snoozecrooze

Thank you always @Coral for sharing with us the info! I stand corrected in assuming Princess would just keep dragging it out with the Caribbean sailings. They've even been generous in telling us what Enchanted will basically be doing for the next 2+ years. Remarkably short season for Sky in the Caribbean. Majestic popping up in January tells me a South America circumnavigation must be in the works. She's also been appearing in some European port schedules in '25, but we all know things can change quickly. I noticed this too. There's a portion that has Sun visiting Belize City twice. Missing asterisks for disclaimers. Emerald randomly being there for a holiday cruise. It's shocking how often they release these materials with their mistakes.

It's yet to be officially confirmed that it's actually going to be there in the "official" deck plan. But anyways, a roll glider is an aerial ride where a rider is harnessed while hanging off a track.

Of which, they will be releasing their Australia/New Zealand deployment. Full details can be found here: https://book.princess.com/pdf/onesource/au/destinations/australia_nz/2024-2025/24_25_AUS_MiniBrochure_AUD_Version2.pdf We'll have to wait a fair bit longer for Caribbean, West Coast, etc. The debut of Sun means Princess wants to drag the hype machine out for as long as possible, which affects everything else.

Hello and welcome! Great choice for your first ever cruise and I hope you have a blast! Some miscellaneous tips I have for the ship itself: - Walk all around the ship and explore everything on your first day/night. Take advantage of the fact that others are probably tired or waiting to do it on their first sea day. You'll find your favorite nooks much faster than everyone else. - Bring motion sickness remedies if you haven't already. The Pacific can be unpredictable and rough as you head straight out from San Francisco and all the way up north. - You can bring less clothes than you think you will need as there will be a laundromat on every cabin deck ($3/wash load and $3/dry load). You can also hand wash some delicates in the sink/shower and then let it hang dry -- you can buy some magnetic hooks on Amazon to hang dry somewhere specific or just hang it in the large walk-in closet. - Quiet spots that people don't really seem to discover or at least not really until midway through the cruise: Adagio Bar on the aft of deck 16 and the Skywalkers Nightclub on the aft of deck 18. Fabulous spaces to just relax and unwind during the day when you're out at sea but don't want to be cooped up anywhere else. The whole aft area on Ruby Princess, with the varied outdoor seating, might just be my favorite part of the ship in general. - You can access the deck that's on top of the bridge by walking all the way to the front of deck 15 and then going through those exit doors. Fantastic panoramic views. If you are eager to be out there during primetime (AKA glacier cruising), then you'll need to plan ahead to beat the crowd. - You can also find a good spot for scenic viewing from the front of deck 8. You get there by going out to the promenade on deck 7 and then walking to the front of the ship, and then take the stairs towards the ship's bow. If you want to be perched there, though, you'll also need to plan ahead. - All dining rooms serve the same menu so you don't have to stick to the one you know if a different one is more convenient for you to reach. - If the buffet seems busy at breakfast, head aft and there will be another nook open. Many people seem to ignore this aft area's food stations and seating. - All cabins are equipped with motion sensor lights under the nightstands and in the closet. If you don't like them, you can ask your room steward for assistance with the closet light and also just put a rolled beach towel against the sensor on the nightstand. - Speaking of towels, if you anticipate needing them, grab some on the first day for your convenience and then just stow them in your cabin. You'll never be asked to check them out or be liable for any fines if any go unreturned; it'll just make your life a bit easier. - Same with blankets; Princess offers red-and-black checkered blankets at night when they show the movies at night on the pool deck. Grab some on the first night and then you'll be guaranteed to have blankets to use early in the mornings when you're on your balcony or out and about on the open decks for scenic cruising. - Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for assistance and let someone know if you've appreciated their assistance via their comment cards. A little goes a long way to help the crew gain "brownie points" (for a lack of a better term) when it comes to career advancement. If you have something specific, please ask away. There's probably too many things to actually discuss here lol.

This is slightly related to the topic at hand, but I'm hoping anyone can offer some insight, since I've never done it pre-cruise: Will updating the mobile app affect (read: delete/remove/modify) what you've already done on the app? (e.g. check-in info, dining reservations, medallion checkout, etc.) Clearly, I've pretty wary over Princess's IT incompetence so I just wanted to verify. Thanks for the assistance!

