This June will be our first Princess Cruise on the Royal Princess, 14 days to Alaska in a Mini-Suite and Premier Package. This will be our first time getting more than a soda package on a cruise but since it is our 25th wedding anniversary we're going above and beyond what is normal for us. Having multiple additional pay restaurants, extra pay ship areas, etc.. just has us looking for other vacation options. We'll see if the Premier package is of value to us or not and turns some of the negatives about cruising these days into more of a positive.
I feel the plus package was well worth it. Not heavy drinkers but specialty coffee in the morning, am afternoon margarita, wine with dinner and a late night drink were just right. I don't go for specialty restaurants as MDR is still good.
I had a ton of trouble learning this ship. It took me around 4 days to get the general understanding of what elevator banks I needed to go to for different venues on the ship. I still didn’t find everything. I like the light decor theme, but the signage was a bit small and muted for me and possibly other older cruisers. I would recommend that since you know if you are on port or starboard side, to look at the picture of the direction of the ship to find the correct hallway for your room. The carpet is the same color on port and starboard sides. Also other cruises have the day of the week on the elevator floors- that would be nice. I also had a difficult time making reservations for our odd numbered group prior to boarding. However we could just do walk in at 7:40pm.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 the food was good. I normally don’t do the specialty restaurants, but we had the premiere package and it came with two specialty restaurant meals. We had Hot Pot and the Butcher’s Block, both were very delicious. The Americana Diner was good for what I was looking for in a late breakfast. My 10 year old grandson loved all the food near the pool, hot dogs, burgers, pizza. The food in the main dining room was really good too, I am a picky eater and always found something I liked. The buffet seemed to have the same thing each day.
Thanks for a great overview as always. I have a Signature Vista Suite booked for Dec 2025 (refundable deposit) so the Signature / Premier perks + the Sanctuary are big pluses that we are looking forward to. We enjoy The Retreat on Edge Class from Celebrity. The smokey walk to the theater through the casino might be a deal breaker for us as is the design and navigation you mentioned. That is why we will never sail on a NCL Breakaway class ship since the smoke fills the entire atrium. I agree with you - what was Princess thinking having smoking in the casino? I'll wait for some further reviews before cancelling.
Be on the lookout for our recent review as we spent another 3 days onboard with all the changes. Sanctuary Collection is really nice. What’s your itinerary?
We just got off the sun princess yesterday in Barcelona. We absolutely loved this ship and this last week. We had a reserve mini suite right next to Lido deck. First night with DJ was kind of loud but after that it never got that loud again. Food was good, except the sushi automatically came with wasabi and we did not care for that. I agree that getting around could be complicated but lots of animated screens to show us where we were going. Princess app will also act as navigation and wad easy to use this feature. Cannot say that about the rest of the app. Loved the medallion feature, made it so easy to get drinks and get in your room. Can't wait to go again.
I have taken 80 cruises since 1972, i say this to say the ships back in the 70s were plain simple and i enjoyed each and everyone…The ships now a days have so much more, so for me the little nuisances that people are mentioning in the comments are not enough for me to turn my back on Princess. I am looking forward to all that the Sun Princess has to offer and i will have 21 days in 2025 to get accustomed to the lay out. I love the pkgs and have utilized Princess plus and Princess Premier and found them economical for me As i will always say I will be my own judge of what i like….Thanks for the review, enjoyed it🚢🙂
@@Eatsleepcruise1 i am in a deluxe premium balcony on the 14 th deck. I understand on that floor i can go aft and take the elevator directly to the wake view terrace and Of course have the Princess Premier pkg
A very safe thorough review. Begin positively and end positively with a sprinkle of the things that were a slight disappointment. As invited guests on this cruise, it was a good presentation of the ship whether Princess directly or indirectly influenced the presentation.
Just turned Platinum after a two week cruise on the Sun Princess. Loved the elevators, the new showers and the best service ever. Hated the smoky walk to the stage shows. For a seat at the shows you need to be there at least 30 minutes ahead of the shows. Great singing and dancing but volume was a bit too loud, and my hearings not that great. Most of the tours were great but in most cases we were forced to return to the ship by 2 or 2:30 and the ship was not leaving until 5:00 or later. We often had only 15 t0 30 minutes to shop at the end of the tour. We would have liked more time to shop than we were given. Food in the Eatery was good but by the second week it got monotonous. Despite the size of the ship it never felt crowded.
Thank you for this review. It’s nice to see that princess has updated its look…..it’s staggering how much less all Inclusive there is 😢. As a platinum member with >100 sea days, I’ll Never take a trip on this vessel. I noticed the appalling “balconies” On the main walking deck 😂. Princess had lost its touch. I have one more trip on Caribbean Princess then it’s time to stick with smaller ships like Azamara Seaborn etc. I make >200k in retirement with zero mortgages…I’ll NEVER waste money eating at specialty dining rooms, MDR food has always offered delicious meals.
