14 Day Sun Princess--Old Guy Review

[js10]

My Significant Other and myself took advantage of a $100 deposit promo a year and a half ago and booked a 14-day Barcelona to Athens Mediterranean cruise on Sun Princess from June 1 to June 14.  I am 73 years old and have taken four previous Princess cruises.  My overall impression of the Sun was favorable with only a few concerns and I will try to offer a fair review here.  As always, thanks to those CC members who helped me plan this cruise and I hope to return the favor with some information and recommendations here.

 

Embarkation--The smoothest operation I have every experienced.  I was surprised at first at the lack of crowds in the terminal since we arrived at 10:45.  Over the course of the cruise I discovered that only a portion of the passengers embark and disembark after each seven-day segment of the cruise.  A crew member told me that a approx. 2000 passengers embarked in Barcelona which would explain the lack of crowds.  This would continue at the end of the first seven days of the cruise as only a portion of the passengers changed in Rome.  For better or worse, Princess clearly treated each of our two segments as separate cruises, not one 14-day cruise.  Each segment featured the same "Sail Away" events, repeats of "Captains Welcome" and most concerning, repeats of menus in the main dining room (more on that later).  If you do not have your medallion at the time you embark do not fret!  So many passengers already had their medallions that the Blue Line actually moved faster than the Green Line.  Either way, however, the process was simple, streamlined and very quick.  We were on board close to 11:00.

 

Ship Decor, Layout and Cabin--Very sophisticated color scheme and overall look and feel of the ship.  When I first entered Sun I picked up a pleasant "new car smell" that lasted for a couple of days.  Our (DA) Deluxe Balcony also featured a muted color scheme, comfortable bed and larger than normal sofa.  The bathroom was small but nicer than any I had experienced before and the shower door was wonderful compared to the curtains of the past. It is a tight fit as you exit the shower.  Closet space was excellent even without the old school Princess "walk-in" closets.  We loved our balcony.  We were on deck 14 and looked directly down on some mini-suite balconies and the Cabanas.  Our balcony had "glass" up to chest level allowing you to look out over the railing with an unobstructed view.  The mini-suites and Cabanas had "glass" that extended above your head.  That was a big deal for me but perhaps not for others.  I must say that the Cabanas looked very cool!  Our cabin steward, Fidel from Mexico, was as good as any I have had on past cruises.

 

One of my few gripes about the layout of the ship involves the bars.  The bars are gorgeous but it seemed impossible to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail without a great amount of noise (old guy here!).  Crooners was right off the Piazza and the amplified noise would spill over every night.  Live music in Crooners was not subtle background music but rather loud and amplified.  The open concept Wheelhouse Bar did not feature music but it was right next to the path hundreds of people would take each night to the main dining room.  Good Spirits featured the best drinks we had all cruise but the mixology presentations made it impossible to have a conversation with someone directly across the table.  Bar service was excellent but we would have welcomed at least one venue that was relatively quiet.

 

Also concerning the layout, I can confirm that seating for some of the shows was a problem.  We arrived 15 minutes prior to the start of one of the primary productions shows and only a few single seats remained.  The Sun Class emphasis on multiple smaller venues worked well for much of the entertainment but the lack of a large capacity showroom seems to be an issue.

 

Unless you want to score a lounger right around the main pool or on the Wake View Terrace, finding an empty spot to relax on deck should not be a problem.  The Sea View Terrace could get crowded but we usually found a spot to sit easily.  We were determined to experience the Wake View at least once and got up early on the last sea day and had the hot tub and infinity pool to ourselves.  There are six outside tables on each side of the back of the Eatery which feature excellent and elevated views of the ship's wake and we enjoyed a number of breakfasts and lunches there.

 

The gym is wonderful and we were able to find open exercise equipment on all four seas days which has never happened for us before.  The new elevator system worked well.  There were a few times we had to wait awhile for our assigned elevator to arrive but once on it you got to your selected floor very quickly.

 

It seems as if finding an open washing machine in the laundry room is pure chance and luck.  We found one on our first try at 2:30 pm while in Naples but someone else in our group said the machines were all in use when they tried at 3:00 am!  Either way, I was impressed that Princess provided the service free of charge.

