Star Princess is the second Sphere-class ship in the Princess fleet, sister to Sun Princess. At 175,500 gross tons with room for 4,300 guests at double occupancy, it is the biggest ship the line has built. It's worth booking if you want the Princess style on its newest hardware. If you want the older, mid-size Princess feel, a ship from an earlier class will match that better.
What the ship is known for
Star Princess carries forward the Sphere-class design introduced by Sun Princess. The standout is The Dome, a multilevel glass-enclosed deck inspired by the tiered cliffsides of Santorini, with an indoor/outdoor pool by day and entertainment at night. The ship is a deliberate scale-up for a line long known for mid-size, traditional vessels, while keeping the core Princess programming.
Ships and itineraries
Star Princess is built on a larger template than the line's Royal-class and Grand-class ships, with venues and public spaces earlier Princess ships don't have. After its October 2025 debut it sailed the Caribbean from Port Everglades, with Alaska sailings from Seattle in summer and a West Coast season in 2026-27. Check the current schedule, since deployments change.
Alaska sailings on Princess ships
Princess has long been tied to Alaska more than most mainstream lines. Star Princess's larger scale and newer venues bring more onboard variety to those routes than the line's older, smaller ships offered. Alaska sailings typically run May through September, and cabins with a private balcony are worth the extra cost for glacier viewing and scenic cruising days. Booking an Alaska sailing early is worth doing given the short season's limited departures.
Dining
Guests can order food and drinks from anywhere onboard through the Medallion system, which is now standard across the Princess fleet. Star Princess has more than 29 restaurants, cafes and bars, including Sabatini's, Crown Grill and the Umai sushi bar, a longer list than older Princess ships carry.
Dining venues worth booking
Several venues on the Sphere-class ships are newer than anything on the line's traditional ships, and the specialty restaurants fill up on popular nights, so book through the app before sailing or soon after boarding. The main dining room and buffet are included in the fare and cover most everyday meals. A specialty dining package bought before the cruise is usually cheaper than paying for each restaurant onboard.
Cabins
Star Princess has the Sanctuary Collection, a ship-within-a-ship suite area with its own pool and sundeck, a dedicated restaurant and concierge service. The standard interior, oceanview and balcony tiers follow the broader Princess structure, applied to a larger hull.
Choosing a cabin category
Interior cabins offer the lowest fare but no window, a fair trade if you spend most of the day in public spaces. Balconies add a meaningful amount to the fare but earn it on scenic routes like Alaska, where private outdoor space for glacier viewing has real value. Suites on the Sphere-class ships come with priority boarding and concierge service. The choice comes down to how much time you will spend in the cabin.
Booking timing and pricing
As a new ship, Star Princess fares tend to run higher than Princess's older ships on comparable itineraries. Wave season, January through March, often brings the year's best promotions and onboard credit offers. Balcony and suite categories on a new ship tend to sell out faster, since demand to try the newest fleet member runs high. Interior cabins are usually the easiest to find at the last minute.
The Medallion app in practice
The Medallion system on Star Princess lets guests order food and drinks from anywhere onboard without flagging down a server. The same technology also unlocks the stateroom door automatically as guests approach, a small convenience that adds up over a week-long sailing. First-time Princess cruisers should download the app and set up their Medallion profile well before boarding day, since doing it at the pier tends to slow down the embarkation process. The app also handles dining reservations and daily schedules, making it the main planning tool onboard.
Packing tips for a Sphere-class sailing
A light jacket is worth packing for air conditioning and for breezy open decks. Comfortable walking shoes matter more than usual given the ship's larger footprint and the added distance between venues. For Alaska sailings, layered clothing is essential, since temperatures can swing from cool mornings to mild afternoons over the course of a single scenic-cruising day. A portable charger is useful given how much of the onboard experience runs through the Medallion app.
First-timer mistakes
A common first-timer mistake on Star Princess is skipping the Medallion app setup before boarding, which slows down embarkation. Assuming the ship feels like Princess's older, smaller vessels is another error, since the Sphere-class scale changes the pace and crowd flow. Booking specialty dining after boarding often means missing the popular time slots. And underestimating the ship's size adds walking time between venues.
Who it suits
Star Princess suits Princess loyalists who want the newest ship in the fleet, and travelers who want Princess's style with more scale and venue variety than older ships offer. It's also a solid option for anyone curious about the Sphere-class concept who hasn't sailed Sun Princess.
Star Princess versus Sun Princess: does it matter which one you book
Star Princess and Sun Princess share the same Sphere-class design, so the practical differences come down to itinerary and departure date. Star Princess has some refinements, including expanded Love by Britto and O'Malley's Irish Pub venues, a larger non-smoking casino area and a new SkyDeck sports deck with pickleball and basketball courts. For most travelers, the deciding factor should be which ship's itinerary and dates fit their plans, not a marginal feature difference.
Who should skip it
Skip Star Princess if you prefer Princess's smaller, more traditional mid-size ships and want that intimate scale. The Sphere class is bigger and denser by design. Travelers who found earlier Princess ships too large should look at older, smaller classes.
Common questions
Is Star Princess the same as Sun Princess?
They're sister ships in the same Sphere-class, sharing the core design template including The Dome, but they are separate vessels with their own itineraries.
Does Star Princess still have the Medallion system?
Yes, the Medallion wearable ordering and access system is standard across the Princess fleet, including Star Princess.
Is Star Princess good for a first Princess cruise?
Yes, it showcases the line's newest features, though travelers wanting the classic, smaller Princess ship feel may prefer starting with an older vessel instead.
Star Princess is a strong pick if you want the Princess experience on its newest, biggest ship. Compare current sailings on current cruise deals, and use compare sailings and prices to see where Star Princess is deployed this season. Once booked, track any cruise ship live to follow its position at sea. For the sister ship, see our Sun Princess review, or read our full Princess Cruises review.
