Live from the Sky Princess, 15 day Transatlantic, 10 Nov - 25 Nov

[wynkys]

A very interesting account of this portion of your travels.

Thank you and stay safe.

[trinitygirl]

Hey everyone, good morning from the Sky Princess for the last time.  Yesterday ended up being very relaxing.  I started with a lovely swim up on deck 16 in the main pool.  It was empty and so lovely and deep!  The sky couldn't decide if it wanted to be blue or black and the wind was cold; I was amazed by the people staking out their pool side loungers so early in the morning.   After that I had a wonderful suite breakfast in Sabatini, then went to the culinary demonstration in the Princess Theatre - as usual, it was fun and interesting.  Among other nuggets I learned, we ate 300 tons of ingredients over the past 15 days; we ate 8000 whole eggs every single breakfast service and another 4-5000 pasturised (carton) eggs are used in other ways (desserts, scrambled eggs etc).  We ate 142,000 meals in total!  They made a broccoli  pasta dish, something with shellfish, and tiramisu and as usual it is hilarious the ingredients that professional chefs assume that everyone just has in their pantries..

 

I went to guest services to zero out my account (there was about $10 in OBC remaining so they paid me out in cash and I got two shiny new quarters that I have never seen before) and after a wander, tried to have lunch at Alfredos (do not do what I did and leave using your last casual dining credit to the last day:  Alfredos was completely packed.  I got there at 11.55am and ordered a pizza which did not arrive until 12.50pm), checked out the crafts session (it was a lot smaller than previous sessions, and involved painting jars for candles) and then went back to my suite to watch Avatar: the Way of Water while I got started on my packing.  That is a LONG movie and I was really disgruntled to learn it was a cliff hanger with  no resolution.   I had afternoon tea in my suite (just sandwiches and scones, lovely), and then after listening to some music in the piazza used my remaining free meal voucher for Sabatinis.  Unfortunately the afternoon tea meant I was not really hungry but I had a lovely mixed salad, that delicious pesto trofie pasta, and tried the zabaglione for dessert (definitely not my thing but at least now I know what it tastes like).  I then had to talk to guest services about removing a weird bar charge that had shown up during the afternoon (keep an eye on your account!) and headed to the Princess Theatre for the variety show, which was really great.  It started with a 15 minute video of the out cuts from the Wake Show - it was hilarious, who knew it was so hard to get that line "Good morning everyone' right on film.  There were a couple of dance numbers, the comedian on board did a 15 minute stint, and so did a male vocalist, and the show finished Sam doing the haka and a woman crew member singing a song.    I got my cases into the hall before the 10pm deadline and finished my day with a bath and the last of my bath oil. 

 

I am about to head to guest services again because ...  I managed to pack my medallion.  I can't believe I was so stupid.  So I will need a new one, then breakfast, then I am going to hang out on deck 14 in the concierge lounge until they make me leave.  From here I am catching a taxi around the port to Terminal 29 where the Celebrity Reflection is docked, and hope there is somewhere cool for me to wait until I can check in and board at 12pm.

 

So, thanks for travelling along with me, and so long for now.

 

:  )

[RenieRaider]

On 11/18/2023 at 1:33 PM, Michael4650 said:

I have been on at least 9  cruises on Princess since the restart and the only time we did not have Bingo was when we were in  port or in the Hawaiian Island waters 

I was THRILLED to hear Sky Princess still has Bingo. As mentioned, many cruise lines have dropped it for Deal or No Deal. 

Maryann2 ~ Twice a day!!!!!???? WOW! That can be costly! TY

[Bedruthen]

On 11/24/2023 at 11:19 PM, ChutChut said:

When one crosses the Atlantic this time of year, be prepared for rough seas and ship noises. This is the norm and should be expected.

Is you see the earlier poster, this was not the norm. They received $600 fcc because of the disturbance

[snoozecrooze]

@trinitygirl - I really enjoyed your fun of-the-moment journal-like storytelling. Thanks a bunch for sharing your Live Blog, particularly for a TA itinerary (would love to see more if they're in your plans, but would definitely understand if you plan to relax and take it easy on your trips!). Also loved seeing the spontaneity in your adventures onboard. Safe onward travels on your current and future cruises!

