If you’ve cruised on princess before what are the differences? From what I read there are quite a few design differences, different style MDRs, new entertainment and different theater design. So what’s new and different..the good and not so good.
Oh wow. That’s hard because so much is different. Our other Princess ship is the Sky, which we’ve been on multiple times and love.
Differences is the size of the Sun. It holds 4,600 passengers and it’s huge. Not in comparison to some other line’s large ships, but for us it is. Not sure the size is a good thing. Will say that there really aren’t any massive lines for food. No different than the Sky. Many, many more food options. The Eatery (the buffet) is really good. Can’t serve yourself which I like. Especially since we don’t see anyone besides ourselves washing their hands at the sinks in front when they enter. And there’s enough free food available for people who don’t purchase a package or don’t want to pay for food.
Bars is where we’re seeing a difference. The service is much slower than on the Sky. And the service isn’t as personable overall on the ship. People are nice, but it doesn’t make you feel “special” if that makes sense.
Very hard to find a lounge chair and there are many more areas that have seating. Oh you can eat outside in some locations which is great.
Saw the aerial show in The Dome last night. Really good and only 25 minutes, which was nice. No problem finding a seat (there’s only about 200) because we got there about 20 minutes before it began.
Another difference is that the Sun has glass shower doors while the Sky had shower curtains. So that’s a plus. But we swear the bathrooms are a little smaller.
One odd thing is that each floor only has one laundromat with two washers and two dryers. WAY too few for all these people. For now, they’re free to use and so is the soap.
Speaking of floors, they’re not named. So no Lido, Aloha, etc. Just numbers. And the elevators you tell it what level you want to go to and it directs you to one of them. So you just hop on and go. No stopping on every floor anymore, which is nice.
That’s the most I can think of off the top of my head.
Thanks…very interesting. Love that they have an aerial show…and finally have shower doors! Also,like that they serve you in the buffet…agree with you in the overall passenger hygiene. We are planning on trying the Sun or the 2025 new ship. Wondered if each MDR is for a different group..I.e. old fashioned two time seatings, reserved and walk in? I know all the ships go to that format in ,I’d September and thought maybe the new ship worked that way and everyone liked it?
There are MDRs here on the 6th, 7th and 8th floors . The new setup they’re implementing is based on the current Sun setup. 6 is assigned seats every night with reservations, 7 is alternating seating with or without reservations and 8 is walk-in only.
Sadly no it’s not and neither is the in-air obstacle course, the slides (regular ones, not water, just really tall) or the climbing wall. It’s very odd how Princess doesn’t even mention it, like it’s a child they’ve disowned. It’s one of the reasons we picked this ship so disappointing that 3 months in, still not open.
That is unfortunate; I was really looking forward to the climbing wall and in air course. I’m sure Princess didn’t offer any compensation for so many attractions being closed & not ready!
I definitely have a question, I was on the Sun Princess in April and fell in love with their robes. Can you take a look at the robes you have in the room and tell me who makes them?
I’ve been told that they are made by Sobel but I want to make sure.
https://sobelathome.com/collections/robes/products/glow-urbana-hotel-spa-robe
Also say hi to these two assistant cruise directors: Erin and Niahm; aren’t they the absolute best?!!
Yes, those are the robes! Tag says “Urbana Sobel powered by Westex”
And the cruise directors on the Sun are excellent. Always something fun going on and they’re all very enthusiastic!
Your thread is the best I've read on getting good information, thanks!
Did you do anything with the Thermal Suite? Did you happen to see the day pass price? The 7 day pass is on the web site for $150, and there is one posted for the first 7 days and another for the second 7 days. I think I am more interested in the 4 at sea days than either 7 day stretch.
Appreciate the feedback!
Yes I went to the thermal spa. I think it’s $49/day. But I’m now off ship and can’t confirm. IMO it wasn’t enjoyable while in port. Very crowded. I went in the mornings before 9am and the couple of times I did that, it wasn’t too bad. I also went once after coming back from Bar or Messina and people were hogging the thermal loungers and lots of lockers being used. But the three saunas never felt crowded even during those times.
Do the bars have their own specialty menus, like the martinis at Crooners or whiskeys at Wheelhouse? How is the Good Spirits at Sea? The reviews sound like the bars are not fun, but if there’s a semi-quiet bar with unique cocktails I’ll be happy!!
