peder Posted July 22 #401 Share Posted July 22 20 minutes ago, TRLD said: I do not think that you will see Princess go the NCL or MSC route. Those are very large ship family focused lines. Just as Royal and Carnival are family focused. Expect Princess to encourage more multigenerational cruising, but not cross over into family focused. Look at Celebrity which is direct competition with Princess as a primarily adult focused line. What Princess is doing with Sun follows Celebrities first moves in this direction on the Solstice class ships. Do not expect Princess to totally follow Celebrity completely, but move in that direction to some degree. Agreed, and it's because Celebrity's Retreat is open to all ages that I think Princess will make the Sanctuary follow similar rules. If Princess wants to attract guests who are familiar with Celebrity Retreat, they'll want to offer something very similar. I agree that Princess won't be launching waterslides, etc., but Park19 can offer a bunch of activities that primarily target yuppies that also have broad appeal across generations. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Rick&Jeannie Posted July 22 #402 Share Posted July 22 2 hours ago, Its the journey said: I remember the crew lining up to greet us as we came aboard. I felt so special! On our first cruise right after the restart they did this. It was nice...everyone was smiling. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProvoAggie Posted July 22 #403 Share Posted July 22 7 hours ago, IndyKid said: Part of the attraction of Princess for the wife and I was the fact that they were not Carnival and RCL. Their ships were not huge, floating amusement parks, and they didn't cater to families with young children. Princess needs to take this as a sign and go back to their roots. I see that but I also see the advantage of having diverse offerings within a cruise portfolio. My parents prefer Princess over other lines while my family (me, my wife and kids) would rather do Carnival or Royal. That doesn't mean that we'd choose every Carnival or Royal ship over doing Princess though. They all have their pro's and con's. My parents were looking at booking the Sun next year and with the added activities we were looking to book with them. When they chose a different Princess sailing we asked out kids what they wanted to do and they said that they'd rather go on Carnival so we chose a Carnival cruise instead. The Sun Princess looked like an alternative product that kind of met in the middle of what we wanted and what my parents wanted and I liked the idea of that. Just because you're a Princess loyalist doesn't mean you have to like every Princess ship. There are certain Carnival or Royal ships that I wouldn't book either. The Sun I felt was going to be a good ship to bring in a wider range of customers and now it's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its the journey Posted July 22 #404 Share Posted July 22 (edited) 50 minutes ago, ProvoAggie said: I see that but I also see the advantage of having diverse offerings within a cruise portfolio. My parents prefer Princess over other lines while my family (me, my wife and kids) would rather do Carnival or Royal. That doesn't mean that we'd choose every Carnival or Royal ship over doing Princess though. They all have their pro's and con's. My parents were looking at booking the Sun next year and with the added activities we were looking to book with them. When they chose a different Princess sailing we asked out kids what they wanted to do and they said that they'd rather go on Carnival so we chose a Carnival cruise instead. The Sun Princess looked like an alternative product that kind of met in the middle of what we wanted and what my parents wanted and I liked the idea of that. Just because you're a Princess loyalist doesn't mean you have to like every Princess ship. There are certain Carnival or Royal ships that I wouldn't book either. The Sun I felt was going to be a good ship to bring in a wider range of customers and now it's not. Herein lies the rub, for Princess loyalists ( and I consider myself one). Previously the sanctuary was a much loved and appreciated loyalty perk. Yes, being elite wouldn't guarantee you a spot, but it helped quite a bit and being able to get a place in the sanctuary definitely inspired me to chase loyalty levels with Princess. If they take that away, they offer very little loyalty rewards that anyone will chase. And if they want to compete with Royal, Royal will be a tough one to take on. Great loyalty perks, I have many friends who are completely "loyal to royal" just to earn another free drink. This is a real issue to me they are taking away something very attractive that was tied to loyalty and making it just about money. Will this impact loyalty? People on their first cruise will no longer be plotting how to obtain Elite to have a better shot at the sanctuary. Will they care less about loyalty to Princess? After all why chase perks when they are easily taken away. Or can be purchased, no loyalty required Edited July 22 by Its the journey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esprit Posted July 22 #405 Share Posted July 22 13 