A sky within the sky - Sky Princess Sky Suite cabin tour

We've been lucky and fortunate to travel all over the world fulfilling visits to many bucket list destinations. At this point, it's going to take a really special trip to convince me a plane ride over 3 hours is needed. So when it came to traveling over the pond to complete a London/Paris river cruise Dad wanted to do, I proposed the idea of making our way back to the USA in comfort and style. What says comfort and style more than booking the highest category Sky Suite on a transatlantic voyage of the Sky Princess? The Sky Princess was the first ship to feature these unique cabins, hence their namesake. Layouts have improved in the later ships. Check out my "Sky Suite" labels on the side or bottom of this page to see cabin tours of the Sky Suites on Enchanted Princess and Sun Princess. This itinerary was also a bit of a dream deferred. We were two weeks away from boarding our first transatlantic cruise (then on the Regal Princess) when the pandemic shut cruising down. Then we had to cancel our spring transatlantic itinerary on the Sky Princess last year. 

As always unless otherwise stated, everything was paid for by us (at the Princess Premier rate) offset by some Future Cruise Credit (FCC) and a substantial amount of On Board Credit (OBC) that was included with the sale going on when we booked. We also were able to re-fare when the other Sky Suite hadn't sold yet and the cost of our cruise dropped putting a nice chunk back in our bank account. Princess is one of the best cruise lines when it comes to suite perks because they don't differentiate between suite levels. However, with a Sky Suite, you also get some extra perks like the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast and Dinner, use of the Enclave included, a couple full bottles of liquor to drink in your cabin, and a Suite Experience Manager (SEM) to help arrange things and handle any issues onboard. The SEM is in addition to the Suite Experience Concierge that is available to help any suite guest on one of the Royal class and above ships that has a lounge. We were lucky to have the highly acclaimed Josue Acosta filling in as the SEM during our sailing. 

The original Sky Suite layouts (until the Sun Princess) featured a deck where the two suites were the only cabins on that deck. The elevators on this deck are accessible to anyone since you can also exit out of the elevator lobby onto the open deck with loungers and hot tubs above the adults only pool. I did notice a few confused cruisers who would come up and head down the mini hallway outside our cabin door thinking it was the way out. One such cruiser almost made herself at home in our cabin when she wandered by at the same time our steward had the door propped open to clean. 

Only the front elevators would have the option to go up to Sky Deck 18. We soon became experts at combining an elevator to a lower passenger deck, walk to the front elevators, then use those elevators to go back up to 18. This was the only downside of frequent trips to the Concierge Lounge which was more midship on Deck 14. We started to become more strategic and save our lounge visits for when we were already in the aft lounges for trivia games.

This picture is standing by our cabin looking back across the elevator lobby at the entryway to the other Sky Suite, S309. The steps directly across from the elevator take you down to the adults only terrace pool. We did encounter one waiter in the buffet who was so confused when we said our cabin number because he didn't believe there was any "S" deck. Once he finally scrolled down enough on his device to find it, we all had a good laugh together. We realized afterwards that in fact both cabins on the Sun Deck (Deck 17) and the Sky Deck (Deck 18) use the "S" designation. The cabins on Sun Deck only go up to S308 while S309 & S310 have their own space on the Sky Deck.

Doors right by our cabin entryways led to the upper pool deck where there was plentiful loungers and hot tubs. 

The fire doors that you must walk through to get from the elevator lobby to our cabin really give the impression that our cabin is simply the first door at the start of a passenger cabin hallway. 

Slightly even more confusing is that if you turn to your right after stepping through those doors, you reach a smaller exit door that does let anyone step out onto the pool deck. Unfortunately, you do hear from inside the cabin the noise of the elevator dings and people coming in and out of this door occasionally.

However, if you turn to the left at the longer end of what seems like an interior hallway, you'll find a locked door with reflective glass. If I could have charged each person who tried that door, I could pay for another cruise. 

Enough with the hallway, let's start making our way inside Cabin S310! 

I love that Princess includes braille under not only each cabin number but also under signs for the public venues onboard.

