Sky Princess - review of Sep 6-10, four-night 'seacation'

[Poshgirl1974]

So, I thought I’d just do a little review of my ‘seacation’ cruise – a four night stay on the Sky Princess from Southampton from September 6-10. Please remember this is purely based on my observations and experiences – yours may have been different to mine.

 

This was our seventh cruise and first with Princess and the first time back on a ship since the pandemic. So we’re by no means seasoned cruisers, but equally we’re not novices either. 

 

I’ve decided to break it down into sections – embarkation, the room, facilities, food and drink, entertainment and ‘any other business’.

 

Embarkation.

Even in Covid times, this was pretty smooth and I think the quickest we’ve boarded any ship. As we had paid for parking, our parking instructions directed us to the Mayflower termical for  a lateral flow test first, then we were directed back to where the ship was. The upside to this was that by the time we’d got back and gone through the initial checks our results were in and we were able to collect our medallions and get on the ship (you can only get to the medallion collection stage when you have your proof of a negative result) rather than wait in the holding area. So we were on board by 12.45 and about an hour later we were also able to go to the cabin and one of our cases was even already there. So far, so good!

 

The room

We were in R726, almost right at the back of the ship on deck 14. We were in a standard balcony cabin, probably smaller than previous cabins but perfectly fine for four nights. I was very impressed by the wardrobe area which has plenty of space and is practically a walk-in wardrobe and there was plenty of storage space throughout with a number of drawers available. The wardrobe area is big enough to store cases out of the way (or there is room under the bed). And speaking of beds – definitely one of the most comfy I’ve slept in. The balcony was an OK size and tea and coffee facilities are provided. The available plug sockets is very poor – I found just two next to the dressing table. I thought I had read that there were USB ports near the bedside tables but this was certainly not the case in our cabin. Thankfully, I’d taken an extension lead with me. Our TV didn’t work properly on the first day or the last morning and the selection of channels is also quite poor – but then I didn’t go on the cruise to spend much time in the cabin anyway. Entry is via the medallion, which recognises you as you approach the door – ours even wished us happy anniversary on the Wednesday! One downside to covid is that you don’t really get to properly meet your cabin steward, which I’ve always really liked in the past. And the animal towels are also another victim of the pandemic.

 

Facilities

There are plenty of pool options. I thought I’d spend most time by the retreat pool but actually we enjoyed being in the main pool area most of the time and having a little more activity going on around us. I would have checked out the Wakeview pool at the back of the ship but was put off by how close to the smoking area it was. 

I really liked the position of the running track – not as large as the one on the Anthem of the Seas but it was higher up and kind of in its own area, ie not a main walk through or sunbathing spot, so if you prefer to run or walk a bit later in the day you should still be able to do so with ease. 

The spa is massive. We were very tempted to pay the $99 per person for access to the enclave for the trip but in the end decided against it. Had it been in an area where you could also see daylight I think we would have gone for it. But if you really love that sort of thing then I imagine it’s a lovely space to spend time in. 

The casino is very small for such a large ship, though it was never very busy whenever we passed through. 

 

Food and drink.

OK, so this is where I get a picky and where I feel Princess was poor. Let’s start with the drinks! Basically it was a nightmare trying to get one, which is especially annoying when you’ve bought a drinks package. It quite literally took a minimum 20 minutes to even get anyone’s attention to order one and then as long again to get them delivered. All the bars were technically closed so you couldn’t even just try and go up to the bar yourself, though in the end I did a few times and usually got served. Towards the end of the trip I heard several of the drinks attendants being spoken to quite badly by guests and while I don’t agree with that, to be honest, I could understand why they were, as I had to bite my own tongue on several occasions from being rude as it really was a massive issue on the ship. So many people were complaining about how difficult it was to get drinks and staff generally didn’t care that much. And you can try ordering on the app but the menu is limited and they still take just as long to arrive. I even got charged $1.77 because I ordered a cup of tea and a diet coke when I ordered on the app. Also, be aware the drinks package is subject to a 15-drink limit on alcohol and also no souvenir cup is provided – the first time I’ve never had one with a drinks package – and this is one occasion when it would have been handy to at least go and get your own coke when you’re desperate for a drink and can’t get served! 

