Sun Princess – Staterooms and Suites Guide for the first Princess ‘Sphere’ class ship

Princess Cruises has released details of its first ‘Sphere’ class ship, Sun Princess, debuting in February 2024. This is the fleet’s first dual-fuel (MDO and LNG) powered and largest-ever ship, accommodating 4,300 guests.

What is new for Staterooms and Suites on Sun Princess?

Sun Princess is being built on a new and bespoke ship platform and there are significant changes to the stateroom and suites offerings for guests. There are 2,157 staterooms in total, including 50 suites and 100 connecting rooms. Looking at the initial deck plans and Princess ship information, the main differences to ‘Royal’ class are:

• All staterooms now feature a sofa.
• All bathrooms feature showers with glass doors – flapping curtains are no more!
• For all Inside, Oceanview and Balcony staterooms, the wardrobe space is now near the entrance door and moves away from the traditional walk-in closet
• For all Oceanview, Balcony and Mini Suite staterooms, the option to choose between two different room configurations with either the bed nearest the window or the sofa nearest the window.
• New category of Inside for solo occupancy
• New category of Balcony with a cove balcony
• New category of Mini Suite with a private balcony and cabana – an additional lounging area between the main cabin area and your balcony.
• Club Class renamed to Reserve Collection with it’s own restaurant. Reserve class mini suites will also have exclusive access to the Cabana Deck, an outdoor lounge space
• Suite Class renamed to Signature Collection with it’s own restaurant, lounge/bar and sun deck
• New lower category of Suite – Signature Suite – which is the same size as a Mini Suite and with a shower only
• Very few balconies will look directly down onto the sea as most seem to be inset and will either overlook the Promenade deck. Wake View Terrace or the bow.

Stateroom Categories on Sun Princess

Inside Staterooms

The most affordable option, these staterooms feature two twin beds or a queen-size bed and the basic amenities you expect, from flat-panel 4K TV to in-room refrigerator. Inside staterooms also feature a ‘love seat’ or shorter sofa.

A significant new feature for a Princess ship: solo travellers can be accommodated in that there are currently 4 inside single staterooms available on Deck 10. These are slightly smaller than the standard inside and include a queen size bed.

Inside Stateroom Locations:

• Category IA/IB/IC/ID/IE/IF: Interior (Deck 5/6/9/10/11/12/14/15/16/17)
• Category IS: Interior Single (Deck 10)

Oceanview Staterooms

Oceanview staterooms feature a picture window and all the amenities of an interior room with the added benefit of ocean views that bring an airy openness to the space. Oceanview staterooms now include a double sofabed and a smaller couch under the window. They come in two different configurations, one with a bed by the window and one with a bed by the bathroom.

Oceanview Stateroom Locations:

• Category O2/O3/O5: Premium Oceanview (Deck 5/6/10/11)

Balcony Staterooms

All Balcony Staterooms come with a double sofabed and a private balcony with well-appointed outdoor furniture.

They come in two different configurations, one with a bed by the window and one with a bed by the bathroom. You can determine this by checking the deck plan. The bed headboard will be located in the deepest indentation along the dividing wall so, for example, 12322 below will have a sofa nearest the window and bed facing forward whilst 12326 will have the bed closest to the window and facing aft:

Premium Deluxe Balcony Staterooms will always have the larger balconies in the most sought after locations (and therefore cost more) but look out for select Deluxe Balcony Staterooms on decks 10/11/12/14 Forward and decks 10/11/12/14/15/16 Midship if you are looking for more balcony space.

A new lower Balcony Category is the Cove Balcony – these are located on Deck 6 under the lifeboats as in the image below:

These Cove balconies will be more sheltered with a cut-out metal surround set into the ship to protect the passengers from bad weather as they will be closer to the sea. Note this means they will directly overlook the sea as a result.

They will have a separate door and window rather than a sliding door – there may be some access restrictions during bad weather where metal covers could be used to protect the balcony door.

Balcony Stateroom Locations:

• Category D1/D2: Premium Deluxe Balcony (Deck 10/11/12/14/15/16/17)
• Category DA/DB/DC/DD/DE/DF: Deluxe Balcony (Deck 9/10/11/12/14/15/16/17)
• Category DG/DH: Cove Balcony (Deck 6)

Mini Suite Staterooms

A Mini Suite is substantially larger than a balcony stateroom and includes a separate seating area with sofa bed as well as two flat-panel TVs. A Mini Suite is perfect if you need a little extra space for your family or group and you will enjoy an extra perk of a complimentary glass of bubbly on embarkation day. They come in two different configurations, one with a bed by the window and one with a bed by the bathroom.

Note that Mini Suite staterooms will only have a walk-in shower unlike the tub/shower combination on Royal class but it will be an upgraded luxury shower.

Club Class accommodations onboard Star Princess, and all other Princess ships, will now be called Reserve Collection, which are the best-located Mini Suite staterooms. These premium accommodations include access to the Reserve Collection Restaurant.

Within the Mini Suite category are Cabana rooms, resort-style staterooms with an additional lounging area with floor-to-ceiling glass (and an external door) between the main cabin area and your balcony. This will enable you to relax inside or out in complete comfort to incredible views.

There are also Cabana Mini Suite staterooms within the Reserve Collection. As well as having access to the Reserve Collection Restaurant, these Reserve Class Cabana mini suites will also have exclusive access to the Cabana Deck, an outdoor lounge space.

