PRINCESS CRUISES · SPHERE CLASS
Star Princess feels like a contemporary premium resort sent to Alaska with excellent restaurants and a very large coat.
TRAVELER FIT
A full, destination-rich solo week without dedicated solo accommodations.
A strong multigenerational Alaska ship, especially for families that prioritize the destination.
An excellent modern Alaska and Caribbean couples ship with unusually deep dining.
ABOUT THE SHIP
Star Princess is the second Sphere-class ship and the version built after Princess had time to watch Sun Princess collide with actual passengers. It retains the glass Piazza, Princess Arena, Dome, three-level Horizons dining room, cabana cabins, Sanctuary Collection, 30 dining and bar venues, and massive resort footprint while refining programming and operational details. Star is not a fundamentally different design, so it improves the formula without erasing the controversial inward-facing circulation, lifeboat obstruction, and limited capacity of headline venues.
The ship's 2026 Seattle deployment is historically important for Princess because it places the brand's newest, largest hardware on a weekly Alaska route. The Dome provides a protected scenic and entertainment room, hot pot makes more sense in cold weather, and the ship offers far more dining variety than most traditional Alaska vessels. At the same time, Alaska exposes the design's weakest point: passengers looking for continuous outdoor promenade views or abundant indoor observation space may find that a surprising amount of this huge ship looks inward.
The vibe is modern-premium, lively but not rowdy, multigenerational, and more entertainment-driven than classic Princess. Alaska days add early excursions, glacier narration, wildlife watching, blankets, coffee, and a quieter evening rhythm, while warm-weather sailings bring fuller use of pools and outdoor bars. Current passengers praise the crew, newness, food range, cabins, Piazza, Spellbound, and scenic upper decks, but mixed reviews cite mediocre sightlines, confusing circulation, small or interior-facing fitness space, show capacity, and a sense that the ship is large without always feeling open.
Star's evolved Spellbound replaces Sun's Victorian story with a Great Cardini and vaudeville-inspired speakeasy, including close-up magic, music, secret details, and cocktails. Entertainment was designed more intentionally for the completed ship, with Arena productions and Dome performances available from the outset rather than arriving through Sun's troubled launch. That makes Star operationally easier to recommend, but reservations and capacity still decide whether a guest experiences the marquee features or merely reads about them in the app.
The best buyer wants Princess destination credibility, a very new ship, serious dining breadth, polished adult evenings, and enough family infrastructure for multiple generations without theme-park chaos. Sanctuary Collection is particularly compelling in Alaska because it adds controlled dining and indoor-outdoor premium space, though wind can reduce the private top deck. Travelers prioritizing uninterrupted glacier views should compare smaller Princess ships with promenade decks, while travelers prioritizing restaurants, cabins, and modern entertainment will usually prefer Star.
Best for: Alaska couples, multigenerational families, modern-ship travelers, food-focused cruisers, and Sanctuary Collection buyers.
Signature difference: Princess's newest ship bringing the complete Sphere-class dining and entertainment package to round-trip Seattle Alaska cruising.
Headline experiences: evolved Spellbound, The Dome, Princess Arena, Love by Britto, Makoto Ocean, Sanctuary Club, and the glass Piazza.
Primary tradeoff: exceptional new-ship variety comes with limited continuous ocean viewing, headline-venue capacity, complex accommodation benefits, and weather-sensitive outdoor decks.
Star Princess feels like a contemporary premium resort sent to Alaska with excellent restaurants and a very large coat. It is more energetic and younger than traditional Princess, but its best destination views often require actively seeking the right terrace rather than wandering a wraparound promenade.
Daytime: Alaska ports, glacier narration, upper-deck viewing, Dome pool time, coffee, spa, enrichment, clubs, sports when weather permits, and casual dining.
Evening: Arena productions, evolved Spellbound, Crooners, Dome shows, specialty dining, live music, casino play, and indoor movies or events.
Calmest options: Sanctuary Restaurant, Signature Lounge for suite guests, Sanctuary Club in workable weather, Wheelhouse off peak, and early Wake View Terrace visits.
