What makes Sun Princess different from any Princess ship before her, and is she the right choice for your cruise? In short: she is Princess Cruises’ newest flagship and the first of the all-new Sphere Class, the largest ship the line has ever built and its first dual-fuel (LNG) vessel. That means a clean-sheet redesign built to feel light, airy and connected to the sea, headlined by a geodesic glass Dome at the top of the ship and a reimagined three-deck Piazza with a glass-walled Sphere hanging out over the water. Wrap that around the effortless MedallionClass experience and a season of Mediterranean and Greek Isles sailings, and you have a ship that suits food-focused travelers who want the latest design without giving up Princess’s gracious, relaxed style. This guide walks through every part of her so you can decide and plan.
Sun Princess at a glance
Sun Princess is the lead ship of the Sphere Class, with sister Star Princess following. She measures around 177,000 gross tons across 21 decks, carries roughly 4,300 guests at lower berths, and offers about 2,157 staterooms. Those numbers make her Princess’s largest ship, but the design goal was not simply scale. The architecture pulls natural light deep into the interior and opens sweeping views to the sea from spaces that, on older ships, would have faced inward. The result feels more like a bright resort than a traditional cruise liner, and it changes how you move through your day on board.
Her marquee season in this guide is the Mediterranean and Greek Isles, based out of Rome (Civitavecchia), Athens (Piraeus) and Barcelona. She also sails the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale in another season, so always confirm which voyage you are booking. The rest of this guide focuses on the Mediterranean sailings, where the newest ship in the fleet pairs the region’s timeless treasures with the very latest onboard design.
| Detail | Sun Princess |
|---|---|
| Class | Sphere Class (first of her class) |
| Gross tonnage | Around 177,000 GT |
| Decks | 21 |
| Guests (lower berths) | Roughly 4,300 |
| Staterooms | About 2,157 |
| Signature spaces | The Dome, the Piazza and Sphere, the Sanctuary Collection |
| Main season here | Mediterranean and Greek Isles |
MedallionClass: the core Princess difference
If you have never sailed Princess, MedallionClass is the feature that most changes daily life on board. Every guest wears an Ocean Medallion, a quarter-sized wearable that carries your identity around the ship. It unlocks your stateroom hands-free as you approach, speeds up boarding, lets you locate your travel companions across 21 decks, and handles touchless payments so you rarely reach for a card. It sounds small on paper, but it removes a surprising amount of friction from a big ship.
The Medallion works alongside the Princess app. Through OceanNow you can order food and drinks to wherever you happen to be, whether that is a lounger by the pool, a seat in the Piazza, or your own balcony. Dine My Way lets you reserve flexible dining times or keep a traditional set seating if you prefer the same table and waiter each night. JourneyView helps you map out each day, so you can see what is happening and when. None of it demands that you use a phone constantly, but it is there when you want it.
Set it up before you sail and the first minute on board runs smoothly. Download the Princess app, complete the OceanReady check-in, add a payment method, and order your Medallion in advance. First-timers who do this walk straight on; those who leave it until embarkation day tend to wait. If you want a deeper walkthrough, our MedallionClass guide for first-timers covers the setup step by step.
The Dome, the Piazza and the Sphere
The single most talked-about space on Sun Princess is The Dome. It is a geodesic glass-enclosed structure at the very top of the ship, inspired by the terraces of Santorini. By day it works as an indoor-outdoor pool retreat, flooded with light and open to the sky and sea. By night it transforms into a theater staging Cirque Éloize acrobatic shows, so the same room you lounged in during the afternoon becomes a performance venue after dark. It is the clearest example of the ship’s light-and-air design philosophy in action.