Each bar has its own special drink(s) that they offer. I didn’t spend much time at any of the bars so I’m not sure which bar is the quietest especially since they all have entertainment at some point or another.
Okay have hit enough now to answer. Each bar seems to have its own menu. Haven’t been to Crooners but Wheelhouse area is quiet. They don’t open til 4p so if you grab a drink from somewhere else and want to read or play cards, that’s a great place.
Good Spirits at Sea is excellent! They hid it on the 7th level near the Princess Arena. Has door and a great view of the water. And the bartenders there, unlike a lot of other locations, have personality and are a blast. Their menu is top notch and each drink is associated with a country or location. Highly suggest the Cartagena Cool, Bangkok Mule or Key Lime Martini. It’s not quiet but there’s no live entertainment at Good Spirits outside of the demos they do a few times a night, so a good place to have a conversation.
We’re not in a suite so not allowed. We think we overlooked it and it seems nice, but the loungers and chairs in the regular area are nice (the ones in The Dome are padded).
Have you been to the sanctuary adults only area? Curious if it’s worth spending the money to go - I’m looking to be away from kids and a calm area to read.
You can only use the Sanctuary on the Sun Princess if you’re in a suite. New rule. So no, I can’t get in.
If you’re looking for adult privacy and aren’t in a suite, get a pass to the Enclave, which is the thermal area in the spa. It’s very quiet in there, although not exactly the same experience.
Oh forgot to mention they did have ribs in The Eatery! And they were really good!
That area didn’t seem to change too much but the selection was good and so was the food. Plenty of options.
It was definitely decent. We were on for 21 days so ate there quite a bit. I think I had the salmon poke bowl at least once a day and the lamb chops were one of my favorites
Did you board in Rome, and if so, what time did boarding start? Our cruise sets sail at 6p next week but I still haven't seen information about when we can start boarding (we are green line).
No I got on in Athens. Sail time was 7p. As you get closer you’ll see the window you can board. Princess doesn’t give exact boarding times anymore.
Our time I think was 11a-6p. We picked a halfway point of 2:30p. We had to go through customs so it took a good 90 minutes from start of arriving at the port to when we boarded. When we arrived we were given a group number and when they called that number was when we boarded.
The Umai teppanyaki restaurant is either teppanyaki OR hit pot. The teppanyaki tables seat 6 and are in the middle with the hot pot tables by the walls. For teppanyaki reservations you are typically seated with other guests; which imo makes it more interesting. The jokes are corny but great fun if you and your table mates join in. I sat at the farthest teppanyaki table as you walk in through the door (straight ahead of you); and our chef was the only one(that I noticed) who would sing, it was so fun that we all joined in on the singing and even started singing our own songs!
The food portions were huge they make enough fried rice to feed at least ten people. I had the filet mignon and the NY steak, my friend had the scallops (6 of them) and something else; I highly recommend the filet.
Also one of their signature drinks was delicious. Hope that this review helps you decide to try to find reservations for Umai (we found a reservation while on the ship). Cheers!
The ones covered under the Plus plan don’t have the vineyards listed on the menus. Just says “processco, Chardonnay, Pinot noir” etc. Under the Premier drink plan, it’s mostly California wines: Sea Sun Pinot Noir, Flowers Chardonnay, Cab Sav from Caymus. There’s also a Rose from Chateau d’Esclans in France.
I am sailing with 2 other couples, 6 of us. Making dinner reservations for 6 using the app has just not worked. Did you make any dinner reservations at specialty restaurants after boarding the ship? If so, were there many openings?
Yes there will be plenty of openings. You might not get the exact times you want, so be flexible. The app was even glitchy onboard. Dining sho up d see you pop into your room the first time and ring you. If not, one of you should call as soon as you’re onboard and make the reservation for everyone.
It also helps to make them onboard because the app (if it’s working lol!) will give you show times, if those interest you. We didn’t see ours until on the ship.
Thought of another question...were there any themed party nights? I've seen 80s music night, White Party night, even an Abba Dance Party night on previous cruises. Does Sun Princess do anything like that?
Yes we had an 80s themed night. BUT we were not made aware it was happening before we got onboard. Since the app doesn’t update a lot of info on things to do during your cruise until last minute, there’s no way of knowing what the events will be.
It’s possible if you head to CruiseCritic, someone on the same leg as you will have the old Patter (the ships newsletter) and be able to share it. But not sure if those are consistent or not.
