The countdown is on for the exciting debut of Princess Cruises’ newest addition, Sun Princess.
As the cruise line’s largest ship ever built, Sun Princess will be the first in Princess Cruises’ new Sphere Class. Weighing in at 175,500 tonnes, and carrying 4,300 guests, the ship will offer a wide range of innovative dining, entertainment, and activity options, in addition to opulent staterooms and suites in a variety of price ranges.
Never-before-seen features will also be introduced, including the three-story Horizons Dining Room, the next-level Piazza, and The Dome; a transforming entertainment space inspired by the terraces of Santorini. Read more about these stunning features here.
Next Generation Technology
The ship will be the first in the Princess fleet to be powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as the primary fuel, significantly reducing emissions to, in turn, minimise the cruise line’s environmental footprint.
Two shore power connections will be found within the ship, on both the port and starboard sides of the vessel. This will enable the engines to be switched off and connect to local electric power instead, thus running all onboard services when stopping in ports for an entire day from this alternative energy source.
Sun Princess will also be aiming to manage waste throughout her sailings, with Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) installed for waste. As the world’s most compact, efficient and eco-safe technology to convert materials into thermal energy, this recycled energy can then be utilised for other important systems onboard.
Maiden Mediterranean voyage
Welcoming her very first guests aboard from 8th February 2024, Sun Princess will set sail from Barcelona for her 10-day inaugural Grand Mediterranean cruise. Travelling to the iconic port of Rome, the sailing will include stops in the likes of Mallorca, Sicily and Athens- just to name a few!
The inaugural sailing will swiftly be followed by a variety of seven-day voyages within the maiden season, covering the very best of Europe and the Mediterranean: including calls in Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey and more.
These sailings can be joined together to create 14 – or 21 – day cruises, stopping at beautiful ports including Naples, Sicily, Kusadasi, Istanbul, and La Spezia. The season will also include More Ashore late-night calls to some of the world’s most impressive cities, such as Santorini and Mykonos, plus overnight stays in London.
Example itineraries from Sun Princess’ Maiden season include:
- 10-day Inaugural Grand Mediterranean, 8th February 2024: Barcelona ► Mallorca (Palma) ► Sicily (Messina – for Mt. Etna & Taormina) ► Athens (Piraeus) ► Kusadasi (for Ephesus) ► Santorini ► Naples (for Capri & Pompeii) ► Rome (Civitavecchia)
- 7-day Mediterranean with France & Italy, 11th May; 1st June; 22nd June; 13th July; 3rd August; 24th August 2024: Barcelona ► Gibraltar ► Marseille (for Provence) ► Genoa (for Milan) ► La Spezia ► Rome (Civitavecchia)
- 7-day Mediterranean with Greek Isles & Turkey, 27th April; 18th May; 8th June; 29th June; 20th July; 10th August; 31st August 2024: Rome (Civitavecchia) ► Naples (for Capri & Pompeii) ► Santorini ► Istanbul ► Mykonos ► Athens (Piraeus)
- 16-day Iberian Passage, 23rd September 2024: Southampton (London) ► Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela) ► Lisbon ► Madeira (Funchal) ► Santa Cruz de Tenerife ► Ft. Lauderdale
- 21-day The Best of the Mediterranean, 27th April; 18th May; 8th June; 29th June; 20th July; 10th August 2024: Rome (Civitavecchia) ► Naples (for Capri & Pompeii) ► Santorini ► Istanbul ► Mykonos ► Athens (Piraeus) ► Kotor ► Corfu ► Sicily (Messina – for Mt. Etna & Taormina) ► Naples (for Capri & Pompeii) ► Barcelona ► Gibraltar ► Marseille (for Provence) ► Genoa (for Milan) ► La Spezia ► Rome (Civitavecchia)
Eye, eye Captain!
To maintain the magic of this brand-new ship, the inaugural team of crew members will be led by Captains Craig Street and Paolo Arrigo, who have both been with Princess Cruises since the 1990s. Between them, these highly-skilled individuals have 21 years of Captain experience with the cruise line- meaning guests will be in very safe hands!
Princess Cruises president, John Padgett, said, “Sun Princess promises something special for everyone and we’re pleased to announce the skilled and deserving team, led by Captains Street and Arrigo, who will guide Sun Princess through the remainder of the construction phase and ready her for her shining debut in just one year.”
Sun Princess’ maiden season will be followed by a variety of Caribbean sailings from Fort Lauderdale later in the year.
