Plush suites and smart tech onboard Sky Princess

Silence falls across the auditorium as the first notes from the orchestra burst over the rapt audience. A masked ballerina rises out of the stage floor, the jewels on her white tutu mirroring the sparkle of the waves lapping our ship.

It’s a dramatic opening to Sky Princess’s new musical production Rock Opera. “It combines the best of classic rock, musical theatre and opera,” says Tony Roberts, the line’s vice-president, UK and Europe. Songs are performed in English, Spanish and sign language, making the show feel inclusive.

From rock singers to high-tech gadgets, Sky Princess has plenty to offer, as I discover for myself on a preview sailing of the new ship departing from Trieste, calling at Kotor in Montenegro before finishing in Athens.

Smart thinking

As I head back to my cabin after the show, I’m in the enviable yet inconvenient position
of having a plate of fresh pizza in one hand and a cold drink in the other. Thanks to wearable tech Ocean Medallion, which I’m sporting as a necklace, I can lean down on the handle to unlock the door hands-free, with no spillages in sight.

Unlocking guest rooms is just one of the handy features of Ocean Medallion, which is the size
of a 10p piece. Clients can also order drinks to anywhere on the ship thanks to location technology and pay for them using the device.

In my balcony stateroom, I enjoy breakfast while looking out across the Mediterranean Sea each morning. My Princess Luxury Bed, a staple in all rooms, is comfortable and a good size. Clients can also opt to stay in a Premium Oceanview stateroom, which features floor-to-ceiling windows rather than a balcony, or they can plump for a Club Class suite, which has a separate living room area complete with a sofa bed and coffee table, a bathroom with a tub and complimentary 24-hour room service.

Sky Princess will end its Mediterranean season in November before commencing a six-month Caribbean season, followed by Scandinavia and Russia sailings from April 2020.