Cruise Line Scraps Top Deck Attractions on New Ship: What Passengers Will Miss

Princess Cruises has announced that three of the most eagerly awaited attractions on their newest ship, Sun Princess—the Rollglider, Coastal Climb, and Ropes Course—will never open. Despite being heavily marketed and already installed, these features will not be available to passengers.

According to Princess Cruises, “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.”

The three activities were supposed to be the major highlights of Park 19, the new Sphere-class vessel’s recreational area. Princess Cruises’ announcement comes almost five months after Sun Princess entered service. When the ship began sailing last February 28, the company said these attractions remained unavailable to the public due to “additional safety checks.”

Though the facilities are already installed, the cruise line did not mention why they will never open nor how it plans to reuse the designated spaces. It also did not say if these facilities will be available on the sister ship currently under construction, the Star Princess.

What experiences are we missing?

The heavily marketed Rollglider, Seabreeze, combines an aerial roller coaster with a zip line. Passengers would have been suspended from an overhead track that lasted 60 to 90 seconds, enjoying a ride that could supposedly go up to 11 miles an hour. It would have been the first ride at sea if it pushed through.

Meanwhile, the Coastal Climb was meant to be a climbing structure that spans decks 19 and 20. Passengers would have traversed obstacles as they made their way to the ship’s highest open area. An adrenaline-pumping slide would then allow them to return to the bottom quickly.

Finally, the Ropes Course is a physically demanding obstacle course that would have tested guests’ strength, stamina, and balance.

What’s left?

The deck plan on Princess Cruises’ website has been updated to show a jogging track, replacing Park 19. In addition, the area still features Infinite Horizon (a view deck with leaning tilt walls), a hammock area, the Splash Zone, and a recreational court, all of which opened when the vessel entered service.

Despite the announcement, Sun Princess boasts new amenities like The Dome, the fleet’s largest casino, and a two-story spa.