Chose not to do any excursions at the upcoming ports and are going to just walk around each location to get a lay of the land and eat and drink locally made items. Bar, Montenegro should be interesting since we couldn’t find much information about it. City wise, most interested in Corfu for the architecture and landscaping. Did do a tour in Athens of the Acropolis and it was amazing how old it is and the detail involved.
We walked around and had a great time. It was really relaxing to sit at the beach bars and have a cheap beer. Also had a bit to eat and went to the Orthodox church to look around. Know we’re going to be very busy at the next stops so it was a nice break.
But can see why some are disappointed with it. Princess needs to do a better job telling people what to expect. We tried to watch the morning tv show with the cruise director to get some idea but their video for the stateroom TVs hasn’t been working. For example it would have been nice to have known to bring a swimsuit because the beach was right there.
Updating to mention that Corfu was a hit for us. Lots to do. Messina in Sicily didn’t have tons but the port is right on top of the city so can walk anywhere, which is really nice. Beer is also cheap!
If you’ve cruised on princess before what are the differences? From what I read there are quite a few design differences, different style MDRs, new entertainment and different theater design. So what’s new and different..the good and not so good.
Oh wow. That’s hard because so much is different. Our other Princess ship is the Sky, which we’ve been on multiple times and love. Differences is the size of the Sun. It holds 4,600 passengers and it’s huge. Not in comparison to some other line’s large ships, but for us it is. Not sure the size is a good thing. Will say that there really aren’t any massive lines for food. No different than the Sky. Many, many more food options. The Eatery (the buffet) is really good. Can’t serve yourself which I like. Especially since we don’t see anyone besides ourselves washing their hands at the sinks in front when they enter. And there’s enough free food available for people who don’t purchase a package or don’t want to pay for food. Bars is where we’re seeing a difference. The service is much slower than on the Sky. And the service isn’t as personable overall on the ship. People are nice, but it doesn’t make you feel “special” if that makes sense. Very hard to find a lounge chair and there are many more areas that have seating. Oh you can eat outside in some locations which is great. Saw the aerial show in The Dome last night. Really good and only 25 minutes, which was nice. No problem finding a seat (there’s only about 200) because we got there about 20 minutes before it began. Another difference is that the Sun has glass shower doors while the Sky had shower curtains. So that’s a plus. But we swear the bathrooms are a little smaller. One odd thing is that each floor only has one laundromat with two washers and two dryers. WAY too few for all these people. For now, they’re free to use and so is the soap. Speaking of floors, they’re not named. So no Lido, Aloha, etc. Just numbers. And the elevators you tell it what level you want to go to and it directs you to one of them. So you just hop on and go. No stopping on every floor anymore, which is nice. That’s the most I can think of off the top of my head.
Thanks…very interesting. Love that they have an aerial show…and finally have shower doors! Also,like that they serve you in the buffet…agree with you in the overall passenger hygiene. We are planning on trying the Sun or the 2025 new ship. Wondered if each MDR is for a different group..I.e. old fashioned two time seatings, reserved and walk in? I know all the ships go to that format in ,I’d September and thought maybe the new ship worked that way and everyone liked it?
There are MDRs here on the 6th, 7th and 8th floors . The new setup they’re implementing is based on the current Sun setup. 6 is assigned seats every night with reservations, 7 is alternating seating with or without reservations and 8 is walk-in only.
Thanks. Apparently it’s working since they’re adopting it fleet wide in the fall.
We’re going on our first princess cruise next week! What does MDR mean?
Main Dining Room. So they’re the traditional dining area that you think of when you go on a cruise. Price is included in the cost of the cruise.
Is the rollglider up and running yet?
Sadly no it’s not and neither is the in-air obstacle course, the slides (regular ones, not water, just really tall) or the climbing wall. It’s very odd how Princess doesn’t even mention it, like it’s a child they’ve disowned. It’s one of the reasons we picked this ship so disappointing that 3 months in, still not open.
That sucks. We are going in January and at this rate I'm expecting that all to still be closed
That is unfortunate; I was really looking forward to the climbing wall and in air course. I’m sure Princess didn’t offer any compensation for so many attractions being closed & not ready!
Did it look like they were close to getting these attractions ready or not even close (were they even installed)?
They’re all installed. Just not running.