I say glad to see Princess finally realizing their are people like myself and my wife who like to get it all for at one price. We pay sometime 4 times as much as the basic cruiser that is happy with the buffet, waiting in endless lines to get where they want to go. I don’t like waiting in lines and I don’t mind paying for those services. So excuse me for being able to buy what I want. I don’t apologize for working hard all my life. As a 72 year old man who has worked and saved for over 50 years, now I can afford what I want.
So Princess continues their policy of making the complementary dining less than what came before to get us into additional dining venues. They've lost us. Princess no longer wants basic cruisers, they only want passengers who pay the considerable prices for Plus packages. A total waste for non-drinkers. I suspect Princess are happy to see the back of us. They are not interested in all loyal passengers.
Another disappointment is the Eatery (aka buffet). Did you know with the exception of the carving station where the meats are, all lunch selections remain the SAME THROUGHOUT the entire week with NO CHANGES. SAME goes with diinner (no changes in dinner selection except for the carving station). The management aboard Sun Princess says this is a "new concept" but call it what is is - NEW COST CUTTING MEASURE!! People need to PROTEST this in as many ways possible (surveys, communicating with the managers aboard Princess, social media, letting travel agents know, etc).
@@Leo-lp4zh I contacted Princess when they removed a number of inclusive features and stuck them on the Plus package one week before our last sailing with them. Their "customer service" department replied with "we can do what we want, it's in the small print". I mentioned it on board, but all they could do is shrug as they can only say what the Carnival Corporate Overlords tell them. After the cruise I communicated via social media, where Princess undercover spies just ridiculed everyone who did not like having features they'd already paid for removed just before embarking. Princess has made it perfectly clear they only want people prepared to fork out for Plus packages. It was nice while it lasted but it's time to look at alternative options.
@@Leo-lp4zh I have communicated with Princess, but the company didn't give a stuff. They either ignored me or sent copy and paste replies pointing out that they can do what they want due to the small print.
@@barnum4244 You did your part and I will do mine. However, at some point I will post on social media (Princess websites where more people will see) to let them know not everyone is hoodwink from the new ship on first impressions. I'll keep you posted (via PM) as I am getting like minded folks to band together. This cost-cutting measure with the Eatery is a low blow to passengers!!
@@Leo-lp4zh Good luck. I hope you have more joy than others. I posted on Facebook where there were a lot of folks in agreement but lots of Princess spies just ridiculed anyone daring to criticise the company. It's truly astonishing how much the company hates anyone not willing to purchase Plus packages.
Looks a nice ship, as fans of princess I'll be watching reviews of what others think to? Don't particularly like multi floor venues, however if the lifts live up to the hype, then great, thanks for the overview 👍
No idea, when she will come to Southampton, however deffo on my radar, until then? I'll have to suffer celebrity apex this Aug and back on Sky princess in 2025. Happy days 🥳
Right now, one show is open in both the theater and dome. By July, the cruise line indicated all the shows should be running. Let us know. What type of cabin are you staying in?
Thanks for share video. This ship are too big for me. I would like to go on Princess' older ships with about 2,000- 3,000 passengers. This ship is too modern. Thanks for take review on ship. I miss watching "The Love Boat" show.
I like the older ships due to their spaces and I'm tired of the trendy taupe theme with muted colors. It's going to date these ships terribly. 2034 "The Sun Princess is so 2020s with its typical taupe look and screens everywhere." Lots of stadium like seating used as well.
Yes, unfortunately, the cruise line could not get the space certified, so they are updating it. We are sailing on the ship in October and will report back on what has been changed.
Also keep in mind this ship appears to be using the Carnival Excel class platform and has been modified in such a way that it actually carries almost 1000 less passengers at double occupancy than the Carnival versions. Not sure what the capacity is of the P&O and Aida versions.
I think I've identified some real unfortunate trends in cruising and it started in the 1990s. First, people don't value a ship. Its lifespan should be 30 plus years. Yet, a lot of cruisers want to go on the latest ship simply because it is the newest. Wear and tear aren't supposed to happen and when it does, then it's time for the latest with virtually none. New ships are almost identical to one another so you're just getting a newer version with perhaps some more suites or more revenue enhancing areas added to whatever came before it. So when you market the new, you don't value the value of a ship. Certain people come back to certain ships, sometimes individual ships or even the first one or two in a series, because they have a certain personality to them. And thankfully, that's why some of them still sail and have their loyal fans. But a lot of the cruise passengers look for what's latest, which ship has the newest tech. Tech is part of entertainment, as seen with the theaters that depend on screens for an "immersive" experience. Whereas I feel an experience like the Bright Lights society on Cunard is kind of immersive when in a smallish cabaret/lounge space, performers interact with passengers. I'm not saying the theaters are bad but screens are an enhancer to still what should be a well produced and executed show. Crews are transferred to the newest ship which deprives passengers on the established (opposed to the term "older" ) ships to have the level of service/entertainment as the newest ones. At some point, a ship will wear out or become too expensive to operate. But it shouldn't be 15-20 years and a ship 15 years old shouldn't be considered "old." Some of us remember when a 10 year old ship was considered "young." Now a 6 year old ship is getting old or is middle-aged with is absurd. 15 year old ships should be middle-aged, not necessarily "older" which means nothing ( a 2 year old ship is older than a 1 year old ship) or "old." So, I tend to look at the latest ships as new for now, because I remember the previous classes as new for then, and go from there. What's really improved and what isn't. And for me, neutral taupes and muted colors isn't one of them. In fact, it's kind of boring and bland. So, that's what I see in this ship. Same for screens and lighting. Is the Dome area nice? I don't know. Maybe it's very nice. I'd have to experience it. It's a theater or inside view space so that's a positive. Is the Wheelhouse Bar better, atrium, buffet, etc? Buffet may be. I don't love noisy atria so that's not for me. And it looks visually kind of dull to me. And so forth. So, the ship looks kind of generic to me with Princess labeled spaces. Staterooms are fine but I found them fine in previous classes. The soft product will be what it is and how crowded or underutilized spaces are is trial and error. So, will Princess actually improve some of the flow and size of certain venues? Maybe. Maybe the ship is alright and some things will be proven in time. We'll see. Spellbound may become less expensive and other changes may happen. Some of the specialty areas need to be less open and more special feeling. I don't know. It looks unfinished and is unproven in some ways. Not saying it is bad. I'm just saying for its time, it may not be as successful or rich feeling as the previous class was for its time or has proven to be.
