Sun Princess - Original

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, dog said:

Sad to say, this is one of the designated smoking areas. Casino & forward area of ship are as well. Passenger posted letter she got in cabin about this. Fb

Really sad.  Why would they do that?  Do we know if it is the entire area?

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, dog said:

False advertising then?

 

To be clear- the premium deluxe balcony cabins that were designated and still is on Princess website are 15603, 15604, 16603, 16604.

 

I do not see this correction on my screen from Princess website.

 

still willing to wait for word from actual passengers in one of the cabins I listed.

I still see Signature mentioned on the deck plan page when hovering on a cabin.  I do not see Signature mentioned when using the booking process.

[WonderMan3]

5 hours ago, dog said:

Sad to say, this is one of the designated smoking areas. Casino & forward area of ship are as well. Passenger posted letter she got in cabin about this. Fb

Ew. They still have smoking in the casino? I've been sailing mainly with Celebrity since 2013 so I've become so used to a smoke-free casino.

[EDVM96]

4 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

If the new drink is 18.00, you'll pay 3.00, plus 0.54 gratuity per drink.  If you drink 4 of them, that's over 14.00.  You might as well just get the Premier package and pay 20.00 per day.

Yes, but only if you drink 4 of those premiums daily on the entire cruise. 😉

[rexdillinger]

 

[PacnGoNow]

9 hours ago, dog said:

Sad to say, this is one of the designated smoking areas. Casino & forward area of ship are as well. Passenger posted letter she got in cabin about this. Fb

Are you serious?  Seaview terrace and bar are smoking areas?  What other areas, besides the casino are smoking?

SMH

 

[dog]

27 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Are you serious?  Seaview terrace and bar are smoking areas?  What other areas, besides the casino are smoking?

SMH

 

Letter posted said Wakeview Terrace, I believe. Casino. And forward- but I can’t find post again.

[dog]

Chat message from ship- $99 pp sea days, $79 pp port days for Sanctuary.

$499 per day cabana up to 4 passengers.

[555]

1 hour ago, PacnGoNow said:

Are you serious?  Seaview terrace and bar are smoking areas?  What other areas, besides the casino are smoking?

SMH

 

It possibly might be because the ship is in Europe right now.

I hope it changes to non smoking when it reaches the US.

[PacnGoNow]

1 minute ago, 555 said:

It possibly might be because the ship is in Europe right now.

I hope it changes to non smoking when it reaches the US.

I’ve never seen that happen.  But, anything is possible these days on PCL.  SMH

[dog]

1 minute ago, PacnGoNow said:

I’ve never seen that happen.  But, anything is possible these days on PCL.  SMH

I can’t find the photo posted of the letter- it was brownish, I think. Oh, and casino- only can smoke in there during open hours & if you are actively playing.

[Scirocco Breeze]

20 minutes ago, 555 said:

It possibly might be because the ship is in Europe right now.

I hope it changes to non smoking when it reaches the US.

Speaking as a European, I'm horrified by that! Ugh, that could be my deal breaker, I can't bear the smell of cigarette smoke. This seems like a very poor decision.

[Mike07]

1 hour ago, PacnGoNow said:

Are you serious?  Seaview terrace and bar are smoking areas?  What other areas, besides the casino are smoking?

SMH

 

 

 

Seems PCL needs to get with the times.... And this is 2024 on their newest ship. Smh

[cruisedoctor]

There is an area of the casino where the slot machines are designated non-smoking.  Either during a Zoom presentation about the casino to the travel agent community, or during one of Richard Parker’s shipyard tours, it was mentioned that they have installed a sophisticated air filtration system that continually exchanges the air in the casino, to reduce the effects of the smoking.  Also, the 10 foot ceilings are supposed to help, as the smoke will rise up.  I haven’t been in the casino when it has been crowded with a lot of smokers, so I can’t comment on how successful this system is.  I would recommend that everyone who would prefer the casino be non-smoking, make that suggestion in your post-cruise survey.

[Pixelskaya]

2 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Are you serious?  Seaview terrace and bar are smoking areas?  What other areas, besides the casino are smoking?

SMH

 

I find it hard to believe; the Seaview terrace has a big pool right in front of the bar, kids will be around.

[Mom2N3]

9 hours ago, SouKnoMe said:

And hoping the complainers will take the option to wait. Hey, might get better weather and a completed ship. Honestly I think the crew needs a slight reprieve. It’s hard dealing with complaining customers. 

It’s perfectly appropriate to complain about not getting the experience you were sold and paid for.  That doesn’t mean it’s okay to be abusive to staff, but I really do not see any unhinged posts across this or any other forum I participate in.  Princess really botched this launch, screwing over their passengers on the Feb 8 & Feb 18 sailings, and not providing more equitable adjustments to their current sailing for the lack of open infrastructure.

