Last Updated on 05/25/24 by Rose Palmer
As I sit on my balcony, drink in hand, I am mesmerized by the scenery that slips by. On this day it’s not the typical frothy ocean blue. Today, the water is a calm, deep, sapphire shade, reflecting the surrounding emerald green slopes where waterfalls slip and slide for hundreds of feet and little, red roofed cottages look like something out of a fairy tale.
I am cruising through Norway’s longest fjord and I am wishing that this day will never end!
I have my wish list of cruise itineraries, so when Princess had a great last minute deal with no single supplement on a Norwegian and Arctic cruise, I quickly jumped at the chance. The fact that it was on one of Princess’ newest cruise ships, the Sky Princess, was an added bonus. It was a memorable trip and was everything I hoped for, both for the wonderful scenery and the experience on the ship.
After spending 16 glorious days on this beautiful ship, I am sharing this detailed Sky Princess cruise ship review based on my personal experiences.
My Sky Princess review
The Sky Princess was my first time cruising on a Royal class cruise ship – the other Princess ships I had been on were an Alaska cruise on the Island Princess and a full Panama Canal transit on the Ruby Princess.
The Sky Princess had her first sailing in 2019 and due to the pandemic pause, she still felt like a very new ship when I recently boarded her in Southampton. As I toured her decks, I discovered familiar Princess elements and also some new-to-me details that I looked forward to experiencing.
What I loved about this Princess cruise
As with other Princess cruises, what impressed me most was the staff. They work very hard and the service was always delivered with a smile. My room steward was amazing. I know he said he took a break in the middle of the day, but it sure seemed like he was always on my floor, taking care of someone.
My bed was always crisply made, my bathroom clean and the dishes always cleared away (can he come home with me?). And he was always so very cheerful and eager to please.
After two other Princess cruises, I now have some favorite routines when it comes to what I really enjoy doing while I am on a Princess ship. I love getting a light breakfast from the International Café and eating it on the balcony with a cup of tea. I love watching a new or favorite film on Movies-Under-the-Stars. And I love scones with clotted cream and jam for afternoon tea.
For me, a cruise is all about “me time”, so I don’t look for big group activities, though there were plenty to choose from. I prefer a quiet corner where I can listen to an audiobook or read or catch up on writing while looking out at the ocean. But if I wanted action there was plenty of karaoke, trivia games, and Zumba just to name a few of the many on board distractions.
However, the biggest highlight for me on this cruise was gliding through the Norwegian fjords and taking in the scenery. The fjords we went through were very long so it took many hours to get in and out which was just fine with me.
I loved just sitting on my balcony and looking at the shoreline, wondering what was coming around the next bend. There were tall peaks with some remnants of snow, cute little farm houses surrounded by quiet patches of bright green and occasionally a waterfall cascading down a steep hillside. This was the Norway I had come to see.
How to get to the Sky Princess in Southampton
This cruise left from Southampton, England which meant I had an overnight flight from the USA to Heathrow Airport. Once I exited customs at Heathrow, I went to the National Express information desk and purchased a bus ticket that took me directly from the airport to Southampton.
Getting to the bus station at the airport was an easy walk and was well marked. I had a two hour wait before my bus left which I spent at the bus station café. It was another two hour bus ride to Southampton which let me take a cat nap since I was still sleep deprived after my night time flight.
In Southampton, it was an easy 10 minute walk to my hotel, The Moxy, part of the Marriott portfolio. I chose this hotel because it was midway between the bus station and the cruise port and had good reviews. It’s a hip, modern hotel and had everything I needed for my one night stay, in particular, a comfortable bed.
I had time to explore a little of the nearby historic center core of Southampton and grab a fish and chips dinner at the Duke of Wellington Pub before crashing for a long night’s sleep.
The next morning, I chose to walk the 20 minutes from the Moxy to the cruise pier because I wanted some exercise, though I could have taken a taxi. I did not have much luggage and the sidewalks were good and had curb cuts for most of the way.
Before boarding I filled out all the required information on the Princess Medallion app and was “Ocean Ready” and in the “green lane”. Since I booked last minute, I picked up my medallion at check in.
Boarding went smoothly and in about 10 minutes I had dropped off my bags, had gotten through the check in process, and was walking up the gangplank toward lunch on board the Sky Princess.
My cruise had officially started!
Sky Princess balcony room review
When I checked in I was pleased to discover that Princess had upgraded me to a port side, forward balcony cabin on deck 11 – the Baja deck. As a solo traveler, the 222 square foot cabin was plenty roomy.
