When Sun Princess was launched (way back when!) in 1995, it was not only Princess' largest ship but also the industry's biggest-ever vessel. It, along with Sun-class vessels that followed -- such as Sea Princess, Dawn Princess and the former Ocean Princess (now P&O's Oceana) -- all incorporated innovative features and amenities, created a revolutionary impact on the industry, and were precursors to Princess' later introduction of Grand-class ships like Grand Princess. These days, the ship, which is now one of the smallest in the fleet, is promoted with the "big ship choice and small ship feel" moniker. Is it accurate?
On a recent cruise aboard Sun Princess, it was clear that despite its handsome ambience, the ship has been a bit bypassed by more contemporary Princess innovations. Personal Choice Dining was unveiled long after this ship was designed and, as such, the concept of flexibility isn't as smoothly incorporated into the restaurant scenario.
Standard cabins, while efficiently appointed, can be a tight fit for two and balconies (which number 400) are less than plentiful when compared to newer ships in the fleet. Kids' facilities -- particularly Off Limits, the teen center -- seemed anachronistic. And, finally, the ship always seemed crowded. There are lines for every buffet, sale and activity.
Comparing Sun Princess with the older Regal Princess, which is almost the same size yet carries a quarter fewer passengers, or with the newer Island Princess and Coral Princess, which are 14,000 tons larger yet carry a similar number of passengers, it's pretty clear why the vessel consistently felt crowded.
On the plus side, Sun Princess is welcoming and well run. Princess still provides terrycloth robes and fresh fruit upon request. Boarding passengers are met at each stairwell and directed to their cabins, nicer than having to find their own way. Turndown service with chocolates is provided in the evening. And we love that wooden deck chairs with steamer blankets are available for the asking -- especially in Alaska.
Dining
Sun Princess was built before "Personal Choice Dining," and it shows. The Regency Dining Room offers fixed sittings for dinner at 5:45 and 8 p.m., and open sitting for breakfast and lunch. The identical Marquis Dining Room is open for dinner from 5:30 until 10 p.m. and passengers can make reservations by telephone or show up at the door.
The ship's buffet restaurant, the Horizon Court, faces forward on Lido Deck; - this large space (but not large enough at peak times) is accessed by two buffet stations, port and starboard - Additional buffet service is available in the main room, but it is difficult to access without previously passing through the buffet lines. Aft of Horizon Court is the Terrace Grill, an on-deck barbecue.
Horizon Court is open 24 hours a day. A full breakfast buffet is offered, ranging from cereals and meats to egg and waffle stations. After breakfast and lunch comes a sandwich buffet, dinner, a la carte bistro dining after midnight and early breakfast. Breakfast and lunch are crowded, but there are stewards to find tables and carry trays.
Room service breakfast is limited to continental, but selections from a 24-hour menu of cold and hot items are delivered promptly (and free) to the cabin.
Verdi's Pizzeria, decorated with tile floors and tables and wrought iron chairs, is open for lunch. In the evening it becomes a casual trattoria with a limited menu of pastas.
The Sterling Steakhouse, carved out of part of the Horizon Court. For a $15.00 service charge diners may order from among entrees of beef, seafood, lamb or chicken. The food and service are fair.
Public Areas
Sun Princess is organized around a four-deck atrium, which is inoffensively decorated with chrome and glass, and connected by two glass elevators. At the entrance level on Plaza Deck are the Marquis Dining Room, reception area, shore excursions desk, and Patisserie for a la carte coffee and confections.
Note: Verdi's Pizzeria, like other spaces off the Atrium, functions as much as a corridor as a public room.
Ascending to Emerald Deck one finds the shops -- logo goods, liquor, perfume, jewelry and sundries -- and the Regency Dining Room.
Both single-level dining rooms face aft with views over three sides of the ship. While large, they are divided into smaller areas by serving stations and banquettes.
Promenade Deck features a wide, wraparound walkway, protected from the weather by overhanging decks. The rest of the Promenade Deck is devoted to public spaces. The Princess Theatre, forward, is a steeply sloped show lounge/movie theatre with excellent sight lines, theater seating and small stands for drinks. Aft is the Wheelhouse Bar, a clubby, dark-paneled space, decorated with paintings of P&O and Princess ships. (The future cruise sales office is tucked into a corner of the bar.)
The Atrium Lounge is the deck's other full service bar, but it is a noisy thoroughfare. Rendezvous is the ship's intimate wine bar, but it lacks distinctive decor, while Shooting Stars, the disco, is fitted with an excellent sound and light system and is an effective space for late-night dancing.
The ship's library offers paperbacks for trade, many novels (in English only) and a good selection of Alaska travel guides. The ship's photo gallery is long and well lighted. The aft Vista Lounge is the ship's secondary show lounge, featuring the ship's largest dance floor and a second stage for cabaret acts. The floor is not as sloped as the Princess Theatre, and the sight lines are not as good.