 

Medallions and Princess App--The medallions worked very well.  I purchased a Velcro wrist band on Amazon for a few bucks that was designed specifically for the Princess medallion and only took it off when I went to bed for the night.  They are waterproof and you can keep them on in the pools and hot tubs.  A member of our group lost one and then had the battery go bad in the second one and Guest Services replaced them in minutes.  The app did have a few glitches but nothing dramatic.  Once I ordered a drink while sitting in the Sea View Terrace and the app still showed me at the pool deck pizza spot that I had come from an hour earlier.  The server told me this "happens frequently".  It was a bit jarring to be enjoying a martini in Crooners and have the table next to us have four hamburgers delivered (old guy reference!) via the app but to each his own!  For better or worse, there is no question that the entire cruise industry is quickly moving toward this type of system.

 

(Next installment--food)

 

 

[CruzerDeb]

Thanks for this review! I’ll be sailing on Sun at the end of August. 

[FLAlaska]

Great comments. looking forward to part 2

[paddingtonbear]

Looking forward to the rest of your review. Thank you. 

[Esprit]

A very helpful summary. Thank you.

We board the Sun in 7 weeks time.

[js10]

 

(Old Guy Review, continued)

 

Food--We had a table for four in Horizons, Deck 6 at 7:30 for the entire cruise.  We were randomly assigned our table the first day, loved our waiter, and reserved it for the rest of the cruise.  As I have stated previously, Princess considered us as being on two seven-day cruises so we had to go through the reservation process again for the second week.

 

To get to Horizons on six we would walk down the stairs next to the entrance to the Dine My Way dining room on deck seven.  There was usually a pretty decent line there to wait for a table.  On a number of occasions they would send the people waiting down to our dining room if tables were available.  This clearly presented a problem for the wait staff as the new arrivals would throw off the sequence and timing of starter, main dish, desert.  It rarely impacted our experience but the wait staff was clearly not pleased.

 

I thought the food in the main dining room was excellent.  Portions were appropriate, food came quickly and was always hot.  Our waiter was happy to bring a second appetizer if requested and would always bring an extra dessert placed in the middle of the table to share.  The beef tenderloin appeared in many forms and was always tender.

 

I had only one criticism of the main dining room and that involved the repeat of the menu during the second week of our cruise.  Still again, Princess considered us as being on two single week cruises.  I do not think it is unreasonable to expect a different menu over a two-week period.  We met a number of people who were on board for the full 21 days and I assume they had the same menu three times!  Again, not complaining about the quality of the food, just the lack of variety.

 

Dress in the main dining room was fairly predictable for a European cruise.  On formal nights we saw a number of men in tuxes, mostly suits or jackets and, as usual, the women tended to be more likely to take advantage of the opportunity to dress up.  On the "Dress To Impress" nights, attire was all over the place and on the remaining nights dress ranged from Smart Casual to, umm, something less than casual.  I did note that a few gentleman took the effort to match the color of their baseball caps to the color of their exercise shorts.  (Did I mention I am old?)

 

While not on an excursion we would usually have lunch at The Eatery.  Having food served and handed to you was not an issue and we rarely had to wait for more than a couple minutes in line.  All the usual buffet fare was available and the quality was fine.  We tried to find a table outside whenever possible and never had a problem.  I am not sure why they eliminated self- serve drinks but there was adequate wait staff there and service was prompt.

 

We used our two casual dining freebies on Alfredo's and O'Malley's.  Loved Alfredo's, O'Malley's just ok.  The pizza on the pool deck was excellent and I enjoyed it far too often.  We did not take advantage of the specialty desserts but they looked spectacular.

 

This cruise was very port intensive and we needed to get to our excursion meet up spot early so we usually took advantage of the continental breakfast room service.  Cereal, breads, fruits, etc. and we would get lattes to avoid the room service coffee.  By the way, the coffee spot located on deck seven just off the Piazza rarely had lines in the morning as compared to the International Cafe.

 

(Next installment, Ports of Call/Excursions)

 

 

 

[phabric]

Enjoyed reading your review.

