Sun Princess Inaugural 2/8/24 cruise canceled

[JGmf]

2 hours ago, UKWildcatCruiser said:

I want to evaluate for myself any safety risks and other impacts it may have on my cruise. I don't want to end up on a "poop cruise" or be stranded in the middle of the Med.  I also would like to know how much construction is going to be going on while on board- there are noise levels and overall enjoyment levels to consider.  If I cancel, I might lose a little money (not much as I am a casino guest) but I think my family's safety is worth much more than that amount.

 

Everyone has their own thresholds for risk, but c'mon, you really think Princess would sail a ship that has known safety issues?  Really?

 

As for poop-cruise or construction going on, welcome to any new massive construction or engineering project - if you're among the first to live/sail/experience it, count on some (non health/safety) system having some hiccup and necessary tweak, repair, or adjustment.  There are literally millions of working parts and connections on a ship -- most with human interaction -- that can go wrong.

 

Hence, don't go on a new ship until it's had months of time to sail and host passengers.

[UKWildcatCruiser]

Exactly - everyone has their own risk threshold and mine is fairly small for a "free" cruise.  If I had thousands invested I may feel differently but I don't.  I'd rather travel around Italy for two weeks than be miserable on a ship. All I want is just a little bit of communication and information from Princess. It's hard to trust a company's word when they are silent.

[Coral]

35 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

Everyone has their own thresholds for risk, but c'mon, you really think Princess would sail a ship that has known safety issues?  Really?

They have kept ships in service with engine issues - don't remember the details but the Crown Princess in 2022 had to significantly modify their entire Alaska port times for an entire season as she was not scheduled for dry dock until the fall. 

 

Thankfully there wasn't further failures that would have possibly caused the ship to sail even slower or possibly not be able to sail.

 

Celebrity had a ton of Azipod issues in the 2000's on several of their ships that caused the ship to quickly become not functional (stopped dead in water). They would run the ships until the Azipods stopped working and then cancel cruises with days notice. This was obviously a manufacturer defect but several ships were involved (Millennium class). Eventually the manufacturer came up with a solution after several years.

Edited January 28 by Coral

[DCThunder]

1 hour ago, UKWildcatCruiser said:

All I want is just a little bit of communication and information from Princess. It's hard to trust a company's word when they are silent.

What exactly do you want them to tell you?  The "punch list" of items that have to be fixed or completed before the shipyard turns the ship over to Princess?  And do you want a daily update on the progress of that punch list?

 

I find it amusing that many of the many cruise bloggers and vloggers always advise "don't go on the last cruise before a drydock or the first cruise after a drydock" but there are many people upset because the inaugural cruise of a new class of ship isn't going off without a hitch.  And that includes people who aren't even booked on the Feb. 8th cruise. 

[UKWildcatCruiser]

49 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

What exactly do you want them to tell you?  The "punch list" of items that have to be fixed or completed before the shipyard turns the ship over to Princess?  And do you want a daily update on the progress of that punch list?

 

I find it amusing that many of the many cruise bloggers and vloggers always advise "don't go on the last cruise before a drydock or the first cruise after a drydock" but there are many people upset because the inaugural cruise of a new class of ship isn't going off without a hitch.  And that includes people who aren't even booked on the Feb. 8th cruise. 

I am not "upset" and am not surprised that there are issues - I could have booked the inaugural but chose not to.  If I were a paying customer I never would have booked a new ship, but it was a great offer so I did. I find it hard to believe why you can't understand why I would like SOME info from Princess about what to expect on board.  For instance, I was on a first sailing on NCL after the Covid shutdown.  I received a few pre-cruise emails from them outlining protocols, and explaining about venue capacity, what wasn't going to be available, etc. It tempered expectations and also put me at ease about sailing.  I can cruise for free on just about any cruise line so I don't have put up with inept communication from one line. Regardless, I going to Rome on 2/16.  If the ship sails I'll be on it and if not I'm going to have two glorious weeks traveling Italy. Whether or not I continue my relationship with Princess remains to be seen. 

