21 Nights The Best of the Mediterranean Cruise

Excellent Ship and Cruise with Small Exceptions

Our overall experience on the Sun Princess was positive and excellent. We're not sure why we read about so many negative reviews that had us worried about what we'd experience. That certainly didn't affect us. 1. Activities: Satisfactory. The Sun is primarily an adult cruise ship although there were a few families with kids. We had no misconceptions about what we could expect do and experience such as Deal or No Deal, Princess Live Trivia, Casino, Piazza. 2. Service: Excellent: Staff were friendly and cheerful. Our Purser worked endlessly to cater to our needs and kept our room spotless. We wondered if he ever had time to relax and sleep. 3. Cabin: Deluxe Balcony Cabin was large enough with a decent size balcony that held a small table and two comfortable chairs. Our immediate impression was the newness and cleanliness of the entire cabin and balcony. Clean, clean and clean. New ships are wonderful. That said, we've cruised on other Princess ships that were, let me say, needed a lot of TLC. The Sun was spotless. Finally, the bathroom and shower size was satisfactory. We like the shower glass enclosure as well. 4. Dining: We did not reserve any Special Dining options. No need. We found that food in our selected restaurant, the Eclipse Dining Room, to be excellent. Our reservations made well before the cruise was critical. Food quality was very good. A different menu appeared in the Medallion app each day. The staff were pleasant and efficient. International Coffee Bar: Princess leadership made the right decision to expand this area. It is three times the size than in other Princess ships. Bravo. It was great place to grab a snack and beverage 24 hours a day. 5. Children's Clubs: NA. 6. Entertainment: Acceptable. A 3 out of 5. We found the quality of the entertainment acceptable based on performer's on this cruise. The venues like the Princess Arena were small considering the number of passengers onboard. Performances in the Piazza were good although the seats and benches around this area were quickly filled to watch each performance. 7. Embarkation: Our only issue was with the Porters/Staff handling the luggage. One custodian whose task was only lift our two suitcases onto a luggage trolley had his hand out for a tip. He made it perfectly clear verbally that he expected a tip. 8. Disembarkation: It was handled very well. No complaints at all. Well done. 9. General: a. The Dome. Located at the very front of the ship. Beautiful views. We loved this area. Made available for passengers that were 18+. No kids allowed. A central bar with a small pool to refresh yourself. Plenty of comfortable loungers but get there early. They did fill up fast. b. The Wake Infinity Pool. Locate at the very back of the ship. Nice area but small and fills up quickly. Bar on site. c. Casino: Busy place. A wide variety of slot machines and tables. Negative: SMOKING SHOULD BE FORBIDDEN in the Casino. Machines are tight, tight and tight. Did I say tight? d. Main Pool Area: Busy. That said, we were impressed with the number of new loungers available on Decks 1 and 18 and throughout the ship. e. Elevators: The new elevators were impressive and worked extremely well. Efficient and effective. f. The Shops of Princess: Clean, bright and expensive. Made for those who have endless amount of money and don't care about price. Staff were friendly to the point of charming and attentive. g. Princess Live: Great place to sit and play trivia games, bingo and listen to live merchandise lectures. h. Other Bars: We didn't have sufficient time to go to many bars. That said, they were always full and cruisers were having a great time. Lineups for beverages were sometimes a little long but not enough to complain about.

All we hoped for!!!

Overall, this was a great experience. We went in not being sure what to expect because of the reviews and videos that have been posted. OK, the ship is different from other Princess ships, but that's progress. The ship is fantastic, the design of the piazza and the way it is used is amazing. the crew was as good or better than any ship we've sailed across all cruise lines. The Dome is a great venue with amazing shows, but doesn't hold enough people. All of the entertainment was great, from game shows to live music and trivia. We were so happy with the ship and crew, that we cancelled a cruise on a different line and booked another cruise on the Sun! The only issue we found was the size of certain venues and times that some of dining facilities are open. O'malley's is tiny and only open a few hours a day for food service.

Sun Princess is a winner

We stayed in a Sanctuary mini-suite. We absolutely loved our room, especially the large glassed-in shower. The Sanctuary pool and sun deck is a game-changer. It has a spacious, deep pool, two hot tubs, excellent bar, tons of loungers, and food served through the day. I thought it was way better than NCL's Haven or Vibe. Food on the ship is plentiful. The Lido deck options (pizza, burgers, tacos, salads, ice cream), along with the International Cafe, Eatery (buffet), and main dining rooms are all quality locations that are free and excellent. The cruise director (Cole) and his staff are outstanding. They provided exceptional, creative and fun events in the Piazza. We had a great time. Yes, it does get crowded in the Piazza, but the upper levels have seating; and you can find spaces if you get there early. Service -- without fail -- was attentive and professional. The ship is immaculate and kept shining.