Most common friction: limited promenade viewing, obstructive lifeboats, Dome conversions, show reservations, elevators, and deciding which premium fare layer actually includes what.
Star Princess sails weekly seven-night round trips from Seattle through the 2026 Alaska season, commonly visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway or Icy Strait Point, Victoria, and scenic glacier waters. Seasonal Caribbean, Panama Canal, Pacific Coast, and repositioning voyages use the ship outside Alaska. Route, glacier day, and port times must be checked by date because not every Inside Passage itinerary is interchangeable.
DINING
The dramatic three-level main dining room divides traditional fixed seating, reservable dining, and walk-in service across its decks under the current operating model. Menus rotate through Princess favorites, destination dishes, seafood, meat, pasta, vegetarian selections, and desserts. The room is architecturally impressive, but tables near service stations and peak walk-in periods can feel considerably less grand than the central views suggest.
Princess's redesigned buffet uses serving islands and staffed counters for breakfast, lunch, dinner, international dishes, carving, salads, desserts, and late snacks. The presentation feels more like a modern food hall than Horizon Court, but traffic patterns and limited peak seating remain divisive. Walk the entire room before committing to the first line, particularly on embarkation morning and Alaska sea days.
Open around the clock under the normal schedule, the café serves included pastries, breakfast sandwiches, salads, desserts, and light bites, with specialty coffee priced separately or covered by eligible packages. Its Piazza location makes it one of the ship's most useful venues. Seating belongs to the public space rather than the café, so major events can erase the quiet snack stop.
Pool-deck counters rotate burgers, hot dogs, pizza, tacos, salads, and grab-and-go items during posted hours. Venue branding and menus can change between Sun and Star and by season. These are useful included alternatives to the buffet, but bad weather and short hours reduce their practical capacity.
Reserved for Sanctuary Collection guests, the restaurant provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner without normal reservations, using dedicated staff, large windows, and a separate chef-driven menu. It is included only through the eligible accommodation package. The controlled room and service ratio are as important as any individual dish.
Eligible Reserve Collection mini-suite guests receive a dedicated dining room or section with no-reservation access, dedicated waitstaff, and additional menu choices. It is separate from Sanctuary Restaurant and does not grant Sanctuary Club access. Princess can change room assignments and benefits, so the booking confirmation controls.
Princess offers 24-hour room service and location-based OceanNow delivery through MedallionClass. Delivery charges are waived under eligible Plus or Premier packages and otherwise follow current pricing. Some food is included while premium dishes and beverages carry charges, so 'room service included' is not the same as every order being free.
A small immersive restaurant pairs Romero Britto's colorful art and a love-themed multicourse menu developed with Rudi Sodamin. The experience is theatrical, intimate, and priced well above ordinary specialty dining. Reservations are essential, dietary substitutions should be discussed early, and guests who dislike conceptual tasting menus may prefer a conventional restaurant.
Dario Cecchini's communal, meat-forward experience emphasizes shared antipasti, substantial cuts, sides, and a convivial Tuscan butcher-shop spirit. The fixed progression and communal format are the point, not a choose-your-own steakhouse menu. It is a poor fit for diners wanting quiet privacy or broad vegetarian choice and an excellent fit for social carnivores.
Princess's classic steakhouse serves premium beef, chops, seafood, starters, sides, desserts, and a strong wine list in a conventional special-occasion format. It is easier to understand than the Butcher's Block and better suited to guests who want individual ordering. Package inclusion, premium supplements, and service charges should be confirmed.
Rudi Sodamin's seafood restaurant layers whimsical plating and décor around fish, shellfish, chowders, pasta, and elaborate desserts. It is polished without being restrained. Guests with shellfish allergies should discuss cross-contact, and reservations matter because the venue is one of the ship's most broadly appealing specialty choices.
Princess's Italian restaurant serves handmade pasta, antipasti, seafood, meat, and traditional desserts at a slower multicourse pace. It works well for groups with mixed preferences and travelers who want an unhurried meal rather than dining theater. Menu format and package treatment can change.
