The Truth about the Sun Princess - Honest Review

[@joannadaniel7233]

We just got off Sun Princess on 11-23-2024 and you nailed all the things I thought were not up to par on this beautiful ship!!😢

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks for that. We had a fun time on a beautiful ship but we also feel it is important to be honest about where there is room for improvement.🛳

[@jackredmond6023]

We were booked on Sun Princess for early 2026, and cancelled it to try a smaller ship experience. We are Elite status with Princess and have sailed on 13 previous Princess cruises. We’ve sailed on all of the Royal class ships other than Majestic Princess; and we have an upcoming cruise on Majestic Princess in just a couple short months in February to the Caribbean. It seems that the Sun Princess is just a tad busy and crowded for our liking. Thank you for the review.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We agree that the ship seems a bit busy. We felt that the ship was very well staffed to handle the crowds but it is a different experience than when you are on a smaller ship.

[@joanfreestone1707]

Thanks for your thoughts on the ship. I don't like big ships, crowds or noise so it wouldn't be for me. We'll be on the Queen Elizabeth out of Sydney next week. That ship suits up perfectly. We're in our 70s and like the quiet elegance. I'll be looking out for your daily vlogs on Sun Princess.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Enjoy your cruise on the Queen Elizabeth! We are realizing that we are similar to you in what we want a cruise to offer. Love you description of “quite elegance”, may have to borrow that description.🛳

[@DouglasCyr]

Great review of the Sun Princess - best Sun Princess review I've seen so far! Appreciate your candid, factual, and unbiased review. While we enjoy cruising with Princess and appreciate their desire to refresh their onboard experience, the changes incorporated on the Sun is a move away from experience/environment we personally had come to enjoy on their other ships.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We agree, we are not sure if we would be rushing back to the Sun any time soon either!

[@loissartori8701]

I so agree!

[@wastenotwantnot6754]

Within 1 year we sailed the Koningsdam, then the Sun Princess in the Mediterranean in May, then Majestic Princess on a 5 day to Cabo San Lucas with an overnight stay, and most recently, we sailed Niew Statendam from Greece to Rome, 14 day Adriatic. We can say with great confidence that we much prefer Holland America Line over Princess.

[@CruisingCanucks]

It sounds like you have been on some great cruises! I can see why you prefer the style of one line over another.🛳

[@lynnleipold2617]

Thanks!

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thank you for your continuous support.❤️

[@gerard227]

Agree with Mr. Canuck, All the venues were too small and felt crowded. Without having the Premier package ,which is a significant expense, I think your experience would have been a lot different .

[@CruisingCanucks]

Totally agree. We felt that it was a very different experience than how we normally cruise.🚢

[@anne-marievr5710]

Your idea of hiding block letters in your daily videos is unique and very creative. That is fun. I will look for them on your next series.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks, we thought it would be a fun way to have viewers participate in our day!

[@juliechaston6227]

I was on a 16 day cruise on the Sun Princess with my husband. I agree with a lot of what you pointed out. we didn't like the new layout of the interior cabin. The closet size was excellent, but we didn't like having it in the hallway leading into the main part of the cabin. The location gets in the way of the entry door and the bathroom door. They added more recepticles to the room, good for those with a cpap machine. We missed not having a pianist in Crooners bar, and the wheelhouse bar was so tiny, not even a wall, to separate it from the hallway. We were able to go to some shows by getting to the venue at least 30 minutes before the start. The dining rooms were beautiful, loved the Japanese specialty restaurant, it was so much fun. We didn't discover a section of the eatery at the back of the ship until almost the end of our cruise. The buffet there doesn't have as much as the other buffets, but there was still plenty for breakfast and much quieter. We are glad that we got to experience the Sun Princess but will be booking future cruises on their smaller ships.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks for sharing your experience. We were disappointed with some of the venues too.

[@elviciosodelavida]

Just did a 7 day western Caribbean cruise on the Sky Princess a week ago and loved it so much we booked a Sun Princess cruise for January 2026!! Loved the Princess service but want to try a newer ship!!

[@CruisingCanucks]

We love the Sky Princess and others in that class of ships. Princess staff are amazing.❤️

[@ritzytravelguide]

This is a great video! Really appreciated your straight talking, honest insights, and observations. Thanks

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks 😊 Honestly is always our intention.