minutes ago, Its the journey said: Herein lies the rub, for Princess loyalists ( and I consider myself one). Previously the sanctuary was a much loved and appreciated loyalty perk. Yes, being elite wouldn't guarantee you a spot, but it helped quite a bit and being able to get a place in the sanctuary definitely inspired me to chase loyalty levels with Princess. If they take that away, they offer very little loyalty rewards that anyone will chase. And if they want to compete with Royal, Royal will be a tough one to take on. Great loyalty perks, I have many friends who are completely "loyal to royal" just to earn another free drink. This is a real issue to me they are taking away something very attractive that was tied to loyalty and making it just about money. Will this impact loyalty? People on their first cruise will no longer be plotting how to obtain Elite to have a better shot at the sanctuary. Instead it will all come down to dollars.... We have Elite status but it isn’t in the slightest important to me. I swap between Princess and Celebrity. Itinerary, price and the next ship I want to be on is all that matters and I’m really excited to be on the Sun in 18 days time. Maybe I wil go on Star Princess next time or an Edge class ship. Loyalty will have nothing to do with my decision. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCX22 Posted July 22 #406 Share Posted July 22 11 minutes ago, Its the journey said: Herein lies the rub, for Princess loyalists ( and I consider myself one). Previously the sanctuary was a much loved and appreciated loyalty perk. Yes, being elite wouldn't guarantee you a spot, but it helped quite a bit and being able to get a place in the sanctuary definitely inspired me to chase loyalty levels with Princess. If they take that away, they offer very little loyalty rewards that anyone will chase. And if they want to compete with Royal, Royal will be a tough one to take on. Great loyalty perks, I have many friends who are completely "loyal to royal" just to earn another free drink. This is a real issue to me they are taking away something very attractive that was tied to loyalty and making it just about money. Will this impact loyalty? People on their first cruise will no longer be plotting how to obtain Elite to have a better shot at the sanctuary. Will they care less about loyalty to Princess? After all why chase perks when they are easily taken away. Or can be purchased, no loyalty required Considering how much extra money Princess is/will be potentially raking in on the Sanctuary Class fare, I don’t think they care. It’s a risk they are willing to take. I agree though that I’m not sure if the new Sanctuary Class will work on Royal Class ships. The Sanctuary areas are kind of small and I see more wanting to use this perk because of the ample shaded areas. I can tell you, for this concept to work on the Majestic, Princess would need to designate the Hollywood Conservatory as The Sanctuary, but as it is now, it’s open to all and no such area exists. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kywildcatfanone Posted July 22 #407 Share Posted July 22 20 minutes ago, Its the journey said: Herein lies the rub, for Princess loyalists ( and I consider myself one). Previously the sanctuary was a much loved and appreciated loyalty perk. Yes, being elite wouldn't guarantee you a spot, but it helped quite a bit and being able to get a place in the sanctuary definitely inspired me to chase loyalty levels with Princess. If they take that away, they offer very little loyalty rewards that anyone will chase. And if they want to compete with Royal, Royal will be a tough one to take on. Great loyalty perks, I have many friends who are completely "loyal to royal" just to earn another free drink. This is a real issue to me they are taking away something very attractive that was tied to loyalty and making it just about money. Will this impact loyalty? People on their first cruise will no longer be plotting how to obtain Elite to have a better shot at the sanctuary. Will they care less about loyalty to Princess? After all why chase perks when they are easily taken away. Or can be purchased, no loyalty required Princess has proven they really don't care about loyalty. As long as there are people willing to take your or my cabin, they have no reason to focus on loyalty. The reductions over the years in loyalty perks are frustrating to many of us. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kywildcatfanone Posted July 22 #408 Share Posted July 22 2 minutes ago, SCX22 said: Considering how much extra money Princess is/will be potentially raking in on the Sanctuary Class fare, I don’t think they care. It’s a risk they are willing to take. I agree though that I’m not sure if the new Sanctuary Class will work on Royal Class ships. The Sanctuary areas are kind of small and I see more wanting to use this perk because of the ample shaded areas. I can tell you, for this concept to work on the Majestic, Princess would need to designate the Hollywood Conservatory as The Sanctuary, but as it is now, it’s open to all and no such area exists. They can easily convert the retreat areas on other Royal class ships to encompass more sanctuary space. Won't surprise me they do that in the future. Will be the end of my cruising with Princess. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare JimmyVWine Posted July 22 #409 Share Posted July 22 33 minutes ago, Its the journey said: Previously the sanctuary was a much loved and appreciated loyalty perk. It could well be that Princess is recognizing that the Sanctuary, as a fought over "Loyalty Perk" has lost its shine after the introduction of Ocean Now, and Princess sees a benefit into converting it into a "Suite Perk". I have never been one to care much about a coveted lounge chair right by the pool. In all my cruises, I have never, and I mean NEVER not found three adjacent lounge chairs on the Sun Deck. Go up one deck from the pools, and chairs are very easy to find. Some are in tucked away, secluded areas, but all the better. Now, add in the ability to have free (or paid for) food and drink delivered to me without leaving my lounger and my secluded Sun Deck lounger pretty much replicates the Sanctuary Experience, except for the extra padding on the loungers. I'm not overlooking that difference, but it isn't one that I am willing to pay for. Neither me nor the Sanctuary guests have immediate access to a pool. I have the ability to roam around the Sun Deck to find shade whereas the Sanctuary guest is relegated to their chosen lounge chair. Both of us can get food and drink without moving. If I was ever tempted to pay for the Sanctuary, I certainly am not any longer. For people like me, Ocean Now coupled with little desire to be right at the pool makes buying a space in the Sanctuary irrelevant. Princess has probably figured this out too. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its the journey Posted July 22 #410 Share Posted July 22 6 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said: It could well be that Princess is recognizing that the Sanctuary, as a fought over "Loyalty Perk" has lost its shine after the introduction of Ocean Now, and Princess sees a benefit into converting it into a "Suite Perk". I have never been one to care much about a coveted lounge chair right by the pool. In all my cruises, I have never, and I mean NEVER not found three adjacent lounge chairs on the Sun Deck. Go up one deck from the pools, and chairs are very easy to find. Some are in tucked away, secluded areas, but all the better. Now, add in the ability to have free (or paid for) food and drink delivered to me without leaving my lounger and my secluded Sun Deck lounger pretty much replicates the Sanctuary Experience, except for the extra padding on the loungers. I'm not overlooking that difference, but it isn't one that I am willing to pay for. Neither me nor the Sanctuary guests have immediate access to a pool. I have the ability to roam around the Sun Deck to find shade whereas the Sanctuary guest is relegated to their chosen lounge chair. Both of us can get food and drink without moving. If I was ever tempted to pay for the Sanctuary, I certainly am not any longer. For people like me, Ocean Now coupled with little desire to be right at the pool makes buying a space in the Sanctuary irrelevant. Princess has probably figured this out too. Have you ever cruised any budget lines? If you do, you will see first hand how nice it is to have a reserved lounger. Every time I cruise Royal I see people nearly coming to blows over loungers. I am like you, in that I have never had an issue, I usually roll up at the pool around 9 and there are always loungers in the shade, back from the pool. However, it is definitely nice to have a reserved one and many people do appreciate that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its the journey Posted July 22 #411 Share Posted July 22 40 minutes ago, Esprit said: We have Elite status but it isn’t in the slightest important to me. I swap between Princess and Celebrity. Itinerary, price and the next ship I want to be on is all that matters and I’m really excited to be on the Sun in 18 days time. Maybe I wil go on Star Princess next time or an Edge class ship. Loyalty will have nothing to do with my decision. Celebrity is my default because I live near a port (Tampa) that has celebrity and no princess. But I would love to see Holland America come back here ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRLD Posted July 22 #412 Share Posted July 22 1 hour ago, Its the journey said: Herein lies the rub, for Princess loyalists ( and I consider myself one). Previously the sanctuary was a much loved and appreciated loyalty perk. Yes, being elite wouldn't guarantee you a spot, but it helped quite a bit and being able to get a place in the sanctuary definitely inspired me to chase loyalty levels with Princess. If they take that away, they offer very little loyalty rewards that anyone will chase. And if they want to compete with Royal, Royal will be a tough one to take on. Great loyalty perks, I have many friends who are completely "loyal to royal" just to earn another free drink. This is a real issue to me they are taking away something very attractive that was tied to loyalty and making it just about money. Will this impact loyalty? People on their first cruise will no longer be plotting how to obtain Elite to have a better shot at the sanctuary. Will they care less about loyalty to Princess? After all why chase perks when they are easily taken away. Or can be purchased, no loyalty required For us, the value of Elite on a 14 day cruise comes to be about $350 to $450. This comes from the minibar, the free laundry, the internet discount, and the 10% rebate on excursions. Add to that the stock holders OBC, the veterans OBC and the fcd OBC and Princess starts out with about a $1000 advantage on a 14 day cruise when comparing different cruise options. