We Sailed Princess Cruises NEWEST Ship! Here’s Our Honest Verdict
This is Star Princess Princess Cruis’s newest ship that everyone’s been talking about. I just got off the first Caribbean sailing, and I’m sharing what’s new, how it compares, and my honest take after 3 days on board. Hi there, I’m Elana from the website lifewell cruise.com. Welcome or welcome back to my channel. Now, many people are wondering about the new Star Princess. What is it really like? After all, it is one of the newest cruise ships, not only to be sailing the Caribbean, but also to be sailing in Alaska next spring and summer. So, what is this cruise ship really like? In this video, I’m going to be sharing my thoughts and experiences when it comes to the food and dining, the drinks, the entertainment, the cabins, the ship design and public spaces, the service, and who I think this cruise ship is for. Now, I also did ask members of the LifeWell cruise community for your questions. So, I am going to be answering those, including how does it compare to Sun Princess and the other Princess cruise ships. And if you are planning on sailing on this cruise ship, I do have a couple of tips or even mistakes to avoid when it comes to cabin locations. Now, before I get started, I did want to mention that if you like this video, if you find it helpful, informative, or enjoyable in any way, then please do give this video a big thumbs up. I really do appreciate it. and please subscribe to the channel if you haven’t done so already. Let’s get started. Now, we were on board this 3-day Caribbean inaugural sailing hosted by Princess Cruis’s as media, and I’ll leave footage of the naming ceremony in case this is something interesting to you. I will leave that at the end of the video. However, as always, all opinions are my own. Ship design and public spaces. Now, Star Princess is the second in Princess Cruis’s newer sphere class, and Sun Princess is the first. Now, we had been on Sun Princess before, so I was expecting that Star Princess would be very, very similar, and it definitely is. The sphere design of the Piaza or the atrium is really so beautiful. you actually get um a view of the outdoors, of the sea, of the ports um from three decks, decks 7, 8, and 9. And it really is particularly beautiful. However, something that I noticed right away when I came on board Star Princess is how the ship feels warm. there is something perhaps it’s the plants, perhaps it’s the color scheme that’s just a little bit of a warmer tone, but personally I felt really just right at home as soon as I entered. Now, just to let you know, we were on board Sun Princess when it first launched in Europe and then again about 6 months later after Princess Cruises did make some changes, but you could really see how they took those learnings from Sun Princess and they did apply them to their brand new ship. Now, speaking of the patza, I really like the way this is very much the hub of the ship, and this is very similar to the concept that you have on other Princess cruise ships. Of course, it is a little bit redesigned. You’re going to find the international cafe on deck 9, but this is fabulous. And something just a little tip not to miss out on is there is some shakuderie available in the evening. And if you want to do something that we did, uh, we actually took the shakuderie, put it on a plate, and we brought a little shakurerie plate over to Kuners, uh, while we were having drinks there later on in the evening time. But of course, you also have foods available, um, for breakfast and for lunch and at any time of day. But something not to miss is on deck 7, you have coffee currents. So, if you don’t want to head up to deck 9 for coffee, you can get coffee on deck 7, which is basically the ground floor, if you will, or the first floor of the piaza, and that’s where you’re going to have a lot of entertainment. So, you’ve got a bar, but you’ve got coffee currents where not only do they have coffee, but they have some snacks as well. Now, you’re also going to find Makoto Sushi, Alfredo’s Pizzeria, a shore excursions desk, your future cruise consultants desk, and more. Now, when it comes to the other interior spaces, the flow is really good when it comes to the different entertainment venues that are off of the piaza. Now, this includes Ali’s, which by the way has been made larger on Star Princess in comparison to Sun Princess and Princess Live, where you’ll find trivia, comedy, and participation game shows. Now, as we head up to the upper decks, you’re going to find two large main pools. They’re very beautiful. Oftentimes, there