Chef Makoto Okuwa's Edomae-influenced restaurant serves sushi, sashimi, hand rolls, composed plates, and Japanese flavors in a polished contemporary room. Quality and pacing depend on the chosen format and package rules. It provides a useful lighter counterpoint to the ship's steak and tasting-menu restaurants.
Chefs prepare fried rice, vegetables, seafood, chicken, and beef at shared grills with flames, jokes, and performance. Fixed seating and a small number of stations make advance reservations important. The experience is energetic and group-friendly rather than romantic.
Shared broths, sliced meats, seafood, vegetables, noodles, and sauces create an interactive meal at the same specialty complex. Guests control cooking time and flavor combinations. It is a good cold-weather choice on Star's Alaska season, but dining-package coverage and reservation format require confirmation.
Made-to-order Neapolitan-style pizzas, salads, and casual Italian dishes create a seated alternative to pool-deck slices. It may carry a casual-dining cover or be included through Plus or Premier. It is popular on sea days and more substantial than the word pizzeria suggests.
Pub food, beer, whiskey, cocktails, live music, and evening singalong energy make O'Malley's both a casual-dining venue and a social bar. Food can carry a cover or package entitlement while beverages follow drink-package rules. The room becomes loud by design once entertainment begins.
BARS
Princess's signature martini and piano bar serves classic cocktails, premium spirits, wine, and nightly live music in a grown-up social room. Seating fills early for popular performers. It is one of the clearest links between Sphere class and traditional Princess.
Cocktails built around regional ingredients and storytelling are mixed in a compact bar near major foot traffic. Demonstrations and featured recipes add theater without requiring a full immersive reservation. Service slows when one bartender is simultaneously performing and producing a queue.
Prosecco, Bellinis, spritzes, Italian cocktails, and wine make this a polished pre-dinner stop. Its open location favors people-watching over privacy. Package ceilings still apply to premium pours.
A classic maritime lounge serves whiskey, cocktails, beer, wine, and live music in a more traditional Princess atmosphere. Star and Sun programming can use the room differently. It is a reliable adult refuge from family pool activity until a popular set fills it.
Lavazza espresso drinks, tea, pastries, and grab-and-go items support morning traffic and work as a secondary café away from International Café. Specialty drinks require payment or an eligible package. Lines follow the daily shore-excursion rhythm.
Positioned by The Dome, Cascade serves cocktails, wine, beer, and nonalcoholic drinks for pool and entertainment traffic. The glass setting is spectacular in good light. Dome closures, rehearsals, and show conversion can change access or atmosphere.
Outdoor bars distribute frozen drinks, beer, cocktails, and soft drinks around the main pool, forward views, aft infinity pool, and sun decks. Weather decides which outlets feel useful. Star's Alaska season pushes more demand indoors and makes sheltered service more valuable.
The reservation-only Magic Castle experience includes a hidden speakeasy bar, close-up magic, theatrical rooms, and specialty cocktails. Sun uses a Victorian-inspired narrative while Star centers the Great Cardini and vaudeville. Admission, included drinks, age rules, and reservations follow the current experience package rather than normal bar access.
Cocktails, beer, wine, and spirits serve casino players and nearby evening traffic. Casino smoking rules and ventilation vary by sailing and market. Rated play belongs to Princess Players Club and should be distinguished from Captain's Circle loyalty.
STATEROOMS & SUITES
Sphere class has more overlapping room-and-benefit combinations than the category list initially reveals. First choose the physical layout—interior, view, balcony, cabana, mini-suite, or true suite—then separately decide whether Cabana Deck access, Reserve dining, Sanctuary Collection, or full Signature Suite Lounge privileges are worth paying for. A Sanctuary Balcony can deliver more included benefits than a larger standard mini-suite, while a full suite adds private indoor lounge access the Sanctuary mini-suite does not receive.
Windowless rooms that emphasize value and location.
The windowless entry category provides Princess Luxury Beds that convert between queen and twins, a shower bathroom, desk, television, open or enclosed wardrobe storage depending on layout, refrigerator, safe, and Medallion-controlled access. Selected rooms sleep three or four with upper or sofa berths. The practical advantages are price, darkness, and white noise; the tradeoffs are compact floor area and no visual connection to the destination.
