eroller

The shipyard touting the delivery of SUN PRINCESS today. No mention of any issues.

That was the rumor yes, but not confirmed by Princess. And if the real reason then probably a blessing since it could have been disastrous having a water contamination issue with passengers onboard.

Well this is the second cruise canceled. It’s quite possible the same “technical” issue is responsible for canceling both cruises, in which case Princess has known about it for some time. Of course there is no way of knowing for sure, as Princess is being purposely vague. A water contamination issue is likely something they would want to keep under wraps.

I’ve heard rumors that a bankruptcy announcement was going to happen last week. That past. Now I’m hearing this week but who knows. In any case things are not good.

According to Cruise Industry News, February 28 will be the new maiden voyage … for this week anyway. If I were booked on that sailing, I wouldn’t be holding my breath. Especially not 4-5 days prior to sailing. Even if it does sail, I wonder how ready the ship will be? https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/02/sun-princess-delivered-but-feb-18-sailing-cancelled/

All the Carnival Corp LNG ships (Excel Class) can run on conventional fuel, but not the other way around. SUN PRINCESS is LNG equipped, which adds additional technical requirements. I believe SP is also the first LNG passenger ship built by Fincanterj. All the more reason to build in a substantial buffer after delivery and before the first revenue cruise.

This is way too big a capital investment for Princess not to have its own management team at the shipyard, being heavily involved with all aspects of the construction and fitting-out process. It’s common practice as well, for every major cruise line to do this. They have too much invested not to. Princess/Carnival also have a long lasting and close relationship with Fincantieri in Italy. They have built many ships together and will continue to do so. All the more reason these last minute cancellations are very puzzling.

Yes the shipyard is responsible for the delay, but Princess is responsible in how they handle it. They have an entire team at the shipyard that works close in hand with shipyard management. They should be well aware of shipyard delays well before 4-days prior to a sailing. As this is a new prototype ship and the first for Princess running on LNG, it was foolish of Princess to schedule revenue cruises right after delivery. Perhaps greedy. Royal Caribbean took delivery of ICON a good month or more prior to the first revenue cruise. Plenty of time to work out the kinks and offer several shake down cruises prior to the real deal. Even now with the revenue cruises having started, they are not filling the ship to 100% capacity so the crew can ramp up. That is how you bring out a new ship … especially a prototype. I don’t know what Princess was thinking????

Definitely losing confidence in Princess Cruises. These close-in cancellations with vague excuses are concerning. They have an entire team at the shipyard and should be well aware of the progress of the ship, or lack thereof well before 4-days prior to sailing. The first time sent up red flags but twice? It’s also odd the lack of PR the ship is getting. When you look at Royal’s flawless introduction of ICON and the amount of PR it got … well night and day to Princess and SUN PRINCESS.

I think we will learn of the next generation of new Regent ships very soon. I know they have been working on it. Expect a 3-ship order. I’m guessing this will make way for NAVIGATOR to exit the fleet. VOYAGER and MARINER will stick around as a major refurb has already been announced for both. This won’t just be cosmetic, but some down-to-the-steel reworks of public spaces and cabins. They should be up to Explorer Class standards when complete, and who knows maybe even better?

I’ve sailed Regent mid-summer in the Med for 7-days, prime season for kids and they were a non-issue. Yes there were some but I barely noticed, and as others have said very well behaved. I’m not a big fan of kids but having some does bring a little life to an occasion. I don’t imagine any Regent sailing is going to be overloaded with kids. Let’s face it they are not very kid friendly. It’s not the cruise line I would bring my kids on. There is nothing for them to do. I would stick with the larger family friendly lines that have the water parks, etc. The kids that do sail on Regent have to be that special breed that are content with occupying themselves and behaving in public. They do exist, you just don’t see them that often. There are also very few cabins that even accommodate 4 persons so that means two cabins is necessary for many families. So that is not a cheap proposition. The kids are only free if occupying the extra berths in a cabin. This marketing is just to let families know that Regent does welcome multi-generational families. It’s a big market and one I’m sure Regent doesn’t want to completely ignore, but I don’t think Regent has any intention of becoming the next Carnival or Royal Caribbean.

I’ve sailed both lines and found cuisine to be pretty much on par with each other. Overall excellent on both lines and some of the best meals I’ve experienced at sea. Since both lines are owned by the same parent company and cuisine is a staple of both products, it wouldn’t surprise me if procurement for both lines is very similar, with tweaks to menus and presentation individualized for the brands. The most noticeable difference for me was the MDR on Regent, the Compass Rose. Regent likes to call it the largest specialty restaurant at sea and I agree. The menu is really extensive and everything is made to order. I found it much more extensive than Oceania and the overall experience just elevated.

