Sun Princess Sanctuary Discussion

[Familycruzer11]

21 hours ago, CanadianBurger said:

There is NO pre-reservation of loungers from day to day, including for Suite guests. Location is first-come-first-served every morning. Once a lounger is assigned, it is reserved for you for the rest of the day. If all the padded loungers are taken, you’d have to pick another. 
 

 

I wonder how this will work.  I too, would rush to Sanctuary, get my loungers or cabana for the days/week and know I have my spot to come and go as I please and was willing to pay for it.  Make no mistake, paying for Signature Class on Sun, is still paying for it.  Look at S9 mini-suite - exact same room as any other mini-suite - the (lots of) extra money, is for Signature perks, Sanctuary included.   Having said that, when I show up early each day (and I will), and get my lounger 'assigned for the day', will I now look like a chair hog when I come and go as I please for the day, as I usually do in Sanctuary?  

[MsSoCalCruiser]

3 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

Now that is an idea!   To confirm, is this tea for ELITE only.. no platinum.

There is now a photo posted that seems to show padding being added to even more of those loungers.  So, if there is any access at all for non-suite guests, that might be a good thing!

Yes, the tea is for Elite only and not Platinum. 

[chamima]

15 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

 

Suite guests have access to the entire Sanctuary though. And as posted by someone currently on board, management has advised that paying guests will only be allowed into The Sanctuary if suite guests using the space are below a certain capacity.

 

 

19 minutes ago, CatMom72 said:

, we would book the Sanctuary for the entire week when we were in the Caribbean and we would be in there for some part of every day (including most of the time on sea days). We enjoyed being able to come and go when we felt like it and not having to run upstairs every morning just to get a seat.

 

So, at what point during the day do they determine that there will be room for non-suite guests?

 

[CanadianBurger]

26 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

 

🥵🥵🥵

So forty three loungers for 160 (or so) passengers.

No, Suite guests can choose any location they want; in the Signature area or elsewhere.

 

Day pass users cannot choose loungers in the Signature area, even if there are unassigned ones. 

[Fortunate 2 travel]

25 minutes ago, Familycruzer11 said:

 

I wonder how this will work.  I too, would rush to Sanctuary, get my loungers or cabana for the days/week and know I have my spot to come and go as I please and was willing to pay for it.  Make no mistake, paying for Signature Class on Sun, is still paying for it.  Look at S9 mini-suite - exact same room as any other mini-suite - the (lots of) extra money, is for Signature perks, Sanctuary included.   Having said that, when I show up early each day (and I will), and get my lounger 'assigned for the day', will I now look like a chair hog when I come and go as I please for the day, as I usually do in Sanctuary?  

DH and I will be doing the same.  That’s the main reason we booked a suite.

[CatMom72]

1 minute ago, Fortunate 2 travel said:

DH and I will be doing the same.  That’s the main reason we booked a suite.

And you're not the only one.  It is amazing that many of the people commenting here don't seem to realize this.

[WonderMan3]

34 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

 

 

So, at what point during the day do they determine that there will be room for non-suite guests?

 

To be determined. They just haven’t been busy enough, due to the cool weather, to have faced this issue yet.

[CatMom72]

4 minutes ago, CanadianBurger said:

No, Suite guests can choose any location they want; in the Signature area or elsewhere.

 

Day pass users cannot choose loungers in the Signature area, even if there are unassigned ones. 

As @Familycruzer11 already noted, those of us in suites are already paying plenty for Signature Collection on the Sun.  Now I come to find out that if I am not among the first 43 suite passengers to make it to the Signature Sun Deck on a sea day, I will be forced to take my chances on the other side of the partition, just hoping against hope that all the padded lounge chairs haven't already been sold to day pass users? Or perhaps I will get a padded lounge chair right underneath the screaming children using the RollGlider at Park 19? I'm sorry, but that is not what we had in mind when we paid extra for access to the Signature Sun Deck. Incidentally, I wouldn't want to be a non-suite passenger paying $99 to spend a day in a chair underneath the RollGlider, either.

[FLAlaska]

I usually cruise in a suite, and Im one that isnt all that interested in the Sanctuary. I like activity , people watching, etc and I get bored. I spent 3 hours there once, and that was enough for me. The fact the Sun has a pool makes it more enticing but I don't need one of those super plush loungers so many of you are needing. So, not every suite passenger will want one.

 

But how many of those should they have? Does the Celebrity Retreat, NCL Haven or even MSC Yacht Club assign you a lounger?  I think many want to merge the reserved systems with a suite area but how are they supposed to provide a lounger for every single suite cruiser? Do other lines do this?

 

Maybe  people need to be a little more open, this is a new ship, new procedures, new venues and things will be different. That doesn't always mean worse.

[Familycruzer11]

1 hour ago, CatMom72 said:

Or perhaps I will get a padded lounge chair right underneath the screaming children using the RollGlider at Park 19?

