Live From The Sun!

[cruzzers]

:p

 

 

CFL

Just wanted to let you know we have enjoyed your posts and the detailed information you have left us with. We will be sailing on the Sun on Feb 17th and can't wait! We booked kind of late and had to settle for an outside room with an obstructed view. We have always been able to score a balcony on the Grand and Golden so we are just going to have to suck it up and get used to the idea that we may spend more time on deck! Do you know anything about the obstructed views? We are in room D605 which is mid ship, not far from the casino. I think there is a tender hanging in our window but not sure from the diagram. Darn the luck!

Love to cruise anyway so I am sure it will not interfer.

Have lots of fun and enjoy your final day at sea!

[mlbcruiser]

Thanks for the car rental info., Chris. And now I don't feel so bad for having to admit I've on occassion ordered 2 entrees (just to TRY them, mind you! ;) ).

Cruiserfor life, 18 lobsters?!!! You are now my hero (even if I do feel like maybe I just had a lobster too many myself just thinking about that!) When we were on the Norway we were at a past cruiser's party and one couple had been on 122 cruises! (They and RCCL do not count by days at sea but by # of cruises.)

 

Sun, Moon and Stars, guess we'll be meeting you at Topsiders in March! welcome aboard!

[Lilygrace]

CFL, thanks for walking us through your cruise. I'm not even going on Princess (I'm going on the Voyager of the Seas in May) but it was still fun to go with you on your trip. I hope more people will start doing this because it helps us with our wait till our cruise. Thanks again!

[psupa]

CFL, I have to agree with all that I've truly enjoyed reading your posts throughout your cruise. Thank you for sharing your cruise with us. Just sorry the seas are a bit rough. I don't mind a bit of motion from the ocean now and then, but I hope we have calm seas when we cruise the Sun Princess in April.

[Grego]

Welcome back, or for those still aboard and enjoying Princess Cays, I do have a question regarding reservations.

 

Last year, we were able to make the reservations for Sterling Steakhouse and the Balcony Dinner from the room by call them in. Is that still the proceedure and if so, does one number work for all those type reservations?

 

Thanks,

 

Greg

[cruiserforlife]

Hey guys,

 

Getting down to my last few posts now (tears!) but I'll try to answer all questions until they drag me off the ship screaming.

 

Today...today we got to go to PC and it was truly wonderful!The weather wasn't the greatest to begin with (very cloudly and cold) but it warmed up nicely and was really a lot of fun and a truly great way to spend the last day of a cruise,that's for sure.

 

There have been so many improvements there I don't really know where to start.They have a wharf type deck that overlooks the Cays and plenty of lounge chairs with a nice paver walkway throughout.I didn't see the much talked about cabana's so I'm not sure if that is permanent fixture or if they were somewhere else but neither my wife or I saw them...sorry,can't comment on them.

The water was frigid at first but manageable after a short time.Plenty of water activities going on (snorkeling,water bikes,sailboating,kayaks,jet skis,etc.) and the luncheon was delicious as always.

 

I just feel great to have been able to tender there...it's the 1st. time we were able to put our feet in ocean water this whole trip if you exclude a short time on freezing Megan's Bay.Nice day.

 

Grego,

 

You still can make reservations for Sterling's from your stateroom phone.No Balcony Dinner on the Sun but a great Champagne Breakfast that we enjoyed yesterday for just $25/couple.

 

Seas were calm starting around 2am and hopefully will be so for the trip back to FL.

 

I heard last night on our TV that they ran out of rooms in FL. for the SB and were putting people up in cruiseships..anybody hear this as well?Chris?

Tonight,the game starts at 7PM a(satellite permitting) and will be shown in the Vista Lounge as well as on channel 27 in our rooms!

 

mkk,

 

I remember being in pain also from a Johnny Rocket's burger aboard the NOS...what do they put in those things?I would always laugh that people would complain of having to pay for them...how many &^%$#@! burgers can you eat?Not 18 (as in Lobster tails,I can tell you that!).

 

cruzzers,

 

We are in B605 (just above you) and if I'm not mistaken,there are tenders partially blocking your view.The tenders are mounted on the Promanade Deck but I'm sure parts of it are blocking the Dolphin Deck.I'll try to check it out and report back.

 

We got a copy folio just to double check it and Juliet had already credited my back the $12.30 that was mistakenly charged to my card because I didn't use my wife's Elite card.She really is on top of it and has been most helpful everytime we've asked for her assistance.Someone else previously commented that she might be the best CCH Princess has and I won't argue that point.My 'net charges are currently just under $300 and will finish somewhere around $340-$350 before I finally sign off.These charges have also already been deducted from my wife's folio.

 

I would say that is a pretty nice perk and if it wasn't for it being free,we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.

 

Going to enjoy the rest of the afternoon before the SB and will check in later.

 

CFL

[dcourt]

Psupa - come and join us on our Roll Call. We have a nice group of individuals that will be cruising with you on April 8th on the Sun!!

[JanMD]

The cruise ships in FLL were scheduled a year ago. A few are charted out and others are going per night. They have been showing the cruise ships and security around them all week.

[cruiserforlife]

Well,we've shoved off from PC and also left the beautiful sun there as well.

Heading towards FL. now and the weather is decidely cooler.

 

My wife is packing our bags now and the early diners already have their bags out and it's not even 5pm yet!Walking down the halls and seeing luggage is a sight I haven't seen in 10 days.

 

Now I can really tell this cruise is coming to an end...SOB!

 

cruzzers,

 

I tried to go outside and see what might be obstructing your view but they are still buttoning up the tenders so I couldn't get a glimpse.maybe later before it gets dark.

 

Filled out my questionaires and "you made the difference cards"...hard pick,everyone has truly been so great.This is a very polished staff on the Sun Princess and everyone has gone out of their way to make this cruise memorible despite the weather conditions and rough seas.

 

Someone mentioned earlier about NoroVirus.The precautions are out there in full force (hand sanitizers before you enter the HC) and limited access to certain foods which must be handled by the staff.I'm certain there has been no reports of it on this cruise (because we have seen no further steps taken) but you can bet there has been many made sick from the rough seas.

 

Check in later and go Pats,

 

CFL

[Bonnie-Jean]

Thanks for all the information concerning the Sun Princess. I am even getting depressed for you having to return home. Can hardly wait until March 19. Thanks, your information will make our cruise so much fun..

 

 

Bonnie & George:)

[rucruizin]

This has been so much fun keeping up with this thread, I don't think I've ever spent this much time on CC.

 

CFL, is it ok to be bummed for you now?

 

As happy as I am to be on a cruise, by the time it's over I want to just blink my eyes and be home. Waiting in lines outside the ship and inside the airport are just the final insult. I do look forward to being home though, I know that there will be 5 happy little tails waiting to greet me.

 

Gosh I still can't get past the feeling that my cruise is over...do any of you know what I mean?

 

I can't believe you ate all that lobster...I doubt I could force down one.

 

Hope you have a great meal tonight and get a good nights rest. Thank you again for your thread.

[psupa]

Psupa - come and join us on our Roll Call. We have a nice group of individuals that will be cruising with you on April 8th on the Sun!!

 

Hi dcourt, I had posted a while ago on the roll call, but haven't checked the roll call board lately. It would be nice if we can get together to meet everyone. I'll post over in roll call.

[Dreamer2000]

Hi CC:

Quick question. Any idea what that hotel room would cost that your staying in?. Sounds fantastic. Probably out of my price range but to see the ships coming and going would great.

 

Thanks

Dreamer

[cruzisme]

It has been wonderful to follow your daily reports aboard the Sun! It sounds like it is in super shape! BTW were there any professional dance instructors on board, giving ballroom dancing lessons? I know that on the Regal they had the McVickers, who gave twice daily lessons.

 

I hope you had a great trip home!

[cruzzers]

We have really enjoyed all of the postings keeping us updated with the day to day happenings on your cruise. We are now in the mood to get there and sail away on Feb. 17th. Hopefully you will all continue to view our postings and keep in touch with us.

 

Cruisersforlife,

Thanks a bunch for making our week so interesting and for checking on our room, D605. We have asked for an upgrade but I do believe the ship is sold out and so far they have not been able to work us in. We will be fine as long as we can see daylight and have a bed to sleep in at night.

 

Take care and visit us on our Sun 2-17-05 thread. It has been fun sharing your days with us!!!! Have safe trips home.

[mkk]

CFL...

Well SB is over....hope your favorite team won...I was pretty neutral although have family in NE so am happy for them...

BTW I think there were three ships planned in advance for the SB..otherwise they wouldn't have been awarded the game...X' Zenith..a Radisson ship and

I think a RCCL...

Hope your last night is stress free and memorable!

Always sad to pack up I know!

Thanks for letting all of us be your guests this week. Have a safe trip home....

MK

[patti o]

CFL, I agree with all stated above. Thanks much! It's been great to re-live our Sun b2b's last month through you. Thanks for taking your cruise time to share, and yep....ain't that Elite free internet just grand?? :-)

 

BTW, it was me who mentioned Juliet as being the most professional CCH we've encountered. We enjoyed chatting with her during some of her quieter moments. She IS on top of things! Our hello's to her again, if you remember. (Pat and Carol from the b2b last month). And yes....Carol is a man, my hubby, spelled that way! What WERE his parents thinking???

 

CFL, please post upon your return home to let us know how your disembarkation, flights, etc. went. Am I right that you are from Monterey, CA? Flight through SFO? We're long-time year-round Lake Tahoe residents.

 

Have a safe journey back, and we'll miss your daily reports. However, Cruzin'Chris and Cruzzers, please post for us to continue our Sun journey with you.

[CruisinChris]

Morning!

 

Sitting on my balcony at the pier 66 looking at the Sun. They've been loading food on - yahoo!

 

The day started very overcast and looking like rain but it's trying to clear up. I hope it does. I need some heat to shake this bug.

 

I forgot to mention y-day that the publix on 17th st has closed. It has moved to a huge new location about 2 blocks south of 17th on cordova. This would be very convenient form embassy suites folks and lot further for renaissance folks. I didn't check it out but am sure it's nice.

 

Last night we went to charley's crab to celebrate my mom's bday. We had a nice time.

 

Btw, the sun and the othe ships in today arrived late - around 7:15. I assume the winds and seas are responsible. The marine forecast has the seas subsiding after midnight. Needless to say we're happy about that.

 

Re: the hyatt. The executive tower rooms (jr suites) have a rack rate of 359. There another type of room in the tower with a similar view and no sitting area that goes for 299 I think. One tip, if you or some one in your party is over 62, hyatt offers a great sr citizen's discount which knocks about 75 dollars off those prices. I think it's very pricey but we love the view. I try to alwayys use points to stay here which eases the pain. I'll post my pix from the balcony when we get back.

 

Gotta run and get ready to board.

[gvre]

Cruisin'Chris,

 

We are booked for the Hyatt Pier 66 in November. We bid online and got a garden room for $135. I don't think it was the best deal we could have gotten but it will be my husband's birthday and we wanted something nice and didn't want to wait until the last minute. We are hoping to be able to upgrade to a tower room when we check in.

 

Have you tried any of the hotel restaurants? We are thinking of having Richard's birthday dinner there so we don't have to venture out and we also plan to visit the revolving bar (restaurant?) at the top of the tower to celebrate. Any suggestions you could provide would be very helpful.

 

Thanks for the tip about the Publix moving. We stayed at the Reniassance last November before a cruise and walked down to it for some supplies before our cruise. We will be staying at the same hotel this April and you saved us a needless walk!

 

Have a wonderful cruise! We are looking forward to hearing all about it!:D

 

Bon Voyage!

Debbie

[judygolfing]

Cruisin Chris

 

So glad you are going to continue this thread. I think we all look forward to reading these posts. I know I do. We are headed out on March 19th, so if we get can somone on each segment... It is 11 degrees in Minnesota today, but sunny, so envy you on the balcony...

