What will Island Princess look like after May 2015?

[RickEk]

Interesting thought. If they removed the splash pool in the area forward on the Sports deck, that area could be good for the Sanctuary. The planned Sanctuary in back could be used for another entertainment venue. Or may be leave the Sanctuary aft and make the forward area a bar with floor to ceiling windows much like P&Os Crow's Nest. Too bad we can't have an influence on the design changes.

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Check out, say Sea Princess' deck plans. They left the splash pool as the "Sanctuary Pool" and arranged the loungers around it. The whole area is also shielded from the wind by large canopies.

 

I do like your idea too!

[Astro Flyer]

Thanks Dave...the images make the changes easy to understand. :D

 

To me there are so many negatives that one of my 1st choices for Princess is now at the very bottom of my list. :( They're removing one of the two showrooms & burying the gym on a lower deck inside the ship without any views which I haven't experienced in decades. And I agree with others about the other changes that will negatively affect the cruise experience on the Island. I've sailed the Island & Coral several times & do not have to experience the changes to know that I do not like them. I see no improvements but only a more crowded ship with the addition of additional cabins & more passengers.

 

I understand their desire for more passengers but they could have used a scalpel instead of a meat cleaver approach. :rolleyes:

 

If this is an example of what I can expect from Princess in the future then it's time to rethink whether Princess will continue to be my best option.

Edited January 30, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[Astro Flyer]

Actually I posted this on another thread....

 

Looks like the drydock schedule for the Island Princess now includes an International Cafe!

 

From the Fincanteiri site, italian translations confirm International Cafe will be added, Horizon Court restructured, Universe Lounge remodeled, Casino remodeled, and up to 200 cabins added (likely some in the place of the Universe Lounge)

 

If they're adding an IC it is in a different location than on the Coral which is where the Casino Bar is shown. Universe Lounge is "remodeled"? It not longer exists so something got "lost in translation". ;)

Edited January 30, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[crystalspin]

Saying the Universe Lounge is to be remodeled is like saying that one-way driving strips at the parking garage will "damage your tires" (if you go the wrong way over them).

 

We have never sailed Princess, but did float the Panama on the Norwegian Star. If you wanted to see a show you had to show up at least 30-minutes early, maybe more for a "good" seat. Other than that, we have sailed on HAL's truly mid-sized ships, the Statendam and the Zaandam. I was hoping the Island Princess would be the best of both worlds -- more activities (not fewer) with still the ambiance of being taken good care of.

 

Our reservation for a mini-suite and adjoining balcony for February 2016 are fully refundable. That's all I'm saying!

 

Except to repeat that a verbal explanation of ALL of the changes shown in the deck plans is at this location:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=44715456&postcount=2

Where I suggest the IC may go in place of the Patisserie (not a very BIG location...).

 

dmwnc1959 (Dave?) did a great job embedding pics, of course, but some of us like the numbers broken out.

Edited January 30, 2015 by crystalspin

[Colo Cruiser]

Saying the Universe Lounge is to be remodeled is like saying that one-way driving strips at the parking garage will do "damage to your tires" (if you to the wrong way over them).

 

 

Not remodeled, removed. It will be no more. :(

[Brisbane41]

Thanks Dave...the images make the changes easy to understand. :D

 

To me there are so many negatives that one of my 1st choices for Princess is now at the very bottom of my list. :( They're removing one of the two showrooms & burying the gym on a lower deck inside the ship without any views which I haven't experienced in decades. And I agree with others about the other changes that will negatively affect the cruise experience on the Island. I've sailed the Island & Coral several times & do not have to experience the changes to know that I do not like them. I see no improvements but only a more crowded ship with the addition of additional cabins & more passengers.

 

I understand their desire for more passengers but they could have used a scalpel instead of a meat cleaver approach. :rolleyes:

 

If this is an example of what I can expect from Princess in the future then it's time to rethink whether Princess will continue to be my best option.