[Esprit]

Thanks for this. Very informative as we will be dining on deck 6 at 7.30 pm too.

Did you notice many tables of six or even eight in the MDR?

Edited June 22 by Esprit

[KKB]

@js10 Thanks for your thoughts. BIL & SIL just sailed the Sun the week before you & really enjoyed it (tho I have yet to hear all the details!)

We sailed the Regal for 28 days in April (16+12) & thought the food was the best we had experienced in any MDR, any line. We actually were looking forward to the "repeat" menu the 2nd leg as we saw several things we wanted to try...then to our dismay it was a NEW "UK" menu!

Never expected 28 different menus, it was quite a surprise!

[js10]

ESPRIT--It seemed like the room was dominated by tables for 2 and 4.  We did notice the staff pushing tables together one evening for a rectangular table for 8.  I am sure they will work with you.

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, Esprit said:

Thanks for this. Very informative as we will be dining on deck 6 at 7.30 pm too.

Did you notice many tables of six or even eight in the MDR?

 

While we have never sailed on Sun Princess we do have a fair number of Princess cruises completed. We have seen numerous tables for 6 or 8 and have even, on occasion, seen tables for 10. We did a 28 day South Pacific cruise and were seated at a table for 10 every night. We met some wonderful folks at that table and have cruised with one of the couples several times since then.

 

A table for 8 or 10 can make conversations a bit awkward as you are seated so far from some of the others at the table. With the table for 10 we all just started sitting in different places so as to be able to easily converse with each couple or solo person. It worked out well and we had some quite interesting people at the table.

[memoak]

46 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

While we have never sailed on Sun Princess we do have a fair number of Princess cruises completed. We have seen numerous tables for 6 or 8 and have even, on occasion, seen tables for 10. We did a 28 day South Pacific cruise and were seated at a table for 10 every night. We met some wonderful folks at that table and have cruised with one of the couples several times since then.

 

A table for 8 or 10 can make conversations a bit awkward as you are seated so far from some of the others at the table. With the table for 10 we all just started sitting in different places so as to be able to easily converse with each couple or solo person. It worked out well and we had some quite interesting people at the table.

Back in the days of traditional dining we attempted to take different seats for that same reason and another cruiser got very upset “You are in my seat”

[Thrak]

15 minutes ago, memoak said:

Back in the days of traditional dining we attempted to take different seats for that same reason and another cruiser got very upset “You are in my seat”

 

We almost all agreed to do so. We still sat together as couples - except for the two who were solo. One couple sat in the same place for the entire cruise but they were less "social" than the rest.

[js10]

We always enjoyed meeting new people in the main dining room.  Once specialty dining took off it was not unusual to have a table for eight and occasionally have only one or two couples sitting across from each other at a gigantic table!

[bandp407]

js10 - Thank you for this very informative review! We don't sail the Sun until January. A real concern as you noted, is seating in the theatre for the shows. We sailed on the Enchanted in May and there was an issue on Enchanted as well. Has us thinking! Also, the situation with the bars. On Enchanted we enjoyed the Crown Grill Bar with music. Sounds as if The Wheelhouse replaced it but with no music!! 

I look forward to your continued review. Enjoy every moment of your cruise! 

 

[555]

By any chance did you happen to keep the patters and if so could you post them?

[Hobby3333]

My wife asked me to inquire, are there any themed nights on the Sun.  We sail in just a few days.  Thanks

[js10]

(Old Guy Review, continued)

 

Ports of Call/Excursions

 

Barcelona--We arrived two days early and stayed at the H10 Catalunya Plaza.  There are hundreds of taxis available at the airport and really no need to book private transportation.  The boutique hotel was very nice but is in a bustling, touristy area just off Las Ramblas.  We spent the first day walking around Las Ramblas and trying to recover from jet lag.  The second day we took the Hop On Hop Off bus (red line stop is directly outside the door of the hotel) to Sagrada Familia and after a couple hours there continued to ride the HOHO until we were back at the hotel.  After lunch we again took the HOHO, this time on the blue line.  There were multiple restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.  Cabs were queued up outside to take us to the cruise port at approximately 10:00 am.  Again, no need to book private transportation.  Safe, interesting city!