This display screen outside every cabin's door shows the cabin number, each passengers' first name and loyalty color, and the buttons for Privacy Please or Service Stateroom. The Privacy Please setting can also be changed on your in cabin TV by going to the Room Status menu option. I did notice a few times that it wouldn't change on the TV screen when I selected it even though it had changed and/or it would not show as set for Privacy even though I hit the button on this screen when we returned to the cabin for the night. I would pop open the door the first couple times to double check the screen before finally trusting that I could ignore the TV status. 

When you've shut the cabin door behind you to leave, make sure it shows this Door Locked message on your screen. Otherwise, your door may not have fully shut and won't be secure. 

When you do approach with the correct medallion, the doorknob will glow green and your chosen avatar and name will display on the screen instead of Door Locked. If you enjoy the drink package a little too much and end up at the wrong cabin, the doorknob will glow red if you try to use it. 90% of the time the door would react within seconds of us stepping off the elevator. Other times I would have to hold my wristband up to the sensor at the bottom of the screen. 

Oh good, glad the medallion worked this time to let us in. Hey now, get out of that confusing hallway and come inside the suite!

The view looking back at the door from inside the cabin - we did end up finding that the door lock wouldn't always connect to turn properly but one message sent to Josue had a crew member there to fix it by that afternoon. 

There is a slot by the door that requires the sensation of a card for the lights to work in the cabin but the steward provided a generic card that could stay there all the time. These light systems were implemented before Princess switched from cruise cards to medallions. Two things that we found out were missing in our suite that should have been provided from day 1 is the daily delivery of MDR menus and a separate key card because at the time of our sailing, the medallions would not work to open the Concierge Lounge. I have since heard from more recent Sky Princess cruisers who confirm that they could now use their medallion to unlock the lounge doors. The only menu that showed up was the one for the Thanksgiving dinner because Josue delivered them himself after we asked about what was going to be offered that night. 

Given that this suite is designed with two separate bedrooms, two en suite full bathrooms, and one main living/dining space to connect them, each space had its own thermostat and own set of light switch roulette. The other Sky Suite ended up being booked by two couples splitting the cost. Each bedroom and bathroom space can be locked for complete privacy so these cabins can be a great option if you want to enjoy the perks and travel with friends or extended family. 

Our mini bar/wet bar area - we were able to make drink and snack requests as well as choose our two full size liquor bottles during the phone call with our shoreside concierge. The drinks below the cups and saucers are the extras they left for us to add to the fridge when we took one out. I would like to repeat a special thank you to Josue and Princess for going out of their way to find a store in Southampton that sold Dr. Pepper and buying out all 5 bottles they had. We had simply requested Dr. Pepper or some kind of root beer and they went above and beyond. After that was used, A&W Root Beer cans were readily supplied.

The suite comes with a Nespresso coffee maker and plenty of pods. It never got any use by us. I did notice the detail of multiple sized mugs stored in the suite so you'd be set whether you preferred a tiny cup of espresso or that large latte. 

Our two chosen bottles of liquor were Jack Daniels Black Label Whiskey and Maker's Mark Whiskey. A list of options was provided by the shoreside concierge but they were always open to special requests. We ended up sharing the alcohol with some new friends we met on the cruise. We got a laugh out of how the Jack Daniels bottle had an identifying chain proving that it was pulled from one of the bar's stock. The flip side said something like "do not remove from such and such bar." Our ice bucket was routinely filled by the steward.

The cabinet next to the cups held the hidden away mini fridge. Dad did use this mini fridge to hold his medicine that needs to stay cold without issue. 

We did not get any of the tiny airplane sized bottles of liquor like most get in a Princess mini bar setup but we didn't miss it either. All of Dad's sparkling water came in can form and our orange juice came in a paper carton. Sometimes it's all dependent on where the ship is sailing as to what products or suppliers they can access. Princess does carry Coke products but depending on voyage location, you could get a mix of Coke Light versus Diet Coke. I was pleased to see a ready supply of Sprite Zero (which may only be available in can form) and root beer. We didn't inquire about caffeine free options or Coke Zero but I believe the Coke Zero was an option from the bars onboard.

