What to Expect on Sun Princess

What should you expect on Sun Princess? A ship that feels lighter and more open than any Princess before her, built around a handful of showpiece spaces you will actually use every day: The Dome, a glass-topped pool retreat by day that turns into an acrobatic theater by night; a three-deck Piazza with a glass Sphere cantilevered out over the sea; and the Ocean Medallion, the little wearable that quietly runs your whole cruise. Add Movies Under the Stars, a spa and a run of pools, an adults-only Sanctuary Collection, and a genuinely large spread of dining, and you have a flagship that rewards curiosity. This walk-through covers what the onboard days feel like, how the ship works in practice, and the tips that make your first day easier.

The first hour: boarding and getting your bearings

Sun Princess is Princess Cruises’ newest flagship and the first ship in the all-new Sphere Class, at around 177,000 gross tons across 21 decks, carrying roughly 4,300 guests. That is a big ship, but she is designed to feel connected to the sea rather than cavernous, so your first job is orientation, not survival. If you set up the Princess app before you left home, boarding is quick: the Ocean Medallion speeds you through the terminal, and by the time you are aboard your stateroom is often ready.

Spend the first hour finding three reference points and the rest of the ship arranges itself around them. The Piazza is the social heart in the middle of the ship, over three decks, and it is the easiest place to meet people or grab a coffee. The Dome sits right at the top, so it is your marker for up. And the main pool deck, with its big LED screen for Movies Under the Stars, anchors the outdoor life. Once you can find those, you can find everything else.

A quick word on the app itself. Sun Princess runs on MedallionClass, and the Princess app is where you check the day’s schedule, reserve dining, order a drink, and see where your travel companions are. Download it before you sail, complete the OceanReady check-in, add a payment method, and order your Medallion so it is waiting for you. Do that at home and your first day is spent enjoying the ship instead of standing in lines.

The Dome: pool by day, Cirque Éloize by night

The Dome is the signature space most people remember. It is a geodesic glass-enclosed structure at the very top of the ship, inspired by the terraces of Santorini, and it changes character completely depending on the time of day. In the daytime it is an indoor-outdoor pool retreat, light-filled and sheltered, a place to swim or lounge with the Mediterranean sliding past the glass. On a hot, bright afternoon at sea it is one of the calmer, more grown-up corners of the ship.

After dark the same room transforms into a theater staging Cirque Éloize acrobatic shows. The glass dome, the lighting, and the aerial performance make for an evening that does not feel like a typical cruise-ship production. Because seating is limited compared with a main theater, it is worth checking show times in the app early in your cruise and planning your evening around a performance rather than hoping to wander in. If you only see one thing on Sun Princess, see the Dome twice: once with a swimsuit, once with a drink.

The Dome also shows how the whole ship thinks about space. Rather than bolting on more of the same, Sphere Class starts from a clean sheet, and the result is rooms that do double duty and views that reach outward. That design philosophy is worth understanding in a little more depth, which our Sphere Class ship guide gets into.

The Piazza and the suspended Sphere

The Piazza is a Princess tradition reimagined. On Sun Princess it is a three-deck atrium hub, the crossroads of the ship, and it is where a lot of the day happens without you planning it: a coffee at the International Café, live music, a glass of wine before dinner, people-watching from a railing. Princess has always used the Piazza as a social living room, and the Sphere Class version is bigger and more theatrical, with a movable LED screen for live entertainment.

The new element is the Sphere itself, a glass-walled structure that projects outward from the ship, giving expansive ocean views from inside the atrium. It is the moment where the “connected to the sea” idea becomes literal: instead of an inward-facing atrium, you get sightlines out over the water. On a scenic sail-away from an Italian or Greek port, it is a striking place to stand. During the day it is calmer and a good spot to read; in the evening the Piazza fills up and becomes the buzz of the ship.

Practically, the Piazza is also your navigation anchor. Because it runs vertically through several decks and sits mid-ship, orienting yourself to it makes the rest of the layout intuitive. The 24-hour International Café here is one of the most useful venues on board, which we will come back to under dining.

The Ocean Medallion: how it works day to day

The Ocean Medallion is the single biggest difference between a Princess cruise and most others, and once you have used it for a day you stop thinking about it, which is the point. It is a quarter-sized wearable that every guest carries, and it handles the small friction points that add up over a week. Here is what it actually does.

• Hands-free stateroom access — your door unlocks as you approach, so no fumbling for a card.
• Faster boarding — the Medallion speeds you through the terminal on embarkation day and at every port re-boarding.
• Find your companions — the app shows where your travel party is on the ship, which is a small miracle with kids or a big group.
• Touchless payment — the Medallion is tied to your onboard account, so a drink, a coffee, or a shop purchase is settled without a wallet.
• OceanNow ordering — order food and drinks to wherever you are, whether that is a lounger by the pool, a seat in the Piazza, or your balcony.

Two app features are worth learning by name. Dine My Way is how you handle dining: reserve flexible times each evening, or keep a traditional set seating if you prefer the same table and waiters every night. JourneyView helps you plan your day, laying out shows, activities, and dining so you can see the shape of tomorrow before it arrives. None of this is mandatory, and you can absolutely cruise the old-fashioned way, but the guests who set the app up properly get more out of the ship with less effort. If it is your first time with the system, our MedallionClass first-timer guide walks through the setup step by step.

