Hi Folks,

This was our first time on the Sun Princess having done the Sea Princess last year which did not go well I was looking forward to the Sun. However this was the first time that we had not booked a package from Princess, due to there being no flights. As such we used a TA to book hotels and flights. Never again to turn up at the airport fly get met by a Princess rep, bus cruise ship and away is the only way to go. Flying out with Delta first time with them from Edinburgh to Atlanta then onto Ft L was always going to be more stressful than going direct with Princess. Delta in flight service was not as good as the likes of Virgin etc. The plane from Atlanta to Ft L while the same type as the first had a lot less leg room and no service unless you paid . Atlanta and US customs was hard going having to collect bags and recheck in etc. At the hotel after a full days travelling you just want a clean room and a nice bed what we got was very poor We were staying in the Red Carpet Inn, do not go there, the rooms had been white washed by all the paint on the black carpet, toilet was old and not that clean, furniture was all new bud bed was a heap, sheets were semi clean. Anyway a nice cup of coffee and things would seem better but no a coke machine was all that was on offer, this is not a hotel it is a truck stop as all night long trucks came and went. In the morning room look worse so booked out asked if we could leave our bags for a few hours no way, so took offer of free bus to cruise port, got there as Sun was unloading waited for hours in terminal, however snack bar was open, the room filled up to over flowing, then the outside hall. After some time we were told that the ship was being cleaned as it had the N virus bug on it. After more delay a little lady appeared and called for elite members to come forward as soon as the doors opened there was a rush and she was not seen again. Check in was fast under 5 minutes straight on to ship, we had a bag with clothes in it to change so we went off ship and got stop by customs who told us to get back on the ship, this is something I will be writing to Princess about, The ship was on full bug alert, loos closed off requested to use cabin for all your needs, buffet was not self service, but could life with this.

Fist day was a sea day that night message from captain saying we would be late into port, when we did get in Sea Princess had already docked next day in Curacao we had no tours that day, so just went into town nice warm day but windy bought a few things ashore as shops are very good not just tourist shops but real stores with good prices, that night captain came on loud speakers while we were watching a movie at the time, sorry to tell you that we are running on reduced power and will be late arriving at I margarita, we got a note that night saying all tours apart from a bus tour were cancelled. We were around 4 hours late, have been a few times so just stayed on the ship as weather was nice. Captain came on speakers to say will be late into port for next few days as did not have parts to repair engines, part being flown to Barbados was hoping it would clear customs in time to get to ship. the seas had been rough force 7 winds which is near gale force, while I was fine there was a run on sea sickness pills onboard ship. Read more