The old-fashioned promenade deck – is it making a comeback?

There’s no doubt that the soaring space of the Royal Promenade on, say, Independence of the Seas is an impressive facility, lined with shops, bars and restaurants, and an all-weather venue for parties and street parades. But it also has the air of a suburban shopping center.

The promenade was the place to lounge on a teak steamer chair, possibly cocooned in a tartan rug as protection from the Atlantic chill. Rosy cheeks were the desired look, rather than an all-over tan, and before jogging became the rage, competitive couples would pit their skills at deck quoits or shuffleboard. Then came those balconies.  First to the posher suites and then, on many ships, to every single cabin (sorry, stateroom).  Each passenger got their own piece of perfect privacy, even if it was little bigger than a postage stamp, and the promenade deck went into steep decline.

Some ships reduced it to a single strip of deck, the views and the sunbathing opportunities limited by the lifeboats suspended overhead. Others did away with it almost completely. Royal Caribbean even brought it indoors.

The tide is beginning to turn, however. The clever folk who design ships, have realized that most people cruise in order to be close to the sea, not cut off from it.  P&O have announced that their new ship, arriving in 2020, will be girdled by an old-fashioned walkway.  But you don’t have to wait that long.  Promenade decks are already back – and while the modern version may be surfaced in non-slip plastic rather than authentic teak, it’s packed with dining and drinking venues (as well as making the perfect running track  to burn off those calories again).