Confused about Sanctuary

[QueenofEverything]

Hi! We have only been on one other Princess cruise and either they did not have the Sanctuary back in 2007 or we just did not notice. I see alot of postings on here about the sanctuary so I have to ask. What is the big deal? I see that they have nicer lounge chairs and it would be good to have one reserved I guess, but is that worth $100 for the week? What am I missing?

[wilfros]

Hi! We have only been on one other Princess cruise and either they did not have the Sanctuary back in 2007 or we just did not notice. I see alot of postings on here about the sanctuary so I have to ask. What is the big deal? I see that they have nicer lounge chairs and it would be good to have one reserved I guess, but is that worth $100 for the week? What am I missing?

 

IMHO you are not missing anything. I would see the big deal if there were lots of kids on the cruise and you needed to get away but other than that I don't see the big deal either.

 

Now... From Princess' point of view, I am glad they have made it a big deal that others are willing to pay the extra dollars for. Were it not for the Sanctuary and the Specialty Restaurants Princess would need to raise the price of each ticket. So Go for it I say and keep the price of my ticket as low as possible.

 

Just my point of view.

Edited January 26, 2014 by wilfros

[TracieABD]

On warm weather cruises, we always board as early as possible to book the Sanctuary. We are not pool people and I cannot sit in the sun (at all). This offers us a nice area to camp out in the fresh air. There is a higher degree of service and no competition to find the perfect place to sit. Your lounger is your lounger for the whole week. The Serenity Stewards do an excellent job of keeping the area a peaceful as possible.

 

I really enjoy it!:)

[BrandonH]

We are going on our first cruise with Princess in two weeks and I have been wondering the same thing. I have been on several cruises with both Carnival & Disney, and each one I didn't feel like I had to fight for a seat or have trouble relaxing.

[Loonbeam]

There is nothing necessary about it. That said, we like it. We appreciate the guaranteed lounger and the excellent service, things like drinks arriving 5 minutes after we do.

 

I would not do it on a port intensive or northern cruise, but for something like the Panama Canal it was wonderful.

 

Think of it like the Spa or Specialty Dining, its another option with a few perks, but certainly not required.

[Pam in CA]

It's obviously not for everyone but I really like it. The loungers are very, very comfortable (far moreso than those anywhere else on the ship) and there are attendants to bring drinks, food, blankets if it's chilly, iced cloths if it's hot. You never have to worry about whether you'll find a lounger. It's "yours."

 

I used to get balcony cabins and enjoyed relaxing and reading on my balcony. Then, Princess changed the chairs and I find them extremely uncomfortable, even if I use pillows. So, I'm now saving my money by booking obstructed view cabins and the Sanctuary. At $15/day, it's a lot less than a balcony.

[Thorpe]

I also have a question for the folks who use it, do you book it because you don't have a balcony to retreat to? Also do you feel you have to stay there all day to get value for $$ spent. Or do you still wander the ship and partake of other activities ? Thanks

[QueenofEverything]

It's obviously not for everyone but I really like it. The loungers are very, very comfortable (far moreso than those anywhere else on the ship) and there are attendants to bring drinks, food, blankets if it's chilly, iced cloths if it's hot. You never have to worry about whether you'll find a lounger. It's "yours."

 

I used to get balcony cabins and enjoyed relaxing and reading on my balcony. Then, Princess changed the chairs and I find them extremely uncomfortable, even if I use pillows. So, I'm now saving my money by booking obstructed view cabins and the Sanctuary. At $15/day, it's a lot less than a balcony.

 

Now THAT makes alot of sense!! : - )

[Loonbeam]

We booked it despite having a balcony on the Island for the Panama canali run. I wanted someplace to stretch out and relax quietly during sea days and after ports, and we really loved the personal attention. An additional plus for us was the private pool (only the Island and Coral have a sanctuary only pool).

