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Excellent Cruise with many Pros and a few cons

Kusadasi

My husband and I chose this cruise as the price was good and included an upgrade to a mini suite balcony. We prefer holidaying at off peak times to avoid extreme heat! We previously sailed on the Sky in April 2022, just as the world was returning to normal after covid, and had a very nice time visiting the Fjords. It is still a beautiful ship and it was great to be back on board. Last cruise we purchases the drinks, tips and wifi package as it was £30 per person per night, however this time we did not as it is £50 and we would have struggled to receive good value for money.

Embarkation was straight forward; we live nearby in Southsea and are lucky that our daughter could drop us off at the port after the short journey of 40 minutes. The team at the desks were extremely efficient and as we had filled everything in online via the medallion app we were checked in in a matter of a couple of minutes. Around 45 minutes later we were on the Sky and having a delicious brunch at the International Cafe where they serve toasted sandwiches, scones and delicious cakes.

Our cabins were ready on time and our fantastic steward Edward greeted us with a glass of sparkling wine. Edward made us feel very welcome and throughout the cruise was willing to go above and beyond. He would clean our cabin twice a day, and turn down the bed in the evening. The mini suite with bath was very spacious, there was plenty of room for our clothes and shoes as we had packed 3 large suitcases! At the far end was a sofa with a beautiful dressing table, plenty of room for getting ready. We made good use of the chiller fridge and tea/coffee making facilities.

Next - most importantly - dining. My husband had managed to book a table for 2, prior to embarkation, in the evenings in the Estrella restaurant. We prefer eating in the same place and getting to know the waiting staff, who were the lovely Maya from Indonesia with her assistant Joy. Every night we had delicious meals, they were varied and interesting. I am vegetarian and there was at least one choice of starter and main. The meat and fish portions were very generous. Food was served quickly once ordered, taking an hour roughly for the 3 courses which was perfect for us. On the last night the Chef's parade erupted into clapping, cheering and dancing - it was such fun!

On our first sea day we ate at the same restaurant Estrella's for breakfast and lunch, but decided to eat at the World Fresh Market for the rest of the cruise as the selection was excellent. I could not believe the variety or quality, it was out of this world, we were in food heaven! The fruit, salad, vegetables were supremely fresh. The vegan and vegetarian choices were plentiful, and the Indian curries delicious. We did not feel the need to visit the speciality restaurants.

Entertainment on the Sky Princess was mostly very good. Led by the wonderful cruise director Corinne Steel, we saw a couple of good comedians - David Maclean was popular. The ship's singers and dancers performed 'Spotlight Cafe' and 'Rock Opera' these were stunning. We did not attend 'Five Skies' as we had previously seen this one. The Elton John tribute singer put on an excellent show, twice. At the end of the cruise Max Himmereich, the tenor, sang and entertained with his superb voice.

During the day we there was a few enrichment presentations that appealed to us. It was an honour and very moving to hear Simon Weston, Falklands Veteran speak of his experiences. Then we attended a culinary demonstration, including a tour of the sparkling kitchens, and finally Q and A with the Captain. There were lots of quizzes and fun sporting games, also shopping invitations happening but we tend to avoid these aspects. On sea days we would do a workout in the well kitted out gym.

Itinerary: (after a bit of choppiness in the Bay of Biscay) first stop was Vigo, we have been before and as it was a pleasant day weatherwise we walked up to the fort for some good views. 

Madeira was a highlight for us, we travelled up in the cable car, a journey of 15 minutes, up here it is a short walk if you want to come down in the toboggans. In the morning we went to Blandy's wine distillery and booked ourselves on the tour and tasting. Thoroughly recommended, it was 12.5 euros each.

Gran Canaria was very accessible with a nearby main bus station, we took one to the volcano for a few euros each.

Tenerife and Lanzarote - next time would pre-book a trip as they appeared rather closed.

Lisbon - we got on a bus to the Monastery, it was beautiful and if we visit again we will pay to get inside.    

Overall we had an amazing cruise, thanks to all the staff onboard. Would recommend in a heartbeat!

