Introducing a new ship class to the Princess Cruises fleet, the new Sun Princess will enter service in early 2024.
Spending its maiden season in Europe, the 175,000-ton cruise ship will offer a variety of cruises in the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic for its North American debut.
Cruise Industry News took a closer look at the ship’s inaugural program and its itineraries.
Maiden Voyage
Date: February 8, 2024
Length: Ten nights
Homeports: Barcelona (Spain) to Civitavecchia (Italy)
Complete Itinerary: Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Messina and Naples (Italy); Piraeus and Santorini (Greece); and Kusadasi (Turkey)
The new Sun Princess is debuting in Europe with a series of ten-night cruises that sail in both Western and Eastern Mediterranean.
For its maiden voyage, the vessel is offering a one-way itinerary that sails from Barcelona to Civitavecchia and cruises to ports in Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey. Set to depart on Feb. 8, 2024, the ten-night cruise features visits to popular destinations in the countries, such as Palma de Mallorca, Naples and Santorini.
20 Nights in the Mediterranean
Dates: March 19, 2024
Length: 20 nights
Homeport: Civitavecchia (Italy)
Complete Itinerary: Messina, Naples, La Spezia and Genoa (Italy); Corfu, Piraeus and Santorini (Greece); Marseille (France); Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Cartagena (Spain); Kusadasi (Turkey) and Gibraltar (UK)
Passengers may also opt to combine two or three sailings to spend more time onboard the Sun Princess in the Mediterranean. The March 9 departure, for instance, combines two ten-night cruises and sails to both Western and Eastern Mediterranean.
Cruising roundtrip from Civitavecchia – the port for Rome, the 20-night itinerary features visits to a total of 14 ports in Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, Spain and Gibraltar.
Spain, Italy, Greece and Montenegro in Seven Nights
Date: Several departures between May and September 2024
Length: Seven nights
Homeports: Piraeus (Greece) to Barcelona (Spain)
Complete Itinerary: Naples and Messina (Italy); Kotor (Montenegro); and Corfu (Greece)
During most of its inaugural season, the Sun Princess is set to offer seven-night cruises in the Mediterranean. A number of different itineraries are available, including this one that visits Spain, Italy, Greece and Montenegro.
With several departures between May and September, the one-way voyage sails from Piraeus – the port for Athens – to Barcelona and also features visits to Naples, Messina, Kotor and Corfu.
One-Way to England
Dates: September 14, 2024
Length: Nine nights
Homeports: Barcelona (Spain) to Southampton (England)
Complete Itinerary: Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena and Cádiz (Spain)
Before wrapping up its inaugural season in Europe, the Sun Princess is also offering a one-way cruise to England.
With four full days at sea, the nine-night voyage sails from Barcelona to Southampton and features visits to three additional ports in Spain: Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena and Cádiz. The cruise also includes an overnight stay in Southampton.
16-Night Transatlantic Crossing
Dates: September 23, 2024
Length: 16 nights
Homeport: Southampton (England) to Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Complete Itinerary: Vigo and Tenerife (Spain); and Funchal (Portugal)
Sun Princess’ maiden season comes to an end with a transatlantic crossing to North America. Setting sail in late September, the intercontinental voyage links Southampton and Fort Lauderdale.
In addition to 11 days at sea, the 16-night itinerary features visits to two ports in Spain – Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Vigo. Before crossing the Atlantic, the Sun Princess also visits Portugal’s Madeira Island with a visit to Funchal.