Fixed-window rooms, including view-specific and premium layouts, without private outdoor space.
A fixed window adds daylight and sea or port views without the cost of outdoor space. Sphere-class oceanviews are limited compared with balconies and can use unusual forward or hull positions, so window angle, obstruction, bed direction, and motion deserve an exact cabin check. The window does not open, and a discounted cove balcony can sometimes cost surprisingly little more.
Standard, deluxe, cove, and Sanctuary balconies with different interior space and fare benefits.
Set low on Deck 6 behind openings in the ship's hull, these rooms provide a private balcony close to the water with more enclosure, shade, and wind protection than high balconies. Lifeboats and ship structure can affect sightlines, and the balcony may feel darker or wetter in rough weather. For Alaska or windy crossings, the shelter can be a feature rather than a defect.
The core balcony room adds a sofa or sitting area and private veranda to the standard bedroom. Obstructed categories look across lifeboats, davits, or ship structure, and some clear-view rooms still sit above public spaces or promenade traffic. Check balcony depth, rail, connecting door, sofa-bed hardware, and the exact obstruction instead of relying on the category photograph.
A larger balcony-room configuration with additional living space or a more desirable veranda and location than the standard Deluxe Balcony. Selected cabins accommodate three or four guests. The word premium can describe location as much as usable space, so compare the individual floor plan and total fare with a basic mini-suite.
The physical room resembles an upper-category balcony, but the booking enters Princess's Sanctuary Collection. That currently includes Princess Premier, access to the adults-only Sanctuary Club and Sanctuary Restaurant, premium beverages within package limits, specialty and casual dining, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, and reserved theater seating. This is a fare-and-access product, not merely a better balcony, and the included benefits should be repriced whenever Princess changes Premier.
Larger rooms with a sitting area and category-specific benefits, but not always the privileges of a full suite.
A larger open-plan room separates the sleeping and sitting zones more clearly, with a sofa, additional storage, upgraded bathroom arrangement, and private balcony. Most do not have a closing bedroom door, so the label should not be confused with a true multi-room suite. Compare noise, balcony depth, and the price gap to Sanctuary or Reserve categories before upgrading.
The signature Sphere-class room inserts a furnished, sheltered cabana between the interior sitting area and the outer balcony. It creates a flexible indoor-outdoor living zone with shade and weather protection, but privacy and view depend on deck and neighboring public circulation. The cabana is not automatically a Sanctuary room and does not by itself grant private-deck or restaurant access.
Deck 9 versions combine the private cabana and balcony with access to the shared Cabana Deck, a controlled outdoor area reserved for eligible rooms. That creates far more usable open-air space than the cabin footprint suggests. The tradeoff is reduced seclusion because neighbors share the deck beyond the private portion and can be visible from the room.
A mini-suite bundled into Sanctuary Collection, adding the adults-only Sanctuary Club, Sanctuary Restaurant, Princess Premier, dining, drinks, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, and reserved theater seating under current rules. It does not receive every full-suite privilege, including the complete Signature Suite Lounge package. The value depends on whether both guests would have purchased Premier and used the exclusive spaces.
The largest accommodations, with layouts and suite benefits that vary by ship, fare, and category.
The entry full-suite family adds a more residential living area, larger bathroom, balcony, suite amenities, Sanctuary Collection, and access to the two-story Signature Suite Lounge. A suite experience manager, priority services, minibar setup, and current Premier inclusions strengthen the package. Layout and separation vary, so verify whether the chosen room provides the privacy a third or fourth guest needs.
A larger full suite with a distinct sitting area, generous balcony, upgraded bathroom, substantial storage, and the complete Sanctuary and Signature Lounge benefits. Wake, side, and forward positions create different motion, sun, wind, and walking-distance tradeoffs. Select the exact location rather than treating every Vista as the same room.
One of the ship's largest one-bedroom accommodations, with separated living and dining space, expansive balcony, premium bathroom, abundant storage, and the complete suite service package. The room works for entertaining and long voyages more convincingly than an open-plan mini-suite. Structural shape and balcony exposure still vary by cabin.
