Ad/Invite. We were invited to a ship visit of Sun Princess whilst she was in Southampton prior to her departure across to the Caribbean for the winter season. This was organised by Princess Cruises and CLIA Europe.
What a day we had, what hospitality and a great opportunity to see the newest ship in the Princess Fleet.
On arrival at the Mayflower Cruise Terminal, Southampton, we were registered and able to board the ship. There was definitely a party vibe from the minute we walked on board. Staff greeted us with a welcome drink and a photographer was on hand to record our arrival.
We were directed to the Sanctuary to start our tour. Such a shame that the rain didn’t hold off for the whole time but it did not seem to dampen spirits. It was lovely to meet others from the vlogging community and to see the `magical’ feature wall. Ringing the bell was particularly memorable!
Staff were available to take small groups on a tour of the ship and we decided to take advantage of this. But there is so much to see it would take more than this brief visit.
Particular highlight was being able to go into Spellbound. What a special place this is. Beautifully themed and great features. Isabella, the ghost of the piano, was a little mischievous. Here we were able to take in some of the close-up magic that is performed and sample some of the cocktails that are only available here. There is no doubt that if we are lucky enough to cruise on Sun Princess, Spellbound is an extra charge venue that we would consider booking.
From there we went to the Arena to view a short presentation about Sun Princess and her sister ship Star due to be launched in 2025. Rudi Sodamin was also on board and said a few words. However we were also treated to an excerpt from the production show Viva La Musica which showcased just a small amount of the talent on board.
Dinner followed in the Americana Diner and it was absolutely fab! Great options on the specially designed menu for the event and very attentive service. As always the steak on board Princess Cruises is very high quality and this was no exception – the lobster accompanying it was perfectly cooked.
Unfortunately we missed seeing the live performance by Sam Ryder in the theatre but headed back to the Arena where Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills was appearing as guest DJ. The party really took off at that point with plenty of fun music and a real chance for us to socialise.
All too soon it was time to leave (so often a difficult thing to do). Back onto the provided shuttle buses and for us back to our hotel for the night.
Having recently been on Sky Princess this was a great opportunity to compare the 2 ships. We liked the small amount that we saw on Sun Princess and really felt the genuine Princess Welcome that we have found elsewhere.