Standing with my back to the door looking over the communal dining and living room space. The table was a great size for enjoying our many room service meals. There were enough seats for five people. The decorative open half wall marking the dining from the living space was not added to later ship designs. Tucked away in the corner behind the table is the telescope each Sky Suite gets to use during their stay. It was originally part of the partnership with Discovery and their Stargazing at Sea program. We didn't feel comfortable moving it out to the balcony to try and use it.

The makeshift skylight and chandelier above the table - the top was closed at night.

Looking back at the dining area and main door with my back to the living space:

This door just off of the dining area led to the smaller bedroom's dressing/closet area and bathroom. There is also a door directly into the bedroom space from the living space. Routinely, I'd be sitting on the couch and forget about that second door. I'd jump whenever Dad came out that door because I'd think someone was walking in our main cabin door.

The main living space with the first TV in the cabin. I know on Enchanted this couch does fold out into a bed and I think this one on Sky does too. I can't imagine having anyone older than a teenager sleeping on it though. Ignore the clutter on the chair - consequence of being three weeks into a month long trip full of mementos and souvenirs. Beyond the couch is the door leading into the larger bedroom. This bedroom only had the one entry door.

Just beyond the TV in this photo is the door to the smaller bedroom. Every once in a while, Dad would use his bedroom TV remote and it would activate this living room TV. Took me back to the older Princess suites where the dual TVs were mounted catty corner to each other and the bedroom space was only separated by a drawn curtain.

Inside this cabinet below the TV held all of our other glassware so you were set whether you chose to drink juice, soda, wine, or champagne.

Looking at the 3-D half wall from the living room side -

The sliding doors leading out to the balcony from the living space. Each bedroom could also access the balcony with their own set of sliding doors. Each set also had a sheer curtain for allowing some light and the thicker blackout curtain so it was plenty dark at night.

Standing with my back to the larger bedroom doorway looking back on the living space, dining space, and smaller bedroom entry.

To be continued...

Taking Paris by night

For our port stop in Les Andelys, France, we had signed up pre-cruise for the included tour option called Chateau Gaillard Walking Tour. This one hour and thirty minute walking tour is classified as demanding. Make sure you always read the entire tour description as not every included tour is an "easy" tour. We heard of many passengers opting out referencing the state of the landmark and the uneven terrain. We too opted not to attend not only for the effort of being a walking tour but also because Viking announced that despite being an included tour, that this tour would not have a leisure group due to the terrain.

Here is the description:

Explore one of the most fantastic fortresses of Normandy while admiring sweeping views of the Seine as it winds its way through the countryside. You will accompany your Program Director to the remarkable Chateau Gaillard, which seems to beckon from atop its high hill. The stronghold was built in the 12th century by Richard the Lionheart of England, who was also Duke of Normandy. His structure is considered the most dramatic sight anywhere along the Seine between the coast and Paris. The strongest and most magnificent castle of its age, it guarded the Seine River Valley and was the key structure in a vast system that defended Normandy during the Wars of Religion. It was also of critical importance in Richard's campaigns against France. You will tour the exterior of this fine example of medieval siege warfare construction, considered invincible for as long as Richard lived. 

For our brief time in Le Pecq, we had signed up pre-cruise for the included tour option called Napoleon's Chateau De Malmaison. This three hour tour (I can never say that phrase without hearing the Gilligan's Island theme song in my head), is classified as moderate. We chose to skip this tour in favor of resting on board until our evening tour plans.

Here is the description:

Visit the historic chateau where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final days in France. Along with the Tuileries, this elegant manor house, purchased by the emperor's wife, Josephine, in 1799, served as the seat of Napoleon's French government from 1800 to 1802. After the couple's divorce, she collected an annual pension of 5 million francs and kept the house, which she called home until her death in 1814. The emperor returned the following year after his defeat at Waterloo and received news of his exile to the island of Saint Helena. Admire the courtyards and see Josephine's beloved music room and library. Visit her opulent chambers and salon, and view the emperor's bedroom and the stunning mahogany decor of his study with its original furnishings. Enjoy free time here before returning to your ship.

Please enjoy this brief interlude from tour talk to see what was offered on board for breakfast and lunch on our last day - 

French toast for breakfast

Lunch - This was billed as a sort of vegetable soup but looked more like the chef was using up all of the voyage's vegetable peelings stuck in a broth. Was just as tough and awkward to eat as it sounds.

