Star Princess Inaugural Review: A True Supernova at Sea
As a long-time cruise geek (and yes, I proudly claim that title), it’s rare that a sailing manages to feel this special without also feeling chaotic. Star Princess got it right. She’s the sister ship to Sun Princess (also in the Sphere class), which launched last year, meaning the kinks had already been ironed out. This wasn’t a brand-new class of ships struggling to find their feet. This was a confident debut from a ship that knew who she was from day one.
Here’s what we loved, what we’d tweak, and why I’d board her again in a heartbeat.
🛳️ The Basics
- 📌 Ship: Star Princess (Princess Cruises)
- 🗺️ Itinerary: “Grand Mediterranean” - Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, Naples, Palermo, Cartagena, Gibraltar, Barcelona
- 📅 Sailing Date: October 2025
- ⏱️ Duration: 11 nights
- ⚓ Embarkation Port: Barcelona
📍 Itinerary Overview
Our sailing was officially titled as a Grand Mediterranean, departing from Barcelona and calling at classic ports such as Naples, Palermo and Cartagena.
In truth, we took it easy this time. With two prams, a baby, and a toddler, Marseille and Rome felt too complicated with their transfers and long shuttle rides, so we happily stayed on board. As I set out in this blog, sometimes the best shore excursion is… to not have one.
Naples looked interesting but quickly proved stressful with uneven pavements, mopeds, and a lot of attention from taxi drivers. We lasted about half an hour before retreating to the calm of the ship.
Cartagena, on the other hand, completely won us over. It’s an easy stroll from the gangway, lined with palm trees and quiet plazas, and we found a charming park with a pond where my eldest could play. It was one of those simple, perfect days that makes cruising with kids so worthwhile.
The weather was glorious for October. Temperatures sat around 22 - 25 degrees and it was sunny most days. The only rainy day was a good test of how crowded this new ship felt if everyone retreated inside and, overall, the ship absorbed everyone quite well.
🛠️ Ship Overview
Let’s start with the obvious: this ship is stunning. Star Princess feels like a floating five-star resort, all curves, light, and modern design. The Cascade Bar and the Dome give off Dubai beach club vibes in the best possible way, and the overall aesthetic is bright and polished without being sterile.
- 👥 Capacity for 4,300 guests and 1,600 crew
- 🏢 21 guest decks
- 🏊 4 main pools, with shallow sections ideal for families
- 🍸 More than 29 restaurants and bars onboard
- 🌞 A multi-storey glass dome and multiple open decks
The whole ship ran smoothly from day one. Everything was open, the crew knew their spaces, and it felt like a real home at sea rather than a prototype still finding its rhythm. Where there were a few new-ship problems (there was a net in the kids club, for example, which was poorly designed for children and they kept slipping through) they were quickly resolved (the net was going to be replaced by the next cruise).
🍽️ Dining & Drinks
We sailed with the Princess Premier package, and for us it was worth every penny. It included all speciality dining and drinks, which meant we could explore every venue without worrying about extras or feeling limited.
There was so much to love here, for all three generations.
The Sanctuary Restaurant was a wonderful surprise on the trip. We were invited to dine there after a rather unfortunate experience in Crown Grill (which took three hours and we ran out of time for dessert on my husband’s birthday). The ship’s officers went above and beyond afterwards, inviting us to dine in The Sanctuary for the rest of the voyage, and it completely transformed the week. The food there is truly, and consistently, wonderful. It turns out the best way to recover from a disastrous birthday dinner is to be whisked off to an extra special restaurant for the following nine nights!
For casual food, the Promenade burgers were another standout, as were the Detroit-style pizzas by the pool. Both felt freshly made and consistently good. The taco station had great flavours, although the “build your own” layout didn’t quite match the printed menu pairings. And breakfast in The Sanctuary deserves its own mention: banana bread French toast that I would board again tomorrow just to eat.
Other specialities like Love By Britto and The Catch By Rudi were also fabulous. And being able to go to them without worrying about extra charges, because of the Premier Package, was just brilliant.
Not every speciality was ideal for families. Umai Tappenaki and Hot Pot and The Butcher’s Block aren’t labelled adults-only, but in practice, children aren’t really welcome and there’s no kids’ menu, so families may want to skip those. I’ll cover this more in my dining review to follow, so do subscribe to my YouTube to watch that soon!