I don't think anybody has a conclusive date for this. Princess is working on pushing out the Australia '24-'25 schedule in the coming weeks and they like to space out their itinerary releases, so I'd expect a fair bit more time, especially if they want to drum up hype for Sun and other ship redeployments.

Yep, to be honest, I have to agree. If they're trying to compete against Celebrity's Retreat concept on their newest ships, it's really a far cry, I have to say. As a non-suite guest, I'm very happy that the front of the ship is completely open to everybody, and I enjoy that the ship is not as seemingly segregated as it could've been, as seen on other lines' vessels. On the other hand, if I were a suite guest, I think I would expect more than the "private deck area" that they're selling here. Overall, though, I don't think Princess really needs to lean drastically in this direction, because I don't see Princess and Celebrity as targeting the same exact market overall; the size of Sun alone is already a big tell.

Here's a video of C410 on Discovery: The other angled balconies will look similar.

Some highlights from Richard Parker's (he helped design everything) presentation in the video from Facebook that I don't think have been publicly shown or clarified yet: A different look at the Piazza, this time looking at the starboard side of deck eight with emphasis on the "sphere" glass Coffee Currents will be located on the starboard side of deck seven. It was added to hopefully alleviate pressure on the International Cafe and will include new coffee drinks (such as nitro coffee). Bellini's will be on the port side of deck seven. Emphasis was made on the fact that the overall design of these venues are just 'evolutionary' from what we've seen on existing ships. It's an expansion of the Ocean Terrace concept to become a type of specialty restaurant. I don't think Richard has salivated over anything more, both in this video and also at the float-out ceremony in Italy when he invited all of those travel folks onboard. I hope it lives up to the hype, because otherwise... Another look at Alfredo's, but Richard said to ignore the incorrect sign in the middle. Will also feature Princess's first true Neapolitan pizza oven (up to 950F). New outdoor lounge space for the International Cafe on deck 9 Additional details and clarity: - Capacity is 950 at the lower-end, 1050 at the higher-end, average will be at about 1000 - Stage does rotate and elevate - The 2 pillars seen are the only visual obstructions in the venue. - 3 layouts: traditional proscenium (like on current fleet), keyhole (stage in front and another one upstage of that), and the round (like in the rendering) - There will be drink holders in the seat armrests. Newly designed, enclosed venue. The dome structure itself does not open, as "The Dome" is a climate-controlled space. Emphasis was made that they want to have "Cirque-esque" shows here. The very back of The Dome (the 'tree-like' thing) is a cascading water feature. The Dome is not an adults-only area. There will be a bar in the vicinity, with some further details to come about maybe snack options. It will be open to everyone. - Spans decks 6, 7, and 8. - Deck 6 will be the most traditional, relaxed pace of dining. The higher the deck you go, the faster and more casual the dining level will become. - Additional clarity on the 9 private meeting areas (in which he said during the float-out ceremony tour that it comes with conference facilities) -- if they are not in use, then they will just be integrated back into the dining room and used by anybody. Mentioned that this could also become an evening entertainment spot. Another look at the Sanctuary, which has been moved to the aft (deck 18) for more space. More cabanas. Has a swimming pool in its area now. Still adults-only. Well, Princess sanctioned the release of this image so it's definitely not just an idealized rendering anymore. (cc @dides!!) Mini suites come with a "luxury shower" that is "upgraded" from what one gets in a balcony or interior cabin (you can notice this in the diagrams by the different-looking showerhead). All bathtubs have also been removed from mini suites due to "customer feedback" (conclusions were that more customers preferred a "luxury shower" than a bathtub) (No one asked Richard if they will have their own menu; we'll just have to see) The door between the cabin and the cabana is a multi-folding panel door (I'm imagining something like on Celebrity's Edge-class verandas). Repeatedly reiterated that you see what you think you're seeing. You can literally walk from your balcony onto the cabana deck if you have a balcony on deck 9 along the cabana deck area. Just open the little glass door on your balcony and voila. This will be for suites only. No one asked about the menus for here either. I included this picture just because Richard disclosed that the pool between the suites deck area and Sanctuary will actually be shared (the suites deck area is just aft of the Sanctuary). Other miscellaneous notes: - The ship is built to be ADA-compliant (fully-accessible) - Emphasis was made on the fact that all cabins will have at least one couch. (Not sure about the solo cabins though; those weren't discussed.) - The classic Princess walk-in closets on mini-suites and below were removed to increase livable space in cabins. - All cabins will have bedside power outlets/USB plugs. - As expected, the Sun will do Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries once she's in Fort Lauderdale.