[trinitygirl]

1 hour ago, snoozecrooze said:

@trinitygirl - I really enjoyed your fun of-the-moment journal-like storytelling. Thanks a bunch for sharing your Live Blog, particularly for a TA itinerary (would love to see more if they're in your plans, but would definitely understand if you plan to relax and take it easy on your trips!). Also loved seeing the spontaneity in your adventures onboard. Safe onward travels on your current and future cruises!

Thank you!  It was nice to share with people who love to cruise.  Right now I am on the Celebrity Reflection and the culture shock is real.  This is only my 7th cruise; the first two were with Celebrity in 2010 & 2014, then I have had 4 with Princess since 2019.  The gap between the two means I had forgotten or never realised how different the aesthetic and the vibe is between the two lines.  I am trying to withhold judgement until I am acclimated or the next two weeks will be less fun than I was hoping.  But hoo boy, things are different over here.  

[hllwdcruiser]

9 minutes ago, trinitygirl said:

Thank you!  It was nice to share with people who love to cruise.  Right now I am on the Celebrity Reflection and the culture shock is real.  This is only my 7th cruise; the first two were with Celebrity in 2010 & 2014, then I have had 4 with Princess since 2019.  The gap between the two means I had forgotten or never realised how different the aesthetic and the vibe is between the two lines.  I am trying to withhold judgement until I am acclimated or the next two weeks will be less fun than I was hoping.  But hoo boy, things are different over here.  

Thank you for your lovely review. I definitely had cabin envy, especially when I saw that luxurious bathtub! 
The first few times I went snorkeling in the Caribbean was on two land based holidays back in the eighties. It has changed a lot since then, and not for the better. Now I leave my snorkeling gear at home when we cruise, the beaches and water are just far too crowded for me.
I am very interested in your reaction to Celebrity. We have been loyal to Princess but have been tinkering with the idea of trying Celebrity. If you have a chance, perhaps you can give some details? From what I have heard the two lines are more similar than not, with the edge (no pun intended!) going to Celebrity. 

[phabric]

I have been on the Celebrity and Princess.  I would like to hear about your comparison.

 

if you post on a separate thread, can you post where you have posted it.

[Cruise Puss]

14 hours ago, trinitygirl said:

Thank you!  It was nice to share with people who love to cruise.  Right now I am on the Celebrity Reflection and the culture shock is real.  This is only my 7th cruise; the first two were with Celebrity in 2010 & 2014, then I have had 4 with Princess since 2019.  The gap between the two means I had forgotten or never realised how different the aesthetic and the vibe is between the two lines.  I am trying to withhold judgement until I am acclimated or the next two weeks will be less fun than I was hoping.  But hoo boy, things are different over here.  

Been lovely to read all your comments.

 

We are trying Celebrity next year and will be very interested in reading about your next cruise.😊

[maryann2]

On 11/25/2023 at 4:29 PM, RenieRaider said:

I was THRILLED to hear Sky Princess still has Bingo. As mentioned, many cruise lines have dropped it for Deal or No Deal. 

Maryann2 ~ Twice a day!!!!!???? WOW! That can be costly! TY

Yes it was crazy. Twice a day on sea days and there were a lot of sea days.

Prices were $29 for one strip, $39 for two strips. Then I think $69 for the electronic machines.

Prizes were often just $100 for first game $150  for 2nd game  up to $250 for 4th game.

Often shared with other winners. 

The jackpot was rolled over to the last day. $4000 or so,

[Rick&Jeannie]

Here's a funny twist...our outside door panel was not displaying properly for a couple of days.  We had the Premier package so every time you approach the cabin door it unlocks (obviously) and *usually* flashes up "Better Luck Next Time" regarding the fact that you didn't win anything via "Princess Prizes".  This was near the beginning of the cruise.  I used crew call chat to inform them about the panel.  A few days later I checked our account folio (as everybody should be doing...) and found an entry "Princess Prizes - Non Refundable Credit" for $25.  It appears that while our display was out...we actually won that $25!  First time we've ever won anything via Princess Prizes.

