Sun Princess®

Needs work!

November

Pros: Ship is brand new so everything is clean and shiny. Mini suite was comfortable with a separate area for a couch and large screen tv.

Cons: Buffet area is smaller than last Princess ship we were on. Limited menu as well. Area feels closed in.

Recommended: Yes

There seems to be a communication issue with the real time events on ship vs the Princess app. One example is the time. The app says one time while the tv showing ship’s time shows another. I completed the form for one future cruise and was billed for 2 additional future cruises. The elevator banks are placed directly in front of the main dining room entrances causing congestion. Lines to the guest services area are long. Maybe the size of the ship with 4200 guests is just too large for such treats as a bottle of water when leaving the ship while in port or chocolates on your pillow at night.

Five stars

November

Pros: Cruise ship is new and beautiful with a clean, modern, and elegant design. Food and drinks were the best on any cruise I’ve been on in 30 years. Phenomenal service.

Cons: Older crowd. The night “club” was in the Dome and the DJ wanted to give us a party but guests in cabins close by kept complaining about the noise. Seems like there should be a better solution for the night club.

Recommended: Yes

Great cruise. The other con would be kid club hours-it seemed like it was never at the right time for us.

Spoiled on our 1st cruise!

June

Pros: Brand new, aesthetically pleasing design, beautiful, well thought out layout, restaurant variety, entertainment variety, attentive staff

Cons: room service food/breakfast choices were very limited.

Recommended: Yes

Everyone we told that it was our 1st cruise said we were so lucky! The Sun Princess is a gorgeous ship and we now have high expectations for any other ship we ride that's not Sun Princess! We were very impressed with the dining and shopping and entertainment options. The ship's layout was fantastic- we didn't ever feel as if we were cruising with 4,000 people on board! The staff was excellent and very attentive. The room decor was beautiful and calming. We loved every minute of our time on this ship!

Best cruise we have ever been on

April

Pros: Crew A+. Entertainment A+ Smart elevators A+

Cons: Not enough seating for some events

Recommended: Yes

This is our third Princess cruise. The ship and service were top notch. Our cabin was located near aft elevators. We rarely waited on an elevator, and if we did, it was mid ship returning from a port. We liked the dining options for the main dining room. We selected deck seven for most evenings we were able to change our schedule dining time very easily every time except one for that time we chose to eat in the eatery. The options of food available there were very good. In the cabins there were lighted coat racks. Also, they had lighted nightstands operated with motion control detection. I found this very helpful not very disturbing and they turned themselves off. We had a premium balcony room 17 604 is balcony had two lounge chairs, and two chairs and a table. We wish the weather was a bit warmer and we would’ve spent more time on the balcony.

Hits and misses

April

Pros: Beautiful balcony cabin, good meals in specialty restaurants

Cons: Closed venues, crowded and mediocre buffet, constant upselling

Recommended: No

The Sun Princess ship is new and beautiful, the mini suite was large and comfortable. There are quirks about the ship design such as no exterior deck that encircles the entire ship for leisurely strolls, having to go through long cabin hallways to go from the front to the back of the ship, and being routed through the smoky casino to access certain venues. The food in the main dining rooms and buffet is just ok, and although the servers do their best, they are obviously understaffed and service is rushed and impersonal. We did have good food and service experiences in the specialty dining rooms, and the reserve dining room for reserve suite guests was our favorite and actually made our cruise! The thing that left a bad taste in our mouths was the lack of included activities and the constant upselling by Princess for Spa treatments, promotions at the luxury shops, etc. We had the premium package and unless you are a big fan of alcoholic beverages, there really was not a lot of added value or entertainment to fill sea days.