Cruise Spotlight
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Sun Princess vs Scarlet Lady
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 3 years newer than the Scarlet Lady, which was built in 2021 and renovated in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older.
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 Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady, the Sun Princess is 62% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Sun Princess holds 59% more passengers than the Scarlet Lady 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 Scarlet Lady.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sphere | Lady |
| Gross Tonnage | 177,882 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,133 | 912 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 21 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,300 | 2,700 |
| Crew | 1,600 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 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 Sun Princess has 22 different dining options like Alfredo's Pizzeria, The Catch by Rudi, and Main Dining Room. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 13 options have an additional fee.
The Scarlet Lady has 10 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Extra Virgin, Lick Me Til Ice Cream, and The Test Kitchen. 12 of these restaurants are complementary.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sun Princess might be a better choice. It has 83% more dining options than the Scarlet Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Scarlet Lady might be a better choice then the Sun Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 22 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 13 | 0 |
| % of Included Options | 41% | 100% |
| 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. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Scarlet Lady below.
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.
Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady has fewer pools than the Sun Princess and fewer hot tubs.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | ||
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 11 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 10 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| 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. On the Sun Princess, 62% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Scarlet Lady, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Royal Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spellbound by Magic Castle | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises and Virgin Voyages 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Princess Cruises Sun Princess will likely be more expensive than on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady.
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 | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | Included |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | Included |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $64.99 - $84.99 | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 per device per day | Base level is Included. For "premium" speeds, it's around $10 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.
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