Star Princess Gets Minor Enhancements Over Its Predecessor

October 22, 2024 Randy Young

Construction of Princess Cruises’ upcoming ship, Star Princess, is underway with a scheduled debut for Fall 2025. The ship is a “stunning replica” of the Sun Princess, the first in the new class of ship that debuted earlier this year. While the ships will be nearly identical, today, Princess shared some of the enhancements they’ve made to Star Princess.

“After the overwhelming response to Sun Princess, we are excited to debut her sister ship, Star Princess, with added enhancements to elevate the guest experience. From expanded non-smoking casino areas to new spaces for relaxation and recreation, Star Princess will deliver an unforgettable vacation for all when she launches in fall 2025.” – John Padgett, Princess Cruises president.

More Space in Specialty Restaurants

With Princess Cruises’ increased focus on specialty dining, including added unlimited specialty dining to Princess Premier guests in August, getting a reservation at one of the specialty restaurants can be a challenge. For Star Princess, they’re not adding new dining options, but they’re increasing the space.

O’Malleys Irish Pub which serves traditional Irish food, a selection of beers, and hosts live music most evenings, will add 32 more seats, a 37% increase over Sun Princess.

Love by Britto, an art-inspired restaurant that is a collaboration with chef Rudi Sodamin and artist Romero Britto, will add 20 more seats, or a 29% increase. Here, guests will enjoy a seven-course fusion menu.

In addition, Star Princess will also reflect the restaurant reshuffling that took place on Sun Princess last month. As part of that, several restaurants were moved around for increased ambiance and capacity.

Butcher’s Block by Dario increased capacity by 50%
The Catch by Rudi increased capacity by 41%
Crown Grill increased capacity by 36%

See all Star Princess Restaurants

Expanded Non-Smoking Casino Areas

Princess Cruises will be adding 68 additional slot machines in newly designated non-smoking sections of the casino. Based on the press release and updated deck plans, the casino doesn’t look any larger; they just switched sections that were previously smoking to non-smoking.

Addition of SkyDeck Sports Court and Track instead of Park19

Princess shocked cruisers in July when they announced the major top-deck attractions planned for Sun Princess would appear. This area was supposed to have a ropes course, climbing wall, and a RollGlider suspended ride. These attractions were heavily featured in Sun Princess’ marketing and were supposed to make the ship more family-friendly. Due to issues with their vendor, these attractions, while built, were never opened.

People wondered what they would do with the space on Star Princess. Instead of Park19, the space will be called SkyDeck Sports Court & Track. It’ll feature a pickleball and basketball court, a jogging track, a splash pad, and relaxation areas. It’s definitely not a top-billed attraction anymore, and now it is akin to what you’d see on any older cruise ship.

Star Princess Will Sail the Caribbean and Alaska

When the Star Princess debuts in October 2025, it will homeport out of Fort Lauderdale for Caribbean cruises. Then, in May, it will sail to Seattle, where it will offer a summer of Alaskan sailings. The ship’s large glass windows in The Piazza and The Dome will be perfect for enjoying the stunning panoramic views of Alaska.