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRLD Posted July 22 #413 Share Posted July 22 27 minutes ago, Its the journey said: Have you ever cruised any budget lines? If you do, you will see first hand how nice it is to have a reserved lounger. Every time I cruise Royal I see people nearly coming to blows over loungers. I am like you, in that I have never had an issue, I usually roll up at the pool around 9 and there are always loungers in the shade, back from the pool. However, it is definitely nice to have a reserved one and many people do appreciate that Budget lines? Saw the same issues and complaints on Oceania. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FamilyAtSea.travel Posted July 22 #414 Share Posted July 22 (edited) Wrong thread! Edited July 22 by FamilyAtSea.travel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its the journey Posted July 22 #415 Share Posted July 22 (edited) 14 minutes ago, TRLD said: Budget lines? Saw the same issues and complaints on Oceania. Wow! Once I pay 400 (and up) per day, I never see those issues. Viking. Cunard. Silverseas.... Because generally those ships aren't packed, there are plenty of loungers for everyone who wants to lounge. Edited July 22 by Its the journey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Flyer Posted July 22 #416 Share Posted July 22 (edited) Hopefully this isn’t old news…I just read an article that quoted Princess stating on 7/19 that some of the Park 19 attractions are suspended indefinitely & likely permanently. Based on their statement these attractions were not properly constructed. Rollglider The Net Coastal Climb We regret to announce that Princess is unable to accept delivery of the Rollglider, Coastal Climb, and ropes course features within Park19 aboard Sun Princess, and those experiences will not be opening," Princess said in the statement. "We are actively evaluating these areas for future recreational opportunities to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all our guests," the line added. “Princess Cruises on Friday announced that the Rollglider ride atop the recently unveiled Sun Princess will remain closed indefinitely. The line suggested the ride, which has never operated, would eventually be replaced by something else. Ditto for two other attractions that were built atop the ship but never opened: a ropes course called The Net and a climbing attraction called Coastal Climb. https://thepointsguy.com/news/princess-cruises-rollglider-attraction-closed/ Edited July 22 by Astro Flyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCX22 Posted July 22 #417 Share Posted July 22 1 minute ago, Astro Flyer said: Hopefully this isn’t old news…I just read an article that quoted Princess stating on 7/19 that some of the Park 19 attractions are suspended indefinitely & likely permanently. Princess' hiding behind a curtain 3rd party statement regarding Park19 has been around since late last week. Still waiting for a statement or press release directed to the public and not 3rd party news sources regarding the abandonment of Park19 directly from Princess. They had an official press release for their Guinness Record for pizza eating, which wasn't news. Why not release one about this major development regarding their newest ship? Are they afraid of damage control? Too late for that. The entire launch of the Sun Princess was botched. I understand that an official statement or press release to the public doesn't change anything but own up to the mistake instead of hiding behind a curtain. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare karatemom2 Posted July 23 #418 Share Posted July 23 5 hours ago, vjmatty said: Unable to accept delivery of what’s already been delivered and installed 🙄 It is super weird wording and to my PR trained ears, very carefully chosen to defer responsibility for the issue back to the vendor. Might be some legal considerations in the wording as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew72681 Posted July 23 #419 Share Posted July 23 6 minutes ago, karatemom2 said: It is super weird wording and to my PR trained ears, very carefully chosen to defer responsibility for the issue back to the vendor. Might be some legal considerations in the wording as well. Yeah. Definitely trying to deflect to the direction of Fincantieri. Someone has a number in their head of what they want off the price of Sun Princess, plus what it’ll cost to take it down and retrofit something in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare karatemom2 Posted July 23 #420 Share Posted July 23 5 hours ago, Esprit said: We introduced