Sky Princess 12/16-12/23 Review -- First (and Likely Last) Time on Princess

[cruise2relax]

Our next cruise is on the Sky so reading this thread is a bit of a disappointment.  That said, we were just on the Island Princess in October after reading what could easily be defined as the worse threads about a Princess ship ever.  We had a great time with great service (a few missteps here and there but nothing drastic).  Hope I find the same on the Sky in May.  Trying to find the glass half full everyone:  I am on vacation, not cooking, cleaning, etc in a great locale.  That starts me off in a fairly good place.

[cr8tiv1]

7 hours ago, SCX22 said:

Service was subpar on the Caribbean Princess to Canada/New England this past summer as well.

 

That's the other problem.  There are a lot CDs that were promoted out of necessity rather than merit.  

Everyone has different experiences.  I had terrific service on the CB this summer (FLL to Quebec/summer and Quebec to FLL/fall).  I did not use Ocean Now nor did I frequent the bars.  If there is one thing Princess could improve, it would be a no smoking casino.   
 

I agree with everyone else, the Piazza is used for too many loud events.  

[sunny88]

we were on board same week (eastern 7 days). our experiences on SKY:

 

1. New / differences than other Princess cruises from the past

    There are 4100+ cruisers on board, have 2100+ first time cruisers. :=)

    less than 400 elite members, so laundry turn around in one day.

    many many many young adults, kids, some grandparents and babies.

    pools is busy, kids are having good time; all the hot tubs are full all day, people hung out in hot tub with drinks.  We managed got in to hot tub twice during the two port days while ship is empty. Due to weather, we skipped two ports, which is fine for us, we did not plan do any excursions, been there done that, so not problem for us.

 kids wondering in buffet with swimming suit and bare feet.  Young adults wear short short,  a lot of legs.  did not see walker, maybe a couple of people with canes.

In theater many seats reserved by family (also by kids), blocked group seats every night.  Mom brought baby to the show, baby started crying , did not see them again after the first night.

 

2. Good.

We ate in the MDR, buffet and IC. food quality is very good with many options.

We have first seating in MDR, private table.  First night we seated in the back area with 6 private tables. two by the window, 3 near the window all have the water view, except 1 in the corner with no view.  It was quite area, we requested the same table same time for the whole week.  we just walked right in every night, no wait in the line.  waiters got to know us, services were good, the dinner time for us took around 1.5 hours.  in around 5.15 out by 6.30.  one port day, we were the only one in that area.  out of there at 6.10.  Waiters are so nice, they even come by to say hi in the buffet when they see us. 3 tables are regulars.

We thought singers /dancers are good. just don't care the new spotlight show.

enjoyed the "legendinconert" show very much.  they did from m.j motown end with earth wind &fire's "September"

3. bad

long line on the embarking day, took 45 mins to get through security and to get the medallion.  not efficient at all.

4. ugly

   we I read the comment by SKcruiser "The Guest Services person at the Elite/Suite line was downright surly and had the attitude that anything that was wrong was my fault". I can't agree more than that.  That agent does not work with cruisers just tries to send us away.  I felt insulted by him.  The reason to see them is my room has loud popping / knocking noises from the wall behind the head board.  due to high wind noise is constant, did not slept for the first two nights, room crew member knew about it, but nothing he can do, cause its from the wall between two rooms.  Agent sent me away said call if you hear it again.  third day, called no one picked up the phone, went down talk to evening agent, she opened a ticket, called back 24 hours said carpenter came in worked on it.  But problem still there, i think they could not fix it on board. finally got some decent sleep on the last 2 nights with calmer sea.  seems related to weather (wind) and ship speed.

Don't mind to go back to sky, but stay away from that two rooms for sure.  May stay away from holiday time, go after the holidays.

 

   

   

[nymshowdown]

Got off the Enchanted on the 18th and had a great time. That said, many of the issues mentioned in this thread were prevalent there (and shared in other reviews). Most frustrating of all had to be the bar service. 10-15 minute wait every time at almost every single bar onboard. The bartenders were for the most part friendly and efficient, but they were visibly understaffed and overwhelmed with the crowds/OceanNow orders.