The flagship two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence approaches 1,200 square feet including its enormous wraparound balcony, with indoor dining, broad living space, exceptional entertainment views, and a shoreside concierge before embarkation. Full Sanctuary Collection and Signature Suite Lounge privileges apply. The premium buys space and hosting capability as much as service, and exposed upper-deck location can mean wind and public-area activity nearby.
SPECIAL SPACES
A three-level glass sphere forms the ship's visual center, combining ocean views, International Café, bars, dining, shops, music, demonstrations, and aerial or production activity. It is dramatically brighter than a conventional atrium. The open plan also sends sound across decks and allows programmed events to consume casual seating.
The flexible main theater changes seating and stage geometry for production shows, concerts, visual performances, and in-the-round staging. Sightlines vary with each configuration, and capacity is not enormous for a 4,300-guest ship. Reserved Premier seating and early arrival matter for headline shows.
The glass-enclosed forward venue shifts between climate-controlled pool and relaxation space by day and acrobatic, musical, or immersive entertainment at night. Converting the room can close the pool or restrict access. It is visually distinctive but smaller than marketing angles suggest, and show sightlines vary around structural supports.
The adults-only private top-deck retreat is reserved for Sanctuary Collection guests and includes a pool, loungers, service, drinks and bites under package rules, exclusive entertainment, and optional paid cabanas. It is not the same as the pay-by-the-day Sanctuary on older Princess ships. Wind, sun, and itinerary still affect the outdoor experience.
Full-suite guests receive a two-story indoor lounge with wake views, concierge-style service, refreshments, and quiet seating. Sanctuary Balcony and Sanctuary Mini-Suite guests do not automatically receive this suite-only room. The distinction is important when comparing accommodation prices.
Forward and aft outdoor terraces create open-ocean sightlines, with the stern adding an infinity-style pool and tiered seating. They are excellent at sail-away and particularly valuable because much of the ship's interior circulation faces inward. Wind, soot, weather, and chair competition vary by route.
A two-story spa provides thermal experiences, treatment rooms, salon services, and relaxation areas, while the gym offers cardio, weights, classes, and views toward an interior pool area rather than uninterrupted ocean on portions of the layout. Passes, classes, and treatments cost extra unless bundled. Passenger criticism frequently focuses on the gym feeling small for the ship's capacity.
Age-based clubs serve children ages three to seven, tweens eight to twelve, and teens thirteen to seventeen, with supervised activities, games, creative programming, and social rooms. Dedicated family play times accommodate younger children with a guardian. Capacity, registration, and late-care rules vary.
Pickleball, basketball, jogging, a splash pad, and shaded seating replace the initially advertised Park19 ropes-and-climbing concept. The final product is useful but far less attraction-heavy than Royal Caribbean or Carnival. Weather limits much of it on Alaska and transatlantic days.
A large casino offers slots, table games, electronic play, tournaments, and rated play through Princess Players Club. Smoking policy depends on sailing and designated areas. Players should verify point earning and offers onboard rather than assuming Captain's Circle status changes casino treatment.
Trivia, game shows, lectures, demonstrations, destination programming, and audience participation occupy Princess Live!, while the outdoor screen handles films and events with blankets and snacks when weather allows. The combination preserves Princess's familiar daily rhythm inside a much newer ship design.
Star's evolved experience pays tribute to vaudeville magician Cardini through a hidden speakeasy, Ticket Booth entry, Inner Circle close-up magic, theatrical props, live performers, and specialty cocktails. It remains reservation-only with a separate cover and age rules. The tighter bar-focused narrative distinguishes it from Sun's Victorian fantasy without changing the limited capacity.
Princess combines destination narration, glacier viewing, enrichment, warm drinks, blankets, and shore programming with Star's modern public spaces. The Dome and upper terraces are valuable in variable weather, but the absence of a continuous promenade and extensive lifeboat obstruction mean guests should identify viewing locations before glacier day rather than improvising after the announcement.