The Sky Princess has over 700 balcony style cabins in a variety of sizes so there are many to choose from. I had a standard balcony cabin, and while my balcony was not huge, it was roomy enough for two chairs and a small table. Two people could certainly sit there comfortably to enjoy the view.
The cabin décor had a very new and modern look with a very soothing color scheme: taupe and light grey tones accented with sky blue and set off by the crisp white bedding. The bed is one of my favorite Princess details – big, feather pillows and comforter covered with high thread count linens. Between the fine bedding and the gentle rocking of the ship, I always sleep very well on a Princess cruise.
I was also quite surprised at the large amount of storage, most of which I didn’t use. I thought there was certainly enough space for two people’s stuff (though I do tend to travel light). There was the closet with 35 hangers (yes, I counted them) and a tall storage cabinet with six shelves and a safe. Each nightstand had two drawers, the desk had three drawers (one with a built in hair dryer), and the credenza had a mini fridge and three shallow open shelves.
On previous cruises I have found that there were often not enough outlets for charging. That was not the case here. Each nightstand had a lamp with a built in USB port. The desk had three European style outlets and two American style outlets. A UK adapter was also provided which I thought was a nice touch. The bathroom also had an outlet that could take either a European or American style plug.
The bathroom was also sufficiently roomy for one person with a shower with an adjustable height shower head, toilet, one sink, and three shelves. (I’ve had smaller bathrooms in some European hotels). Another nice touch was a built in clothes line in the shower. My room steward also kept me supplied with clean towels each day which certainly spoiled me.
Another touch that I appreciated on this ship was the kettle and tea/coffee station in the room. I like a cup of tea in the morning as I sit on the balcony, and it was nice not to have to ask for a tea kettle for the room.
My cabin was also very quiet, and even though I was at the very front of the ship, I only felt a little of the ship’s motion (which I find soothing). Another advantage to my location was that the forward elevators never seemed quite as busy as the middle or aft elevators, and I often had an elevator to myself.
The Sky Princess ship details
The Sky Princess is not an overly large ship as compared to others out there, but as a Royal Class ship she is larger than the Ruby and the Island Princess which I had sailed previously.
The stats:
- Royal class
- Year inaugurated – 2019
- Last refurbished –NA
- Last dry dock – May, 2023
- Maximum number of passengers –3660
- Maximum number of crew -1346
The Sky Princess had plenty of public spaces that offered numerous activities all day if I wanted them.
This is a list of all the public spaces on the Sky Princess with lots of photos to provide a good sense of the space and all the lovely design details. The ship interior had a very modern feel with many sky blue tones and highlights which I really liked.
A few things to note:
I was a bit disappointed to find that this ship had no formal library.
I also missed the traditional open promenade deck. While deck 7 had an outdoor promenade area, I could not walk it all around the ship. Also, the lifeboats hung here so the views were impeded by them. However, the jogging track on deck 17 provided a walking area and unhindered ocean views.
One thing I really liked was that many of the doors in the public spaces opened automatically and were touch free. There were also a lot of sinks to wash my hands as I entered the buffet area and there were hand sanitizing stations all over the ship.
Deck 5 – Plaza
The Piazza – the beautiful three story heart of the ship featured elegant, curving staircases with lots of glittery gold, marble and sky blue accents. There always seemed to be some type of excellent live music performance going on here throughout the day.
Surrounding the Piazza are:
The International Café – one of my favorite places for food and my favorite spot to pick up my usual breakfast of a yogurt parfait and an almond croissant. This was also a great place to get quick snacks, a light lunch, pastries, or cookies, 24 hours a day. I especially liked it for satisfying those midnight snack cravings. This was also the place to indulge my specialty coffee cravings (for a fee without a drinks package).
Bellini’s – a nice spot to try a new mixed cocktail or my favorite brew.
Vines Wine Bar – the spot to try different wines from around the world. This was also one of the casual dining locations (extra charges applied without a package)
Gelato – this ice cream spot was one of my other favorite indulgencies on board and my downfall. They offered a wonderful and diverse selection of gelato flavors (minimal extra charges apply).
Shops of Princess – Essentials – had a very minimal selection of necessities if I forgot something.
Internet café – a small little corner with desks and computer monitors where I could catch up on e-mails with views of the ocean or ask for IT help.
Aft of the Piazza:
Soleil Dining Room – one of the three main dining rooms on the ship which was open for dinner.
Forward of the Piazza:
Guest Services– the place where I went for answers and got help during the cruise. Staff were always very friendly and helpful. There was a kiosk here where I printed my folio any time using my medallion.