 

When I'm on a cruise, I do my best to stay positive and upbeat; it's vacation! But it was obvious that many others were frustrated, including a random lady who made a scene at the bar when the bartender took someone else's order before mine. She was shocked that I did't seem to care and felt the need to argue on my behalf? I nicely explained "we're on a cruise, I'm happy to be here, it's not the end of the world if I need to wait 2 more minutes for my beer, I'll have it soon enough"

 

I suggested in my post-cruise questionnaire that Princess should start providing some self-serve beverage options onboard (besides the buffet). I'm thinking mainly for things like water, frustrating to wait 10 minutes for a glass/bottle of water, and I felt bad taking time away from the bartenders making actual drinks. Could even have self-serve beer or wine options like some airline lounges have. With the Medallion tech, this should be very easy to implement to ensure those with packages aren't charged/those without are. 

[spethstation]

OP, I just returned from my first Princess cruise as well and have very similar opinions on some of the items you mentioned here, especially the entertainment, onboard activities, and music. Thanks for your very thorough review on each topic. I do not think I would be a Princess repeat guest either based on my experience as well. It wasn't as bad your review at all, just...lacklustre and generally underwhelming! 

[SCX22]

6 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

What nobody mentioned is that nowhere in the review did the OP mention the itinerary, the ports, or if they enjoyed their vacation as a whole.

Yes, it was a review of the cruise ship, I get that. But for example, nothing of how shore excursions were handled.

On a cruise, the passenger spends the majority of their time on the ship.  Time spent shoreside is very short.  A review of the ship is warranted.

 

6 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

Like many of the younger, newer cruisers, what is wanted is a floating resort. Not those things unique to a cruising. When you cruise, be assured, things will go awry. You have only what was brought or walked onboard, or can be streamed. If you can't roll with that, next time, buy an all-inclusive in Cancun or similar.

 

Princess wants to change it's image from catering to the mature to being multi-generational.  They aren't doing a good job of attracting a younger generation.  The current demographic of cruisers only have so much time to keep Princess afloat.

 

Yes, things can go awry on a cruise, but it's about how the cruise line handles these situations.  No cruise line is perfect, but I don't feel like Princess is doing enough to mitigate these situations.  Lack of crew, understaffing, lack of training, and inability to attract talent, IMO, is the culprit.  It's no different shoreside.  If a business can't attract talent for a particular position, they offer higher wages and/or benefits within reason.  By doing this, the business attracts and retains talent.

[SCX22]

3 hours ago, KKB said:

What things does the award change?

 

My point is that while they are more expensive...but they aren't hands down better.

(again...my fav line...but struggling to justify how much more expensive it is)

 

 

It's about perception.  Someone with a degree from Stanford or Harvard can ask for higher wages than someone with a degree from the University of Phoenix (no offense).  The perception of pedigree allows a person/business to charge more for their goods, even though it's only perceived.  It's the same reason why Louis Vuitton can charge thousands for a handbag and some no name brand can't.  There's a lot of buzz in the business/finance/entrepreneur community over X because of the award from Forbes.

[nini]

We totally enjoyed our Sky Princess cruise this last June; a 14-night Iceland and Norway itinerary. My first impression was how gorgeous she was.

 

We must have really "lucked out" as the Cruise Director and his team were easily one of the very best we have experienced on Princess. The Cruise Director had just boarded and his team were very friendly, outgoing, and enthusiastic. True, Princess Live is too small of a venue for many of the activities. 

 

I usually acquired my drinks at Vines and they got to know me as well. Hubby went to the IC for his hot cocoa drinks and became friendly with the crew. Room service worked very speedily for my glass(s) of wine deliveries. And we were very aft. The delivery was always with a smile.

We participated in the Chef's Table one night and it was a gorgeous setup and great food. Our dining room food was very good except I was unhappy about salmon not available on the "always available" menu. Too late, I found out that it is always available on the kid's menu. Bummer.

 

We were not really crazy with the 2 production numbers, and typically like them.

 

We found this crew to be up to the standards of what we expect with Princess (very good).

