Just Booked Sun Princess TA 2024…..Love It Or Hate It?

[Guest ldtr]

2 minutes ago, CeCe_ said:

 

Will my husband have a seat in a lifeboat?  🙂  If so, then we are good!

Might get an inflatable raft

[DHP1]

8 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Might get an inflatable raft

With all the cutback, you sure there will be lifeboats. Just kidding.  Lol

[JimmyVWine]

43 minutes ago, CeCe_ said:

 

Will my husband have a seat in a lifeboat?  🙂  If so, then we are good!

Artist's rendition of people on the Lido Deck trying to use the App to reserve a spot on a lifeboat.

 

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 hour ago, ldtr said:

Are you looking at doing a landing in Antarctica or just a cruise by?

Definitely landings. 

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

You mean there are actually new ports in existence you have not yet been too?!?  😉

 

Lots, but not so many that the monster ships go to. That’s what was so perfect about the Pacific Princess. Not many ships go to Korcula, Portofino, French Polynesia, etc. Glad we got to Venice while we could. 

[Thrak]

2 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Lots, but not so many that the monster ships go to. That’s what was so perfect about the Pacific Princess. Not many ships go to Korcula, Portofino, French Polynesia, etc. Glad we got to Venice while we could. 

 

I'm glad we got to visit Bora Bora before they decided the ships are just too darn big with too many passengers. We never had the opportunity to sail on the small ships. Glad that they allowed Emerald Princess at the time we sailed there.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Thrak

[Guest ldtr]

47 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Definitely landings. 

We had a trip booked on Hurtigrutin that got canceled due to Covid they are probably the least expensive choice for landings. We are doing a sail by on Sapphire this December (Primarily because the cost was pretty low).  We probably will not rebook a landing.  My wife does not want to do a landing and I have already spent a total of 12 months on the continent.

[PescadoAmarillo]

28 minutes ago, ldtr said:

My wife does not want to do a landing and I have already spent a total of 12 months on the continent.

I am GREEN with envy. Hurtigruten is the least expensive I’ve found, but since DH has negative interest in going (says he can sit in his recliner and see snow covered mountains for free) I am actually looking at Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot. They occasionally have cruises with no single supplement which makes them simply outrageously priced, not exorbitantly. In fact, they have one that goes from Ushuaia to Lyttelton, NZ for 28 nights. Goals….

[Guest ldtr]

9 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I am GREEN with envy. Hurtigruten is the least expensive I’ve found, but since DH has negative interest in going (says he can sit in his recliner and see snow covered mountains for free) I am actually looking at Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot. They occasionally have cruises with no single supplement which makes them simply outrageously priced, not exorbitantly. In fact, they have one that goes from Ushuaia to Lyttelton, NZ for 28 nights. Goals….

Tell him that he cannot sit in his recliner and see penguins, killer whales and all sorts of wild life in addition to the mountains. Cannot see that from his recliner.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Lots, but not so many that the monster ships go to. That’s what was so perfect about the Pacific Princess. Not many ships go to Korcula, Portofino, French Polynesia, etc. Glad we got to Venice while we could. 

We were able to take the Pacific from Manaus Brazil through the Amazon. Just an amazing trip which will never show up on Princess again

[Lady Arwen]

2 hours ago, CeCe_ said:

 

Will my husband have a seat in a lifeboat?  🙂  If so, then we are good!

Nope, just the ladies get seats.  Gentlemen get to stand or swim for it!  You and I will be just fine!  I really have to laugh at folks so concerned about the perceived class system.  Celebrity, NCL, MSC, and others have had it for years and we’ve never even noticed it….zero impact on us personally.  I have a feeling this is much ado about nothing, but to each their own.  I will find out in 2024!

[Guest ldtr]

3 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Nope, just the ladies get seats.  Gentlemen get to stand or swim for it!  You and I will be just fine!  I really have to laugh at folks so concerned about the perceived class system.  Celebrity, NCL, MSC, and others have had it for years and we’ve never even noticed it….zero impact on us personally.  I have a feeling this is much ado about nothing, but to each their own.  I will find out in 2024!

On the other hand others of us that had cruised Celebrity before they implemented it did notice the impact and chose to mostly go else where.

 

Less impact on ships that were designed for it. However no one has made the move with as much impact as Princess seems to be doing with the Sun. With the loss of public stern areas above deck 9. No one else has moved there buffet down to deck 9 because they want to put high end suites where it normally is. Even NCL put Haven above the buffet on the ships it retrofit 

[waltd]

Just now, Lady Arwen said:

Nope, just the ladies get seats.  Gentlemen get to stand or swim for it!  You and I will be just fine!  I really have to laugh at folks so concerned about the perceived class system.  Celebrity, NCL, MSC, and others have had it for years and we’ve never even noticed it….zero impact on us personally.  I have a feeling this is much ado about nothing, but to each their own.  I will find out in 2024!