[KLM3164]

On 11/26/2023 at 5:08 PM, trinitygirl said:

Thank you!  It was nice to share with people who love to cruise.  Right now I am on the Celebrity Reflection and the culture shock is real.  This is only my 7th cruise; the first two were with Celebrity in 2010 & 2014, then I have had 4 with Princess since 2019.  The gap between the two means I had forgotten or never realised how different the aesthetic and the vibe is between the two lines.  I am trying to withhold judgement until I am acclimated or the next two weeks will be less fun than I was hoping.  But hoo boy, things are different over here.  

We are going on our first Celebrity cruise in February and I hope you’ll come back and share your thoughts about X. We are elite on Princess and so far I’m not impressed with communication and ala carte pricing from X. 

[trinitygirl]

Hi everyone, today I am back in St Maarten, and the weather promises to be better than last week.  I am still trying to keep an open mind but so far I am not really enjoying the Celebrity experience.  
 

We arrived several hours late in San Juan (it was originally a 4.30-10pm visit; they announced the day before that because we left FLL two hours late, we wouldn’t be arriving til 6.30pm - with no explanation for why they couldn’t make up those two hours over the course of two days at sea - and as it turned out, we didn’t begin debarking til after 7.30pm.  They gave no updates and no explanation until a brief announcement at 7.10pm, and there were people everywhere waiting to get off, from 6pm.  Total dogs breakfast.  All ship excursions cancelled; people with private excursions stressed.  And what is there to do at that time of night on a Monday? No follow up, no apologies, really a very poor experience in every way.

 

yesterday in St Thomas I experienced the X excursion experience and it was also a total dogs breakfast.  They appear to be shockingly poor at organisation, where I think Princess have this down to an art.  
 

At least part of Celebrity’s problem is that the ship’s public spaces are not actually well designed for what they are needed for.  They look great but are not very functional or flexible.  For instance, I have now been in the theatre five times and every time, I have had interrupted sight-lines either because of those stupid columns or the overhang from the balcony. And as a meeting place pre excursion its completely useless because there is no way out from the bottom, so they have one family member go in and down to the stage to collect stickers and then you go off and wait somewhere else until your group is called - it was totally ridiculous.  There are a dozen better ways of sorting it than this.  Another example: Celebrity Central is not a great space to try to follow a seminar or a game show, with all the noise and the walk throughs - Princess Live and Vista Lounge are much more useful spaces.  and the main dining room is awful, just one huge chaotic noisy space. I have taken to going to dinner late to avoid the main crowds, and aiming for 4th deck which is smaller.
 

Anyway… I am not writing a ‘live from’ because the Celebrity board is not very friendly (in my humble opinion), but I will come back here next week and provide my thoughts for those interested in the comparison with Princess.  Yesterday I was notified that my upgrade bid succeeded so I will be moving to an Aqua Sky Suite for the second week (this week I am in a concierge balcony, great location but tiny with poor storage space) so I will be able to compare apples to apples.

Edited November 29, 2023 by trinitygirl

[kywildcatfanone]

1 hour ago, trinitygirl said:

Anyway… I am not writing a ‘live from’ because the Celebrity board is not very friendly (in my humble opinion), but I will come back here next week and provide my thoughts for those interested in the comparison with Princess.

Looking forward to your comparison.  We took our first Celebrity cruise last year and the Celebrity board told me it would seem like a completely new experience from Princess, that the food would be better, etc.  I found it to be very similar overall, with little differences other than ship design.  I will say the service was excellent.

We took a second Celebrity cruise 6 weeks ago and had a good time, but it just reaffirmed to me that the differences between Celebrity and Princess are minimal and mostly ship layout and cost.  

[kluv2cruz]

Trinitygirl - wondered where you disappeared to! I hope you’ll love aqua on the next sailing. Blu is hopefully much calmer (that’s all I know as we always do aqua). I am so very not a buffet person but I do find celebrity buffet to be calmer and good selection. Re room storage… have you discovered the cabinets above the bed? I’m tall and they’re still awkward to use, but we always say there’s no storage then we remember that area. If you see silent disco, be sure to go. And, even if you’re not into martinis, hang out at least once near the martini bar for the great staff shows. Look forward to hearing how your sailings are.

