At Sea

The Sun Princess, the newest addition to Princess Cruises’ fleet, boasts impressive tech upgrades, including cardless medallionNet access and a payment system. The staff is excellent, and there are numerous activities to keep guests entertained. However, the ship’s layout is somewhat inconvenient.

While the access fob worked seamlessly throughout the ship, the app left much to be desired. The 24/7 chat with guest services was unhelpful and unresponsive. We were able to use the app to chat and locate shipmates, but the rest of the interface was not intuitive. It was strange that there was no way to call your room steward, but you could order a drink from your pool chair!

The staff was the most proactive and attentive we’ve ever encountered on a cruise, except for our MDR waiter, who was rude and disengaged.

The buffet was vast but repetitive after a few days. The gelato and cookies were absolutely amazing.

The ship’s layout was confusing. There were many long walks down stateroom hallways to get to opposite ends of the ship. The front desk was located on deck 6 in a small room that was inefficient and gave off a funeral home vibes.

The pool was nice with plenty of sun loungers across 2 decks and the dome provided some relief from the wind. However, the pool chemicals turned my highlights green. After spending $10 on a bottle of H&S, the green color persisted, and my demi hair color, which I had done before the vacation, was completely washed out. I ended up at the salon for $200 to strip the green out as best as we could and retone my strands.

I regret booking spa and salon appointments on ships every time. They are always overpriced but the pushy sales people make for an awkward and unpleasant experience.

On day 1, I attended several organized events, including a craft workshop where I made a door garland, a self-led dot painting class, a choir rehearsal, and music performances in the center of the ship. Later sea days, I seemed to get increasingly more fatigued and stayed in more.

The deluxe balcony stateroom was beautiful, with ample storage, a comfortable bed (with two toppers and extra pillows), and a super comfy couch. The balcony was spacious, and Justin loved the glass door shower, which he could fit in. I appreciated the liquid hand soap (although I brought my own) and the separate shampoo, conditioner, and hand lotion. No other cruise line has offered that, except for Cunard, that I can recall.

They had a self serve laundry on avery floor!!! 👍Read more