is music playing there or a movie under the stars or under the sun. Now, in addition to the two pools, you’re also going to find a lot of seating as well as hot tubs both on the pool deck and the deck right above. Now, at the main pool, something else that you’re going to find is several outdoor food options. And I think this is something that a lot of people might not even realize until a few days into the cruise. So, you definitely want to know about this. Now, you still have a buffet inside of the cruise ship, but right near the pool, if you want to go and grab a burger that is available, there are tacos and burritos and quesadillas. There is pizza, which is excellent, by the way. And there’s an entire salad bar as well as soft ice cream. And all of this is included. Now, I’ll talk more about the food and dining and what we ate and what I would recommend. But first, I want to talk more about the pools for just a minute. There are another couple of pools. Now, one of them is the sanctuary club pool. So, I am going to touch on that later on in the video. Many of you have asked me about the sanctuary. So, I didn’t stay in the sanctuary, but I did visit it and I did eat at the sanctuary restaurant. So, I’m going to share that after. Uh, but let’s talk about the aft or the wake view pool. Now, this is at the very back of the ship, and this could be a pool that could be overlooked, but when you’re outside of the cruise ship in port, I could tell you that people will notice it. Now, this Wake View pool is an infinity pool. It’s at the very back of the ship, so it is a little bit challenging to find. What you’ll have to do is take the aft elevators, and you can go straight down there. Now, it is pretty cool. It’s an infinity pool and there is a bar there as well. All right, so what did I think of the dining? Well, firstly, we tried specialty dining. We tried the ery, which is basically the buffet. We tried international cafe. We tried room service. Let’s start off with specialty dining because I know a lot of you, you might have Princess Premiere. And by the way, I have an entire video all about Princess Plus and Princess Premiere that I will leave at the end of this video in case that can be helpful to understand what is included. Uh, we were only on 3 days. So, when it came to the restaurants that we ate at, we ate at Crown Grill, we ate at Sabatinis, and we ate at the Catch by Rudy. Now, of course, when it comes to food, it really is very subjective, but I will give you my thoughts. The Crown Grill. Very good. Classic steakhouse. Excellent service. Had famemen. Thought it was very good. When I went to Sabatinis, I can tell you I was so impressed. I feel like Italian food on a cruise can be hit or miss. Uh, but we all agreed that Sabatinis was excellent. I had an amazing baratha appetizer. It was so good. And then I chose something relatively simple for my main dish. I had spaghetti and meatballs because I actually had that on Discovery Princess at uh Sabatinis and it was really good. So I had it again. It was excellent. And for dessert, we were surprised with gelato. Um it was excellent. I especially loved the pistachio. Now we spent our last evening at the Catch by Rudy. And again, food is subjective, but this was definitely my favorite. The calamari was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, but not chewy. It was excellent. And when it came to the main dish, uh the filammen and lobsters, so the surf and turf was what both Frank and I had, and I think we agreed that on any cruise, we have not tasted more tender fol. Now, when it came to the casual food, there is so much um casual food in terms of options on the ship. I just don’t think that you could go wrong, but we did end up eating at Alfredo’s Pizzeria. I absolutely love the pizza there and even the atmosphere. So, we really enjoyed that. But something I noticed is that sometimes people were eating there later in the evening. So, I think that that’s a good tip as well. Now, we ate breakfast in the buffet a couple of times. It was very good. I especially like the omelet station, but one of my favorite ways to have breakfast, at least on this three-day cruise, is to order room service breakfast, which is included on Princess. Now, on Star Princess, you also have a main dining room that’s included. It is quite beautiful. It’s two decks. You have Celestial and Aurora. Really quite lovely. And then you have a third deck where you have the sanctuary restaurants. So, just to let you know, for anybody who is booked in the sanctuary collection cabins, then you have access to that dining