Excellent Food at the World Fresh Market

In case you are new to Princess and have been influenced by the channel 5 series where smiling  guest services staff personally escort passengers to cabins that are packed with more free canapés and complimentary champagne than you can shake a stick at.... well you'll be disappointed. Its a little different in practice. In reality there are no ' frills" and zero added value. We quickly dubbed Princess the 'I don't care' cruise line. Guest services staff stay firmly behind their desk and have that world weary look of all customer service staff who are trying to make 3000 people happier.  The medallion app will cost you 14 pounds to connect to ( you have no choice) and then you'll be surcharged on everything you buy through it. It says you can order anywhere which is not true as there are large parts of the deck that are off limits to the app. I was a platinum loyalty member and was given nothing in the way of benefits or nice additional extras, only new ways to give Princess yet more money. Oooh an EARLY notification of another cruise!! Wow!!! OOOH BOOK ANOTHER CRUISE NOW AND WE'LL GIVE YOU A DISCOUNT!!!! INCREDIBLE!!! Not.  No canapés or personal service for me! The entertainment team did little and the food in the Celio restaurant was really poor. Cold and wet frozen veg hiding under a tasteless new York strip loin that looked like someone's tongue had been cut out and slung on a plate. The soups in the self service caff were first rate though, so for the first time on a cruise we just ate there. Oh final point - our cabin was on deck 15. Only go on to deck 15 if you're happy with max 3 hours sleep per night. You won't even be able to nap in the afternoon as the noise of furniture scraping back and forwards and passengers and crew galloping up and down is constant and deafening. Our cabin had an adjoining door to the cabin next door. It was good to hear their snoring which was so loud it made the window rattle, but I was pleased that at least someone was getting some sleep. We'd heard great things about Princess and so wanted to try them. We've stopped using P&O as they no longer emphasise great food and service and wanted to return to a big ship after several small ship cruises. We were totally disappointed and will never travel with Princess again. They do have a loyal following though and although many passengers were saying standards had really dropped on this cruise, I will admit that my utter disappointment was not shared by most of the other guests. So. You may love it. I did not.

First and last 

We are in our 70's and have done many cruises- (most of them with Princess) and usually go on smaller ships. We were apprehensive about a cruise on such a large ship (for us) as Sky Princess but it was going to the Canaries (no-fly) at a time that suited us, and we absolutely loved it!

I have given 5 stars as we had such a fantastic time overall, because the 2 things in the cabin that were issues for us, may not be to others. 

Embarkation

We had an overnight at a Southampton hotel and chose to arrive at 1pm (at Ocean terminal) by taxi after a late check out, (boarding was from 11am). We whizzed through seamlessly (despite not having the medallion app) and were soon in the cabin. We watched the tv muster drill and checked in at our muster station then had lunch at the buffet. 

Food

I am very picky with food but with the good quality and delicious and extensive selection in the buffet, I was spoilt for choice. Some of my favourite dishes included red snapper, lamb stew, mahimahi, cottage pie, moussaka, veal in white herb sauce, trout, lasagne, turkey casserole, baked salmon etc (there was more exotic fare plus roasts and salads ) -  plus there's the excellent choice of desserts - favourite desserts were the puddings with hot custard or vanilla ice-cream, and the black forest gateau and carrot cake. Suffice to say, that by the last couple of days of the cruise, despite all the walking and dancing, I had 2 dresses I could no longer fit into! 

    When one meal ends at buffet, the next one starts-. At the 24 hr International cafe hot and cold savoury (included) favourites were hot lamb and cheese pie and the tiramisu,. Room service breakfast, (included), was good though delivered a bit early on both occasions. Tea and coffee facilities provided in cabin, but no biscuits- however, it is easy to get cookies from International cafe or buffet.

      We took a couple of plastic containers so we could store things like milk to drink or snacks from buffet in our mini-fridge for night-time. The pizza from Slices outdoor venue was ok too. We didn't try the outdoor hotdog/burger venues. We didn't use any of the restaurants as such a selection at the buffet.  Buffet seating is comfortable.


Entertainment

Absolutely fantastic! We had 3 Broadway style production shows in the 12 night cruise, "Rock Opera". '5Skies" and "Spotlight Bar". The standard of singing, dancing, live band and lighting effects were excellent.  

I especially liked the fact that sign language was incorporated seamlessly into some of the dance routines by the dancers. The harmonies in Rock Opera and the tap-dancing in the Spotlight Bar show were superb. I initially groaned thinking I wasn't going to enjoy 5Skies when it said the story was all about a gamer going through different levels to get to a Princess, as I'm no gamer -but boy - was I pleasantly surprised! WOW! what a show! The special effects and costumes were amazing and the singing and dancing excellent. Brilliant show- my favourite of the 3 shows! There was also a production show Jim Henson's inspired silliness in Vista lounge which we missed.

             Entertainment on the other nights was also good- Adele tribute, comedians, male operatic singer, folk group The Trawlermen , male pop singer,- one or 2 not to our taste, but much enjoyed by the audience. The comedian Steve Terry was hilarious! We had a super time dancing and listening to the 5piece band Mockingbird, (mainly in the Vista lounge but sometimes on deck or in the Piazza.) who played a variety of modern music and were very versatile interchanging instruments and singers. They always invoked a happy party atmosphere. One particular evening in a change from their usual music the male keyboard player sang the duet The Prayer (that Andrea Bocelli sings) with the lead female singer and it was fantastic! A standing ovation.