But enough about the drinks debacle!

I also don’t think the food is as good as we’ve had with NCL or RC. The food itself was fine but evening menus in the dining rooms seemed to be very fish and plant-based and the choices in the Marketplace buffet were more limited than we’ve had on other ships. Also, I found it very off putting that so many areas of the Marketplace were roped off. The barista at the coffee station was very grumpy on the one time I used it, and if you have a sweet tooth be prepared to hunt out the puddings as there is only one place they can be found in the whole of the buffet section – in the area called The Pastry Shop. Totally missed it on the first day. 

In pre covid times, there were always drinks menus available in the bars and I used to like perusing them and trying out new drinks seeings that I always have a package (though on Princess with its limits I might be worried about doing that anyway). But now there are no menus which is annoying. I do feel that they could at least have a screen up or a menu pinned to the wall. 

So there we go. Food and drink is one area where I feel in comparison to other cruises I’ve been on, Princess is very much in last place. It’s good but not as good as it should be.

 

Entertainment

Again, another area where I feel it was a bit weak, though in fairness come of that could still be down to living in a covid world. On other cruises there have always been a wide variety of fitness or dance classes to try but on this cruise options were very limited. No dance classes at all and only Zumba at 9.15 each day or a chance to try basketball or hole in one. I learnt very quickly that the ‘seminars’ were nothing but the opportunity to try and hard spa services. For instance, I went to something called a ‘hair masterclass’ assuming it would either be a demo on how to style hair or something similar but it was actually just five minutes of being told that sun and styling products can damage hair and how they have services on board to make it all better! It was a similar experience at an acupuncture seminar so I didn’t bother attending any more. Which then left quite little to do during the day if you don’t want to be by the pool. Games by the pool, usually held around 1.30pm would have been fun (you ideally need a smart phone to take part) but when they started to play a racing game, only 8 people at a time could actually physically take part and this was pre-selected by their computer, so it wasn’t very inclusive.  I thought the comedian was very funny but the other headline acts – rock opera and Philip Browne – in my opinion were nothing special. Don’t get me wrong, they are clearly exceptionally talented singers but the productions, for me, just weren’t jaw-droppingly good like I’ve seen on other ships. A bit like the food, they were OK but I expected better. 

The quizzes and gameshows in Princess Live were very good though. In fact, I thought the cruise director’s staff were some of the best I’ve seen on any ship. Friendly, talented and funny. Aaron, in particular, I thought was brilliant at the British TV Shows quiz. And you definitely don’t want to miss the ‘Everything is just so British’ gameshow which was held on our last night. Absolutely brilliant and a fab way to end the cruise.

 

Any other business

Couple of things to note. The ship is very geared up to wanting you to use this Medallion app, which has the potential to be brilliant but just isn’t yet. My husband’s app never did work properly and the daily guide to what’s on is very hard to negotiate on the app. Thankfully, you do still get a good old-fashioned print out in your room each night. I do wonder though if half the reason why the drinks situation is so bad is because it can’t cope with the number of orders being made on it, but people use that because they wait soooooo long to get a drink any other way. 

Whether you agree with it or not – if you like a spot on a lounger right by the pool, be prepared to get up early and bag a place with your towel and a book as most loungers anywhere near the pools are taken by about 10am.

And if you can’t stand paper straws with your drinks then pack a few of your own plastic ones!

Overall, I’d give it a 6/10. I’m not sure Princess has done enough to convince me to go another one of its cruises – I think we’ll go back on RC or NCL or try Celebrity next – but it was just lovely to be back enjoying a cruise and was still excellent value for money.

[Lisa-UK]

Hi

 

Thanks for posting this, interesting and honest review.

 

We were on Regal Princess in August and are booked on the Sky on Friday 21st.  I am hoping our Sky cruise is going to be as good as the Regal a few weeks back.

 

I agree with your opinion re the food, all very nicely presented, the main restaurant offerings were a bit lacklustre and I thought they were too heavy handed with the salt.  We ate at the Crown Grill and even a nice fillet there was spoiled by too much salt.

