Last Sunday my husband and I joined a contingent of travel journalists as guests aboard Princess Cruises’ brand-new Discovery Princess, a 3,660-guest Royal-class ship. As I mentioned last week, we took advantage of the Medallion app to take care of most of the embarkation process before we arrived at the cruise terminal. The cruise line projects that the boarding process, from curb to gangplank, should only take 20 minutes, but unfortunately the port officials at the last minute shifted the ship’s berth to a pier 2.5 miles away from the terminal, creating a raft of challenges for the embarkation team. This meant that thousands of cruise guests and all their luggage had to be transported that distance instead of simply transiting a short span between terminal and ship. Kudos to everyone who pulled off that feat on very short notice!

We boarded under sunny skies, with a light breeze and temperatures in the 60s reminding us it was still spring, while our south-of-the-border destination had us feeling it should be much warmer. It seemed most of the passengers were up on the Lido Deck, surrounding the Sky Pool with drinks in hand and upbeat music playing. Our departure was delayed somewhat as the final pallets of luggage needed to be brought aboard, so I took advantage of the extra time and took myself on a tour of the ship.

I started in the stunning Piazza, a three-story public area amidships lined with shops, restaurants and lounges.      Filled with light and art, it makes a grand impression.   Another stunning venue, the Princess Theater, hosts comics, magicians, singers and big production shows.

There are fine dining venues as well as more casual spots, like the Salty Dog Gastropub.   Everything gleamed, and I admired the attention to detail in the décor, right down to the inlaid marble medallions in the floors.

The fitness center’s size and quantity and quality of equipment impressed me, and I realized it would be a great place to work out: Most of the treadmills and weight machines faced the floor-to-ceiling windows and the sea beyond.   But not all spaces were grand and large; smaller, more intimate ones offer quiet places for reflection and relaxation. The Wake View Pool and its accompanying Bar at the rear of the ship promised a calmer sunning spot than the large and centrally located Sky Pool.

My quick ramble only scratched the surface of all the Discovery had to offer, and I’ve spent the past week getting to know her better. I’ll be sharing some of my impressions of the ship as well as the ports we visited in the coming weeks here, so stay tuned!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor