Features display area for photos taken during the cruise as well as a retail area offering film processing, supplies and specialized photo services.

A classic, private club atmosphere filled with the company's maritime history and nautical memorabilia. A great spot for music or cocktails. Seats 107.

Italian dining featuring seafood specialties and other Italian favorites served up with true flair in an authentic trattoria setting. Seats 90.

One of three main show lounges; featuring Vegas-style entertainment. Seats 457.

EMERALD: Deck 8

DOLPHIN: Deck 9

CARIBE: Deck 10

BAJA: Deck 11

ALOHA: Deck 12

Terrace Pool

LIDO: Deck 14

Casual outdoor midship bar adjacent to Neptune's Reef and Pool. Seats 17.

Freshly made pizza by the slice is served at this poolside pizzeria.

Poolside grill serves up hot dogs, hamburgers and other lunch favorites.

A spacious pool is combined with sculptures, colorful mosaics, whirlpool spas and abundant sunning areas.

Haagen Dazs favorites are scooped up at this poolside ice cream bar.

Pool area with simulated coral reef, covered by a retractable crystal dome.

Outdoor bar at Calypso Reef and Pool. Seats 9.

Twenty-four hour dining with indoor and outdoor seating (on connecting Horizon Terrace). Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served buffet style, with a full-service bistro menu offered from 10:30 pm to 4:30 am. Seats 620 plus 105 on terrace.

Serves up drinks on Horizon Terrace overlooking the Terrace Pool.

SUN: Deck 15

Gym and health spa including a swim-against-the-current pool, exercise machines, whirlpool spas, sauna and massage, aerobics room and outdoor track.

Hair care, facials, manicures and other beauty treatments are offered in this spacious beauty treatment area.

Two-story kid's and teen's centers with play areas, games, video arcade, teen disco and a full schedule of activities.

A relaxing outside area, perfect for unwinding high above the waves. Seats 34.

Golf center featuring a nine-hole putting green.

Located under the retractable glass magradome and overlooking the Calypso pool, this indoor/outdoor area can be used for daytime relaxing or evening activities. Seats 112.

A full-service photo center which includes the first complete professional photography studio at sea, allowing portraits to be scheduled by appointment. One-hour film processing and specialized digital photo services are also available.

Virtual reality center featuring a variety of interactive games and golf simulators.

SPORTS: Deck 16

Sports court for paddle tennis, volleyball and basketball with space for spectator seating.

Upper outdoor level of kid's and teen's centers featuring a teen whirlpool spa and private sunning area, and outdoor play area for youngsters complete with whale-shaped splash pool. Offers a full schedule of activities for ages 2-17.

Whirlpool spa area with outdoor Oasis Bar which seats 7.

SKY: Decks 17 & 18

This dramatic glass-enclosed moving sidewalk is the only way to travel to Sky walkers Lounge.

A futuristic space suspended above the stern of the ship, 150 feet above the water. By day, a spectacular observation lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows. After dark, it is transformed into a lively nightclub with state-of-the-art lighting, sound and video effects. Seats 189.

Even before she set sail, Golden Princess had already received her first honor - induction into the prestigious Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. The vessel became part of the first cruise ship fleet ever to be so distinguished by the exclusive gastronomic society.

This honor, which is usually presented to individuals, recognizes the culinary achievements of its recipients. The Princess fleet was the industry's first to be so inducted in 1999, joining an exclusive list of chefs and their fine hotels and restaurants from around the globe that have been granted membership in this society, whose symbol is recognized worldwide as a mark of culinary excellence.

"Our continuing commitment to providing our passengers with the ultimate in Personal Choice has resulted in a number of onboard innovations and accolades," said Dean Brown, Princess' executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service. "We are certainly honored to have this prestigious organization recognize the high culinary standards of our newest ship."

The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is an international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950, based on the traditions of the old French royal guild of meat and poultry roasters, which dates back to 1248. The Chaîne ribbons and plaques awarded to chefs and their establishments are recognized around the world as symbols of culinary excellence and membership is offered only to the finest restaurants and hoteliers.