 

I feel exactly the same way as you. It is really disheartening to see these changes. I have been loyal to the line for years and have worked my way up to Elite status. I have sailed with both the P&O and Princess brand prior to the Carnival merger. The Carnival acquisition did have some benefits but at the same time this is an example of poor business management.

 

The way I am feeling now is that one of my favourite lines is heading in a direction that I could not possibly stay loyal to.

 

Back in 2013 I did my first cruise with Celebrity on the Celebrity Solstice. I was amazed at how different the line was yet left me with an incredible feeling during my holiday. I feel if Princess keeps in the direction they are going and that if what is happening with the Island Princess is a sign of things to come then I will have no choice but to defect to Celebrity.

 

In a few years time I might even have the money to experience high end. With my work I am in the process of trying to get a position in a remote "outback" area of Australia where the pay is considerably high combined with subsidised secure accommodation. I am trying not to get too excited but after seeing the pay for that area I am desperately hoping for a change as it will enhance what I can do when I go on holidays. At the moment I travel in inside cabins. If I were to stay loyal to Princess with any new job offer I would have upgraded to their balcony cabins or suites. Now I am outright contemplating a whole new cruise line.

[crystalspin]

@Colo Cruiser

 

Exactly! :(

[dmwnc1959]

I'm guessing one of the aesthetic attractions to The Sanctuary on Island Princess was, although the space wasn't great in its length, it was beautifully tiered over three decks looking aft over the stern. That, and it had it's own designated pool for Sanctuary use only.

 

I did another before/after comparison for The Sanctuary, and despite the lack of any indication of a pool, I wonder if post-refit it will at least have a dipping-pool similar to Regal Princess' Deck 17 aft?

 

It will be interesting to see what the stern of Island Princess looks like when they are finished extending all of the aft upper decks and adding all of those cabins; most likely like that of a Grand-class but without any tiered decks aft or SkyWalkers Lounge to offset the bluntness of the stern. Not that it matters, but I'm sure it won't be very attractive.

 

 

The Sanctuary

[dmwnc1959]

Stern, before the refit.....

 

 

(Image credits Daniel F. Shipspotting)

Edited January 31, 2015 by dmwnc1959

[Colo Cruiser]

I'm guessing one of the aesthetic attractions to The Sanctuary on Island Princess was, although the space wasn't great in its length, it was beautifully tiered over three decks looking aft over the stern. That, and it had it's own designated pool for Sanctuary use only.

 

I did another before/after comparison for The Sanctuary, and despite the lack of any indication of a pool, I wonder if post-refit it will at least have a dipping-pool similar to Regal Princess' Deck 17 aft?

 

It will be interesting to see what the stern of Island Princess looks like when they are finished extending all of the aft upper decks and adding all of those cabins; most likely like that of a Grand-class but without any tiered decks aft or SkyWalkers Lounge to offset the bluntness of the stern. Not that it matters, but I'm sure it won't be very attractive.

 

 

The Sanctuary

 

 

Well we know it won't look as good as it does now. :(

[dmwnc1959]

Well we know it won't look as good as it does now. :(

 

 

I betting too that she'll have a ducktail when all is said and done.

 

:cool:

[shepp]

I for one am excited about my 2016 cruise on the Island as I was able to book one of the new Aft corner Lido Suites!!! The size and shape look spectacular and cant wait to sail through the canal on her in my comfy big suite.

 

Hope you don't expect to go to a show without getting there an hour in advance, and are looking forward to a jammed Horizon Court, humongous waits for the MDR, overstuffed hot tubs, and a cave-like gym.

 

Ah well, you can always order room service and watch TV in your comfy suite while the folks down in steerage fight one another for the last deck chair.

[skrodle]

Hope you don't expect to go to a show without getting there an hour in advance, and are looking forward to a jammed Horizon Court, humongous waits for the MDR, overstuffed hot tubs, and a cave-like gym.

 

Ah well, you can always order room service and watch TV in your comfy suite while the folks down in steerage fight one another for the last deck chair.

 

10 cruises and I've never seen a show, so thats not a problem, never been to a gym not a problem, its a panama canal cruise no need for a hot tub, as a suite guest i can make reservations for MDR, and i generally dont eat much at the buffet... havent found a problem yet...