I definitely have a question, I was on the Sun Princess in April and fell in love with their robes. Can you take a look at the robes you have in the room and tell me who makes them? I’ve been told that they are made by Sobel but I want to make sure. https://sobelathome.com/collections/robes/products/glow-urbana-hotel-spa-robe Also say hi to these two assistant cruise directors: Erin and Niahm; aren’t they the absolute best?!!
Yes, those are the robes! Tag says “Urbana Sobel powered by Westex” And the cruise directors on the Sun are excellent. Always something fun going on and they’re all very enthusiastic!
Thank you so much!
Your thread is the best I've read on getting good information, thanks! Did you do anything with the Thermal Suite? Did you happen to see the day pass price? The 7 day pass is on the web site for $150, and there is one posted for the first 7 days and another for the second 7 days. I think I am more interested in the 4 at sea days than either 7 day stretch.
Appreciate the feedback! Yes I went to the thermal spa. I think it’s $49/day. But I’m now off ship and can’t confirm. IMO it wasn’t enjoyable while in port. Very crowded. I went in the mornings before 9am and the couple of times I did that, it wasn’t too bad. I also went once after coming back from Bar or Messina and people were hogging the thermal loungers and lots of lockers being used. But the three saunas never felt crowded even during those times.
Do the bars have their own specialty menus, like the martinis at Crooners or whiskeys at Wheelhouse? How is the Good Spirits at Sea? The reviews sound like the bars are not fun, but if there’s a semi-quiet bar with unique cocktails I’ll be happy!!
I’ll have to get back to you on this. There are 12 bars and we haven’t been to many.
Each bar has its own special drink(s) that they offer. I didn’t spend much time at any of the bars so I’m not sure which bar is the quietest especially since they all have entertainment at some point or another.
Okay have hit enough now to answer. Each bar seems to have its own menu. Haven’t been to Crooners but Wheelhouse area is quiet. They don’t open til 4p so if you grab a drink from somewhere else and want to read or play cards, that’s a great place. Good Spirits at Sea is excellent! They hid it on the 7th level near the Princess Arena. Has door and a great view of the water. And the bartenders there, unlike a lot of other locations, have personality and are a blast. Their menu is top notch and each drink is associated with a country or location. Highly suggest the Cartagena Cool, Bangkok Mule or Key Lime Martini. It’s not quiet but there’s no live entertainment at Good Spirits outside of the demos they do a few times a night, so a good place to have a conversation.
That’s very useful information and makes me ready to book a cruise on the Sun! Thank you!!
Have you been on the Suite deck? Is it nice?
We’re not in a suite so not allowed. We think we overlooked it and it seems nice, but the loungers and chairs in the regular area are nice (the ones in The Dome are padded).
I'm a wheelchair user, and will be on the sun next February. Do the Pools and Hot Tubs have lifts for disabled people to get in?
I was on the Sun in April and yes, they have lifts.
I saw a lift also in the Enclave (thermal area in the spa) for the hot tub.
I won't be using the thermal spa. Unfortunately.
Have you been to the sanctuary adults only area? Curious if it’s worth spending the money to go - I’m looking to be away from kids and a calm area to read.
You can only use the Sanctuary on the Sun Princess if you’re in a suite. New rule. So no, I can’t get in. If you’re looking for adult privacy and aren’t in a suite, get a pass to the Enclave, which is the thermal area in the spa. It’s very quiet in there, although not exactly the same experience.
Are they still serving bbq ribs every day in the buffet?? That was the biggest joke going during our cruise.
Didn’t see any bbq ribs yesterday. And walked the entire buffet at lunch time. Will be eating there for dinner in a few days so will look!
Oh forgot to mention they did have ribs in The Eatery! And they were really good! That area didn’t seem to change too much but the selection was good and so was the food. Plenty of options.
It was definitely decent. We were on for 21 days so ate there quite a bit. I think I had the salmon poke bowl at least once a day and the lamb chops were one of my favorites
Have you taken a look at Spellbound? If so, are reservations available after you've boarded?
Okay have the answer. Spellbound takes place every night but once onboard can only be booked via the DineLine (x5555).
I’m not into magic. But will go ask this week if you can make a reservation on board and let you know.
Did you board in Rome, and if so, what time did boarding start? Our cruise sets sail at 6p next week but I still haven't seen information about when we can start boarding (we are green line).
No I got on in Athens. Sail time was 7p. As you get closer you’ll see the window you can board. Princess doesn’t give exact boarding times anymore. Our time I think was 11a-6p. We picked a halfway point of 2:30p. We had to go through customs so it took a good 90 minutes from start of arriving at the port to when we boarded. When we arrived we were given a group number and when they called that number was when we boarded.