Typical hot dog with coleslaw and fries. I requested that the hot dog be off the bun. Sometimes you just don't want to deal with wet buns.

Now back to your regularly scheduled tour talk.

On the last full day of the cruise, our ship stayed in Le Pecq from 5:00AM until 1:45PM when the ship sailed back to Paris to dock until we disembarked the next morning. The last shore excursion, paid or otherwise, that we participated in was called Paris Cruise By Night. This 1 1/2 hour tour departed at 9:45PM and is listed as easy. This tour cost $105 per person.

Here is the description:

See Paris in all its illuminated glory as you drift along the Seine River on a leisurely night cruise. Board your open-air vessel and set sail to view the city's famous monuments, such as the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay, the Grand Palais and the imposing Conciergerie-once part of the Palais de la Cite and a former courthouse and prison that housed Marie Antoinette. Your leisurely cruise is one of the most relaxing ways to see the sights along the Banks of the Seine River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, which is currently being restored after a fire ravaged the centuries-old building. Admire the illuminated bridges as you glide through the heart of the French capital awash in a glow of twinkling lights. At the tour's end, you will return to the dock and transfer back to your awaiting ship.

Viking defines "easy" as: Walking portions are generally over easy surfaces with few steps or inclines. Total time walking or standing is normally not longer than 1.5 hours. 

We did ask Mia onboard about the walking this excursion required and she told us that it was super easy because the bus drops you off right by the dock. Personally, I think whomever wrote the activity level descriptions left off the words "sets of" between "few" and "steps." To get from the street level where the bus drops you off, you have to walk across cobblestones and then make your way down at least a couple sets of stairs before you can walk up to where the scenic cruise boat is docked. This is all being maneuvered in the dark lit only by limited streetlamps and the guide's small flashlight at the front of the group. In addition, our guide was panicked that we had gotten to the dock with little time to spare and yelled at everyone to hurry up as he and his little flashlight rushed ahead. So yes, once you get on board the scenic cruise boat and find a seat, it's a nice easy activity level excursion. 

Thankfully our fellow passengers helped those of us who were mobility challenged make our way down the steps. Navigating in darkness on these stone steps that were not really lit since by nature, they led you under the street level, felt very treacherous and scary. The scenic cruise boat did at least have a wide relatively straight ramp to board. The boat featured an upstairs seating area, an enclosed seating area around a bar, and curved benches with backs style seating on the main open deck. Even if you needed to avoid stairs, you could at least still enjoy both an inside and outside view on the main level. 

One tip I'll share if you're planning to do this itinerary outside of the summer months, is to bring an extra layer or heavier jacket. Blankets were provided by the scenic cruise boat but it was bitterly windy and cold at night on the water in November. Several people opted to move inside to the less comfortable fixed in place seats just to get out of the wind. We did use our Vox Boxes to be able to hear the guide provided by the scenic cruise boat company. This guide was very passionate about the area but did occasionally go off on tangents and end up repeating some things when he'd lose his place in the recitation. 

We did visit many of the landmark highlights that come to mind when most people think of Paris. It can be a bit of a different perspective not only seeing them from the water but also in the dark. Unfortunately, not every building pointed out afforded the same view as driving through town looking at Christmas lights. We did briefly stop along the route to be passing by the Eiffel Tower while it ran its light show. If you wait until this evening to catch the light show, aim to get seats on the right side of this boat. Our left sided seat view was blocked by the covered stairwell that leads up to the top level. We were free to move about the boat during the ride if we felt stable enough to do so. It had also rained recently so several places were wet. Our guide was so fascinated with the recent Louvre break-in that he pointed out the balcony the criminals were reported to have gotten inside from repeatedly. 

On the bus ride back, our initial guide insisted on detouring so that we could pull up right in front of the Eiffel Tower at street level when the light show started again. Best view one could get from that vantage point was of the people on the street waiting to get their own photos and videos.