 

Our only not so good Princess experience was on the Emerald in May 2022 for our British Isles cruise. The crew was grumpy, bordering on nasty! It was the first time that a staff person snapped at us- this was a wait staff person in the buffet area. I think I was in shock. The Emerald really had us think twice about Princess.

 

So, we kept our plans for the Grand in September 2022 for Alaska (2 weeks) and it restored our faith in Princess. Phew!

[cruisecritic_ton]

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience on Princess.

I’ve been on several Princess Cruises and I’ve never had an issue.

As someone mentioned in the comments, you probably need to try a cruise line several times before getting an idea of whether or not it’s the cruise line that’s for you.

I did my first Holland America cruise a few years back and it was not a good experience.  But I went back (because I liked their itineraries) and took several other Holland America cruises and they all turned out very well.

Also, if you’re 28 and cruising with your buddies, Princess, Holland America and Celebrity may not be the style of cruising that best suits your age group/demographics (although they are all trying to attract more younger cruise passengers).  Princess, Holland America and Celebrity tend to cater to the 55 and over demographics.

The above is just my opinion, and I hope it helps. I also hope you enjoy whatever cruise line you choose to use in the future.

Take care and best wishes!

[sstypul]

I was on the Sky Princess the week before you and totally agree. Take Five  was my favorite band.   The bar service and main dining room were sóooo slow.  Service without a smile. The staff definitely did not appear to be happy. I was impressed with how well the ship handled the rough seas. I thought our balcony cabin was pretty roomy until I realized there was no couch in the cabin. What about that light outside of the bathroom that would automatically go on when you walked in front of it in the middle of the night . I understand the concept but it woke me up every time my roommate would go to the bathroom.  The medallion was a joke. They just need to discontinue it.  Our drinks said delivered and never were. Too much confusion.

I cruise a lot and Princess really cannot be put in the same category as Celebrity and Holland America.

[kywildcatfanone]

There have been issues with the Sky lately.

[cruisecritic_ton]

Princess, Celebrity, and Holland America are considered to be in the same cruise line category, that is, Premium Cruise Lines, as opposed to Carnival, MSC, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean, which are considered to be in the category of Mass-Market Cruise Lines.

 

Maybe Princess is not on their game when compared to let's say Celebrity.

 

 

 

 

[dolphfan]

Everyone has their opinion, you seemed to like the Disney cruise, I was the opposite, I couldn't wait to get off of the ship. We haven't taken but 26 cruises so far, so we are by no means experts, but I loved Princess. I rank it the same as Celebrity and HAL, Seaboard is good, but its price is ridiculous. Our last Carnival cruise was awful. Our last RCCL cruise was good but not great. Sorry that you had a bad experience! Good luck on your next cruise.

[cr8tiv1]

Although Princess is in the same category as Holland and Celebrity, they are not as expensive and their sizes of the ships are all over the place.  HAL has much smaller ships.  
 

I would switch in a heartbeat if:

 

I could get the same category for the same price

I could sail out of San Pedro

I could get the same loyalty perks

 

IF…IF…IF.

 

My sister has been trying to get me to switch to HAL.  When we compare prices, it’s a third to 50% more.  

 

 

[Pirateers]

A very detailed review and it seems you had a very below average trip - given you gave it an overall 3/10. The thing is when I average all your scores it comes to 6/10??? Thankfully we have not had that experience on any of the princess ships.l, Thayer have all been very good, I would say about 8-9/10.

[nini]

I will add to my previous post that we were on the Celebrity Reflection in October 2018- pre covid! We will most likely NEVER return to Celebrity. This was a 12 day itinerary and the service was horrid, the crew unfriendly and snooty. The buffet service was a joke - dirty tables abound and nobody in sight to offer us any drinks in the buffet. Then there were the flies daily flying around the food. Our steward was a sweetheart though and we tipped him extra. 

[SCX22]

What I'm surmising here is that Princess has turned into the Carnival of the "premium cruise lines."  They're way cheaper than the immediate competition, so passengers should not complain and just look at the bright side.  How is Princess to improve if all they hear are gleaming reviews, when it's not reality?