As the latest innovation to the company's award-winning web site,Princess debuted a live "Wedding Cam" in the vessel's wedding chapel this summer.

"We've created a perfect match - uniting an innovative way for couples to experience the romance of a wedding at sea with the opportunity to share their special day with family and friends at home," said Dean Brown, Princess' executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service. "Our goal was to create an additional option, whether they choose to use it or not, which makes their wedding ceremony special and unique."

The Wedding Cam will beam a live picture from the ship's wedding chapel that can be accessed by clicking on a special link at Princess' web site. Like Princess' Bridge Cams, the image will refresh once a minute, allowing viewers to follow the proceedings as they happen. The camera will be used only when a couple chooses the option prior to their ceremony.

Princess was the first line to introduce live web cams on its web site, showing the locales of its 10 ships around the world in real time. The Bridge Cam network is one of the site's most popular features, and has won widespread acclaim including recognition from NBC Nightly News.

Unique in the cruise industry, Princess' wedding-at-sea program is the only one which allows couples to be married by the ship's captain. The bride and groom may choose from several different wedding and reception packages that include flowers, music, a photo package, champagne, cake and other extras.

The Wedding Cam is just one of the "firsts" launched on princess.com, the most comprehensive web site in the cruise industry. It features the largest selection of 360º IPIX photos available on any cruise line site, enabling viewers to virtually tour the line's ships. In addition visitors to the site can access a wealth of information about Princess' vessels, onboard experience, itineraries and destinations. Princess.com also features an innovative Cruise Personalizer, enabling passengers to pre-reserve their shore excursions as well as provide any additional details about dietary requirements, medical information, or special occasions happening while on board. Other princess.com features include a travel agent locator and novelties such as a Princess screen saver and electronic post cards.

The seemingly endless array of daytime and evening entertainment options offered aboard Golden Princess include exciting Broadway-style revues, state-of-the-art theaters, topflight exercise centers, swimming pools, an interactive game center, a variety of live music performances for both passengers' listening and dancing pleasure, one of the largest casinos afloat - just to name a few. Golden Princess also boasts unparalleled entertainment facilities with three main showrooms, a disco-in-the-sky, numerous bars and lounges - more nightlife than virtually any land-based resort hotel.

Princess has long been recognized for creating exciting original productions for its shipboard stages. Golden Princess and her sister ship, Grand Princess, are the only ships to be designed with three main show lounges, each offering a continually changing lineup of nightlife options. In the state-of-the-art Princess Theater, passengers can watch one of Princess' award-winning original Broadway-style productions each evening. Golden Princess debuted with the line's most spectacular show yet, "Lights, Camera, Action!" Offering a unique mix of comedy, dance and drama, this celebration of various film genres features such high-tech innovations as live video projection, stage elevators, full-color laser effects and digital surround sound.

In the Vegas-style Vista Showlounge, guests may sample an original show one night or see live entertainers, comics and London-style revues on another. And yet another option is found in the enchanting Explorers Lounge, home to live cabaret entertainment.

For late-night fun, a moving "skywalk" takes passengers to dance the night away at Skywalkers Disco, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, state-of-the-art lighting, sound and videos.

Elsewhere on the ship, passengers can relax to the warm sounds of a pianist in the Promenade Lounge and Bar; visit with friends among the maritime memorabilia of the classic Wheelhouse Bar; or watch televised sporting events and catch the latest scores in Players Sports Bar. For more active passengers, Horizon Court is the place to learn the latest dance moves.

The Atlantis Casino, one of the largest at sea, lets gamblers test their luck with the latest in Las Vegas-style technology. Here, they can choose from numerous games of chance, including poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and slot machines. For quieter games, passengers can head to Aces Card Room for bridge or Scrabble®.

