Enchanted Princess gets to travel in MedallionClass, which means you’re given a Medallion which is, quite literally, the key to your cruise. The Medallion is the size of a ten-pence coin and through the clever Medallion technology, you can check in and out of the ship with ease, enter your stateroom and even pay for extras around the ship, meaning there’s no need for cash or a bank card. You also get access to the newly designed MedallionClass app, in which you can order drinks or room service to your state room, or anywhere else on the ship. Guests are asked to carry the Medallion with them at all times and the cruise shops even sell accessories and jewellery so you can carry it in style.
Enchanted Princess Staterooms and Suites
There are a variety of staterooms and suites to choose from to suit all budgets. The lowest price cabins are the interior cabins. Whilst these cabins don’t have a window, they will provide you with brilliant value. On my recent press trip I stayed in a mini suite which was wonderfully spacious, with its own lounge area that can convert to a bed (ideal for families). The mini suite also had its own balcony and I was impressed that the bathroom had a full sized bath tub. Our personal steward Henry provided excellent service throughout the whole cruise which really enhanced the mini suite experience.
Speciality Dining
There are 3 speciality dining restaurants on board Enchanted Princess, which you can experience a 3-5 course meal at for a surcharge of around $29 per head. Ranging from Sabatini’s Italian restaurant ($25pp) to the Crown Grill steakhouse ($29pp) and even the Chef’s Table Lumiere ($115pp for multiple courses with wine), you can expect exceptional food and service in these restaurants. My favourite speciality dining experience was Sabatini’s as the flavours and ingredients were so authentically Italian, as was our waiter!
There’s also Ocean Terrace seafood bar which serves freshly made sushi and Salty Dog Gastro Pub. Both of these places charge by the dish rather than a set menu price. All the other restaurants on board are inclusive of your cruise price including a la carte options.
Entertainment
The standard of entertainment on board Enchanted Princess was definitely an unexpected bonus for me. For two nights of the cruise we visited the main theatre after dinner to watch 2 productions; Rock Opera and Five Skies. The cast were extremely talented. Without giving too much away, you can expect mesmerising singing, dancing, costumes and special effects. It was far from cabaret. I’d definitely recommend checking out the shows for a great way to round off your evening on board the ship.
The Kids Club: Camp Discovery
I was very impressed by the expansive Camp Discovery kids club facilities on the ship. There are three separate rooms for different age groups spanning from 3-7, 8-12 and 12-17. Each room is perfectly equipped for the age of the kids in it, and the youngest room even has a small soft play area and an outdoor play deck. As a Mum, I looked at everything on my recent from a parents’ perspective and there are so many child and teen friendly aspects of a Princess Cruise. The Kid’s Club is just one of my 9 Reasons to try Cruising with Kids.
The Enclave at Lotus Spa
The Lotus Spa offers a fantastic range of treatments during your cruise but for an extra-special experience, guests can book access to The Enclave, home to Princess’ largest-ever thermal suite. There’s a hydrotherapy pool with rain showers and air jets, a hammam Turkish steam bath, herbal steam chamber, dry sauna and heated stone beds. There are also experience showers which have to be tried! I spent over an hour in The Enclave before my Himalayan Salt Stone massage and collectively the experience was phenomenal. It’s hard to wrap your head around that you can experience all of this whilst sailing at sea on a cruise ship. Surreal but amazing!
The Staff
The staff are another asset of Enchanted Princess. I can think of various moments when I really felt like staff went ‘above and beyond’ to meet my needs. From Harry the bartender at Good Spirits bar who edited the recipe to make me my perfect margarita, to January the therapist in The Lotus Spa who make me feel so at ease and relaxed during my treatment. Nothing is too much trouble for them. I also love that the staff are encouraged to let their personality shine through and share humour with the guests. The service is brilliant but there is a friendly informality amongst the staff which really puts you at ease.
Shore Excursions
When it comes to docking in the ports, there are a number of ways to experience each place. Princess Cruises offer organised tours in each destination, which you can book on to in advance of your cruise, or when you are onboard. It’s better to book early to ensure you secure a space. The tours differ in each port and there is usually something to cater to all ages and fitness levels. Some last a full day, and others are just a half day. They offer something called the Princess Promise which means that if you find the tour cheaper elsewhere, they will refund you the difference.
Other ways to explore the ports is to book a transfer into the heart of the place you are visiting, and spend the day exploring on your own. Just be sure to check when the last transfer back to the ship is.
Sometimes the ports are too small for the cruise ship to dock in, so it lays anchor offshore instead. For these ports, all guests can catch the free tenders to the shore. We did this on our final port day in Guernsey and didn’t book a tour so that we could explore the island independently. The other option for shore days is to spend all day on the ship, if you prefer to take it easy that day, but personally I am all for exploring each port I stop at on the cruise!
Read these tips for booking a shore excursion.
Sky Princess Sun Deck Pool
Enchanted Princess, along with the rest of the Princess cruise ships, sail all around the world. So whether you’re looking to cruise on a specific ship or a specific route, there will always be plenty of choice.
Browse all the latest cruise deals from Princess Cruises.
Browse cruises on board Enchanted Princess.
Read about my 10 Day Baltic Capitals Cruise on board Regal Princess
What did you think of this Ultimate Cruise Ship Guide to Enchanted Princess? Is there anything you think I’ve missed out? If you have any further questions about the ship, simply leave a comment below and I will get back to you. Jess x
