Chasing the sun
A journey of a lifetime from Civitavecchia to Athens, the gleaming new Sun Princess is a floating resort bathed in light.
Sailing from the port of Civitavecchia, about 60km north-west of Rome, our first stop at Naples offered several choices for exploring the ancient city including a visit to the iconic Pompeii.
We instead opted for Herculaneum which, like Pompeii, was destroyed by the Mount Vesuvius volcano. Once an up-market enclave of the wealthy, its excavated remains offer an exquisitely different character to Pompeii, full of artworks and mosaics preserved since the eruption in 79AD.
Then came sun-drenched Santorini where spectacular cliff top views of neighbouring islands and the Aegean Sea over lunch at a cafe in the busy pedestrian shopping strip of the capital Fira seemed quite civilised. We took in coastal views by cable car, but if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, there’s also the option to go up and back by coach.
On to Istanbul, which was a highlight with stops at the must-see Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome and time spent roaming through the labyrinths of the Grand Bazaar.
Then it was back to Greece, and the archetypal sugar cube whitewashed villages of Mykonos. Postcard white churches with blue tops and trendy waterfront Mykonos Town with packed cafes, offering experiences for every traveller.
Port of call
Princess has multiple shore tour options at every port, and while independent touring is always tempting, leave yourself plenty of time to be on board before the sail-away.
Each port call was tiring but getting back to the ship was like returning to a sanctuary complete with staff waiting with hot towels.
Then after a clean up came the big questions: where to have pre-dinner drinks, where to eat and what entertainment to enjoy that night?
While the ship is big, the many lifts were rarely crowded and crucially, there are loads of places to find a cozy, quiet place in the sun, with a variety of comfy chair styles rather than just deck chairs.
From the midship glass sphere spanning its three-story central Piazza to the landmark top deck glass Dome, Sun Princess really is, as the classic Love Boat theme song goes, “exciting and new.”
Big on personality
Princess Cruises’ latest version of its legendary Love Boat is its biggest ever, as the first ship of the new Sphere class carrying 4300 guests and 1600 crew.
The 21-deck ship has five pools and nine hot tubs, a luxury spa with hedonistic steam rooms and treatments worthy of Cleopatra, a large gym, multiple entertainment areas including a casino and shopping promenade.
All demographics are catered for, from the kids’ clubs for littlies, tweens and teens, to the adults-only Sanctuary (exclusively for guests booked into Sanctuary Cabins) with poolside cabanas for those after some quiet space to enjoy the good life.
All aboard
By day, with its chaise lounges, live music and an amphitheatre overlooking an indoor-outdoor pool, The Dome is as a dreamy place to relax it fills quickly.
By night, the pool is covered and it transforms to a theatrical acrobatic performance space in partnership with Cirque Éloize. The troupe hold some practice sessions in the Piazza in their gym gear which draws a crowd.
Park19 is an adventure playground on the upper three decks with multiple climbing challenges, a splash zone, lookout, and the Sea Breeze, the first Rollglider on a cruise ship where guests are harnessed to an electric ride on an overhead track giving panoramic views.
Spellbound by Magic Castle is a Victorian-themed experience with magicians, sleight of hand cocktail service, special effects, a spirit guide, ornate decor with artefacts and vintage curiosities. Guests move through the Music Room and the Parlor Bar before entering the 30-seat Spellbound theatre to experience close-up magic.
Supping and sipping
There are 29 dining, bar and lounge options to explore. Dining venues included in the ticket price include the main two-level Horizons restaurant and the Eatery buffet as well as the Americana Diner with daily specials from Horizons menu, plus its own mainstays such as Kansas strip steak.
For a treat, venues with a cover charge range from Princess staples such as Sabatini’s for Italian and the Crown Grill through to Umai Teppanyaki, Umai Hot Pot, Kai Sushi, The Butcher’s Block by Dario, The Catch by Rudi, and the swish Signature Restaurant or Reserve Collection.
Alfredo’s Pizzeria and rollicking O’Malley’s Irish Pub with great music are among other choices.
There are bars aplenty, but curiously no dedicated sports bar.
Tip – the Eatery buffet gets busy at breakfast so why not simply head to Horizons for table service, or order room service?
Let them entertain you
Entertainment, music and activities are virtually non-stop from early morning exercises such as yoga and Zumba to late night dancing and everything from trivia and bingo to poolside music and big screen Movies Under the Stars.
Dancing classes range from ballroom to line dancing, there is comedy, game shows, guest performers such as a ventriloquist, wine tasting and cocktail events, and music in multiple venues including poolside throughout the day.
This new ship is such a destination in its own right, a week’s cruise from Rome to Athens via the Greek islands and Istanbul simply did not have enough days to explore it all in depth, let alone dine at every option – though we gave it a good shake.