[trinitygirl]

16 hours ago, kluv2cruz said:

Trinitygirl - wondered where you disappeared to! I hope you’ll love aqua on the next sailing. Blu is hopefully much calmer (that’s all I know as we always do aqua). I am so very not a buffet person but I do find celebrity buffet to be calmer and good selection. Re room storage… have you discovered the cabinets above the bed? I’m tall and they’re still awkward to use, but we always say there’s no storage then we remember that area. If you see silent disco, be sure to go. And, even if you’re not into martinis, hang out at least once near the martini bar for the great staff shows. Look forward to hearing how your sailings are.

I can’t reach those cabinets alas!  The Buffet is easier to manage here because you can see the whole space instead of wandering the separate rooms and getting turned around.  We had an awesome Queen singalong the other night and last night was Abba, so much fun.  The CD has mentioned the silent disco so if i see it, will efinitely give it a go.  Yesterday I had an incredible day on the water in Sint Maarten with ‘captain Bob’, and today we were off the ship at 7am for a tour of Tortola and three hours at Cane Garden beach - so relaxing!  Tomorrow is the Dominican Republic, then three days of R&R to look forward to,

[trinitygirl]

Hi again everyone,  I have now been on board Celebrity Reflection for 12 days and I have adapted and had time to reflect (haha) on my feelings about the differences I have noticed between Celebrity and Princess and thought I would come on now and let you know what I think before I get caught up in the next stage of my adventure and forget all about it.  I am going to use headings to help me focus my thoughts, and I will add some photos at the bottom just because ... photos.

 

The ship:  I have decided that almost all of my issues with Celebrity have to do with the way the ship itself has been designed.  She is very beautiful - elegant really - but because I am used to the way Princess organise events, the Reflection doesn't 'work' for me the same way Princess ships do, with the result that I have not engaged with the activities offered with nearly the same enthusiasm I do on Princess.  For instance, there are crafts every day here, but they are run in the Sun Lounge at the back of the ship, which is also where trivia and games shows are run.  During the day it gets very warm in there, but the bigger problem is that the only tables in the lounge are tiny little cocktail tables - like the kind you get on balconies.  You can not craft on those, and even if you could, there are very few of them.  There isn't a stage like there is in Princess Live or the Vista Lounge, so sight lines to the instructor aren't obvious.  Another example: the Celebrity Central concept is just stupid in my mind, as a place for seminars, auctions or movies - with people constantly walking through, all the noise and lights - it's not a comfortable space in which to concentrate on anything.   And the Reflection Theatre is a bit of a travesty - the first few times I went in there I had to get up and move once I realised that I couldn't see around one of the many poles, or the overhang from the balcony above.  I also really hate the huge main dining room - being led through all those tables which are so close together, to get to a table way at the back and then having to find my way etc - and it was SO noisy in there with all those people talking.  I much prefer the way the Princess dining rooms have that sense of smaller sections within the bigger space.  And finally - I really, really miss MUTS.  The grand plaza down on deck 3 is really lovely, but you have to be one of the few people on the dance floor or immediately around it to be able to see what is going on, but the noise moves all the way through the ship because the atrium goes all the way up to deck 12, which means that those beautiful spaces that go around the atrium - the library, nooks etc, are open to the sounds that echo through the atrium.  I did love the library but its so noisy that its not a really great place to read (although I did love the jigsaw puzzle tables and really wishes we had had those on the transatlantic crossing).   Watching the movies on the grass up on deck 15 turned into a non-starter from me - lying on the grass is not at all comfortable and there are no loungers, and during the day there is no shade.  So in the Ship Design contest, although the Reflection looks so lovely, Princess is the big winner for me.

 

Entertainment:  Celebrity is the big winner when it comes to guest entertainers - way better than on any of my previous Princess cruises. The productions were at about the same level as Princess - Spotlight Bar is still my favourite, but the standard is about the same.   Princess wins hands down with TV though - there is a short list of movies on Celebrity, none of them anything I want to watch, and no TV series. They do not show the movies being shown up on the grass lawn, in cabins, which was really disappointing to discover.  And because of the issues with the spaces they were held, I didn't persist with any of the onboard activities.