 

The app, when working properly and for those who are able to use the technology is going to be fabulous when they have ironed out a few flaws.  I liked using and choosing drinks from the menu, which is broken down into sections for ease - ie Martinis, frozen cocktails etc.  Our drinks didn't seem to take so long to come, but one error we made was to order 2 (one each) from one account!  The 2nd was charged, we quickly went back to ordering individually or the old fashioned way with a bar waiter.

 

I agree that the power sockets in the cabin are sparse, so great idea to take a extension lead.  

 

I'm looking forward to our next Princess cruise on the Sky.

 

 

 

 

 

[dides]

4 hours ago, Poshgirl1974 said:

We were in R726, almost right at the back of the ship on deck 14. We were in a standard balcony cabin, probably smaller than previous cabins but perfectly fine for four nights.

 

Thanks for your review - always refreshing to see Princess from another viewpoint. We were on the cruise before and agree that Aaron and the cruise entertainment staff did a great job.  A couple of things:

 

-  I thought I had read that there were USB ports near the bedside tables but this was certainly not the case in our cabin. 

 

The USB ports are in the lamp base - did you not have these? They are usually in all balcony cabins

 

 

- And the animal towels are also another victim of the pandemic.

Princess don't usually do towel animals anyway 🙂

 

 

[dides]

7 hours ago, Poshgirl1974 said:

In pre covid times, there were always drinks menus available in the bars and I used to like perusing them and trying out new drinks seeings that I always have a package (though on Princess with its limits I might be worried about doing that anyway). But now there are no menus which is annoying. I do feel that they could at least have a screen up or a menu pinned to the wall. 

 

We generally managed to find a drinks menu on Sky - most of the bars had QR codes for menus on the tables - this worked except the Piazza which just showed the Grounds Coffee International Cafe items.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by dides

[wowzz]

Thanks for an informative review.

To be fair, I think some of your negative points are partially due to the fact that this was one of the first cruises that Sky has done for 18 months, and also that Covid restrictions mean that what happened in the past is no longer possible.

On a different matter, I was a bit disappointed to read that whilst everyone is trying to reduce the use of plastic, you felt the need to take your own plastic straws onboard. If the likes of Carnival and McDonald's can move to paper straws , could you not do the same? At the very least, buy reusable metal straws.

[bluenote5]

40 minutes ago, wowzz said:

 At the very least, buy reusable metal straws.

If you do decide to bring a plastic straw, It should be ok provided you keep using the same one each time you have a drink. I'm not a fan of paper straws because unlike plastic or metal straws they soon get soggy and spoil the enjoyment of your drink but if I buy a drink with one I'll use it.

[velohike]

Thanks for your review! We have a 14-day Oct 22nd cruise on the Sky. It was great reading about your experience. Interesting opinion on the food. I'm a cruise newbie, only been on the Grand twice to Alaska, but both times the food was absolutely my favorite part about cruising. We never ate at the buffet though, only the main dining rooms. I also share the opinion that because this is the first Sky cruise in 18 months, it may take them a few trips to get up to speed.

 

Regarding embarkation, could you please confirm there was a COVID test at the terminal?

 

Regarding medallion app: As a software developer, the app is one of the worst UI/UX experiences I've seen from a big company. They really need to hire a different design firm and remake it from scratch. It has too much unnecessary 3D rendering, it's much too processor intensive/battery hog, and of course it stalls/crashes too much. I love the idea behind it, but that app.. 🤮

 

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by velohike

[NSWP]

Thanks for your review.

[thesailor]

Just returned from a relaxing jaunt on the Sky Princess around the Bay Of Biscay....very nice too.

There is one thing to get off my chest however,

I never again want to read comments from British guests whingeing about other foreign travelers bed blocking the sun loungers onboard, because after what I just witnessed from a mainly British occupied cruise ship, demonstrated there is no one worse at this than the Brits themselves....and I'm a Brit myself.

 

To look out the windows and to see some of these sad people clipping towels to loungers at six in the morning then disappearing was hilarious, especially when it tipped down with rain and they're  simulated clothing got drenched.

Shame on the Brits for doing it and shame on Princess for allowing it. There were people deprived of loungers sometimes until the afternoon, before someone would arrive and claim the lounger.