 

Both of us routinely got up and went to activities that interested us. Other than when we do Disney on the Platinum Plan, we don't worry much about value. We also bought the thermal suite for the whole cruise and maybe used it twice. From a budget standpoint, both were a relatively inexpensive splurge to give us maximum options.

 

 

I also have a question for the folks who use it, do you book it because you don't have a balcony to retreat to? Also do you feel you have to stay there all day to get value for $$ spent. Or do you still wander the ship and partake of other activities ? Thanks

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

I also have a question for the folks who use it, do you book it because you don't have a balcony to retreat to? Also do you feel you have to stay there all day to get value for $$ spent. Or do you still wander the ship and partake of other activities ? Thanks

 

Thorpe, interesting question. But it could be said the same for a balcony or ocean view cabin. i don't feel obliged to spend huge amounts of time on my balcony, but love it being there so i don't feel cooped up ;). kinda something you miss more when you can't have it!!!

[wilfros]

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Edited January 27, 2014 by wilfros

[ldubs]

Anyone remember Frank Costanza: "SERENITY NOW!"

 

We have been on several Princess cruises and have yet to use the sanctuary. It sounds nice, but I don't think I could sit still long enough to really get the full value of the sanctuary. We board our next Princess cruise in a couple of weeks. I think if nothing else I should go check the place out.

 

Besides, if my blood pressure starts to go up, I'll just shout "SERENITY NOW!"

[Thorpe]

Thanks for the answers. I travel single/solo with a balcony so was wondering if I would get any benefit from the Sanctuary, but now thinking my balcony will suffice although if I ever get on the ships with the pool :).

Never used the Thermal Suite but do utilise a few massages each trip. So will look into that.

[dorisis]

It's obviously not for everyone but I really like it. The loungers are very, very comfortable (far moreso than those anywhere else on the ship) and there are attendants to bring drinks, food, blankets if it's chilly, iced cloths if it's hot. You never have to worry about whether you'll find a lounger. It's "yours."

 

I used to get balcony cabins and enjoyed relaxing and reading on my balcony. Then, Princess changed the chairs and I find them extremely uncomfortable, even if I use pillows. So, I'm now saving my money by booking obstructed view cabins and the Sanctuary. At $15/day, it's a lot less than a balcony.

 

I have changed my thinking on balcony cabins too. From now on I will be booking obstructed OV and using the Sanctuary. But only if I can get lounges in the shade. $200 per week seems a better price than a balcony with uncomfortable lounges.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

We book both a Caribe cabin with a bigger balcony and the Sanctuary on cruises with many sea days. Love the balcony for stepping outside my cabin and being in the open air. And I love having the Sanctuary so I don't need to worry about chair hogs and getting a lounger. I know I have one any time I want it and don't have to rush "up top" to get a seat. And I love coming back to a VERY comfy lounger after being in port all day. I took more than one nap last week in my own private lounger.

 

Totally worth it for us!

[ne1travel]

but is that worth $100 for the week? What am I missing?

 

We just returned from the Royal... $40/day/pp. We used it 4 times @ $80/couple/day. We loved it but its not for everyone.

Edited January 27, 2014 by ne1travel

[RASHOPPER2]

We just came back from 9 days on the Ruby Princess and loved being in the Sanctuary. It is very quiet and relaxing. The service is wonderful. The high tea that is served is delightful. Even with a balcony cabin we found that we enjoyed having the Sanctuary. We went up there whenever we felt like it and our chair was waiting for us. When we went down to deck 15 to grab a burger or a piece of pizza we felt assaulted by the noise, appreciating the quiet even more. I would not take the Sanctuary for a transatlantic for port intensive cruise in Europe, but for a Caribbean cruise it is wonderful.

[waverley7]

It's obviously not for everyone but I really like it. The loungers are very, very comfortable (far moreso than those anywhere else on the ship) and there are attendants to bring drinks, food, blankets if it's chilly, iced cloths if it's hot. You never have to worry about whether you'll find a lounger. It's "yours."

