Sun Princess - some questions

[mr walker]

Looking for some input from you experienced Princess cruisers as our Sun cruise in Mar/Apr will be our first on Princess - we have mostly cruised on RC & 2 on Carnival. Plunging in for 29N first up Round Aus (Syd-Syd). Travelling with DW, SIL & BIL. Category OW Dolphin Deck.

 

- are there theme nights?

- is the Sanctuary worth it?

- dining dress norm?

- Sterling Steakhouse yes/no?

 

Anything else you think we should know.

[By The Bay]

Looking for some input from you experienced Princess cruisers as our Sun cruise in Mar/Apr will be our first on Princess - we have mostly cruised on RC & 2 on Carnival. Plunging in for 29N first up Round Aus (Syd-Syd). Travelling with DW, SIL & BIL. Category OW Dolphin Deck.

 

- are there theme nights? No, only Formal nights.

- is the Sanctuary worth it? IMHO, NO.

- dining dress norm? Other than no short pants, neat casual.

- Sterling Steakhouse yes/no? We always go at least once and enjoy the change from the MDR and Horizon buffet.

 

Anything else you think we should know. If you enjoy your coffee, get a coffee card. If you enjoy a drink, go to the Buy One get One for $1, twice a day.

The Sun has an Australian power outlet.

Edited January 13, 2017 by By The Bay

[cruisine21]

We spotted a few male passengers wearing shorts in the MDR on Sea Princess

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GUT2407]

Looking for some input from you experienced Princess cruisers as our Sun cruise in Mar/Apr will be our first on Princess - we have mostly cruised on RC & 2 on Carnival. Plunging in for 29N first up Round Aus (Syd-Syd). Travelling with DW, SIL & BIL. Category OW Dolphin Deck.

 

- are there theme nights?

- is the Sanctuary worth it?

- dining dress norm?

- Sterling Steakhouse yes/no?

 

Anything else you think we should know.

 

Not that passengers dress for

 

Not in my opinion

 

Not sure what you mean, pants and shirt most nights, be a few formal nights, dark suit is suggested, day shorts etc

 

Steakhouse to me a must do I love it. Mrs .Gut is a vegan and still enjoys it.

[Kinkacruiser]

The remodeled Horizon Court / buffet is great. There's a sushi bar, Curtis Stone restaurant and the Crown Grill/Sterling Steakhouse which are all worth a try. We enjoyed our meals at CS and CG very much.

 

A wide promenade deck is a big plus in my opinion.

 

MDR dress ? Smart casual for men would be a collared shirt (polo or other) with long pants. On Formal nights we like to dress up ( suits for men and elegant dresses, pants and tops for the ladies). One sees fewer 'glitzy' outfits compared to 10 years ago.

 

Sanctuary? very few Aussies use the Sanctuary on the Sun.

 

Hope you enjoy your Sun Princess cruise :)

Edited January 13, 2017 by Kinkacruiser

[Aussieflyer]

I guess everyone has a different take on things - I thought Kai Seafood was rubbish (unless you had the sushi or oysters only) and I didn't think Share was anything great at all. Sterling Steakhouse I did think was excellent except for the location in the back/side/adjacent to the buffet. I enjoyed the food very much and would eat there several times if I was to do another Sun P cruise.

If there are lots of passengers onboard I would use Sanctuary, just to get away from people. Depends on the weather a lot. It was freezing on Golden recently and the wind whipping through there made it a waste of money.

[mr walker]

Thanks all - much appreciated.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We love the Sanctuary and spend most of our time there on a Princess cruise. To us it's worth every cent - but our idea of a blissful cruise is sitting comfortably in a semi-shaded spot, overlooking the ocean, reading our Kindles. It probably won't be heavily booked on the Round Australia itinerary. I suggest waiting for a nice afternoon on a sea day and trying it.

 

We tried the Stirling Steakhouse on our first Sun cruise. The food was OK, not as good as I expected though. The location was very nice while it was still light outside but after that it was rather like dining in a hotel corridor outside the kitchens. By the time our mains arrived all we could hear was constant clattering of plates from the buffet kitchens. We finished our meal quickly and left.

 

We tried Share twice on our last Sun cruise. We like the quiet ambience. The food was variable - some nice dishes and some dreadful. Unfortunately the Sun Share menu is quite different than on the other two ships that have Share and it wasn't that enticing.

 

We also tried Kai Sushi / Seafood on both cruises. The menu is very limited and the quality of fish on the nigiri was not up to the standard we are used to. The oysters were excellent, as was the Ahi Tuna Poke. The menu desperately needs some more variety - perhaps some tempura (both vege and seafood) to add a crunchy element, or yakisoba for something a bit more filling. I didn't try the pan-fried oysters but wish I had.

 

The majority of passengers dress nicely in the evenings - chinos, some jeans, open necked shirts, polo shirts for men, women tend to glam up a little. Some of us go all out on formal nights :D, dinner suits or suits, but most men usually wear dark pants, a shirt, sometimes a jacket and or a tie. Quite a few women wear long dresses or skirts, or pretty cocktail dresses.

[keagle]

If you want to see one of the biggest T-bones you will lay your eyes on, go to the Steakhouse, you will be full when you leave. And sooooo nice :D

[mr walker]

Thanks OzKiwi JJ - great info.

 

And keagle, maybe the T-bone dinner should be on a day where I just have a light brunch & no afternoon tea :D

[Russell21]

Thanks OzKiwi JJ - great info.

 

And keagle, maybe the T-bone dinner should be on a day where I just have a light brunch & no afternoon tea :D

 

Don't have an Entree if you're having any of the steaks. DAMHIKT:D