turquoiselake

I'm having trouble deciding between a Signature Suite on Deck 16 (16607) and a Penthouse Suite on Deck 17 (17627) on the new Sun. I thought I was booking well ahead, but even though we're about a year out from June 22, 2024, this ship seems fully booked for Penthouse Suites. We already had the signature suite booked for a few weeks, but there's a 3rd guest free sale going on right now, and when I looked today, the Penthouse Suite is actually cheaper than the Signature we already have booked. I snagged the only penthouse that was left; however, it's not ideal as it's under the Sanctuary. We're a family of 3 (2 adults and a 14-year-old), so we might need the extra space the larger room affords. We cruised on the Enchanted this year in a mid-aft penthouse suite on the Rivera Deck and loved being across the hall from the concierge lounge. We'd have a similar setup for the Signature Suite on Deck 16, but a much smaller room. I don't know if I can give up the extra space. Any thoughts on what the better choice might be? Can I ask to be switched after the final payment date if any other Penthouse Suites are released (on deck 15), or do they reprice at the current rates? Thoughts? Thanks!

Hi all, My 12 year old son and I will be sailing on the Reflection in March 2023 to the Caribbean, unfortunately my husband can't join us this time. My son has some sensory issues and hates loud super crowded places (he can function, just uncomfortable) and I was drawn to Celebrity because it seems more relaxed and less noisy than the NCL cruise we were also considering on the Joy--I saw some videos of the Joy pool deck which was extremely crowded. The Retreat was much less expensive than the Haven for our cruise dates as well. Does anyone have experience with the kids club on the Reflection for older kiddos? He'd be happy with a book, shirley temple, and his Nintendo Switch but I'd love for there to at least be a few kids his age. On our land based Turks and Caicos trip last year he was content to lounge around and play card games with me. Fully understand Celebrity doesn't cater specifically to kids or families which is actually great for us! 🙂 Thanks.

I'm booked in July, I might make a backup plan since I can only travel that week.

I think NCL should be ranked higher. The new ships they have coming out (Prima, Viva) which look lovely plus The Haven would tie them with RCL to me. Definitely above MSC- in my opinion.

Many millennials have kids though which eliminates Virgin. Mostly all of my friends can work remotely, and those that can’t like me are in education and have summers and school breaks off. Plenty of time to cruise if we’re so inclined. I think Princess was by far the easiest to book and the technology is a real plus in my eyes. It would seem they have a real shot with the 30-50 year old demographic who want something a bit less flashy. I feel like that’s what they’re pivoting to. Hopefully they’re still able to retain the longtime cruisers. I asked in an Enchanted Princess Facebook group recently about activities for teens, and although I got many nice replies, some people were kind of surly about the possibility of kids on the cruise with responses ranging from “leave them at home” to “I hope I’m not on a cruise with children.” That attitude will probably have to change.

Thanks! From one Marylander to another (we're in Takoma Park) we are super excited to try Princess and I hope my son likes it as much as yours.

I agree and fit into that demographic. My husband and I will be 39 when we cruise, so right on the borderline of your age brackets, and are definite foodies, coffee snobs, and airport lounge users. We definitely didn't grow up with smart phones and tablets and didn't have cellphones (basic flip phones, the iphone was first available in 2007) until college normally in the early 2000's. Tablets came around long after that. Princess must be doing something right since we are sailing with them as opposed to Royal Caribbean which was also on our list but seemed a bit crass for the price. I'm hopeful that we'll fall in love with cruising but I think enviornmentalism is also a big part of this age demographic and I've been grappling with the enviornmental impact of cruising.

It seems like all Enchanted Princess 2023 sailings are down.

The cruise I just booked yesterday is now showing no dates available. I was worried! Glad to know the site is just down.

I'm a new cruiser and have only cruised once ages ago after graduated college graduation with Royal Caribbean on the Enchantment of the Seas. I've just booked a Med Cruise on the Enchanted Princess for next year (I must love being enchanted on cruises) and I agree. I'm probably in the minority but I have a marketing background and I think they should target families more. Not families looking for bumper cars and laser shows, but families like mine with older children (tweens and up) who are looking for a slightly elevated experience, educational excursions, and more than just a floating amusment park. This shouldn't be a difficult pivot because they already partner with Discovery and Animal Planet. It's a great spot and I think they would really fit in well with. I think exploring more offerings in their teen clubs that can be fun class oriented (I'm thinking photography/videography, STEM). Or collaborating with Minecraft or Nintendo (animal crossing at sea anyone?) would be really cool. Book themes could be really neat too. My son is obsessed with the Percy Jackon novels which focus on Greek Mythology, a series of excursions focused on that would be fantastic on a cruise with stops in Greece. This could be great for multigenerational trips. I'm an "elder millenial" and travelling with grandparent/parents/kids is so much easier on a cruise. Just my two cents from a non cruiser who hadn't considered Princess initially until I dug more into the ports and ship offerings. 🙂