our two kids to cruising when they were young too. They loved them so much my DD worked up to Activities Manager with Celebrity and was even Cruise Director for a week whilst her boss was off to watch the Rolling Stones that he’d booked way before his ship assignment. We started cruising when our kids were young too, and being from the West Coast, we did a lot of Alaska cruises - it was pretty easily accessible, especially on our San Francisco departures, and we just love Alaska and would happily go again and again and again. My son loved it so much, that when he graduated from law school last year in Virginia, he chose to take the bar in Alaska and pursue a legal career there. He is now a prosecutor in Anchorage. Amazing how much cruising to Alaska so often helped inform his choice to ultimately move there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRLD Posted July 23 #421 Share Posted July 23 (edited) 51 minutes ago, Andrew72681 said: Yeah. Definitely trying to deflect to the direction of Fincantieri. Someone has a number in their head of what they want off the price of Sun Princess, plus what it’ll cost to take it down and retrofit something in. Most likely not Fincantieri, but another vendor. Rollglider is built by another company and has many land installations (ski resorts, amusement parks, etc.). Suspect they may have found that working on a moving cruise ship might be far more problematic for the system than on a stationary land based installation. Especially since it was reported that when they were testing during one of the earlier cruises the units had trouble making it around the track. Edited July 23 by TRLD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Flyer Posted July 23 #422 Share Posted July 23 2 hours ago, SCX22 said: Why not release one about this major development regarding their newest ship? Are they afraid of damage control? Too late for that. The entire launch of the Sun Princess was botched. I understand that an official statement or press release to the public doesn't change anything but own up to the mistake instead of hiding behind a curtain. I agree but doubt if they’ll ever issue a press release about a negative experience…their lips are sealed. 🤐 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esprit Posted July 23 #423 Share Posted July 23 9 hours ago, JimmyVWine said: It could well be that Princess is recognizing that the Sanctuary, as a fought over "Loyalty Perk" has lost its shine after the introduction of Ocean Now, and Princess sees a benefit into converting it into a "Suite Perk". I have never been one to care much about a coveted lounge chair right by the pool. In all my cruises, I have never, and I mean NEVER not found three adjacent lounge chairs on the Sun Deck. Go up one deck from the pools, and chairs are very easy to find. Some are in tucked away, secluded areas, but all the better. Now, add in the ability to have free (or paid for) food and drink delivered to me without leaving my lounger and my secluded Sun Deck lounger pretty much replicates the Sanctuary Experience, except for the extra padding on the loungers. I'm not overlooking that difference, but it isn't one that I am willing to pay for. Neither me nor the Sanctuary guests have immediate access to a pool. I have the ability to roam around the Sun Deck to find shade whereas the Sanctuary guest is relegated to their chosen lounge chair. Both of us can get food and drink without moving. If I was ever tempted to pay for the Sanctuary, I certainly am not any longer. For people like me, Ocean Now coupled with little desire to be right at the pool makes buying a space in the Sanctuary irrelevant. Princess has probably figured this out too. My sentiments exactly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colsky Posted July 23 #424 Share Posted July 23 On 7/22/2024 at 1:46 PM, Kit6 said: Regarding the dome pool - that area is clearly marked 16 plus. But if a disappointment as my kids wanted to swim around there but not a huge deal, other pools to choose from. The wakeview pool is awesome, never more than 1/2 full as it’s a bit shady at the back of the ship but still plenty warm enough to swim. We're on the Sun next month. My 2 kids are 12 and 14 and are pretty quiet as kids go. They cost us the same adult price as we paid for this cruise and the dome/sea view area being 16 plus has never been mentioned until recently. So I think Princess has a bit of a nerve if they try and enforce this on us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit6 Posted July 23 #425 Share Posted July 23 7 hours ago, colsky said: We're on the Sun next month. My 2 kids are 12 and 14 and are pretty quiet as kids go. They cost us the same adult price as we paid for this cruise and the dome/sea view area being 16 plus has never been mentioned until recently. So I think Princess has a bit of a nerve if they try and enforce this on us! Not sure if it’s being enforced, we didn’t personally try as only one of my 4 would be old enough. If we venture in, which we likely will over the next week or so, I’ll be sure to post about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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