Most of us are too young — ah, isn't it nice to be called too young? — to remember the Battle of Britain. We read about it in history books, we may have even heard stories from family members who fought in World War II, maybe even seen a movie or something on the History Channel, but it's somewhat removed from our mindsets.
To cruise aficionados like us, the Battle of Britain is what's happening this year.
Princess versus Royal Caribbean.
They're not exactly launching armadas but they are drawing lines in the water, so to speak, in the fight for United Kingdom cruise passengers and dollars.
A year ago, the Duchess of Cambridge (aka, Princess Kate) christened the Royal Princess just a few weeks before her own royal offspring arrived — Baby Cambridge is a Royal Prince. The ship she can call her own left later last year to spend the summer in the Caribbean, and now she's going back to her christening roots,
Next summer, the Royal Princess will be loaded — Princess Cruises hopes — with British passengers. She was to be the biggest ship (3,600 passengers) sailing the English Channel and assorted waters connected to it.
And then Anthem of the Seas (pop. 4,100) came along.
Royal Caribbean's newest ship-to-be, No. 2 in the Quantum Class, will be launched in April 2015. That's just before the Royal Princess returns and Anthem, too, will be hoping to stock up on British travelers.
Add to the mix P&O's new ship, Britannia, which will appear a month before Anthem of the Seas.
As a good friend and ex-Brit of ours would say "Advantage Princess." To him, Princess and P&O are "same thing."
Ruby Princess
4 nights
March 20, 2014
Fort Lauderdale (return): Cozumel
Inside $249
Cost per day: $62
www.princess.com