Sun Princess

[voljeep]

9 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

This is SO true!!!!   Cruising has gotten too big for it's own good.

And even MORE gargantuan ultra mega ships on order.

Where are they all going to PORT?  (yes, this is a serious consideration at this point)

It is almost insane!!!!

 

I am one of those who has not liked the way Princess has been going about changing and updating their ships and their product.  NOT because I am one of those who is resistant to change...  But it is the total lack of insight and incompetence.   Here is an example to clarify.  Sure, fast food has changed.  They have more extensive menus. But, when you go to McDonald's you can get a Big Mac and Fries.  When you go to Burger King you still have their Whopper.    The basics that appeal, and are tried and true.  (Sorry to those here who would not touch a Big Mac or Whopper!!!   Just a universally understood example!)

 

Princess has abandoned huge parts of their cruising model and identity that are things that appealed to many, and attracted all of the Princess Cruisers, like us, and made them successful.    

Instead of improving and adding on, they are making changes that affect these basic things.

 

You can't put mustard and hot sauce on a Big Mac and it still be a true Big Mac.

 

when P started eliminating either Vines or Crooners - that was the beginning of the downfall

[vjmatty]

7 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

This is SO true!!!!   Cruising has gotten too big for it's own good.

And even MORE gargantuan ultra mega ships on order.

Where are they all going to PORT?  (yes, this is a serious consideration at this point)

It is almost insane!!!!

 

I am one of those who has not liked the way Princess has been going about changing and updating their ships and their product.  NOT because I am one of those who is resistant to change...  But it is the total lack of insight and incompetence.   Here is an example to clarify.  Sure, fast food has changed.  They have more extensive menus. But, when you go to McDonald's you can get a Big Mac and Fries.  When you go to Burger King you still have their Whopper.    The basics that appeal, and are tried and true.  (Sorry to those here who would not touch a Big Mac or Whopper!!!   Just a universally understood example!)

 

Princess has abandoned huge parts of their cruising model and identity that are things that appealed to many, and attracted all of the Princess Cruisers, like us, and made them successful.    

Instead of improving and adding on, they are making changes that affect these basic things.

 

You can't put mustard and hot sauce on a Big Mac and it still be a true Big Mac.

 

 No but in Australia you’ll get beets on a Big Mac 🤢

 

As for the earlier part of your post, more and more I’m thinking the whole “voting with your wallet” concept isn’t working anymore, since people are still booking ships and sailings with ridiculous changes at ridiculous prices. 

[Wishing on a star]

BEETS!!!! on a Big Mac.   Yes...  🤢

 

[FLAlaska]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

 No but in Australia you’ll get beets on a Big Mac 🤢

 

Wait..what?? 🤯

Edited August 18 by FLAlaska

[Retired-N-Happy]

3 hours ago, CalTexCruiser said:

What a sh*tsh*w

You really want to see it hit the fan?  How about if they decide they need to cancel a 7 day cruise in order to stay in Port Canaveral to remove everything?  That would effect those that were on that sailing as well as those who were tied into the 14 day version.

[TRLD]

One possibility is that since it was not accepted, the vendor will have to be the one to dismantle and remove it. According to their notice indicating that it will not open they stated that it was not accepted.

 

In most contracts that would indicate that the vendor still owns it. If so then it would be up to the vendor to reclaim their property. They would need to take it down, unless they agree to allow Princess to do so.  Would not be surprised if there are on going discussions about how it will be removed and any costs.

[Wishing on a star]

Just to add this to my last comments...  Here is a video about the huge ships, and the future of cruising.  This was on morning television just a few days ago.

 

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

Just to add this to my last comments...  Here is a video about the huge ships, and the future of cruising.  This was on morning television just a few days ago.

 

Thanks for sharing this!

 

The most interesting tidbit here to me was that experts predict by 2050 cruise ships will be 8x larger than the Titanic.

 

For perspective, the Icon is 5x larger (250k gross tons vs 50k gross tons), which means in 2050 they're saying ships will be up to 400k gross tons, a whopping 60% larger than the Icon of the Seas!

 

Honestly - it's not the size of the ship that bothers me, it's how crowded they are. A ship can be 400k gross tons and as long as it doesn't feel more crowded than a 145k Enchanted Princess, it won't bother me any...in fact, I'd love that.

 

On the flip side of that, you can have a 90k gross ton ship that is too crowded and it will be miserable.

 

To me it's really more about passenger density and how well things are laid out than it is purely # of passengers and gross tons.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

2 hours ago, TRLD said:

One possibility is that since it was not accepted, the vendor will have to be the one to dismantle and remove it. According to their notice indicating that it will not open they stated that it was not accepted.

