We took a back to back cruise (Barcelona to Rome and then roundtrip Rome) on the brand new Sky Princess. The ship was beautiful but more passengers than I'm really comfortable with - I prefer smaller ships. The itinerary made for a dream vacation. Crew, as usual, were outstanding. Passengers - not so much. There seemed to be an awful lot of entitled people aboard. Saw several disagreements because of overcrowded elevators (people continuing to push in even when it was obvious there was no more room; people rushing to get onto the elevators before others could exit -- simple physics, folks!)
If you're not bound by time requirements, I would highly recommend going in the fall, which is off season. In many of the ports, we were the only ship there. I can't imagine what the crowds would've been like in the summer when there were several there at the same time. The weather was still pleasant (mostly in the high 60s to low 70s although we did have several days with rain).
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Walked right onto the ship as soon as we got there
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Excellent service, delicious food. I was happy to have an International Café on board - that's always been my favorite for breakfast and snacks.
International Café
5 out of 5
My favorite place on the ship -- love the free pastries, sandwiches, and salads. Shout out to Ivan, who was always smiling no matter how busy they were.
The Salty Dog Gastropub
5 out of 5
Conveniently located near the pool, the burgers and hot dogs were delicious. There was usually a line but the staff working the grill were lightning fast.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We didn't use the pool or fitness center so I can't really comment.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Enjoyed Rock Opera, an improv comedian and a local performance from a folk group in Malta
Movies Under the Stars
5 out of 5
I love the concept of being able to watch movies on a big screen outside by the pool. They'll even throw in blankets for chilly evening viewing. One of my favorite activities on the ship.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As usual, the dining and steward staff were outstanding - despite the fact that they were working longer hours than normal due to a norovirus outbreak, they always had a smile on their face and acted like they wanted nothing more than to make sure we had a great vacation.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was only 2 weeks old when we got on so everything was fresh and new.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin and balcony were average size. My only disappointment was that the lifeboats were on the deck right under us so unless you were looking straight out, you could definitely see them from the balcony.
Ship tip
Take the stairs if you can! Constant issues with at least 1 elevator being out at all times. Too many passengers for the elevators at peak time (meals, returning from shore visits)
Did a Princess excursion to Cinque Terre - lots of walking followed by a boat ride and a train ride back to the bus. Beautiful scenery but I wouldn't recommend if you have mobility issues.
Did an excursion to the Academia to see David and the Uffizi Gallery --- really too ambitious for the amount of time we had - we were exhausted by the time we got back. Uffizi was packed. Still enjoyed seeing Florence though.
Visited the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the Vatican on the first excursion. Came back a week later and did the Vatican and Coliseum. Sites were fascinating but the guide was very impatient and took off like a shot before half the bus had even unloaded. It was a constant struggle to keep up with him. Do not recommend for anybody with health or mobility issues.
My favorite port of the trip - we did a boat ride to Lady of the Rocks Church (too crowded since there were 3 tours there at the same time and the church is VERY small) and a naval museum. Afterwards, we walked into the old walled city - should have just done that. It's an easy walk from where the tenders came in and was very charming.
Did an island drive and a tour of a kumquat liquor distillery. The guide was really informative but this trip really appealed to the less mobile - I would've probably enjoyed a more active tour.
Booked a tour through Shore Excursions Group -- their big pitch is to avoid the big crowds by going with them. Well, we had a small-ish (maybe 20 or so) walking group but then they put us on the bus with another group so we still got stuck with a big bus tour. We walked around Valleta and saw St. Johns Co Cathedral and then went to a glass factory in Mdina (lots of good items to be purchased there) and a walking tour of Mdina - an old walled city.
Beautiful area - we spent time in several towns - saw the church from the Godfather, went to Taomina and had about an hour of free time to walk around and explore. Excellent guide and we only had about 15 people on the tour (arranged through Viator)
We were on the Rome to Rome week on the Sky’s Mediterranean inaugural itinerary. Enjoyed everything. Food was much better than our food, on the Regal, earlier in 2019. Staff were not “newbies”, and do not need more training; if you talked with them, they were pulled from other ships. I don’t remember being on any cruise where the, (for the most part), passengers had such “attitudes”, as this cruiser stated: acted entitled! I was embarrassed for them, and felt sorry for the staff as they handled everything with a pleasant demeanor. The ship is beautiful and well run. (The elevators were a nightmare, many were out of service, and did not operate properly when they were in service. Hopefully this will be remedied before we cruise on the Sky in February.)
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