[@longevity1757]

Great review thank you For your Insight we cruise at the end of January on this beauty and I'm super excited I have only done one other cruise and it was the disney wish this will be my first cruise with just me and my honey and his very first cruise celebrating his 50th 🎉

[@CruisingCanucks]

Enjoy your first cruise together! Sure you will have a fantastic time.

[@carolnewman4973]

Leaving 12/7/24 on the Sun Princess. Thanks for your insight. Many good things to know and think about. Thanks

[@CruisingCanucks]

How exciting! It is almost cruise day. Have a wonderful cruise.🛳

[@peggy2429]

Shower curtain was my nemesis on Princess cruises. Glad to hear they made that change. I prefer smaller, quieter ships so probably won’t be going on this ship. I do like the upgrade that they did to the good spirits bar. I love watching and participating in mixology classes, I find them highly entertaining. Thank you for your opinions 😊

[@CruisingCanucks]

The glass shower is a wonderful upgrade. We loved the Good Spirits Bar. It works well being its own venue and away from the Piazza.

[@kategibb5245]

Great video.thoroughly enjoyed

[@CruisingCanucks]

Awesome, thank you!

[@ercsey-ravaszferenc6747]

Well, the fact that they moved the buffet is actually great news for me. On my first ever cruise I always had to find a spot in the corner of the buffet which was farthest away from the pool area because two thirds of the buffet was full with a pungent smell of chlorine coming from the pools, one of the smells that I don't tolerate at all.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Good to here that it works well for your need then.

[@CaptainPhoton64]

I spent 14 days on the Sun Princess and I agree with everything both of you said....I would sail on her again but not for a while...booked the discovery Princess for my next cruise

[@CruisingCanucks]

Glad we are on the same page! 🛳

[@GarySchnid]

The reason they may not deliver food and drinks to the dome area may be too keep the glass from being around the pool. 2:22

[@CruisingCanucks]

Very good point!

[@wm.brianharleton5438]

We will be getting on board the Sun on the 7th and regardless of all the pros and cons that we will experience, I’m just so thankful to be in a position to be on a cruise and have the experience’s. I guess it’s natural for all the people on Princess websites to compare the Sun to all the other Princess ships, I’m sure I will do the same. Thank you both for your insight, I always enjoy them and appreciate your opinions. We can’t wait to get on board and see it all for ourselves! ❤

[@CruisingCanucks]

We have the same mindset for sure. We are very aware what a wonderful life we have that allows us to travel and enjoy such a wonderful world. The Sun Princess may have a few issues to work out but we had a fantastic time while on board. We are sure that you will a great time. Enjoy! 🛳

[@georgehny]

Just off the Enchanted Princess and your comments about Piazza and noise, right on target for Enchanted as well. Also impossible to find a quiet spot to just sit and read. I took to the one of the closed bar areas on higher decks around Piazza but constant activities on main Piazza deck made for never quiet areas that should have been. Main dining food was very good however meals took 2 hours plus do to system of providing food to servers.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Yes, the Piazza can be quite a noisy area. It's a shame, but it seems like they are trying to keep every loud activity in the Piazza that use to be out on a pool deck.

[@BCYvonneEd]

Thanks for the tips... we're booked on the Sun in the Med next October.

[@CruisingCanucks]

So excited for you! The Med is a great choice.

[@paulinefraser4097]

Hi Jill & Jerry looking forward to watching the upcoming series of the sun princess 👍 and sending cuddles to Bruno😁 🤗

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks! The Sun Princess is a pretty interesting ship to experience.

[@hochutiem2678]

@ 7:30 What if you are using a scooter or wheel chair how many times you have to press? Lots of people believe that you have to press each time for each passenger to use these type of destination elevator.

[@CruisingCanucks]

They should have a button for scooters that allocates properly.

[@hochutiem2678]

@@CruisingCanucks These type of elevator has load balancing/allocation feature. What I have seen on Icon OTS and Utopia OTS, these elevators have a limit of up to 5 stops in one direction during a busy time. It's a myth that you have to press the the button each time for each person.

[@CruisingCanucks]

The problem that occurred with us was that we pressed the button and a couple minutes later while we were waiting a lady came press it once but had a least a group of ten with her and then got upset hen everyone couldn’t fit in the elevator that stopped for us partly because there was already four people in it when the door opened.

