Live From The Sun!

[snowmen]

Which nights on the current Eastern 10 day cruise on Sun are formal? Any other info about that cruise and its ports would be nice. Staying on Aloha mid ship.

[cruiserforlife]

I know generally the 2nd night is formal but I am unsure about the others...

[augie]

Now that I've survived the port days, I'm back with a little time to post.

 

Ship is in great shape - have not seen or heard of any functional problems with anything.

 

We eat breakfast in the dining room most days. In addition to the everyday offerings of juices, fruit, cereal, eggs, pancakes, etc. there is a special each day - today was JB's french toast.

 

I've had lunch either on an island or at Verdi's every day but one. On that day I found some things in Horizon Court that I liked, but there were not a lot of choices available at that time (but it was a late lunch). My friend reported that the cheeseburgers from the Terrace Grill were good - I may have to try one today.

 

Captain is a youngish fellow - I can't remember his name right now, but as I was reading a book on deck late in the afternoon of our first sea day, he stopped and chatted with me for several minutes - a first for me!

 

Formal nights are the second and second to last nights of the cruise.

 

The staff has agreed to give our CC group a party with compimentary champagne tomorrow afternoon (last day at sea).

 

Weather has been great all week, although they did cancel some snorkeling tours yesterday (Curcao) due to conditions, although I had great conditions on both of my scuba dives.

 

I haven't seen any shows except a comedian (pretty good) and the 50s/60s sock hop, which was pretty lame. Maybe with more audience participation it might come off better, but last night's crowd was sparse and inactive.

 

Our table of former strangers at late traditional seating is an absolute hoot! Marta, our server is special, but her helper Carlos, is new, lost, and often absent, so she has to work extra hard!

 

Today I will be going to a wine tasting. As I type, they are teaching a Photoshop course here in the Internet Cafe.

 

I will check this thread again either tonight or tomorrow morning and will at that time make my final (sigh) LIVE posting.

[juliejoe]

Just booked the Sun for B2B in January. This thread is a wealth of info. Looking forward to reading past and future posts!

Julie

[SailAways]

I will check this thread again either tonight or tomorrow morning and will at that time make my final (sigh) LIVE posting.

 

Thanks for keeping this thread Alive Augie!

 

Really looking forward to your final word on the cruise.

[islandersx4]

Augie, So good to hear from you and glad you're having a great time. How cool was it having the Captain stop and chat. We're on the Christmas cruise and I'm thinking that one of the formal nights might be Christmas, we'll see. Looking forward to hearing some more. Thanks.

[cruiserforlife]

Thanks for your updates Augie..!;)

[Hapinowagain]

We will be on the Sun Princess on Dec. 10 and anxious to hear more.

 

Thanks.

[earljr]

Hi all ---

 

Thanx for all your posts Augie --

 

DW and I leave home tomorrow morning and drive over to FLL to board the Beautiful Sun Princess for a b2b -- 20 days of fun in the sun:)

Us old (me --- not DW:rolleyes: folks need to get away from this hectic retired life :D

 

Will try to check in and let everyone know what is or not -- happening

 

Nice day to all -- Earl

[SailAways]

Hi all ---

Thanx for all your posts Augie --

DW and I leave home tomorrow morning and drive over to FLL to board the Beautiful Sun Princess for a b2b -- 20 days of fun in the sun:)

Us old (me --- not DW:rolleves: folks need to get away from this hectic retired life :D

Will try to check in and let everyone know what is or not -- happening

Nice day to all -- Earl

 

We will hold you to that!;) Looking forward to receiving more great news of the Sun!

Have a wonderful 20 days upon the seas! 17 for us in April - If we can last that long.........

 

Happy Cruising. Let us hear from you soon!:)

[Bloemerl]

Wife and I will be on a back to back cruise on the Sun starting Jan 14. As of now we are booked in different rooms for each week. Not much help from the crown and anchor group on getting one room for both weeks without a hefty fee. (long story on how that happened but...)

 

Question; Do they allow you to keep your luggage on the ship from one week to the next (and if so where do you put it) ? Also do you have to get off and embark again ?

