thecruisingfarmer

1 hour ago, hughesthedaddy said:

My husband an I have just come off the Diamond 2 days ago. During refurbishment mostly carpets were changed. Just to make you aware International cafe was not put in during this dry dock. They updated screens in club fusion. 

During this cruise the captain also announced that they were putting level 3 protocol measures in place as there were a lots of reports of gastrointestinal problems. I found out since that the cruise prior to dry dock had the same problems. 

Thank you for the update!

6 hours ago, EDVM96 said:

You should ask here, they are on board right now:

 

Good call. I'll do that. Thanks!

The Diamond just came out of dry dock but I’m not finding any specifics on what was done other than a short IG clip showing a fresh paint job on the hull. A few months ago there were rumors of an International Cafe. Anyone seen or heard anything? 

@ConnieTact thanks for posting! We’ll be on this itinerary for Christmas next year. 

2 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

I don't know if there are roll away beds for guests to borrow but one suggestion is to give the teens the upstairs bed. I believe (not 100% sure) that the bed upstairs can split. 

 

I'm booked in the same stateroom type on World America but I obviously haven't sailed on it, yet. My kids don't mind sharing a bed so it hasn't been an issue for us. I'm not entirely sure if the bed upstairs can hide an inflatable twin mattress underneath but if it can, that's another option.

 

You can always put the sofa cushions on the floor and have the teens play rock, paper, scissors every night to see who sleeps on the sofa bed.

Thanks for the ideas - all great ones, BTW. My wife and I wanted the real bed upstairs because those pullout couches tend to be on the uncomfortable side. An inflatable mattress is definitely a possibility. Hate to lug it with us to Rome, but they are cheap enough we could leave it behind. 

Our family of four (including two teens) will be in one of the Yacht Club duplex suites with whirlpool next December. After many Princess and Disney cruises, this will be our first time on MSC. Our kids would rather die than have to share a double bed. Does anyone know if MSC will allow a rollaway bed on the first floor if one kid sleeps on the couch (not converted to a double bed)? 

Thank you for taking time out of your vacation to post. We’re on a 14 day Emerald sailing in July 2025. Very good to hear the service has been top notch. 

Thanks for sharing. Been eyeing Antarctica but wondered if our two teens would be the only ones onboard. How were the seas on your sailing? I’ve heard they can be quite rough. 

4 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Being able to sit out on and walk around the entire Promenade deck is something I enjoy.

Agree! I’ve also missed my aft cabin with the sound of that beautiful wake. All the other stuff is secondary to being on the water. 

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

I am currently on Emerald Princess.  Ship in good condtion, food and service good, amenities are good, entertainment fair; I am completely satisfied and I think you will be too.

That’s great to hear. Thanks for the reassurance. We like the character of the older ships as long as they are being well maintained. 

Thanks for sharing your feedback. I felt quite anxious after reading this review as my family is booked for a 14 day British Isles sailing in summer 2025 on Emerald. Going back to look at other recent reviews/lives, some folks are (thankfully) having a very different and more positive experience on Emerald. With our very port intensive itinerary, we’re prioritizing the destinations more than the vessel. I’ll continue to track the feedback prior to the final payment deadline. We’re excited to get back to cruising after a break of several years. Booked for the Diamond (also an older ship) in Japan in June and for our first MSC sailing in Europa YC in the Med next Christmas. 

2 hours ago, Aggie83 said:

 

 

From my Dec 2022 Sapphire Antarctica experience, yes internet is weak to non-existent when cruising Antarctica.  If strong internet access at all times is a high priority for you, then Antarctica is probably not the best destination.

 

FWIW, my DH and I are booked on the Dec 2024 Sapphire Antarctica cruise. It was such a beautiful and unique experience that we thought we'd do it again. Hopefully, this time weather will cooperate and we'll make Punta Arenas, Port Stanley, and the originally planned Antarctica route.