At the heart of the ship is the Piazza, Princess’s social hub, here reimagined across three decks. The big change is the Sphere, an outward, glass-walled suspended structure that gives expansive ocean views from a space that, on earlier ships, looked inward at itself. A movable LED screen brings live entertainment into the atrium, so the Piazza doubles as a performance space through the day and evening. It is where people gather for a coffee, a drink, or simply to watch the sea go by, and it anchors the whole social rhythm of the ship. If the architecture is what draws you, our Sphere Class ship guide goes deeper on the design.
Rounding out the signature spaces is Movies Under the Stars, the giant poolside LED screen that has become a Princess signature. On a warm Mediterranean evening, settling in under the stars for a film with a blanket and a snack is one of the simplest pleasures on board. Elsewhere you will find the Lotus Spa, the Sea Breeze and Terrace pools, a wake-view pool aft, and the Princess Theater and Princess Live venues for the main shows and smaller sets. Between the Dome by night, the Cirque Éloize acrobatics, the atrium’s movable LED screen, the poolside films and the two theaters, the ship gives you several very different evenings rather than one repeated format, which is part of what keeps a fourteen-night itinerary from feeling long.
The Sanctuary Collection
Sun Princess expands the retreat idea with the Sanctuary Collection, an adults-only retreat combined with a suite-and-retreat concept. It gives guests a private sun deck, a dedicated pool, and exclusive dining, tucked away from the busiest parts of the ship. On a vessel carrying around 4,300 guests, the appeal is obvious: a quieter, more spacious base with its own rhythm. If you value calm and are willing to pay for it, this is the top of the range on board, and it is the tier most likely to make a big ship feel intimate.
Dining on Sun Princess
Princess is a food-focused line, and Sun Princess carries a large dining range. The backbone is three main dining rooms, where you can choose traditional set dining or flexible Dine My Way through the Medallion, plus the Horizons buffet for casual meals and quick breakfasts before a port day. That mix suits both people who love the ritual of the same table each night and those who want to eat when the day allows.
The specialty and casual lineup is where the ship shows off. It includes Love by Britto, an artistic prix-fixe experience with wake views; The Butcher’s Block by Dario, a Tuscan butcher-style steakhouse; Makoto Ocean for Edomae sushi; Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria; the Crown Grill steakhouse; and The Catch by Rudi for seafood. For something more relaxed there are the Alfredo’s and Gigi’s pizzerias, O’Malley’s Irish pub, and the 24-hour International Café by the Piazza for coffee, pastries and light bites at any hour. OceanNow and room service deliver across the ship, so a meal is never far away.
- Love by Britto, an artistic prix-fixe with wake views
- The Butcher’s Block by Dario, Tuscan butcher-style steakhouse
- Makoto Ocean for Edomae sushi
- Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria and the Crown Grill steakhouse
- The Catch by Rudi for seafood
- Alfredo’s and Gigi’s pizzerias, plus O’Malley’s Irish pub
- The 24-hour International Café by the Piazza
A practical tip: the marquee specialty rooms book up, especially on port-intensive itineraries where sea days are scarce. Reserve your must-do dinners through Dine My Way as soon as your booking opens, and keep the casual spots and the International Café in mind for the nights you come back late from a shore excursion.
Who Sun Princess suits
The Princess style is gracious, relaxed and food-focused, with a blend of traditional and flexible dining, strong enrichment and entertainment, and the Medallion running quietly in the background. That points to who fits best. Couples and food lovers who want a beautiful, modern ship and a serious dining lineup will feel at home. Travelers who enjoy destination-rich itineraries but still want a striking ship to come back to each evening are well served here too.
Families work on board, though the tone is more refined than raucous, and the ship leans toward guests who value calm spaces and good food over wall-to-wall thrill rides. Anyone who wants a quieter, more exclusive experience should look hard at the Sanctuary Collection. If you are weighing the ship against your expectations, our overview of what to expect on Sun Princess lays out the daily feel in more detail.
