Travel Maven Blog ...... David Molyneaux posts from TheTravelMavens.com

Cruising on the new Royal Princess

With all the hoopla today about George Alexander Louis, also known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, I’m reminding my friends that I saw Kate’s first baby weeks ago.

The Duchess of Cambridge at the Royal naming

That was the occasion of another naming, the cruise ship Royal Princess, of which the Duchess of Cambridge is godmother. Just sayin’.

Significantly pregnant with George Alexander Louis, she wowed the crowd in Southampton, England, with a short speech, followed by the crashing of a Nebuchadnezzar  of Moet et Chandon across the bow of the new ship.

The new Royal Princess is the largest "Love Boat" ever.

The ship, with a capacity of 3,560 passengers, is  cruising now in the Mediterranean until October, then in the Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale through April 2014.

Big ship exclusivity, breaking away from the cruise crowd

Cruise ships, like hotels and resorts, figured out years ago how to accommodate travelers who were willing to pay extra for exclusivity.

They designed a concierge deck or floor, adding special perks such as a comfy sitting area with food, cocktails, and a big TV, as well as a savvy employee to make arrangements for meals, shows, and excursions.

The latest trend in cruise accommodations aboard big ships is to take that concierge level another step up the luxury ladder.

Two of the five water slides on Norwegian Breakaway, where 84 of 4,028 passengers sleep in The Haven, a ship within a ship (Photo by David G. Molyneaux, TheTravelMavens.com)