Shore Excursions Desk – the spot to go for questions about shore excursion booked through Princess. I also found it very easy to book a shore excursion via the app once I was on board.
Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria – one of the specialty restaurants on board. I really enjoyed my dinner here one night (for an extra charge).
Lotus Spa and Salon – Beside the usual spa and salon services, I also enjoyed the Enclave, an indoor heated space with a small pool, heated loungers, and steam rooms. Access to the enclave was by buying a package for the whole length of the cruise.
Deck 6 – Fiesta
Public spaces forward to aft:
Princess Theater lower level – the venue for evening shows and performances.
Churchill’s Arcade– small room with a variety of arcade games (replaced Churchill’s Cigar Lounge).
Take Five -at night this was the jazz music lounge which I really enjoyed. During the day it was a quiet spot that was hardly ever busy. I liked coming here on sea days when I wanted to do computer work while looking out the window.
Gatsby’s Casino and Bar – plenty of options for those that like to gamble.
Good Spirits at Sea – another spot where I got drinks and funky specialty cocktails.
Shops of Princess – plenty of choices for browsing and buying, especially jewelry.
Future Cruise Planning – I put a deposit on a future Princess cruise which came with free onboard credit.
Photo gallery – gone are the racks of pre-printed photos. Instead, there were monitors where I could view and order my photos using my medallion.
Fine Arts Gallery – showing new art for the art auctions at sea.
Estrella Dining Room – this dining room was open for all three meals and was also where afternoon tea was served.
Cielo Dining Room – one of the three dining rooms open for dinner. Note that I could only access this dining room from the aft lift area. This was also where I had the special Chef’s Table Lumiere dinner.
Deck 7 – Promenade
Public spaces moving forward to aft:
Princess Theater upper level – the venu for enrichment lectures and evening shows.
The Shops of Princess – a very pretty space with more choices for browsing and buying.
Ocean Terrace – one of the casual dining restaurants with sushi and sashimi (for an extra charge without one of the packages).
The Catch by Rudi – another specialty restaurant with a wide array of seafood dishes, but also plenty of choices for meat lovers and vegetarians.
Alfredo’s Pizzeria – this was where I had fresh, made to order pizzas. I could order one of the pizzas from the menu, but usually I asked for one made with just the ingredients I like. This was another casual dining restaurant (extra charge without a package).
Ocean Front – relaxing spot for drinks with views of the Piazza.
Princess Live! and Princess Live Cafe –large venue for drinks, daily activities and evening entertainment.
Crown Grill and Bar–specialty steakhouse restaurant serving fine steaks and seafood(extra charges applied).
Vista Lounge – another large venue for drinks, activities, and evening entertainment.
Outside I also found the Promenade Deck and Alfresco Dining. This outdoor space did not go all around the ship and the forward portion was inaccessible while at sea. The lifeboats hung here all along the side of the ship, so the views were limited. There was a small area aft with some deck chairs that were usually not busy. I could also get some unobstructed views by going all the way aft.
Deck 14 – Riviera
Concierge lounge – special lounge for suite guests.
Wedding Chapel – for those looking to get married on the love boat, or renew their marriage vows.
Deck 16 – Lido
Public spaces forward to aft:
Slice Pizza – the Neapolitan style pizza had a thin, crispy crust and each day there was a special that offered different toppings. I could get as many slices as I liked all throughout the day.
THE MIX – a poolside bar for drinks of all types.
The Salty Dog Grill – great spot that satisfied my burger-and-fries cravings and where I got hot dogs, a pulled pork sandwich, or tacos.
Sky Pools – two big pools with hot tubs and lots of lounge chairs for sunning and relaxing. Loved the lounge pits in between the two pools. Could also watch Movies-Under-The-Stars here.
Sea walk – a glass walkway on both sides of the deck with views down to water level. I have a fear of heights so walking this was a bit of a challenge.
Sea Views Bar – another option for drinks while lounging in the pool or hot tubs.
Swirls Ice Cream Bar– free soft serve chocolate and vanilla ice cream any time of day.
The World Fresh Marketplace – the large buffet where I could go for meals or drinks of water, lemonade, tea, and coffee. There was a daily international theme to the food offered in the World Fresh Marketplace.
The Pastry Shop – I made sure not to miss this spot tucked in the middle of the World Fresh Marketplace for desert options and afternoon tea goodies each day. This was also where the fresh juice bar was located.
Wakeview Pool – small pool perfect for a quick refreshing dip on the back end of the ship. This area was just outside the World Fresh Marketplace and had outdoor seating if I wanted to eat al fresco.
