Sun Princess - Original

[Marla B]

On 8/15/2023 at 7:31 AM, Nemanoxer said:

Cannot wait to see interior videos of the Cabana cabins, and might it only be virtual 3Ds.

Go look at the P&O Iona video of Cabana suites.  The Sun is supposed to be a duplicate for those cabins.

[c-boy]

5 minutes ago, Marla B said:

   ..."  Princess has been very quiet."

       that could be a good thing. 

 

 

[beg3yrs]

57 minutes ago, Marla B said:

I have Feb 28th and Dec 14th booked and I'm getting a little nervous that there isn't more word on the build as of now.  Princess has been very quiet.

Marla

I would be watching carefully for the early sailing. I used to do program and project management for a large defense contractor and much of the job involved estimating schedules.

 

One high-level technique was to look at how long similar projects took and then include complexity factors, i.e. is this job more complex or easier? Is it bigger or smaller? Is it a first time build or has the builder built many of these before? These are useful if you don't yet have a detailed build plan.

 

Anyway, looking at how some of the Behemoth of the Seas projects are going, considering they've done them before but they're larger than the Sun Princess; I see the latest one is already at sea doing trials. Seems to me the Sun Princess should be fast approaching sea trials to make her first sailing with passengers in only five months and from the videos we've seen recently, she's nowhere near ready.

 

We're booked on the June 1 sailing and I think that's a safe one. February 28? I'd have a plan B and C.

Edited September 11, 2023 by beg3yrs

[Marla B]

6 minutes ago, beg3yrs said:

I would be watching carefully for the early sailing. I used to do program and project management for a large defense contractor and much of the job involved estimating schedules.

 

One high-level technique was to look at how long similar projects took and then include complexity factors, i.e. is this job more complex or easier? Is it bigger or smaller? Is it a first time build or has the builder built many of these before? These are useful if you don't yet have a detailed build plan.

 

Anyway, looking at how some of the Behemoth of the Seas projects are going, considering they've done them before but they're larger than the Sun Princess; I see the latest one is already at sea doing trials. Seems to me the Sun Princess should be fast approaching sea trials to make her first sailing with passengers in only five months and from the videos we've seen recently, she's nowhere near ready.

 

We're booked on the June 1 sailing and I think that's a safe one. February 28? I'd have a plan B and C.

Former Program Manager here, different industry.  But I agree with all you said, which is why I'm trying to figure out Plan B.  Not trying to stir the pot but manpower + lack of info makes me go hmmmm.

[Nemanoxer]

1 hour ago, Marla B said:

Go look at the P&O Iona video of Cabana suites.  The Sun is supposed to be a duplicate for those cabins.

 

Wow, Conservatory Mini-suite that is on Iona. 

 

Sweet. I'll surely hang out in that Cabana part for quite some hours. 

[lstone19]

1 hour ago, Marla B said:

I have Feb 28th and Dec 14th booked and I'm getting a little nervous that there isn't more word on the build as of now.  Princess has been very quiet.

Marla

 

We're on Apr 27th. Back in 2002, we were booked on what was supposed to be the 6th cruise of Coral Princess, I mean 2nd cruise, make that inaugural cruise, oh never mind, cancelled. But that ship was from Chanters de l'Alantique (from which Princess has never bought a ship); I've not heard of a late delivery from Fincantieri. 

[dides]

1 hour ago, beg3yrs said:

Seems to me the Sun Princess should be fast approaching sea trials to make her first sailing with passengers in only five months and from the videos we've seen recently, she's nowhere near ready.

The only recently released videos (by Adam Savage) were actually filmed after her float out in April. We saw more recent photos in early August. But still a way to go ...

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by dides

[dides]

42 minutes ago, lstone19 said:

I've not heard of a late delivery from Fincantieri. 

 

Virgin Voyages announced delays in their Fincantieri build in Genoa last week (it 's inaugural was due in December). I know - it's not Monfalcone where Sun Princess is being built but it was due to them “facing unexpected construction, supply chain and staffing challenges". And that's just a carbon copy of their 3 previous ships not a completely new build. Just saying, nothing is guaranteed. 

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by dides

[DHP1]

It won’t surprise me at all that there will be a delay. Trusting I’m wrong. I’m not sure on how many months is required to “sea trail” before the ship is ready for passengers. 

[beg3yrs]

4 hours ago, DHP1 said:

It won’t surprise me at all that there will be a delay. Trusting I’m wrong. I’m not sure on how many months is required to “sea trail” before the ship is ready for passengers. 

I don't think sea trials are measured in months, more like days to a week or so. They're mostly a series of pre-planned maneuvers the ship must perform, typically at its extreme limits of performance. There are other things of course but those are the most spectacular. Hard turns at speed, emergency stops and starts and so on. Almost every system, especially those involving safety, will be exercised and evaluated during sea trials.

[dides]

Princess' Head of Culinary Arts, Rudi Sodamin, has been visiting the shipyard and posted a reel on Instagram yesterday.  Lots of in-progress galleys with cables but grabbed some shots for those that can't view it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[vividharp]

Thanks so much for these shots! 

[JimmyVWine]

On 9/9/2023 at 9:37 AM, Abercrombie2019 said:

I think you are correct.  The website shows mini suite with bed in the middle and with the bed closer to the bathroom.  The sofa is next to the balcony. 