                    The great thing about Sky Princess is that there are 3 venues for evening entertainment usually around 8pm and again at 10pm. The Princess Theatre (aft) had the Broadway shows and highlighted entertainers. The Princess Live venue (centre) had Karaoke, quizzes etc, The Vista lounge (forward)had a band to listen to /dance to or live sport or bingo. You need to go early to ensure a seat (esp the Theatre) but can always stand at the back.

                  There were also musicians/singer guitarist/quartet/violinist and bassist duo and several pianists (including Nicolas Cruz who was amazing) around the ship throughout the day, and evenings, plus events in the Piazza.  I enjoyed The Voice of the Ocean show in the Theatre too. We didn't win the champagne ring-toss in Piazza but we had fun and others did win. The Princess choir were good. I thoroughly enjoyed the local Canarian folk dancing and singing group, Traditions of Tenerife, who came aboard to do a show too. The Art room and jewellery stores had free drinks with raffles and prizes. I didn’t win any, but I have won art prints, pretty Effy pendants and a charm bracelet with charms on previous Princess cruises. 

        There were enrichment lectures usually mornings on sea days in the Theatre with still photos and video clips shown on screen (also available on your stateroom tv next day)-We really enjoyed the enrichment lecture “Only Fools and Clocks “by "Marlene" Sue Holderness from Only Fools and Horses which was a good link with clips from the comedy show and the seriousness of Harrison inventing a clock that kept time at sea. My husband really enjoyed the various WW2 enrichment lectures by David Russell. We both thoroughly enjoyed the Falklands presentation by Lt Colonel Sulle Alhaji(retired) who was a most interesting and entertaining speaker despite having gone through so much trauma during the conflict. We enjoyed the Ship Navigation presentation in the Theatre too. We watched several great films on cabin tv late at night too.

        Lots of other activities on board too- too many to mention (pm me if you want to see a daily programme for details?). We also enjoyed coffee/wine on our balcony and reading/writing in our cabin. We were pleasantly surprised that the champagne waterfall went ahead in the Piazza as we were starting to hit bad weather but it held up perfectly well and we enjoyed the complimentary drinks. We had fun learning Salsa and Tango classes for beginners too, which was run by one of the dancers  in the Piazza and was light-hearted, (we opted out of the Cha Cha and Waltz and line dancing). We felt it was too breezy for us for any deck games or outdoor sports like basketball or golf and just didn't get around to table tennis as so much to do. We didn't use the casino or the gym. The late-night disco sounded good but we didn’t stay as were too tired from dancing. 

Cabin

Our balcony cabin on Riviera deck 14 (mid forward) was clean and well presented with pleasant decor and our room steward Michael was excellent. (I won't detail the cabin layout as this can be easily found on the Princess site). 

Only 2 decks up to the buffet and aft pool and near the lifts. We did have some minor rocking and rolling movement and a few creaky noises one or two nights when there were rough seas crossing the Bay of Biscay in a gale but nothing much and we loved it. Otherwise, the cabin was very still, stable and quiet. We took 2 bottles of our favourite wine onboard as allowed - took one back home as bought other drinks on board. The bed was super comfy as always. Shower good with flexible shower head and much better with the new non-cling curtain. Hairdryer good. Plenty of storage space in the open wardrobe and shelves/drawers and space for 2 large suitcases under the bed. Good selection of films and music on cabin tv, and the live sport shown on Movies under the Stars/ Vista lounge was usually on Ch Sport 24 on cabin tv too. Robes and ice bucket are available on request.

                 2 cabin issues that may not bother others?

   The first issue was that the toilet roll holder is strangely situated near the bathroom door, a way underneath the sink and well away from the lavatory pan! We sorted this straight away by putting the toilet roll in the glass shelf on the sink next to the lavatory pan and telling our room steward this was where we wanted it to be, so that was fine. 

           The second issue was somewhat more annoying as there is a very bright light which comes on automatically with any movement in the dressing area outside the bathroom. This activates each time one of us visited the toilet in the night and woke the partner. The light in the dressing area goes off while you are in the bathroom but when you leave, comes back on again! 

    However, when you are trying to dress in the evening, the bright light goes off automatically (especially when getting things from the back of the wardrobe or the safe) and you have to wave your arms about to get it to come on again. You can prevent the dressing area light from coming on by taking the blue card out of the slot by the cabin door- however - if you do this, you will be in pitch darkness in the night as it stops the bathroom light from working. (Next time we go on Sky Princess we will take the blue card out and take our own dimmer night light for the bathroom!)

     There are also dim lights at the base of the bedside cabinets which come on automatically (over the floor only )by the bed and light up when you get out of bed (as far as I know, no way to switch them off). However, we didn't find these a problem and indeed had a few laughs as they light up if your foot goes over the bed edge too!

Public spaces

The ship is in good condition and absolutely beautiful with lots of gold decor and has a luxurious feel. The Piazza is fabulous.

