Sanctuary Collection on Sun Princess

[KLM3164]

Let’s try this again. Interesting notification from Princess this morning on the Sanctuary Collection on the Sun and Star Princess. Looking forward to hearing more about this as well as the cost of upgrading our mini-suite cabin.

 

https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/onboard-experience/sanctuary-collection?cid=mkt_vanityurl_vanityurl_sanctuary_sanctuarycollection_mixed_na_na_na

[Mishkin]

They're going to keep closing these and not tell us what they'd like. Mods please help us out. I'm not sure where they want us to put of posts about it.

[Yo Howdy]

Oh my god did the prices go up on the suites!

[Mishkin]

1 minute ago, Yo Howdy said:

Oh my god did the prices go up on the suites!

Not only did the prices go up, the deposits are also crazy. the price went up about $2200 for our journey and the deposit went from $198 to $1000.  I liked Princess for the "sane" pricing but they may be pushing me out.

[voljeep]

is the Premier Package now mandatory in those categories and included in the price?

[keldaria]

6 minutes ago, voljeep said:

is the Premier Package now mandatory in those categories and included in the price?

Yes, it seems so. If you book in the sanctuary class it’s automatically included.

[reedprincess]

7 minutes ago, voljeep said:

is the Premier Package now mandatory in those categories and included in the price?

Yup.

[ProfMHC]

https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/onboard-experience/sanctuary-collection
 

link to explanation from Princess website 

[reedprincess]

Just now, ProfMHC said:

https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/onboard-experience/sanctuary-collection
 

link to explanation from Princess website 

Same link as above, BTW....takes you to same page.

[mw82den]

Got the email saying that our booking had been ‘upgraded’ to the Sanctuary Collection (penthouse suite on Sun Princess).

 

I had already purchased Princess Premier to go with it - would I be eligible for a refund on that, if it’s now already included?  
 

EDIT: seems not.  I just noticed that it’s called out in the FAQ for existing bookings.

Edited April 23 by mw82den

[Mishkin]

8 minutes ago, mw82den said:

Got the email saying that our booking had been ‘upgraded’ to the Sanctuary Collection (penthouse suite on Sun Princess).

 

I had already purchased Princess Premier to go with it - would I be eligible for a refund on that, if it’s now already included?  
 

EDIT: seems not.  I just noticed that it’s called out in the FAQ for existing bookings.

The cost for the suites also went up significantly so there is a nicety in the fact that we don't have to pay the new amount. Although I wonder if they're just not applying the discount/lower deposit right now.

[Flo71]

Are these category on sale for any sailings yet?

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

And the name change is also to distinguish the Sanctuary as a Suite Sun Deck and not the Sanctuary we think of on other ships.  It truly is now equal to the Retreat Sun Deck on Celebrity.  I would probably see no options to buy into the Sanctuary now for non suite guests.

 

Maybe Princess read my thread!!  🙂

[Mishkin]

2 minutes ago, Flo71 said:

Are these category on sale for any sailings yet?

The press release outlines it.

 

Sanctuary Collection staterooms on Sun Princess and Star Princess go on sale April 23 for sailings after October 14, 2024 beginning in the Caribbean season on Sun Princess and at launch on Star Princess in Fall of 2025.

[Wishing on a star]

Yes,  this seems clear that this is like the Haven or the Retreat...  ship-within-a-ship that the other lines are offering.

 

NO access to the sanctuary area for me now!!!   : (

[Mishkin]

The one thing I'm curious about is Suite guests used to get specialty dining on embarkation night. With this change they don't mention that any more. I wonder if we would still get it.

 

edit: Looking at the summary page it still shows that as a perk so looks like they didn't drop that off.

Edited April 23 by Mishkin
adding details based upon website.

[reiddg]

53 minutes ago, mw82den said:

Got the email saying that our booking had been ‘upgraded’ to the Sanctuary Collection (penthouse suite on Sun Princess).

 

I had already purchased Princess Premier to go with it - would I be eligible for a refund on that, if it’s now already included?  
 

EDIT: seems not.  I just noticed that it’s called out in the FAQ for existing bookings.

I too received the email informing me of the complimentary upgrade.  The note said I should upgrade to the Premier package but when I researched it on the Princess website, it said Premier was included.  I reached an agent on chat and she said that the 2025 Sun Princess bookings made prior to April 2023 were given the upgrade but it excluded the Premier package.  Same cabin, they're just including the Sanctuary Collection amenities.  I couldn't get an answer but I'm guessing she meant the Reserve and Signature bookings were upgraded.  I can't imagine ALL bookings were upgraded but who knows?  I'm anxious to learn more about it though.