 

Gibraltar--Booked "A Stroll On the Upper Rock."  Good value, lots of history, beautiful views and apes!  When I booked it I thought it would involve hiking but it was hardly even a stroll.  Still, we were able to tour everything in about three hours and even (just barely) saw Africa in the distance.  You were given the option to get off the bus in the center city and walk back to the ship on your own.  Lots of informal British style pubs for lunch if desired.

 

Marseille, France--Booked "Aix-En-Provence and Lourmarin."  The excursion starts with an approximate one-hour bus ride to Lourmarin, a small medieval village now populated by artists and craftsman.  Not a tacky tourist stop but rather an authentic arts community.  Then on to Aix-En-Provence, a bustling French city with time for a leisurely lunch or glass of wine outside and relaxed people watching.

 

Genoa, Italy--Booked "Walking Tour of Genoa."  This was the most pleasant surprise of all the excursions we booked.  I did not know what to expect but found Genoa to be a charming town and, once again, full of history.  Lots of hills and uneven surfaces to navigate on foot.

 

Florence and Rome--Booked "Highlights of Florence and Time on Your Own" and the same excursion for Rome.  I put these two together because they were identical in nature.  Both tours start and end with a fairly lengthy but interesting bus ride.  Some guides narrate during the bus ride a little and some do not.  Once at the site there is a two-hour walking tour through the center city quickly hitting the major highlights.  Then you have three full hours to explore on your own.  I found a wonderful little trattoria on the other side of the Arno in Florence and a very authentic pizza place in Rome.  Three hours give you enough time to get off the beaten path and find some authentic, non-touristy spots.  The downside of both tours, of course, is not enough time to actually go inside and visit in depth the amazing places both cities offer.  Another problem is the crowds--people everywhere.  Finally, do not attempt these tours if you are not able to walk for two hours on very uneven surfaces.  My SO and myself are in good shape for our age and we were exhausted at the end of these two full-day, back to back excursions.  If I had it to do again I would book the same tours but they are challenging.

 

Naples--No excursion.  The ship docks right alongside the city center and lends itself to a wonderful self-guided walking tour.  I downloaded maps online and we walked from Piazza Del Plebiscito, up Via Toledo, turned left into the Spanish Quarter and ended with fried pizza from one of the famous carryout shops.  Very crowded, scooters everywhere, clotheslines full right above the street and narrow, uneven alleys to explore.  Not for everyone but we loved it.  We had seen Capri and Pompei on a previous visit to Italy so that might be a better option for some.

 

Crete--No excursion.  Princess provided a free shuttle for the ten-minute ride into Chania.  Taxis are very limited in Crete so the shuttle makes sense.  You WILL get lost walking the maze of streets in Chania (a fun tradition there apparently!) so be sure that someone in your party has their smartphone activated for GPS and take a picture of the drop off/pick up spot for the shuttle.  Not a big deal, just be prepared.  The harbor area is especially lovely and has many options for lunch.

 

Mykonos--No excursion.  Princess provides a shuttle for $8.95 round trip.  Not sure why it was free in Crete but not here.  The city center is close enough to walk but there is not a sidewalk and the road would be extremely dangerous.  You can purchase shuttle tixs on the Princess app and it would be wise to do so early as half of the time slots were sold out two days prior to our arrival.  Mykonos reminded me of Cozumel--a beautiful small town that is being impacted negatively by over tourism.  You can walk the entire town in an hour but it is very crowded.

 

Athens--We booked the Amalia Hotel in central Athens for two nights post-cruise.  I was glad that we had booked private transportation as taxis seemed to be at a premium.  The hotel was a 15-minute walk to the Acropolis and directly across the street from the National Gardens and Parliament.  The hotel features a very extensive buffet breakfast for an extra charge.  On the second day we booked (via Athens Walks) a guided tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.  This is one of those destinations you could do by yourself but there is so much history here that it seemed vital to have an expert lead us.  Very crowded but, of course, not to be missed.  A pleasant surprise at the hotel was the recent opening of their roof top bar and restaurant with stunning night views of the Acropolis.