There were free sunbeds available on deck but we didn't use them. I swam in the outdoor pools twice -water warm and plenty of towels and also had a dip in one of the poolside hot tubs. Not enough seating indoors in general but especially in the Vista lounge- though they did bring in extra chairs. The ship never felt crowded though it was almost to capacity (there were 3600 on board). It's a shame there's no library, though they did designate one of the dining rooms as a quiet reading space sometimes. My husband used the spa hydrotherapy pool sauna and steam baths which were superb, but expensive as you couldn't book separate days onboard- had to pay for every day of the entire cruise. I loved that there was space to dance in the Piazza,.I only watched one film on the Movies under the stars as it was a bit chilly even with the blankets provided that evening. There is a shop midships selling chocolate and some essential items- we bought Aloe vera after sun.

Service

Staff in general all very friendly. Buffet was mostly self-service with some stations like carvery and soups(delicious), served by chefs. Buffet food service very good -especially helpful were Dennis (Kenya)serving desserts and Savio waiting at tables- both always with a beaming smile. Drinks were sometimes slow at busy times in buffet but there are self-service drinks stations available 24hrs too,  (I especially loved the still lemonade and the hot chocolate). All credit too, to the male staff member at Swirls ice cream kiosk on deck just outside the buffet who happily served passengers with (included)vanilla or chocolate ice-cream tubs/ cones and toppings till 11pm at night and also gave out the bags of popcorn. The Guest relations staff were efficient and helpful. Other staff including officers, greeted you when they passed.    

Disembarkation

  Disembarkation was very smooth. Suitcases had to be outside cabins by 10pm. Everyone had to vacate cabins at 8.30am and we disembarked a little sooner than our latest optional time of 9.35am. It was easy to locate our luggage and we used a free trolley to transport it to the pre-arranged taxi. We could have had breakfast in the buffet till called, but were able to wait in the dining room as Elite status. (we wrapped up a couple of croissants from breakfast the day before and had those in cabin with coffee on check -out day). 

           I was surprised to see border control checking some passengers (randomly I assume?) on disembarkation as there has never been much presence at all in the past, but tighter security is a good thing.

Ports

The Captain missed Vigo to avoid the severe weather and did a slightly different course.

Funchal Madeira

The Captain cut short the stay by 3 and a half hours so he could get out of the port before the worst of the weather. We knew our planned walk to see the colourful doors and market was an hour each way and anticipated that it would pour with rain half way through (which it did) so we didn't go ashore. The Captain reminded everyone to be back on board by 1pm,  sailing promptly and would not wait for anyone. We were happy to stay on board as we had been to Funchal before and had done all the usual activities there on other cruises.

Gran Canaria. 

We walked from the ship to Playa de Canteras beach (about 30min stroll in the hot sun)- we love this beach as it has excellent snorkelling- beautiful fish and lovely golden sand beach, lots of food places along the promenade and free toilet facilities on the beach. I walked back to the ship (lots of shops en route) for a superb buffet lunch while my husband chose to stay on the sun lounger on the beach. (2 sun loungers with umbrella cost 6 euros.) I took him a steak and cheese baguette from the ship’s buffet with a can of chilled beer from our minifridge on my return and he was happy with that.

Tenerife

We had booked the Princess coach trip to Teresitas beach (as we have done before, but we were tired from being up late the night before and wanted time to enjoy the buffet breakfast so didn't go (we knew too late for refund). We did try to contact the shore excursion team to let them know, out of courtesy, but couldn't get hold of them- nether could guest services. Anyway, later that morning we got off the ship and caught a local bus to the beach. I had learned how to ask where the nearest bus stop was in Spanish and was pleased with myself when the lady at the newspaper kiosk understood me. However, I couldn't understand her rapid directions lol, so we set off in the direction of her waving arm and did find the nearby bus stop. it was just a short15-20min trip for I.25 euros per person each way on the bus by bank card (much cheaper than the return coach trip with Princess, but you do get assurance of getting back to the ship). Since all aboard time wasn't till 9.30pm we had plenty of time to get back and the buses were frequent. We like that beach and we snorkelled there. We bought a Mars ice cream bar and a Snickers ice cream bar from a beach cafe for our lunch (we always take bottles of water ashore.) -they also served cooked meals. The beach was clean and uncrowded- there are free toilets there too. 2 sun loungers with umbrella cost 9 euros. 

Lanzarote

We had had a super shore excursion with Princess to a beach we thought we had been to before, so booked the same one again (or so we thought!) I was surprised the trip was only 30mins as it had been almost an hour last time on a previous non-Princess excursion- and sure enough it was a different beach. I had made a mistake  thinking it was Playa Blanca but it was Playa del Carmen. 