 

In most contracts that would indicate that the vendor still owns it. If so then it would be up to the vendor to reclaim their property. They would need to take it down, unless they agree to allow Princess to do so.  Would not be surprised if there are on going discussions about how it will be removed and any costs.

It’s interesting because on my April cruise they were testing the carts going around the track. There were no seating apparatus on them but the carts were going (unsuccessfully) around for a little while. 

[jwattle]

5 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

 

 

You can't put mustard and hot sauce on a Big Mac and it still be a true Big Mac.

 

Actually, according to Google:

And no item on its menu is more iconic than the Big Mac that comes slathered with their popular “special sauce,” a sauce made with mayonnaise, pickles, onions, mustard and spices

😄

Edited August 18 by jwattle

[c-boy]

4 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

Just to add this to my last comments...  Here is a video about the huge ships, and the future of cruising.  This was on morning television just a few days ago.

 

  👍  RCCL got your memo 

[abouna]

On 8/16/2024 at 9:56 AM, Ombud said:

@keldaria is that because of the 'odd' chair? Table for 4 or 6 possible? So whats a group of 5 to do? 

 

Can anyone find a recent Americana menu? I can't get a 1st night reservation and would prefer to miss the buffet

No need to worry, it was never crowded, however, on the formal/gala nights with the better menus in the main dining rooms, they used that as an overflow for the main dining rooms and didn't have the Americana menu those nights. I think it happened twice. 

[Mary Ann 2]

On 8/16/2024 at 3:42 PM, Wishing on a star said:

It seems, by credible source, (but who knows!) that Crown Grill be moving across from WheelHouse Bar.

That Butchers Block is taking the CG space.   

I wonder how much they will change the decor to make it look like a Crown Grill steakhouse?

This will be interesting to see how this all works out.

IMHO, it is good thing to have CG there with the bar.

Across from the Wheelhouse is where the Reserve restaurant is?! So they are doing away with Reserve and only doing Sanctuary? Will there be room in the Signature restaurant for all those people?? It would make more sense to put the Crown Grill in the smaller Signature space and rename Reserve space as Sanctuary. I don't understand if they are making all these changes why nothing shows on the deck plans for sailings after Oct. 14 which has the new Sanctuary rooms showing.

[Mary Ann 2]

On 8/18/2024 at 9:21 PM, Mary Ann 2 said:

Across from the Wheelhouse is where the Reserve restaurant is?! So they are doing away with Reserve and only doing Sanctuary? Will there be room in the Signature restaurant for all those people?? It would make more sense to put the Crown Grill in the smaller Signature space and rename Reserve space as Sanctuary. I don't understand if they are making all these changes why nothing shows on the deck plans for sailings after Oct. 14 which has the new Sanctuary rooms showing.

Okay so I watched the video made by a TA about this. Not sure what her source is though. The Sanctuary dining is moving where the Americana main dining room is currently. Then the Americana main dining room is moving where Butchers Block currently is at the end of the buffet. The Reserve restaurant seems like a big venue for the Crown Grill, but maybe with the new Premier unlimited specialty dining they will need a big space.

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Just now, Mary Ann 2 said:

Okay so I watched the video made by a TA about this. Not sure what her source is though. The Sanctuary dining is moving where the Americana main dining room is currently. Then the Americana main dining room is moving where Butchers Block currently is at the end of the buffet. The Reserve restaurant seems like a big venue for the Crown Grill, but maybe with the new Premier unlimited specialty dining they will need a big space.

Am I right in understanding that the Reserve restaurant is going away and now suites and mini-suites will share a single restaurant? 

 

This is our first experience with Princess... Have they always been so incompetent or are we just getting their absolute best with the Sun Princess being our first impression?

[Mary Ann 2]

12 minutes ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

Am I right in understanding that the Reserve restaurant is going away and now suites and mini-suites will share a single restaurant? 

 

This is our first experience with Princess... Have they always been so incompetent or are we just getting their absolute best with the Sun Princess being our first impression?

No, I believe that suites will still have their own restaurant as now - the Signature Restaurant. The Reserve restaurant will be relocated and renamed the Sanctuary Restaurant as they will need more room with all the Sanctuary rooms ( some balconies and more mini-suites) after Oct 14.

 

If you are a first timer, I wouldn't buy into all the hoopla going around right now. Princess cruisers get used to the way things are and it takes some time to get over changes! Some changes will be good and some not as good, but I believe that Princess is still a great cruise line.

[suekel]

30 minutes ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

Am I right in understanding that the Reserve restaurant is going away and now suites and mini-suites will share a single restaurant? 