During the day, fitness buffs can chalk up laps in one of Golden Princess' four passenger pools, including one with an innovative swim-against-the-current feature. The ship's Lotus Spa offers a full selection of Cruisercise classes, including high- and low-impact aerobics, walk-a-mile, stretch and tone classes, aquacise and personalized workouts. And what better way to end a workout than in the spa's relaxing sauna, or with a massage and body treatment?

Shipboard cruise staff put together a comprehensive daily schedule of activities, with something for everyone. Competitive types can join one of the ships' various tournaments including backgammon, chess or bridge. Ping-pong, pool volleyball and golf chipping contests are also favorite daytime events. Golf fanatics can also test their skills at Princess Links, a nine-hole putting course, or with the golf simulators in the Voyage of Discovery virtual reality center - also home to a variety of other high-tech diversions.

Less active pursuits are offered frequently as well, including a wide range of educational lectures, demonstrations, and a variety of feature films screened in the Princess Theater. A daily selection of movies is also available in the comfort of passengers' own staterooms through Princess' extensive Overseas Television Network, which also broadcasts live CNN and CNBC feeds and programming from the Discovery Channel, BBC, TNT and A&E, plus other special presentations.

Princess' children's program makes sure that the ship's junior passengers keep busy with fun activities. Teens, pre-teens and toddlers will enjoy the expanded Fun Zone and Off Limits youth centers. Golden Princess' youth counselors supervise a full schedule of age-appropriate entertainment and activities sure to keep young sailors happy all day.

For those who want to do nothing but unwind, Golden Princess offers plenty of relaxing options. Passengers can simply enjoy basking in the sun, relaxing in the pool or hot tub, lounging in a deck chair, watching a movie in the cabin, reading a book or listening to a CD in the library. And, providing perhaps one of the most special atmospheres in which to relax, Golden Princess features more than 700 private balconies, which have become a trademark of the Princess fleet.

Whatever the activity, the warm social environment created by Golden Princess' dedicated cruise staff will make it easy for passengers to find the entertainment options that fit their own personal wants, needs and even whims.

This entertainment spectacular debuted to rave reviews last year aboard Grand Princess, winning praise from passengers and theater critics alike, including South Florida's Sun Sentinel theater critic Jack Zink, who said, "Lights Camera Action! is the slickest, most-polished revue among dozens I've seen among several cruise lines during the past several years."

The show is the line's largest and most innovative to date, and features one of the largest casts of performers at sea, the biggest sets ever used on a cruise ship stage, more than 300 costumes and as much scenic variety as found in a Broadway show.

The production takes full advantage of the many technical advancements built into Golden Princess' main theater including video projection, flying wires, stage elevators, a full-color laser system and movie theater-style digital surround sound.

In a departure from the usual movie musical tribute format, "Lights, Camera, Action!" uses the many movie genres as the foundation of an unusual mix of comedy, dance and drama. It is a show about movie styles rather than specific movie moments. Accompanying the audience on this journey through movie space and time is an endearing and mischievous "usher" whose whimsical antics connect the sections of the show.

Passengers will be led on a whirlwind musical voyage through six favorite film genres such as adventure, represented by an Arabian bazaar; horror, where audiences will be transported into a haunted mansion; and the wild west, representing the classic westerns. The show's eclectic mix of music adds to the uniqueness of the show - it ranges from Mozart to Madonna, from Stevie Wonder to Shania Twain, and includes favorite theme music from films such as "Pulp Fiction," "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," and "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

"This is not the typical cruise ship theatrical production," said Rai Caluori, Princess' vice president of entertainment. "At Princess we like to push the envelope a bit and give our passengers something they won't see anywhere else, while at the same time expanding the amount of entertainment choice found on our ships. 'Lights, Camera, Action!' is really a different, contemporary kind of show, and we're excited that our audiences have been raving about it."

