New Sun Princess (Not My Princess)!?!?!

[nasa1974]

4 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

However Take 5 is nicer than Club 6. I personally prefer that extra venue with live music than having a club scene, that does not necessarily draw the biggest crowd. 

We enjoyed Take 5 on the Sky but missed Crooners. 

[billco]

10 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

At least they show Crooners on the Sun. The tried to replace Crooners with Take Five on the Royal class. Big stink on that.

Royal, Regal, Enchanted, Discovery have Crooners. Majestic targeted Asian market, so just the Sky was screwed up. IMO, the Sun class is going to be a disaster even with Crooners.

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, billco said:

IMO, the Sun class is going to be a disaster even with Crooners.

Why do you feel that way?  If you're against the size of the ship, there are still 15 other ships in the fleet plus countless others in competitors fleets for you to get your cruise fix on.

[dog]

1 hour ago, billco said:

Royal, Regal, Enchanted, Discovery have Crooners. Majestic targeted Asian market, so just the Sky was screwed up. IMO, the Sun class is going to be a disaster even with Crooners.

I see what you mean. I have sailed on all mentioned except Regal.

 

[Sea Hag]

2 hours ago, billco said:

Royal, Regal, Enchanted, Discovery have Crooners. Majestic targeted Asian market, so just the Sky was screwed up. IMO, the Sun class is going to be a disaster even with Crooners.

Since I'm a diehard promenade deck walker, I was sure I was going to hate the Royal Class. Sailed first on the Royal, and I thought the walking track on Sun deck wasn't all that bad. Sailed next on the Majestic and still liked it. Sailed last on the Discovery, and I thought the walking track on Sun deck had a lot of merit over the old-style promenade deck. I'd have to say that the Royal Class has won me over. I like them as much as the Grand or Crown Classes. Lots of differences on the Sun, but I'm keeping an open mind.

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Why do you feel that way?  If you're against the size of the ship, there are still 15 other ships in the fleet plus countless others in competitors fleets for you to get your cruise fix on.

It is rather funny that you are lecturing long term Princess cruisers about their views when you have mostly sailed on other lines.  If Princess cruisers wanted the direction that the Sun is taking most would have already been sailing on other lines as well.

 

There are three major issues with the Sun for many Princess cruisers.

 

1. Size (more people, less port variety, many sail on Princess for the itineraries not to just sit on a ship).

2. Ship with in a ship change (Princess has always been egalitarian, this is changing with the Sun with what has been public viewing locations now becoming reserved locations for certain cabin classes.  While some areas are reserved on ships today anyone in any cabin can book them, not so with the Sun, just as when Celebrity went this route it will reduce the quality of the cruise experience for those that do not choose to book those classes).

3.  A very non-traditional design with the buffet down on deck 9 and several dining venues grouped together sharing the same seating area compared to current designs that places the buffet up on Lido deck near the pools, and the IC on 5 in the Piazza.  This may work out, but it also may be a mistake of epic proportions.

 

Looking at the ship size P&O seems to have a better design layout for that platform with its more traditional layout. I will be on the Iona in October.

Edited December 28, 2022 by ldtr

[billco]

2 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Why do you feel that way?  If you're against the size of the ship, there are still 15 other ships in the fleet plus countless others in competitors fleets for you to get your cruise fix on.

The contracts for the Sun class were made before the pandemic. Current Princess ships are having trouble staffing 2 MDRs out of three. How are they going to staff even bigger ships with multiple dining rooms. The bigger the ship, the fewer the ports it can visit. The Cabana cabins look to be a deluxe balcony with an unknown use attached space. What is the Cabana good for? Actually, I am not going to get into all the reasons I think the Sun will be a failure. Plenty of posts before me. Also, the only current Princess ship I haven't sailed on is the Sky Princess.

[c-boy]

4 hours ago, billco said:

Royal, Regal, Enchanted, Discovery have Crooners. Majestic targeted Asian market, so just the Sky was screwed up. IMO, the Sun class is going to be a disaster even with Crooners.

I might be wise to keep in mind that if this design is a "disaster", it will be a billion dollar "disaster" . That is one of many things Princess and CCL cannot afford at this time. If push comes to shove and this new build isn't successful, Princess will likely sell the ships you and some others desire to cover the losses. So ya might wanna throw some holy water on the hull of this new design as your walking by to board another.  