 

People are right to expect to get what they paid for and to expect for Princess (or any cruise line) to make it right when they fail to deliver.  That doesn’t mean those people are never happy, want Princess to fail, or have unrealistic or unreasonable expectations.

[Mom2N3]

3 hours ago, EDVM96 said:

Yes, but only if you drink 4 of those premiums daily on the entire cruise. 😉

I think the biggest thing that pushed me to Premium on my first cruise was the photo package.  Their photos are exorbitant.  It was a short cruise and my first cruise, so I wouldn’t do that every time, and likely not ever on a long cruise (why do they give the same amount of included specialty dinners on a 4 day west coast cruise as they do on a 30 day cruise!!!  They should give say 1 specialty dinner for every 3 or 4 days of sailing).

[cruisedoctor]

3 minutes ago, Pixelskaya said:

I find it hard to believe; the Seaview terrace has a big pool right in front of the bar, kids will be around.

@Pixelskaya The only pool on the Seaview Terrace is the one that has a small portion inside of the dome.  This picture is deceiving, in that it looks much bigger than it really is.  I would categorize it as a short, but wider “lap pool”.

[cruisedoctor]

9 hours ago, CaptainKirk said:

@cruisedoctor

 

 

Thanks for all the awesome information.

 

If you are still on the ship can you do us all a big favor.

 

Can you please ask Customer Service if these cabins

 

Premium Deluxe Balcony

 

Category D0

 

Cabins

 

16604   16603

15604   15603

14604   14603

12604   12603

11604   11603

 

Has Signature benefits and upgrades.

 

Thanks so much.

@CaptainKirk  Category “D0” Premium Deluxe Balcony do NOT get Signature benefits/upgrades.  

 

When the ship initially opened for sale, there were 3 types of balcony staterooms:

Cove Balconies - Categories DG & DH

Deluxe Balconies - Categories DA, DB, DC, DD, DE & DF

Premium Balconies - Categories D1 & D2

 

Then as time went on, and the initial sailing drew near, Princess decided to do a re-categorization based on the booking pattern they were observing.  They changed the name of the D# categories to Premium Deluxe Balcony to make it clear that the interior design of the room itself, is like the rest of the Deluxe Balcony categories, and the “Premium” referred to these rooms having an extensive balcony.  At the same time, they added the now infamous D0 category, and put the previous aft-located D1 rooms into this new category, at a higher price point, than when they were D1’s.  Historically, cruise lines will move staterooms that are in most demand, into higher categories, in order to increase their profitability.

 

Having closely observed this ship since the first steel was cut, it became apparent to me that one hand didn’t know what the other was doing. Deck plans on the Sun Princess dedicated website, didn’t match those on the main Princess website, or on the app(s).  Changes would occur in one place, but not elsewhere.  When this “late in the game” re-categorization took place it looks like someone “not in the know” was assigned the task of updating things.  They made an incorrect assumption, that since these new “D0” rooms were near the suites, they must get the same benefits, and cut-and-pasted the benefits from the “S_” categories onto these new “D0” in error.

 

Princess has two versions of booking system, a new more elaborate one that travel agents have access to, and an old text based version that Princess agents (including those based on board the ships) use.  Currently, in neither of these systems, does the Category “D0” indicate any “Signature” benefits.  However, based on screen shots that have been posted on this thread, the incorrect misinformation must still be floating around in the passenger-facing website.  The person I spoke with mentioned, that if someone booked this category based on seeing that misinformation, and could prove with enough evidence, they might be able to coerce the cruise line to honor it (once they get on board).  But, that would likely be on a case-by-case basis, and you would need to come prepared with as much written evidence as possible.

 

Remember, if something looks too good to be true, it almost always isn’t.  But, then again, hope springs eternal.

 

Dr. J

 

 

 

 

[Pixelskaya]

9 minutes ago, cruisedoctor said:

@CaptainKirk  Category “D0” Premium Deluxe Balcony do NOT get Signature benefits/upgrades.  

 

When the ship initially opened for sale, there were 3 types of balcony staterooms:

Cove Balconies - Categories DG & DH

Deluxe Balconies - Categories DA, DB, DC, DD, DE & DF

Premium Balconies - Categories D1 & D2

 

Then as time went on, and the initial sailing drew near, Princess decided to do a re-categorization based on the booking pattern they were observing.  They changed the name of the D# categories to Premium Deluxe Balcony to make it clear that the interior design of the room itself, is like the rest of the Deluxe Balcony categories, and the “Premium” referred to these rooms having an extensive balcony.  At the same time, they added the now infamous D0 category, and put the previous aft-located D1 rooms into this new category, at a higher price point, than when they were D1’s.  Historically, cruise lines will move staterooms that are in most demand, into higher categories, in order to increase their profitability.