The imaginative production from Princess' award-winning entertainment department was created by a respected group of designers and directors with extensive entertainment industry credits. Among them are Director/Choreographer Karen Brace, whose recent projects include the Broadway production of "Saturday Night Fever" and the London production of "Fame"; Production Designer Jeremy Railton, an Emmy Award winner who recently designed concert tours for Diana Ross and the Dixie Chicks, and who will be involved in the 2004 Olympic ceremonies; Musical Director Nelson Kole, who has numerous theater and television credits; Costume Designer Ingrid Ferrin, who has designed costumes for theater and television as well as Barbra Streisand's concert tour; and Lighting Designer Marilyn Lowey, who designed lighting for both Diana Ross and Neil Diamond's concert tours.

The company also constructed all of Princess' recent newbuilds, including Golden Princess' sister ship, Grand Princess, which debuted in 1998 as the then largest cruise ship in the world. The line's Sun Princess, Dawn Princess, Sea Princess, Ocean Princess, Regal Princess and Crown Princess were also constructed by Fincantieri. The latter two vessels marked the shipyard's re-entry into the modern-day cruise-ship building business. Fincantieri is currently constructing a second sister ship to Grand Princess, Star Princess, which will debut in early 2002.

The Merchant Shipbuilding Division of Fincantieri, responsible for the construction of Princess' new ships, operates one of the most advanced automated ship design centers in Europe. The center gives the company's design teams the capability to create technologically advanced, state-of-the-art vessels combining the latest in efficiency and architectural concepts. The yard is also recognized for providing its shipbuilding customers with the highest quality interior finish.

Golden Princess was built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard, one of six yards in the company's shipbuilding division.

Fincantieri, part of the IRJ Group, operates two divisions, offering diversification in the merchant and naval shipbuilding, ship repairing and diesel manufacturing industry.

Golden Princess' design is the work of Giamcomo Mortola, who first developed the ship's striking look as coordinating architect of Grand Princess. Mortola, one of the leaders in cruise ship architecture, has had a longtime affiliation with Princess, having begun his initial work as a technical adviser with the former Sitmar Cruises in 1974. He has been involved in the design of many Princess ships, including several of the spectacular interior spaces aboard Dawn Princess and Sun Princess. Mortola also contributed to the architectural design of Sky Princess, Crown Princess and Regal Princess and oversaw the refurbishments of many Princess ships, including the original Island Princess, Pacific Princess, Royal Princess and several former Sitmar ships. In 1985 Mortola established GEM, an architectural firm specializing in cruise ship design. The Italian-born Mortola is a graduate of the University of Genoa.

As the in-house director of interior design for Princess cruises, Teresa Anderson is responsible for overseeing the conceptual and schematic deign developments for Golden Princess as she did for her sister ship, Grand Princess. She selected or created the many design elements that make up the ship's public areas and passenger accommodations, including color schemes, furniture, fabrics, architectural finishes, carpet, draperies and wall coverings. Previously, she created the interiors of Dawn Princess and Sun Princess. Anderson joined Princess in 1994 from the H. Chambers company, a Baltimore-based design and planning firm, where she headed the 21-member team of professionals responsible for the interior design of the line's Crown Princess and Regal Princess. A native of Peru, Anderson has a long list of outstanding design accomplishments to her credit, from government buildings in Brunei to the Paradise Grand Hotel in the Bahamas.

Captain Bernie Warner, most recently Captain aboard Dawn Princess, commands the vessel. Captain Warner began his seagoing career as a cadet with P&O in 1966, following his training at the School of Navigation in Warsash, England. In 1975 he attained his master's certificate and has since been in command of Island Princess, Pacific Princess, Royal Princess and Grand Princess.

Chief Technical Officer Piero Ferrero, an 18-year Princess employee, graduated from the Nautical School in Camogli, Italy near Genoa in 1973. He joined Sitmar Cruises as First Engineer in 1982, before serving with the Princess fleet after the two companies merged. He was promoted to Chief Engineer in 1993 aboard Regal Princess, and has since served on a number of the line's ships.