 

On 9/9/2023 at 9:37 AM, Abercrombie2019 said:

It appears that all of this is true for regular Mini-Suites.  But for the Cabana Mini-Suites, the bedf and sofa do get swapped as those cabins do not have the center stoarge unit.  So using the deck plan grab used in the example earlier, if those cabins were Cabana Mini-Suites, 12626 would have the sofa near the cabana and 12624 would have the bed near the cabana.  Edit to add:  While PCL is touting these new, remarkable innovations, P&O has been using this design for quite a while now and there are dozens of cabin tours on YouTube of the Conservatory Suites. If you look at enough of them, (I have...), you will see that the bed and sofa get swapped.  Once you know the cabin number and then go to a deck plan for the ship in question, it is pretty easy to figure out the pattern. I was looking for a Cabana Mini-Suite where the sofa was next to the cabana, and the direction of the bed as well as the sofa in the cabin and the sitting area in the cabana all allowed the users to lie down or sit facing the direction of travel.  Wife hates traveling "backwards".  I was able to find what I wanted on Sun.

Edited September 13, 2023 by JimmyVWine

[kywildcatfanone]

Does anyone know if they will have an adults only retreat area like previous ships?  From what I have seen, it appears they are expanding the sanctuary and adding a pool, so does that mean you have to pay for that now?  

[dides]

1 hour ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Does anyone know if they will have an adults only retreat area like previous ships?  From what I have seen, it appears they are expanding the sanctuary and adding a pool, so does that mean you have to pay for that now?  

We haven't found the equivalent of the Retreat Pool on Sun Princess as yet - the only area noted as adults only is the paid-for Sanctuary. The Sanctuary guests get to share the pool with Suite guests on the Signature Sun Deck and even then we're not sure if kids from suites will be able to use it and thus will it be adults only? So to be confirmed if there will be something else that will be adults only and complimentary.

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by dides

[kywildcatfanone]

13 minutes ago, dides said:

We haven't found the equivalent of the Retreat Pool on Sun Princess as yet - the only area noted as adults only is the paid-for Sanctuary. The Sanctuary guests get to share the pool with Suite guests on the Signature Sun Deck and even then we're not sure if kids from suites will be able to use it and thus will it be adults only? So to be confirmed if there will be something else that will be adults only and complimentary.

That is what I'm assuming as well.  I already didn't like how they changed the retreat on the Sky type ships, and this will certainly prevent me from wanting to sail on these ships.  I hate this class thing the cruise lines are doing, but they are all headed that way.

[Mary Ann 2]

15 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

Once you know the cabin number and then go to a deck plan for the ship in question, it is pretty easy to figure out the pattern. I was looking for a Cabana Mini-Suite where the sofa was next to the cabana, and the direction of the bed as well as the sofa in the cabin and the sitting area in the cabana all allowed the users to lie down or sit facing the direction of travel.  Wife hates traveling "backwards".  I was able to find what I wanted on Sun.

I wish that we had figured this all out before we booked our room, but we booked right after they opened up availability so we just picked our room for location. I would have preferred having the sofa near the cabana rather than the bed, and never even realized that you could figure out direction of travel to match the room until you mentioned it. By now, it's too late to change our room as there are few Reserve Cabana Mini-suites and none left.

[dides]

On 9/13/2023 at 9:11 PM, dides said:

Princess' Head of Culinary Arts, Rudi Sodamin, has been visiting the shipyard and posted a reel on Instagram yesterday.  Lots of in-progress galleys with cables but grabbed some shots for those that can't view it.

 

Another reel posted by Chef Rudi who has been visiting the shipyard with the Princess corporate team. Some more shots:

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2023 by dides

[vividharp]

It still looks like they have a lot of work to complete before February. For all those sailing on that first sailing I really hope they finish in time. 

[deliver42]

The yards usually work 24/7. It's amazing how fast everything eventually comes together.

[Wishing on a star]

I agree with the earlier post about an adult retreat area...

First, they took most of it away and totally enclosed it with MORE cabins.

it wouldn't surprise me at all if the next step is NO complementary adult area onboard.

I too would find this to be a HUGE problem.

 

I would plan on booking the Sanctuary,   but that is already an issue, as it can be booked up minutes or hours after boarding is open.    Good luck trying to find availability even when boarding early/priority, because lack of any other adult area would make demand for the Sanctuary even much greater than spaces available.

 

PRINCESS,  we hope you please address this issue!

[nasa1974]

On 9/14/2023 at 9:02 AM, kywildcatfanone said:

That is what I'm assuming as well.  I already didn't like how they changed the retreat on the Sky type ships, and this will certainly prevent me from wanting to sail on these ships.  I hate this class thing the cruise lines are doing, but they are all headed that way.

I agree it was a different set up, but really enjoyed the retreat pool on the Sky. Spent a lot of time there because it was quiet, and you could carry on a conversation with people.

[dides]

First intriguing sneak peek of the stateroom fit out on Sun Princess via Chef Rudi's latest reel - plus some other shots. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pixelskaya]

It looks so cool! Please take good care of it until August 😂

[Nemanoxer]

Ship seems to amaze the blogger.