[@redbeeteggs3542]

But Jerry, they had your chicken nuggets... :) your points are valid. We took the inaugural transatlantic and loved it. We are booked on the Star for the transatlantic as well.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We are excited for you! Sure you'll have a great time.🛳

[@islandgirlejfan]

The food was wonderful, we have a love/hate relationship with the piazza, we didn’t like the deck we stayed on other than the view (way noisy! Deck 16), we were happier with the MDR than most of the premium dining and we are better on smaller ships. I will say the staff was wonderful and the ship was very smooth, but probably won’t be in a big hurry to book it again. You both have great points and hubby and I would agree with them.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We have very similar opinions. We won’t be going out of our way to book again on the Sun but never say never.🛳

[@SilverDraco]

I like the Majestic very much and am not sure about the Sun. Thank you so much for your insights on the ship and I'm looking forward to seeing your upcoming vlogs.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks for watching.The Sun has a lot of new experiences to offer and we tried to check it all out in our seven day cruise.🛳

[@SilverDraco]

@@CruisingCanucks the dome really intrigues me and so do all the different dining options.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We loved the dome, especially in the daytime.🛳

[@frankmurphy7625]

Excellent video and a frank assessment of the pros and cons of a cruise on the sun princess but I wish I’d see it earlier. Just booked a ten day cruise in July 2025 for several of my family to celebrate a few milestone birthdays and it wasn’t cheap. All the things that annoyed Mr Canuck would annoy me too. The ship within a ship concept where there are two tiers of cruisers doesn’t work well for me. And the hustle bustle of trying to watch shows with too many people is not enjoyable. I guess we’ll have to make the best of our first princess cruise but I wish I’d picked an older ship.

[@CruisingCanucks]

The Sun Princess is definitely a lot different than other Princess ships. So of which works well and some is still in growing pains. If you like a quiet cruise then our advice is to check out the Dome in the day and the Good Spirits Bar at night. Hope you and your family have a wonderful time as you celebrate 🎉

[@RicardoIsaShelly]

@@frankmurphy7625 I wonder if we are going on the same cruise. I also booked one in 2025 in July for 10 days 😁. First princess cruise and I am worried. Great review of this ship. I must prepare myself and my family.

[@Scotts-CruiseTravel]

Great review Mat and I agree 100% with your assessment.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks! We tried to be as honest as possible. We had a wonderful time onboard however Princess has definitely changed things up and it is not the Princess Cruise Lines that we fell in love with years ago.

[@Scotts-CruiseTravel]

@@CruisingCanucks Time to try Coral Princess. Give me my old Princess.

[@heideleskun1163]

The "entertainment" is the biggest downside for us with mega ships. Too many people but not a great set up for crowds. We prefer nothing 5K+ We're pushing it for passengers at 4, it's doable so much better

[@CruisingCanucks]

We agree it is a challenge to get seats at venues on the larger ships.🛳

[@tkycrk5150]

I’ll stay with Holland America. No surprises, very clean and maintained ships. Between Zuiderdam and Rotterdam, service, food, entertainment, accommodations, etc. All highly consistent between class of ship.

[@CruisingCanucks]

It's great to hear about your positive experiences on Holland America. We love cruising with them. We keep hoping to hear an announcement that they are going to build a new ship.🤞

[@Desjardins50]

Looks like Mrs. Canuck might join the solo girls if she wants to go sail this one again.

[@CruisingCanucks]

🤣

[@lisahamil3625]

Did you got to Spell Bound, we’re sailing in March and wondering about that.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We did not have the opportunity to do spellbound but we spoke with a couple onboard that said it was quite the event.

[@fw7993]

Your dog is adorable!

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks 😊 He is a senior dog that just wants to be on someone’s lap constantly so he a become a regular on our videos and live shows.

[@erickaltenbach7235]

Thanks so much for your great review of the Sun Princess. We are based in So. California and have sailed on Princess ships for twenty years. We have heard that the Sun may be based in LA starting in 2027. We LOVE the Discovery Princess! So, we are praying that Princess keeps the Discovery in LA as well. We always book a full suite on the Discovery and enjoy those perks. The added perks for suites on the Sun look inviting, but not sure about being on a ship with 4,300 passengers. Most of your negatives you mentioned are in public areas (piazza and theater) that we don't use too often anyway. The additional specialty dining venues look/sound nice. I assume there is an area used for the Elite Lounge in the early evenings? On the Discovery they usually have entertainment/music in the Elite Lounge (Vista Lounge). Thanks again for your insights.

