Sun Princess Mega Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before You Sail

Written By Julie Davis
Sun Princess Mega Guide

⭐️ Quick Takeaway

Sun Princess is Princess’s most modern ship ever — better dining, better tech, better thermal suite, better casino offers, and a layout that finally makes sense. If you’ve sailed Royal, Regal, or Enchanted, this feels like the glow‑up version. New to Princess or looking to level up your next sailing? My Princess Cruises Guide breaks down ships, itineraries, casino offers, dining, and all the Lazy Girl strategies I use on my 4–5 Princess sailings each year.

Personal Referral & Affiliate Disclosure Just a quick heads‑up: I’m not a credit card affiliate — any credit card links I share are simply my personal referral links. I do use affiliate links for some products and travel tools I personally use and love. If you ever choose to use them, thank you — it helps support No Point Left Behind at no extra cost to you.

What Makes Sun Princess Different

✨ Sphere Class Upgrades

  • The Dome (pool by day → entertainment by night)

  • Expanded specialty dining

  • Redesigned Piazza

  • Faster Medallion tech

  • More included casual dining

  • A thermal suite that’s actually worth talking about

💡 Who This Ship Is Perfect For

  • Casino‑offer cruisers

  • Food‑forward cruisers

  • Mediterranean itinerary lovers

  • Travelers who want a “new ship” feel without mega‑ship chaos

🌟 Sister Ship Spotlight: Star Princess (My December Sailing!)

Sun Princess has a sister — Star Princess, the second Sphere‑class ship. She carries the same modern design, expanded dining, upgraded cabins, and that gorgeous Dome.

I’m sailing Star Princess for the first time this December, and I booked the entire trip using points, miles, and a casino deal — and even snagged a Mini‑Suite.

👉 How I booked my Star Princess cruise using points, miles & a casino offer

🚢 My Sun Princess Sailings

I’ve already sailed Sun Princess — here’s my full first‑sailing review with everything I loved, everything I didn’t, and all the Lazy Girl tips I wish I’d known:

👉 My First Sailing on Sun Princess

And I’m heading back again in August 2026 — this time with a stacked points‑and‑casino strategy that saved me hundreds:

👉 My Upcoming August 2026 Sun Princess Sailing

Dining on Sun Princess (What’s Free vs Paid)

🍽 Included Dining (Free)

  • Horizons Dining Room

  • International cafe - a personal fave

  • The Eatery (buffet)

  • The Promenade (grab‑and‑go)

  • Lido options (pizza, burgers, tacos)

  • Unlimited Casual Dining with both Plus and Premier

  • Unlimited Specialty Dining with Premier

🍷 Specialty Dining (Paid unless you have Premier)

💰 Price Range

  • Most specialty restaurants: $55

  • Makoto: $55

  • Catch by Rudi: $55

  • Crown Grill: $55

💡 Lazy Girl Tip

If you have Premier, you can eat at all specialty restaurants as many times as you want — this is the biggest 2026 change. My husband absolutely loved this feature, and we have it booked for our upcoming sailing. I recommend you book reservations quickly.

Everything you need to know about → Princess Cruises Dining Reservations

Princess Plus vs Premier (2026 — Updated)

🟦 Princess Plus

What’s Included:

  • Plus Beverage Package (drinks up to $15)

  • Wi‑Fi for 1 device

  • 4 Casual Dining

  • Crew Appreciation (gratuities)

  • OceanNow Delivery

No Longer Included:

  • Premium desserts

  • Fitness classes

  • Explicit “unlimited juices” perk

Lazy Girl Summary: Plus is now the “everything you actually use” package — drinks, Wi‑Fi, gratuities, casual dining, and OceanNow.

🟪 Princess Premier

What’s Included:

  • Premier Beverage Package (drinks up to $20)

  • Wi‑Fi for 4 devices

  • Unlimited Casual Dining

  • Unlimited Specialty Dining

  • Princess Premier Photo Package

  • Medallion Accessory

  • Reserved Theater Seating

  • Crew Appreciation

  • OceanNow Delivery

No Longer Included:

  • Premium desserts

  • Fitness classes

  • Explicit juice perk

Lazy Girl Summary: Premier is now the “I want to eat everywhere” package. On Sun Princess — with Makoto, Catch by Rudi, Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, and more — Premier pays for itself fast. If you want to eat speciality dining the whole cruise (like my husband)

Thermal Suite (The Enclave 2.0)

🧖‍♀️ What’s Inside

  • Heated stone loungers

  • Hydrotherapy pool

  • Steam room

  • Dry sauna

  • Salt room

  • Cold room

  • Experience showers

💰 Pricing

  • $49–$79 per day

  • $ 149- $ 199 7-day full‑cruise pass

💡 Lazy Girl Tip

Buy the pass on Day 1 — Sun Princess sells out.

If you love saving on dining, you’ll love my breakdown of the Princess Thermal Spa — what’s included, what’s worth it, and how to get the best value.

Casino Offers & Players Club

🎰 What to Expect

  • Larger casino

  • More slot variety

  • Faster point tracking

  • Better drink service

  • More generous offers (new ship = more incentives)

🪙 Points Breakdown

  • 100 points = $1 coin‑in on slots

  • 1 point = $2 coin‑in on video poker

  • Table games vary

🎁 Offer Types

  • Free cruises

  • Discounted cruises

  • Onboard credit

  • Free play

  • Premier upgrades

👉 How Princess Casino Points Work

Sun Princess Staterooms

🛏 What’s New

  • Larger balconies

  • More storage

  • Better bathrooms

  • Modern décor

  • USB‑C ports

Best Cabin Types

  • Deluxe Balcony — best value

  • Mini‑Suite — best layout

  • Suite — best perks

👉 Want to see the Mini‑Suite I stayed in? Star Princess Mini‑Suite Review (coming soon)

Sun Princess Itineraries (2026)

🌍 Mediterranean

🏝 Caribbean

👉 I’m sailing Sun Princess again in August 2026 — follow along here: August 2026 Sun Princess Sailing

👉 Planning a Mediterranean cruise? Mediterranean Cruise Packing List

Embarkation Tips

🛳 Lazy Girl Embarkation Tips

  • Arrive 30–45 minutes early

  • Complete Medallion steps ASAP

  • Book dining as soon as you board

  • Eat lunch at The Eatery

  • Book thermal suite passes immediately

👉 New to Princess? Princess Cruise Tips for Beginners

Packing List for Sun Princess

Essentials

For the Thermal Suite

  • Flip‑flops

  • Cover‑up

  • Hair tie

  • Water bottle

👉 Want the full Lazy Girl version with outfits, embarkation‑day tips, and a printable checklist? My Updated Princess Cruises Packing List

👉 Heading to Alaska instead? Alaska Cruise Packing List

Cruise Essentials

If you’re sailing Sun Princess or Star Princess soon, here are my favorite cruise essentials — all Lazy Girl‑approved:

These are affiliate links — which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting No Point Left Behind!

About the Author — Julie Davis

Hi, I’m Julie — a Tennessee‑based travel hacker, cruise lover, and Lazy Girl strategist who believes travel should be fun, affordable, and stress‑free. I run NoPointLeftBehind.net, where I teach busy moms, retirees, and everyday travelers how to use points, miles, and casino offers to travel smarter.

Come hang out with me on Facebook — I share cruise tips, points hacks, and Lazy Girl travel strategies every week. Join the community here: Follow me on Facebook. And if you love points? You have to join my group: Travel Hacking Moms Group

Julie Davis
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🌸 The Lazy Girl Princess Cruises Packing List