 

Having closely observed this ship since the first steel was cut, it became apparent to me that one hand didn’t know what the other was doing. Deck plans on the Sun Princess dedicated website, didn’t match those on the main Princess website, or on the app(s).  Changes would occur in one place, but not elsewhere.  When this “late in the game” re-categorization took place it looks like someone “not in the know” was assigned the task of updating things.  They made an incorrect assumption, that since these new “D0” rooms were near the suites, they must get the same benefits, and cut-and-pasted the benefits from the “S_” categories onto these new “D0” in error.

 

Princess has two versions of booking system, a new more elaborate one that travel agents have access to, and an old text based version that Princess agents (including those based on board the ships) use.  Currently, in neither of these systems, does the Category “D0” indicate any “Signature” benefits.  However, based on screen shots that have been posted on this thread, the incorrect misinformation must still be floating around in the passenger-facing website.  The person I spoke with mentioned, that if someone booked this category based on seeing that misinformation, and could prove with enough evidence, they might be able to coerce the cruise line to honor it (once they get on board).  But, that would likely be on a case-by-case basis, and you would need to come prepared with as much written evidence as possible.

 

Remember, if something looks too good to be true, it almost always isn’t.  But, then again, hope springs eternal.

 

Dr. J

 

 

 

 

If that was my case I would fight tooth and nail for those benefits once on board, but I’m petty like that lol 

[dog]

14 minutes ago, cruisedoctor said:

@CaptainKirk  Category “D0” Premium Deluxe Balcony do NOT get Signature benefits/upgrades.  

 

When the ship initially opened for sale, there were 3 types of balcony staterooms:

Cove Balconies - Categories DG & DH

Deluxe Balconies - Categories DA, DB, DC, DD, DE & DF

Premium Balconies - Categories D1 & D2

 

Then as time went on, and the initial sailing drew near, Princess decided to do a re-categorization based on the booking pattern they were observing.  They changed the name of the D# categories to Premium Deluxe Balcony to make it clear that the interior design of the room itself, is like the rest of the Deluxe Balcony categories, and the “Premium” referred to these rooms having an extensive balcony.  At the same time, they added the now infamous D0 category, and put the previous aft-located D1 rooms into this new category, at a higher price point, than when they were D1’s.  Historically, cruise lines will move staterooms that are in most demand, into higher categories, in order to increase their profitability.

 

Having closely observed this ship since the first steel was cut, it became apparent to me that one hand didn’t know what the other was doing. Deck plans on the Sun Princess dedicated website, didn’t match those on the main Princess website, or on the app(s).  Changes would occur in one place, but not elsewhere.  When this “late in the game” re-categorization took place it looks like someone “not in the know” was assigned the task of updating things.  They made an incorrect assumption, that since these new “D0” rooms were near the suites, they must get the same benefits, and cut-and-pasted the benefits from the “S_” categories onto these new “D0” in error.

 

Princess has two versions of booking system, a new more elaborate one that travel agents have access to, and an old text based version that Princess agents (including those based on board the ships) use.  Currently, in neither of these systems, does the Category “D0” indicate any “Signature” benefits.  However, based on screen shots that have been posted on this thread, the incorrect misinformation must still be floating around in the passenger-facing website.  The person I spoke with mentioned, that if someone booked this category based on seeing that misinformation, and could prove with enough evidence, they might be able to coerce the cruise line to honor it (once they get on board).  But, that would likely be on a case-by-case basis, and you would need to come prepared with as much written evidence as possible.

 

Remember, if something looks too good to be true, it almost always isn’t.  But, then again, hope springs eternal.

 

Dr. J

 

 

 

 

And,

I am the one who asked Future Cruise staff member Andrew on the Regal Princess Feb 18-25/24 cruise and he verified that I would receive Signature benefits- eat in Signature restaurant & use sun deck.

 

thanks

Edited March 7 by dog

[dog]

4 minutes ago, Pixelskaya said:

If that was my case I would fight tooth and nail for those benefits once on board, but I’m petty like that lol 

At this point I really don’t care.

 

They owe those first 3 cruise people a lot more then me.

 

Princess, has let down many loyal customers and I hope they give the full paying passengers better compensation then I’ve heard of.

[Steelers36]

21 minutes ago, dog said:

And,

I am the one who asked Future Cruise staff member Andrew on the Regal Princess Feb 18-25/24 cruise and he verified that I would receive Signature benefits- eat in Signature restaurant & use sun deck.

 

thanks

But aren't those employees of ONE and not Princess?  So, they only know what they are fed and perhaps a memo had not gone out?  With Princess, misinformation is always possible, especially with non-employees.

[PacnGoNow]

6 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

But aren't those employees of ONE and not Princess?  So, they only know what they are fed and perhaps a memo had not gone out?  With Princess, misinformation is always possible, especially with non-employees.

Touché.

I don’t think they send out memo’s any more. 😂

[dog]