I noticed Princess released a separate deck plan for sailings before and after October 14, 2024. I cross-checked both deck plans and only noticed one difference (but anyone can add anything I might have missed) -- Deck 14: the MD mini-suite category becomes the ME mini-suite category; this affects 16 cabins.

Cove balconies are the balconies as shown in the photo below: (The cove balconies are the larger "black squares" in the ship rendering, just below the life boats.) Cove balconies are only on deck 6 on the Sun, and it means you will be closer to the water. Check this video out to see what a cove balcony looks like on Carnival's Mardi Gras. You're basically surrounded by the steel structure instead of just the standard glass and the standard balcony dividers. (Cove balcony as seen on Mardi Gras) "Deluxe balcony" is just the term Princess is using for their standard balcony cabin on Sun. It will look like what you would expect for any balcony, like here (video also from Carnival's Mardi Gras).

Did you happen to get a hold of its name? Could it be "O'Malley's"? If so, that would suggest Sun will not be the first to debut this venue after all.

There's actually three fleet cruise directors now; Mike Pack was the first, but he was joined by CD emeritus NoNo Jones last summer, and Donkey is the newest addition. Here's a visit they made recently: Donkey announced his promotion on social media about a week ago.

I think the original link you shared weren't the PDFs (or it wouldn't let me see them because all I got was the login page; just tried it again a few seconds ago) but anyways, your PDFs are also very, very welcomed. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

hi and welcome! unfortunately, this just takes us to OneSource, which non-travel agents won't have access to. you may have to just download the excel (if they have it) to share prices? (or at least I think that's how it works) Totally, it's quite a stunning decision and a huge leap of faith, but I hope it all works out for their and the guests' sake. I originally wrote they'd be the first to do it with a ship this big, but of course I forgot Cunard has been doing it for years. Still, it's a big deal for Princess lol.

Thank you @cheznandy for sharing the info with us! Very, very appreciated. They've curiously omitted itineraries on the Grand, which is, well, supposed to be in Melbourne around the same time Diamond goes back to Japan. And there are some listings for the Coral in Melbourne in mid-2025 as well...but what do we know anymore? They'll probably change their mind last minute again. But anyways, the lack of itinerary options just feels very much like trying to satisfy 'economies of scale' by doing the most "we know this works" options possible; it is what it is these days; one would think HAL would actually fill the void for more exotics from Aus but they don't even have more ships joining to make it happen. A bit of a rut, it seems. Still fascinated by the fact that a Grand-class will be doing a WC. Will be curious to see if and where else Princess broadens its deployment come mid-2025 when Sun and sister will be fully operational.

Include Glacier Bay in any itinerary you're looking at. That tends to be my first recommendation, regardless of where the route starts and ends. I think one-way itineraries work best when you pair a land tour with it (either at the beginning or the end, depending on where you start). Princess sells something called "cruisetours" and you can find them very easily on the website. Otherwise, you could do a one-way trip up north, for example, and then rent a car to drive around Denali/Fairbanks/etc. at your own pace. However, if doing a Princess cruisetour, most recommendations I've been given and have seen is to do the land part of the cruisetour first so that you can then have the cruise part to wind down (and flights leaving out of YVR tend to be more abundant and/or convenient). But round-trip itineraries are the most convenient and that's why they're the most popular option. The 7-day RT options are the most obvious ones to choose from, but if you have the time and budget and don't feel the need to drive around Alaska, then do the 14-day roundtrips from Vancouver instead -- you get the same ports twice, which gives you double the opportunities to do things you want to do but can't cram in one day. As for where to leave from, I'd choose Vancouver over Seattle any day, and that's because you can sail the Inside Passage along the eastern side of Vancouver Island on most of the ships sailing from Vancouver (note that Royal-class won't do this, so stick with Grand-class or smaller), while you won't even get that from Seattle. Don't cruise the Royal-class for Alaska; it's my preference, but I think you get the better bang for your buck sailing on the smaller Grand-class ships as you'll have a lot more space to get up close to the scenery without as many obstructions. If you don't mind that and want to stick with a Royal-class, then I'd recommend Majestic Princess simply for its Hollywood Conservatory, which is a complimentary top-deck observation lounge (as opposed to the Sanctuary, which you have to pay for).