 

and all this griping about the removal of public space, i have felt on so many cruises that so much space is wasted on the cruise ships. Take the Crown/Ruby/Emerald, the Adagio bar is ghost town 100% of the cruise and is a beautiful venue, many of the lounges and bars are frequently empty... and if I have to hear one more person complain about the "on the bayou" show being cut... ugh..

 

its basic business that they are having to remodel the Island. If they can increase the ship with 10% more births or increase prices by 10% which do you think would be easier? Customers would not stand for a 10% price increase...

[dmwnc1959]

...and all this griping about the removal of public space, i have felt on so many cruises that so much space is wasted on the cruise ships. Take the Crown/Ruby/Emerald, the Adagio bar is ghost town 100% of the cruise and is a beautiful venue, many of the lounges and bars are frequently empty... and if I have to hear one more person complain about the "on the bayou" show being cut... ugh..

 

its basic business that they are having to remodel the Island. If they can increase the ship with 10% more births or increase prices by 10% which do you think would be easier? Customers would not stand for a 10% price increase...

 

 

When I was on Ruby Princess, every time I walked through the Adagio Bar and visited the SkyWalkers Lounge (other than for our M&G), they were empty. These are great spaces for wedding receptions, Meet and Greets, Platinum/Elite parties, Nightlife, or other special functions, etc., but it just seems that they are vacant roughly 65% of the time. But it doesn't mean they don't get used. Eliminating those large public spaces completely, and then increasing the passenger load by 10-15% without adding or maintaining somewhere for them to 'spread out', just makes no logical sense. Which is what they are doing to Island Princess, but to a more extreme degree.

 

For the Island Princess refit, I think that somehow Princess Cruises just as easily could have...

 

1) Re-purposed the Universe Lounge to a Vista Lounge and done without those 50+ cabins/suites on Promenade/Fiesta Deck aft

 

2) Left the casino alone

 

3) Rebuilt the upper aft decks to accommodate the remaining 50+ cabins and suites

 

4) Relocated The Sanctuary to where it is planned to go

 

5) Relocated the Fitness Center to the area behind the smokestack occupied by the Center Court (shuffleboard, deck chess, and basketball court).

 

...and it would have been a win-win' situation for pretty much everyone.

 

There's so much more they could have done to Island Princess, to make it a premium ship for a niche market within Princess Cruises - both in its itineraries and amenities/services - that paying a 10% increase in fare would have been preferable to what they are doing to her.

 

:D

Edited January 31, 2015 by dmwnc1959

[sunsetbeachgal]

Dave

 

What a fantastic side by side comparison. First time I had seen it laid out so easily!

 

I guess only time will tell, but as I said in an earlier or prior thread, in my 18 cruises with Princess, our only less than satisfactory experiences with Anytime Dining seating were on the Island and Coral, as these ships only have two dining rooms as compared with three on most of the others. Add 200 plus more passengers to that, and...:confused:

 

I'm also wondering with the loss of the complete promenade where the runners and walkers will go. I don't remember if either shop had a dedicated running or walking area, such as the one on the Regal and Royal.

Edited January 31, 2015 by sunsetbeachgal

[dmwnc1959]

I'm also wondering with the loss of the complete promenade where the runners and walkers will go. I don't remember if either shop had a dedicated running or walking area, such as the one on the Regal and Royal.

 

 

The actual jogging track around the putt-putt course on the Grand-class is a bit of a joke, as I'd personally get dizzy running in tight circles that many times, which explains why so many use the wrap-around Promenade Deck. But Island Princess doesn't have the little lap-track like the Grand-class, nor does it have a walking/jogging track like what the Royal-class has. It now looks like, with the elimination of the aft wrap-around on Island Princess, that folks will have to cut through from one interior access door to the other, hoping no one gets in the way as they dart across the elevator lobby.