Everything I've read and watched about Antarctica seems to indicate that you just have to be really flexible and open to the adventure of it all. I'm sure that includes internet access too! I was reading through a Princess Antarctica live thread (from 2023, I think) and they said the internet was pretty strong. Fortunately it's not a must-have for us, so we'd never turn down that itinerary based on internet access. Hope you have an amazing trip next December. We just might be on that ship with you!

On 12/17/2023 at 8:14 PM, seafun said:

Has anyone been on Sapphire around Antarctica?  I am worried that even with StarLink, the wifi signal may be weak or nonexistant for the days at "the bottom of the world," far from satellites.

We are thinking about doing the Antarctica sailing on Sapphire next year. Was wondering the same thing about internet. 

On 12/10/2023 at 1:23 PM, Jim and Monika said:

How often does Princess run promotions for 3rd and 4th passengers? Can the promotion be used after booking?

 

We booked two cruises back in September (Japan 2024 and British Isles 2025) for our family of four. Both suites and both with the kids free. Would love to get that deal again, but this sale seems to allow the 3rd and 4th free only in categories of standard balcony and below. 

Gotta say, this is a really heartening thread. We haven’t cruised since the restart and have three Princess sailings booked starting next year, including a couple of bucket list trips. I was getting depressed reading CC lately. It’s nice to be reminded why we love Princess!

PCL allows us to have a peaceful, easy, relaxing vacation. Relative to other mass market lines, the lack of onboard thrills and party vibes feels like a more luxury experience, which even our teens appreciate. We’re a family of four introverts who appreciate the design of Princess ships. 

We’re booked for an 8 day Japan itinerary on the Diamond in June. This will be our first trip to Japan, so no first hand experience yet. However, I’ve done a ton of research and found some very comprehensive reviews of the Diamond on YouTube from some popular bloggers who cruised Japan during the festival season in August.
 

Some tidbits I’ve learned about Japan:

As someone else mentioned, weather is a big consideration since Japan seems to have some extremes. We’ll be there during rainy season in June but, with school-aged kids, we’re limited to summer break and rain is more desirable than the heat and humidity of July/August. 

If the sailing includes South Korea, be prepared for lengthy customs processing at the next Japanese port. Beware if booking a non-Princess excursion that day. 
 

“Sightseeing Japan” podcast is an amazing resource! They never mention cruising at all, but lots of detailed information about many of the ports of call. It was so good I plan to go back and listen to many of the episodes a second time. Great resource for planning self-guided port days and for learning about cultural aspects. 
 

Other than Yokohama (Tokyo) the majority of ports are not typical tourist destinations. You’ll want to combine the cruise with a land stay if you want to see the “big rock” inland cities like Kyoto. Fortunately the train infrastructure makes that very doable. 
 

Japan is a wildly popular destination right now, so be prepared for crowds. We booked pre- and post-cruise hotels three months ago (10 months in advance of the trip) and got exactly what we wanted. I just checked this week and those hotels are already selling out. 
 

There isn’t much activity for Japan itineraries on CC or FB groups. Most likely due to the large proportion of people on those sailings being from Japan and China. English speakers will be in the minority, but my family is really excited about the international aspect of the cruise. 
 

Best wishes planning your cruise!

44 minutes ago, dog said:

Can you post the link here. I was not able.

"Best Suites on Sun Princess" by Cruise With Amber

https://cruisewithamber.co.uk/best-suites-on-sun-princess/

42 minutes ago, dog said:

Hi,

we also booked the S9 suite and the article: Cruisebyamber

has been very helpful.

It was written in May ‘23.

it says the Signature Sun Deck is adult only. ( at this time)

 

cannot post a link- google it - Sun Princess Signature Suites- cruisebyamber

Thanks for sharing - I found it. The more I think about it, I think we'd rather have this area adults only since we can't control other peoples kids and the Sun is likely to be more families than a typical PCL ship. Our teens will have plenty to do on the Sun anyway. 

11 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Ahh your post made it seem as if they weren’t. Sorry. Your question has been a loooong debate on the NCL Haven threads. Often, children take over the Haven pools and hot tubs making it difficult for adults to enjoy them as well. NCL decided to make the sun deck area 16+ to help remedy the situation. I do not know what Princess has  in mind for their suite area. Great question! 