     Frustrating having to check in and wait in the Princess Theatre for half an hour prior to the coach trip to get your tour sticker (though guest services said you could just go ashore and ask which coach it was at the designated leaving time) but I didn't want to chance missing it. There were no toilets on the coach, but along with others -I nipped to the loos on deck 5 before we went ashore to alight the coach. The golden sandy beach was gorgeous- the sand so hot that I did a hop and a skip yowling as I ran to the sea, as it burned the soles of my feet, and remembered why I had taken reef shoes to Lanzarote last time!.  2 sun loungers and an umbrella cost 10.50 euros and there were free toilet facilities. Beach sellers offering drinks and ice creams and some offering massages. 

The snorkelling was fantastic- like swimming in an aquarium with the shoals of different fish! - some as big as a dinner plate and all close to shore - never out of my depth. We saw a flatfish on the sandy seabed and a pretty parrotfish nibbling away at a rocky outcrop. - a super day. Lots of restaurants and shops on the sea front- I bought some Pringles and ice-cream bars for our lunch. The coach trip was pleasant and comfortable. I was still in my swimsuit  and sarong ,and a little damp as stayed snorkelling till the last minute lol, but sat on a towel in the coach return (it had plastic seating anyway). A super trip.

Lisbon

We had been to Lisbon before and seen the Monument to the Discoveries and Belem Tower on our own by tram (3 euros per person each way), so this time decided to visit the National Museum of Coaches ( think Cinderella coaches not tour buses!). We walked quite a way from the ship to where the trams departed but couldn't see the right one this time. We went into a tourist info office (you need a 50 cent coin for the toilets in their shop) and picked up a free map then caught a very packed bus (2 euros per person each way- cash only) to the Museum, standing all the way. Very unusual museum but we enjoyed it- and only 4 euros each as over 65yrs. We debated having lunch at the cafe on site then walking to Jeronimos Monastery to visit the National Maritime Museum but decided to head back for a late lunch (buffet lunch ends at 3.30pm on ship) and leave that visit for another time. So back on an even more packed bus and on to the ship just in time for a late lunch just as it started to rain.

We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and will probably sail on Sky Princess again soon.

Wonderful cruise on Sky Princess!

Age 20-30, cruised with Royal Caribbean 15+ times so sought to try another cruise liner, and we were recommended Princess Cruises. Whilst we wasn't at all disappointed with the recommendation, as the service, food and ship itself could not be faulted, there is absolutely nothing to do for fun unless you like endless quizzing, bingo or forced game shows.

Of an evening, after dinner, there is no bar where you can carry on your evening or have a good drink unless it's to a very mellow jazz band, background violin or a silent atrium. We personally prefer the pubs on cruise ships with a singalong guitarist, an upbeat piano bar, or something that generally doesn't feel like it's passing time.

Whilst this isn't a fault of the ship or Princess itself, as it clearly is targeting entertainment for a much older age than us, if you are looking for a cruise that will keep you entertained past your fellow shipmates, this may not be the ship for you.

To stress again, the food on offer is outstanding, the service fantastic, but incredibly understaffed (you will very often wait at a bar for 10+ minutes and walk around numerous bars trying to find a seat), and just not a fun atmosphere.

Hope this helps for somebody who has cruised with RC before or perhaps another ship they enjoy, but looking for something new, or a similar age range.

My personal opinion!

Not a fun ship

32 day Back to Back Cruise on the Sky Princess from Sept 16th to Oct 17th 2023. We also did this Cruise last year on the Sky Princess and how things have now gone way downhill.

Penny Pinching Princess-

Less Staff/Waiters around means very long wait times to get served both in the bars and dining rooms

High percentage of Waiters are Training and therefore the quality of service is very poor.

Quality, Quantity and choice of food in the MDR has  greatly decreased. To such an extent that the food in the Market Place was actually better than the MDR. We got the impression that they want you to spend extra money to go to the Speciality Dining, which is very expensive.

You no longer get chocolates on the Pillows. small point but shows that Princess do not put their guests first.

Princess Plus so called extras is a rip off, who eats 2 very sweet and sickly desserts a day? 

The sky Princess is okay for the sunnier climates, but during the colder wet sea days there is no where to sit as the Piazza and surrounding areas is always full. The large photography area is a waste of space and could be utilised as a lovely sitting area.  

 A definite lack of places to relax and look out over the water, as you feel as if you are always inside a hotel complex with no windows.

When the sky Princess docked at Various ports in the US and Canada we mostly ended up docked a long way from the main towns so a bus or taxi was needed. Last year a free shuttle bus was laid on in Boston, but this year it was at your own expense. Cheaper Docking costs for Princess means we pay more in the long run.

The Shows were similar to last year. so no expense for Princess to provide new and different interesting shows. and the best seats are now reserved for those who brought the Premium package. More expense for guests.

Daytime activities were poor and at times very childish, felt as if we were at a camp site. 