 

:D

[jollyjones]

The actual jogging track around the putt-putt course on the Grand-class is a bit of a joke, as I'd personally get dizzy running in tight circles that many times, which explains why so many use the wrap-around Promenade Deck. But Island Princess doesn't have the little lap-track like the Grand-class, nor does it have a walking/jogging track like what the Royal-class has. It now looks like, with the elimination of the aft wrap-around on Island Princess, that folks will have to cut through from one interior access door to the other, hoping no one gets in the way as they dart across the elevator lobby.

 

:D

Or they could do a U shaped course as I do on the ships that have the forward end of the Promenade deck up the stairs on Emerald deck - whilst this is a great viewing area when coming into port, when underway it is often too windy to be pleasant so I just turn around ant the stairs and go back the other way. No rules about walking/jogging clockwise or anticlockwise ... yet ...

[Bazz100]

We have booked the Island for the full Panama Canal transit on Dec 5th 2015 like a couple of other posters in this thread. When we booked the before and after layouts were the same on the Princess website.

 

I must admit I am very disappointed with the new layout and the increased number of PAX with reduced communal areas and no additional dining space is not welcome.

 

I assume they will be providing more inflatable life rafts as there appears no additional lifeboats?

 

I also assume they will increase crew numbers, goodness knows where they will sleep as the crew facilities are already small and full, hot bunking maybe? ;)

 

We will wait and see what reviews she gets after the refit before deciding if we should cancel. It is a bitch really, we loved most of the reviews on IP and after Star Princess (our only other cruise so far) and our upcoming cruise on Royal in a few weeks, were really looking forward to sailing on a smaller ship with character.

 

I hope with the lifting of the ban in Venice the powers-that-be may rethink the refit and keep her broadly as she is... ...time alone will tell.

[likeadisguise]

Since they don't appear to be adding any more lifeboats, they can't be increasing the passenger capacity that much. What's likely is that they're reducing the number of third and fourth berths, making the majority of cabins double (or single} capacity only. That'll being in more revenue, since 3rd and 4th passengers usually pay lower prices, but won't increase the overall passenger count as drastically as the number of new cabins would indicate.

 

The refit does look pretty drastic, and it seems ridiculous there's no place to get an aft view off the ship without booking an aft cabin or paying for the Sanctuary.

[skrodle]

Since they don't appear to be adding any more lifeboats, they can't be increasing the passenger capacity that much. What's likely is that they're reducing the number of third and fourth berths, making the majority of cabins double (or single} capacity only. That'll being in more revenue, since 3rd and 4th passengers usually pay lower prices, but won't increase the overall passenger count as drastically as the number of new cabins would indicate. .

 

You are the first to bring this up and that totally makes sense... They could not add 200 more PAX and not add more life boats. If this is the case and they are reducing 3/4 berths the whole argument of more PAX and less space is moot (its just same pax, less space)

[Colo Cruiser]

A vessel is always designed and built with a cushion for lifeboat capacity.

If they do need additional space they could add more rafts, which take up much less space if there is an issue.

[Bazz100]

That is an interesting comment likeadisguise, as skrodle says you are the first to suggest that in this thread. If that is the case things won't be as bad as it appears although the loss of space is still a pity, particularly the UL and no rear viewing area, apart from the Sanctuary of course and the loss of the full external promenade deck.

 

I am not familiar with maritime law and safety rules regarding lifeboats, etc., so had presumed they would have to install those canister like inflatable ones but if what you say is correct them no need.

 

Your comment would also mean no extra crew needed so that removes another query.

 

Guess we have to wait until either Princess publish more data or we start to get reviews after the refit.

[chamima]

An easy answer to this question is if someone could find the passenger capacity after May 2015.

In my Cruise Atlas for 2014/2015 it says current capacity is 1974.

I tried to find the post renovation capacity online but can't find anything.

[Bazz100]

I've been searching Karen but can't find anything, maybe Princess haven't released the numbers yet?

[Nancyquilts]

10 cruises and I've never seen a show, . and if I have to hear one more person complain about the "on the bayou" show being cut... ugh..

 

Since you've never seen a show, it's quite understandable that you don't care what many of the rest of us will be missing.:rolleyes: