New Princess Sphere class ships?

[sloopsailor]

9 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

Well, the solution is an easy one, though I suspect that Princess will not follow it, which is to implement dramatic, industry-following changes on some ships, but not all.  Implement a class-based system on some ships, but not all.  Put go-kart tracks, (or whatever that is on Deck 20) on some ships, but not all.  Eliminate aft-facing cabins on some ships, but not all.  Etc.  And of course, until the existing ships are retired, there will be choices, and that will buy at least 10 more years.  The real test will be to see if the next 5 ships that follow Sun will all feature the same changes or if they roll out a blend of new and familiar.  

 

Based on the history seen on other cruise lines, the next several ships will be in the same mold as Sun. In fact, Princess has already ordered a second ship in the Sphere class set for delivery in 2025, and plans to order at least two more beyond that. 

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/28072-princess-to-introduce-two-lng-powered-ships-by-2025.html

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by sloopsailor

[CalTexCruiser]

13 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You're forgetting MSC and their Yacht Club.  Did it once on the Seaside back in 2018 when you could get reasonable pricing in an YIN cabin (inside Yacht Club).  Getting escorted back on board by one of the butlers from a port stop was great, but even better was the wristband that caused the elevators to over ride other passengers floors and take us to our destination first.  Some posters on this thread would have a heart attack over that.

 

I'm a big fan of the ship within a ship concept, but I don't feel over riding an elevator ride is right.

 

I don't even feel comfortable with Celebrity's multi-color seapass card system where different cabin levels get different color seapasses. 

 

I'd much rather the cruise lines just implement the multi-service levels as unobtrusively as possible to avoid class antagonism.

[JimmyVWine]

25 minutes ago, sloopsailor said:

 

Based on the history seen on other cruise lines, the next several ships will be in the same mold as Sun. In fact, Princess has already ordered a second ship in the Sphere class set for delivery in 2025, and plans to order at least two more beyond that. 

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/28072-princess-to-introduce-two-lng-powered-ships-by-2025.html

 

For sure the sister ships to Sun will follow the same path.  But then what?  Looking at the Grand Class ships, they started in 1998 with the launching of the Grand, but along the way, variations occurred.  Coral and Island were "two-offs" launched in the middle of the Grand Class builds, as were Diamond and Sapphire, though those latter two ships had more in common with the other Grand Class ships than they had differences.  The Royal Class ships have remained fairly consistent, with venue changes here and there.  But they are more or less the same ships with modifications and enhancements.  But here's the thing.  They ended that build after only 5 ships.  In the "Grand Class Era" Princess launched 7 very similar ships from Grand through Ruby, launched two (Sapphire and Diamond) that were close to those others but a bit different, and two (Coral and Island) that were very different. So after one or two more Sphere Class ships, then what.  And no, I don't think they will go smaller.  Not a chance.  But are cabanas and Signature Suites permanent fixtures? Has Princess built its last aft-facing suite?  Will every ship have a ropes course?  Princess has the luxury of having so many ships that it can (and should) provide choices.  When you put 5 ships in Alaska, you can vary the offerings.  When you put 6 ships in the Caribbean, you can vary the offerings.  But will they?  Or will they chase away all of the people (many of whom post here) who won't sail in anything other than an aft-facing cabin?  

[HBCcruiser]

9 minutes ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

I'm a big fan of the ship within a ship concept, but I don't feel over riding an elevator ride is right.

 

I don't even feel comfortable with Celebrity's multi-color seapass card system where different cabin levels get different color seapasses. 

 

I'd much rather the cruise lines just implement the multi-service levels as unobtrusively as possible to avoid class antagonism.

I looked at the Sun deckplans again, and notice 2 aft lifts that run from deck 9 - 16 only. I wonder what they are for and if these are private elevators just for the suite paxs? I know the NCL Prima has those. 🤔

https://www.princess.com/deckPlans.do?shipCode=SU

[JimmyVWine]

12 minutes ago, CalTexCruiser said:

I'm a big fan of the ship within a ship concept, but I don't feel over riding an elevator ride is right.

I wonder if the new aft elevators will be limited to Signature Level passengers.  Not sure I see the need for those two new elevators, especially when the infrastructure of building them eliminated the possibility of building more aft-facing cabins.  