It's a stunner, in terms of size and feel. Unfortunately, the bathrooms won't be that large in most of the cabins lol, but we can dream. But the rendering you've shared does match the overall feel of what the diagrams are showing. The fact that the shower receptacle doesn't seem to be angled also makes it seem like it's finally catching up to Holland America (I mean, this is really something they should've done from at least the Sky onwards). A thing I've been thinking about, actually, is how the bathrooms from the interior cabins are the exact same as those even in the cabana mini-suites. I think that might come to be a disappointment for those who expect a larger bathroom (such as with double sink) and/or a tub. I'm honestly really surprised by how similar it is, actually, and I'm predicting it will be one of the criticisms from those who expect more, that is, if the diagrams are accurate.

Yes, definitely not a martini glass lol - perhaps a design inspired by Neptune's trident instead (at least they used to embrace that theming, but alas) We'll just have to imagine all of the possible changes we'd make anyways. Just about a year out from seeing how things will go! We're just nerding out on a cruise forum! 😆

I think the middle platform thing is kind of...well, both? It has stairs, ramps, and the center part, I guess, could be a makeshift stage for the sailaway parties they do. Yeah, the more that I look at the deck again, those hot tubs look a bit out of place on the deck. My solution is that they should've just axed the middle stage/passageway thing and put the hot tubs there, just like they have on Sky/Enchanted/Discovery, and then hoist two extra hot tubs up like they have on Celebrity Beyond (they have them in the shape of a martini glass) so that the lido deck itself has more room to maneuver. The deck itself looks quite dense right now. I think the bottom left corner is just slightly different tiling, just like the tiling that Sky has installed to cover up what used to be the gap between the Sea Walk and the rest of the lido deck.

This was actually shared by Princess about four weeks ago to commemorate the Super Bowl but I just stumbled upon it now and I thought I'd share in case anyone hadn't seen this rendering of the Sun's lido pool deck (AKA deck 17) yet: Just as a means of comparison, here was a rendering Princess released when promoting Sky: I may just be a slighttttt Debbie Downer here but I think the Sun's pool deck may get pretty tight pretty quickly. The pools look narrower (seems like no walk-in stairs either but these days I don't expect them anymore) and it just looks like the stage in the front and the passageway in the middle, as small as they are by themselves, seem to actually take up quite a bit of space from the deck itself. Thoughts?

Thanks for starting the thread. I was snooping on the Royal thread for all the Princess discussion and was glad to see this here after scanning all of the Aussie port schedules. Frankly, Princess has been throwing us all for a loop here after the changes they made recently. I like to do my own little predictions with a map of my own, but the 2025 global deployment schedule is for sure going to be totally different from what we have now, especially with the 2nd Sphere-class vessel debuting by then as well. By removing Discovery and Majestic from Australia, it seems to me that... perhaps, San Francisco might actually get a permanent Royal-class ship now? Or could that still be too ambitious? I still think Crown will be moving up to Alaska in summer 2025 because I can't fathom a ship of that size doing the Aussie world cruise when they have the Coral (and leaving Sydney in May isn't too far-fetched to still make it to Alaska in time). But it begs the question, where is Coral? My hunch is Coral will move from Singapore to Yokohama after her dry dock, with Diamond coming in to Australia for the time being to fill that slot. Then, Diamond goes back as Grand returns to Melbourne in January (if I remember the schedule right). But where was Grand the whole time, then? Perhaps it's possible Grand makes a transpacific crossing in early-2025 akin to what the Diamond just did to Japan from San Diego. And that still leaves the question - where is Coral? By 2024-25, I think it's fair to assume that Princess may also station a ship more "permanently" in Asia like they did pre-pandemic (i.e. I believe there used to be something like Sapphire in Singapore, Diamond in Yokohama). It would be similar to what Celebrity is doing at that time. Perhaps that is where Coral (or maybe Majestic) will fill a nook. I'm also just wondering if Princess still has plans to drag a ship from Europe to Australia (or vice versa) like they were planning for the Regal in 2020. It was an ambitious itinerary but I remember the excitement. Oh, anyways...there's too much rambling going on from me, but I'm excited to read other's theories!