[LisaH]

We are cruising on the Sun Princess (for the second time) on 2/17 so just over a week to go. Cruiseforlife your posts have been wonderful and very much appreciated. I was a bit concerned that the Sun has gone down in service and general upkeep but after reading your posts I feel much better.

 

I had also worried about the Norovirus but heck you can get that anywhere and I have already purchased the Purell per another post. I can't wait, this will be our 6th cruise and 4th on Princess.

 

We are doing a minisuite this time...I also hope the weather is warmer than what you had. THANKS AGAIN from Texas!

[rucruizin]

Guess I'll have to work now while I'm at work...sure the boss'll be happy.

[patti o]

Cruzin'Chris: Since you're continuing the Sun thread for us here at home, could you start a new thread perhaps? Or is it just me on tracking through to the last thread gets to be a hassle? We have nearly 200 posts here, time for a new continuation thread?

[iancal]

CFL: Many thanks for your posts. Frankly, we were having second thoughts about the SUn 2/27. We booked Princess based on availablity, price, and fbonus air miles. We have not been on Princess before and our last cruise was on the Mercury. It was wonderful so we are hoping that the Sun will be comparable. Earlier posts in various locations had the Sun broken down/falling to bits, dirty, smelling like a sewer, very poor food, poor service etc. etc. After your posts we feel much better. Just hope the weather is good. You were very kind to give us a running commentary.

[Host Anne]

Hello everyone ~ we arrived home a couple of hours ago after a wonderful 10 days on the Sun Princess. Sorry that I didn't get back here as much as CFL....the days just all went so fast.

 

I am planning on writing a complete review and hope to have it posted by this weekend. I'll give you a quick run-down of the highlights and try to answer questions that CFL couldn't (if I can remember them)...:)

 

First, Cruisin Chris .... will you do us a BIG favor and go to the Atrium Bar and tell Tomas from the Phillipines that Andy & I miss him already. There was no one here tonight to have our pre-dinner drinks ready for us. We had to pour our own glasses of wine. ;) Have a fabulous time and I hope you have smooth sailing!

 

Let's see ~ I'll work backwards -- the cabanas on Princess Cays are to the right as you disembark the tenders. They are on the opposite side of everything else. We had friends rent one so a group of us migrated to that side of the beach. It was very relaxing and quiet. They rented for $8 and they were collapsible nylon shells. They provided good wind and sun protection and two lounge chairs and a small table could fit inside. The only challenge with this side of the beach is that there really was no bar or food service. You had to go back to the main beach area to go through the buffet line or get drinks. It was a prefect day and a great way to end the cruise.

 

Food ~ I have to agree with CFL 100%. I don't know what people have been complaining about before this cruise, but we found the food to be excellent overall. Sure, there was an item here or there that wasn't great, but overall, meals were terrific. No complaints in the food department.

 

Sterlings ~ we did try it one evening and again, the meal was excellent. They take a portion of the Horizon Court each evening and turn it into a more intimate dining atmosphere. It's actually a much nicer setting than you might imagine. All the food was great (I loved the corn casserole served in a little pastry shell) and it was a nice break from the dining room (we do traditional late seating dining).

 

If I had any negatives, it would be the cleaning of tables in the Horizon Court. They are so worried about making sure you use the disinfectant as you enter the HC but tables were slow to be cleared and even slower to be wiped down (if they were wiped down at all).

 

Also, for those who asked about the odors, someone explained to us that the vents from the holding tanks on the Sun class ships are positioned in such a manner that odors are drawn back into the ventilation system that you notice in several areas of the ship (the areas I mentioned from our walks, actually) so I don't know if this is what is actually happening, but there was an occasional odor.....nothing that was so bad that it bothered us....but noticable on occasion.

 

Loved the Cruise staff, thought the captain was terrific (he was actually eating breakfast from the Horizon Court out on the pool deck yesterday morning....never seen that before) and many of the crew were friendly and fun (our cabin attendant, Zaldy was terrific).

 

Let us know if you have questions -- CFL and I (and Cruisin Chris) will all be happy to respond......

 

I'll let you know when my review is complete. ;)