Where Sun Princess sails: the Mediterranean and Greek Isles
Her headline season runs seven- to fourteen-night Mediterranean, Greek Isles and Adriatic voyages from Rome (Civitavecchia), Athens (Piraeus) and Barcelona. Ports across the itineraries typically include Rome, Naples and Capri, Messina in Sicily (the gateway to Taormina and Mount Etna), Kotor in Montenegro, Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Santorini, and sometimes Chania on Crete, Kuşadası in Turkey, and Barcelona. Exact ports vary by sailing, so always confirm your itinerary in the Princess app before you plan excursions.
The season itself is warm, sunny Mediterranean summer and shoulder months: hot, dry days and pleasant evenings that make the ship’s open, light-filled design pay off. The newness advantage is real here. Sun Princess is the freshest, most advanced ship in the Princess fleet, so a Mediterranean cruise lets you pair the region’s ancient sites and island beaches with the very latest design and the effortless Medallion experience. Our full look at her Mediterranean and Greek Isles season breaks down the routes.
Ports and landmarks to plan for
Each port has its signature draws, and the best of them sell out early. From Rome (Civitavecchia), the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Roman Forum and the fountains and piazzas are all on the table, but the port is a transfer or train ride from the city, so plan the logistics ahead. Naples opens up Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, the isle of Capri, and pizza in its birthplace. Messina in Sicily is your gateway to Taormina and its Greek theater and to Mount Etna.
In the Adriatic and the Greek islands, Kotor delivers a walled old town, the dramatic Bay of Kotor, and a mountain fortress; Corfu offers a Venetian old town, its fortresses, and good beaches. Athens (Piraeus) is the base for the Acropolis and Parthenon, the Plaka and the museums, again a transfer from the port. Mykonos brings its windmills, whitewashed Chóra, beaches and nightlife, and Santorini its cliff-top towns of Fira and Oia, the blue domes, the caldera and the famous sunset. Both Mykonos and Santorini are tender ports on some calls, so allow extra time. On Santorini in particular, budget time for the cable car or the climb from the old port. Our Santorini, Mykonos and Athens ports guide covers these calls in depth.
A recurring theme across these ports is that timed tickets sell out. The Vatican, the Colosseum and the Acropolis all reward booking ahead, and the tender ports reward an early start. Mix the marquee tours, such as Rome, Pompeii and the Acropolis, with relaxed island and beach days on Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu, and pace yourself in the heat rather than trying to do everything at once.
Choosing a cabin
Sun Princess offers Interior, Oceanview and Balcony staterooms, with Balconies making up a large share of the ship, plus Mini-Suites and the Sanctuary Collection suites with retreat access. In the Mediterranean a Balcony is lovely for scenic sail-ins and warm evenings, though the caveat is worth stating plainly: these are port-heavy days, so you spend far less time in the cabin than you would on a scenic cruise. Weigh the balcony premium against how many mornings you will actually be on board rather than ashore.
For best value, an Interior or a sheltered Balcony does the job. For the best all-round experience, look at a midship Balcony on the mid-decks, which gives you light, space and the steadiest ride. The top of the range is a Sanctuary Collection suite with its private retreat. Whatever you choose, check the deck plan for a few things to avoid: cabins directly under the pool deck, the buffet or the Dome can be noisy; rooms near nightlife venues can carry sound; forward high-deck rooms move most in a swell, which matters if anyone is prone to motion; and some lower-deck balconies have obstructed or lifeboat-blocked views. Confirm the specifics before you commit.
How to plan your Sun Princess cruise
Start with the paperwork. A passport is required for these international sailings, and if your itinerary includes Turkey you should check visa rules; non-US citizens should verify their own requirements well ahead. Money is simple: the euro covers most ports, spanning Italy, Greece, Montenegro and Spain, while onboard payments run on the Medallion through US dollar accounts, so you tap rather than carry cash on the ship.
