Cruise Spotlight
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Sun Princess vs Ascent
The Princess Cruises Sun Princess is a fairly new ship, being 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. It's 1 year newer than the Ascent, which was 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.
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 Sun Princess is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,133 feet long and 126 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 21-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Ascent, the Sun Princess is 27% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Sun Princess holds 32% more passengers than the Ascent based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Sun Princess has less space per person compared to the Ascent.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sphere | Edge |
| Gross Tonnage | 177,882 | 140,600 |
| Length | 1,133 | 1,073 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 128 |
| Passenger Decks | 21 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,300 | 3,260 |
| Crew | 1,600 | 1,416 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 43 |
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 Sun Princess has 22 different dining options like Alfredo's Pizzeria, Makoto Ocean, and The Eatery. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 13 options have an additional fee.
The Ascent has 3 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Magic Carpet, Oceanview Cafe, and Spa Cafe. 8 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 11 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sun Princess might be a better choice. It has 16% more dining options than the Ascent.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 22 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 13 | 11 |
| % of Included Options | 41% | 42% |
| 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 Princess Cruises Sun Princess has a total of 5 pools and 11 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 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 Celebrity Ascent has the same number of pools as the Sun Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Ascent. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 11 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 10 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
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. You might up paying more while on board the Sun Princess. Only 62% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Ascent, 67% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Princess Cruises and Celebrity 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.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | $8.00 |
| Drink Package Price | $64.99 - $84.99 | $60 - $125 |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 per device per day | $20 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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.
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.
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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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