 

Thanks for any help or advise.

[chrysalis]

Wife and I will be on a back to back cruise on the Sun starting Jan 14. As of now we are booked in different rooms for each week. Not much help from the crown and anchor group on getting one room for both weeks without a hefty fee. (long story on how that happened but...)

 

Question; Do they allow you to keep your luggage on the ship from one week to the next (and if so where do you put it) ? Also do you have to get off and embark again ?

 

Thanks for any help or advise.

 

 

if you do not ending up getting the same room for both weeks, your cabin steward will help you move your luggage to your new room.....and all folks doing a B2B will get instructions on what to do, but basically, you will be asked to go to a specifac lounge or area on the last day of the first cruise and all of you will be escorted through immigration and back on the the ship....you will be given new room/cruise cards. Everything should be painless. (we are doing B2Bs on the Sun in March)

[CruisinChris]

I would not imagine the Crown and Anchor group would be much help - that's another cruise line. ;)

 

Don't worry it's really easy. Your TA, bTW would be the best avenue to getting you booked into the same room for both cruises. Maybe there's another stateroom in your category still open for both weeks?

[augie]

This is actually a little bit "post-live" but I did say I'd post again, and just never found the time to get back on line on Friday, so I'll wrap up a day after the cruise...

 

We attended the Captain's Circle cocktail "gala" Thursday night. It was in the Vista Lounge. Greeted by the ship's senior staff as we entered, you could get a drink or two, no munchies. A band played for a little while then there were some brief talks by some of the staff, then they gave out awards for cruisers with the most days at sea, then drew door prizes.

 

The lobster was very good - at Marta's insistence some of uds had two!

 

Friday was spent tying up loose ends, finishing my book, and putting the final touches on suntans!

 

From 5:00-6:00PM Princess sprung for champagne and appetizers for our CC group in the Wheelhouse Lounge - it was a great way to bookend the week after our sailaway gathering in the same place.

 

Debarkation was fairly orderly. Everyone waited in lounges until their number/color group was called. They began around 9:00 and we were about the middle group and were off of the ship by 9:30.

 

Once I have a chance to get caught up at home a little bit I will post a more extensive review and will link to it on this thread.

 

For all of you that have upcoming cruises on the Sun, enjoy it, I am jealous!

[ciana]

Hi everyone! I just checked back in with cruise critic after a long absence and can't believe this thread is still going! We were on the Sun cruise in January 2005 when cruiserforlife started this thread. It was a great trip! Way to go cruiserforlife! We are looking forward to the Tahitian Princess in a few weeks so need to get some tidbits about the trip. There's no place like cruisecritic to get all the info you need!

 

Cheers,

Ciana:)

[PescadoAmarillo]

Wife and I will be on a back to back cruise on the Sun starting Jan 14.

 

Just want to make sure you have the right ship, or else are sailing in 2008. We are on B2B on the Sun in January 2007...January 9th and January 19th. We booked 10 months ago and had no trouble getting the same cabin for both cruises...certainly if you are talking about January 2008, you should be able to get the same cabins for B2B. If you are talking about 2007, I think there may be some confusion about the ship.

[SailAways]

Wife and I will be on a back to back cruise on the Sun starting Jan 14. As of now we are booked in different rooms for each week. Not much help from the crown and anchor group on getting one room for both weeks without a hefty fee. (long story on how that happened but...

Question; Do they allow you to keep your luggage on the ship from one week to the next (and if so where do you put it) ? Also do you have to get off and embark again ?

Thanks for any help or advise.

 

Could you please tell us what the Crown and Anchor Group is? We are relatively new to cruising, and haven't heard of this one yet. Are you referring to a Princess ship - or is this a different cruise line?

Thanks:)

[SailAways]

Thanks for any help or advise.

 

Just another silly question.

 

Your signature indicates that you sailed on the Sun Princess in 1988 - It was built in 1995 according to what I can find.

 

So, was there a previous Princess Sun? - Or, am I completely confused here. That is a good possibility!:eek:

[PescadoAmarillo]

Crown and Anchor is the loyalty program for Royal Caribbean cruise line, similar to the Captain's Circle for Princess.