room. And it is very similar to a main dining room, but the menu is a little bit expanded. And because it’s only for a limited number of guests, you don’t have to make reservations and you won’t expect any weight times. All right, let’s talk about the drinks and something that really surprised me and then we are going to talk about the cabins and something that I think it is pretty important to know at least when it comes to cabin locations and some of the pros and cons. So, when it comes to the drinks, the drinks on board Star Princess really impressed me. Not only for the variety of drinks, but the fact that if you have the Princess Plus or the Princess Premier package, um I think many of the drinks are included, but you can also see clearly uh what is and even when you order wine in the dining room, it’s really nice because your server is going to suggest wines that really do fit into your package. So, I found that quite good. Now, the drink quality I thought was really good on Star Princess and Princess Cruises does have um some new drinks that are part of the love line collection. Now, these are actually collaborations. Uh so, for instance, the Godfather or the Godparents I should say uh of Star Princess are Matthew McConna and his wife Camila and they have a tequila um called Pantalon if I’m not mistaken. And there is a drink called the 24K margarita. Apparently, this is the most popular drink on Princess Cruises. And this is made with um this alcohol. People absolutely love it. You could see a lot of people ordering that drink on the ship. I don’t drink tequila, so it wasn’t uh probably my favorite. However, I did absolutely love the Hampton Spritz. Really wonderful. I also loved Strawberry Fields Forever. But one of the fun things, especially if you do have one of the packages, is to try the different drinks. And there are so many different kinds even at the Good Spirits bar. That’s another one of my favorites. Uh you definitely have to check that out and give as many as you like a try. Now, I apologize for the lighting. The sun is starting to go down, so the lighting is changing a little bit, but I do want to share this with you while it is fresh in my mind. Now, we’re going to talk about the entertainment next. That is a really important element. And I’m also going to answer a couple of the questions that people had regarding um how difficult it could be to get a seat at the theater and some of those other questions. But first, let’s talk about the cabins. Now, something I loved about the cabins, and by the way, we were in uh a deluxe balcony cabin in category D. Now, something I loved is the color scheme. as some people have said as I shared uh some pictures on social media is that the color scheme is very soothing light grays with accents of blue and pops of yellow. Now, if you’ve been on a Princess cruise ship in the past before Sun Princess, you’ll remember that they do have that hallway area when you first walk in where the bathroom and it’s almost like a walk-in closet. I always really like that design, but this design feels definitely much more spacious and much more upscale. And one of the things that I really like is that the closet, at least in the balcony cabin, it’s a little bit see-through. Um, a really nice design. It really is quite beautiful. Now, when it comes to the bathroom, something else that people are going to be very happy about is it is more modern, but it also does have a glass shower door. So, that’s something that’s nice. And of course that is the same as Sun Princess. Now I did want to share with you my own balcony cabin and just something to be aware of maybe when you are booking and in terms of locations that could be pros and cons depending on how you look at it and what you like. Now our cabin was located relatively far forward and by the way the seas were very smooth and it was uh very calm. We didn’t hear any noise. Everything was excellent. However, when it came to the location, because we were farther forward towards the bow of the cruise ship, rather than having a glass railing, we had a white solid wall to the balcony. Now, there are some pros and cons to this. One of the pros of our cabin was the fact that I think it felt about 8 ft bigger than a standard balcony cabin. So definitely if you like more space, you will absolutely love this aspect of the cabin, especially if you are three or four people in the cabin. Um, and the other thing is the balcony. To me, it seemed much deeper than a standard cabin would be. And I loved the fact that because it was mostly covered when I did a little bit of work