It was billed as important new feature and hailed as a new direction for Princess. Now, the Sun Princess top-deck adventure park, called Park19, has been halted and may never see the light of day.
This is particularly significant as Princess is generally thought to attract a different demographic to Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruises, sacrificing some family fun for peace and quiet.
The RollGlider, Coastal Climb, and a ropes course were seen as a bridge to the multi-generational family cruiser.
The cruise line said: “We regret to announce that Princess is unable to accept delivery of the RollGlider, Coastal Climb, and Ropes Course features within Park19 aboard Sun Princess and those experiences will not be opening… We are actively evaluating these areas for future recreational opportunities to ensure our guests have safe and enjoyable experiences.”
As of now, no replacement features have been announced.
What were the attractions for Park19?
The RollGlider was set to be a top-deck zipline, giving guests a dose of adrenaline and sweeping ocean views as they zoom through the air. Coastal Climb was a climbing wall, with rewarding ocean views at the top for whoever could conquer the course.
These features are definitely not typical of a Princess ship and were definitely a key fixture of Sun Princess’s strategy to appeal to different demographics.
When announced, these features brought controversy with them, with many Princess diehards not wanting what they viewed as ‘Royal Caribbean-esque’ elements on the ship. It’s unknown if this was a contributing factor to the decision not to open these attractions.
What are people saying?
Many passengers feel aggrieved having made bookings especially so their kids could enjoy the new features.
One Reddit user wrote: “Been wanting to try Princess for a while and booked this ship for Christmas with my kiddo, mainly because of this.
“Since launch I’ve been hearing nothing but negative reviews about this ship, making me concerned I should not have booked. Now I know I shouldn’t have and no doubt, won’t be able to get a refund.”
Another user said: “Disappointing. We are going in January and were hoping it would be open.
“It’s a real shame, we bought the cruise a year ago seeing Park19 for my kids was a highlight. We just got on today knowing it’s closed.”
Another user highlighted what they believe to be the key issue.
“The issue is they shouted from the rooftops that they were making this part of the ship (which isn’t only for children), included it in their marketing, built it, and never opened it. And said nothing about what the issue is.
“People expected it to be running and it was part of the reason they booked the trip. The least Princess could do is be a little open about what is happening four months after it started sailing.”
Another user felt Princess appeared incompetent compared to other lines.
“I don’t understand how other cruise lines have insane amusement parks, water slides and thrills but Princess can’t open these simple things? It’s not a first-of-its-kind situation. I do enjoy sailing with Princess with my kids, their kid’s clubs do offer great programming however it’s getting boring as my kids age.
“This is something our teens were excited about in December, and I feel very much a bait-and-switch marketing situation has occurred. Would be nice to have an official statement from Princess.”