[@CruisingCanucks]

The Elite party is held in the Butchers Block from 3:00pm to. 5pm. A terrible venue and time for us. It’s like it’s an after thought now. We hear the Star Princess may go west coast - hopefully that doesn’t mean the Discovery is leaving.

[@BrendaVanderwey]

Go up and get more if not enough put on plate, just start over again.

[@CruisingCanucks]

The issue was they were giving way too much food. We kept saying just a little but Mrs. Canuck was still given 8 pieces of bacon!

[@MeandMyManlyMan]

Great info! It sounds as “busy” as I imagined. We probably wouldn’t try it out. It just looks loud to us and we like smaller/quieter. 😊

[@CruisingCanucks]

We totally agree that it isn't for everyone. It can be a lot of fun to try a new ship experience but this is not one we will be rushing back to. 🛳

[@peggy2429]

I agree

[@EricaG23]

Did you ever figure out what was making the noise in your interior cabin?

[@CruisingCanucks]

We never did find out what was making the noise. We were just so happy to get away from it.

[@lindak1768]

Sounds like a pass. We was just on the Enchanted Princess last week. We liked her. Still wasn’t enough room in the theater for everyone. Thanks for your honest opinion on the Sun.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We love Princess and many of the things they offer however we are realizing that our preference while cruising is one with less crowds.🛳

[@teresanicholson1484]

We are going this coming week which Restaurant is the one that was close to piazza? When dining we would rather not hear a game show also.

[@CruisingCanucks]

The sushi is right there and noisy. The pub and catch by Rudy are right beside it. The MDR, Crown Grill, Butcher Block and Teppanyaki are a few steps further away.

[@ElaineCarter-b4x]

I don’t dance or do game shows but loved watching people dance in the plaza on the other ships. Love the big theatre shows so don’t think this ship is for us

[@CruisingCanucks]

The theatre was a big disappointment for us. We are a big fan of the production shows generally and it feels like most cruise lines are getting away from that. I 🛳

[@KK-tr8tf]

Here's our family's high and lowlights: 1) Alfredo's Pizza is absolutely the BEST at sea. Must eat! 2) The Shawarma tacos on the Lido Deck (?) are very delicious. Must try! 3) Buffet is good but selections are very repetitive. 4) Specialty dinings are not bad but we didn't enjoy them as much as Alfredo's and O'Malleys. 5) Mini Suites and Cabana Mini Suites were perfect! However, do not book Cabana cabins on the Cabana Deck. It's terrible. You have no privacy at all. 6) If you are prone to seasickness, this ship will change your mind. It's the most quiet and steady ship we've been on. 7) Entertainments are so bad and boring. My husband and I ended up going to bed early every nights. Our family members went to the casino instead. Overall, we would cruise on the Sun Princess again, but only if we found a good deal. Or otherwise, it's not worth paying the current price.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thanks for your honest experience. We felt many of the same things. Unfortunately on our voyage the ship was really rocking. We have heard from others that it was calm and smooth sailing like you experienced.🛳

[@DavidBurton-x2h]

I don't know if things have changed since we sailed in the Mediterranean on the Sun Princess for 10 days in April. The food was awful. We had the Premier package and ate most of our meals in the specialty restaurants. The service and food prep was great. You can't prepare dog food fabulously and expect to be more than dog food. We had sailed on Regal class Princes ships in the past and thought the food was great. When we sailed on the Sun Princess the food was an insult. The Eatery with all the food blocked off so it wasn't a self serve buffet was terrible. We couldn't get what we wanted and the lines were ridiculous. I have to say that the bacon was an insult. I would rather eat shoe leather than the crap they serve as "bacon". The food on a cruise is super important to us and this was a horrible experience. Until Princes fixes this on there Sphere calls ships, we won't be sailing with them again. Horrible. Garbage.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Sorry to hear that you didn’t have a good experience. The Sun is definitely still struggling in some areas to be the quality that we all know Princess to be.

[@patriciamorash2763]

A lot of pros and cons. Not a fan of the ship within a ship concept. I’ll stick with HAL. Prefer the smaller ships, shared spaces, food and service.

[@CruisingCanucks]

It is a different experience for sure.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

I see the cruise industry going that way unless more and more people tell the cruise lines they hate it. But the I love my suite privilege people are out there too. And the business types that justify it talk about how much profit they can make for the cruise lines.