[Guest ldtr]

22 minutes ago, c-boy said:

I might be wise to keep in mind that if this design is a "disaster", it will be a billion dollar "disaster" . That is one of many things Princess and CCL cannot afford at this time. If push comes to shove and this new build isn't successful, Princess will likely sell the ships you and some others desire to cover the losses. So ya might wanna throw some holy water on the hull of this new design as your walking by to board another.  

Even if it is a disaster, it will still sail and it will probably get plenty of bookings.  Some modifications will be made to offset the worst of the issues.  I would expect that after the initial season it will be used in short duration/high volume itineraries or in locations where the LNG fuel has benefits due to local regulations.

 

Consider the Island, its modification was considered to be an example of ruining a good ship, yet it is still sailing and still getting bookings.  Of course Princess is putting it on attractive itineraries such as the North Lights Cruise such that people book it in spite of how it was butchered.

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, billco said:

The bigger the ship, the fewer the ports it can visit.

which exact ports will the SUN not be able to visit as opposed to the current 'royal class' ships?

[billco]

8 minutes ago, voljeep said:

which exact ports will the SUN not be able to visit as opposed to the current 'royal class' ships?

I don't know. Have you tried a google search for ports large cruise ships cannot visit?

[voljeep]

4 minutes ago, billco said:

I don't know. Have you tried a google search for ports large cruise ships cannot visit?

no - did you ?

[Guest ldtr]

17 minutes ago, voljeep said:

which exact ports will the SUN not be able to visit as opposed to the current 'royal class' ships?

The question is more what ports will not be on an itinerary for that ship. The tendency to larger ships, have with most cruise lines, meant a tendency to shorter cruises (i.e. 7 days instead of 10 or 14 days routes).  It also means a tendency to skip tender ports due to the time and difficulty off loaded and reloaded the large number of passengers.  I expect that it will be primarily in the Caribbean carrying passengers to already over crowded ports on 7 day runs.  Would be interesting to see what ports it visits if sent to do the Barcelona to Rome to Athens to Rome to Barcelona route considering the tender ports that are sometimes on that route.

 

Watching where the similarly sized P&O ships are used will probably be an indication.

 

As such the question is what ports will it be used on vs what ports can it be used on.  Not much of an issue when it is only 1 or 2 ships of the fleet.  Quite a bit in the future as the existing fleet ages out.  Though with CCLs announcement about not placing any additional orders for most if not all of the rest of the decade, thy will need to keep ships longer then they have in the past.

 

 

[Guest ldtr]

In addition to the ports that are actively limiting the number of cruise ship passengers or ships such as Palma, Bar Harbor, Key West, Grand Turk, French Polynesia, you have a number of cruise ports that are considering adding limits to the total number of cruise passengers per day that will make it more difficult for larger ships to be able to make port stops there.

 

These include Dubrouvnik, Amsterdam, Bruges, Santorini and Barcelona among others.  While it as not as clean cut as allowing a royal class ship, but not allowing a Sun class ships, the larger the ship the more difficulty in getting port stops when such limits are implemented, especially since most seem to give priority smaller ships, than the mega ships, when putting their limits in place.

[Jeter02]

I am intrigued to learn a little more about this altitude restaurant up on the pool deck all the way aft.

[Jemnibabe]

On 12/28/2022 at 3:04 PM, billco said:

I don't know. Have you tried a google search for ports large cruise ships cannot visit?

Even the Crown can't visit BoraBora.  Too many people, actually, most of the Princess ships have too many people to visit BoraBora.

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, Jemnibabe said:

Even the Crown can't visit BoraBora.  Too many people, actually, most of the Princess ships have too many people to visit BoraBora.

Actually in French Polynesia, it will be banned for more than Bora Bora.  The Grand class ships can at least go to Moorea and some other ports.

 

French Polynesia's government announced that cruise ships with a capacity greater than 3,500 passengers will be banned from making port calls in the country as of January 1, 2022

[Jeter02]

6 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Actually in French Polynesia, it will be banned for more than Bora Bora.  The Grand class ships can at least go to Moorea and some other ports.

 

French Polynesia's government announced that cruise ships with a capacity greater than 3,500 passengers will be banned from making port calls in the country as of January 1, 2022

Completely understandable, and yet so sad 😢

[Buckeye10640]

On 12/28/2022 at 9:10 AM, nasa1974 said:

We enjoyed Take 5 on the Sky but missed Crooners. 