 

This is our first experience with Princess... Have they always been so incompetent or are we just getting their absolute best with the Sun Princess being our first impression?

As a long time Princess cruiser, Princess is a hot mess right now.  Between all the mess at the beginning of the Sun and the changes they are making now, the debacle of the dining changes and now the new Premier package, it's a mess.  I spoke with a woman from corporate on the phone today about how ever since Jan left, it's been mess after mess.  She agreed with me and said she would pass my comments up the food chain.  But, I still love Princess.  9 more cruises booked right now.  

[dog]

35 minutes ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

Am I right in understanding that the Reserve restaurant is going away and now suites and mini-suites will share a single restaurant? 

 

This is our first experience with Princess... Have they always been so incompetent or are we just getting their absolute best with the Sun Princess being our first impression?

My understanding from rumours on social media is:

 

Our Signature restaurant will be combined with the Reserve restaurant as of October 14/24, to be renamed the Sanctuary (private) restaurant. It is rumoured to be relocated as of October 14/24.

My reservations still show Signature restaurant at current location- for my October 19 th cruise.

[TRLD]

54 minutes ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

Am I right in understanding that the Reserve restaurant is going away and now suites and mini-suites will share a single restaurant? 

 

This is our first experience with Princess... Have they always been so incompetent or are we just getting their absolute best with the Sun Princess being our first impression?

What you are getting is the problems that come with a new ship class that was finished during the post covid restart, coupled with the problems when a cruise line tries something totally new to its operations, the class system.

 

I recall Celebrity, 13-14 years ago had a few issues themselves when they first started going to a class system, with a lot of changes over the first couple of years.

 

In Princesscasethey have apparently ran into issues with the two special classes, and decided to simplify to 1 special class. In doing so they needed a larger space/kitchen. So the changes make sense.

 

It is also easier to retrofit the existing ships to a class system if it is successful after they get operations ironed out.

 

Kind of brings up the difference between leading edge vs bleeding edge. 

Edited August 20 by TRLD

[LittleTinker]

2 hours ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

Am I right in understanding that the Reserve restaurant is going away and now suites and mini-suites will share a single restaurant? 

 

This is our first experience with Princess... Have they always been so incompetent or are we just getting their absolute best with the Sun Princess being our first impression?

Presumably they are moving Reserve to the American area simply because its bigger but what a downgrade.

That American diner space is infiltrated with people walking to and from the Wake View Pool in their swimming gear. 

To me, it's a space....not a restaurant.

[TRLD]

19 minutes ago, LittleTinker said:

Presumably they are moving Reserve to the American area simply because its bigger but what a downgrade.

That American diner space is infiltrated with people walking to and from the Wake View Pool in their swimming gear. 

To me, it's a space....not a restaurant.

Easy enough for them to stop people from transiting through the space once they make the change. There is access to wake view pool without going through that space.

[LittleTinker]

2 hours ago, TRLD said:

Easy enough for them to stop people from transiting through the space once they make the change. There is access to wake view pool without going through that space.

 

Not very easily. 

And it won't stop Spellbound crowds going through either

[vjmatty]

6 hours ago, TRLD said:

What you are getting is the problems that come with a new ship class that was finished during the post covid restart, coupled with the problems when a cruise line tries something totally new to its operations, the class system.

 

I recall Celebrity, 13-14 years ago had a few issues themselves when they first started going to a class system, with a lot of changes over the first couple of years.

 

In Princesscasethey have apparently ran into issues with the two special classes, and decided to simplify to 1 special class. In doing so they needed a larger space/kitchen. So the changes make sense.

 

It is also easier to retrofit the existing ships to a class system if it is successful after they get operations ironed out.

 

Kind of brings up the difference between leading edge vs bleeding edge. 

Yet Royal Caribbean was able to do so post pandemic with Icon class, and even notified its passengers of a delay in release with plenty of notice. I’m guessing Princess learned from this example as they’ve made a timely announcement regarding Star. 

[vjmatty]

2 hours ago, LittleTinker said:

 

Not very easily. 

And it won't stop Spellbound crowds going through either

Spellbound is a small venue with people appropriately dressed rather than in bathing suits. They’ll hardly be noticed. 

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

7 hours ago, dog said:

My understanding from rumours on social media is:

 

Our Signature restaurant will be combined with the Reserve restaurant as of October 14/24, to be renamed the Sanctuary (private) restaurant. It is rumoured to be relocated as of October 14/24.

My reservations still show Signature restaurant at current location- for my October 19 th cruise.

I don't even think that's a rumor, I'm pretty sure that was announced at some point because I saw that months ago and it wasn't from whatever TA you guys are talking about as I've never seen them before.