The wi-fi was hit and miss, although we expected that across the Atlantic, But to order food / drink to be delivered to your location often took over 30mins to arrive.

All in All, We now think Celebrity is  our number one cruise line.  

Princess you need to return to your original values. and listen to your guests.

Needs a lot of Improvement

Embarkation was ok after that it all went downhill. Firstly the mini suite is just that minute. It boasts a walk in wardrobe which is just a rail of clothes which are on show for all to see. The balcony is so tiny you can barely fit two people on. The ship does not have enough seating for passengers on a sea day of which there were many on this cruise. We booked 18 months ago in all good faith but apparently they changed to a new package but did not see fit to upgrade people who had booked early. We were told you can upgrade for $460 we said no. We are Ruby members & realised a week or so into the cruise we were not being offered the extras that came with loyalty. We brought this up with customer services  & they said that there were too many platinum & elite members onboard so Ruby were not going to be offered their extras. We said that this was terrible as we were not even offered a bottle of wine in lieu. Their response was “there are other cruise lines” this is outrageous. Customer services need to be retrained on how to deal with customers. Anytime dining was a joke there were no tables available until 8.50 via the app & if you went earlier you were given a pager. This did improve the further you got into the cruise. Tours were another debacle not only way over priced but p1ss up in a brewery sprang to mind. Some people on excursions waited for over an hour to get on their tour making the start time an hour late but were rushed back without including the extra hour. St John’s was one of the ports listed on the itinerary which was one of the reasons we booked this cruise along with several other passengers. Two weeks before the cruise they took this port off for reasons unknown at that time. After a week of sailing & I would guess many passengers querying this, the Captain came on & said they had done research about this port & deemed it unsafe due to some rocks. Funnily enough some of the passengers had done this exact same cruise the year before with absolutely no problem getting in to St John’s. We now believe that Princess lured people into booking this cruise under false pretences ie: never intended to go into St John’s in the first place. There was no compensation offered in the form of a different port or an extra nights stay in one of the other ports. Of course this is all a cost cutting exercise of which there were many. 

When we got to Quebec there was an apparent picketing going on delaying shuttle buses & tour buses from entering in or out of the port. This was not unexpected for the ship as this has been going on for 18 months. The queues to get on the return shuttle were horrendous. Given that there are many sea days on this ship the entertainment was dire with the exception of a couple of acts that we had seen on previous cruises. The Theatre holds 900 people as there are two performances an evening that would mean a total of 1800 passengers could watch the performance per evening. As there are 3600 passengers on board it means that half of the passengers would not be able to see performances if they wanted to. The ship clearly accounts for many people not bothering to go to the shows. Many people on board had either a mobility scooter, wheelchair, zimmer frame or a stick. Getting a lift was a nightmare. I have a rare lung condition which means I can’t walk upstairs or hills but because I don’t have any walking aids I was forced to walk upstairs on a number of occasions which rendered me out of breath. The food was lukewarm & they churned out the same menu over & over with the exception of a few nights where it was very good. The Launderette was a joke. They charged to use the machines & for washing powder on top. Most people brought their own. No baskets were provided so people were taking out others washing & dumping it on a shelf. Duty free was not duty free you could buy everything for half the price in the local shops. Little things that you had come to expect like chocolates on the bed & occasionally being offered fill a bag of laundry for $25 have completely disappeared. Everything is blamed on Covid when in reality they are just trying to save money. We spent a lot of time in our cabin for a few reasons 1. Not enough seating to sit & enjoy a drink. 2. There was no atmosphere on the ship with most people looking miserable most of the time. Suffice to say we will never travel on this ship again or even Princess Cruises given their lack of customer service or eagerness to please.

Worst cruise ever

Cruise selected as destinations allowed us to meet up with friends and family.

We are long term Cunard cruisers , having also travelled with several other lines including a previous Princess which was good.

Boarding a nightmare at SOU, “stateroom” good ( mini suite with bath).

Public room seating is for approx. 1500 passengers ,not 3500.

Theatre seats 900 therefore two shows only accommodates half the passengers. Postage stamp ballroom.

Friends recommended the international cafe unfortunately seating only for a very small number of people and a bit like Benidorm ever table taken by 8am. We never manage a seat. This caused an overflow into Bellinis, Wine bar and Gelato where no seating available, except at the bar , for customers.

Dine my way does not work in restaurants as they permit walk ins without bookings and although booked we frequently had to wait for a table. Accepted a table for ten once ,took three hours at the table for hour meal.

By the time we got to our first port ( Boston ) we were close to getting off and flying home, but as we had several friends and family meetings arranged we persisted, despite Princess cancelling our stop in StJohns ND 

The best part of the cruise was getting off this , not fit for purpose ,ship.

I could go on but will save the rest for Princess review , suffice to say excuses and downright lies experienced.