Wakeview Bar – outdoor poolside bar offering a variety of drinks.
Deck 17 – Sun
Public spaces forward to aft:
Retreat pool and bar– this intimate, adults only pool and hot tub area was accessed only from a door across from the forward lifts. On warm, sunny days, all the lounge chairs on both deck levels around this pool were always full, so it did not feel like much of a retreat. On cool, overcast days it was pretty empty.
Midship:
Movies Under the Stars sitting area– a large screen above the Sky Pools where I could see movies and concerts. This was one of my favorite activities on the ship.
Hot tubs – there were four more hot tubs on the deck here, two with views of the ocean and two with views of the Movies-Under-The-Stars.
Aft:
Fitness Center – The place to go to work off all the calories from all that good food. I could walk for miles on a treadmill while looking out over the deep blue sea.
Camp Discovery and the Beach House – dedicated club areas for children.
Outdoor deck with seating area over the Wakeview Pool – a very pleasant area to relax and look out over the ocean. Often frequented by smokers.
Deck 18 – Sky
Forward – note that these areas could only be accessed from the forward lifts
The Sanctuary – a quiet, adult only retreat to relax without the crowds. An extra daily fee was charged to reserve a deck chair here each day.
Retreat pool deck – the second deck level around the retreat pool with two hot tubs.
Aft – this area was accessed from the aft elevators or via outside stairs from deck 16.
Movies Under the Stars screen – big screen showing popular movies, concerts and sporting events throughout the day and evening.
Jogging track – walking seven times around the track was one mile. This was a nice spot to enjoy unobstructed ocean views in all directions even if I wasn’t interested in jogging or exercising. I liked looking at the street art murals on the walls as I walked around the track.
Center court – very large, netted, basketball court.
Deck 19 – Vista
The Greens Mini Golf – small putting green that could only be accessed by stairs from the aft area of deck 18.
Laundromats
In the aft portion on each floor on decks 8 through 15, Princess provided self service laundry facilities for all guests.
Using my medallion I purchased tokens for the washing machines and dryers from the vending machines located in the laundry room. I could also buy detergent, but I brought my own pods. There were also irons and ironing boards for guest’s use.
This was one of my favorite benefits on a Princess cruise ship. It meant that I can pack lighter and wash a quick load or two midway through a long cruise.
My Sky Princess itinerary to Norway and the Arctic
I specifically chose this cruise because of its itinerary:
Day 1 – embark in Southampton, depart 4:00 PM
Day 2 – at sea
Day 3 – Haugesund, 9:00 AM to 5:50 PM
Day 4 – Skjolden, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM; scenic cruising
Day 5 – Olden, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM; scenic cruising
Day 6 – Trondheim, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Day 7 – at sea; cross the arctic circle
Day 8 – Honningsvag, 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Day 9 – Tromso, 8:00 AM to 9:30 PM
Day 10 – at sea
Day 11 – at sea
Day 12 – Aalesund, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Day 13 – Bergen, 6:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Day 14 – at sea
Day 15 – Southampton, disembark starting 7:00 AM
I describe all the port stops and what I did in each in my post Norway Shore Excursions – How to Spend a Day in Norway’s Popular Cruise Ports.
During my cruise we had three formal dress nights and the rest were all smart casual dress.
Sky Princess food review
I can honestly say I enjoyed all the food that I chose on the Sky Princess and I took advantage of just about all of the dining options that were available to me, including the special Chef’s Table event. I thought all the food I tried was good (especially since I did not have to cook it), and quite a bit was great.
At each location, the service was always fantastic and delivered with courtesy and efficiency and always with a smile. I found all the wait staff to be extremely personable and eager to please.
In order to keep this post from getting too wordy, I wrote a separate post with more detail about all my dining experiences: The Sky Princess Specialty Restaurants and the Chef’s Table Experience
Sky Princess entertainment review
I don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of time writing about the entertainment as that can change from cruise to cruise and will vary on the destination. Suffice it to say that I really enjoyed the musical presentations on board.
Everyone has different wants and likes when it come to cruise ship entertainment and the Sky Princess seemed to have something for all tastes. There were certainly plenty of opportunities to play bingo, take part in trivia games, or take Zumba classes, just to name a few. There was also lots of variety when it came to musical performances.
The two Broadway style shows during the cruise were impressive in their presentations and effectively displayed the skills of extremely talented performers.
I also really liked the other musical performances in the theater. One week we had an Elton John impersonator who did a very credible job singing all of Elton’s standards. Another week we had a Paul McCartney and John Lennon look alike duo who performed much of the classic Beatles repertoire. There was definitely a lot of dancing in the aisles during these shows.