A word of warning about the Reserve class Cabana mini suites on Deck 9 that are directly positioned next to the private Cabana deck – the balcony sections will be totally open and offer little privacy from the other Reserve class Cabana passengers using the deck facilities.

Mini Suite Locations:

• Category M1/M2: Reserve Mini Suite (Deck 10/11/12/14/15/16/17)
• Category MA/MD: Mini Suite (Deck 10/11/12/14)

Cabana Mini Suite Locations:

• Category C1/C2: Reserve Cabana Mini Suite (Deck 9)
• Category CA/CB: Cabana Mini Suite (Deck 10/11/12)

Suites

Launching first on Sun Princess will be a new level of Suite accommodations, the Signature Collection. Enjoy more living space, a separate seating area with sofa bed, enhanced amenities that range from priority embarkation and disembarkation to a complimentary mini-bar setup in suite and so much more.

The lowest Signature Collection Suite is the Signature Suite which is approximately the size of a Mini Suite with a shower only but with all the other standard Suite amenities. There are 30 Signature Suites and they are 304 sq ft in size.

Penthouse Suites are the standard suite with a separate sitting and sleeping area. There are 2 televisions and 2 sliding doors leading out to the balcony provided with luxury furniture. And individual rooms for the toilet and bathroom which will include a walk-in shower and separate tub. There are 36 Penthouse Suites and they are 446 sq ft in size.

The Signature Owner’s Suite is a larger suite which builds on the amenities of the standard suite. It has a dedicated walk-in closet, a larger balcony and a separate dining area. There are 10 Owner’s Suites and they are 636 sq ft in size.

The Signature Sky Suite is the largest, most luxurious suite on Sun Princess. It can accommodate up to five guests and features two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one with a full bath with tub and separate shower, a seating area and sofa bed.

All Signature Sky Suites come with enhanced complimentary perks. Guests will also have access to private Suite Experience Managers, a Shopping Concierge and a Pre-Cruise Shoreside Concierge.

There are 4 Sky Suites, two more than on the last three Royal class ships and one is wheelchair-accessible. They are 1, 262 sq ft in size and have larger balconies but note that they no longer wrap-around.

In addition to premium stateroom amenities, Signature Collection suites include access to the Signature Restaurant, Signature Lounge and Bar, and Signature Sun Deck, a private area of The Sanctuary.

The Signature Lounge is a two level lounge for the exclusive use of guests staying in suites, located aft of deck 15 and deck 16 with stunning views of the aft of ship.

Unfortunately, there are no forward facing Premium Suites (our favourite on Royal class) or aft-facing Suites with large wrap-around balconies.

Signature Collection Locations:

• Category S0: Signature Sky Suite (Deck 16)
• Category S2: Signature Owner’s Suite (Deck 10/16)
• Category S4: Signature Penthouse Suite (Deck 15/16/17)
• Category S9: Signature Suite (Deck 11/15/16)

Wheelchair-Accessible Staterooms

For guests with limited mobility, Princess offers a selection of staterooms that provide full wheelchair-turning space. These staterooms include a roll-in shower equipped with grab bars and a fold-down bench seat, an easy access closet and accessible writing desk.

Inside Stateroom Wheelchair-Accessible Locations:

• Category IA: Interior (Deck 10/14/15) x 3
• Category IB: Interior (Deck 5/6/16) x 8

Oceanview Stateroom Wheelchair-Accessible Locations:

• Category O3: Premium Oceanview (Deck 5) x 4
• Category O5: Premium Oceanview (Deck 11) x 2

Balcony Stateroom Wheelchair-Accessible Locations:

• Category DB: Deluxe Balcony (Deck 14) x 2
• Category DD: Deluxe Balcony (Deck 10/11/12/14) x 8
• Category DE: Deluxe Balcony (Deck 10/12) x 4
• Category DF: Deluxe Balcony (Deck 9/16) x 6

Mini Suite Wheelchair-Accessible Locations:

• Category M1: Reserve Mini Suite (Deck 12) x 2
• Category MA: Mini Suite (Deck 12) x 2

Cabana Mini Suite Wheelchair-Accessible Locations:

• Category C1: Reserve Cabana Mini Suite (Deck 9) x 2
• Category C2: Reserve Cabana Mini Suite (Deck 9) x 2

Signature Collection Wheelchair-Accessible Locations:

• Category S0: Signature Sky Suite (Deck 16) x 1
• Category S2: Signature Owner’s Suite (Deck 16) x 1
• Category S4: Signature Penthouse Suite (Deck 16) x 2
• Category S9: Signature Suite (Deck 11) x 2

---

Check out our video of what we know so far about the design and the venues on Sun Princess:

The inaugural season for Sun Princess begins in February 2024 with Mediterranean itineraries and ends with a westbound Transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale for a Caribbean deployment based on homeporting in Port Everglades.  The 7-day Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries are now on sale.

Sun Princess will be returning to the Mediterranean for the summer of 2025, where she will be joined by the second ‘Sphere’ class Star Princess on 4th August 2025. These itineraries go on sale 1st June 2023.

We are booked on the inaugural 10 day Grand Mediterranean cruise for Sun Princess due to depart from Barcelona on 8th February 2024 – will you be joining us?

We are on the shortlist for the 2023 Wave Awards! You can vote for us here in the category “Favourite Cruise Travel Influencer”. Thank you!