My Take on the Sun Princess US Inaugural Voyage

 

We're seasoned cruisers with nearly a dozen trips behind us. At this point, we know what we like and don't like about the different size ships.

In October 2024, we took an inaugural cruise on the Sun Princess which had just completed its European tour. This was the first time the ship was heading out from the United States.

We flew in the night before and enjoyed a wonderful room at The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort.

The hotel was directly across from the Atlantic Ocean with a beautiful view. The hotel staff was friendly, the room was clean and quiet and we were pleased with our short stay. Walking distance from the hotel, we found the Casa Blanca Restaurant where we shared a burger and glasses of delicious sangria.

Casa Blanca in Ft. Lauderdale

The next morning we took an Uber to the port.

Embarkation day is a big challenge for many of the cruise lines. There are hundreds of people showing up at the same time, all needing to go through processing to get badges, check their luggage, go through security and then walk through the maize of jetways to board the ship.

It was clear this was the first time the port employees had seen such a volume of passengers and they were ill prepared to process so many people at once.

Hopefully, with some experience, they will have ironed out the embarkation issues and have a better method of crowd handling.

The walk back to the hotel.

We entered the queue of waiting people, after making our way all the way to the end of the line which had doubled back on itself. Standing in the tropical 90 degree heat with no cross breeze or fans in the outdoor warehouse-type space was stifling. A couple of times I thought my hubby was going to pass out.

We had checked our roller bags at the entrance, so we were carrying our heavy backpacks as the line crept slowly towards the door.

There's supposed to be a priority boarding for seasoned cruisers who've achieved "Elite" or "Platinum" status due to loyalty or number of cruises taken, but there was no such thing in place.

Once inside, the line crept slowly through a security checkpoint where, everything must be placed on the conveyor belt - hats, purses, phones, luggage, all had to go through the scanner.

It was not the highlight of our trip.

The send-off when the ship first left the port was spectacular. We watched a pair of tugboats gracefully dancing in a performance with water sprays that created a rainbow effect. It was amazing!

The Tugboat Show

We couldn't help but make comparisons to other cruises we've taken. We've been on the Ruby Princess a few times. It's a smaller ship built in 2008, that holds around 3,080 guests plus a crew of  1,200. We love the quaint feel of the cozy restaurants and public places that are welcoming and warm. The Piazza has an ambiance that brings back times gone by.

In contrast, the Sun Princess, the newest ship in the fleet, holds up to 4,300 guests with a crew of 1,600. You'd be surprised at the difference 1,600 extra people make on a ship, even of this size. The shops were crowded, the restaurants had wait lists and even the bars had long wait times for service.

In port at Amber Cove

We found ourselves engulfed in a sea of passengers no matter what the venue, whether in ship stores, dining rooms, bars or at the Piazza. 

The Piazza

Speaking of which, the multi-level seating in the Piazza on the Sun, although convenient and comfortable, lacks personality.

While the super large screen makes it easier to see performances, games or magic shows on the Sun, the comforting ambiance is lacking.

We bought the drink package because we like specialty coffee, premium desserts, and the reserve dining experience where you can dine at anytime without waiting in line. With the new Sanctuary collection, the reserve collection option is removed and passenger's are assigned a restaurant of their own.

This was my dinner the first night in the Sanctuary restaurant. The steak was tough, the baked potato was hard as were the veggies. The hubby sent his Alfredo back as it was hard and cold. The Maître de wasn't too accommodating and we left with food uneaten.

As mini-suite Sanctuary guests, we were allowed to have breakfast each morning in the Sanctuary dining room but mostly skipped the restaurant and went to the buffet where they had prepare-to-order omelets and assorted breakfast food and pastries. 

For specialty restaurants, we had difficulty getting a reservation at our favorite, Catch by Rudi, so we chose the Crown Grill. It was our first time to be disappointed with the service and "quality" of the meal. We ate less than half of the lobster dinner and left before dessert.

We had much better luck with a new specialty dining place called Umai, Teppanyaki which is a hibachi grill-type venue where you sit with other people and the chef puts on a show of cooking, singing and telling jokes. 

The shrimp flipped into the chef's hat trick was different when he tossed in an egg and caught it expertly.

The food was fantastic, the whole meal was fabulous. We couldn't have asked for anything better.