One funny incident was when a lad ordered a drink using the app, he then placed his medallion tracker on an empty unoccupied lounge towel and witnessed the drink being delivered to the towel  by the steward, so funny.

 

To see rows of unattended loungers covered in towels and bags with no one on them for hours is unacceptable.

If your not on them in Half an Hour the stewards should dispose of them like they do on other cruises.

And before you ask why was I up at 6am, I was out getting a Mocha and a cookie for the wife,..... wrapped in a towel of course.

Cmon cruisers grow up. I'd have a wall of shame and put your pictures on it if I was Captain.

 

Stay safe all.

thesailor

[trbarton]

35 minutes ago, thesailor said:

Just returned from a relaxing jaunt on the Sky Princess around the Bay Of Biscay....very nice too.

There is one thing to get off my chest however,

I never again want to read comments from British guests whingeing about other foreign travelers bed blocking the sun loungers onboard, because after what I just witnessed from a mainly British occupied cruise ship, demonstrated there is no one worse at this than the Brits themselves....and I'm a Brit myself.

 

To look out the windows and to see some of these sad people clipping towels to loungers at six in the morning then disappearing was hilarious, especially when it tipped down with rain and they're  simulated clothing got drenched.

Shame on the Brits for doing it and shame on Princess for allowing it. There were people deprived of loungers sometimes until the afternoon, before someone would arrive and claim the lounger.

One funny incident was when a lad ordered a drink using the app, he then placed his medallion tracker on an empty unoccupied lounge towel and witnessed the drink being delivered to the towel  by the steward, so funny.

 

To see rows of unattended loungers covered in towels and bags with no one on them for hours is unacceptable.

If your not on them in Half an Hour the stewards should dispose of them like they do on other cruises.

And before you ask why was I up at 6am, I was out getting a Mocha and a cookie for the wife,..... wrapped in a towel of course.

Cmon cruisers grow up. I'd have a wall of shame and put your pictures on it if I was Captain.

 

Stay safe all.

thesailor

If a unoccupied lounge chair was unoccupied for more than 30 minutes & looked like nobody had been there why not remove everything & give it to the deck/pool attendant? This would teach people a lesson. 
 

Tom😀

[thesailor]

I agree with the comments about the app. It was dreadful.

I had bought a new phone because my old one wouldn't accept the app.

New software all up to date and all the app did was crash my phone.

For some reason if I logged in using the express method it worked much better.

My wife ordered a pool side drink using the app. She could see it being made at the bar. The app said it's on it's way. Twenty minutes later it was still on the counter...melted.  When the runner appeared and delivered the drink my wife refused to accept it as it had turned into a slushy mess.

When you look at the investment around the ship that has gone into this app technology, they really need to get it sorted, even the staff are frustrated with it and frown when you ask if the app system is working ok.

I enjoyed the theater entertainment and I thought the venue was excellent with comfortable seating, and good sound and lighting.

The guitar playing lady at the center concourse drove me to tears of board ham in the way she sang everything down as if she was trying to send us to sleep.....it worked  zzzzzzzzzz.

Not sure about you, but the alcohol content in their cocktails was only a little above a children's drink. Well diluted down was a common comment.

I had to return a meal due to poor quality in the Cielo dining room although the Crown grill produced an excellent steak on specialty night along with a rendition of a happy anniversary song sung at our table.

I thought the Pizza restaurant was ok, nothing special.  It's only when Pizza dough is cooked in fired ovens do you get a better taste, these were prepared in giant electric ovens, so nothing special there.

Our room was well decorated with anniversary goodies and a fine coconut cream cake.

Our cabin lad,  dee dee, worked his socks off as usual and was always available if needed.

The bar areas were teaming with people but not enough seating we felt.

With the ship only being 65% capacity, goodness knows what the bar areas will be like when the ship is full.

One last comment, I thought this cruise was the chattiest group I have encountered, sometimes spending hours after meals talking away. I think everyone was glad to get out. My battery lasted ages on my phone because we actually conversed instead of text.....great stuff.