One honest note: the Medallion is only as good as the prep you do before you sail. Complete the OceanReady check-in, add your payment method, and order the Medallion in advance. Guests who arrive at the terminal having done none of that still have a fine cruise, but they spend part of day one catching up.

Pools, Movies Under the Stars, and the Lotus Spa

Sun Princess spreads its outdoor life across several pools rather than concentrating everyone in one spot, which keeps the deck from feeling like a scrum on a hot sea day. There are the Sea Breeze and Terrace pools, a wake-view pool aft that looks back over the ship’s trail, and the sheltered Dome pool up top. Learning which suits which mood is part of settling in: the aft wake-view for quiet, the main deck for the action, the Dome when the sun is fierce.

Movies Under the Stars is the Princess poolside signature: a giant LED screen above the main pool showing films and events in the open air. On a warm Mediterranean evening, with the sun long down and the ship gliding toward the next port, it is one of the most pleasant free things you can do on board. Grab a lounger, order a snack through OceanNow, and watch a film under the actual stars.

For quieter time, the Lotus Spa handles the pampering side — treatments, thermal areas, and the general business of doing nothing well. On port-intensive itineraries, a spa afternoon on a sea day is a smart way to reset your legs. Entertainment beyond the Dome runs through the Princess Theater for the big production shows and Princess Live for more intimate sessions, so there is a full evening’s worth of things to do without repeating yourself.

The Sanctuary Collection: the adults-only retreat

If you want a step up in calm and space, the Sanctuary Collection is Sun Princess’s expanded suite-and-retreat concept. It combines an adults-only retreat with a private sun deck, its own pool, and exclusive dining, giving suite guests a quieter enclave away from the busier public decks. On a large ship, that private-deck feeling is the main thing you are buying, and it changes the rhythm of your days: you have a reliable, calm base to return to.

Whether it is worth it depends on how you cruise. On a port-heavy Mediterranean sailing you spend a lot of the daylight ashore, so you get fewer hours to enjoy a premium sun deck than you would on a scenic cruise with long sea days. But if you value a peaceful evening deck and reserved dining, and you tend to relax hard on the days you are aboard, the Sanctuary Collection earns its keep. Either way, decide before you book, because it shapes your cabin choice.

Dining on Sun Princess: from Dine My Way to the specialty tables

Dining is where Sun Princess really shows its size, and the Princess style — gracious, relaxed, and genuinely food-focused — is at its best here. Start with the foundation: three main dining rooms plus the Horizons buffet. The main dining rooms give you the choice between traditional set dining, where you keep the same table and waiters each night, and flexible dining through Dine My Way, where you reserve a time in the app and eat when it suits you. Neither costs extra, and switching between the two across a week is easy.

Beyond the included dining, the specialty lineup is large and unusually varied. Here is the shortlist worth knowing before you sail.

Venue	What it is
Love by Britto	An artistic, colorful prix-fixe dinner with wake views — a special-occasion table.
The Butcher’s Block by Dario	A Tuscan butcher-style steakhouse for serious meat.
Makoto Ocean	Edomae-style sushi for a refined Japanese evening.
Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria	The classic Princess Italian, ideal on a Mediterranean run.
Crown Grill	The traditional Princess steakhouse.
The Catch by Rudi	Seafood-focused specialty dining.
Alfredo’s and Gigi’s	Pizzerias for a casual, no-fuss meal.
International Café	24-hour spot by the Piazza for coffee, pastries, and light bites.

A few of these deserve a plan. Love by Britto pairs a set menu with wake views, so it works well on a slow evening at sea. The Butcher’s Block by Dario and Makoto Ocean are the two most distinctive tables — a Tuscan butcher’s approach to steak, and proper Edomae sushi — and they are the ones most likely to book up, so reserve them early in your cruise through the app. Sabatini’s and the Crown Grill are the dependable Princess classics. And do not overlook the free options: O’Malley’s Irish pub is a relaxed spot for a pint, and the 24-hour International Café by the Piazza becomes the ship’s most-used stop for coffee and a snack at any hour. OceanNow and room service deliver across the ship, so a quiet dinner on your balcony is always an option too.

The practical dining tip: book your one or two must-do specialty restaurants on day one, then leave the rest flexible. Between the three main dining rooms, the buffet, the pizzerias, and OceanNow, you will never be short of choices for the nights you keep open.

How the ship feels on a Mediterranean sailing

The marquee season for Sun Princess is the Mediterranean and Greek Isles, based out of Rome (Civitavecchia), Athens (Piraeus), and Barcelona, with seven- to fourteen-night voyages that mix Italy, Greece, the Adriatic, and sometimes Turkey and Spain. Ports across these itineraries typically include Rome, Naples and Capri, Messina in Sicily for Taormina and Mount Etna, Kotor in Montenegro, Corfu, Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. Exact ports vary by sailing, so always confirm your itinerary and the latest schedule in the Princess app.