The vast array of cocktails were a delight, if slightly confusing, as there were so many similar names across menus that you might find yourself playing mixology bingo. We loved the Cascade Bar and Wake View Bar for early-evening drinks while my mum took the baby for a walk.
Coffee, on the other hand, was a let-down. It had a burnt flavour, there was no oat milk, and there were far too many flavoured options when all I wanted was a proper flat white. There was also no fresh orange juice on board (a supply issue, apparently), which led to one mimosa made with squash that I’m trying to forget.
🎭 Entertainment & Atmosphere
The overall atmosphere on board was calm, polished, and quietly joyful. You could feel the pride among the crew. Officers were visible every day, chatting with guests, taking photos, and celebrating each port with plaque ceremonies.
The entertainment itself was fine, though not groundbreaking. We would have loved a few more early-evening dancing options or family-friendly events before 10pm, but we enjoyed the smaller musical acts dotted around the lounges. My toddler will always find an excuse to dance even if it’s just her and a woman with a viola.
There weren’t any kids’ shows or speciality entertainment for children or toddlers, but with only around fifty children on board out of more than four thousand passengers, I can understand why.
😬 What Didn’t Work
- 🍸 Bar service was slow at times, especially in Crooners, although we were told this was due to tech issues and certainly wasn’t due to the crew not trying their absolute best.
- ☕ Coffee and juice were consistently disappointing. There was no oat milk, no fresh juice, and burnt-tasting coffee.
- 🍦 Ice cream had only three flavours and was fairly forgettable.
- 👨👩👧 Speciality restaurants such as Umai and The Butcher’s Block aren’t clearly marked as adults-only but don’t accommodate children, and in fact we were actively told that children weren’t welcome.
- 👶 There’s no dedicated nursery room in the Kids Club, which makes it tricky for families juggling two age groups.
- 🙁 A small minority of guests seemed uncomfortable around children. One woman made me feel incredibly uncomfortable with her reaction while I was breastfeeding, which was upsetting, but most people were wonderful - we were kindly reminded by a fellow guest that we were basically on a ship with thousands of grandparents who doted on our little ones.
🌟 Highlights
- 👩✈️ Crew and officers - warm, visible, and clearly proud of the ship. My eldest was obsessed with the captain and was so excited every time he was seen on the ship (which was often!).
- 🌿 The Sanctuary Restaurant - calm, elegant, and consistently superb food.
- 🎟️ Princess Premier package - simplified everything and made it feel like a true all inclusive holiday.
- 🍔 Promenade burgers and Detroit pizza - family favourites.
- 🍞 Banana bread French toast at breakfast - genuinely unforgettable.
- 🧭 Easily accessible and beautiful ship - although large, I never felt lost or overwhelmed in the ship and it felt very easy to move around with a pram.
- 🛗 Smart lift system - allocates you a specific lift and works much better with prams or wheelchairs than traditional systems - a massive improvement for accessibility and families.
- 🛏️ Cabins - beautifully designed and genuinely family-friendly. The dividing curtain and motion sensor lighting made a huge difference. Full video review to follow soon.
- ☕ International Café window seats - the perfect safe play nook for little ones.
- 🔮 Spellbound - a fun, magical pre-dinner experience that’s unlike anything I’ve done at sea.
- 🎊 Inaugural atmosphere - commemorative pins, lively ceremonies, and a real sense of excitement.
🧾 Our Ratings
We would sail Star Princess again in a heartbeat. The ship feels elegant, modern, and full of heart. It’s the kind of ship that spoils you — and possibly ruins all future cruises in the process.
🎥 Watch the Full YouTube Review
If you’d rather watch than read, you can find my full video review here: Star Princess | Inaugural Cruise Review (2025) - What It’s Really Like
📲 Follow for More
You can find more cruise reviews, tips for travelling with little ones, and new videos every other Friday right here:
- 📸 Instagram: @lisschatsship
- ▶️ YouTube: LissChatsShip on YouTube
- ✉️ Email: lisschatsship@gmail.com
💬 Have you sailed on Star Princess, or are you planning to? I’d love to hear what you thought. Did your experience match ours, or are you booked for her next itinerary? Come say hi on Instagram or leave a comment below!
Reviewed by Liss
on
October 24, 2025
Rating: 5
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