 

Dining:  Princess wins in the main dining stakes when it comes to Vegetarians - the new vegan menu gives so many options, and although Celebrity has a separate veggie menu the options are space, not very inviting, and it's difficult to construct a 'complete' protein over the course of the meal, and make sure you get enough iron (eg greens/citrus together) etc.  Not a menu constructed by someone who understands veggie needs.   This week has been much better, because I can switch between Blu (which has great vegetarian options) and Luminae (which clearly does not get a lot of vegetarians but does have delicious food).   The absence of good pizza and the disgusting (completely tasteless and someone very dry) vege burger up in the Mast Grill means that Celebrity also loses out on the fast food option.  While the pastries at Cafe Al Bacio are yummy, the absence of savory items means its not a true substitute for the International Cafe.  I do like the way the buffet is organised - it is much easier to navigate than on Princess - but the dining areas are much less pleasant, really crowded, and the servers will only help you to buy things from the bar - they don't bring you tea or coffee or water etc, they way they do on princess.  I had one room service breakfast down in my Concierge stateroom last week and it was a disaster.  I ordered cereal, a banana and yoghurt, and some toast and marmalade. The banana and the milk were missing, as were the toast and marmalade.  Room service brought up the missing items within 15 minutes, but it was not an experience to repeat (I had to show up for my excursion check in time by 7am so had been trying to save myself time but it didn't work).  I have had room service in my suite twice - my breakfast this morning was early and complete and very good, and a late lunch yesterday which was the same.  So, in review:  I didn't enjoy the dining experience last week, but being in a suite this week has made a big difference.  Short of being in a suite, Princess wins this category for me.

 

Organisation:  The way Princess organises excursions is head and shoulders above Celebrity.  I have really been left bewildered at the way they do things here.  They put a table right down the bottom of the theatre and they ask one member of the party to head down there to collect stickers - you have to walk down, across the theatre and back up the stairs.  Then you can just disappear or you can wait in the theatre until they call your group number.  At which point, you make your own way off the ship, and then you have to find your group leader out on the dock.  It's a total dogs breakfast.  You end up spending at least half an hour down on the dock while they wait for all the customers to show up and they don't have a list of who is coming because there isn't a proper check in system.  Last week my group spent over half an hour in a torrential downpour on the dock in St Thomas while the completely indifferent excursion person stood under an umbrella. The men around me literally took off their shirts to ring out the water (something the women were not able to do) after the rain stopped.  It was unreal.  I have taken to collecting my sticker and heading down to the deck 3 stairs where the crew member with the walkie-talkie can tell me when my group has been called and then heading down.  but seriously, they need some logistics training.   I have also not been impressed with the communications on the ship - on Princess I felt like I knew what was going on with changes to the itinerary, and explanations were more forthcoming than has been my experience here.   Having said all that, we got where we were going and there have not been any disasters - as long as you are able to let go of the frustrations of the moment, it has all been ok.

 

Suite experience:   I am in an Aqua Suite which is physically the same as a mini suite on Princess (right down to the 3/4 size bath) but with the full suite perks.  Luminae and Blu are definitely a big step up from dining in the Reserve section of the main dining room on Princess - the service is top notch and the food is mostly excellent.  On my first night, I had a truly hideous main course served (the only veggie thing on the menu was slow roasted radicchio - it was bitter with no relief, and inedible) and left after two bites, heading to Blu where I had a lovely dinner.  The Maitre'D was really lovely about it the next day and I have since had a couple of excellent meals in there - but I prefer Blu for breakfast and will be going there for dinner tonight because the options in Luminae are no good.    The Concierge team are really great and good at follow up.  The events they have organised (a helipad sail in, a visit to the bridge, cocktail parties in Michael's Club), and the way they handled tendering yesterday etc - all make you want to Suite up for every cruise.  Things I have noticed after two weeks in a suite on Princess: Celebrity's room service menu is limited (you can't order from any of the ship menus the way you can on Princess), there isn't a bar set up, and laundry is not included (a big minus in my opinion).  It has been a big step up from my tiny stateroom last week, but it has not been the full experience I had on the Sky Princess.    It has also been really nice getting back to plush towels here in the suite, after a week of threadbare scratchy towels in Concierge class - the difference is enormous.

 

Loyalty:  I am one cruise away from Elite on Princess, and now 2 points away from Elite on Celebrity.  Apart from the cocktail party on Princess, there weren't any loyalty events.  Here I have been invited to a really excellent wine tasting (it was so informative!), a helipad sail in to Puerta Plata, a breakfast and a cocktail party.  So, Celebrity celebrate loyalty better on board than Princess to.   We had a useful consecutive cruisers meeting the day before we got to FLL last week and I won a bottle of wine which I have been drinking for dinner in Luminae this week - it is good stuff and I didn't have to pay corkage to use it in the dining room, which was nice.