[vjmatty]

28 minutes ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

I'm a big fan of the ship within a ship concept, but I don't feel over riding an elevator ride is right.

 

 

I actually thought that was a joke.....

[Guest ldtr]

37 minutes ago, CalTexCruiser said:

 

I'm a big fan of the ship within a ship concept, but I don't feel over riding an elevator ride is right.

 

I don't even feel comfortable with Celebrity's multi-color seapass card system where different cabin levels get different color seapasses. 

 

I'd much rather the cruise lines just implement the multi-service levels as unobtrusively as possible to avoid class antagonism.

Goes hand in hand with having your name announced when you walk into the dining room. Actually happens, some friends of our stayed in the iconic suite on Celebrity and they were announced whenever they entered the dining room.

[Sea Hag]

1 minute ago, ldtr said:

Goes hand in hand with having your name announced when you walk into the dining room. Actually happens, some friends of our stayed in the iconic suite on Celebrity and they were announced whenever they entered the dining room.

Oh my gosh, I'd surely hate that being announced when I entered the dining room! 

[vjmatty]

2 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Goes hand in hand with having your name announced when you walk into the dining room. Actually happens, some friends of our stayed in the iconic suite on Celebrity and they were announced whenever they entered the dining room.

 

That would drive me absolutely nuts.... as the suite dweller I mean.

[Guest ldtr]

38 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

For sure the sister ships to Sun will follow the same path.  But then what?  Looking at the Grand Class ships, they started in 1998 with the launching of the Grand, but along the way, variations occurred.  Coral and Island were "two-offs" launched in the middle of the Grand Class builds, as were Diamond and Sapphire, though those latter two ships had more in common with the other Grand Class ships than they had differences.  The Royal Class ships have remained fairly consistent, with venue changes here and there.  But they are more or less the same ships with modifications and enhancements.  But here's the thing.  They ended that build after only 5 ships.  In the "Grand Class Era" Princess launched 7 very similar ships from Grand through Ruby, launched two (Sapphire and Diamond) that were close to those others but a bit different, and two (Coral and Island) that were very different. So after one or two more Sphere Class ships, then what.  And no, I don't think they will go smaller.  Not a chance.  But are cabanas and Signature Suites permanent fixtures? Has Princess built its last aft-facing suite?  Will every ship have a ropes course?  Princess has the luxury of having so many ships that it can (and should) provide choices.  When you put 5 ships in Alaska, you can vary the offerings.  When you put 6 ships in the Caribbean, you can vary the offerings.  But will they?  Or will they chase away all of the people (many of whom post here) who won't sail in anything other than an aft-facing cabin?  

The main difference these days is that most of the CCL lines are using the same basic ship platform. In the past they tended to use different ship designs. Though P&O did use the Royal class platform as well. as Princess.

[Guest ldtr]

11 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

That would drive me absolutely nuts.... as the suite dweller I mean.

That alone would convince me to never book that suite.  They never said what they thought about it, only that it happened.

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

Well, the solution is an easy one, though I suspect that Princess will not follow it, which is to implement dramatic, industry-following changes on some ships, but not all.  Implement a class-based system on some ships, but not all.  Put go-kart tracks, (or whatever that is on Deck 20) on some ships, but not all.  Eliminate aft-facing cabins on some ships, but not all.  Etc.  And of course, until the existing ships are retired, there will be choices, and that will buy at least 10 more years.  The real test will be to see if the next 5 ships that follow Sun will all feature the same changes or if they roll out a blend of new and familiar.  

If you consider the Royal Class and the changes that have occurred over six iterations from Royal to Discovery, I think we can expect changes with Sphere as well.  No, Royal Class did not have fundamental cabin changes so much that we see with Sphere, but in public spaces and venues. 

[JimmyVWine]

48 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

No, Royal Class did not have fundamental cabin changes so much that we see with Sphere, but in public spaces and venues.

The changes are mostly cosmetic and as you note, venue specific.  Gigi's instead of Alfredo's isn't going to make anyone choose one ship over another.  Crooner's stayed, then left, then came back.  Bistro Sur La Mer was added, but didn't supplant any other Specialty Dining.  But when you take away Vines, I  seriously look toward an alternative ship if one is available.  If they ever take away both Vines and the International Café,  I really couldn't see myself choosing that ship.  But what baffles me the most is the removal of aft-facing cabins (and this comes from someone who has never booked one and never will.)  Even though they aren't my cup of tea, it is obvious to even the most casual reader here just how popular and in demand they are.  I would be truly shocked to learn that this is the permanent path forward, pun intended. 