Martin Ford serves as Passenger Services Director, a position he previously held aboard Grand Princess. He joined P&O in 1979 as a Junior Assistant Purser aboard Canberra. Ford moved to the Princess fleet in 1981, joining Pacific Princess as Assistant Purser. He then served aboard the original Sea Princess, Royal Princess, and original Sun Princess before being promoted to Purser aboard Fair Princess in 1992. Ford has since served as Purser aboard Royal Princess, Star Princess, Crown Princess, Sky Princess and Sun Princess.

Cruise Director Alastair Greener, who most recently served in the same capacity aboard Grand Princess, began his career at sea with Airtours Sun Cruises after working as a performer in England. He joined Princess in 1997 as an Assistant Cruise Director aboard Dawn Princess and has since served as Cruise Director aboard Sea Princess.

Geraldine Salmon serves as Senior Doctor, a position she also held aboard Sky Princess until its transfer to P&O Australia. She joined Princess in 1994, serving not only on Sky Princess but also aboard Regal Princess, Sun Princess, Island Princess, Crown Princess and Pacific Princess, as well as P&O's Victoria.

Staff Captain is Angelo Vago. He began his career at sea with Sitmar Cruises in 1987. Following the company's merger with Princess, he was assigned to Sky Princess, where he served as Second Officer. He has since sailed on Fair Princess, Dawn Princess, Star Princess, Sun Princess, Regal Princess and Crown Princess. He was promoted to Staff Captain in 1998 aboard Fair Princess.

Lauro Crispi serves as Staff Purser Food & Beverage. Crispi began his cruise career with Sitmar in 1970. He moved through the ranks to his first appointment as Food & Beverage Director in 1984. Since then, he has also been responsible for the Food & Beverage operations on most Princess ships. He also oversaw dining operations logistics during the building and inauguration of Star Princess, Crown Princess and Regal Princess.

Staff Engineer Officer is Carlo Febbraro. Hailing from the Naples, Italy area, Febbraro graduated from Procida Nautical School as a cadet engineer. After a year in the Italian Navy and several contracts aboard cargo vessels, Febbraro joined P&O in 1994 as third engineer on board Fairstar. He has since sailed on a number of Princess vessels and was promoted to Staff Engineer in 2000 aboard Sky Princess.

David Thomas is Staff Electro Technical Officer. Thomas joined P&O in 1973 as Third Electrical Officer aboard Navasa, and served on many of the line's ships before being promoted to First Electrical Officer while working on board Canberra. He has since sailed aboard a number of Princess ships, including Sun Princess, Island Princess and Sun Princess. In 1997 Thomas was part of the newbuild team based in Italy during the construction of Grand Princess.

Golden Princess is fitted with an ECDIS - Electronic Chart Display and Information System which allows vessels to use both official raster charts (ARCS) and, as they become available the latest generation of official electronic charts - ENCs (Electronic Navigational Charts), which are all produced by national hydrographic offices. These all meet IMO specifications.

Leading chart agent Marine Press of Canada arranged the supply of electronic charts direct to the Golden Princess. These are the UK Hydrographic Office's ARCS charts and ENC charts from PRIMAR.

ARCS charts are the UK Hydrographic Office's first generation electronic charts, which display a facsimile of the familiar paper chart on a computer screen on the bridge of the vessel. The vessel's officers are therefore able to monitor the ship's progress because the vessel position is displayed in real time on the same screen. These ARCS charts are well established in the shipping community; they are from an official source, have worldwide cover and they come with a weekly update service.

The ENCs contain layers of navigational information that can be interrogated by the navigator according to his requirements. They also permit alarms to sound if the vessel approaches a navigational hazard. ENCs are a significant contribution to enhanced maritime safety, and will grow in importance as more and more vessels have an ECDIS fitted.

PRIMAR, the European co-ordinating centre for ENCs, organises the receipt and validation of ENCs from over a dozen contributing hydrographic offices, and makes them available in a unified and official service through quality distributors like Marine Press of Canada. To celebrate the launch of the Golden Princess, PRIMAR donated a number of ENCs for its inaugural voyage from Southampton. The UK Hydrographic Office also donated ARCS charts for a three month period, and Golden Princess used them together with paper charts as back-up.

