Royal Princess

The main pool deck pairs a round pool with a fountain feature, one of the signatures of Royal Princess, and a long rectangular pool that works well for morning laps. At night the fountains dance with lights. The giant Movies Under the Stars screen shows first-run films and big games, with blankets, popcorn, and cookies and milk. Tiered sun decks, shaded seating, hot tubs, two pool bars, Prego Pizzeria and the Trident Grill round it out.

Just forward of the main pool, The Retreat is an adults-only sun deck with a pool big enough for laps, first-come, first-served cabanas and day beds, and its own bar. For an upgrade, The Sanctuary sits in the crown of the ship with 270-degree views. It's a calm, spa-style space with heavily padded loungers for one or two, infused waters and spa music. Passes are sold by the day or for the whole cruise, and cabanas cost extra.

The buffet, signed Horizon Court when Danny filmed and now listed by Princess as World Fresh Marketplace, is the truly casual option for breakfast, lunch, dinner and bites into the evening. Matching lines on both sides keep it moving, with egg stations, made-to-order salads and a bakery in the middle. The pastry shop doubles as a coffee bar, and Swirls serves soft serve. Out back, the Horizon Terrace and the Outrigger Bar face the wake.

Camp Discovery is built in partnership with Discovery and Animal Planet, so programming ties into where the ship is sailing, like whales and bears on the way to Alaska. The Treehouse, for ages 3 to 7, has a slide, a reading nook, arts and crafts and an outdoor trike area. The Lodge, for 8 to 12, has skee-ball, foosball and video games. Teens 13 to 17 get the Beach House, which turns into their own nightclub.

The Wheelhouse Bar is a classic Princess venue, themed with ship pictures and a map wrapped around the bar, and live piano music before dinner. Next door, the Crown Grill steakhouse has an open kitchen, so the room fills with the smell of the grill. Expect shrimp cocktail, black and blue French onion soup, seafood, chops and steaks. Seating runs from tables for two to booths for eight, plus a wine room that seats 10.

Modeled on an Italian town square, the Piazza is the heart and soul of the ship, spanning decks five to seven with two glass staircases and a bandstand for live music and DJs. Around it sit Crooners piano bar, the Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar for sushi, Alfredo's Pizzeria with its real pizza oven, Bellini's, Vines wine bar, Good Spirits at Sea with mixologist Rob Floyd, Gelato and the International Café for coffee and bites all day.

Royal Princess has three main dining rooms, Concerto, Symphony and Allegro, all with musical themes, frescos and murals. Concerto is home to Reserve Collection dining for full-suite and Reserve Collection Mini-Suite guests, with extra menu items and expedited seating. Allegro is the tricky one to find, reached only through the aft elevators or stairs. Each room has a special table used for tasting menus, including Chef's Table Lumiere, a wine-paired dinner at extra cost.

The Lotus Spa covers massages, wraps, a med-spa and even acupuncture, plus a full-service salon with teeth whitening, manicures and pedicures. A relaxation room with infused waters starts each visit, and couples villas add a shared shower and a large soaking tub. The Enclave thermal suite centers on a hydrotherapy pool with jets, ringed by warm stone loungers, experience showers, a hammam, a laconium and a caldarium for a full circuit.