Packing for this season means planning around strong midday sun. Bring light, breathable clothing, sun protection, and comfortable walking shoes for ancient sites and cobbled towns, plus modest cover for shoulders and knees at churches and monasteries. The itineraries are port-intensive and culture-rich, so the smartest approach is to alternate: a big marquee day such as Rome or the Acropolis, then an easier island or beach day, so you are not exhausted by the halfway point.
On the practical side, gratuities are added to your account or prepaid, and Wi-Fi is a paid plan that is often bundled into packages. Both are the kind of detail that changes between sailings, so confirm the current terms in the Princess app when you book. Do the Medallion setup early, reserve your specialty dinners and any timed-ticket tours as soon as booking opens, and you will spend the cruise enjoying the ship rather than sorting logistics. For more shortcuts, our collection of Sun Princess tips gathers the small moves that make a difference.
Get the complete Sun Princess playbook
Ready to go deeper? “The Ultimate Guide to Sailing on Sun Princess” walks you through every venue, cabin choice and port with clear action steps in every chapter. It is part of the Ultimate Ship Guides series by Leo Sotropa, written to turn a great ship into a genuinely smooth, well-planned trip.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sun Princess?
Sun Princess is Princess Cruises’ newest flagship and the first ship of the all-new Sphere Class, with sister Star Princess to follow. She is Princess’s largest ship and its first dual-fuel (LNG) vessel, a clean-sheet redesign built to feel light, airy and connected to the sea. At around 177,000 gross tons across 21 decks, she carries roughly 4,300 guests in about 2,157 staterooms.
What is MedallionClass and the Ocean Medallion?
MedallionClass is the Princess experience built around the Ocean Medallion, a quarter-sized wearable every guest carries. It unlocks your stateroom hands-free, speeds boarding, helps you find your travel companions, and handles touchless payments. Paired with the Princess app, it powers OceanNow ordering anywhere on the ship, Dine My Way dining reservations, and JourneyView day planning. Set it up before you sail by completing OceanReady check-in and ordering your Medallion in advance.
What is The Dome on Sun Princess?
The Dome is a geodesic glass-enclosed structure at the top of the ship, inspired by Santorini’s terraces. During the day it is an indoor-outdoor pool retreat filled with light; at night it becomes a theater staging Cirque Éloize acrobatic shows. It is the clearest expression of the ship’s open, sea-connected design.
Where does Sun Princess sail?
Her marquee season in this guide is the Mediterranean and Greek Isles, with seven- to fourteen-night voyages from Rome (Civitavecchia), Athens (Piraeus) and Barcelona. Typical ports include Rome, Naples and Capri, Messina, Kotor, Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Santorini, sometimes adding Chania, Kuşadası and Barcelona. She also sails the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale in another season, so always confirm your specific voyage in the Princess app.
Which cabin should I book?
For best value, an Interior or a sheltered Balcony works well. For the best all-round experience, a midship Balcony on the mid-decks gives light, space and the steadiest ride. The top of the range is a Sanctuary Collection suite with retreat access. Check the deck plan and avoid cabins directly under the pool deck, buffet or Dome, rooms near nightlife, forward high-deck rooms if you are prone to motion, and lower-deck balconies with obstructed views.
Do I need a passport for a Mediterranean sailing?
Yes. A passport is required for these international sailings across Italy, Greece, Montenegro and Spain. If your itinerary visits Turkey, check the visa rules, and non-US citizens should verify their own entry requirements ahead of time. Onboard payments run on the Medallion in US dollar accounts, while ashore the euro covers most ports.
What dining is available on board?
There are three main dining rooms with traditional set or flexible Dine My Way seating, plus the Horizons buffet. Specialty and casual venues include Love by Britto, The Butcher’s Block by Dario, Makoto Ocean, Sabatini’s, the Crown Grill, The Catch by Rudi, the Alfredo’s and Gigi’s pizzerias, O’Malley’s Irish pub, and the 24-hour International Café by the Piazza. OceanNow and room service deliver across the ship, and the marquee specialty rooms are worth reserving early.
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