JimmyVWine

I guess we will all get used to it, but Princess has itself to blame for the confusion it created with the introduction of "Reserve" and "Signature" cabins that are no larger than their plain ol' counterparts, sold in tandem with "Suites" that are much larger with separate living areas. But I guess that is par for the course when they introduced the concept of the "Mini-Suite" that didn't get treated like a "Suite" in any way, shape or form. (Those cabins should have always been designated as "Deluxe Balconies"). That earlier confusion led to the usage of the term "Full Suite" so as to differentiate real Suites from Mini-Suites, but now with the inclusion of some Mini-Suite sized cabins into the ranks of "Suites that are treated like Suites", it is probably time to retire the term "Full Suite" as that term doesn't really have any applicability to the Sphere Class Ships. Putting an "S" in front of a Mini-Suite cabin does not make it a "Full Suite" when it does not have a separate living area, and does not have an upgraded bathroom with a tub. It is a Mini-Suite with "Signature Privileges."

Just to clarify, is the Signature Sun Deck only for guests in FULL SUITES, or is it also accessible to guests in cabins that are not Suites, but are being sold as having Signature benefits? If I book a Signature Mini-Suite, do I get in?

Not silly at all. We’ve given up leaving this to chance and bring our own. If the venue has decent stems, great. We use theirs. If not, we use our own. One added advantage is that when servers, bar tenders and Dining Room Managers see that you have brought along your own, nice glasses, they recognize that you take wine seriously and the level of service and even offerings improve. I can’t tell you how many times nicer bottles have appeared from behind the bars or from the dining room back room that were not listed anywhere and which were not offered to the general public. The downside is that you will be hit up for every wine tasting and event for the entire cruise. Although I suppose that this might not be a terrible side effect.

Ignore them.

While it is a valid point, to be fair, there should be two prices for the experience; one for people with packages and one for those without. If the $45 includes wine, people with packages are paying for wine twice. As is the case with chef’s tasting menus, there are always two prices: With wine pairings or without. Here, it would be fair to set the price at $40 and then add unlimited wine with dinner for $5. People with packages can opt for the lower fee and still get wine because they‘ve already paid for it up front.

I thought so at first, but concluded that this wouldn’t make much sense in a fixed price setting. If there is no difference in price between portion size, it doesn’t make much sense to offer multiple sizes. Most people are going to order the largest size to get their money’s worth. Sort of like fast food places that offer self-serve beverage service from dispensers with free refills, and then offer small, medium and large size cups at escalating prices. Why would anyone pay for anything other than the smallest, cheapest size?

For those who are on board, is there a specific bar that is more wine-centric than the others, serving as a poor substitute for Vines, or are all of the bars the same (which, if following the pattern of other ships, means that you have to have a frustrating conversation with the bartenders to figure out exactly what wines each bar is featuring.)

Does anyone know what the numbers in the red diamonds are describing?

Thanks, Maya. You have now ruined Tori Amos’ song “Cornflake Girl” for the rest of my life! 🤣

Neither have Kai Sushi or the Umai Teppanyaki. But both of those places have pretty elaborate build-outs. Especially Umai.

Thanks for your report. It confirms something that I suspected. A video posted YT (and linked earlier in this thread) showed a detailed view of the Lido Deck. One thing I noticed was the copious protected bistro seating around the perimeter, just like prior ships. But why? Horizon Court/World Market isn’t up there on Sun. These tables are very useful as overflow from the buffet area on other ships but seem like an awful lot of seating for ice cream cones and pizza slices on Sun. This same type of protected seating seems to be missing around The Eatery.

Carpaccio can be either completely raw, or quick seared on the outside, but still very close to raw throughout.

Looks like a really bad dance class template.

We’ll have wait and see, but I am not convinced that Spellbound is going to be a “dinner experience only” venue. Since the goal for every square foot of the ship is to generate revenue, I can’t imagine why they would leave money on the table by not selling $20 cocktails in the afternoon, separate and apart from the dinner experience.

The “nice” area in the video is not part of the Sanctuary. It is the Suite/Signature Sun Deck.

Well done! Large. Sufficient shade. Some sun peeking through by the rail. All good features.

People often comment about kids pushing all the elevator buttons. But somehow I have never seen or experienced it. Seems like a bit of an urban myth. (Can a myth be “urban” if it pertains to a ship?)

Unless you are in the circular banquet behind that huge column!🙃 The color scheme is awful, unless the photo is a bit off. A bit too “bordello”.

The FB posts from people currently on the ship are replete with complaints about the skimpy decor. And I didn’t declare them a disaster. I was referencing many, many video reviews from noted cruise influencers who have stated in them. I trust them. You don’t have to.

Based on what is not yet operational on the ship, I would take that offer in a New York minute.

LOVE that Princess Live has reverted back to something far more akin to the Explorer's Lounge instead of a cold, industrial TV studio. On the day that the first Princess Live was shown in mock-up I voiced my opinion that the conversion was a big mistake. Took them a decade to hear me.

Same. I am very much looking forward to my "very heavy on the Sea Days" cruise in September. I chose the Sea Day heavy cruise specifically to experience all the ship has to offer. But much of what I am looking forward to isn't yet operational, so I'm not getting any positive feedback from the current reports which is coloring my views. Once I hear about how great the new dining venues are, and how game-changing the entertainment is, and how "Spellbound" I will be, I won't care one bit about the Sanctuary. I chose a Cabana so that I could have my own private Sanctuary. Just wish it was more zhuzhed up.

I can just picture the Zoom call with the decisionmakers trying to come to final resolution as to who should win the war: the germaphobes or the OCDs.

Reviews of other ships that have the same set-up uniformly call the Cabana cabins that open up to the deck area the worst cabins on the ship for that exact reason. One video even showed deck loungers pressed up against the glass of the cabin's "balcony" so that if you were out on your balcony, someone else's greasy head was pressed up against your glass partition, a foot away from you. Yech!