Yeah, it will be interesting to see how those suite areas turn out. We’re in a smaller stateroom than usual with the expectation/hope that we can use the suite deck and lounge as an extension of our living quarters. We’re a bunch of introverts who enjoy peace and quiet. Can’t wait to follow along on the live threads of those first sailings!

10 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Keep in mind, based on other cruise lines if you are not booked in a suite you do not receive the suite privileges. I have sailed in the NCL Haven suite area and can attest that even if you have children/relatives booked in non-Haven cabins they will NOT be able to share in your Haven/suite perks. Blest to check with Princess directly on this. 

Thanks for that heads-up, but they are booked in the suite with us. 

Hi everyone! Just finished reading this entire thread. We’re booked for the 12/21/24 sailing to celebrate my 50th birthday. Very excited to be on this new ship and level up to elite upon completion. We booked one of the S9 signature suites and paid a couple thousand more than a mini in hopes that those new suite perks will be worth it. We’re sailing with our two very mature and well-mannered teens and hoping they’ll be able to join us in the suite area of the sanctuary. Anyone else spending Christmas on the Sun next year?

On 7/10/2023 at 1:47 PM, turquoiselake said:

I'm having trouble deciding between a Signature Suite on Deck 16 (16607) and a Penthouse Suite on Deck 17 (17627) on the new Sun. I thought I was booking well ahead, but even though we're about a year out from June 22, 2024, this ship seems fully booked for Penthouse Suites. We already had the signature suite booked for a few weeks, but there's a 3rd guest free sale going on right now, and when I looked today, the Penthouse Suite is actually cheaper than the Signature we already have booked.  I snagged the only penthouse that was left; however, it's not ideal as it's under the Sanctuary. We're a family of 3 (2 adults and a 14-year-old), so we might need the extra space the larger room affords.

 

We cruised on the Enchanted this year in a mid-aft penthouse suite on the Rivera Deck and loved being across the hall from the concierge lounge. We'd have a similar setup for the Signature Suite on Deck 16, but a much smaller room. I don't know if I can give up the extra space. Any thoughts on what the better choice might be? Can I ask to be switched after the final payment date if any other Penthouse Suites are released (on deck 15), or do they reprice at the current rates? Thoughts? Thanks!

Curious to know what you decided. We just booked a Signature (cabin 16609) for the Dec 21, 2024. Our family of four is cruising Japan in June ‘24 and a 14 day British Isles in July ‘25, but I just couldn’t resist adding a sailing on the Sun after seeing all the new features. Normally I would be concerned about packing the four of us in mini-suite sized room but I’m thinking we’ll be spending a lot of time in the suite lounge and sun deck. 

We’re booked in the GS on the Diamond in June. There are several sea days and we have two teenagers now, so we took the plunge for the extra space and that killer balcony. After lots of research I can confirm there are no extra perks for S1 beyond any other full suite. 

On 10/11/2023 at 5:50 PM, Woobstr112G said:We are super stoked to be sailing in the GS aboard the Sapphire. This will be our third time sailing in the GS. Absolutely love the large aft view balcony the GS offers.  It is getting a little harder to book this cabin as there are only three ships left in the fleet that have the aft GS. The fourth (Grand Princess) has the GS along the side of the ship.

Bob, I’ve really enjoyed reading about your trip. Our family of four (including two teens) will be in the Grand Suite on the Diamond in Japan this coming June. We are thrilled to have snagged this suite which appears to be near identical to it’s sister Sapphire. Couple of questions for you:

1) Looks like the GS comes with a desktop computer. Do you have internet included on that PC or are you required to use one of your allowances from a package? 

2) Have you experienced any extra benefits/services/nice touches with this stateroom that don’t typically come with a suite? The best cabin we’ve sailed on Princess was an aft Vista suite in Alaska and that balcony was heaven. Can’t even imagine how nice the GS balcony will be!

Thanks in advance!