[SCX22]

2 minutes ago, UKWildcatCruiser said:

I am not "upset" and am not surprised that there are issues - I could have booked the inaugural but chose not to.  If I were a paying customer I never would have booked a new ship, but it was a great offer so I did. I find it hard to believe why you can't understand why I would like SOME info from Princess about what to expect on board.  For instance, I was on a first sailing on NCL after the Covid shutdown.  I received a few pre-cruise emails from them outlining protocols, and explaining about venue capacity, what wasn't going to be available, etc. It tempered expectations and also put me at ease about sailing.  I can cruise for free on just about any cruise line so I don't have put up with inept communication from one line. Regardless, I going to Rome on 2/16.  If the ship sails I'll be on it and if not I'm going to have two glorious weeks traveling Italy. Whether or not I continue my relationship with Princess remains to be seen. 

 

It's too soon to say what will be operational and not.  Obviously it would be in Princess' best interest to have everything operational.  Give Fincantieri time to finish the ship.  If they can't complete it by 2/18, this is purely speculation, then the 2/18 sailing will be cancelled as well.

[DCThunder]

11 minutes ago, UKWildcatCruiser said:

I find it hard to believe why you can't understand why I would like SOME info from Princess about what to expect on board.   

At this point on January 28th, they have told you that the February 8th cruise has been cancelled.  If they believed on the day they made that announcement that the Feb. 18th sailing wouldn't be able to go, they'd have announced its cancellation at the same time.  But they didn't.  So at this point, I'd expect the Feb. 18th cruise to be as close to normal as is possible for an inaugural cruise on a new class of ship.  If that changes in the next week or two, they'll tell you.

 

Do you want them to swear on a stack of Bibles that the Feb. 18th cruise will occur?  Or tell you that it's 50/50? Or 60/40?  Or give odds like they were in Vegas or Monte Carlo?  It seems you are looking for certainty in an uncertain world.  And we all know how that works out.

[billet]

25 minutes ago, UKWildcatCruiser said:

I am not "upset" and am not surprised that there are issues - I could have booked the inaugural but chose not to.  If I were a paying customer I never would have booked a new ship, but it was a great offer so I did. I find it hard to believe why you can't understand why I would like SOME info from Princess about what to expect on board.  For instance, I was on a first sailing on NCL after the Covid shutdown.  I received a few pre-cruise emails from them outlining protocols, and explaining about venue capacity, what wasn't going to be available, etc. It tempered expectations and also put me at ease about sailing.  I can cruise for free on just about any cruise line so I don't have put up with inept communication from one line. Regardless, I going to Rome on 2/16.  If the ship sails I'll be on it and if not I'm going to have two glorious weeks traveling Italy. Whether or not I continue my relationship with Princess remains to be seen. 

Princess have communicated that the first sailing is cancelled and the 18 February is expected to sail as normal. What other communication do you expect? 

[lstone19]

Having been burned by the Coral Princess delays in 2002, I would not go out of my way to be on an inaugural. I have twice been on the first revenue flights of airplanes. The first one had us divert 2/3 through the flight with an engine shut down. The second one never even pushed back (it was the first time the plane had been rained upon and oops, a water leak where something was attached to the top of the fuselage - and before someone says it, it was not a Boeing aircraft. Also, despite what most people think, airplanes are not sealed the same way a submarine is. Aircraft pressurization works by pumping air in faster than it can leak out - some air leakage is by design).

[Oceansaway17]

On 1/24/2024 at 4:28 PM, c-boy said:

my guess is that both parties waited until this point to notify guests,  knowing that the issues can be resolved by 18th. 🤞

and I wonder who is at fault, Princess for making changes too much or the shipyard dealing with supply chain and or labor issues or even technical.  I suppose they still have to do sea trials and sign off on each system and section of the ship. 

[DHP1]

16 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

and I wonder who is at fault, Princess for making changes too much or the shipyard dealing with supply chain and or labor issues or even technical.  I suppose they still have to do sea trials and sign off on each system and section of the ship. 

I believe sea trials have been completed unless they ran into problems. I usually check CruiseMapper daily. Currently, the ship in Port. 

[Oceansaway17]

2 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

I believe sea trials have been completed unless they ran into problems. I usually check CruiseMapper daily. Currently, the ship in Port. 

while that may be true but if unfinished business is anything technical, they will have to do another sea trial or if I was CEO I would demand it time will tell. 

[DHP1]

Speculations.  🤔

[charltonite]

On 1/26/2024 at 6:03 PM, teecee60 said:

 

Someone who presents audio/visual programs on interesting subjects for cruise ship guests. My area of expertise is astronomy and space exploration. Besides my "sun" program shown above, here are a few more programs scheduled for the February 18th cruise...

