The "sea witch" is literally bigger than ever for Princess Cruises as the line's classic icon now fully dons the bow of the Royal Princess. The new livery was announced to be applied to the upcoming Majestic Princess and eventually the rest of the fleet as well, and the first Royal-class ship is the first to set sail with the look fresh out of dry-dock.
Besides the bold new forward applique, the ship's name has also been repositioned a bit farther back in much larger letters than before, and the Princess Cruises logotype has also made its hull debut near the aft stern. Altogether, the brand and ship are much more identifiable from afar, and the line spelled out for the first time better familiarizes passersby with the company for those who do not already recognize it.
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Also interesting to note is how the Royal Princess, when introduced in 2013, was the first of the fleet to apply the sea witch's flowing hair from left to right on the smokestack's starboard side (pictured below) as is the official orientation of the logo as seen printed or online. On previous ships, the logo appeared blowing back in reverse much like a flag is seen applied to aircraft livery. However, the symbol on the bow reverts to the traditional positioning now in conflict with the smaller logo above. Whether or not, it will also be changed to match is to be seen.
Another new final aesthetic detail is the color band along the waterline. Before, it was the same blue as the logo, but now it has been curiously swapped for red like that on P&O Cruises' Britannia, the corporate cousin's take on the Royal-class ship. Perhaps, it is a subtle nod to the other brand or merely an indication of a new anti-fouling paint, the lower hull coating that stems the growth of subaquatic organisms. Also practically helpful is how the anchor and its upper shelter are now blue, which will more easily disguise rust stains than the previous white.
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As a trained graphic designer, when I first saw the newly planned Princess Cruises livery, I was a bit taken aback, thinking the sea witch was too much of a single image to be applied so largely to the bow. In comparison, other cruise ship hull art tends to be more varied with multiple colors and changing patterns. But, the Princess variety is starting to grow on me actually as the wave-like hair appropriately and dramatically trails from the bow.
However, the smokestack icon should really be made to match again, and the only other issue I have with the forward design is that the signature sunburst seal interrupts the blue from covering the entire tip of the bow. Otherwise, I truly look forward to seeing how the livery looks when rolled out to the feet's remaining ships.
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