 

Stay safe

the sailor

 

[thesailor]

6 minutes ago, trbarton said:

If a unoccupied lounge chair was unoccupied for more than 30 minutes & looked like nobody had been there why not remove everything & give it to the deck/pool attendant? This would teach people a lesson. 
 

Tom😀

Hear Hear Tom

[c-boy]

🤔 tough crowd in here .

[ekka49]

5 hours ago, bluenote5 said:

If you do decide to bring a plastic straw, It should be ok provided you keep using the same one each time you have a drink. I'm not a fan of paper straws because unlike plastic or metal straws they soon get soggy and spoil the enjoyment of your drink but if I buy a drink with one I'll use it.

So glad that I do not use a straw to drink my beer 😇

[Poshgirl1974]

On 9/12/2021 at 6:37 PM, dides said:

Thanks for your review - always refreshing to see Princess from another viewpoint. We were on the cruise before and agree that Aaron and the cruise entertainment staff did a great job.  A couple of things:

 

-  I thought I had read that there were USB ports near the bedside tables but this was certainly not the case in our cabin. 

 

The USB ports are in the lamp base - did you not have these? They are usually in all balcony cabins

 

 

- And the animal towels are also another victim of the pandemic.

Princess don't usually do towel animals anyway 🙂

 

Damn it - never spotted those! 

 

www.no30design.co.ukThe USB ports are in the lamp base - did you not have these? They are usually in all balcony cabins

On 9/12/2021 at 6:37 PM, dides said:

Thanks for your review - always refreshing to see Princess from another viewpoint. We were on the cruise before and agree that Aaron and the cruise entertainment staff did a great job.  A couple of things:

 

-  I thought I had read that there were USB ports near the bedside tables but this was certainly not the case in our cabin. 

 

The USB ports are in the lamp base - did you not have these? They are usually in all balcony cabins

 

 

- And the animal towels are also another victim of the pandemic.

Princess don't usually do towel animals anyway 🙂

 

 

 

[wowzz]

On 9/12/2021 at 1:57 PM, Poshgirl1974 said:

And the animal towels are also another victim of the pandemic.

They never were, thank goodness !

[USCcruisecrazy]

Nice review.  I would only caution with one piece of advice:  it appears you are comparing pre-COVID cruises on other lines with a current COVID restricted cruise on the Sky.  The Sky Princess was the last ship we cruised on before COVID stopped the fleet from sailing and it was a great experience...not close to the issues you discussed.  Timely drinks (of course you could order from the bar or the App), good entertainment, and fabulous food.  Hopefully Princess returns to those standards as this virus gets put into the rearview mirror.

[nini]

On 9/14/2021 at 9:36 AM, USCcruisecrazy said:

Nice review.  I would only caution with one piece of advice:  it appears you are comparing pre-COVID cruises on other lines with a current COVID restricted cruise on the Sky.  The Sky Princess was the last ship we cruised on before COVID stopped the fleet from sailing and it was a great experience...not close to the issues you discussed.  Timely drinks (of course you could order from the bar or the App), good entertainment, and fabulous food.  Hopefully Princess returns to those standards as this virus gets put into the rearview mirror.

This is also exactly what I was thinking! Pre Covid, we NEVER had an issue finding a drink!.

However, Pre Covid, we ALWAYS had trouble finding a drink on the Celebrity Reflection!!!

[shythom]

On 9/12/2021 at 12:21 PM, Lisa-UK said:

Hi

 

Thanks for posting this, interesting and honest review.

 

We were on Regal Princess in August and are booked on the Sky on Friday 21st.  I am hoping our Sky cruise is going to be as good as the Regal a few weeks back.

 

I agree with your opinion re the food, all very nicely presented, the main restaurant offerings were a bit lacklustre and I thought they were too heavy handed with the salt.  We ate at the Crown Grill and even a nice fillet there was spoiled by too much salt.

 

The app, when working properly and for those who are able to use the technology is going to be fabulous when they have ironed out a few flaws.  I liked using and choosing drinks from the menu, which is broken down into sections for ease - ie Martinis, frozen cocktails etc.  Our drinks didn't seem to take so long to come, but one error we made was to order 2 (one each) from one account!  The 2nd was charged, we quickly went back to ordering individually or the old fashioned way with a bar waiter.

