Ship Visit Information

Ship: Hebridean Princess
Visit Date: 15 August 2015
Port: Chatham Docks
Cruise Line: Hebridean Island Cruises
Review Author: Harry Cotterill

On August 15, 2015 I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful Hebridean Princess during her maiden visit to Chatham Docks. I was joined aboard by Gavin Pamment.

Upon arriving on the quayside just before 14:30 Gavin and I spotted the Captain who came over and welcomed us and quickly escorted us on board. Upon boarding the vessel we were given our visitor passes and taken to the Conservatory on Promenade Deck where Captain Richard Heaton invited us to enjoy a drink with him.

After finishing our drinks and chatting with the Captain for a while, he invited us to tour the ship with him. Our guided tour started on the Promenade Deck. Here we left the Conservatory and took a look at the Tiree Lounge, which is the main lounge on board the ship where passengers meet each night and overlooks the bow of the ship.
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​Next up we explored the Library which is located just round the corner of the Tiree Lounge. Although quite small, the Library is perfectly large enough for the number of guests on board and provides excellent views and natural light for reading, playing board games or putting together a challenging puzzle! Moving aft we entered the Look Out Lounge, a small lounge which leads onto the outdoor Promenade Deck.

Moving down to the Princess Deck, we got to take a look at the Columba Restaurant. Unlike much larger cruise ships there is plenty of space between tables and chairs and lots of tables for couples too.

Heading back up to the Promenade Deck we ventured out on to the Skye Deck. Located at the stern of the vessel, this outdoor deck space has plenty of seating and tables making it perfect for barbeques when the weather is nice. Directly above is the Boat Deck which at the stern also provides outdoor seating as well as sun loungers.

Making our way along the Boat Deck we passed the lifeboats and funnel before the Captain took us into the bridge. The bridge looks very different from the much larger newer cruise ships, but still has all the modern navigational technology and equipment.

Whilst on the bridge I took the opportunity to officially present my brand new drawing to Captain Richard Heaton. He seemed quite impressed and even mentioned about maybe displaying it on board if they could find a suitable location. After the drawing presentation Gavin and I took a moment to have a photograph taken together with the Captain on the starboard bridge wing.

The Captain escorted us back to reception before we disembark the vessel after what was a somewhat brief but nevertheless enjoyable time on board Hebridean Princess.

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