I guess myself and friends of mine very seasoned and experienced world travelers for decades, I previously worked for a major cruise line at the corporate headquarters and on the ships handling financial and legal operations, were on a different ship. Food in buffet was repetitive everyday dried out no taste, walkways and ship design as you mentioned was very poorly laid out, spellbound is overpriced overrated certainly not worth 169 I’ve been to the magic castle in LA and you can go on you tube see same tricks and even get the secrets for nothing. Most of the ship is convoluted with long hallways and wasted space. The areas with open glass reminds me of a hospital or a ny office building the piazza and dome unlike royal class ships does not have the intimacy charm and character with everything being well appointed and laid out near each other so you feel your in the same complex. Guest services tucked in a obscure area won’t handle the guest flow when dozens are standing in line down the halls. Enough said I and others feel this ship is overrated overpriced and all hyperbole. There’s a reason princess kept the same design on their ships for some 60 years it’s what their guests wanted. But carnival saw other lines making more money and getting more cross section of people by adding bells and whistles but the guests on princess are considerably older and much more set in their preferences.
These may not apply to Sun Princess, as there were few kids and plenty of security. Like all contemporary cruise lines, there was some upsell, but it was not crazy.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 the Wheelhouse Bar on all the older Princess ships have dark wood and brass accents. Ornate you could say. Lights are low. Kinda tucked away even though they are always midship. On the Sun, it appears to be light and airy and just there for everyone to walk right by.
@@porkins74 Some people are kind of brainwashed into believing dark woods and rich colors are "dated" or not desirable. Everything has be " light and airy" because the trends say that's " modern." And the benefit of being "older" is seeing that modern means modern for now. Everything gets dated and dated isn't a bad thing if it is seen more as period. And older designs don't mean bad because the only thing that really changes is tech and to a degree lighting. Also, a lot of today's cruising want every-day environments rather than the elevated, more luxurious, more romantic and intmate ambiances that was once sought out in cruising. The Wheelhouse Bar is about that romantic ambiance and a dark, glowing atmosphere, not airiness and lightness. Alos, more elegant. So, yes, the Wheel house Bar is ruined. There's nothing wrong with a darker ambiance in some areas of "modern" ships.
I heard a rumor that there are spots on deck 8 for those two restaurants that are popped up in the buffet for now. But they are still not ready. “South” of Teppanyaki on the deck plan is one.
One big mistake Princess has done is replacing Churchills Lounge with an arcade. Churchills ensured smokers had a place to go that truly didn't affect non smoking passengers and from what I've gathered, the arcades are always empty
@iloveowls90 then they aren't paying attention or researching the ship and cruise line. There are reddit threads and fb groups posting pics/videos daily about the empty arcades. They've been there long enough that people should know they exist by now.
Yeah that is ridiculous and will send part of my family away. But it will attract the children and teens who I have no desire to experience. [Dad wears graphic T's to the MDR and wife-beaters everywhere else]----don't need to see that!
As a Platinum Member of the Captains Circle, I don't find this ship in anyway attractive or appealing. It may not appear so to anyone outside Europe but the interior resembles a large modern European ferry.
Every mainstream cruise line has a limited smoking section on their ships. The Carnival Paradise was 100% non smoking many many years ago and didn't survive since many heavy duty gamblers tend to smoke and the casino revenue dropped off big time
May I ask why? I'm a former social smoker, so I probably find the smell of cigarette smoke even more offensive than people who never smoked. At the same time, I recognize people do smoke and doing so is not illegal. I'm not going to tell people they can't do it and see no problem with places having designated smoking areas. That way, smokers have their space and non smokers can avoid them if they want. I also find heavy perfumes and colognes offensive, but I'm not going to tell people not to wear them.
