CatMom72

To be fair, the space that was originally “suite-only” was insufficient for 80 suite cabins, just as the combined Sanctuary Club space is now insufficient for 215 cabins.

Yeah, this is a real head scratcher. Why would anyone pay that much extra for EXACTLY THE SAME ROOM?! The lounge looks nice, but not for that price.

All I can say is that I’m glad both of my suite bookings on the Sun are prior to October 14. I’m not sure I’d be interested in booking a suite after that, especially not at these (much) higher prices. Under the new system, I’d be paying significantly more money for significantly less exclusivity. Not sure what Princess management is thinking here…

Yeah, I don’t really see the difference between S9 and M1 after 14 October. S9 still costs a lot more than M1 in the new price structure and the only added benefit is access to the suite lounge. The lounge looks beautiful, but it hardly seems like it would be worth the extra cost if that’s all you get. 😕

Hopefully you are in the D0 after 14 October…

I am in an S4 for June 1 and I got the email, too. I don’t see that I’m getting anything different than I was already getting yesterday lol.

Glad you wound up getting that after Princess gave all the D0 passengers such a runaround about it. I’m also glad they are abandoning the silly day pass strategy for the Sanctuary, as it was never clear to me how that was going to work. My only concern now is that they upgraded so many cabins that they have created a different problem…the entire Sanctuary only holds about 300 people, and there are 215 eligible cabins (430 adults at double occupancy). Alas, the math still doesn’t look good IMO. Oh well…at least I won’t be on the ship when it’s in the Caribbean! I think that’s when we’ll really find out if there’s a problem with the strategy. I am still very excited to experience the Sun!

Before they rolled this out, they were planning to sell day passes to non-suite passengers anyway (based on “availability”). To me, that was even sketchier, because it wasn’t clear how they would determine “availability.” Now at least we know what we’re dealing with. That said…they still don’t have enough space in the Sanctuary to accommodate 430 suite passengers (assuming 2 adults for each of the 215 Sanctuary cabins)…so I’m not sure they actually solved anything with this update.

I’m sure you’re right. My mother is booked in an M1 mini on deck 14 in December. She already received the email today saying she’d been upgraded to Sanctuary Collection.

You should be able to do it through the Delta app

At least they are notifying passengers well in advance this time.

Funny, this is how I always describe it, too. 😄

Princess’ website doesn’t list that as an amenity on the Sun Princess.

Despite its flaws, I still think the medallion system is far superior to the card system that is used on other cruise lines. I was traveling with a group of 12 on NCL Joy over NYE, and let me tell you that trying to deal with all those cards at dinner was a NIGHTMARE. There were some nights I was asked to provide my card twice before I could even get a drink, despite the fact that I had a drink package that covered the cost of said drink. Ordering another drink? Be prepared to fork over your card again. Bottled water? “Can I see your card once more?” Sorry, but constantly having to produce that card was a nuisance, especially since NCL does not let you punch a hole in the card and clip it to a lanyard the way Princess used to do in the pre-Medallion era. On balance, I think the Medallion is much more convenient than the card, especially when the bar staff know how to use it properly.

We booked the same room but two decks lower on our September cruise, so we’ll have a chance to compare directly. I am really excited to hear your thoughts about everything else (Signature lounge, Signature restaurant, Spellbound, shows, etc.). Hope you’re enjoying your cruise!

That’s why we wanted this one…the balcony looked a little bigger on the deck plan. 😄

That will be our room, too. 😄

I know my husband will be relieved as he, too, is a “fluffy cruiser” and is not a big fan of formal wear.

I wonder if the suit-and-tie thing was only required when they were doing the media-only/by-invitation-only events. I hope so! @Sox Fan Cruiser, please let us know!

I do love Rome! Can’t wait to hear your take on the Sun, @Sox Fan Cruiser! I know it will be great even if Princess hasn’t quite gotten things right yet.

I agree. I think Princess has made some tactical errors with the Signature roll out. Other cruise lines seem to have a more cogent strategy for ship-within-a-ship. For one thing, suite-only sections of their ships offer both adults-only and family-friendly relaxation spaces. Also, there are adults-only relaxation spaces available for non-suite passengers, so there’s none of this ambiguity about whether passes will or will not be available on any given cruise (and, if they are available, how many there will be). I also can’t fathom the rationale for putting the roller glider immediately adjacent to the Sanctuary on Sun. Call me crazy, but there’s something about having screaming children whizzing by overhead while I’m trying to relax that just not say “sanctuary” or “adults only” to me.

A cruise ship doesn’t have the ability to provide the type of care that is needed for someone who has had a stroke. The responsible thing to do is to ensure that the victim gets to a land-based hospital that IS equipped to deal with stroke patients. Sounds like NCL did that, to the extent that they could. As for the family’s claim they weren’t contacted by NCL, we don’t know the relevant details. How do we know what contact information the victim provided? How do we know that NCL didn’t try to contact someone? More importantly, if the family was so concerned about their 80-year-old relative traveling on a 22-day cruise by herself, perhaps they should have taken greater precautions themselves when it came to ensuring her safety. Why is this NCL’s problem? What else should they have done in this case?

I don’t feel sorry for these people. They claim to be experienced cruisers, so they knew they were taking a risk booking a tour with an independent operator. If they had simply accepted the consequences of that mistake, and acknowledged that it was their own fault for not choosing an NCL-sponsored excursion, I would have had some sympathy for them. After all, we all make mistakes sometimes. But the fact that they blamed NCL and got themselves splashed all over the TV and internet? Nope. I no longer feel sorry for them at all. They are just attention-seekers who refuse to take responsibility for their own bad choices. Have they filed a lawsuit yet? (Eyeroll)

Lol, as a fellow Bostonian, I’d have to agree that the lobster you get on a cruise (ANY cruise) is just sad compared to what you get in New England…especially for the price. And while I agree prime rib is not “special,” I do love some tasty cow! 🤤

On most ships, yes. On the Sun? I don’t think so. Lots of us are elite and in suites and have not been able to book dining on the Sun. Haven’t heard of a single person sailing before June 2024 who has been able to do it.