I liked Take 5 as a venue. Unfortunately we mostly did not like the jazz music, particularly on our second Enchanted cruise. So we rarely used it. 

[duchess7]

Looks like Horizon dining room is for everyone as well as wake view outdoor area.  

 

Signature suite guest have access to restaurant on deck 7.  Also access to a lounge on deck 15 and 16, and a sundeck on 18.  Most of the decks aft space has been taken by Handicapped rooms.  Reserve restaurant is on deck 7 also.  I know some people don't like the "ship within a ship concept, but I do.  I can't afford the luxury lines and I travel solo so I usually pay double.  I go on cruises with my grandchildren and we tend to sail Royal but when alone, I want areas where I can enjoy the sun, have a good meal without having to go to the specialty restaurants, and enjoy a nice stateroom with more space.  As long as they don't take up an immense amount of space from other cruisers, I'm all for it.

[Jeter02]

On 12/30/2022 at 7:59 PM, Buckeye10640 said:

I liked Take 5 as a venue. Unfortunately we mostly did not like the jazz music, particularly on our second Enchanted cruise. So we rarely used it. 

I use it during the day. I have it all to myself ☺️

[cr8tiv1]

There will also be the group of passengers that are willing to give something new a try.  The question will be...will they sail the Sun Princess repeatedly.  Right now (LNG), she will be very limited to where she is ported and where she stops.

 

On 12/28/2022 at 11:07 AM, ldtr said:

Even if it is a disaster, it will still sail and it will probably get plenty of bookings.  Some modifications will be made to offset the worst of the issues.  I would expect that after the initial season it will be used in short duration/high volume itineraries or in locations where the LNG fuel has benefits due to local regulations.

 

Consider the Island, its modification was considered to be an example of ruining a good ship, yet it is still sailing and still getting bookings.  Of course Princess is putting it on attractive itineraries such as the North Lights Cruise such that people book it in spite of how it was butchered.

 

  Many Hawaii ports/Polynesia.  Greenland/Venice.  I wouldn't want to try to tender to any port that does not dock directly.

 

On 12/28/2022 at 11:55 AM, voljeep said:

which exact ports will the SUN not be able to visit as opposed to the current 'royal class' ships?

 

I'm all for keeping the Grand Princess around for another 5 years.  

 

On 12/28/2022 at 12:23 PM, ldtr said:

The question is more what ports will not be on an itinerary for that ship. The tendency to larger ships, have with most cruise lines, meant a tendency to shorter cruises (i.e. 7 days instead of 10 or 14 days routes).  It also means a tendency to skip tender ports due to the time and difficulty off loaded and reloaded the large number of passengers.  I expect that it will be primarily in the Caribbean carrying passengers to already over crowded ports on 7 day runs.  Would be interesting to see what ports it visits if sent to do the Barcelona to Rome to Athens to Rome to Barcelona route considering the tender ports that are sometimes on that route.

 

Watching where the similarly sized P&O ships are used will probably be an indication.

 

As such the question is what ports will it be used on vs what ports can it be used on.  Not much of an issue when it is only 1 or 2 ships of the fleet.  Quite a bit in the future as the existing fleet ages out.  Though with CCLs announcement about not placing any additional orders for most if not all of the rest of the decade, thy will need to keep ships longer then they have in the past.

 

 

 

[tothemall&beyond]

On 12/17/2022 at 12:35 PM, damiross said:

Absurd!  

I like Aloha, Baja, Lido, etc.  Can we say "boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"?

 

 

The Deck Plans on Princess's site clearly show these same familiar names. Not sure why you thought they had changed it.

[Lady Arwen]

1 hour ago, tothemall&beyond said:

The Deck Plans on Princess's site clearly show these same familiar names. Not sure why you thought they had changed it.

Actually, when I go to Princess online the deck plan does not show deck names, just numbers.  Perhaps you have been able to get different deck plans.  Could you please share how you did it, because I would be really interested.  Thanks so much!

Edited February 5, 2023 by Lady Arwen

[Jeter02]

19 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Actually, when I go to Princess online the deck plan does not show deck names, just numbers.  Perhaps you have been able to get different deck plans.  Could you please share how you did it, because I would be really interested.  Thanks so much!

I'm pretty sure they just looked at a different ship instead of the Sun Princess. The Sun Princess is going to be the first one without deck names.