on my balcony, I had the shade. Now, the negative part is that when you’re sitting down, you don’t get that beautiful view of the ocean. However, you do still get it when you are standing up, the entertainment. Now, you’re going to find entertainment all over the cruise ship, not just in the theater, which on this cruise ship is called the arena, and not just in the dome, which is another area that you have entertainment. You’re going to find entertainment in the Piaza. You’re going to find it in Princess Live and you’re going to find it even in other spaces around the cruise ship, but certainly the arena was one of the places where you had those bigger um let’s just call them production shows. Now, one of the things that my husband said, Frank, when we got off the cruise ship this morning, we were talking and he said that he really thought that the entertainment had elevated on not only uh Star Princess but also Sun Princess. And a question that some people had is, is the entertainment the same on Star Princess and Sun Princess? So, no, it is not the same. Now, during our cruise, we saw two shows. And the funny thing is I heard feedback from people. Some people love one show, some people love the other, some people love both. So, I will give you my thoughts. Now, we saw one show which is called Meridian, which is, you know, a very nice show, quite a good cast, lots of singing, a little bit of dialogue as well, and there’s a story. I feel like it was about 45 minutes or so. Um, I did enjoy it. However, just my own personal take, um, Illuminate, which has acrobats and I don’t want to give the whole show away, uh, but acrobats and music and a little bit of a higher energy vibe. That was my preference. So, I absolutely love that and I would definitely recommend it. Now, some people have asked, is it hard to get a seat in the theater? So, no, I don’t think it’s hard to get a seat in the theater anymore than it’s hard to get a seat in a theater on any cruise ship. I think that there’s about a thousand seats or so, but there’s more than one show in the evening. And, you know, the shows are performed more than once, but I would say is for any big production show that’s popular, be sure to head to the theater about 30 minutes before for the best seats. Now, there are more shows on the cruise ship, but we honestly could not do everything. But I definitely would keep an eye on your princess patter the daily schedule or your princess app to see the daily planner so that you could plan the activities and the entertainment that you enjoy most. Now in the dome which is by the way an indooroutdoor salarium type space very beautiful and you actually have a pool there that is also sort of indooroutdoor uh that you can use during the day. But in the evening time, we went to a candlelight concert. Uh really very beautiful, very intimate. And just to let you know, the idea of this is that you could even come and go a little bit. And I have heard some people ask about the uh seating in the dome and what it was like. Now, we definitely showed up, I would say probably about 40 minutes early and we were at the 9:30 time and we absolutely found seats. And I would say definitely by 30 minutes more people were coming. By 20 minutes before it was starting to fill up. Uh there are a limited amount of seats there. So that uh venue in particular if it’s something that you really want to see, I definitely would head there about 30 minutes before, but I do think that you’ll find a spot. All right, let’s talk about the sanctuary collection and then I’m going to go through some of the questions that many people had. And of course, I am going to share with you who I think this cruise ship is for. So, Sanctuary Collection, what did I think of it? Well, firstly, I was not uh booked in Sanctuary Collection for this cruise. However, I did go in for a couple of hours for research purposes. Of course, it was very enjoyable, but I spoke to many people that were there. Um, we also tried a couple of things and um, spoiler alert, I have actually booked several months ago. I booked Sanctuary Collection on Star Princess for a family cruise uh early in 2026, which we’re really looking forward to. So, I’m happy to say I think the Sanctuary Collection just a very good idea. Obviously, all of the cruise ship cabins are great. I even took a look at the interior cabins and you would even be happy with that. But the sanctuary collection really is quite beautiful. You have a choice um of there’s a few balcony cabins, some mini suites, and of course otherwise other suites. And the nice thing about sanctuary