Sun Princess - Princess Cruises
Fast Facts
Cruise line: Princess Cruises
Vessel: Sun Princess
Star rating: Not yet rated
Passenger capacity: 1950
Total crew: 900
Entered service: Built 1995 in Italy
Passenger decks: Passengers use decks 5-15
Facilities: Eight restaurants/cafs, seven bars/lounges, three kids' clubs, four pools/five spas, two theatres, Lotus Spa and gym, internet cafe, library, reading room, medical centre, ball and game courts.
Being smothered in seaweed, tickled, wrapped in foil like a cut lunch and then gently detoxified by Rachel in the Lotus Spa. Heaven!
Lows: Fruitlessly trying to find a decent onboard cappuccino. Barista, where art thou?
Sun Princess
On an eight-day cruise from Brisbane to Darwin on Sun Princess the conviviality passed down from the captain was palpable - could it last the distance?
Originally launched in 1995 back then the Sun Princess was considered one of the largest cruise ships ever built by the industry with around with 14 decks and a tonnage of 77,000, but today it can be categorized as a medium-sized cruise vessel. The Sun Princess can accommodate 1,950 passengers and 875 crew members. The Sun Princess was shortly followed by other vessels such as the Dawn Princess, and the Sea Princess all of which were fitted with state of the art amenities, which impacted the industry in an innovate and positive way.
The thing about travelling onboard the Sun Princess is that it kind of feels crowded even when it’s not packed to capacity. You get a sense of the crowd when you see the lines of people for the buffet, activity and sale. When you compare the Sun Princess with other newer ships such as the Coral Princess and the Island Princess, both of which are 14,000 tons heavier and bigger but carry the same amount of passenger you can guess why it feels crowded.
The good thing about the Sun Princess is that the ship is well run and is very welcoming. You still get your share of terrycloth robes as well as fresh fruit. When you board the ship, you are met with a stairwell which goes directly to the cabins which is great since you do not have to find your own way through the ship. The wooden decks and the steamer blankets are all welcome amenities onboard the Sun Princess.