So I watched the video and on 18.13 you said you have to walk through the casino to get to the theater. Not true why are you misleading us. You can get to the theater on deck 6 and 7. Deck 7 is the casino that has designated smoking area, also not every night some nights are non smoking. Yes it’s a new ship it will take some time to adjust to the new layout. This is a beautiful ship that offers so much more for us LOYAL princess cruisers.
I find nothing “gorgeous” or innovative or even interesting about this ship. But nice try, Princess. I hope they fix some of these issues on the next ship in this class.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 That doesn't make it gorgeous, because it is trendy. Open can be a positive or negative in its application as well. And modern is transitory. It's modern for now in terms of trends and tech. But some don't find it innovative because it is doing popular cruise things, so it is more keeping up with trends than innovating. Unless you want to call Spellbound an innovation. But is it really? The spheres and domes are done on other cruise lines. Acrobats are. Theater in the round with big screens are. Water shows are, pretty much Royal Caribbean has put most of these features in their ships before others. So where's the innovative? And why should Princess be innovative opposed to excellent? (Medallian is good, that's innovative and a positive IMO but it isn't implemented in this ship class). Why should Princess not offer what is tried and true and what Princess customers expect and enjoy while some other things may be added and tried? O'Malley's looks like O'Malley's. That's good. The Wheelhouse Bar is interchangeable with spaces on the NCL Prima, something like their Whiskey Bar. Is that really good? I don't say this to be argumentative but I think this whole idea that new and modern and trendy is always fit for every line, like a HAL or Princess and Celebrity to a degree, is always a positive thing. And I think ship in a ship is a big negative and that's creeping into a lot of lines and is especially present on the Celebrity Edge ships. Lines/brands need to keep their identity IMO. Not stay still and not modernize to a degree but not totally trendy in every aspect/design of their new fleet. Maybe some lines have a finite customer base for a certain discerning type of cruiser. I thought that was who premium lines were for.
It’s a nice ship with several improvements. Elevators are better. The lotus spa is better. The casino is larger. However: the gym layout feels more confined than their last 3 newest cruise ships, the layout can be confusing, and the Eatery (their replacement of the buffet) was dreadful. The food was the same every night, they got rid of self-serve, and I didn’t speak to anyone who was happy about it. Ever got annoyed with waiting behind a person who takes minutes to select food? Wait until you have to wait even longer behind those same indecisive dinners and can’t walk around them. Or have to ask for more sauce or dressing. The Eatery was the biggest fail imo. I like the ship, but prefer the Discovery Princess overall due to the food situation.
I heard about long waiting for food from Lido. I don't like full service buffet there. I like self service buffet better. I would go on Princess' older or oldest ships. I like smaller ships.
I’m excited to be there June! Looks beautiful, and I love the food options!!
The buffet (the eatery) was among the worst I've ever had on any cruise ship. Other than that is was okay.
Have fun! What type of stateroom are you staying in?
Regular balcony for family of 3, 2 adults and a teen :)
This June will be our first Princess Cruise on the Royal Princess, 14 days to Alaska in a Mini-Suite and Premier Package. This will be our first time getting more than a soda package on a cruise but since it is our 25th wedding anniversary we're going above and beyond what is normal for us. Having multiple additional pay restaurants, extra pay ship areas, etc.. just has us looking for other vacation options. We'll see if the Premier package is of value to us or not and turns some of the negatives about cruising these days into more of a positive.
I feel the plus package was well worth it. Not heavy drinkers but specialty coffee in the morning, am afternoon margarita, wine with dinner and a late night drink were just right. I don't go for specialty restaurants as MDR is still good.
I had a ton of trouble learning this ship. It took me around 4 days to get the general understanding of what elevator banks I needed to go to for different venues on the ship. I still didn’t find everything. I like the light decor theme, but the signage was a bit small and muted for me and possibly other older cruisers. I would recommend that since you know if you are on port or starboard side, to look at the picture of the direction of the ship to find the correct hallway for your room. The carpet is the same color on port and starboard sides. Also other cruises have the day of the week on the elevator floors- that would be nice. I also had a difficult time making reservations for our odd numbered group prior to boarding. However we could just do walk in at 7:40pm.
Navigation is definitely an issue. What did you think of the food?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 the food was good. I normally don’t do the specialty restaurants, but we had the premiere package and it came with two specialty restaurant meals. We had Hot Pot and the Butcher’s Block, both were very delicious.
The Americana Diner was good for what I was looking for in a late breakfast.
My 10 year old grandson loved all the food near the pool, hot dogs, burgers, pizza.
The food in the main dining room was really good too, I am a picky eater and always found something I liked.
The buffet seemed to have the same thing each day.
Seriously, the Dry Bar hairdryers are amazing!!!
I don’t have enough hair to know. lol. You plan on sailing on Sun Princess?
I don't cruise for hairdryer quality!
Thanks for a great overview as always. I have a Signature Vista Suite booked for Dec 2025 (refundable deposit) so the Signature / Premier perks + the Sanctuary are big pluses that we are looking forward to. We enjoy The Retreat on Edge Class from Celebrity. The smokey walk to the theater through the casino might be a deal breaker for us as is the design and navigation you mentioned. That is why we will never sail on a NCL Breakaway class ship since the smoke fills the entire atrium. I agree with you - what was Princess thinking having smoking in the casino? I'll wait for some further reviews before cancelling.