collection is you do have usage of the pool and you have some other perks and benefits as well. If you’d like a video about specifically the sanctuary collection um on these ships, do let me know down in the comments. Just comment like sanctuary or something like that and I can always make a bigger video. But what did I think of it? The space was absolutely beautiful. The decor was so upscale and so nice. And one of the things that I really thought was nice is that you had like a small, I would call it a grazing buffet, like snacks and light bites and some fruits uh that were available right in the sanctuary uh club area. You also have your own bar uh with really nice drinks, which by the way, Frank and I had frozen apperol spritzes. Uh definitely highly recommend. Okay, going through some questions. What do I think about Star Princess being in Alaska? Is this going to be a good Alaska cruise ship? I absolutely think so. I think there is something about the Piaza uh or the sphere um that I cannot imagine a ship with better views um of the outdoors, of the sea, and of the landscape. And if you’ve been to Alaska, you know that the landscape is just incredible. So, I definitely think that that is going to be wonderful. And you also have the dome. So, you have this salarium like space, not only on the interior, but the exterior. It’s sort of half open and half closed, but I’m sure it’s a beautiful place to just sit and to take in sailing, the landscape, and maybe even seeing some wildlife. And the great thing about this cruise ship is there’s so much going on indoors that when it comes to all of the different activities that Princess does so well in Alaska, I think that they’re going to be able to do that at least as good, if not even possibly better on this cruise ship. Is the casino non-smoking? Well, yes and no. Now, just to let you know, the casino on this ship is very, very nice. Now, I’m not personally a casino player, but it really is. Now, you have one casino that is regular, so smoking, if you will, but there is one non-smoking casino available as well. What is Spellbound like? And is it the same as on Sun Princess? So, no. Um, the Spellbound experience is actually different on Star Princess. It really is. I don’t want to give it away, but the theme inside of Spellbound is different um than on Sun Princess. I think just as magical uh but really good, but you do have something different now on Star Princess. The Spellbound Experience um is a different concept uh that’s been implemented recently. And if I’m not mistaken, it’s $45 for the show uh for access to the Spellbound uh bar, which is very, very cool. There’s all sorts of Easter eggs in there, and you get two drinks included as well. Now, before I answer one more question and who I think this cruise ship is for, uh let’s talk about the crew and the service. Now, the service on board Princess Ships, in my opinion, is some of the best. And you know, Princess Cruises is a premium cruise line, and you could really see that through the warm, friendly, and attentive service. Um, but one of the things that I really like and I still like on Princess Cruises is that you’re going to find twice a day daily housekeeping. So, uh, your cabin attendant, that is a really nice service. You have your cleaning in the morning, but you also have, uh, a little turndown service in the evening as well. And overall, we found the service to be very good um at the specialty restaurants as well as the casual dining and eery buffet. And something I didn’t mention earlier, but it is a change from Sun Princess, but not a change from other Princess ships is that this ship is a selfserve buffet. So for people who like a selfs serve buffet, uh you do have this on Star Princess. You also have the American Diner, by the way. So, don’t forget to head um further backwards. Just keep walking. If the ery is a little bit crowded, just go a little bit further back. You’re going to find um really good options there as well in the American Diner. And the American Diner, I didn’t have a chance to eat there this time. Uh but the American Diner is also like a casual sitdown restaurant. So, I think that you will enjoy it. So, who do I think this cruise is for? And this ties in very well with a question that I was asked several times, which is what is the age of the passengers on this cruise ship and is it going to be people that are elderly? And not that there’s anything wrong with that because I do really think that there is no age to the person uh who is cruising. It’s all about the experience and the vibe that you want. But I