 

Awesome! I love astronomy and will likewise be on this sailing. I look forward to your presentation! Let’s hope it’s all good to go. 😉

[Fortunate 2 travel]

On 1/26/2024 at 12:12 PM, DCThunder said:

I posted upthread about a 1 year delay in the delivery of the first guided missile frigate that Fincantieri is building for the Navy at a shipyard in Wisconsin.  And that's for a ship that was originally supposed to be delivered in 2026. Methinks that Fincantieri might be a little "overextended" right now.  And there are rumors that Carnival is about to announce plans to build some "Icon of the Seas" sized ships, although I don't know the shipyard that supposed to build them.

 

Is Princess already selling cruises for Star Princess in 2025?  People might want to temper their expectations on the first sailings if they are.

Yes.  We booked the second sailing on the Star sometime ago.  This news has caused us to change to a later sailing date.  It’s not the same itinerary, but the stress isn’t worth staying with our first choice.

[clkelley]

What has surprised me, is the lack of media cruises before the inaugural. Icon had "media" cruises, and from my recollection, Disney has always had media cruises first. 

[dog]

I know nothing.

 

saw a post guarantee cabins being assigned for February 18 th Sun and ship might have been handed over to Princess.  Fb

Edited January 31 by dog

[startedwithamouse]

Cruise staff is onboard, and hard hats are no longer being worn. 

 

Great sign!

[dides]

3 hours ago, clkelley said:

What has surprised me, is the lack of media cruises before the inaugural. Icon had "media" cruises, and from my recollection, Disney has always had media cruises first. 

Perhaps they are waiting until when they have Spellbound and Love by Britto ready. Don from Don's Family Vacations has been invited on a 5 day cruise from March 9th, for example.

 

Edited January 31 by dides

[ivanp91]

4 hours ago, dog said:

I know nothing.

 

saw a post guarantee cabins being assigned for February 18 th Sun and ship might have been handed over to Princess.  Fb

 

I'm booked on the Sun's April 8th cruise and have had my guaranteed cabin assigned for a month or so. IMO the example you're citing is just a late-ish allocation of a room rather than being indicative of anything about the ship's entry into service.

[dog]

2 hours ago, ivanp91 said:

 

I'm booked on the Sun's April 8th cruise and have had my guaranteed cabin assigned for a month or so. IMO the example you're citing is just a late-ish allocation of a room rather than being indicative of anything about the ship's entry into service.

 

6 hours ago, dog said:

I know nothing.

Fb

As I said above.

[beg3yrs]

9 hours ago, clkelley said:

What has surprised me, is the lack of media cruises before the inaugural. Icon had "media" cruises, and from my recollection, Disney has always had media cruises first. 

Perhaps the voyage from Trieste to Barcelona will be the media cruise.

[dides]

1 hour ago, beg3yrs said:

Perhaps the voyage from Trieste to Barcelona will be the media cruise.

It certainly was usually the case in pre-Covid times.  It has to go from Trieste/Monfalcone to Rome for the new inaugural however.

 

Edited January 31 by dides

[Host CJSKIDS]

On 1/26/2024 at 1:10 PM, dides said:

Well that's probably Love by Britto - I have been told by UK Princess PR that Spellbound and this restaurant will not be ready for the February sailings.

 

This isn't unusual -they didn't have the new production shows or escape room ready for the first Sky Princess inaugural sailings.

 

 

Sun Princess dining information

Please see below for a current summary of dining options available to book in PCA for the first four voyages on Sun Princess, beginning February 18th, 2024:

 

Definitions:

Journey Guests - Guests who book the same dining for their entire voyage

Non-Journey Guests - Guests who book single dining reservations at various times

Main Dining:

Horizons Dining Rm Deck 6 - 5pm & 7:30pm Traditional Seatings (Can be booked by Journey and Non-Journey Guests)

Horizons Dining Rm Deck 7 - All times available for Reservation (Can be booked by Journey and Non- Journey Guests)

Horizons Dining Rm Deck 8 - Not for making reservations - Walk-In's onboard only

Specialty Dining Open for Reservations:

Crown Grill

Sabatini's Italian Trattoria

Butcher's Block by Dario

The Catch by Rudi

Kai Sushi

Umai Teppanyaki

Hot Pot

(FYI - Umai Teppanyaki & Hot Pot are in the same venue but are reserved as separate Dining Experiences)

NOT Available at the moment:

Love by Britto

Spellbound

[PacnGoNow]

Thank you!  Very helpful.