Be on the lookout for our recent review as we spent another 3 days onboard with all the changes. Sanctuary Collection is really nice. What’s your itinerary?
We just got off the sun princess yesterday in Barcelona. We absolutely loved this ship and this last week. We had a reserve mini suite right next to Lido deck. First night with DJ was kind of loud but after that it never got that loud again. Food was good, except the sushi automatically came with wasabi and we did not care for that. I agree that getting around could be complicated but lots of animated screens to show us where we were going. Princess app will also act as navigation and wad easy to use this feature. Cannot say that about the rest of the app. Loved the medallion feature, made it so easy to get drinks and get in your room. Can't wait to go again.
I have taken 80 cruises since 1972, i say this to say the ships back in the 70s were plain simple and i enjoyed each and everyone…The ships now a days have so much more, so for me the little nuisances that people are mentioning in the comments are not enough for me to turn my back on Princess. I am looking forward to all that the Sun Princess has to offer and i will have 21 days in 2025 to get accustomed to the lay out. I love the pkgs and have utilized Princess plus and Princess Premier and found them economical for me
As i will always say I will be my own judge of what i like….Thanks for the review, enjoyed it🚢🙂
Glad you enjoyed the review. We can’t wait to hear about your 3 weeks onboard. What type of cabin are you staying in?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 i am in a deluxe premium balcony on the 14 th deck. I understand on that floor i can go aft and take the elevator directly to the wake view terrace and Of course have the Princess Premier pkg
A very safe thorough review. Begin positively and end positively with a sprinkle of the things that were a slight disappointment. As invited guests on this cruise, it was a good presentation of the ship whether Princess directly or indirectly influenced the presentation.
Thanks, Princess had no say in the review. When is your next cruise?
Just turned Platinum after a two week cruise on the Sun Princess. Loved the elevators, the new showers and the best service ever. Hated the smoky walk to the stage shows. For a seat at the shows you need to be there at least 30 minutes ahead of the shows. Great singing and dancing but volume was a bit too loud, and my hearings not that great. Most of the tours were great but in most cases we were forced to return to the ship by 2 or 2:30 and the ship was not leaving until 5:00 or later. We often had only 15 t0 30 minutes to shop at the end of the tour. We would have liked more time to shop than we were given. Food in the Eatery was good but by the second week it got monotonous. Despite the size of the ship it never felt crowded.
Thank you for this review. It’s nice to see that princess has updated its look…..it’s staggering how much less all
Inclusive there is 😢.
As a platinum member with >100 sea days, I’ll
Never take a trip on this vessel. I noticed the appalling “balconies”
On the main walking deck 😂. Princess had lost its touch. I have one more trip on Caribbean Princess then it’s time to stick with smaller ships like Azamara Seaborn etc. I make >200k in retirement with zero mortgages…I’ll
NEVER waste money eating at specialty dining rooms, MDR food has always offered delicious meals.
Thanks for watching. Sun Princess has some bright spots, but we think the cruise line has a ways to go to live up to the competition. Happy sailing.
A vision of horror …
I say glad to see Princess finally realizing their are people like myself and my wife who like to get it all for at one price.
We pay sometime 4 times as much as the basic cruiser that is happy with the buffet, waiting in endless lines to get where they want to go.
I don’t like waiting in lines and I don’t mind paying for those services. So excuse me for being able to buy what I want.
I don’t apologize for working hard all my life. As a 72 year old man who has worked and saved for over 50 years, now I can afford what I want.
So Princess continues their policy of making the complementary dining less than what came before to get us into additional dining venues. They've lost us. Princess no longer wants basic cruisers, they only want passengers who pay the considerable prices for Plus packages. A total waste for non-drinkers.
I suspect Princess are happy to see the back of us. They are not interested in all loyal passengers.
Another disappointment is the Eatery (aka buffet). Did you know with the exception of the carving station where the meats are, all lunch selections remain the SAME THROUGHOUT the entire week with NO CHANGES. SAME goes with diinner (no changes in dinner selection except for the carving station). The management aboard Sun Princess says this is a "new concept" but call it what is is - NEW COST CUTTING MEASURE!! People need to PROTEST this in as many ways possible (surveys, communicating with the managers aboard Princess, social media, letting travel agents know, etc).
@@Leo-lp4zh I contacted Princess when they removed a number of inclusive features and stuck them on the Plus package one week before our last sailing with them. Their "customer service" department replied with "we can do what we want, it's in the small print". I mentioned it on board, but all they could do is shrug as they can only say what the Carnival Corporate Overlords tell them. After the cruise I communicated via social media, where Princess undercover spies just ridiculed everyone who did not like having features they'd already paid for removed just before embarking. Princess has made it perfectly clear they only want people prepared to fork out for Plus packages. It was nice while it lasted but it's time to look at alternative options.