Paul Beggs, Nautical Manager of Princess cruises commented:

"Golden Princess is the first Princess Ship that we have fitted with an approved ECDIS utilising both ARCS and ENCs. As a company committed to safety, we are delighted to receive such public support for our decision from the UK Hydrographic Office and from PRIMAR."

Bob Moss, Director of Marketing & Supply, UK Hydrographic Office commented:

"We are delighted that Princess Cruises adopted a combination of ARCS and ENCs for their latest cruise liner, Golden Princess. The UK Hydrographic Office is dedicated to the task of acquiring the best and most up to date chart data and promulgating this through our world wide series of electronic and paper charts. We support Princess Cruises totally in their commitment to safety at sea."

Phil Wainwright, Operations Manager at PRIMAR commented:

"As the organisation responsible for integrating the ENCs from numerous national hydrographic organisations into a single and official service for the mariner, it gives us great pleasure to be able to work closely with our distributor Marine Press of Canada in supporting the provision of the first ENCs to Princess Cruises, a company clearly at the leading edge in its commitment to navigational safety."

When Princess launched the innovative Grand Princess in 1998, it also debuted the cruise industry's first telemedicine equipment, firmly establishing the company as a leader in cruise ship medical care. Princess subsequently developed additional remote medical systems for its new ships, including innovative teleradiology capabilities aboard Sea Princess and Ocean Princess, helping to design the equipment and software that are now being adopted industry wide.

Golden Princess debuted as the first ship serving the North American cruise market to feature fully integrated digital telemedicine and teleradiology systems. This innovative technology enables the ship's doctors to stream live video, voice and data via satellite to 24-hour on-call land-based specialists who can assist Golden Princess' medical team with specialized advice in managing complex patient cases. This fully integrated feature is unique to the P&O Princess Cruises fleet, having been launched aboard P&O Cruises' Aurora - the only other cruise ship currently equipped with the system.

The technology - which enables the land-based specialists to see and hear the patient - transmits real-time recordings of cardiac monitors, as well as integrated EKG, x-ray and patient documentation to world-recognized medical centers, including the highly regarded Cleveland Clinic, Florida, and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, a facility well known for its expertise with more than 40,000 telemedicine consultations to date.

The accompanying teleradiology system will also enable the physicians on board Golden Princess to digitally transmit x-rays to specialist radiologists, who can provide diagnostic reports on images within 24 hours. Importantly, this environmentally friendly "filmless" technology produces x-ray images without the production of hazardous chemicals which are normally used in x-ray development.

"This new digital telemedicine/teleradiology capability aboard Golden Princess demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that all our passengers have access to the best emergency medical care available, anywhere we sail in the world," said Dr. Grant Tarling, Princess' fleet medical director. "We're also proud that this pioneering technology, which we helped to develop, is now being adopted by other cruise lines as well."

Telemedicine capabilities are just part of Princess' dedication to providing the highest quality medical care at sea. Golden Princess' medical center incorporates many unique features including a dedicated laboratory, x-ray room, pharmacy, in-patient area and five separate wards -three of which are fully equipped Critical Care Units.

Princess is generally regarded as a leader in maritime medicine, with a program that meets or exceeds all of the medical guidelines issued by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) as well as the mandatory standards proposed by the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL). Each of Princess' shipboard medical centers is staffed by up to two British-certified doctors and up to five British-certified nurses, all of whom are full-time maritime medicine specialists. To complement the fully equipped medical center, Princess ships also carry up to seven portable automated external defibrillators, which are strategically located in passenger areas to assist in the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest.

Princess' telemedicine and teleradiology systems were developed with Integrated Dynamics Limited, based in Cambridge, UK.

Information and Photos provided by Princess Cruises

To read more information and view many PHOTOS of Golden Princess, click HERE!

© 1995-2005 Sealetter Travel Inc
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please
Contact Us