Among all cruise brands, Princess has the most polarized opinions. As a travel advisor and content creator, I’ve talked with fans and detractors. But I am confident what either would think about Sun Princess, the company’s newest ship and their first venture into the mega-ship category, or one that carries more than 4,000 passengers. With its debut here after sailing in Europe, I find most of it impressive.

This short three-day cruise, the inaugural North American sailing of Sun Princess, was the concluding part of our annual Cruise Planners convention in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Now that I’ve gone on nearly every major cruise line, I have favorites. Princess might fit into this category if I had gotten to try the highly touted specialty cuisine (more about that later).

Last year, I sailed on Discovery Princess for the International Food and Wine Travel Writers Association’s conference. That cruise focused on culinary topics and activities for writers, so we had the opportunity to sample all the complimentary and specialty dining venues onboard. With Sun Princess, I couldn’t go to most of the specialties, including ones exclusive to the new ship. Princess invited travel executives, top sellers, media and influencers to dine there, leaving the rest of us to the regular places. So, I couldn’t write about the places I would care most and ended up in venues I’d already been to.

My stateroom

Like my balcony rooms on Sky Princess and Discovery Princess, the room on Sun was comfortable and clean. However, the floorplan was more elongated, with a large closet and storage area in the front, a full-size couch across from a desk, and a queen-size bed that seemed jammed at the balcony door. The bathroom was moderately sized, with a nice shower with good water flow. A great bonus was the high-end Beekman 1802 bath products.

The room had one positive and one negative aspect. The good thing was that I didn’t lack outlets. USB and USB-C ports and the standard 110- and 220-volt outlets were plentiful. The bad was the bed—it was much too hard for my comfort, and I was tempted to sleep on the couch instead.

The Sanctuary Collection

Following the current trend with other mass market and premium cruise lines, Princess has developed the “ship within a ship” concept, where luxury travelers can pay for an elevated experience.  The Sanctuary offers a selection of larger suites and balcony staterooms with access to an exclusive restaurant, lounge and pool deck. The accommodations also include the Princess Premier amenity package and dedicated services.

The rooms that other advisors and I viewed were spacious and impressive in design, but I must admit that the Retreat on Celebrity Cruises had even larger and more dazzling suites. Princess's first attempt to enter this category was solid, but there’s room for improvement. I also often feel elitist when these cruise lines prioritize certain guests over most.

The dining

As stated, I couldn’t dine at specialty restaurants since they were booked for all three nights. My friends and I went to the Eclipse main dining room, where the walkup option for the two was available on the ship. We also ate at Alfredo’s Pizzeria, O’Malley’s Irish Pub, the Americana Diner, and The Eatery Buffet.

Despite my focus on culinary travel, I won’t write much about these meals here because the food was adequate, neither good nor bad. Perhaps the best meal we enjoyed was at Alfredo’s, where I chose a prosciutto, fig, arugula and balsamic glaze pizza. The Irish French onion soup at O’Malley’s was also hearty, with its unexpected addition of Guinness stout. But I believe most of my food onboard could have been better.

Entertainment and activities 

Like the specialty restaurants we couldn’t dine at, we also had difficulty going to some entertainment productions. The ship’s showcase venue, The Dome, was only open to executives and influencers, but we could see some of the programs in the Princess Arena.  One person I talked with said that the Motown production wasn’t terrible but probably could have been better with more performances. I am not much of a big show kind of person. I would instead go to a lounge and listen to music or participate in a trivia contest, which my friends and I did twice.

Princess keeps guests busy with activities, even during our one sea day. I would have loved to have taken one of their fitness classes or a cocktail tasting, but I was busy with work. Maybe I’ll try to do that if I ever go on a more extended cruise on Sun Princess.

The technology

One thing that makes Princess Cruises unique is the Medallion, a metal disc that makes your whole cruising experience easier. It unlocks your door, keeps tabs on your drinks and allows the crew to identify you from meals to onboard purchases. You can even order drinks or food from your app, which will be brought to you. Some might call this a little Big Brother-ish, but I like the convenience.

Another cool feature is the smart elevators. Here, you press the panel for the floor you want, and it directs you to the elevator to take you to that floor. I suppose this is to prevent excessive waiting. I think that more cruise lines should incorporate this.