I’ve always indulged in land-based vacations. Take me to a nice hotel, preferably an all-inclusive resort with a nice beach nearby, and I’m a happy camper. Despite numerous recommendations and invitations from family and friends I was never inclined to go on a cruise, mainly because I’m claustrophobic. The idea of being locked in a cabin at sea simply did not appeal to me. My three-night stay on the Sun Princess during its debut excursion from the U.S.—sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Nassau, Bahamas—radically changed my outlook.
Even on that quick getaway, there was so much to see and do. Here’s how my maiden voyage at sea went down.
The Vessel
During his presentation to the media and travel advisors onboard, John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises, touted the Sun Princess as giving “Big ship choice, with small ship personalization…essentially, yacht class service. That’s a combination no one else can touch.”
They say that size doesn’t matter, but this megaship can accommodate 4,300 guests! There are 2,157 guest staterooms (51 of which are accessible for folks with special needs, and 100 connecting) and 80 suites.
As I toured the premium and mini-suites in the all-new Sanctuary Collection, which has access to an exclusive top-deck relaxation area and other amenities, I marveled that they were bigger than some New York City apartments. The height of luxury indeed.
The well-appointed cabin in which I stayed on Deck 11 sleeps 4, has a queen-size bed, a comfy sofa, a desk and chair, and a private balcony complete with 2 lounge chairs and a table. The floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors definitely helped me not feel confined.
As for that personalized service Padgett promised, having breakfast delivered to my stateroom right on the time I checked on the form (7:30 a.m.) was an option I greatly appreciated. Sipping my first cup of tea for the day while sitting on the balcony looking out at the horizon as we cruised along was a special moment. My cabin steward (the amazing Rigon!) was solicitous and super helpful, especially with directions when I didn’t know my “aft” from my….
State-of-the-art technology was also evident all around the ship, including the superfast elevators. My favorite feature was the wearable Medallion device that unlocked the door to my cabin whenever I approached and offered touch-free access and personalized service at any of the 30 restaurants, bars, lounges, and other venues. It also allowed for easy off- and on-boarding when we stopped in Nassau.
The Entertainment
The party began before we even left Port Everglades, with a wonderful welcome reception in the Sanctuary Club and a spectacular drone show as part of the Sail Away celebrations. By the time we actually set sail, I was primed for fun—and boy did they deliver.
I love a Silent Disco event, so I danced like nobody was watching to the DJs they had dropping beats in The Dome. One night, the Motown-like review by the vocal trio Legacy had me singing along to Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Boyz II Men, and Toni Braxton, and the next, I was doing my best salsa moves to “Despacito” and belting out the chorus to “Senorita” like I was Camila Cabello during Viva la Música, the live Latin music concert. ¡Ay bendito!
The lively (read: hilarious) group I was with had fun with the magician at Spellbound by Magic Castle, no doubt helped along by the excellent libations provided at that venue while we waited for the show to begin. I’m not about that gambling life, but folks seemed to be living it up at the tables when I walked through the Princess Casino. The Piazza at the center of Deck 7 was always jumping, either with a DJ playing the hits or a live band, as with the Back to the 80s party that had everyone on the dance floor on our last night at sea.
For me, one of the standout performances was the world premiere of ArtBeat, A Happy Heart, a high-energy acrobatic show by famed Miami artist Romero Britto. It was a colorful mix of art, dance, theater, gymnastics, athleticism, and aerial feats—just a joyful celebration.
The Food—and Drinks!
Before embarking on the trip, I visited the company’s website, which listed the Sun Princess as “The greatest foodie destination at sea.” The skeptic in me was curious to see if they could live up to such over-the-top billing. Fortunately—for this foodie at least—they pulled out all the stops for their North American debut.
Celebrity collaborations abounded. There was a pizza demo hosted by Chef Tony Gemignani, a 13-time world pizza champion who dished up samples of his award-winning pizzas at Alfredo’s Pizzeria. Renowned Japanese Chef Makoto Okuwa brought his superior sushi skills to Makoto Ocean restaurant. The Butcher’s Block by Dario featured a menu curated by Dario Cecchini, the world’s most famous butcher. I’ve never had so many different cuts of beef in my life!