 

(Next, Misc. and Sun Princess final thoughts)

 

 

[js10]

555--Sorry, we certainly enjoyed the Patters each evening but did not save them.

 

Hobby 3333--I did not notice themed nights other than formal nights.

[phabric]

Were your excursions with Princess or private tours?

 

I have been to Gibraltar on my Mediterranean cruise and took a private tour - saw the monkeys, caves.

Since we just walked to the private van and not looking around the dock area, I can’t remember if there was anything near the ship to walk to?

 

[gfkcruiser]

24 minutes ago, js10 said:

(Old Guy Review, continued)

 

Ports of Call/Excursions

 

Barcelona--We arrived two days early and stayed at the H10 Catalunya Plaza.  There are hundreds of taxis available at the airport and really no need to book private transportation.  The boutique hotel was very nice but is in a bustling, touristy area just off Las Ramblas.  We spent the first day walking around Las Ramblas and trying to recover from jet lag.  The second day we took the Hop On Hop Off bus (red line stop is directly outside the door of the hotel) to Sagrada Familia and after a couple hours there continued to ride the HOHO until we were back at the hotel.  After lunch we again took the HOHO, this time on the blue line.  There were multiple restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.  Cabs were queued up outside to take us to the cruise port at approximately 10:00 am.  Again, no need to book private transportation.  Safe, interesting city!

 

Gibraltar--Booked "A Stroll On the Upper Rock."  Good value, lots of history, beautiful views and apes!  When I booked it I thought it would involve hiking but it was hardly even a stroll.  Still, we were able to tour everything in about three hours and even (just barely) saw Africa in the distance.  You were given the option to get off the bus in the center city and walk back to the ship on your own.  Lots of informal British style pubs for lunch if desired.

 

Marseille, France--Booked "Aix-En-Provence and Lourmarin."  The excursion starts with an approximate one-hour bus ride to Lourmarin, a small medieval village now populated by artists and craftsman.  Not a tacky tourist stop but rather an authentic arts community.  Then on to Aix-En-Provence, a bustling French city with time for a leisurely lunch or glass of wine outside and relaxed people watching.

 

Genoa, Italy--Booked "Walking Tour of Genoa."  This was the most pleasant surprise of all the excursions we booked.  I did not know what to expect but found Genoa to be a charming town and, once again, full of history.  Lots of hills and uneven surfaces to navigate on foot.

 

Florence and Rome--Booked "Highlights of Florence and Time on Your Own" and the same excursion for Rome.  I put these two together because they were identical in nature.  Both tours start and end with a fairly lengthy but interesting bus ride.  Some guides narrate during the bus ride a little and some do not.  Once at the site there is a two-hour walking tour through the center city quickly hitting the major highlights.  Then you have three full hours to explore on your own.  I found a wonderful little trattoria on the other side of the Arno in Florence and a very authentic pizza place in Rome.  Three hours give you enough time to get off the beaten path and find some authentic, non-touristy spots.  The downside of both tours, of course, is not enough time to actually go inside and visit in depth the amazing places both cities offer.  Another problem is the crowds--people everywhere.  Finally, do not attempt these tours if you are not able to walk for two hours on very uneven surfaces.  My SO and myself are in good shape for our age and we were exhausted at the end of these two full-day, back to back excursions.  If I had it to do again I would book the same tours but they are challenging.

 

Naples--No excursion.  The ship docks right alongside the city center and lends itself to a wonderful self-guided walking tour.  I downloaded maps online and we walked from Piazza Del Plebiscito, up Via Toledo, turned left into the Spanish Quarter and ended with fried pizza from one of the famous carryout shops.  Very crowded, scooters everywhere, clotheslines full right above the street and narrow, uneven alleys to explore.  Not for everyone but we loved it.  We had seen Capri and Pompei on a previous visit to Italy so that might be a better option for some.

