capriccio

And the Concierge Lounge will be more crowded too but at least you booked at a much lower fare I presume. Our S9 fare for a 1 week cruise for 2 passengers increased from under $5000 including the Plus package to $8300 with the Premium package included. if we decide to keep the booking, it will be one and done at those fares.

We booked an S9 (signature suite/mini-suite layout) 3 months ago. When I checked our travel summary this afternoon, note the added line at the bottom. We still have the Plus package but they added a Sanctuary Class Indicator. Plus Beverage Package + Juice Bar 1 $514.43 $514.43 MedallionNet 1-device WiFi 1 $104.93 $104.93 Fitness Classes (2 Classes) 1 $55.09 $55.09 Premium Desserts (2 per day) 1 $73.22 $73.22 DND - Free Medallion Shipping 1 $7.00 $7.00 Crew Appreciation Included 1 $126.00 $126.00 SANCTUARY CLASS INDICATOR 1 $0.00 $0.00

I know recent postings by passengers have said they had no issue with immediate seating in the Signature restaurant while there are long lines in the Reserve restaurant. Maybe that was an impetus for these changes? I just assumed when a company is designing a new totally new ship class they would either determine how much space they had for the areas (lounge, sun deck, restaurant in this case) dedicated to the new 'ship within a ship' concept Padgett is crowing about. Then determined how many passengers could be accommodated and design the cabins. OR determine how many suite cabins they want and design the specialized areas to accommodate those passengers. Instead it seems that none of this was considered. The sun deck as designed would never accommodate all (or whatever percentage used in their calculations) suite passengers so they moved quickly to designate the Sanctuary for suite passengers too. Looking at the pictures of the lounge I wondered about its original capacity. The new Signature designation looks like it is doubling the number of passengers.

I hope you are right but on the new Signature Collection web page (https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/onboard-experience/sanctuary-collection) it states Your own private restaurant Reserved exclusively for Sanctuary CollectionSM guests. Enjoy a custom chef’s menu and dedicated waitstaff and dining room. No reservations needed and no waiting — elevated dining is ready whenever you are.

True and don't forget the additional passengers in the Signature Restaurant.

The pricing has gone up incredibly. We have an S9 booked with the plus package for two for just less than $5000. As of today, it is over $8000 with the addition of the premium package and more crowded venues. Luckily we have months to go before final payment. We have done the MSC Yacht Club twice and their perks (including unlimited premium booze) and spaces designed to accommodate the number of cabins remains our favorite for service and value. We may still take the Sun cruise but I can't see doing any repeats in a suite.

See post #377 about today's announcement about the Signature Collection that answers some of what we are seeing.

I don't notice any more cabins when picking a category, just a renaming of the Penthouse Suites to Vista Suites and the Owners Suites to Grand Suites but the deck plans have a message to chose if for travel before or after October 14th and, if choosing the latter, they aren't accessible right now and . The new price for S9 suites is about $4000 per person. We are paying less than $5000 for two with the Plus package in January. This is what surprises me at https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/su-sun-princess and could account for some of the increase but not all. Princess Premier Included But wait, there’s more. Get exclusive benefits with a Sanctuary room purchase, including complimentary Wi-Fi, Crew Appreciation, Premier beverages, specialty dining, and more. Treat yourself to a luxurious vacation and create unforgettable memories. Added: Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Santorini is beautiful but even on our first visit (vacation for 5 days in 1998) it was obvious to me that the port would reach its breaking point sooner or later. Actually I'm amazed that it was 25 years later.

The city of Seattle offers a free transfer from the ship to the airport. Check out https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free I'm sure there must be reviews on the West Coast Departures board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

But Sun Princess suites have a designated section contiguous to and aft of the Sanctuary called the Signature Sun Deck. I don't think I've read anything definitive about whether kid suite passengers can use it. I do recall reading that adult suite passengers can use the Sanctuary.

Great. We even added an extra day at the end instead of having to rush to the airport. Everything worked out perfectly. Sounds like you are planning a wonderful vacation.

IIRC bookings for round trip flights open 330 days before the return flight.

Last year we booked EZ-Air tickets to Australia departing the US on 3/18 and embarking on our cruise on 4/2 without any problems.

In this recent review South Florida shuttles and Jiffy Jeff are recommended for car seats. With the older child, you might invest in an inflatable booster seat that is meets federal safety standards and is easy to transport. That's what we've used when our 4 years old and up granddaughters come to visit. https://a.co/d/chYnMU6