Royal Afternoon Tea with Darren McGrady, who was the private chef for Princess Diana, brought out the Anglophile in me. I sipped some well-brewed Earl Grey tea and happily (and daintily) bit into cucumber sandwiches, salmon sandwiches, and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam while listening to McGrady spill some figurative tea about his years in the Royal household. Feasting on the late Queen’s favorite chocolate cake made me miss my mom, who, like many Jamaicans of a certain age, loved all things British.
And then there was Tyra Banks, who popped up during the press briefing to talk about her partnership with Princess to make her SMiZE & Dream ice cream available onboard. I might have been late to try the supermodel’s ice cream brand, but I’m now a fan: It’s rich, not too sweet, and very creamy. Guests can enjoy 4 heavenly flavors at the Lido Coffee & Cones counter (The Best Vanilla I Ever Had, Caramel Swirls, Purple Cookies and Cream, Sweet Chocolate Mama). You can also sample her All Night Love, a collaboration with Lionel Richie that is named after his hit song “All Night Long.” Banks says the blend of salted caramel, cookie crumble swirls, and chocolate fudge hearts is what they imagined the singer would taste like if he were an ice cream! The flavor will be available in Love by Britto, a specialty dining option featuring everything love-themed or heart-shaped, including the bread, and the butter—there are even cute little hearts on the cutlery, too.
But wait, there’s more. We had an entertaining and delicious hibachi-style meal at Umai Teppanyaki & Hot Pot. There were sticky ribs with coleslaw and cornbread accompanied by a strawberry milkshake topped with chunks of meringue and whipped cream that I gobbled up at the Americana Diner. The Eatery offered a breakfast buffet, omelet stations, oatmeal, fruits, and grab-and-go options to start the day, while the International Café was a welcome pit stop for treats to end the night as it was open until 2 a.m. I’m a sucker for good gelato, and the Gelateria did not disappoint. Padgett boasted that the Sun Princess is the only place outside of Italy where the gelato is certified authentic by the Italian government.
I can’t even begin to cover all the bars and lounges around the ship, but I have to mention Crooners’ interesting concoctions and note that O’Malley’s Irish Pub was a great place to enjoy some live Irish music along with my libations.
The Right Vibe
According to a 2023 report by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the average age of American cruise passengers is trending lower and is now at around 46, especially for shorter trips. When I sat down with Cruise Director Corinne Steel, I asked her what the Sun Princess had to offer an even younger target audience, namely Millennials and Gen-Zers like my son and his friends.
“Our product is much younger and fresher right now [than it was before],” she tells me. “We have live music throughout the ship. Our bands do rock shows, and they do Taylor Swift. It’s not boring music. And on the open deck, we have our Movies Under the Stars experience and we also have concerts out there. So they can grab pizza at night and be in the hot tubs.”
At 28, Steel herself falls into the demographic we’re talking about. She emphasized that the ship’s programming is “tailored to everyone. It’s vibrant, fun and modern. There is no other vacation that you can be in the middle of the sea and partying.” Good point.
“I persuaded some of my friends to come and cruise with me, and they kind of had that same thought, but you can be as active or as uninvolved as you want,” she says. “If you want to start the day with fitness classes, we have Xponential Fitness, which has classes across America. Some people are really into the gym, and we have CycleBar. Or you can chill out and watch blockbuster movies in your room or you can be by the pool, where we have a DJ and live music. We’re more immersive than other ships. You don’t just sit back and relax on the Sun Princess unless you really want to, as we’re always pulling people into the action.”
On top of all that, she adds, “We’re taking people to the most Instagrammable places in the world. We’re always getting feedback from our guests. We’re also learning what our Gen-Zers want and creating more vibes for them.”
Takeaways
So, now that I’ve had my first adventure on the high seas, will I be adding a cruise alternative for future vacations? Oh, definitely.
It was smooth sailing for the most part, and I did appreciate the variety and abundance of choices for activities. It’s like an all-inclusive, but a floating one. I may not be ready to spend endless days at sea, nor bunk in an interior cabin, but I think I could do a 5- to 7-day cruise with multiple stops.
As for the Sun Princess, she and I have some unfinished business. Cruise director Steel threw down the gauntlet, recommending that we try all of the 218 different cocktails onboard and, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make much of a dent in that number. I’m not one to back down from a challenge though, so just know it’s gonna be on when we meet again, Sun Princess. Cheers!
To see upcoming sailings and book your own cruise adventure, visit princess.com.