 Right! Forgot about that.  I think time will tell as the weather warms, Park 19 fully opens, and the Sanctuary fills up.   It sounds awful, and I am hoping that Princess has thought of this because putting a Sanctuary below a Playground is well... 🥺   We don't go until Jan 2025 so will be watching ...

[Hobby3333]

1 hour ago, FLAlaska said:

I usually cruise in a suite, and Im one that isnt all that interested in the Sanctuary. I like activity , people watching, etc and I get bored. I spent 3 hours there once, and that was enough for me. The fact the Sun has a pool makes it more enticing but I don't need one of those super plush loungers so many of you are needing. So, not every suite passenger will want one.

 

But how many of those should they have? Does the Celebrity Retreat, NCL Haven or even MSC Yacht Club assign you a lounger?  I think many want to merge the reserved systems with a suite area but how are they supposed to provide a lounger for every single suite cruiser? Do other lines do this?

 

Maybe  people need to be a little more open, this is a new ship, new procedures, new venues and things will be different. That doesn't always mean worse.

I have only sailed three times on MSC in YC.  We never had an issue getting a lounger for the day.   YC is a great product.   We still explored other areas of the ship.  I was hoping that Princess ( first cruise) would have the same type option for those in Signature Suites.  No matter what, I plan on having a great time on the Sun.

[c-boy]

8 minutes ago, Hobby3333 said:

I have only sailed three times on MSC in YC.  We never had an issue getting a lounger for the day.   YC is a great product.   We still explored other areas of the ship.  I was hoping that Princess ( first cruise) would have the same type option for those in Signature Suites.  No matter what, I plan on having a great time on the Sun.

I'm certain you will have a great time and I'm optimistic the visit to the signature sun deck will be well worth it.

[cr2000]

4 hours ago, CatMom72 said:

As @Familycruzer11 already noted, those of us in suites are already paying plenty for Signature Collection on the Sun.  Now I come to find out that if I am not among the first 43 suite passengers to make it to the Signature Sun Deck on a sea day, I will be forced to take my chances on the other side of the partition, just hoping against hope that all the padded lounge chairs haven't already been sold to day pass users? Or perhaps I will get a padded lounge chair right underneath the screaming children using the RollGlider at Park 19? I'm sorry, but that is not what we had in mind when we paid extra for access to the Signature Sun Deck. Incidentally, I wouldn't want to be a non-suite passenger paying $99 to spend a day in a chair underneath the RollGlider, either.

 

What's coming through with the design of this ship is that Princess clearly designed it with families in mind assuming a changing demographic in the cruise industry. Typically Princess has catered more towards older couples traveling without kids, that's doesn't seem to be the target demographic with Sun Princess. I actually think in time they'll be forced to open The Sanctuary up to children as more and more families book Signature suites and expect to use the amenities of The Sanctuary with their families.

[cr2000]

3 hours ago, Familycruzer11 said:

 Right! Forgot about that.  I think time will tell as the weather warms, Park 19 fully opens, and the Sanctuary fills up.   It sounds awful, and I am hoping that Princess has thought of this because putting a Sanctuary below a Playground is well... 🥺   We don't go until Jan 2025 so will be watching ...

Well, they might be able to change some rules about how The Sanctuary works, but the location of it and proximity to the playground will be the same in 2025. Could end up being a moot point if they change the rules and simply repurpose The Sanctuary to a dedicated Signature suite area and allow children into it.

[HBCcruiser]

4 hours ago, FLAlaska said:

Do other lines do this?

No for NCL Haven and RCI Sky or even Star class. First come first serve but there are always enough loungers. We have never had a problem with those lines.

[HBCcruiser]

8 minutes ago, cr2000 said:

The Sanctuary to a dedicated Signature suite area and allow children into it.

Trust me, that won’t attract the normal NCL Haven passengers, if that is the group Princess is going after. Leaving it at 16+ is a good way to go. 

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, c-boy said:

I'm certain you will have a great time and I'm optimistic the visit to the signature sun deck will be well worth it.

As long as you can get a lounger.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, cr2000 said:

Well, they might be able to change some rules about how The Sanctuary works, but the location of it and proximity to the playground will be the same in 2025. Could end up being a moot point if they change the rules and simply repurpose The Sanctuary to a dedicated Signature suite area and allow children into it.

I don't see young kids being able or interested in being plunked down all day in a chair snoozing or reading/listening to a book.  And teenagers ought to know how to act, so I don't see a big deal.  This is hardly anywhere close to the biggest issues with the current setup.

[Steelers36]

7 hours ago, wallyj said:

@CatMom72, if you read post #1, there are currently 177 loungers available to ‘suite’ guests. This includes Sanctuary and Signature sun deck, so unless there are many more than 2 occupants in suites, there should be enough loungers as @WonderMan3have mentioned.

Yahbut.. most of the other loungers (to date) do not have the nice pads.