This is not a ship for transatlantic in the autumn and should be restricted to Caribbean and very warm climes where the decks can be in full use., although I do not believe there would be enough beds for all pax.

The waiters and general staff are friendly and try their best but they need to be increased by 50%.

We will not be travelling on this ( and sister ) ships of this size again.

Very disappointed 

I would not recommend Sky Princess its too big 3500 passengers you have to queue for everything nowhere to sit inside on sea days in poor weather. Small theatre and uncomfortable. Cabins OK but bathrooms small and poorly designed small shower with a curtain so floor is always wet. Menus poorly designed limited choice. Staff are as usual excellent and tye only good thin on the ship. I will never sail with Princess again. They overcharge for everything Tours are ridiculously expensive



Worst cruise I have ever taken

After my less than stellar first Princess cruise on Island Princess in July, I was a little apprehensive about this one.  However, it could not have been any different.  Not only was the ship newer and in great condition but the whole experience was better, it was like sailing on different cruise line.

Nothing on Sky Princess was my favourite anything from the cruise lines I’ve sailed but somehow it all worked for me and I really liked it.  I had a great cruise - I enjoyed the weather (both good and bad, but especially the bad - it’s not a true transatlantic crossing without a Force 9 gale), the itinerary (despite the glitches), and the ship.

Sky Princess is not my favourite ship for the layout.  In particular I miss having a ‘Crow’s Nest’ lounge and a decent promenade deck.  Unless you extra pay for ‘The Sanctuary’ there is nowhere, inside or out, with a view over the front of the ship.  The only accessible areas of the so-called ‘Promenade Deck’ are small, either side, aft, and the starboard side is a smoking area.  I had read of being able to do a full circuit of the promenade deck, albeit some stretches being narrow and having to cut across through the forward stairs lobby, but that was not possible on this cruise.  All access doors were closed off except those for the aft areas.

I’ve had more comfortable and functional cabins on other cruise lines.  In fact, it fascinates me how the same cabin space can be made so much more functional by one company than another.  My ‘deluxe balcony’ cabin was comfortable but felt quite small.  A ‘deluxe’ cabin is apparently only 18 inches longer than a ‘standard’ so not a great deal of extra room.  I booked it just so that I would have a sofa.  It’s only a small 2-seater but more comfortable than sitting on the chair or the bed.  What I hadn’t realised was that with the provision of the sofa, a ‘deluxe’ loses some drawers, shelves and countertop space compared to a ‘standard’.  Travelling solo, I managed okay, but I imagine it could be problematic for 2 people.  

By comparison, in the same space Holland America (Pinaccle Class) manage to fit a bigger, better bathroom (with a glass shower enclosure rather than a curtain), ample wardrobe space (properly enclosed, not the open hanging rail as on Princess), drawers, a corner drinks unit/cupboard, a sofa, a small desk with drawers, and more storage with underbed drawers, cupboards over the sofa and a book/magazine shelf under the TV.  If they haven’t already won awards for how much you can cram into 180 square feet to make an extremely functional and comfortable cabin, they ought to!  And I have no idea why other cruise lines - particularly those within the same Carnival family - don’t adopt the same layout. 

The food was often a bit ‘hit and miss’ but good overall.  I ate breakfast in the buffet, early before it got crowded, and dinner in the MDR.  For lunch I would get something from the International Cafe or the buffet and take it back to my cabin to avoid the crowds, or sometimes on sea days I ate at one of the poolside places which weren’t generally busy due to the weather.

Other reviews have complained about the lack of seating space within the ship and this was a constant topic of complaint during the cruise.  However, I believe this is only an issue for those people with the ‘herding instinct’, which I don’t have!  Yes, ‘The Piazza’ was absolutely crammed from about 9.30am onwards.  Not for any particular event that was happening but with people who had apparently staked out their spot for the day - to read, knit, sleep or whatever their activity of choice.  I saw this regularly on my forays to the International Cafe and it just made me shake my head in wonder.  It seemed that a great many passengers had perhaps simply swapped the communal lounge of their residential home for the nearest equivalent they could find onboard.  Whilst there was not a seat to be found in ‘The Piazza’, only a few steps away there were seats available in lounges unused during much of the daytime, such as ‘Take Five’ which also has the advantage of large windows for a sea view.  However, it seems that those people who complain of a lack of seating are also the ones who feel compelled to sit where everyone else is sitting, presumably wanting the safety of the herd.

This was a transatlantic cruise in September/October, with 6 sea days in each direction.  As the captain said when asked in his Q&A session, if you’re looking for a cruise that’s pretty much guaranteed to have bad weather, this is it!  If you want to be able to sit by the pool, or don’t want the inside areas of the ship to be crowded, choosing any transatlantic cruise is not the best decision let alone at this time of year.