[Steelers36]

15 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

The changes are mostly cosmetic and as you note, venue specific.  Gigi's instead of Alfredo's isn't going to make anyone choose one ship over another.  Crooner's stayed, then left, then came back.  Bistro Sur La Mer was added, but didn't supplant any other Specialty Dining.  But when you take away Vines, I  seriously look toward an alternative ship if one is available.  If they ever take away both Vines and the International Café,  I really couldn't see myself choosing that ship.  But what baffles me the most is the removal of aft-facing cabins (and this comes from someone who has never booked one and never will.)  Even though they aren't my cup of tea, it is obvious to even the most casual reader here just how popular and in demand they are.  I would be truly shocked to learn that this is the permanent path forward, pun intended. 

On those aft cabins, like you, I doubt we would ever book one, but it does boggle the mind since they seem very popular and sell quickly.  I guess with air balloon acrobatics and shouty announcers, they are hoping no one notices.

[c-boy]

3 hours ago, ldtr said:

That alone would convince me to never book that suite.  They never said what they thought about it, only that it happened.

wheeeew!  gald we got that cleared up. I had ya pegged as being on the fence 😅

[sloopsailor]

13 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

But what baffles me the most is the removal of aft-facing cabins (and this comes from someone who has never booked one and never will.)  Even though they aren't my cup of tea, it is obvious to even the most casual reader here just how popular and in demand they are.  I would be truly shocked to learn that this is the permanent path forward, pun intended. 

 

On Virgin Voyage ships, the only aft facing cabins are high end suites. Another example of the cruise industry moving towards dedicating the best areas for the wealthy only. 

[vjmatty]

2 hours ago, sloopsailor said:

 

On Virgin Voyage ships, the only aft facing cabins are high end suites. Another example of the cruise industry moving towards dedicating the best areas for the wealthy only. 

And that seems to be a new thing…..aft cabins were traditionally considered unfavorable due to the yawing of the ship, especially for those prone to motion sickness. Carnival’s Destiny class ships often had huge corner balconies on the aft for the same cost as a regular balcony, as recently as 10 years ago. The only place I’ve seen the popularity for aft cabins expressed is here on CC. When I’ve booked aft cabins in the past, other passengers would ask aren’t we worried about rough seas. I don’t think CC necessarily sets the trend for cruise lines to follow…..and if they do have people scanning the boards here, they sure aren’t responding to our complaints…. but I wonder if we’ve created a demand that didn’t exist before. 

[suzyed]

6 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

And that seems to be a new thing…..aft cabins were traditionally considered unfavorable due to the yawing of the ship, especially for those prone to motion sickness. Carnival’s Destiny class ships often had huge corner balconies on the aft for the same cost as a regular balcony, as recently as 10 years ago. The only place I’ve seen the popularity for aft cabins expressed is here on CC. When I’ve booked aft cabins in the past, other passengers would ask aren’t we worried about rough seas. I don’t think CC necessarily sets the trend for cruise lines to follow…..and if they do have people scanning the boards here, they sure aren’t responding to our complaints…. but I wonder if we’ve created a demand that didn’t exist before. 

We happen to like aft cabins especially in Alaska.   The recent Crown sailing was a bit rough with a lot of vibration  but that was more due to the propulsion issues than the the fact that it's any aft cabin. 

[vjmatty]

3 minutes ago, suzyed said:

We happen to like aft cabins especially in Alaska.   The recent Crown sailing was a bit rough with a lot of vibration  but that was more due to the propulsion issues than the the fact that it's any aft cabin. 

Yes I forgot about vibration, and soot in some cases as well. I haven’t dealt with either, and I’ve found that I like the motion in aft cabins because it rocks me to sleep at night even if it’s what some would consider to be severe. I get that it’s not for everyone and makes most people very uncomfortable, especially on transatlantic sailings where afts often don’t sell very well. 

