Dining • Architecture • Staterooms • Entertainment • Comparison

LAUNCHED Feb 2024

GROSS TONNAGE 177,882 GT

GUESTS 4,310

VENUES 30

FUEL LNG

LENGTH 1,133 ft

1. THE SHORT VERSION

What Makes Sun Princess Different

Sun Princess isn’t a bigger version of what came before, it’s a structural rethink of how space, light, and crowd flow work on a large ship. The single most tangible change is a 20% increase in outdoor space compared to Princess’s own Royal-Class ships, which translates to fewer bottlenecks on sea days and a genuine sense of breathing room on a vessel carrying more than 4,300 guests. Pair that with LNG (liquefied natural gas) propulsion, a fleet first for Princess and one of the cleaner-burning fossil fuels available to commercial shipping and the Sphere Class makes a credible case for responsible scale.

TL;DR – READ THIS FIRST Sun Princess departs from the atrium-as-corridor approach that defined older Princess ships. The Sphere, the wall-to-wall glass section bookending the Piazza on Decks 7–9, floods the social heart of the ship with ocean views and natural light, making it feel more like a waterfront hotel than a sealed floating mall. Who should book it? Families who want a resort-level activity density and couples chasing a specific specialty dining experience (The Butcher’s Block by Dario Cecchini, Love by Britto). Less suited to solo travellers or those who prefer a quieter, more intimate ship. ⚠ Watch-out #1: The Arena seats 990 guests – which sounds generous until you consider the ship carries 4,310. Book entertainment early or expect to queue. ⚠ Watch-out #2: Specialty dining surcharges at Crown Grill run $55 per adult plus 18% service charge. A couple doing three specialty nights can easily spend $250+ on cover charges alone.

1. FIRST-HAND INSIGHTS

Onboard Reality Check

★ FIRST-HAND OBSERVATIONS MedallionClass wearable tech: The OceanMedallion, a quarter-sized disc worn on your wrist, clipped to a lanyard, or tucked into a pocket, replaces your keycard, operates contactless cabin entry, handles onboard purchases, and lets crew locate you for drink delivery. In practice it feels frictionless until Wi-Fi is patchy in lower cabin decks. First-time Princess guests tend to love it; returning Captain’s Circle members who prefer a traditional keycard may find the app reliance mildly frustrating. Size and the Piazza: At 177,882 gross tons, the ship feels enormous in an abstract sense – but the three-deck Piazza actually disperses crowds more effectively than the narrow atrium corridors on Royal-Class ships. The glass walls of The Sphere draw guests toward the sides rather than funnelling everyone through a single central artery. Embarkation afternoons and formal nights still produce visible density at the lower Piazza bars. Quiet corner worth knowing: The Wake View Terrace at the stern of Deck 8 features a small infinity pool and open bar, and consistently stays less crowded than the main Lido Deck pools. The view over the ship’s wake is genuinely excellent in the late afternoon. If you want solitude on a 4,300-person ship, this is where you find it. Navigation gripe: The Lotus Spa and fitness centre occupy separate, disconnected decks. Guest Services is tucked into an enclosed room on Deck 6 next to cabin corridors rather than on the Piazza level. Allow yourself a full day to get your bearings.

III. ARCHITECTURE

The Sphere & The Dome

The Piazza – The Sphere

On previous Princess ships, the atrium was a vertical channel, a passageway dressed up with a chandelier. On Sun Princess, the Piazza spans three full decks (7 through 9) amidships and is anchored by The Sphere: floor-to-ceiling glass panels on the port and starboard sides that pour unbroken ocean views into the social engine of the ship.

The psychological shift is measurable. Guests standing at the Crooners bar on Deck 8 can see the horizon. The sky changes colour during cocktail hour. A retractable stage descends into the lower Piazza for live music and the Champagne Waterfall performance. The result is a space that serves as café, market, concert hall, and viewpoint simultaneously, without any single function overwhelming the others.

The Dome – Dual Purpose Design

Installed atop the ship’s superstructure, the glass-enclosed Dome draws its design reference from Santorini’s terraced hillside architecture. During daylight hours the structure functions as an indoor-outdoor pool retreat: terraced loungers, filtered natural light, and a pool that straddles the glass threshold.