@@Leo-lp4zh I have communicated with Princess, but the company didn't give a stuff. They either ignored me or sent copy and paste replies pointing out that they can do what they want due to the small print.
@@barnum4244 You did your part and I will do mine. However, at some point I will post on social media (Princess websites where more people will see) to let them know not everyone is hoodwink from the new ship on first impressions. I'll keep you posted (via PM) as I am getting like minded folks to band together. This cost-cutting measure with the Eatery is a low blow to passengers!!
@@Leo-lp4zh Good luck. I hope you have more joy than others. I posted on Facebook where there were a lot of folks in agreement but lots of Princess spies just ridiculed anyone daring to criticise the company. It's truly astonishing how much the company hates anyone not willing to purchase Plus packages.
Looks a nice ship, as fans of princess I'll be watching reviews of what others think to? Don't particularly like multi floor venues, however if the lifts live up to the hype, then great, thanks for the overview 👍
Glad you enjoyed the review. We are fans of mega ships and when compared to then Royal class, Sun Princess is a huge improvement.
No idea, when she will come to Southampton, however deffo on my radar, until then? I'll have to suffer celebrity apex this Aug and back on Sky princess in 2025. Happy days 🥳
It's great, we just got off the ship. Loved it
Sabatinis and Steakhouse table arrangement looks like a close quarters school lunchroom, 2X2 w/ table cloths---way to pack 'em in Princess.
Was this a comped cruise?
We were guests of Princess Cruises.
sailing on Sun Princess first week of September in the Mediterranean, cant't wait!
Does anybody know if the production show is open now (End of April 24). I will be on Sun Princess in July.
Right now, one show is open in both the theater and dome. By July, the cruise line indicated all the shows should be running. Let us know. What type of cabin are you staying in?
Thank you. We'll be in the Deluxe Balcony. They kept sending me emails to upgrade. But I still have time to decide.
Just returned from 14 days on the Sun Princess, all shows were open.
@@DeniseG-nl2ro Thank you. I am happy to hear that.
Thanks for share video. This ship are too big for me. I would like to go on Princess' older ships with about 2,000- 3,000 passengers. This ship is too modern. Thanks for take review on ship. I miss watching "The Love Boat" show.
Thanks for watching. When is the next cruise?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 I don't know yet. I hope I will go on cruising next year.
I'm curious, professional complainers and haters, get paid by complaint, salary, yearly, weekly 🤔? Or is just a hobby?
I think they wake up to complain.
I think you’re too ignorant to understand……
I liker the older ships...maybe because I am older.
lol. Perhaps. Although, we are getting up there in age, and still like the newer ships. When’s the next cruise.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 December on the Regal Princess.
I like the older ships due to their spaces and I'm tired of the trendy taupe theme with muted colors. It's going to date these ships terribly. 2034 "The Sun Princess is so 2020s with its typical taupe look and screens everywhere." Lots of stadium like seating used as well.
Or maybe because they appeal to your tastes more.
Read someplace no plans to open park 19 area..the desig makes it way too windy when sailing..
Basically unusable space
Yes, unfortunately, the cruise line could not get the space certified, so they are updating it. We are sailing on the ship in October and will report back on what has been changed.
I like the closest space on the Ruby / Crown better
Is it really that much bigger than their Royal class ships? Looks the same size to me or am I wrong?
Sun Princess is about 20% bigger. You can feel it in certain areas, like the piazza and the sun deck, especially the dome and Sea View terrace.
Also keep in mind this ship appears to be using the Carnival Excel class platform and has been modified in such a way that it actually carries almost 1000 less passengers at double occupancy than the Carnival versions. Not sure what the capacity is of the P&O and Aida versions.
I think I've identified some real unfortunate trends in cruising and it started in the 1990s. First, people don't value a ship. Its lifespan should be 30 plus years. Yet, a lot of cruisers want to go on the latest ship simply because it is the newest. Wear and tear aren't supposed to happen and when it does, then it's time for the latest with virtually none. New ships are almost identical to one another so you're just getting a newer version with perhaps some more suites or more revenue enhancing areas added to whatever came before it.
So when you market the new, you don't value the value of a ship. Certain people come back to certain ships, sometimes individual ships or even the first one or two in a series, because they have a certain personality to them. And thankfully, that's why some of them still sail and have their loyal fans. But a lot of the cruise passengers look for what's latest, which ship has the newest tech. Tech is part of entertainment, as seen with the theaters that depend on screens for an "immersive" experience. Whereas I feel an experience like the Bright Lights society on Cunard is kind of immersive when in a smallish cabaret/lounge space, performers interact with passengers. I'm not saying the theaters are bad but screens are an enhancer to still what should be a well produced and executed show.
Crews are transferred to the newest ship which deprives passengers on the established (opposed to the term "older" ) ships to have the level of service/entertainment as the newest ones. At some point, a ship will wear out or become too expensive to operate. But it shouldn't be 15-20 years and a ship 15 years old shouldn't be considered "old." Some of us remember when a 10 year old ship was considered "young." Now a 6 year old ship is getting old or is middle-aged with is absurd. 15 year old ships should be middle-aged, not necessarily "older" which means nothing ( a 2 year old ship is older than a 1 year old ship) or "old."