thought it was interesting because we did go to a little talk with the president of Princess Cruises, Gus Anttor. And he did share who the clientele of Princess Cruises was overall. Um, and he did share that this was somebody who was 50 plus, somebody who was active, somebody who liked to travel, somebody who was upbeat and lively. And I definitely think that in my experience, uh, this was, I think, my 14th Princess Cruise. And I definitely can see that. One thing I will say is that a cruise with Princess or any other line that is seven days or shorter is typically going to skew a little bit younger. And a cruise that is longer, especially anything that’s longer than 14 days, is going to skew a little bit older. But in my opinion, Star Princess is a great cruise for the Caribbean and for Alaska where I know there’s a lot of multi-generational cruisers. Now, I am going to leave my video about Princess Plus and Premiere at the end of this video. But first, here is a little bit of a look at the naming ceremony of Star Princess. The godparents of Star Princess are Matthew McConna and his wife Camila. And in contrast, and I guess a little bit of a break from tradition, the ship was not named with Champagne, but was instead named with Pantalon’s Tequila. Now, we were able to see the naming ceremony from the Princess Arena, and this was definitely an exciting and moving experience. Now, I did have some friends who reached out to me and said, “Did you get to hang out with Matthew McConna?” So, no, we did not. But following the naming ceremony, there was a lovely reception. And then we had the most incredible drone show that I have ever seen. And something that was really cool about this drone show and very different was there was a lot of Alaska theming and it even made me really excited to want to think about um cruising to Alaska with Princess again, but maybe this time on Star Princess. And the whole evening culminated with a show on the Leo deck by the one and only Cheryl Crowe. Now, due to copyright, I cannot share any of her music, but I will tell you it was definitely a night to remember. Now, I know this video was a little bit more chitchaty than I usually do, but I really wanted to share my thoughts as soon as possible. I hope that you enjoyed the video. Please let me know any questions that you might have down in the comments below. And don’t forget to watch the video about Princess Premiere and Princess Plus Next. I hope that you enjoyed the video. If you did, please do give it a big thumbs up. I really do appreciate it. And please subscribe to the channel if you haven’t done so already.
We just sailed on the brand new Star Princess, Princess Cruises newest cruise ship! We’ve taken 14 Princess cruises, & I was wondering how Star Princess would compare. Would this new cruise ship be just like Sun Princess, or would there be changes & improvements that cruise passengers would like? Our goal was to find out!
This Star Princess cruise review shares what’s new and my honest take on if this is a good ship Caribbean & Alaska cruises. I share our cruise experience, from our Star Princess cabin, the food & dining, entertainment, activities, as well as crew & service. You’ll also get answers to your questions about the new Princess cruise ship, Star Princess. This includes who I think this cruise ship is for.
I also share information about Star Princess Sanctuary collection, sanctuary club pool & sanctuary restaurant. These are all things that are specific to Star Princess & Sun Princess, which is different on Princess Sphere class vs other Princess cruise ships.
Whether you’re a first time cruiser with the Princess cruise line, or a Captain Circle member & loyal Princess cruiser, this Star Princess cruise review , cruise vlog & ship tour will be useful as you plan or prepare for your future cruise.
As a bonus, I share the naming of Star Princess & everything that happened that night.
We were hosted by Princess Cruises on this Inaugural Caribbean sailing & ship naming cruise.
🛳 THE ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER 🛳
Get the Life Well Cruised ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER ($10 off for a limited time). The printable planner includes 47 pages of checklists, packing lists, shore excursion forms & more! here: https://lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-…
*Travel agency I recommend – MEI Travel (no fee): http://bookmeicruise.com/lifewellcruised
______
The links in this description are affiliate links, meaning that I make a commission on purchases you make through my links, at no extra cost to you.
As Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
FLIGHT & CRUISE ESSENTIALS:
Clear TSA toiletry bags: https://amzn.to/3FvfI40
Over door organizer: https://amzn.to/4e3lVRj
Hanging toiletry bag: https://amzn.to/3Nb8fFY
Aloe Vera: https://amzn.to/4knUUdB
Magnet hooks: https://amzn.to/3yP2xXU
Magnet clips: https://amzn.to/37bNh9W
Bonine: https://amzn.to/42SHDUf
Handheld fan: https://amzn.to/3St36gJ
No surge power cube (with USB): https://amzn.to/3TGq8lY
Charger w/ built in cables: https://amzn.to/4k9ZIn7
Lanyards: https://amzn.to/3uNZBFb
Waterproof phone case: https://amzn.to/3ZGpze2
Airplane pocket: https://amzn.to/4ct2ocB
Travel fan: https://amzn.to/44y5yrJ
Hanging cruise fan: https://amzn.to/3Tq9buV
Travel binoculars: https://amzn.to/3I7xCLh
Travel backpack: https://amzn.to/3IcUCIM
Cosmetic bag: https://amzn.to/402EWhe
Beach blanket: https://amzn.to/46pUCyX
Aloe vera: https://amzn.to/4lIW7gm
Jewelry pouch: https://amzn.to/3RXutiB
Pill box: https://amzn.to/4jfBw25
Hybrid Travel Adapter (20% off with code epicka20off): https://amzn.to/4lxf2dC
Electronics organizer: https://amzn.to/402DT0T
Makeup mirror: https://amzn.to/4lAiHsd
Sun hat: https://amzn.to/42FGcaz
Poopourri: https://amzn.to/42SHKiD
Passport wallet: https://amzn.to/3EjpK7U
Air tag: https://amzn.to/4cvYgru
Waterproof waist pouch: https://amzn.to/4iiYunH
CRUISE LUGGAGE TAGS:
Carnival, Princess, HAL, MSC: https://amzn.to/3Efz8JK
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity: https://amzn.to/4jjZ7yU
*LEVEL8 LUGGAGE (use discount code LIFEWELLCRUISED15 for 15% off):
https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-10072095…
*Nomad Lane carry-on bag (use discount code LIFE10 for 10% off): https://nomad-lane.myshopify.com/disc…
ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER: https://lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-…
More we LOVE @ Life Well Cruised Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3QaoV29
_______
FTC LEGAL DISCLOSURE – Some links found in the description box of my videos are affiliate links, meaning that I will make a commission on purchases you make through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I personally like and trust.
_______
*Business inquiries & media: please contact Ilana at lifewellcruised@gmail.com
Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.
ABOUT ME
Hi! I’m Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!
Please note I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travelers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
____________
Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusicMusic
Additional B-Roll courtesy of Princess Cruises
21 Comments
This Ship Class is the worst in the Princess Fleet. Lack of Space and terrible Service. Never again.
I was on this cruise and spotted you! I am no expert, this was my second Princess cruise. Last year I did Alaska on the Discovery Princess in a mini suite. The mini suite with cabana on this ship felt much smaller. Loved the closet area on the Discovery. Princess live seems smaller, but we enjoyed everything we participated in. I also felt the ship was understaffed. Our group often had to go to the bar and get our own drinks for lack of staff. Tables in piazza often had dirty glasses & plates etc. On the positive side, ship is beautiful, the elevators work amazingly well (after the initial onboarding rush) and food was good at all the venues we tried. We loved the charcuterie from international cafe. Piazza is spectacular with three levels of seating. Decor is soothing and well done. Spellbound was amazing and well worth the $45. We spent time at the pool area in the back and really enjoyed the peace and quiet of the area. Beautiful views. Thank you for sharing your experience!
What is the best time of the year for an Alaska cruise?
We went on there too. We saw you as well as many other cruise content creators. I wanted to add some little tidbits. I have a cruise booked next year on the Sun.
The Americana diner was absolutely delicious, and the maître d’ and wait staff were comparable to the specialty restaurants. Grace was amazing explaining the Americana diner concept and very welcoming and friendly. Now, being from New Orleans, they have some called Cajun corn on the cob. It wasn’t Cajun, but it was very good. The shrimp and grits was good as well. This was definitely a hidden gem on this ship. I am a smoker and have been on other Princess ships. The smoking area had these big, beautiful chairs, while comfortable, did not offer enough seating like other Princess ships. The design of the ship is stunning and offers great views almost everywhere. Our Crown Grill experience was definitely a miss, which is sad because it is my favorite specialty dining experience. The room was also very nice. Not sure if I like the buffet on deck 8, but I think it discourages people coming in straight from the pool, creating awkward situations. I like the smart elevators, even though half of the time I forgot what elevator to get on. I also like the fact that if I wanted a soda, I didn’t have to wait on a server to get it.
