Cruise Spotlight
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Celebrity Ascent vs Princess Cruises Sun Princess
The Celebrity Ascent is a fairly new ship, being built in 2023. The Celebrity Ascent features many of the new additions seen on the Celebrity Beyond including more outdoor space, a more grand central atrium, and an improved Rooftop Garden. It's 1 year older than the Sun Princess, which was built in 2024. Sun Princess is the first in a whole new class of cruise ship for Princess Cruises. It's the 3rd ship to be sailing under the Sun Princess name.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Ascent is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,073 feet long and 128 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 17-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Sun Princess, the Ascent is 20% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Celebrity Ascent holds 24% fewer passengers than the Sun Princess based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Ascent has more space per person compared to the Sun Princess. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
| Celebrity Ascent | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Edge | Sphere |
| Gross Tonnage | 140,600 | 175,500 |
| Length | 1,073 | 1,133 |
| Beam/Width | 128 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 17 | 21 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,260 | 4,300 |
| Crew | 1,416 | 1,592 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 43 | 41 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Ascent has 19 different dining options like Cosmopolitan Restaurant, Spa Cafe, and Fine Cut Steakhouse. Of those options, 8 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 11 options have an additional fee.
The Sun Princess has 2 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sabatini's, The Eatery, and International Cafe. 9 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 12 have an additional fee.
The Celebrity Ascent has about the same number of dining options as the Princess Cruises Sun Princess.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Celebrity Ascent | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 21 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 11 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 42% | 43% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. Alcohol is not included in the base price of this cruise ship. To see if you would save money with a drink package, try our Drink Package Calculator.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Celebrity Ascent has a total of 5 pools and 6 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
The Princess Cruises Sun Princess has the same number of pools as the Ascent and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Sun Princess. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Celebrity Ascent | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 11 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 1 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Ascent, 67% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Sun Princess, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Celebrity Ascent | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bingo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Eden Entertainment Space | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rooftop Garden | ✓ | ✗ |
| Royal Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spellbound by Magic Castle | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Celebrity and Princess Cruises are both considered "Premium" cruise lines. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Celebrity Ascent | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $4.00 | $2.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 | $6.25 |
| Drink Package Price | $60 - $125 | $64.99 - $84.99 |
| Internet Plan | $20 to $30 per device per day | $24.99 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
Princess Cruises offers two packages to bundle onboard expenses. The Princess Plus package includes daily gratuities, the basic beverage package, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining meals, and internet for $60 per day per guest. The Princess Premier package upgrades to the premiere beverage package, wifi for up to 4 devices per guest, two specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, unlimited fitness classes, and a photo package for $80 per guest per day.
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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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