Alanna Zingano, a cruise YouTuber, was one of several travel folks invited to the Sun Princess float-out ceremony in Monfalcone last week. She posted this video here: Note that the subtitles she has included are completely automated so there are quite a few chunks where it's incoherent. I'll list the points she shows from her tour: Piazza - It will have raked seating to allow for the productions they want to host there, as well as a movable and reconfigurable LED screen. The center is also a stage that can rise up from the floor. Coffee Currents - new coffee bar for new coffees not offered at the International Cafe Elevators - All will be "smart elevators", meaning you will choose your destination first on a touchpad and then you'll be guided to the elevator car that will take you. [Example seen here on Carnival Panorama]. The aft-most elevators are also glass. Reserve Collection Restaurant - the design is inspired by a jewelry box opening up; the palate is inspired by yacht dining Wheelhouse Bar - built to be the main anchor point of deck 7 aft, with a compass-inspired showpiece and design Horizons Dining Room - Deck 7 is the main entrance. The overall design invites in the views from the aft (with the two-deck high glass aft wall) but the restaurant itself is also broken into many nooks so that the size of the facility is not as obvious or jarring. There are also 9 private meeting areas, with conference facilities, TVs, microphones, audio, etc. (I'm imagining for things like wedding receptions, for example). Wake View Terrace - Open to all guests. The centerpiece is the glass infinity pool cantilevered on the aft. Also has hot tubs and a bar. Unnamed sushi restaurant - (The representative said it will be a sushi restaurant ($), replacing the style seen on the existing Ocean Terrace sushi bar, but the Sun's deck plan also says "sushi bar". Make of that what you will.) Crooner's - 1950s-inspired design Alfredo's - al fresco dining offering continues on the Sun, but with new heaters to allow the area to be used during cooler temps World Fresh Marketplace buffet - decided to place on deck 9 in order to dovetail with the promenade space just outside for new food outlets Promenade - no 360 views but it will be unobstructed by lifeboats because they're hidden under the promenade Cabana deck - the cabana cabins on deck 9 right in front of the private cabana deck "have direct access" to it (as discussed in above posts) Casino - the ceiling is higher to allow for a wider variety of games; there will also be numerous LED screens to promote jackpot winners Princess Arena - no pillars or visual obstructions and the whole venue is reconfigurable; it can be a traditional layout ("proscenium") or you could have a stage in the center (as shown in the renderings) Good Spirits at Sea - new enclosed design for capacity of ~50 people, with new technology on the walls and tables to "enhance the experience" Princess Live - "outwardly facing venue" (meaning the stage is against the wall), with a lot of design cues drawing your eyes towards the stage The Dome - the space spans decks 17 and 18 and is fully climate-controlled; while a lounge space in the day, it becomes an entertainment venue at night (just search "P&O Iona Sky Dome show" for similar examples of entertainment). The public renderings that you see is an image from the forward (the stage) looking aft at the seating. The pool is an indoor-outdoor combo, meaning you can enter the pool indoors and swim forward until you reach the Seaview Terrace, which is outdoors and in the front of the ship. The pool will be covered to be the stage at night. The "tulip-like" decorative structures are intentional for storing wiring, sound/lighting equipment, etc. The Landing - the ship is designed with more embarkation/disembarkation points than before, and the 3-deck high doors are equipped with their own gangways; the intent is to always enter the ship on deck 4 when in port (thus the location of The Landing). Tenders will also embark from here. It'll have the usual security, new seating areas, and new grab-and-go kiosks for things like beverages (no food) for going ashore. It can also be a multi-use space when the ship is at sea. See pictures of a similar area on the Celebrity Edge for reference of a similar concept.

I think you're partially right. From my understanding of the deck plan, only the midship "Reserve Collection" (formerly Club Class) cabana cabin balconies on deck 9 have essentially no privacy. The rest of the deck 9 "Reserve Collection" cabana balconies are better, as are the other non-"Reserve Collection" cabana cabins on the other decks. (For a UK comparison, to me it's like the new P&O conservatory cabins that hang right off of the promenade)

Yes, the cruise terminal Princess and most of the mass market cruise lines use is in a more industrial area. Only the small ship lines can dock closer to town.