At night, the loungers halve to create a performance space accommodating up to 250 guests. The programming is produced in partnership with Cirque Éloize, the Montreal-based circus company – running three original productions: Blue, Come Fly Away, and Artbeat, each approximately 30 minutes with two performances per evening.

Practical note: Dome show tickets can sell out in under ten minutes when released. Set a reminder for the booking window on the morning after embarkation.

1. DINING

A Comprehensive Dining Breakdown

Thirty restaurant and bar venues across 21 decks make Sun Princess the most dining-dense ship in Princess’s fleet. The strategy is deliberately layered: a rotating cast of complimentary restaurants keeps the base experience solid, while a portfolio of celebrity-partnered specialty venues converts the ship into a genuine culinary destination for guests willing to pay the cover charge.

The Butcher’s Block by Dario

This dinner-only pop-up concept is the work of Dario Cecchini – the Panzano-born butcher whose Antica Macelleria Cecchini has been operating in Tuscany continuously since 1806, making it one of the oldest functioning butcher shops in Italy. The format mirrors a Brazilian churrascaria: a fixed set menu rolling through approximately six cuts of beef, including Cecchini’s signature bistecca preparations, plus a steak tartar course. Cover charge: $45 per adult. Reserve before boarding.

Love by Britto

At $149 per person, this is the ship’s most expensive specialty dining experience. Created in partnership with Miami-based artist Romero Britto, whose pop art has been exhibited in more than 100 countries, Love by Britto delivers a seven-course tasting menu surrounded by bold geometric and primary-colour motifs. The restaurant occupies one of the highest vantage points on the ship with panoramic sea views.

International Café (24-Hour)

Located on Deck 9, the International Café is the ship’s always-open casual anchor – artisan coffees, pastries, sandwiches, and small plates available around the clock at no additional cover charge. It functions as both early-morning ritual space and post-theater supper option.

Dining Venue Comparison

Venue	Cover Charge	Vibe	Must-Try Dish
Love by Britto	$149 / person	Seven-course fine dining; panoramic views; art-filled; celebratory	Tasting menu fish course, paired with Britto-label wine
The Butcher’s Block by Dario	$45 / person	Carnivore-focused; communal; rustic Italian butchery; dinner-only	Cecchini’s signature bistecca – reserve before boarding
Crown Grill	$55 + 18% svc	Classic Princess steakhouse; formal-casual; reliable menu	Lobster tail (consistently praised by independent reviewers)
Makoto Ocean	Surcharge applies	Edomae omakase by Chef Makoto Okuwa; intimate; Japan-forward	Nigiri using warm shari (seasoned rice)
International Café	Complimentary	Casual; 24/7; café counter; best for early mornings and late nights	Fresh pastries at 6 a.m. before the breakfast crowd

1. STATEROOM ANALYSIS

What to Book

Sun Princess carries 2,157 staterooms across a broader configuration range than any previous Princess ship, with roughly 70% of all cabins featuring a private balcony.

Cabana Mini-Suite

The signature new accommodation type on Sphere-Class ships, defined by a three-zone layout:

• Zone 1 – Bedroom: Separated sleeping area with dedicated storage and premium bedding
• Zone 2 – Lounge: A distinct sitting room with sofa seating, entirely separate from the bed
• Zone 3 – Cabana: A private semi-enclosed outdoor space on an oversized balcony, essentially a personal shaded retreat above the ocean

The cabana zone is the differentiator. It functions as a private outdoor room rather than a standard balcony, making sea days genuinely comfortable without competing for a sunlounger on the main deck.

The Sanctuary Collection

Princess describes this as a “ship within a ship” – exclusive access zones, premium perks, and dedicated staff reserved for Sanctuary Collection guests:

• Private outdoor areas inaccessible to non-Sanctuary guests
• Sanctuary Restaurant – a dedicated dining room with exclusive menu access
• Priority embarkation and disembarkation at every port
• Dedicated concierge service and pre-cruise shore excursion planning
• Sanctuary Pool, a separate pool deck away from the main Lido activity

1. ENTERTAINMENT & TECH

What to Do After Dinner

Spellbound by Magic Castle

The Hollywood-based Magic Castle is a members-only club for working magicians, and Princess has licensed its atmosphere aboard Sun Princess. Entry is through a nondescript door on Deck 8 Piazza, opened by a greeter in top hat and Victorian attire. Inside: close-up magicians performing tableside, a piano-playing ghost named Isabella (capable of taking requests), and specialty cocktails including “Escape from Houdini’s Chest” – served in an actual chest. The $149 per person fee includes a pre-show three-course dinner and all cocktails. Reservations mandatory.