[@larrys2554]

Is this review of the same cruise you did in November, when you went to Princess Cay?

[@CruisingCanucks]

The was a live podcast that we recorded the day after we returned home from the Sun Princess. We did a more organized review the following week.

[@arizonagal]

Where did all the space get designated towards? More rooms?

[@CruisingCanucks]

More specialty dining.

[@dawndavies203]

Great independant review

[@CruisingCanucks]

Thank you 😊

[@gregmalloy9425]

We will stick to Royal Class,we don't want anything to do with a ship within a ship At least they took away the waterslides.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We love the the Royal Class Princess ships also.🛳

[@lisahamil3625]

Happy wife Happy life sir😂

[@CruisingCanucks]

😊

[@dennisdavignon5960]

We will not cruise on the Sun again. I will stick to the Royal class ships.

[@CruisingCanucks]

We understand how you feel.🛳

[@jturie]

I enjoyed this video, but looks like the dog was bored out of his mind.

[@CruisingCanucks]

That’s actually him at his most active time of day. He’s a dozen years older than he looks and/or just well behaved.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

Downgrade. Everything you said about the piazza I agree with and that's the same nonsense going on with the Celebrity Edge class ship. HAL has it right. The atrium, plaza, foyer, centrum, whatever they want to call them, aren't made to be entertainment stadiums and this activity could go on elsewhere. Regarding the decor, I don't like it. I don't like the Celebrity Edge decor that much or some, not all, of the NCL Prima. It's just too muted and sepia taupe for me and the overly modern look takes away from the modern nostalgia look that one associates with a Princess or Celebrity or NCL and even some areas of RCI ships (like the Schooner Bar). Modern doesn't have to mean the same color tones and shapes and lighting across the cruising industry. Also, the ships don't seem romantic and cozy. They seem almost sterile in some respects. I have to say this, too. Dancing should be considered part of the cruise experience just as much as pools, dining, spas. There should be smaller lounges dedicated to couples that want to dance and I mean, not partying or line or group dancing, but ballroom, swing, salsa, more romantic dancing. Night club club stuff is too but that's a bit different and requires a different type of environment IMO. That should not be taken out of the cruise experience. I would also like to see more uncluttered deck space but that seems to be going the way of private deck space in suites or cluttered deck space with places to rent elsewhere. Princess is trying to skew younger and make their version of a Celebrity Edge (their least premium class of ship IMO). This idea that all passengers can't access some areas of the ship turns me off. Going back to ship classes is not a good thing. I truly hope HAL doesn't do the decor or the the atrium or class thing in their new ships. They don't on the Pinnacle class and if and when there is a new class, I hope they don't.

[@CruisingCanucks]

You have made many good points which we have experienced first hand. We keep asking ourselves whether it is just us but we are missing some of the classic elements of cruising that we fell in love with years ago. That was the main reason why we cruised on Cunard this past summer. We love their ballroom and many other activities and venues on board. Have you ever cruised with Cunard? 🛳

[@benjaminsmith2287]

@@CruisingCanucks No. I've toured many of their ships with a cruise group that I was part of but haven't actually sailed with them. They do seem like my kind of cruise line. I think two things are happening. The cruise lines keep building new ships so they need to expand their customer base and cater to a common denominator. And people aren't looking for the romance of cruising anymore. It's more like a floating resort but even more of a casual one that it was even 10 years ago.

[@CruisingCanucks]

Unfortunately you are very correct.

[@melindaoday3954]

Yput mimed with the girl

[@colleenmiller1219]

Stay home!

[@CruisingCanucks]

Why do that? There’s a whole world out there

[@zzzland1]

Good,fun show. Why did you gave to change rooms? Plus: What about the outside space on the top deck? They had to dismantle their theme park… because it didn’t meet spec. (Which was kinda surprising to hear) Keep the good work! 👨‍🦳👩‍🦳

[@CruisingCanucks]

We had to change rooms due to a loud mechanical noise behind the headboard of our original cabin. The ship is still under construction on that top deck. It will be interesting what they end up doing there.🛳

[@zzzland1]

@@CruisingCanucksThanks so much for shedding some light on the room change, you both are so candid and fair in your assessments and this really helps. With all that you do including your contest you are the gold standard!

[@CruisingCanucks]

How kind. Thank you I very much!