Great to be back - Sky Princess Seacation 10th September

[jorich]

Just thought I’d post a few first impressions of our return to cruising today. We arrived at the drive through testing centre at about 11.40, our boarding time being 12.15. It was very well organised & after queuing for about 15 minutes we were swabbed & then directed to the drop our car off at the ship. Again very well organised by CPS. As we’d printed off our luggage labels we just handed our cases over but there was quite a queue of people waiting to collect luggage labels. There was a long line to enter the terminal but as we had priority embarkation we enquired at the head of the line if there was a separate queue or entry& the staff member said we can’t really do priority in the current situation  but you can go straight in & join the queue inside. There wasn’t really a queue inside & we were quickly checked ( passports etc) & then sent to sit down while we waited for our test results to come through by text which took another 10 minutes or so. We then went to the check in desks & were given our medallions & went through security & onto the ship. We were on board by 12.40 so an hour all in 👍. The cabins were ready but we stopped off first at Bellinis for a drink & the International Cafe for lunch. Everything was great & the mask wearing was only required in the elevators, food lines & in entertainment venues although a lot of people wore them walking around. 
The weather was kind & we spent a lovely afternoon on deck in warm sunshine & are now enjoying our pre-dinner cocktails ! 
We are so glad to be back 😁 !! 

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, jorich said:

we had priority embarkation 

Can you please elaborate as to why you had priority embarkation?

Thanks

[jorich]

We’re not sure if it was because we are Platinum loyalty level or because we had a mini suite - think probably the latter. 
We also had booked club class dining - it was very good this evening, in a nice section of the dining room, no wait to be seated despite a queue at the entrance & an extra main course of fillet steak on the menu. 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

We were on Sky from 6th - 10th (cruise before yours). I wish we had priority boarding. We were green lane but had a 45 min wait to board.

[ukwizard]

16 hours ago, jorich said:

mask wearing was only required in the elevators, food lines & in entertainment venues although a lot of people wore them walking around. 

We were on Regal Princess in August (and back on Sky next week) and mask wearing was required everywhere outside of your cabin unless you were seated having a drink or eating.

 

I'm suprised (especially bearing in mind what seems to be unfolding on the MSC Virtuosa at the moment) that Princess have relaxed the rules to let you wander around without masks on,  it actually made us feel a little more secure onboard.

[PrincessLuver]

4 hours ago, ukwizard said:

We were on Regal Princess in August (and back on Sky next week) and mask wearing was required everywhere outside of your cabin unless you were seated having a drink or eating.

 

I'm suprised (especially bearing in mind what seems to be unfolding on the MSC Virtuosa at the moment) that Princess have relaxed the rules to let you wander around without masks on,  it actually made us feel a little more secure onboard.

 

This is our worry too and we suspect that Princess is really not going to enforce Covid protocols and just go through the motions......you would think that after all the bad PR they received early on in the pandemic that there would not be so cavalier......we are almost ready to jettison our bookings but are waiting to see how flu season will impact passengers on the ships along with Covid too.....

 

It is un-nerving what is happening on the ship you mentioned because you would hope the cruise companies would be transparent when they are having Covid outbreaks.....I am no so sure Princess would from what is being reported on mask wearing?

 

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2021/09/articles/disease/passenger-dies-after-super-spreader-covid-19-cruise-on-msc-virtuosa/

Edited September 11, 2021 by PrincessLuver

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

21 hours ago, jorich said:

Just thought I’d post a few first impressions of our return to cruising today. We arrived at the drive through testing centre at about 11.40, our boarding time being 12.15. It was very well organised & after queuing for about 15 minutes we were swabbed & then directed to the drop our car off at the ship. Again very well organised by CPS. As we’d printed off our luggage labels we just handed our cases over but there was quite a queue of people waiting to collect luggage labels. There was a long line to enter the terminal but as we had priority embarkation we enquired at the head of the line if there was a separate queue or entry& the staff member said we can’t really do priority in the current situation  but you can go straight in & join the queue inside. There wasn’t really a queue inside & we were quickly checked ( passports etc) & then sent to sit down while we waited for our test results to come through by text which took another 10 minutes or so. We then went to the check in desks & were given our medallions & went through security & onto the ship. We were on board by 12.40 so an hour all in 👍. The cabins were ready but we stopped off first at Bellinis for a drink & the International Cafe for lunch. Everything was great & the mask wearing was only required in the elevators, food lines & in entertainment venues although a lot of people wore them walking around. 
The weather was kind & we spent a lovely afternoon on deck in warm sunshine & are now enjoying our pre-dinner cocktails ! 
We are so glad to be back 😁 !! 

Our cruise on the SKY was January 2020. You did not mention the ship itself. We thought it was fabulous. A beautiful ship. Enjoyed every moment on it.

[dides]

9 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

We were on Sky from 6th - 10th (cruise before yours). I wish we had priority boarding. We were green lane but had a 45 min wait to board.

We were on the cruise before you, Sky Princess 3rd -6th and we didn't get priority checkin. However  they directed everyone to sit in checkin order (at Mayflower) and then announced Elite and then Platinum could board first. We were the first Elites into security!