[sloopsailor]

13 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

And that seems to be a new thing…..aft cabins were traditionally considered unfavorable due to the yawing of the ship, especially for those prone to motion sickness. Carnival’s Destiny class ships often had huge corner balconies on the aft for the same cost as a regular balcony, as recently as 10 years ago. The only place I’ve seen the popularity for aft cabins expressed is here on CC. When I’ve booked aft cabins in the past, other passengers would ask aren’t we worried about rough seas. I don’t think CC necessarily sets the trend for cruise lines to follow…..and if they do have people scanning the boards here, they sure aren’t responding to our complaints…. but I wonder if we’ve created a demand that didn’t exist before. 

 

Cruise Critic or not, aft cabins seem to be some of the first to sell out, so they must be in demand.

[CruizinSusan70]

23 hours ago, ldtr said:

I have been a customer of Princess for years and have enjoyed their product.  So I will speak up if I see them making changes that is likely to make the product less attractive.

 

On the other hand have you even sailed on Princess much?  You seem to be much more active on Carnival, MSC and NCL boards and do not recall seeing you post about Princess except for the discussion on the new Sphere Class.  Having 3 or 4 cruise lines going the ship within a ship route not enough? Something lacking in those ships that have gone that route?

 

Interesting that many of those pushing the ship within a ship route seem to be sailing more on other lines that have gone that direction and apparently not satisfied since they need Princess to go that route too.

I don't have a dog in the fight one way or another when it comes to ship within a ship battle.  About 80% of my past cruises have been on mass market lines with the other 20% on Celebrity or Princess.  I don't feel that the ship within a ship concept takes anything away from me and the overwhelming majority of the time we stay in an inside cabin.  We are though sailing for the ship these days and recently 9/11 sailings have been on the Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Discovery Princess and Carnival Mardi Gras. Also have multiple future sailings booked on other new ships such as the Carnival Celebration, NCL Prima, and Wonder of the Seas.

Princess is doing what they need to do to keep up with their competitors.  If the Princess die hards don't like it, they have the rest of the fleet prior to the Royal Class to sail on since there have been many loyalists to Princess that don't like the Royal Class and obviously they will not like the Sphere Class since it's the Royal Class on steroids.

We loved our B2B on the Discovery in April and are looking forward to our 14 days on the Majestic next May/June to Alaska. We will also be expanding our cruising on Princess since I like the way they are going.  It's against what many diehards like, but they can always shift to HAL whose entire fleet is under 100 K or they can pony up and move up the chain to Oceania, Azamara, etc.

[CruizinSusan70]

23 hours ago, caribill said:

 

And that is the problem with the direction Princess is going.

 

They used to differentiate themselves in a number of ways, but now Princess seems to be trying more and more to be just like the competition (larger ships, less unique itineraries, must pay for shore excursions booked in advance at time of reserving, ship-within-a-ship, etc.).

 

Well, when they are just like the competition, then only price differentiates the cruise lines.

Carnival Corporation has different lines for different people.  The entry level lines would be Carnival, Costa, Aida, and P&O.  When they become empty nesters, they move up the chain to Princess and HAL and then to Cunard and Seaborne.  

The Excel Class ships from Carnival have become a game changer for them and if the empty nesters want something similar from the Excel Class platform that the four entry level lines have with an upgraded cruise line, the Sphere Class will satisfy this need.

If so many diehards turn their back on Princess because of this new class of ship or because of the Royal class, it's no sweat off of the backs of the Carnival Corporation bean counters.  We are all expendable and will be replaced by other cruisers.

[CruizinSusan70]

16 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

Catch up, or succumb? 

They will do what is needed to turn a profit.  If you don't like it, make a parallel move to HAL or X. 

[CruizinSusan70]

14 hours ago, PTMary said:

 

What kind of a business decision is it to follow the competition instead of being better than the competition? 

Obviously your definition of what is better is different from the bean counters at Princess.  Once again, if this new class of ship rubs you the wrong way, you can always vote with your wallet and spend your vacation dollars elsewhere.

[CruizinSusan70]

12 hours ago, vjmatty said:

 

I actually thought that was a joke.....

No Ginny, it wasn't a joke.  The first and probably only time we could afford to stay in the Yacht Club since it was a reasonable cost when they were first expanding into the US market back in 2018 was the impetus for us to book the cabin.  And it was a wristband that enabled the Yacht Club members to have priority on the elevators.  This was before dedicated elevators were a thing on NCL with the Haven.  Don't know if MSC has dedicated ones in their fleet now or not.