So, I tend to look at the latest ships as new for now, because I remember the previous classes as new for then, and go from there. What's really improved and what isn't. And for me, neutral taupes and muted colors isn't one of them. In fact, it's kind of boring and bland. So, that's what I see in this ship. Same for screens and lighting. Is the Dome area nice? I don't know. Maybe it's very nice. I'd have to experience it. It's a theater or inside view space so that's a positive. Is the Wheelhouse Bar better, atrium, buffet, etc? Buffet may be. I don't love noisy atria so that's not for me. And it looks visually kind of dull to me. And so forth. So, the ship looks kind of generic to me with Princess labeled spaces. Staterooms are fine but I found them fine in previous classes.
The soft product will be what it is and how crowded or underutilized spaces are is trial and error. So, will Princess actually improve some of the flow and size of certain venues? Maybe. Maybe the ship is alright and some things will be proven in time. We'll see. Spellbound may become less expensive and other changes may happen. Some of the specialty areas need to be less open and more special feeling. I don't know. It looks unfinished and is unproven in some ways. Not saying it is bad. I'm just saying for its time, it may not be as successful or rich feeling as the previous class was for its time or has proven to be.
I guess myself and friends of mine very seasoned and experienced world travelers for decades, I previously worked for a major cruise line at the corporate headquarters and on the ships handling financial and legal operations, were on a different ship. Food in buffet was repetitive everyday dried out no taste, walkways and ship design as you mentioned was very poorly laid out, spellbound is overpriced overrated certainly not worth 169 I’ve been to the magic castle in LA and you can go on you tube see same tricks and even get the secrets for nothing. Most of the ship is convoluted with long hallways and wasted space. The areas with open glass reminds me of a hospital or a ny office building the piazza and dome unlike royal class ships does not have the intimacy charm and character with everything being well appointed and laid out near each other so you feel your in the same complex. Guest services tucked in a obscure area won’t handle the guest flow when dozens are standing in line down the halls. Enough said I and others feel this ship is overrated overpriced and all hyperbole. There’s a reason princess kept the same design on their ships for some 60 years it’s what their guests wanted. But carnival saw other lines making more money and getting more cross section of people by adding bells and whistles but the guests on princess are considerably older and much more set in their preferences.
We appreciate the review. When’s the next cruise?
Well said. I hope the same thing doesn't happen to HAL.
Cruising in general has lost its appeal. Too expensive, poor security, too many kids, and outrageous selling of up sell.
These may not apply to Sun Princess, as there were few kids and plenty of security. Like all contemporary cruise lines, there was some upsell, but it was not crazy.
Just wait for the word to leak out that Princess has made a huge design move that will attract many kids.@Eatsleepcruise1
The Dome's seating capacity is way too low and the arena should've been designed to seat at least 1,200.
What they did to the Wheelhouse Bar is a travesty.
What did they do? We have only sailed on the Royal class before this that doesn’t have a wheel house bar.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 the Wheelhouse Bar on all the older Princess ships have dark wood and brass accents. Ornate you could say. Lights are low. Kinda tucked away even though they are always midship. On the Sun, it appears to be light and airy and just there for everyone to walk right by.
@@porkins74 Some people are kind of brainwashed into believing dark woods and rich colors are "dated" or not desirable. Everything has be " light and airy" because the trends say that's " modern." And the benefit of being "older" is seeing that modern means modern for now. Everything gets dated and dated isn't a bad thing if it is seen more as period. And older designs don't mean bad because the only thing that really changes is tech and to a degree lighting. Also, a lot of today's cruising want every-day environments rather than the elevated, more luxurious, more romantic and intmate ambiances that was once sought out in cruising. The Wheelhouse Bar is about that romantic ambiance and a dark, glowing atmosphere, not airiness and lightness. Alos, more elegant. So, yes, the Wheel house Bar is ruined. There's nothing wrong with a darker ambiance in some areas of "modern" ships.
I heard a rumor that there are spots on deck 8 for those two restaurants that are popped up in the buffet for now. But they are still not ready. “South” of Teppanyaki on the deck plan is one.
That’s news to us. Do you plan to sail on the ship?
No curtain to seperate sleeping area and sitting area? Why?
One big mistake Princess has done is replacing Churchills Lounge with an arcade. Churchills ensured smokers had a place to go that truly didn't affect non smoking passengers and from what I've gathered, the arcades are always empty
That is true that there is no indoor smoking, besides “active play” in the casino.
because they arent aware the arcades are there, its not obvious unless you know its there or just happened to stumble upon it , yeah i know that
@iloveowls90 then they aren't paying attention or researching the ship and cruise line. There are reddit threads and fb groups posting pics/videos daily about the empty arcades. They've been there long enough that people should know they exist by now.
@iloveowls90 I don't smoke so I personally couldn't care less, but I've seen literally seen hundreds of complaints about it
Yeah that is ridiculous and will send part of my family away.