What that means for the onboard experience is a particular rhythm: busy, culture-rich port days and relaxed evenings aboard. You will spend a lot of daylight ashore at the Colosseum and the Vatican, at Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, walking the walls of Kotor’s old town, or climbing to Fira and Oia on Santorini, then come back to the ship tired and ready for a good dinner and an easy evening. Sun Princess suits this pattern well because her indoor spaces are designed for the wind-down after a hot, active day. If you want to go deeper on the region, our Mediterranean and Greek Isles guide and the Santorini, Mykonos and Athens ports guide cover the shore side in detail.

The season is warm to hot with strong midday sun, so pack light, breathable clothing, real sun protection, and comfortable walking shoes for ancient sites and cobbled towns, plus modest cover for churches and monasteries. Some ports, including Santorini and sometimes Mykonos, are tender ports where you go ashore by small boat, so allow extra time — on Santorini in particular, budget time for the cable car or the climb up from the old port. Practically everything ashore runs on the euro, while your onboard spending runs on the Medallion in US dollars. A passport is required for these international sailings, and if Turkey is on your itinerary, check the visa rules in advance.

First-day tips that make the rest easier

A little structure on embarkation day pays off all week. These are the things worth doing in the first few hours.

• Do the app prep before you leave home — OceanReady check-in, payment method, and order the Medallion. This is the single biggest time-saver.
• Book your must-do restaurants first — The Butcher’s Block by Dario and Makoto Ocean fill up; lock them in on day one via Dine My Way.
• Check the Dome show schedule — plan an evening around a Cirque Éloize performance early, since seating is limited.
• Find your three anchors — the Piazza, the Dome, and the main pool deck. Orient to these and the ship makes sense.
• Scout your pool — the aft wake-view pool for quiet, the main deck for the scene, the Dome for shade.
• Confirm your itinerary and port times in the app — tender ports like Santorini need extra planning.

One more piece of advice on cabins, since it shapes everything else. A midship Balcony on the mid-decks gives you the best all-round mix of light, space, and the steadiest ride. If you want to save, an Interior or a sheltered Balcony is the value play, especially on a port-heavy trip where you are barely in the room. Whatever you choose, check the deck plan and avoid cabins directly under the pool deck, the buffet, or the Dome for noise, and forward high-deck rooms if anyone is prone to motion. For more of these judgment calls, the full Sun Princess cruise guide pulls it all together.

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Get the complete Sun Princess playbook

Want the whole ship mapped out before you board? “The Ultimate Guide to Sailing on Sun Princess,” part of the Ultimate Ship Guides series by Leo Sotropa, walks you through every deck, venue, and dining choice with clear action steps in every chapter, so you step aboard already knowing the plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Ocean Medallion and do I have to use it?

The Ocean Medallion is a quarter-sized wearable every guest carries on Sun Princess. It unlocks your stateroom hands-free, speeds boarding, handles touchless payments, lets you find your travel companions, and powers OceanNow ordering. You are not forced to use every feature, but setting up the Princess app before you sail — OceanReady check-in, payment method, and ordering the Medallion in advance — makes your whole cruise smoother from the first minute.

What is The Dome on Sun Princess?

The Dome is a geodesic glass-enclosed space at the top of the ship, inspired by Santorini’s terraces. By day it is an indoor-outdoor pool retreat; by night it becomes a theater staging Cirque Éloize acrobatic shows. Seating for the evening shows is limited, so check times in the app and plan ahead.

How does dining work — is it flexible or fixed?

Both. The three main dining rooms let you keep a traditional set seating with the same table and waiters, or use Dine My Way through the app to reserve flexible times each evening. There is also the Horizons buffet, casual spots like the pizzerias and O’Malley’s Irish pub, and a range of specialty restaurants for an upcharge. You can mix and match across your cruise.

Which specialty restaurants should I book first?

The Butcher’s Block by Dario, a Tuscan butcher-style steakhouse, and Makoto Ocean, for Edomae sushi, are the most distinctive and tend to book up fastest, so reserve those early. Love by Britto is a good special-occasion choice with wake views, while Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria and the Crown Grill are the dependable Princess classics. Book your must-do tables on day one and leave other nights flexible.

What is the Sanctuary Collection and is it worth it?

The Sanctuary Collection is an adults-only, suite-and-retreat concept with a private sun deck, its own pool, and exclusive dining. It is worth it if you value a calm, private base and reserved dining and you relax hard on the days you are aboard. On a port-heavy Mediterranean sailing you spend less time enjoying the retreat, so weigh how much of the cruise you actually plan to spend on the ship.

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, calling at ports such as Naples, Messina, Kotor, Corfu, Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. She also sails the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale in another season. Ports and schedules vary, so always confirm your specific voyage in the Princess app.

What should I do on my first day aboard?

Arrive with the app already set up, then book your must-do specialty restaurants, check the Dome show schedule, and orient yourself to your three anchors: the Piazza, the Dome, and the main pool deck. Scout which pool suits you, and confirm your port times and any tender ports like Santorini in the app so you can plan the days ashore. For a full breakdown of the tips that matter most, see our Sun Princess tips guide.