Returning from a tiring day in port, we tried another new place called American Diner. That was far and away from anything resembling a diner that we could imagine. Service was slow - we must have been between shifts because we gave our order to three different people before they finally got it.

Milkshakes were watery and tasteless. The hot dogs were served on a Brioche roll (where's the beef?) with a smearing of "bacon onion jam" which we had asked them to leave off. We left most of our meal on the table.

For us, it's an easy choice to book on the smaller ships. They're more personable, friendly, and less crowded. 

Despite my complaints about this voyage, we remain steadfast cruisers who will continue to sail on the Princess line of ships. Just, for now, not the mega sized ones. See you on the sea.

Zip Lining While Cruising the Dominican Republic - Oct 2024

 

At the Resort

One of our bucket-list items was to go zip lining. During our cruise to the Dominican Republic, we signed up for an excursion. 

At the cruise pier we were met by our tour guide, Duran, who claimed us as part of his "family." We were loaded onto an old military style open air truck that took our group from the cruise port to the zip line resort. That was the scariest part of the entire adventure.

In the Dominican Republic, traffic moves incredibly fast. Despite solid center lines and hills with no view of oncoming traffic, other vehicles sped around us to pass. There were goats, cows and donkeys grazing only inches from the side of the road.

The trip to the site took around 45 minutes and took us past a variety of neighborhoods, some well-appointed and others at a level of poverty that made me grateful to live where I do.

Once at the resort, we were given a few minutes to get a cold drink and use the restrooms before touring the gardens and beginning our training. In the first photo, behind the truck in the trees you can see the first platform where the zip trek begins.

After getting instructions on how to hold on and how to brake during the slide, we geared up. The equipment is a bit heavy for someone my size, but manageable. There's a pulley hooked to a harness that goes around your thighs, waist and shoulders, and a crash helmet.

It's a surprisingly simple process to zing across spans of jungle dangling from a cable and a pulley. It was a six-leg journey with platforms between each of the runs. There was even a child among our party. She was fearless.

We're both retirement age which made dealing with the immense heat of the Caribbean climate tough. My husband, got overheated after the strenuous stair climbing wearing heavy equipment.

After 4 legs, we made an early exit down one of the back "secret" stairs. He's had major back surgery and knee replacements. We didn't want to push our luck.

On the drive back to the cruise port after our excursion deep into the jungle the truck started making strange noises. Turns out it got a flat tire and we were broken down in a scary part of town, 

Thankfully the excursion was sponsored by the cruise line, which meant we wouldn't be left behind if we got back to the ship late. As it turned out, we needn't have worried. A replacement truck arrived within 45 minutes to off-load the 30 or so zip-lining participants.

This was our first time to try this type of adventure and it won't be our last. One disappointment was that we couldn't use our Go-Pro camera at that site. 

The thrill of sailing nearly weightlessly across an expanse of tropical forest was indescribable. The pulleys make a sound that becomes familiar as each participant sets off from one platform, zinging across steel cables to land feet first at the next platform. Waiting to catch the arriving zip-liner is a crew of trained professional handlers whose courtesy and understanding was much appreciated.

 

Where the truck transport stopped to fix the tire was a bit sketchy. There was a restaurant across the street, but no one got off the bus to give it a try.

The resort where we were taken was a beautifully decorated, tropical paradise with bathroom facilities, lockers, and a small souvenir shop.

There was a veranda in the back for catered lunches and a shady, covered area after the excursion where we were served fresh watermelon, cantaloupe and soft drinks.

We had a great time and would do this again in a heartbeat. Next time, we're looking for a place that has fewer stairs to climb!

Notes

Requirements & Restrictions: Minimum age – 6 years. All minors must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older. Closed-toe shoes are required. Maximum weight – 250 lbs. Hair must be tied for the ziplines. For safety reasons, pregnant women, and guests with back or neck injuries, walking disabilities or other severe medical conditions may not participate in this excursion.

What to Bring: Comfortable clothing, hair band to tie long hair, and cash for additional purchases.

Good to Know: Tour order may vary. For the zipline portion of the tour, if a child is considered too small for the activities, the child must ride with a guide. Transportation is on an open-air truck and ride may be bumpy.

(Notes from the Carnival Cruise site)