 

I agree that the power sockets in the cabin are sparse, so great idea to take a extension lead.  

 

I'm looking forward to our next Princess cruise on the Sky.

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you have a good experience on Sky Princess! I admit it's been years since we've cruised but when we did, we only have cruised with Princess. I think I have been on... 6. I became a platinum on my last Princess cruise.

 

We're finally planning to go on a cruise again and we're looking into Sky Princess as well. Just an easy 7-day Easter Caribbean.

 

One thing I will agree on is the over-use of salt. I do pre-plan my dietary requests before I go though. As I a have dietary needs. It helped a lot. I don't know if you are comfortable in doing that but I always find it's easier to add salt then take it away once it's been made into the food.

 

In general, since I started to cruise with Princess cruise 25 years ago, I have found their quality of food in the main dining rooms go down. Maybe my taste has changed? And the menu items have really not changed much over the years.

 

I recall the last two times my husband and I weren't too keen on the food as much. We started to dine in the specialty restaurants more. Sabotini's was the best one - the steak there was better than the Crown Grill (we're steak lovers - I admit we're picky about our steaks, though).

 

Having said that, as long as they have healthy options we get by and enjoy our food. The international cafe has great, fresh and healthy options. And actually, the salad bar at the buffet is so fresh and good with lots of options! I'm not looking for quantity, just quality. But that's because I'm getting to that age where I HAVE to mind what I eat. Or I feel horrible! Ah to be 20 again and have the ability to eat anything or as much as I want! *Sigh*

[mjmalino]

On 9/14/2021 at 12:36 PM, USCcruisecrazy said:

Nice review.  I would only caution with one piece of advice:  it appears you are comparing pre-COVID cruises on other lines with a current COVID restricted cruise on the Sky.  The Sky Princess was the last ship we cruised on before COVID stopped the fleet from sailing and it was a great experience...not close to the issues you discussed.  Timely drinks (of course you could order from the bar or the App), good entertainment, and fabulous food.  Hopefully Princess returns to those standards as this virus gets put into the rearview mirror.

I was actually thinking the same thing. We were on the Sky in January 2020 and didn't have any of the issues that the OP is mentioning. In fact, we are looking forward to being on the Sky this December. I guess we will see the differences for ourselves then.

Edited September 19, 2021 by mjmalino

[trbarton]

On 9/12/2021 at 5:57 AM, Poshgirl1974 said:

 

So, I thought I’d just do a little review of my ‘seacation’ cruise – a four night stay on the Sky Princess from Southampton from September 6-10. Please remember this is purely based on my observations and experiences – yours may have been different to mine.

 

This was our seventh cruise and first with Princess and the first time back on a ship since the pandemic. So we’re by no means seasoned cruisers, but equally we’re not novices either. 

 

I’ve decided to break it down into sections – embarkation, the room, facilities, food and drink, entertainment and ‘any other business’.

 

Embarkation.

Even in Covid times, this was pretty smooth and I think the quickest we’ve boarded any ship. As we had paid for parking, our parking instructions directed us to the Mayflower termical for  a lateral flow test first, then we were directed back to where the ship was. The upside to this was that by the time we’d got back and gone through the initial checks our results were in and we were able to collect our medallions and get on the ship (you can only get to the medallion collection stage when you have your proof of a negative result) rather than wait in the holding area. So we were on board by 12.45 and about an hour later we were also able to go to the cabin and one of our cases was even already there. So far, so good!

 

The room

We were in R726, almost right at the back of the ship on deck 14. We were in a standard balcony cabin, probably smaller than previous cabins but perfectly fine for four nights. I was very impressed by the wardrobe area which has plenty of space and is practically a walk-in wardrobe and there was plenty of storage space throughout with a number of drawers available. The wardrobe area is big enough to store cases out of the way (or there is room under the bed). And speaking of beds – definitely one of the most comfy I’ve slept in. The balcony was an OK size and tea and coffee facilities are provided. The available plug sockets is very poor – I found just two next to the dressing table. I thought I had read that there were USB ports near the bedside tables but this was certainly not the case in our cabin. Thankfully, I’d taken an extension lead with me. Our TV didn’t work properly on the first day or the last morning and the selection of channels is also quite poor – but then I didn’t go on the cruise to spend much time in the cabin anyway. Entry is via the medallion, which recognises you as you approach the door – ours even wished us happy anniversary on the Wednesday! One downside to covid is that you don’t really get to properly meet your cabin steward, which I’ve always really liked in the past. And the animal towels are also another victim of the pandemic.