All the other musical presentations throughout the ship were also very enjoyable. There always seemed to be someone singing or performing in the Piazza which you could easily hear from any of the bars or restaurants located on all the floors around this three story space. For more relaxing music, I often went to Take 5 in the evening to listen to the jazz band.
Sky Princess excursion reviews
Since I booked my cruise last minute, many of the Princess organized excursions I was interested in were fully booked. That turned out not to be a problem as I was able to explore and discover each port on my own quite easily.
The only organized excursion that I booked before I left home was with Blue Puffin in Honningsvag for a tour to the North Cape. I describe in detail what I did in each port in my post Norway Cruise Port Excursions – How to Spend a Day in Popular Norwegian Cruise Port Stops.
Additional Sky Princess cruise tips and information
Princess Cruise Packages
Princess offers Standard, Plus, and Premium cruise fare packages. Before each cruise, I evaluate which package makes sense for me for that particular itinerary. Princess Cruise Drinks Packages and Fare Packages – Which One Is Best?
The Medallion
The Medallion is a waterproof, round electronic button that held all my personal Princess cruise information and also acted as my room key. Since I booked this cruise last minute, I picked up my medallion at check in at the port (which only took a few minutes) and wore it through the cruise on a lanyard. If I wanted something more fashionable, Princess sold fancier Medallion accessories like chains and wristbands on board (I bought a pretty beaded lanyard on Amazon).
The Medallion automatically unlocked my room once I was within 3-4 feet of my cabin door. I also used it for any on board charges for drinks, excursions, etc. It was also my key to get back on the ship after getting off in port.
The Princess Cruise App
I used the Princess Cruise App to check in before my cruise. I was able to fill out all the necessary information easily to get into the “blue” check in lane (I chose to pick up my medallion at the port).
Once on board, I could use the app to schedule dinner reservations, order room service, order drinks to be delivered to my seat, track and find members in my cruising party and look at my bill. I did not chose to use any of these options though I saw many other cruisers taking advantage of them.
Upon boarding, I also had to check in to my muster station with my medallion.
Interactive On Board Screens
Near each elevator, a large interactive screen displayed a map of the ship or the current activities going on throughout the ship. These touch screens were very easy and intuitive to use.
MedallionNet Wi-Fi
I had the 4-device package for the full length of the trip so that I could use both my phone and my computer at the same time while on board. Signing up and logging into the Wi-Fi network was easy.
However, because of where we were cruising (i.e.-above the arctic circle), internet access was not always available, and the ship informed us of this up front. When there was internet, it worked fine for me and was usually fast enough for what I needed (I could access e-mails and my blog).
Since Princess switched to Starlink, on board Wi-Fi has been faster and more dependable.
Travel Tip – I switched my phone to Airplane Mode before I left port so that I did not incur roaming charges. I made any calls back home via WI-FI while at sea.
Princess Patter
On my cruise, my cabin steward dropped off the Princess Patter each night and it listed the following day’s activities. It was an invaluable source of the most up to date information for each day of the cruise.
In room TV
Besides watching movies and TV programs, and listening to music, I was also able to watch all the shows and the enrichment lectures that had been presented at the theater in the comfort of my cabin. I also watched the safety video on the TV when I first boarded the ship.
Bridge Cam
I can see where the Sky Princess is currently sailing through its bridge cam at https://www.princess.com/bridgecams/
My cruise to Norway and the arctic circle on the Sky Princess gave me everything I was looking for – a relaxing two weeks of down time with beautiful scenery. I share some of my favorite photos of Norway in my post Beautiful Story Book Norway Photos to Inspire Your next Trip.
To book a Princess cruise, find all the upcoming Sky Princess cruises, and to see the most recent cruise line deals go to https://www.princess.com/.
Please note that I received a media upgraded cabin from Princess. All content and opinions in this post are my own.
Links to all my cruising content, including all my other Princess cruises, can be found on my Experience – Cruising page.
Other Princess cruising stories:
A Discovery Princess review: Discovering New Horizons With Princess – A Complete Discovery Princess Review With Photos
Regal Princess review: Cruising Like A Princess – A Complete Regal Princess Review With Photos
Majestic Princess review: My Most Memorable Princess Cruise – A Complete Majestic Princess Review With Photos
How I spent my cruise port day in Cartagena, Columbia: One Day in Cartagena, Columbia – A Colorful Independent Cruise Excursion
A unique excursion in Puntarenas, Costa Rica: A Costa Rica Cooking Class – Forging Local Connections On An Atypical Cruise Excursion
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
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