Edited April 23 by reiddg

[Mishkin]

13 minutes ago, reiddg said:

I too received the email informing me of the complimentary upgrade.  The note said I should upgrade to the Premier package but when I researched it on the Princess website, it said Premier was included.  I reached an agent on chat and she said that the 2025 Sun Princess bookings made prior to April 2023 were given the upgrade but it excluded the Premier package.  Same cabin, they're just including the Sanctuary Collection amenities.  I couldn't get an answer but I'm guessing she meant the Reserve and Signature bookings were upgraded.  I can't imagine ALL bookings were upgraded but who knows?  I'm anxious to learn more about it though.

I agree Princess did a terrible job with the wording for suites guests. Nothing seems to have changed for the suite guests other than the fact that you can no longer book it without a package like you used to be able to. The upgrade really applies to people in the Reserve Collection, who now get Sanctuary Access.

[FLAlaska]

3 minutes ago, Mishkin said:

I agree Princess did a terrible job with the wording for suites guests. Nothing seems to have changed for the suite guests other than the fact that you can no longer book it without a package like you used to be able to. The upgrade really applies to people in the Reserve Collection, who now get Sanctuary Access.

I posted this in another thread, but my C1, previously named Reserve Cabana Suite isn't listed as Sanctuary or Reserve. Trying to find out if they removed the Reserve dining room component.

[oteixeira]

3 minutes ago, Mishkin said:

I agree Princess did a terrible job with the wording for suites guests. Nothing seems to have changed for the suite guests other than the fact that you can no longer book it without a package like you used to be able to. The upgrade really applies to people in the Reserve Collection, who now get Sanctuary Access.

This is exactly correct from everything I have read.  I am S9, and I pre-paid for premier.  Since premier was not included for folks like me who booked last year, nothing has changed.  I think the only real difference is instead of having folks who can buy their way into the sanctuary, we will have more people who paid for it up front.  My guess is this is a reaction to zero people on board wanting to spend $90 per person per day to get in?  Not sure honestly.  Also, the restaurants share a kitchen and one had lines and one was always empty (Per @Sox Fan Cruiser who just came off the ship) so that move makes total sense to me.

[FLAlaska]

4 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

This is exactly correct from everything I have read.  I am S9, and I pre-paid for premier.  Since premier was not included for folks like me who booked last year, nothing has changed.  I think the only real difference is instead of having folks who can buy their way into the sanctuary, we will have more people who paid for it up front.  My guess is this is a reaction to zero people on board wanting to spend $90 per person per day to get in?  Not sure honestly.  Also, the restaurants share a kitchen and one had lines and one was always empty (Per @Sox Fan Cruiser who just came off the ship) so that move makes total sense to me.

Im realizing that the difference in price between an S9 and the old Mini Reserve , when I booked it, only gives you a Suite Lounge.  Or am I missing something? Go figure... 

[Mishkin]

1 minute ago, FLAlaska said:

I posted this in another thread, but my C1, previously named Reserve Cabana Suite isn't listed as Sanctuary or Reserve. Trying to find out if they removed the Reserve dining room component.

We cruised last summer to Alaska on Princess prior to the switch to some switches on the drink package. We got e-mails from Princess that we got upgraded but upon getting on the ship we had extra charges as our drink pack didn't have the same $15 limit. It was a bit annoying.

[reiddg]

48 minutes ago, Mishkin said:

I agree Princess did a terrible job with the wording for suites guests. Nothing seems to have changed for the suite guests other than the fact that you can no longer book it without a package like you used to be able to. The upgrade really applies to people in the Reserve Collection, who now get Sanctuary Access.

Exactly.  I was wondering though, was the private restaurant originally for both Signature and Reserve or were they separate?

[Mishkin]

Just now, reiddg said:

Exactly.  I was wondering though, was the private restaurant originally for both Signature and Reserve or were they separate?

On the Sun Princess there is the Signature Lounge and Restaurant for Suite guests as well as a Reserve Collection Restaurant. 

 

[reiddg]

4 minutes ago, Mishkin said:

On the Sun Princess there is the Signature Lounge and Restaurant for Suite guests as well as a Reserve Collection Restaurant. 

 

Yes, I recall when booking our Reserve MS that we had our own restaurant but I'm wondering which "private" restaurant they're referring to in the Sanctuary Collection promo.