 

Facilities

There are plenty of pool options. I thought I’d spend most time by the retreat pool but actually we enjoyed being in the main pool area most of the time and having a little more activity going on around us. I would have checked out the Wakeview pool at the back of the ship but was put off by how close to the smoking area it was. 

I really liked the position of the running track – not as large as the one on the Anthem of the Seas but it was higher up and kind of in its own area, ie not a main walk through or sunbathing spot, so if you prefer to run or walk a bit later in the day you should still be able to do so with ease. 

The spa is massive. We were very tempted to pay the $99 per person for access to the enclave for the trip but in the end decided against it. Had it been in an area where you could also see daylight I think we would have gone for it. But if you really love that sort of thing then I imagine it’s a lovely space to spend time in. 

The casino is very small for such a large ship, though it was never very busy whenever we passed through. 

 

Food and drink.

OK, so this is where I get a picky and where I feel Princess was poor. Let’s start with the drinks! Basically it was a nightmare trying to get one, which is especially annoying when you’ve bought a drinks package. It quite literally took a minimum 20 minutes to even get anyone’s attention to order one and then as long again to get them delivered. All the bars were technically closed so you couldn’t even just try and go up to the bar yourself, though in the end I did a few times and usually got served. Towards the end of the trip I heard several of the drinks attendants being spoken to quite badly by guests and while I don’t agree with that, to be honest, I could understand why they were, as I had to bite my own tongue on several occasions from being rude as it really was a massive issue on the ship. So many people were complaining about how difficult it was to get drinks and staff generally didn’t care that much. And you can try ordering on the app but the menu is limited and they still take just as long to arrive. I even got charged $1.77 because I ordered a cup of tea and a diet coke when I ordered on the app. Also, be aware the drinks package is subject to a 15-drink limit on alcohol and also no souvenir cup is provided – the first time I’ve never had one with a drinks package – and this is one occasion when it would have been handy to at least go and get your own coke when you’re desperate for a drink and can’t get served! 

But enough about the drinks debacle!

I also don’t think the food is as good as we’ve had with NCL or RC. The food itself was fine but evening menus in the dining rooms seemed to be very fish and plant-based and the choices in the Marketplace buffet were more limited than we’ve had on other ships. Also, I found it very off putting that so many areas of the Marketplace were roped off. The barista at the coffee station was very grumpy on the one time I used it, and if you have a sweet tooth be prepared to hunt out the puddings as there is only one place they can be found in the whole of the buffet section – in the area called The Pastry Shop. Totally missed it on the first day. 

In pre covid times, there were always drinks menus available in the bars and I used to like perusing them and trying out new drinks seeings that I always have a package (though on Princess with its limits I might be worried about doing that anyway). But now there are no menus which is annoying. I do feel that they could at least have a screen up or a menu pinned to the wall. 

So there we go. Food and drink is one area where I feel in comparison to other cruises I’ve been on, Princess is very much in last place. It’s good but not as good as it should be.

 

Entertainment

Again, another area where I feel it was a bit weak, though in fairness come of that could still be down to living in a covid world. On other cruises there have always been a wide variety of fitness or dance classes to try but on this cruise options were very limited. No dance classes at all and only Zumba at 9.15 each day or a chance to try basketball or hole in one. I learnt very quickly that the ‘seminars’ were nothing but the opportunity to try and hard spa services. For instance, I went to something called a ‘hair masterclass’ assuming it would either be a demo on how to style hair or something similar but it was actually just five minutes of being told that sun and styling products can damage hair and how they have services on board to make it all better! It was a similar experience at an acupuncture seminar so I didn’t bother attending any more. Which then left quite little to do during the day if you don’t want to be by the pool. Games by the pool, usually held around 1.30pm would have been fun (you ideally need a smart phone to take part) but when they started to play a racing game, only 8 people at a time could actually physically take part and this was pre-selected by their computer, so it wasn’t very inclusive.  I thought the comedian was very funny but the other headline acts – rock opera and Philip Browne – in my opinion were nothing special. Don’t get me wrong, they are clearly exceptionally talented singers but the productions, for me, just weren’t jaw-droppingly good like I’ve seen on other ships. A bit like the food, they were OK but I expected better. 