 

And, yes, there was a prior Sun Princess ship, although I am not familiar with when it existed and where that particular ship is now. Princess (and other cruise lines) re-uses ship names. I find that kind of confusing, but simply knowing that they do it does explain some apparent inconsistencies.

[SailAways]

Crown and Anchor is the loyalty program for Royal Caribbean cruise line, similar to the Captain's Circle for Princess.

 

And, yes, there was a prior Sun Princess ship, although I am not familiar with when it existed and where that particular ship is now. Princess (and other cruise lines) re-uses ship names. I find that kind of confusing, but simply knowing that they do it does explain some apparent inconsistencies.

 

Thanks so much - These names do get confusing - Same name for different cruise ships is bad enough, but using them over and over really adds to the mind blog!

Thanks again.

[CruisinChris]

The original Sun Princess joined the Princess fleet in 1974 as part of an intra-P&O fleet transfer. She sailed for P&O as "Spirit of London." P&O sold her in 1998. She has sailed under many names since and is still sailing:

 

See below:

 

New Flamenco (ship)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New Flamenco is a cruise ship operated by Cruise Elysia. Former names are Spirit of London, Sun Princess, Majestic, Starship Majestic, Southern Cross, and Flamenco.

 

 

History

The ship was launched and named in 1972 by P&O as the Spirit of London. She had originally been ordered by the Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL) and was to be named Seaward but P&O bought her unfinished hull after NCL had pulled out of the deal. In 1974 P&O bought Princess Cruises and the Spirit of London was renamed Sun Princess, joining the Island Princess and Pacific Princess in the Princess fleet.

 

1988 saw the sale of the Sun Princess by P&O to Premier Cruises, initially renamed Majestic but becoming the Starship Majestic in 1989. In 1994 she was purchased by CTC and was renamed the Southern Cross. She was renamed again in 1998 when Festival Cruises began operating her as the Flamenco. After Festival cruises collapsed, she began sailing for Cruise Elysia as New Flamenco.

 

Princess Cruises introduced a new Sun Princess in 1995.

 

 

References

Simplon Post Cards site website

 

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Flamenco_%28ship%29"

[Hapinowagain]

Thanks for the info Chris!

[Bloemerl]

Wow, am I embarrased. The B2B cruises I was asking about are on the Rhapsody of the seas in Jan 2007. We are also going on the Sun on Nov. 20-30 and I guess I forgot which thread I was in. Sorry to confuse everyone.

 

Chysallis .... Thanks for info on how B2B are handled by princess. I think it would be safe to assume it should be like that on RCCL also.

 

CruisenChris.... Thanks for the history on the old Sun Princes. It was our first real cruise and I went kicking and screaming as I "didn't want to stand in line all day" for food and activities. However, I really loved the cruise and we have been going every year since. This ship was 16,000 tons and I don't think it had stabilizers. What a ride.

[cruiserforlife]

Hi everyone! I just checked back in with cruise critic after a long absence and can't believe this thread is still going! We were on the Sun cruise in January 2005 when cruiserforlife started this thread. It was a great trip! Way to go cruiserforlife! We are looking forward to the Tahitian Princess in a few weeks so need to get some tidbits about the trip. There's no place like cruisecritic to get all the info you need!

 

Cheers,

Ciana:)

 

Ciana,

 

Thanks for checking in again.;) I just got the ball rolling so I really can't take any credit for this amazing long-running thread.It's this great group of loyal Sun lovers who have contributed sooo very much for the benefit of all who have cruised her or are still dreaming...;)

[earljr]

HI all ---

 

We are on the Sun currently -- We had two beautiful sea days and a hot, hot, and humid, humid day today in Antigua and are now at sea heading for St. Lucia.

The food has been a bit above the norm, IMHO,except for Horizon, which has its good days and less than good days. The new sheets and Pillow cases are very nice (according to DW--) the new balcony chairs and table are great and much, much better than the old plastic stuff. The crew is upbeat and really friendly. This is the second cruise to the Carib. since the Sun left Alaska and that may be the reason.

The Internet is now 50 cents per min.

any questions?

Earl