But it will attract the children and teens who I have no desire to experience. [Dad wears graphic T's to the MDR and wife-beaters everywhere else]----don't need to see that!
Piazza - sounds like Piatza
If you say so, lol. Happy cruising.
Princess has a variety of ships. If you don't like Sun Princess, take Sky Princess instead.
Park 19 activities will not be certified and opened which has been confirmed. Ridiculous.
As a Platinum Member of the Captains Circle, I don't find this ship in anyway attractive or appealing. It may not appear so to anyone outside Europe but the interior resembles a large modern European ferry.
We actually like the new decor, compared to the older Princess ships.
Very spartan and utilitarian but feels clean and airy----not enough to make me want to sail with the hoards in Ts and wife-beaters......
Is there a kids club?
My grandson thoroughly enjoyed the kids club. He is 10 years old. Unfortunately Park 19 wasn’t up and running yet for our cruise 19-29 March.
yes, three clubs based on ages. We showcase them in our ship tour.
The attractions are hapoot. They couldn't pass safety inspections.
What is a hapoot?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Sorry, should have been kapoot. Never to rise again
People like to smoke on the ship
We won't cruise on a smoking ship.
Every mainstream cruise line has a limited smoking section on their ships. The Carnival Paradise was 100% non smoking many many years ago and didn't survive since many heavy duty gamblers tend to smoke and the casino revenue dropped off big time
Not Celebrity Cruises. The new Edge-class is 100% smoke-free casino. Happy cruising.
May I ask why? I'm a former social smoker, so I probably find the smell of cigarette smoke even more offensive than people who never smoked. At the same time, I recognize people do smoke and doing so is not illegal. I'm not going to tell people they can't do it and see no problem with places having designated smoking areas. That way, smokers have their space and non smokers can avoid them if they want. I also find heavy perfumes and colognes offensive, but I'm not going to tell people not to wear them.
So I watched the video and on 18.13 you said you have to walk through the casino to get to the theater. Not true why are you misleading us. You can get to the theater on deck 6 and 7. Deck 7 is the casino that has designated smoking area, also not every night some nights are non smoking. Yes it’s a new ship it will take some time to adjust to the new layout. This is a beautiful ship that offers so much more for us LOYAL princess cruisers.
I'm thankful they still allow people to smoke on a cruise considering how much money they spend
no to mega ships
Only women use hairdryers, who knew?
I find nothing “gorgeous” or innovative or even interesting about this ship. But nice try, Princess. I hope they fix some of these issues on the next ship in this class.
The ship is absolutely awesome!!
We already have 4 sailings booked on her and another 4 booked on the Star.
Compared to the other Princess Cruises ships we have sailed on, the Sun Princess is definitely more trendy, modern, and open. Happy cruising.
Happy cruising!
@@Eatsleepcruise1 That doesn't make it gorgeous, because it is trendy. Open can be a positive or negative in its application as well. And modern is transitory. It's modern for now in terms of trends and tech. But some don't find it innovative because it is doing popular cruise things, so it is more keeping up with trends than innovating. Unless you want to call Spellbound an innovation. But is it really? The spheres and domes are done on other cruise lines. Acrobats are. Theater in the round with big screens are. Water shows are, pretty much Royal Caribbean has put most of these features in their ships before others. So where's the innovative?
And why should Princess be innovative opposed to excellent? (Medallian is good, that's innovative and a positive IMO but it isn't implemented in this ship class). Why should Princess not offer what is tried and true and what Princess customers expect and enjoy while some other things may be added and tried? O'Malley's looks like O'Malley's. That's good. The Wheelhouse Bar is interchangeable with spaces on the NCL Prima, something like their Whiskey Bar. Is that really good?
I don't say this to be argumentative but I think this whole idea that new and modern and trendy is always fit for every line, like a HAL or Princess and Celebrity to a degree, is always a positive thing. And I think ship in a ship is a big negative and that's creeping into a lot of lines and is especially present on the Celebrity Edge ships. Lines/brands need to keep their identity IMO. Not stay still and not modernize to a degree but not totally trendy in every aspect/design of their new fleet. Maybe some lines have a finite customer base for a certain discerning type of cruiser. I thought that was who premium lines were for.
It’s a nice ship with several improvements. Elevators are better. The lotus spa is better. The casino is larger. However: the gym layout feels more confined than their last 3 newest cruise ships, the layout can be confusing, and the Eatery (their replacement of the buffet) was dreadful. The food was the same every night, they got rid of self-serve, and I didn’t speak to anyone who was happy about it. Ever got annoyed with waiting behind a person who takes minutes to select food? Wait until you have to wait even longer behind those same indecisive dinners and can’t walk around them. Or have to ask for more sauce or dressing. The Eatery was the biggest fail imo. I like the ship, but prefer the Discovery Princess overall due to the food situation.
No pickleball courts either.
We didn’t eat much in the eatery, so good to know.
For now. While not ideal, they could place nexts under the ropes course.
I heard about long waiting for food from Lido. I don't like full service buffet there. I like self service buffet better. I would go on Princess' older or oldest ships. I like smaller ships.