The quizzes and gameshows in Princess Live were very good though. In fact, I thought the cruise director’s staff were some of the best I’ve seen on any ship. Friendly, talented and funny. Aaron, in particular, I thought was brilliant at the British TV Shows quiz. And you definitely don’t want to miss the ‘Everything is just so British’ gameshow which was held on our last night. Absolutely brilliant and a fab way to end the cruise.

 

Any other business

Couple of things to note. The ship is very geared up to wanting you to use this Medallion app, which has the potential to be brilliant but just isn’t yet. My husband’s app never did work properly and the daily guide to what’s on is very hard to negotiate on the app. Thankfully, you do still get a good old-fashioned print out in your room each night. I do wonder though if half the reason why the drinks situation is so bad is because it can’t cope with the number of orders being made on it, but people use that because they wait soooooo long to get a drink any other way. 

Whether you agree with it or not – if you like a spot on a lounger right by the pool, be prepared to get up early and bag a place with your towel and a book as most loungers anywhere near the pools are taken by about 10am.

And if you can’t stand paper straws with your drinks then pack a few of your own plastic ones!

Overall, I’d give it a 6/10. I’m not sure Princess has done enough to convince me to go another one of its cruises – I think we’ll go back on RC or NCL or try Celebrity next – but it was just lovely to be back enjoying a cruise and was still excellent value for money.

Did you ever find the USB plug in the lamp as was mentioned?
 

Here’s my photos on the Majestic in Balcony stateroom E505. You will see the wall plug & the plug with 2 USB plugs & on & off light switches. 
 

Tom😀

[caribill]

On 9/14/2021 at 11:36 AM, USCcruisecrazy said:

The Sky Princess was the last ship we cruised on before COVID stopped the fleet from sailing and it was a great experience...not close to the issues you discussed.  Timely drinks (of course you could order from the bar or the App) .....  Hopefully Princess returns to those standards as this virus gets put into the rearview mirror.

 

Before Princess started offering the PrincessPlus package which a great many passengers book, many people did not have a beverage package and paid for each drink.

 

In that case, every drink served was additional revenue to Princess. Even for those who did purchase a beverage package, the price was high enough that Princess made $$$ from it.

 

But with so many people now having Princess Plus, each drink served is a cost to Princess, not a source of revenue. There is no incentive to deliver drinks quickly as the slower drinks reach the passengers, the demand for drinks may go down and thus save Princess $$$.

[defbref]

Currently on sky princess at the moment and have had zero issues ordering drinks either by the app or via staff. Been impressed actually as having read so much on here was fearing the worst. 

[Over Land & Sea]

Very fair and accurate review, it echoes many of the things we noted on our 13th Sept. 'seacation' cruise both in our personal experience & comments from fellow cruisers.

[USCcruisecrazy]

On 9/19/2021 at 1:37 AM, caribill said:

 

Before Princess started offering the PrincessPlus package which a great many passengers book, many people did not have a beverage package and paid for each drink.

 

In that case, every drink served was additional revenue to Princess. Even for those who did purchase a beverage package, the price was high enough that Princess made $$$ from it.

 

But with so many people now having Princess Plus, each drink served is a cost to Princess, not a source of revenue. There is no incentive to deliver drinks quickly as the slower drinks reach the passengers, the demand for drinks may go down and thus save Princess $$$.

That's an excellent point.  We never did the Drink Package because we didn't find it was worth the cost, especially on Port days.  However, with the new Princess Plus Package, we are doing that.  Seems cost effective when adding the Wi-Fi and gratuities as well.  I'm hoping drinks will become more available as the bars perhaps get more crew members.  We shall see!  Thanks for the input.