 

I used to get balcony cabins and enjoyed relaxing and reading on my balcony. Then, Princess changed the chairs and I find them extremely uncomfortable, even if I use pillows. So, I'm now saving my money by booking obstructed view cabins and the Sanctuary. At $15/day, it's a lot less than a balcony.

 

I have never booked an obstructed view balcony but wondered about them. What kinds of things are they obstructed by?

 

I love my balcony but usually only use it in the morning and at night. Might sit out there for a drink mid-day.....maybe I should try one sometime.

[Loonbeam]

Depends on the balcony. The majority have a metal railing as opposed to the usual glass. There are a few with poles, etc.

 

I have never booked an obstructed view balcony but wondered about them. What kinds of things are they obstructed by?

 

I love my balcony but usually only use it in the morning and at night. Might sit out there for a drink mid-day.....maybe I should try one sometime.

[IECalCruiser]

We usually book a Caribe deck balcony or an occasional mini-suite. We booked an obstructed oceanview guarantee for $600/person less than the cheapest balcony cabin for our Panama Canal cruise last January on the Island. Booked the Sanctuary as our "balcony" for $195/person and had and more than $400 for other purchases. We had a covered two person cabana that could always provide some shade. Coral/Island have coffee brewers so you get real fresh brewed coffee without a coffee card. They also bring pastries in the morning and the full afternoon tea. They would also bring cool wash cloths. This was a good deal because of the many sea days. On a port intensive cruise I would probably still go with a balcony but would consider the Sanctuary on the right future cruise.

 

 

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[Loonbeam]

Exactly.

 

Alternately, I can drop $200 less in the casino in 30 minutes and have a whole 10 days of luxury...

 

We usually book a Caribe deck balcony or an occasional mini-suite. We booked an obstructed oceanview guarantee for $600/person less than the cheapest balcony cabin for our Panama Canal cruise last January on the Island. Booked the Sanctuary as our "balcony" for $195/person and had and more than $400 for other purchases. We had a covered two person cabana that could always provide some shade. Coral/Island have coffee brewers so you get real fresh brewed coffee without a coffee card. They also bring pastries in the morning and the full afternoon tea. They would also bring cool wash cloths. This was a good deal because of the many sea days. On a port intensive cruise I would probably still go with a balcony but would consider the Sanctuary on the right future cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Pam in CA]

I have never booked an obstructed view balcony but wondered about them. What kinds of things are they obstructed by?

 

I love my balcony but usually only use it in the morning and at night. Might sit out there for a drink mid-day.....maybe I should try one sometime.

Obstructed view cabins are behind or between the lifeboats on Emerald deck. Some are more obstructed than others. Because the cabin is set-up with the bed against the window, you won't spend any time looking out the window. For me, I like to know when it's light out and be able to see if it's sunny, cloudy or raining so any of these cabins are fine with me as long as I'm not looking directly into a lifeboat.

 

Here's a great website put together by a poster on these boards. It has photos of the view out each window on every ship. https://sites.google.com/site/cabinviewbyrenmar/home/what-others-say

Edited January 27, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

My OV for our June cruise isn't too bad, not that I am planning on spending too much time awake and in the cabin.

 

https://sites.google.com/site/cabinviewbyrenmar/crown-princess/cabins-501--521-1/E520x.JPG?attredirects=0

 

Not too bad for $60/person over an inside.

[Hlitner]

We think one big plus to the Sanctuary is being able to get far away from MUTS! It is a shame that one must pay extra money to get some peace and quiet, but it is what it is.

 

Hank

[caribill]

I have never booked an obstructed view balcony but wondered about them. What kinds of things are they obstructed by?

 

 

Obstructed view cabins are behind or between the lifeboats on Emerald deck. Some are more obstructed than others. Because the cabin is set-up with the bed against the window, you won't spend any time looking out the window.

 

Poster asked about obstructed view balconies. I assume the beds are not against the window in any balcony cabin.

 

On the Royal, some of the obstructed view balcony cabins have no obstruction at all. On most of them, part of a tender blocks part of the view directly down to the ocean.