Absolutely love the ship. No issues my first time sailing, and I’ll take my chances a second time next month. I’ve sailed almost 150 cruises on too many ships and lines to mention. Yes some are better soundproofed than others. Actually much better today overall than ships constructed in the 70’s. Cheap cheap cheap. I think that was a low point. Still none were so bad I wouldn’t sail any of them again.

Nothing additional is expected. One of the reasons people sail on luxury lines like Regent is not to be nickel & dimed. Most everything is paid upfront including all the onboard gratuities. Go enjoy your Regent voyage and don’t give onboard gratuities another thought. They are covered.

Here is another pic I took of EXPLORER's theater. For sure all the banquets appear more straight. I know sightlines are supposed to be improved on SPLENDOR/GRANDEUR but I had no problems with the theater on EXPLORER. In fact I really loved it as blue is my favorite color!

You are welcome!

You will love the EXPLORER. She was my favorite until GRANDEUR but GRANDEUR just edges her out a bit. I would happily return to EXPLORER though any time. There are bedspreads on both EXPLORER and GRANDEUR. I'll be honest it's something I'm happy Regent does. It adds just another touch of detail. Frankly I'm so sick of the white duvet with bed runner that every cruise ship and hotel have from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the line. Its been done to death. As someone else mentioned the bedspread is generally removed after the first day ... so it's more for that first impression which is important. Attached are pics of our Concierge Suite on EXPLORER and the same on GRANDEUR. Bedspreads present! LOL

Another fairly large design change between EXPLORER and SPLENDOR/GRANDEUR is the atrium. The direction of the stairs was reversed and it's a more open design on the latter ships with more of a single stairway. Mind you the atrium on EXPLORER is absolutely stunning, it's just an updated design on the two later ships. First pic is EXPLORER and second pic is GRANDEUR.

Constellation Theater differences. First pic EXPLORER and second pic GRANDEUR.

And for those curious about the Compass Rose differences between EXPLORER and GRANDEUR here you go. Both are stunning spaces, but the design for GRANDEUR is next level. The designers here outdid themselves. First pic EXPLORER and second pic GRANDEUR.

Yes great observation. There are also changes to the aft deck with the spa pools. EXPLORER has one larger pool and it's an infinity edge pool which is kind of cool. The GRANDEUR has three smaller spa pools and they are not infinity edge. There are pros and cons to both, but overall I think the aft spa deck looks better on GRANDEUR. Again just a bit elevated feeling. I do really like that infinity edge pool on EXPLORER though. EXPLORER first pic and GRANDEUR second pic.

The footprint is the same for each, so rest assured they are all wonderful ships. I have yet to sail on SPLENDOR but I have sailed on EXPLORER and GRANDEUR. The differences are rather subtle, mainly with decor. GRANDEUR is a bit lighter in decor which I prefer, but somehow the entire ship just felt elevated to me. This is saying a lot because EXPLORER is quite elevated to begin with. The most striking difference is the MDR, the Compass Rose. On GRANDEUR it’s an architectural delight. You feel as though you are dining in an enchanted forest. It’s the most beautiful and interesting MDR of any ship I’ve sailed. Structurally there were some modifications with SPLENDOR and GRANDEUR compared with EXPLORER. The pool deck and La Veranda were enlarged as the deck on the latter ships jets out over the superstructure in various areas creating more space. Also the observation lounge is enlarged as it goes completely over the Bridge Wings which is not the case on EXPLORER. The layout of public rooms was modified as well in regards to reception and Coffee Connection/Meridian Lounge. It was all reversed for better flow. Anyway overall the modifications are generally minor, but it was enough with GRANDEUR that I took notice and she became my new favorite.

I do recall reading that, in fact a couple ships were delayed because of it. So yes that could very well be the reason. Something appears to be different that is for sure. I don’t think I’ll be bothered much by it, at least I hope not. It’s a shame though because I consider GRANDEUR about as close to ship perfection as you can get.

Can’t wait for my turn next month. Here is a live view from the PortMiami webcam. Looking gorgeous!

Enjoy! I’ll be back onboard next month and can’t wait. You are going to love the ship. She is just stunning top to bottom. I’ve sailed on almost 150 cruises on numerous ships and lines, and honestly GRANDEUR might be the most beautiful of them all. She is an eye-turner.