 

Crete--No excursion.  Princess provided a free shuttle for the ten-minute ride into Chania.  Taxis are very limited in Crete so the shuttle makes sense.  You WILL get lost walking the maze of streets in Chania (a fun tradition there apparently!) so be sure that someone in your party has their smartphone activated for GPS and take a picture of the drop off/pick up spot for the shuttle.  Not a big deal, just be prepared.  The harbor area is especially lovely and has many options for lunch.

 

Mykonos--No excursion.  Princess provides a shuttle for $8.95 round trip.  Not sure why it was free in Crete but not here.  The city center is close enough to walk but there is not a sidewalk and the road would be extremely dangerous.  You can purchase shuttle tixs on the Princess app and it would be wise to do so early as half of the time slots were sold out two days prior to our arrival.  Mykonos reminded me of Cozumel--a beautiful small town that is being impacted negatively by over tourism.  You can walk the entire town in an hour but it is very crowded.

 

Athens--We booked the Amalia Hotel in central Athens for two nights post-cruise.  I was glad that we had booked private transportation as taxis seemed to be at a premium.  The hotel was a 15-minute walk to the Acropolis and directly across the street from the National Gardens and Parliament.  The hotel features a very extensive buffet breakfast for an extra charge.  On the second day we booked (via Athens Walks) a guided tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.  This is one of those destinations you could do by yourself but there is so much history here that it seemed vital to have an expert lead us.  Very crowded but, of course, not to be missed.  A pleasant surprise at the hotel was the recent opening of their roof top bar and restaurant with stunning night views of the Acropolis.

 

(Next, Misc. and Sun Princess final thoughts)

 

 

Great reviews of these ports.  Did similar in Naples, Crete and Mykonos.  Was on Celebrity so shuttles were a bit different.  Low cost in Crete and did the ferry from port to town in Mykonos (we were able to dock that day,)

[Esprit]

You describe the essence of each port so well, and we’ve been to these places many times.

Thank you.

[js10]

Phabric--All the excursions listed were through Princess.  We disembarked in Athens and set that tour up ourselves.  I have used private tours many times in the past but felt that with the distance we needed to travel to get to Florence and Rome it just made sense to play it safe with Princess.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bucket_List_Girl]

@js10 thank you for taking time and thoroughly review your cruise with Sun Princess!! We’re currently sailing for the second week and I’d agree with you on all points! 
I was curious to see a very young cruise director and his assistant.. couldn’t understand much of his role on the ship, except morning show and announcements. He seemed always preoccupied with his looks and moves 😊 other cruise directors would be open to communicating. He definitely wasn’t open for any discussion or engaging in conversation. Just my observation over the last 7 days.

[js10]

(Old guy review, continued)

 

Misc. and final thoughts--

 

--self-assist debarkation had a window of 7:00-8:30. I may be wrong but I seem to remember that in past cruises this was limited to the first half hour of debarkation. The later window worked well and was helpful for us.

--The wifi was slow at times but overall it was a big improvement from previous cruises.

--In my opinion Princess should be clearer and passengers should do their research concerning the physical requirements of many of the excursions available on this cruise.  We saw on our tours a couple people fall and a number of people who simply could not safely navigate the uneven surfaces, crowds and traffic of very old European cities.

--We knew three couples on this cruise who were impacted by a canceled segment of their EZ Air flights resulting in two couples arriving one day late to Barcelona and one couple who did not arrive until the morning of the cruise.   The canceled segment was of course not the fault of EZ Air but what was surprising was the lack of help they provided when the passengers frantically tried to rebook their flights.  Their first call was to EZ Air and they were told to contact the airlines themselves.  I guess I was naive but I would have thought EZ Air would have done this for them.

--Sun Princess is still a work in progress.  We spoke with a number of crew members who said they had only just arrived on the Sun a couple of weeks prior to our cruise.  Other crew members admitted that they are still learning about the ship and their routines.  This reality did not distract from our enjoyment of the cruise and should improve greatly over the next few months.

 

We had a wonderful cruise.  The ports of call were the reason we booked this cruise and they did not disappoint.  Sun Princess is beautiful and is by far the most technologically advanced ship I have ever been on.  Ships in general have gotten too large for my liking (final old guy rant!) but I would recommend Sun Princess to any fan of the Princess product and to cruising newbies as well.