[WonderMan3]

If people don’t like the layout or positioning of the Sanctuary on Sun, feel it is not a value add for suites and prefer the old Sanctuary style on the other ships then there is a simple solution; don’t book Sun Princess or any other Sphere Class ship.

[WonderMan3]

12 hours ago, FLAlaska said:

 

 

But how many of those should they have? Does the Celebrity Retreat, NCL Haven or even MSC Yacht Club assign you a lounger?  I think many want to merge the reserved systems with a suite area but how are they supposed to provide a lounger for every single suite cruiser? Do other lines do this?

 

 

I have sailed in The Retreat on Celebrity Edge class, MSC Yacht Club and NCL’s Haven. No, none of them allow you to reserve seating (except for cabanas on MSC…not sure if NCL is doing that yet…my last cruise with them was 2018). And getting a shaded seat could be a challenge at times on all of those that required getting out there early to grab a lounger. Getting a lounger period I have never found to be an issue unless you lollygag and don’t get out to the sundeck until like noon. I think there will not be a problem getting space in Sun’s Sanctuary. Remember that not all suite guests will use the sundeck all at the same time. There is lots of unnecessary preemptive panicking here by some folks.

[CatMom72]

8 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

No for NCL Haven and RCI Sky or even Star class. First come first serve but there are always enough loungers. We have never had a problem with those lines.

The sun deck for Princess Signature Collection is not set up like the analogous space in NCL Haven.  The Haven’s sun deck cannot even be accessed by people who are not in the Haven (i.e., NCL doesn’t sell day passes there).  So it truly is a suites-only space…all of it.  It’s much larger than Signature Sun Deck, too.  That’s why there’s no concern about space even without reserved seating. It’s also kid-free, although there are separate family-friendly spaces within the Haven.  For non-Haven passengers, NCL sells Vibe Beach Club passes in a non-Haven part of the ship.  This space is kid-free, analogous to the traditional Sanctuary on past Princess ships.  So on NCL there is no overlap of Haven and non-Haven adults-only relaxation space, and there’s plenty for both groups.  The system works really well IMO.  As a long time Princess cruiser, I was looking forward to the implementation of something similar on Princess.  Unfortunately, although I have yet to experience the Princess Signature Collection version for myself, it doesn’t seem to be set up according to the same principles that work so well with NCL Haven.  Instead, it seems Princess went sort of halfway and did not really commit to the concept. I don’t envision that to be a successful approach.

[cr2000]

7 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I don't see young kids being able or interested in being plunked down all day in a chair snoozing or reading/listening to a book.  And teenagers ought to know how to act, so I don't see a big deal.  This is hardly anywhere close to the biggest issues with the current setup.

Agreed. I don't see young kids having any interest in The Sanctuary, but I could foresee the scenario where mom and dad are relaxing in The Sanctuary while their teenager(s) are off doing an activity with a couple friends. Then at some point they want to meet back up and that teenager would like to stop back and talk with mom or dad but is precluded from entering the Sanctuary under the current rules. I think a lot of people that travel with families and pay a premium for a suite will be disappointed that they can't use this amenity because their children aren't allowed to enter that area even just to check in and say hi. 

[FLAlaska]

No ship, no amenity is going to be everything for everyone. You just need to pick and choose. Im reading a lot, some things look great, others give me pause. However, Im excited to see it and experience it all for myself and make my own judgement. Its hard to judge a product based on  reviews from two cruises of a new ship.

If I don't like it, I will go back to my Sky and Enchanted, which I love... 

[HBCcruiser]

32 minutes ago, CatMom72 said:

The sun deck for Princess Signature Collection is not set up like the analogous space in NCL Haven.  The Haven’s sun deck cannot even be accessed by people who are not in the Haven (i.e., NCL doesn’t sell day passes there).  So it truly is a suites-only space…all of it.  It’s much larger than Signature Sun Deck, too.  That’s why there’s no concern about space even without reserved seating. It’s also kid-free, although there are separate family-friendly spaces within the Haven.  For non-Haven passengers, NCL sells Vibe Beach Club passes in a non-Haven part of the ship.  This space is kid-free, analogous to the traditional Sanctuary on past Princess ships.  So on NCL there is no overlap of Haven and non-Haven adults-only relaxation space, and there’s plenty for both groups.  The system works really well IMO.  As a long time Princess cruiser, I was looking forward to the implementation of something similar on Princess.  Unfortunately, although I have yet to experience the Princess Signature Collection version for myself, it doesn’t seem to be set up according to the same principles that work so well with NCL Haven.  Instead, it seems Princess went sort of halfway and did not really commit to the concept. I don’t envision that to be a successful approach.

Yes, I am aware. I sail in the Haven quite often. The question was whether NCL, (or other lines) have reserved loungers for passengers, or if there are issues with lounger saving in their secluded suite areas. I’ve never had an issue finding a lounger in the Haven, have you? 

Edited March 14 by HBCcruiser