Sun Princess vs Star Princess

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 older than the Star Princess, which was built in 2025. Star Princess is the newest ship from Princess Cruises. It's the 3rd ship to be sailing under the Star Princess name and will debut in October 2025. The Star Princess is still under construction and Princess Cruises hasn't released all the details yet.

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. The Sun Princess and the Star Princess are in the same class, which means they're sister ships. For the most part, they're similar in terms of size and layout; although they may have different features and attractions on board.

Number of Passengers

Princess Cruises Sun Princess holds about the same number of passengers as the Star Princess based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Sun Princess has the same amount of space per person as the Star Princess.

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 Love by Britto, The Eatery, and The Butcher's Block by Dario. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 13 options have an additional fee.

The Star Princess has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Catch by Rudi, Umai Teppanyaki, and Makoto Ocean. 9 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 13 have an additional fee.

The Princess Cruises Sun Princess has about the same number of dining options as the Princess Cruises Star Princess.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

Restaurants on Princess Cruises Sun Princess & Star Princess

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 Princess Cruises Star Princess has the same number of pools as the Sun Princess and the same number of hot tubs.

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 Sun Princess, 62% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Star Princess, only 25% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

Cruise Costs

Princess Cruises is a premium cruise line. 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit Princess Cruises's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.

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 understand what you might spend onboard a Princess Cruises ship.

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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Articles Related the These Ships

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Sun Princess Shuffling Restaurants Just Months After Launch

Sun Princess Scraps Featured Attractions, What Happened?

Star Princess Delayed By Two Months

Princess Cruises Rolls Out New Dining Time Options Fleetwide

The New Sun Princess Will Be Delayed

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