 

 

Edited September 11, 2021 by dides

[CineGraphic]

19 hours ago, jorich said:

We’re not sure if it was because we are Platinum loyalty level or because we had a mini suite - think probably the latter. 

 

Your priority boarding was due to your platinum status.

Mini-suites do not get priority boarding, that's only for full suites.

[pms4104]

11 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Your priority boarding was due to your platinum status.

Mini-suites do not get priority boarding, that's only for full suites.

But Club Class does incl priority boarding ... after weddings, suites, elites, plats.

 

In this case, seems plat overrode club class

Edited September 11, 2021 by pms4104

[dwhe]

2 hours ago, dides said:

... and then announced Elite and then Platinum could board first. We were the first Elites into security!

 

 

Did they mention suites as well?

[dides]

1 hour ago, dwhe said:

Did they mention suites as well?

No, we were also in a suite and suite guests were not called separately.

 

 

Edited September 11, 2021 by dides

[dwhe]

30 minutes ago, dides said:

No, we were also in a suite and suite guests were not called separately.

 

 

 thanks

[wenus]

Thanks for the great review!!

i got question, if you dine in speciality dining, do you need to pay

 for wine/drinks if you have premium beverages package?

also, the Vines wine bar- same question please 🙂 

[Riocca]

48 minutes ago, wenus said:

Thanks for the great review!!

i got question, if you dine in speciality dining, do you need to pay

 for wine/drinks if you have premium beverages package?

also, the Vines wine bar- same question please 🙂 

Pre pandemic on Regal you were fine in both as long as you order wine by the glass, under $12 of course. We found in the main restaurant  you needed to take a glass of wine in with you as it took ages to get one otherwise, Vines didn’t let you take their nice glasses out and they always served our last drink in the normal restaurant tableware.

[wenus]

Hi guys, last question.

our arrival time is group F, 2.15-2.45. Does it means that we need to be at testing side at 2.15 or at terminal? 
if its at terminal, when should we arrive at testing side? Thank you.

[lx200gps]

3 hours ago, wenus said:

Thanks for the great review!!

i got question, if you dine in speciality dining, do you need to pay

 for wine/drinks if you have premium beverages package?

also, the Vines wine bar- same question please 🙂 

As someone pointed out, the "booze package" very definitely applies in the Specialty restaurants, no issue there. Note also that the package confers a 25% discount on full bottles of wine, in addition to the wine by the glass under $12.

[Steelers36]

19 hours ago, dides said:

No, we were also in a suite and suite guests were not called separately.

 

 

Suites should be going in along with Elites.

 

As for Mini's, only the Club Class get any priority and I believe past practice was to group them with the Platinums.

[wowzz]

8 hours ago, wenus said:

Hi guys, last question.

our arrival time is group F, 2.15-2.45. Does it means that we need to be at testing side at 2.15 or at terminal? 
if its at terminal, when should we arrive at testing side? Thank you.

It is the time you should arrive at the test site.

[gmjc2]

On 9/11/2021 at 2:12 PM, CineGraphic said:

 

Your priority boarding was due to your platinum status.

Mini-suites do not get priority boarding, that's only for full suites.

Hi! CineGraphic have not seen you on any of our roll calls recently!  How are you?

[gmjc2]

We are on the Sky Nov 5th Transatlantic. Has anyone knowledge of cabin C304--accessible next to the elevator?  Thanks.

[CineGraphic]

8 minutes ago, gmjc2 said:

Hi! CineGraphic have not seen you on any of our roll calls recently!  How are you?

 

Which ones are you talking about, we have 7 bookings.

[gmjc2]

Past cruises--nothing current that I have seen on the roll calls and threads I frequent. Nice to hear from you.

[beryl patricia]

On 9/11/2021 at 10:31 AM, ukwizard said:

We were on Regal Princess in August (and back on Sky next week) and mask wearing was required everywhere outside of your cabin unless you were seated having a drink or eating.

 

I'm suprised (especially bearing in mind what seems to be unfolding on the MSC Virtuosa at the moment) that Princess have relaxed the rules to let you wander around without masks on,  it actually made us feel a little more secure onboard.

We have just got off Sky this morning and masks are most definitely required whenever walking around the ship (except out on deck) including seated in theatre- only time not required is when seated eating and drinking - definitely felt very safe

[beryl patricia]

On 9/11/2021 at 3:18 PM, PrincessLuver said:

 

This is our worry too and we suspect that Princess is really not going to enforce Covid protocols and just go through the motions......you would think that after all the bad PR they received early on in the pandemic that there would not be so cavalier......we are almost ready to jettison our bookings but are waiting to see how flu season will impact passengers on the ships along with Covid too.....

 

It is un-nerving what is happening on the ship you mentioned because you would hope the cruise companies would be transparent when they are having Covid outbreaks.....I am no so sure Princess would from what is being reported on mask wearing?

 

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2021/09/articles/disease/passenger-dies-after-super-spreader-covid-19-cruise-on-msc-virtuosa/

Don’t worry I’ve just got off Sky this morning and I felt very safe - masks are required when walking around or seated in the theatre and there are notices around also heard a couple of staff members reminding people when going into theatre- yes I saw a handful who were ignoring the rules but majority were observing the mask wearing rule 

Gill