Cruise
Lots to Love about the Discovery Princess West Coast Getaway
by Jennifer Merrick
“We chose this cruise because of the ship,” said Cindy, a fellow dinner companion, as we were sipping cocktails on the red carpet waiting to be ushered into 360: An Extraordinary Experience, a theatrical meal extravaganza. She went on to say that she and her husband had been on the Discovery Princess in Alaska this past summer and just loved it.
“So, it wouldn’t have mattered where the ship was going?” I asked.
“Not at all,” she said, and her husband nodded.
Really? Personally, the Four-Day West Coast Getaway appealed to us for a number of reasons, most importantly, an itinerary that included a full day in port in San Diego and Mexico. It never crossed my mind to think about the ship itself. But after being on the Discovery Princess, it would be a consideration in the future.
Built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, the Discovery Princess first set sail in 2022, and is the sixth and final newbuild in the cruise line’s Royal Class of ships. The 19-deck, 3,660-passenger ship lives up to her name with design and function that combines elegance with modernity and luxury with accessibility.
The heart of the Discovery Princess is the three-deck high piazza, reached by dazzling glass and marble, spiral staircases or glass elevators. Besides its stunning design, the piazza serves its traditional Italian function by acting as the ship’s social hub. Live music has a ubiquitous presence throughout the ship, but especially here, where international performers entertain guests with music that ranges from classical violinists and jazz to lively mariachi bands and pop songs. Many of the restaurants connect to the piazza, which offers a lively atmosphere to accompany the meals.
The pool area on decks 16 and 17 is also impressive, particularly the largeness of the two pools and movie screen, which projects hit films for the popular Movies Under the Stars events. But it can be quite busy, which is why we appreciated The Sanctuary, a tucked away adult-only space with its own pool, hot tub and lounging areas.
Technology also sets the Discovery Princess apart. At times, I thought we were in a futuristic movie, especially when the door to our cabin automatically opened as we approached it. And it’s all connected to a quarter-sized medallion that arrived at our house weeks earlier. Combined with the app, it allowed us to breeze through the boarding process without standing in line, order food from anywhere in the boat, make reservations, locate other family members and navigate around the ship.
With the design and tech features, I could easily see why our dinner companion would choose the cruise based on the ship. However, personally, it could never be the only reason. The experiences that we enjoyed both aboard and on shore played an even bigger role in making our West Coast cruise such a memorable getaway, including the 360 Dinner Experience we were about to embark upon.
Indulging in the tastes, smells, sights and sounds of the Mediterranean
The invitation promised that we’d be escorted to a secret location on the ship, where we’d be transported to the Mediterranean through our senses. My curiosity was piqued. It wasn’t long before we were led to a tucked-away room, which immediately came alive when blue lighting bathed the interior, and a violinist serenaded us.
Each course and each drink paired with it brought us to another locale in the Mediterranean. For instance, the scent of lemons wafted through the air at the same moment images of Italy’s Amalfi Coast and its lemon groves surrounded us. With a wave of a hand, animated lemons danced on our plates. Italian growers, whose families have been producing the fruit for centuries gave virtual commentaries, before the taste of a pasta appetizer with a lemony cream sauce delighted our taste buds. The paired wine brought us to Costa Bravo, Spain, where the coastal waters aged the elixir under the sea. In similar fashion, we toured some of the most beautiful and delicious places in Spain, Italy and France, where we finished in Champagne, of course, and toasted our theatrical feast.
Watching sea lions frolicking on the rocks in La Jolla
Our San Diego shore excursion ushered us to San Diego’s top sights and neighborhoods with a knowledgeable local guide. We awed at the art and architecture in Balboa Park, the nation’s largest cultural park, and explored Old Town’s historic buildings, cemetery and restaurants offering authentic Latino cuisine. But it was the sea lions who stole the show and our hearts on the outing. Located 25 minutes north of San Diego, La Jolla with its limestone cliffs, water caves and colorful murals is considered the ‘Jewel of Southern California’. Walking down the stairs to the beach, we were greeted by a colony of sea lions lounging on rocks. Some were scratching their ears with a flipper, others were lifting their necks to catch the sun and one pair seemed to be playing a game of King of the Castle, jockeying for a prime position on the top of a choice rock. None seemed bothered by our presence, and there was no need for a zoom lens to catch it all on camera.
Detoxing with an Aroma Spa Seaweed Massage
“Detox or energizing wrap,” I was asked at the beginning of my treatment at Lotus Spa. After the indulgences of our Mediterranean feast, I opted for the latter. The 90-minute therapy consisted of an exfoliating scrub, and a seaweed wrap followed by a heavenly massage. Detoxing never felt so good. The seaweed massage was one of dozens of services available from a menu that included acupuncture, facials, salt stone therapy and nail and hair services.
Retoxing at a Caymus Winemaker dinner
Instrumental in bringing California’s wine to the attention of the world, the renowned Caymus Vineyard has recently partnered with Princess in the curation of a winemaker’s dinner. This exquisite dining experience pairs each course with a Caymus wine personally selected by owner and winemaker, Chuck Wagner. Our sommelier was passionate about the wine he was sharing and took us through each tasting and pairing in this intimate and indulgent dinner.
Marveling at La Bufadora
Ensenada, Mexico, a coastal city 90 miles south of San Diego, was our second port of call. We enjoyed our time ashore here buying jewelry and crafts at a local market and touring Riviera del Pacifico, a glamourous hotel of a bygone era. Movie stars like Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz used to party here and its Bar Andaluz claims to have invented the margarita. But the highlight was La Bufadora, a blow hole which sprayed out 100-foot gushes of salty water. Caused by the tidewater being forced through a narrow opening, this unusual natural phenomenon has been astounding spectators over many millennia. Its origin, according to local folklore, was a whale who became trapped and blew water to attract attention, but she was never rescued and turned to stone.
Meeting Captain Alex on the bridge
A bridge tour was an eye-opener on the behind-the-scenes workings of the cruise. Like something you might imagine at NASA, multiple screens displayed real-time data and charts while the bridge team watched both the information coming in on the displays and the surrounding waters through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Captain Alessando Genzo, or Captain Alex as he referred to himself, oversaw it all. He told us that there were only two ships he’s loved over his many years at sea.
“And Discovery Princess is one of them.”