I love this video! We were supposed to be on this exact cruise with you, but my husband was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia back in September so we had to cancel and he’s been in treatment ever since. Thankfully, we traveled on Sun Princess back in August before he got sick and this video brings back Lots of sweet memories for me. Thank you for comparing sun and star. Hopefully next year we will be celebrating his healing on the Star Princess.
Hi Ilana,
I always write a short thank you note for Cabin Steward, Waiter and Asst. Waiter as we preferred fixed dining. A physical TY note can also be shown to their supervisor. Always keep notes in my phone of all staff we interact with and try to mention as many as possible in survey. I make specific comments about the Steward and Wait staff performance to help them get days off, or raises and promotions.
Okay, you've convinced me… We just booked a Caribbean cruise on this ship for February! Added bonus: we had an offer for a free Princess Caribbean cruise for the Spring of 2026, so I simply upgraded to a deluxe balcony. Thanks for such a great review! ❤❤
It was great meeting you and Frank on the cruise!. We loved Star Princess, and we are getting ready to sail on her again next weekend. Virginia loved that you recognized her dress that she saw you wear in one of your other videos! We were in Oceanview for the inaugural cruise, but we have a Sanctuary Mini-Suite for the next one.
WOW i watched 3 min and that was enough. People want to see the ship NOT YOU in the video. I mean in 2 min you showed yourself walking thru the Piazza 3x same clip SMH
I also was on the Star Princess during this time for 3 days in a Santuary Mini Suite, and stayed on for the next one of 5 days in a Cabana Mini Suite. I preferred the Santuary Mini Suite much better. I had a chance to meet you and your husband…you were busy trying to get footage of how the elevators worked..anywhoo, thanks for taking a minute to take a pic with me and say hi. I was in a cabana mini suite, not my real choice for my mini-suite…I love being closer to the ocean sounds, so if I sail again to Alaska, I would prefer to just have a mini suite wih balcony. I love my cruises, and love to hear the ocean….I've had the opportunity to be on both The Sun and Star, and they are big beautiful ships, but I love the smaller ships best for me. Embarkation and disembarkation was great. It has a lot to offer, it's a really awesome "party" ship, it seemed like there was a lot going on. Anyway, nice meeting you, and thanks for your videos, they are great….
Did you notice any second-hand smoke issues with the Star Princess? I saw negative comments on the new Sun Princess that the casino was open to the atrium and second-hand smoke was drifting into and up the large atrium. Has this problem been resolved on Star Princess?
It was lovely to meet you in person on this cruise! One question I regret not asking you is of all the cruise lines you have experienced, which is the best in your opinion? This was only my second cruise ever and the first was on Sun Princess so I don’t have anything to compare.
Love the dress at the beginning! Where can I find? The one that looks like stamps on it.
Fantastic Video! We're booked on the Sun Princess for a 21 Day Cruise-roundtrip Civitavecchia (Rome) in the Sanctuary Collection – Vista Suite. Would really love to see more information on the Sanctuary Collection amenities. Thank you in advance!
I think this new ship has a little more to offer because you look amazing.😊 Another great video. I'm going to safe this video because there is a lot of good information. Thanks
i can’t pull the trigger on a cruise because i’m not done exploring the united states yet. put my hard earned money right back into the pockets of mom and pop shops up and down the east coast.
Aloha Ilana, I think I’d love to cruise this ship. It’s so beautiful. ❤
Love your video ,blessend ❤👍👍👍🙏
Is sanctuary kind of like Aurea or Yacht club on MSC?
I was just on the Star at the start of November. I was in an inside cabin, 9206, and could hear/feel every show in the Princess Arena two decks down. I think this was tough for me because I had to adjust my schedule (night shift worker) so I took some naps throughout the day – or I tried to, anyway.
I loved everything I heard about the Star Princess until you mentioned the buffet was self serve. I loved the served buffet on Sun Princess. It was the nicest buffet on any cruise I had been on. Much cleaner and less food waste. That is disappointing to hear.