I do agree about the Princess Theatre not being fit for purpose when it comes to seating.  It is ridiculous that it seats less than 1000 on a ship which at full capacity could have 4400 passengers onboard.  I believe there were about 3500 passengers on this cruise so with each show being on twice each night, only about half the passengers could see it.  What I couldn’t understand on this 24-night cruise was why the production shows weren’t repeated on another night to give all passengers the chance to see them, and possibly see them again if they wanted to (I would like to have seen ‘Rock Opera’ and especially ‘Spotlight Bar’ again).  But we only got the 3 production shows once, just the same as a shorter cruise.  Similarly, the best of the guest performers (in my opinion), The Trawlermen, only did the 2 shows on one night.

The Princess itinerary planners who ‘planned’ (I use the term loosely) this itinerary need a change of career, in my humble opinion.  It started with just 8 ports on a 24-night cruise but a few weeks beforehand we lost St John’s, Newfoundland with only the generic “operational reasons” given as explanation.  During the cruise, the captain said it was due to a risk assessment showing that it wasn’t safe for Sky Princess to enter St John’s due to an underwater rock near the entrance.  Apparently it isn’t a new issue but no explanation was given as to why the risk assessment and/or decision was made so late and why no alternative port visit was arranged.  The captain said that until the port authorities blow this rock up Sky Princess will not visit St John’s, but there was no indication of when or if this will happen.  (Yet Princess continue to include this port in future itineraries.)  It seems strange to me that I’ve seen no mention of this ‘rock’ issue in the cruise media, or indeed in the St John’s press online when it potentially has an impact on the local tourist industry.

Aside from the St John’s issue, the itinerary planners messed up on a couple of other things.  In Quebec we weren’t at a city centre berth as expected, instead we were moored at the less than scenic industrial dock about 1.5 miles away.  Complete with the picket line of dockworkers, on a long ongoing strike, who regularly barricaded the entrance and disrupted the (port provided) shuttle bus service!  That’s because 2 other ships were in port doing turnarounds so needed the central berths with full terminal facilities.  Some research, forward-planning and a slight adjustment of the itinerary could have put us in Quebec when a city centre berth was available.  Similarly, having us in Charlottetown on Canadian Thanksgiving Day when most businesses and shops were closed (even some of the more touristy ones) wasn’t the best of decisions.  Again, a little research could have avoided this - I recommend Google!  (I would also recommend Google to the so-called ‘Destination Expert’ onboard.)

I experienced no problems with embarkation at Southampton.  I dropped my bags off, waited only a few minutes in the check-in line, then picked up my medallion and went straight to security and on board all within about 20 minutes.  Okay, it took me over 30 minutes in a taxi from the railway station rather than the usual 5 minutes but that was due to an accident closing one of the major roads on a day that was already busy with the Boat Show, nothing to do with Princess.

I enjoyed having background music around the ship and dispute another reviewer’s contention that it was “age inappropriate”.  I thought it was a good mix, very like Absolute Radio which I listen to regularly, who play music from the 1960s up to the current day.  (By the way, Taylor Swift has been releasing albums for almost 20 years so it isn’t all “recent times”.)  Similarly with those passengers who complained that they didn’t know the music in the production shows such as ‘Rock Opera’.  For crying out loud, Queen were in the 1970s, even if you didn’t like their music how can you not know it?  Even someone now in their 80s was only in their 30s during the 1970s.  Do people get to a certain age and then one day wake up, forget or decide they dislike all the music they’ve heard in their life up to that point and listen only to Mantovani?

It is a shame that not everyone enjoyed this cruise as much as I did.  But I had a great time and I’m looking forward to doing next year’s version - whether or not the St John’s rock gets blown up by then!

Great Cruise

Chose this cruise as never been to Canada and liked the itinerary. So disappointed,this was such a boring ship,never before have I spent so much time in the cabin,luckily they do have a great selection of films to watch. The daytime entertainment was sadly lacking and no ambience onboard. Evening time if you wanted to watch a show you had to arrive at least 30mins early to try and get a seat which is another thing sadly lacking ,seating. Plus seats are reserved for the "elite"Mostly standing if you were in the piazza where most things happened. 

Everything overpriced,I think they push people to buy the package as drinks were too expensive. We were offered a package for $2000! My friend only likes beer ,this is the first ship that didn't have any decent draught beer only Carlsberg or Newcastle brown everything else was small bottles and cans. Hence very little was bought on this ship. The cancellation of st John's with an excuse that there is a rock we couldn't pass was not replaced with another port or longer stay in another,and interestingly this port is on their itinerary again for next year. I think they were just saving money by cutting one out. Too many speciality restaurants which of course were expensive,I could go on with the negatives but I am sure there will be others.

On the plus side I have to say that the buffet is the best I have ever seen,such a great choice and quality and something different everyday.

First time and last time with princess

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