Here are some photos from the boat tour:

While I had hoped to have more reports to share from our booked shore excursions on this trip to help you, travel doesn't always go the way you planned. Best you can do is pivot, be open to things and ideas you may have never considered, and you might end up having the best unexpected experience of your life. Thank you all for reading about our time on the London, D-Day & Paris itinerary on the Viking Radgrid. 

Coming up next...how did we take to the Sky and the Ocean to get back home after this cruise? 

Eating on board ending the day with a special dinner

For the remainder of the cruise, we took it easy onboard relaxing in our cabin and sleeping in. The Aquavit Terrace became our go to place for breakfast. It served essentially the same menu but it opens for breakfast service about a half hour later than the restaurant and stayed open later in the morning. This was a great option for when we didn't have to rush to eat before a tour. The area on our ship had an outside area with tables and an indoor area with a few less tables. We always could find an inside table since by then the bulk of the passengers were on tour. There was some delay with dining there as they often only had one crew member working the area and they'd be running back and forth to the restaurant if a passenger ordered a hot dish item. Not having a tour to hurry off for and having been able to sleep in after fighting with sore joints, fatigue, and a cold made it worth having to wait some extra time for service.

Here is what we ate on board during the days in Rouen:

Substantial pancakes that managed to still be light and fluffy. I loved that this dish was served with the syrup and the fruit in their own separate dishes. It was great being able to control how much syrup was used and my fruit didn't get soggy sitting in the syrup.

Over medium eggs & a bagel with cream cheese on day 2 for breakfast:

Lunch in the restaurant started off with a simple mixed green and tomato salad:

My main dish was a steak sandwich. Feel free to ask the waiter to switch and swap from dishes. I asked to get french fries as my side that normally would have been with the hot dog menu choice. Since it was an item they had on hand anyway, there was no problem making the swap. 

Why there was a small dish of what looked like half melted butter and honey mustard sauce had a baby included with this dish, no one at the table had a clue. Several tables asked for ketchup instead and were brought these baby sized sealed jars. I found the jars adorable but wasteful given that they were discarded after one use since the seal was broken.

Dad couldn't resist ordering the banana split for dessert. Note the array of tiny ketchup jar lids lining the middle of the shared lunch table at the top of the photo.

I tried this chocolate mousse style dessert and chose to let Dad have the rest. Notice the extra inclusion of a pistachio crumble on the top for decoration.

Day 2's lunch was full of comfort food starting with a broth heavy soup:

And followed by a chicken quesadilla. The waiter insisted on bringing me another one when I told him how good it tasted.

And dessert:

Lunch on Les Andelys day:

I swapped the side for this monte cristo style sandwich for the sweet potato fries from another main dish.

A quick rundown of dinner from our second night in Rouen...

This main dish was way spicier than I expected. 

 ...and our night in Les Andelys

 

For dinner our first night in Rouen, the restaurant offered a themed meal called "Taste of Normandy." Described as a hearty French dinner, Viking kept passengers out of the restaurant until they were ready for the big reveal. The usual buffet counters were stacked with trays of regional food. There was a mix of help yourself as well as crew behind the counter to serve up as much as you wanted. They tried to do crowd control by calling up tables bit by bit after everyone had been seated. I swooped in for some pictures before the crowd descended.

There were various dishes that would have been served by course such as cheese slices and pate or the table full of individual dessert portions. With everything being out at the same time, everyone came back with plates piled high with a little of everything. All the passengers were readily encouraged to go back as much as they wanted to try something else or get more of something we ended up liking.

Started off with some sauteed shrimp and a cold beet salad. The beet salad was diced up to look like miniature Jello squares. I'm so proud of Dad for trying the beet salad!

My super white/beige plate held chicken, pork, fish, rice pilaf, and mashed potatoes. This may look like the plate of a picky eater but that's just what the bulk of the food looked like.

The food spread included a dish of what looked like individually wrapped long pieces of taffy. The maitre'd kept encouraging everyone to take some and try it. All of our table mates were trying to figure out what this squishy item could be. Many guessed it was some sort of candy or dessert and saved it for the end of their meal. We all had a roaring laugh when someone finally tried it and discovered that it was simply a thick butter meant for your bread with a fancier presentation than the usual wrapped individual pats of butter. Some of us were way too close to popping the whole thing in our mouths like candy!