Staterooms
Except for suites cabins are a uniform size and configuration, the only difference between inside and outside cabins being a window/porthole. The standard cabin is inoffensively finished in blond wood with pastel colored spreads. Two twin beds can be put together into a (scant) queen. There is ample lighting. The desk/vanity stool substitutes for a breakfast table. There is adequate closet and drawer storage for a one week cruise. Other features include a room safe and mini-refrigerator. Cabin television features satellite broadcasts, reruns of ship lectures and commercials for Princess' services.
The compact bathroom (shower only, save for suites) features a small stall that could be awkward for larger passengers. Toiletries are from Princess' spa and include shampoo, conditioner and lotion in cardboard containers.
Suites include large balconies with metal dining tables/chairs and loungers, bathtubs with whirlpools and a sitting area, separated from the bedroom. There is no concierge lounge.
Entertaining
There are three indoor bars. The Rendezvous Bar serves only wine and sells appetizers such as caviar and pate. From the Atrium Bar you can hear the string quartet play light classical music and Broadway show tunes. The Wheelhouse Bar, a signature room and easily the ship's handsomest public space, was usually empty in the evening -- in a misguided attempt to appeal to younger passengers, Princess had given it over to rock musicians.
Activity-wise, Princess provides something for everyone. During the day on our Alaska itinerary there were lectures by the ship's naturalist. A small library offers English-language fiction and nonfiction with Alaskan guidebooks, games and free playing cards. There are trivia contests, Name That Tune, Newlywed Game, bingo, horse racing and art auctions.
The Grand Casino features slot machines (5 cent, 25 cent, $1 and $5) and roulette, black jack, craps and Caribbean stud tables.
The new Internet Cafe -- there's no food or drink -- offers 22 stations for a flat charge of 35 cents per minute (the industry's lowest) and no discount packages.
At night, Sun Princess has two show lounges. In the Princess Theater the Sun Princess Singers and Dancers may put on a production show while in the Vista Lounge there is a cabaret act (juggler, comedian, singer). Princess also brings aboard in port folklorists and lecturers and, since the line has so many ships in Alaska during summer, actually exchanges entertainers midweek with others in the fleet.
On our trip shore excursions were exceptional. Princess owns tour operators in Alaska, and as such, Princess' buses, rail cars and lodges dot the landscape. In Alaska, where getting in touch with nature is the main goal, Princess offers excursions to glaciers, in search of wildlife and for wilderness fishing. The excursions are expensive, because they involve helicopters, small planes and individual guides, but they are worth the money. I heard not one complaint about a shore excursion. Wonder if they're fairly priced? The White Pass & Yukon Railway trip is the most popular excursion in Alaska. Princess sells it for $97, and the train picks you up shipside. Walk the half mile into town and you can buy a ticket at the station for $89: not much of a markup.
Fitness & Recreation
On the main pool deck there are two central pools (these get crowded in good weather). A third, a splash pool, is located behind the fitness center, surrounded by sunning decks and serviced by an outdoor Splash Bar (open in good weather); there are ample sun loungers. The topmost passenger deck, Sun Deck, is divided into two portions. The aft portion of Sun Deck is available for sports activities like shuffleboard, basketball and paddle tennis. Other recreational features include a a golf simulator and quoits.
The Lotus Spa, with its attractive Asian themed decor, offers numerous treatments for men, women and even teens. The adjacent workout room features the latest machines and weights with piped music and (silent) TV screens (one nice touch: While the ship was sailing the College Fjords, the spinning class was brought outdoors.) There is a carpeted space for yoga, aerobics and Pilates (extra charge).
My cruise had hundreds of children on board, but I was aware of them only rarely (I came upon the younger group coloring in one of the stairwells and upon the older group at a pizza party).
The Fun Zone is divided by age between 3 and 7, and 8 and 12. Off Limits is for teenagers 13 to 17 with a video arcade, soft furniture and foosball. I stopped by several times and it was always empty. I did, however, see well-behaved groups of teenagers at many of the adult activities.
Children's activities are scheduled morning, noon and night, but parents are expected to take their children for meals. Also, Princess does not provide private babysitting, and group sitting ends at midnight.
While the ship attracted a majority of Americans, there were groups from Japan, Britain, Australia and Europe. Ages ranged from infants in arms to nonagenarians. Most passengers were middle aged or older. There were several multi-generational families. Announcements were few (for a mass-market ship) and only in English.
(There was one channel of Spanish language programming and one of German on the in-cabin TV.) Of nearly 2,000 passengers on board only 10 percent had traveled with Princess before.
Casual dress is the rule. Alaskan weather dictates layering, as the days can be quite warm and the evenings cool. The ship's newsletter suggests attire for the evening. Two nights are "formal," but most passengers do not wear black tie, suit or long dress; five nights are "smart casual." Shorts and T-shirts are prohibited in the dining rooms for dinner, but welcome in the Trattoria and Horizon Court.
Princess charges $10 per person, per day to shipboard accounts, which is divided among service personnel. Fifteen percent is added to wine and bar bills. Tipping in the spa/salon/gym is left to the individual. Passengers may raise, lower or eliminate the service charge, but tips given out in cash are pooled up to the standard service charge. Only above that amount do stewards and stewardesses get to keep their tips.