The Princess Arena

The 990-seat Princess Arena is Princess’s first purpose-built in-the-round theater, replacing the proscenium-arch format of every previous Princess stage. Three configurable formats allow the production team to optimise sight lines for concert-style shows, circular spectacles, and traditional theatrical performances. Capacity note: 990 seats across four shows per evening covers a fraction of the 4,310 aboard.

MedallionClass Technology

The OceanMedallion wearable enables crew members to address guests by name on approach, allows drink and dining orders from anywhere on the ship via the Princess app, and tracks location for both safety and service purposes. The underlying platform runs on Princess’s proprietary OceanNow infrastructure.

Park19 Family Zone

Located on Deck 19, Park19 is the first family activity zone of its type in the Princess fleet, nine activities designed for multigenerational use, including outdoor games and a sports court. A significant departure for a cruise line historically associated with adult-oriented travel.

⚠  WATCH-OUT Theater Capacity Math Doesn’t Favour Late Bookers The 990-seat Arena and the 250-capacity Dome together hold 1,240 guests simultaneously. With 4,310 aboard, roughly 71% of passengers cannot attend any given show at a single seating. Both Dome and Arena operate on limited-reservation systems. Build entertainment reservations into your boarding day routine before you unpack.

⚠  WATCH-OUT The Ship’s Layout Takes Getting Used To The Lotus Spa spans two decks (5 and 6) but is separated from the fitness centre. Guest Services is buried on Deck 6 in a cabin corridor, not on the Piazza level where most guests would look first. Specialty restaurant entrances are intentionally understated. Download the ship’s deck plan PDF before departure.

VII. SHIP COMPARISON

Sun Princess vs. Discovery Princess

Discovery Princess (2022) represents the final build of Princess’s Royal Class, the direct predecessor to the Sphere Class. A technical comparison between the two ships illustrates the scale of evolution over a single design generation.

Specification	Sun Princess (Sphere Class, 2024)	Discovery Princess (Royal Class, 2022)
Gross Tonnage	177,882 GT	~145,000 GT
Passenger Capacity	4,310 (double occupancy)	~3,660 (double occupancy)
Length	1,133 ft (345 m)	1,083 ft (330 m)
Primary Fuel	LNG – Liquefied Natural Gas ★ Greener	Heavy Fuel Oil / MGO
Dining Venues	30 venues	~25 venues
Main Theater	990-seat in-the-round Arena (3 formats)	Traditional proscenium stage (~750 seats)
Atrium Design	3-deck glass Sphere Piazza (ocean views)	Enclosed vertical atrium
Outdoor Space	+20% vs Royal Class ★ Key Upgrade	Baseline
Wearable Tech	MedallionClass (OceanMedallion)	MedallionClass (OceanMedallion)
Signature Entertainment	Cirque Éloize (The Dome) + Spellbound	Spellbound (debut vessel)
Shipbuilder / Delivery	Fincantieri, Monfalcone – Feb 2024	Fincantieri, Monfalcone – Mar 2022

Data sourced from Princess Cruises official fact sheets and Fincantieri contract announcements. 

FINAL ASSESSMENT

The Bottom Line

Sun Princess succeeds most clearly as a dining and entertainment platform. The combination of 30 venues, celebrity chef partnerships (Cecchini, Britto, Okuwa), and genuinely novel experiences, Spellbound, the Cirque Éloize Dome shows, the in-the-round Arena, gives the ship a content density that competes with premium land resorts. The Sphere architecture and 20% outdoor space increase are meaningful structural improvements, not marketing vocabulary.

Where it asks more of guests is in navigation and scheduling. The ship’s layout requires learning. The best entertainment books out fast. Specialty dining at full price across a seven-night voyage accumulates quickly. Guests who arrive having done the pre-cruise homework, reservations made, deck plan studied, show tickets queued, will have a significantly better experience than those who improvise.

For 2026 Mediterranean sailings, Sun Princess’s deployment aligns well with its design intent. Stops in Turkey, Greece, France, and Italy reward long sea days and the dining-and-entertainment cycle the ship is built around.