[KKB]

16 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

It's about perception.  Someone with a degree from Stanford or Harvard can ask for higher wages than someone with a degree from the University of Phoenix (no offense).  The perception of pedigree allows a person/business to charge more for their goods, even though it's only perceived.  It's the same reason why Louis Vuitton can charge thousands for a handbag and some no name brand can't.  There's a lot of buzz in the business/finance/entrepreneur community over X because of the award from Forbes.

Yeah that's why they think they can.

But if product doesn't live up to pedigree, eventually this could come back to bite them....

 

[mtnesterz]

10 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I would switch in a heartbeat if:

I could get the same category for the same price

I could sail out of San Pedro

I could get the same loyalty perks

My sister has been trying to get me to switch to HAL.

This is where we are exactly. Might interest you to know HAL offers Star Mariner for your Princess loyalty. San Diego pier is walking distance from the train station.  On price and location, Carnival sails out of nearby Long Beach.

[Lady Arwen]

7 hours ago, nini said:

I will add to my previous post that we were on the Celebrity Reflection in October 2018- pre covid! We will most likely NEVER return to Celebrity. This was a 12 day itinerary and the service was horrid, the crew unfriendly and snooty. The buffet service was a joke - dirty tables abound and nobody in sight to offer us any drinks in the buffet. Then there were the flies daily flying around the food. Our steward was a sweetheart though and we tipped him extra. 

We’ve been cruising with Celebrity since the 90’s and never, ever, not once experienced anything remotely like what you describe.  M class, S class and Edge class.  Celebrity would not be as popular and successful as it is if this happened.  This must have been a once in a lifetime occurrence that you experienced.  You certainly cannot rate a cruiseline by a one and done.

[voljeep]

16 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

You certainly cannot rate a cruiseline by a one and done.

you mean like the OP is doing to Princess?

[Lady Arwen]

2 minutes ago, voljeep said:

you mean like the OP is doing to Princess?

Yes, except that many, many people on the Princess boards are reporting the same issues over and over and almost daily.  One person’s one time bad experience can be just that.  I have been participating in the Celebrity boards for a long time and I’ve never read anything similar to what this member describes.  Is Celebrity perfect?  Of course not!  However, at this time,  Celebrity is offering a more consistent product.  Will this change in the future?  Perhaps so.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

I have 35 Princess cruises in my history and I'm ready to drop Princess too.  

 

Just heard in the Sun Princess thread that a bunch of folks from the Sky are moving to the Sun after the current cruise!  The running joke on our Dec 2nd Sky cruise was "all of the good ones must have already moved to the Sun!".  Now I'm worried about the "Signature" service on the Sun.  I hope Princess hires some new folks to teach them about "service" or I'm done.  I'm paying a lot to travel in a suite and will expect A LOT better service in the private dinning room, lounge and pool deck then what they give today!

[dog]

35 minutes ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

I have 35 Princess cruises in my history and I'm ready to drop Princess too.  

 

Just heard in the Sun Princess thread that a bunch of folks from the Sky are moving to the Sun after the current cruise!  The running joke on our Dec 2nd Sky cruise was "all of the good ones must have already moved to the Sun!".  Now I'm worried about the "Signature" service on the Sun.  I hope Princess hires some new folks to teach them about "service" or I'm done.  I'm paying a lot to travel in a suite and will expect A LOT better service in the private dinning room, lounge and pool deck then what they give today!

I know what you mean.

Does your suite DMW show Signature or Reserve Collection.?

Edited December 28, 2023 by dog

[Iamcruzin]

On 12/26/2023 at 11:54 PM, Tomcruise92 said:

I found this comment really useful... particularly with the Celebrity running circa 50% higher in cost than Princess but certainly not 50% improvement!

 

I have sailed Sky a few times and think it's a tricky ship for the fleet as it overall has less bar space (no crooners) and slightly more passengers which makes for an extremely busy piazza. It also seems to have a nearly all relatively new crew compared to others in the fleet.

 

To the OP, sorry to hear it was not a great cruise. It's a shame as Princess is generally so much better than this.

Celebrity is out of control with pricing which is why I turned back to Princess. I booked an 11day Southern Caribbean cruise for half the price my friend booked on Celebrity for an 8 day similar itinerary and balcony room. My room is in a better location.