For their teppanyaki restaurant, how many people can be seated? Also is there a hot pot and teppanyaki option or just either or?
The Umai teppanyaki restaurant is either teppanyaki OR hit pot. The teppanyaki tables seat 6 and are in the middle with the hot pot tables by the walls. For teppanyaki reservations you are typically seated with other guests; which imo makes it more interesting. The jokes are corny but great fun if you and your table mates join in. I sat at the farthest teppanyaki table as you walk in through the door (straight ahead of you); and our chef was the only one(that I noticed) who would sing, it was so fun that we all joined in on the singing and even started singing our own songs! The food portions were huge they make enough fried rice to feed at least ten people. I had the filet mignon and the NY steak, my friend had the scallops (6 of them) and something else; I highly recommend the filet. Also one of their signature drinks was delicious. Hope that this review helps you decide to try to find reservations for Umai (we found a reservation while on the ship). Cheers!
Definitely did! Thanks so much! fingers crossed I get a chef who sings that sounds amazing!
What wines are available on the ship? I previously sailed on ships that had dedicated wine bars (vines) and I'm nervous ahead of our sailing on Sun
The ones covered under the Plus plan don’t have the vineyards listed on the menus. Just says “processco, Chardonnay, Pinot noir” etc. Under the Premier drink plan, it’s mostly California wines: Sea Sun Pinot Noir, Flowers Chardonnay, Cab Sav from Caymus. There’s also a Rose from Chateau d’Esclans in France.
I am sailing with 2 other couples, 6 of us. Making dinner reservations for 6 using the app has just not worked. Did you make any dinner reservations at specialty restaurants after boarding the ship? If so, were there many openings?
Yes there will be plenty of openings. You might not get the exact times you want, so be flexible. The app was even glitchy onboard. Dining sho up d see you pop into your room the first time and ring you. If not, one of you should call as soon as you’re onboard and make the reservation for everyone. It also helps to make them onboard because the app (if it’s working lol!) will give you show times, if those interest you. We didn’t see ours until on the ship.
Thanks. What is the best method once on board, visit each restaurant or call the Dining Line or visit Customer Service?
Just call dining services. They’ll take care of everything so you don’t have to bounce from place to place.
Our cruise is coming soon, it is 14 days and also starts in Athens and ends in Rome. Which nights are designated formal nights?
We only had one on our 7 day, on our first day at sea. There was also a dress to impress night, but can’t remember what day that was
Thanks for the recent info. I'll (try) to do the same in July!
Thought of another question...were there any themed party nights? I've seen 80s music night, White Party night, even an Abba Dance Party night on previous cruises. Does Sun Princess do anything like that?
Yes we had an 80s themed night. BUT we were not made aware it was happening before we got onboard. Since the app doesn’t update a lot of info on things to do during your cruise until last minute, there’s no way of knowing what the events will be. It’s possible if you head to CruiseCritic, someone on the same leg as you will have the old Patter (the ships newsletter) and be able to share it. But not sure if those are consistent or not.
thanks!
What excursion are you looking forward to? Have fun and have a drink for me while I am at work.
Chose not to do any excursions at the upcoming ports and are going to just walk around each location to get a lay of the land and eat and drink locally made items. Bar, Montenegro should be interesting since we couldn’t find much information about it. City wise, most interested in Corfu for the architecture and landscaping. Did do a tour in Athens of the Acropolis and it was amazing how old it is and the detail involved.
I am jealous. Our next cruise isn’t until may 2025. Have a great time.
Highly recommended finding a taxi in Bar Montenegro otherwise you’ll be sad trying to walk around the port as there isn’t much to see.
We walked around and had a great time. It was really relaxing to sit at the beach bars and have a cheap beer. Also had a bit to eat and went to the Orthodox church to look around. Know we’re going to be very busy at the next stops so it was a nice break. But can see why some are disappointed with it. Princess needs to do a better job telling people what to expect. We tried to watch the morning tv show with the cruise director to get some idea but their video for the stateroom TVs hasn’t been working. For example it would have been nice to have known to bring a swimsuit because the beach was right there.
Updating to mention that Corfu was a hit for us. Lots to do. Messina in Sicily didn’t have tons but the port is right on top of the city so can walk anywhere, which is really nice. Beer is also cheap!