Same with QM2.   Sailed a number of times and we never felt we were missing anything.   As always a lot to do about nothing even before the ship is a float. 

[nasa1974]

14 hours ago, voljeep said:

same for us - wouldn't even mind if it was a little 3-4-5 day to Princess Cay.  This would definitely be about the ship.

In 2019 we did the Maiden of the Sky. We ended up doing a 3/3/7 B2B2B. If I remember we missed Princess Cay twice. But it really was for the ship. We did miss Crooner's but enjoyed Take 5.

[memoak]

6 minutes ago, nasa1974 said:

In 2019 we did the Maiden of the Sky. We ended up doing a 3/3/7 B2B2B. If I remember we missed Princess Cay twice. But it really was for the ship. We did miss Crooner's but enjoyed Take 5.

Yes but the Sun is much different with no aft balconies and no aft bars for simple folk and a Buffet miles from the pool

[nasa1974]

6 minutes ago, memoak said:

Yes but the Sun is much different with no aft balconies and no aft bars for simple folk and a Buffet miles from the pool

For sure there is a huge difference between ships. I guess it was clear in my mind referencing the stop at Princess Cay that voljeep mentioned for a 3, 4 or 5 day cruise with a stop at Princess Cay vs. our 3/3/7 and only making Princess Cay once.

[nini]

17 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

I asked if anyone else was booked on Sun Princess, but had concerns about certain aspects of the ship.  Sorry, I thought I’d made that clear.

 

It was not clear because this was your only question besides pondering:

 

"Anyone else booked and not sure it’s a great idea?"

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

On 1/26/2023 at 8:29 PM, Thrak said:

This is the ship where Princess introduces a major "class system". No thanks.

Exactly why we booked this ship!  And sail on Celebrity. 

[Lady Arwen]

6 hours ago, nini said:

 

It was not clear because this was your only question besides pondering:

 

"Anyone else booked and not sure it’s a great idea?"

Okay.  Sorry, I didn’t make it clear enough for you, my bad.  Funny, how everyone else got the idea.  I will try to ponder less in the future.  Have a wonderful weekend.

[voljeep]

8 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

For sure there is a huge difference between ships. I guess it was clear in my mind referencing the stop at Princess Cay that voljeep mentioned for a 3, 4 or 5 day cruise with a stop at Princess Cay vs. our 3/3/7 and only making Princess Cay once.

we were on the 2nd 3 day.  made it to PC on that one.  Missed Crooners, and Take 5 just didn't do 'it' for us.  Spent more time in Vines as I remember

[hokiefans]

On 1/26/2023 at 8:59 PM, Lady Arwen said:

Awesome….more Canadians!

Be sure to come and join us on the roll call!

 

[DHP1]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

Okay.  Sorry, I didn’t make it clear enough for you, my bad.  Funny, how everyone else got the idea.  I will try to ponder less in the future.  Have a wonderful weekend.

So much for your question.  Everybody off topic now. Lol. FYI price drop yesterday. 

Edited January 28, 2023 by DHP1

[dog]

I looked but it seems too big a ship for me.  Please post photos along the way.

[DHP1]

It will be different for us. We’re so use to Princess other ships layout. However, we will try it next year. I’m not concern on the size, just the layout. For example, we lay  around the pool on sea days and for lunch we just walk in to the buffet which is located on the same deck as the pool. The cabins look nice with the added chesterfield plus “glass” shower doors. Secondly, for us to visit Rome, Athens and Barcelona we have no choice to select the Sun Princess. Only ship available. 

[Lady Arwen]

30 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

It will be different for us. We’re so use to Princess other ships layout. However, we will try it next year. I’m not concern on the size, just the layout. For example, we lay  around the pool on sea days and for lunch we just walk in to the buffet which is located on the same deck as the pool. The cabins look nice with the added chesterfield plus “glass” shower doors. Secondly, for us to visit Rome, Athens and Barcelona we have no choice to select the Sun Princess. Only ship available. 

I hear you and I agree.  We’ve been sailing with Princess since the ‘90s, so this will be our first huge ship on any line.  Some things look great, others things I guess we’ll see in 2024.  My DH is very enthused about trying it, so I’ll go along with an open mind.  Your sailing is before mine, so I’m relying on your totally honest review when you get back!  Please!