Our voyage has come to an end, so it’s time to say adiós! 👋
A couple of weeks ago on my Cruise Critic blog (which I’ve since closed in favor of keeping this one going), I mentioned that once we got home, we’d reflect on our experience and decide whether this new class of ship was for us. Well… decision made: we’ll be one and done with the Sphere-Class ships! 🚢 Below are the factors that led us there.
There were definitely things we loved—and some that we didn’t.
💙 What We Really Liked
• Our Sanctuary Collection Mini-Suite
The new bathrooms are fantastic! We were in 12439, a quiet location with no staterooms across from us—meaning far fewer door slammers at odd hours. During our middle segment, our neighbors had room service delivered every single morning at 6 a.m. When they knocked, it sounded like it was our door. Very annoying! We were thrilled when they disembarked before our transatlantic crossing.
• The Sanctuary Restaurant
• The Specialty Restaurants
• The Smart Elevators
• The Food Overall
• The Taco and Salad Bars on Deck 17 🌮🥗
• And most of all… the amazing crew! 👏
😬 What We Didn’t Like
1. The Sanctuary Club
Lovely on port days when many guests were ashore, but on sunny sea days—yikes—it was far too crowded! Finding a shaded lounger after 8:00 a.m. was nearly impossible. The chair hogs normally seen on the Lido Deck pools were out in full force here, and management just shrugged when we brought it up.
As huge Sanctuary lovers on the non–Sphere-Class ships, we found the “Sanctuary Club” to be exactly that—a club. Not the tranquil, spa-like retreat we’ve always enjoyed.
The piped-in music was also much too loud. On quiet port days, we convinced the manager to turn it down (and no one complained!). But on sea days, the volume stayed high—encouraging even louder conversations. Not ideal for relaxing with a good book. 📖 No bueno for us!
2. The Piazza
Too small and overused for evening games. In our view, this space should be reserved for musical entertainment and dancing at night. When music was played, the Cruise Staff got overly involved—encouraging line dancing that took over the entire floor. Super annoying for couples wanting to dance. 💃🕺
And with the upper-level seating on Decks 8 and 9 overlooking Deck 7, it felt like being in a fishbowl. Also NO BUENO!
3. The Bar Lounges
The designs feel awkward—too small and too close to high-traffic passageways, which kills the cozy lounge vibe. They almost seem like an afterthought in the ship’s layout.
And the two best venues (in our humble opinion), Crooners and Bellini’s, were way too crowded in the evenings. Another big No Bueno! 🍸
4. The Main Dining Rooms
During our 36 days onboard, the MDRs on Decks 6 and 7 had long lines about 80% of the time—even around 7:30 p.m. when we passed by on our way to the Sanctuary Restaurant on Deck 8.
Senior Staff told us this has been an ongoing issue they still haven’t solved. ⏳
5. The Eatery and American Diner
On sea days at breakfast and lunch, these venues were a sea of humanity—we couldn’t get out fast enough! 😅 We didn’t walk through at dinner, so we can’t speak to the crowds then.
Up to now, the buffets have been staff-served, but that’s about to switch to self-service to reduce staffing. In our opinion, that’s not a positive move.
6. The Lack of Quality Premier Wines by the Glass
Princess really needs to address this. It has now been an issue on several of our recent long voyages. 🍷
💡 Final Thoughts
For anyone considering a Sphere-Class ship, one recommendation stands out: book a Sanctuary Collection stateroom! The Sanctuary Restaurant alone makes it worthwhile, helping you skip the long MDR lines and giving you full access to all specialty restaurants.
Now, we have a short break before our next big adventure! ✈️
On January 6th, we’ll board the Seabourn Sojourn in Long Beach, California, for our very first Seabourn cruise—a 48-day journey to Sydney, Australia!
This voyage will help us answer two big questions:
• Do we keep our 11 future cruises booked with Princess?
• Which direction do we choose for our cruising future?
Since Seabourn’s entry-level veranda suites are priced similarly to Princess’ Sanctuary Collection staterooms, it’ll be a fascinating comparison.
And just to clarify (since I’ve been asked 😉): this blog exists solely to keep friends and family updated on our travels. We receive no financial compensation or consideration of any kind.
I’ll be blogging throughout our Seabourn voyage, sharing detailed comparisons and plenty of photos along the way. Stay tuned! 📸🌊
