Relax in The Sanctuary on Sky Princess

The Sanctuary on Sky Princess is an adult-only area, designed to be a quiet space to relax and enjoy the views. In this post I share useful information to help you get the most out of The Sanctuary, including the best time to book, the prices and exclusive menu options.

Where is The Sanctuary on Sky Princess?

The Sanctuary is on Deck 18 Forward and you can access it from The Retreat Pool area. Be aware that it is only accessible to passengers who have booked.

How to Book The Sanctuary on Sky Princess

Demand for The Sanctuary can be high, particularly on warm weather cruises. You are unable to book it in advance on the Cruise Personaliser and therefore I’d recommend heading there on embarkation day if you plan to use it. Bookings are taken on a first come first served basis.

On embarkation day there are crew on hand to take your booking, which will be added to your onboard account.

You can reserve specific sun loungers or cabanas so you have the opportunity to pick the spot you prefer (subject to availability). Loungers in front of the windows are very popular but in reality if they are already reserved, there are no bad spots in The Sanctuary.

How Much is The Sanctuary?

The Sanctuary on Sky Princess is priced per day and per half day.

	Full Day (8am – 4pm)	Half Day (8am – noon / noon – 4pm)
Lounger (pp)	$40	$20
Cabana (4 people)	$140	$220

If there is availability, you can book a lounger in The Sanctuary for your entire cruise for $30 per person, per day.

Lounger or Cabana?

For most, a lounger is more than enough luxury but if you want to treat yourself, a cabana can be booked for up to four people.

Cabanas have:

• A covered seating area with settee and chairs
• Stocked minibar
• Fruit platter
• Lunch
• Towelled robes
• TV with headphones

Personally, I don’t think the TV should be there as you could watch TV in your stateroom without disturbing fellow guests looking for peace and tranquility (and without spending $140+ on a cabana!).

Loungers offer better views as they’re positioned closer to the front-facing windows.

In my opinion, a lounger is perfectly peaceful and the service is attentive so you’re better off spending your money on other things onboard instead of a cabana.

Best Times to Book The Sanctuary on Princess Cruises

It’s best time to book The Sanctuary is when you want to have some peaceful time away from the crowds. This is most likely to be on sea days when the weather is good and in the afternoons on port days as people return to the ship and head to the Lido Deck.

You may also consider booking The Sanctuary for scenic cruising e.g. Alaska, Panama Canal but be aware that views are limited to the front of the ship only. This means that you don’t have as much flexibility in being able to move from one side of the ship to the other if there is something of interest to see.

If you want to book a half day in The Sanctuary on Sky Princess, the afternoon is the better option as you also get Afternoon Tea included. The crew come round offering delicate sandwiches, cakes, tea and coffee at around 3.30pm.

Tour of The Sanctuary

Take a look at this quick tour of The Sanctuary on Sky Princess. To avoid filming when guests were using it, we visited just before we disembarked from our cruise.

The Sanctuary Food and Drink Menu

The Sanctuary on Sky Princess has an exclusive menu that you can order food and drink from. The menu includes light bites, health options and cocktails.

Food is complimentary but there is a $3 delivery fee. Beverages are also available but are charged to your onboard account unless you have a beverage package or Princess Plus.

Snacks

• All-day Breakfast Parfait (v)
• Banana Oat Muffins (v)
• Honey Glazed Almonds (v)
• Chilli Garlic Edamame (v)
• Grilled Tomato Gazpacho (v)

Bento Boxes

• Pineapple and granola, low-fat cottage cheese, raspberries, mint (v)
• Citrus fruit and kiwi, orange, grapefruit, strawberries, honey almonds (v)
• Feta and herb dip with vegetables, carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery, red bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli (v)
• Smoked salmon, avocado and grapefruit, honey-ginger dressing, chives, dill
• Sesame tuna Asian-style with ginger, cilantro, sugar snap peas, shredded Napa cabbage, toasted sesame seeds
• Fattoush salad, grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish, red onion, lemon-yogurt, dressing, mint, pita chips
• Grilled shrimp, white bean salad, Cannellini beans, celery, cherry tomatoes, sage, oregano, lemon herb dressing

Also Available

• 100% Beef hot dog with sweet relish, onions, ketchup and mustard, french fries or chips
• Princess house-made hamburger, cheeseburger or bacon burger with traditional garnish, french fries

Drinks Menu in The Sanctuary

Cocktails
Beverly Hills Iced Tea	$10
Classic Mojito	$7.50
Lemontini	$9.50
Strawberry Daiquiri	$9.50
Ultimate Patron Margarita	$9.50
Sparkling Wine/Rose
Mionette Gold Brut Prosecco	$11/$40
Charles and Charles Rose	$9/$37
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve	$39
White Wine
Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc	$10/$39
Domain D’Aussieres Chardonnay	$10/$39
Conundrum White Blend	$12/$46
Red Wine
Meiomi Pinot Noir	$12/$47
Errazuriz Estate Carmenere	$10/$39
Alcohol-Free
Natural spring water	$2/$3.95
Perrier	$2.65
San Pellegrino	$2.65

The beauty of the OceanMedallion is that if there is something you’d like to eat or drink but it’s not on The Sanctuary menu, you can order via the Medallion app using Dine My Way and you can have it brought to you in The Sanctuary.

Have a Massage in The Sanctuary on Sky Princess

There is a secluded area at the back of The Sanctuary where you can enjoy a relaxing massage in a private cabana.

To book a massage in The Sanctuary, you can visit the Lotus Spa and make a reservation. One perk of having a massage in The Sanctuary is that you can stay and enjoy The Sanctuary for an hour after the massage without an additional reservation.

Final Thoughts

We spent an afternoon in The Sanctuary during our Sky Princess Seacation and enjoyed the peace and quiet.The padded loungers were particularly comfortable and we had a nice spot in front of the windows.

The staff in The Sanctuary were tentative and very friendly.

I would certainly consider booking a half day in The Sanctuary in the future on cruises with plenty of sea days so we can relax away from the crowds.