 

Other stuff:  the toiletries on Celebrity are better and the amenities kits and bar soap are really nice to have, and the chocolates on your pillow at night are lovely. 

 

So, in summary:  I haven't yet bought a future cruise credit but I am thinking I might just go and get one tomorrow just in case.

 

:  )

 

 

the ship really is super beautiful.

 

 

 

 

I love the solarium - it is way better than the retreat pool on Princess.

 

 

Some veggie menus from the main dining room:

 

One of those weird veggie mains - beans, asparagus and tomato sauce. It was tasty but it was not a complete meal in itself and I couldn't turn it into one with any of the appetisers either.

 

And here was another one - it was tasty but nowhere enough veggies to make it a veggie main, no protein, no iron etc. 

 

But the eggs florentine was way way way better than any breakfast dish i had in the main dining room on Princess (and equal to that in Sabatinis).

 

the Celebrity veggie burger is a total travesty. It looks so pretty and yet its completely tasteless and dry.  I asked a crew member about it and he just shook his head and nodded in agreement.  weird.

 

really wonderful wine tasting experience offered to Select loyalty status members.

 

pillow chocolates again!

 

My suite on deck 12:

 

my deck 10 concierge room:

Edited December 6, 2023 by trinitygirl

[CruzeQueen2]

@trinitygirl Thanks so much for taking the time to report! I hope your travel experiences continue to meet your expectations. Enjoy, everything!

Suite travel is so special, but so are exotic destinations. It has been so great to hear about your tours and excursions. The time you take to share your thoughts is much appreciated. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

Chocolates...Wow!  It's been so long since I've seen a pillow chocolate that I had forgotten what they look like! 😄

[Rick&Jeannie]

Does anybody remember the name of the comedic/acrobatic act on board? The "something" Twins...

[trinitygirl]

On 12/7/2023 at 3:29 PM, Rick&Jeannie said:

Does anybody remember the name of the comedic/acrobatic act on board? The "something" Twins...

i have alas just packed my bags but I still have the patters, so once I get to LA I will have a look and get back to you.

[Rick&Jeannie]

4 hours ago, trinitygirl said:

i have alas just packed my bags but I still have the patters, so once I get to LA I will have a look and get back to you.

I found our Patters...think it was The Twin Trips...or something like that. 

[cruisequeen4ever]

I enjoyed reading about your experiences on both cruise lines. 

[nini]

On 11/26/2023 at 5:08 PM, trinitygirl said:

Thank you!  It was nice to share with people who love to cruise.  Right now I am on the Celebrity Reflection and the culture shock is real.  This is only my 7th cruise; the first two were with Celebrity in 2010 & 2014, then I have had 4 with Princess since 2019.  The gap between the two means I had forgotten or never realised how different the aesthetic and the vibe is between the two lines.  I am trying to withhold judgement until I am acclimated or the next two weeks will be less fun than I was hoping.  But hoo boy, things are different over here.  

 

I just found this thread today and really enjoyed it. I identified with the postings regarding the Celebrity Reflection which we were on in October 2018 (BC). We were on the Sky in June 2023.

We will most likely NEVER book Celebrity again due to many factors. @trinitygirl described the interior and deck plans and was so correct. We were used to the open and bright atriums on Princess, but on the Reflection, we felt like we were cruising in a cave most of the time when inside.

Flies everywhere were an everyday event in the buffet with no measure being taken to protect the food. Dining Room service was slower than a turtle and unfriendly. IMHO, Celebrity is snooty/ snobby. Staff were curt, aloof and snobby for the most part. Our cabin steward was a sweetheart and we gladly tipped him extra at the end of the cruise.

 

When we stepped onto the Sky, we were stunned at the beauty and openness. This quickly became a favorite Princess ship. The Cruise Director and his team were excellent, friendly and fun. And the shows did not include ceiling acrobatics in every show like on the Reflection. We have never stayed in a mini-suite or suite so these opinions are based on "normal" bookings, typically getting the Plus package and the similar one on Celebrity.