Princess Cruises is the OG of the modern cruise industry. Not only did it launch nearly 60 years ago, its star rose sharply in the late 1970s when its Pacific Princess ship was cast in the television show The Love Boat. The popular series, which ran from 1977 to 1986, introduced new generations to the world of cruising and to the Princess brand.
The Santa Clarita, CA-based company today boasts 16 ships across the fleet that carry millions of guests each year to 330 destinations around the globe. It’s charting a new course with its latest and largest ship, the Sun Princess.
The 177,882-ton, 4,300-guest Sun Princess, which launched in the Mediterranean this past February, is the first in the line’s Sphere class ship and billed as a “next-level Love Boat.” In addition to its size and revamped aesthetics, Princess has stepped up its food and beverage program with the Sun.
The ship offers 30 new and signature dining and lounge options including celebrity collaborators, high-end ingredients and unique culinary experiences. “Sun Princess is the greatest foodie destination at sea,” boasts Sami Kohen, the cruise line’s vice president of food and beverage.
For instance, Good Spirits at Sea with Rob Floyd offers destination-inspired cocktail creations from celebrity mixologist Rob Floyd. The Catch by Rudi is an elegant dinner concept specializing in seafood from renowned Chef Rudi Sodamin, who serves as head of culinary arts for Princess.
The Butcher’s Block by Dario is a specialty meat-centric pop-up restaurant from famed butcher Dario Cecchini, while Makoto Ocean by Chef Makoto Okuwa takes a creative approach to traditional sushi.
The beverage program has been upgraded as well. “We have more than 218 cocktails on board, which were just introduced for the Sun Princess,” says Carlos Justina, the ship’s director of food and beverage. Every different venue has its own cocktails, “and the designs of the drinks, the garnishes, are all about high-level quality,” he notes.
Intriguing vessels
Princess also invested in unique cocktail glassware and tableware for the Sun. For example, The Blowfish rum punch cocktail at the Wakeview bar comes in a glass vessel shaped like a blowfish and is garnished with fruit and edible flowers.
The Watering The Garden drink at the Cascade Bar, made with strawberry-infused Hendrick’s gin, Pimm’s, elderflower, lime and basil, arrives in a small brass watering can. It’s then poured into a rocks glass over a large infused ice sphere.
The Wheelhouse bar’s Ship In A Bottle, a large-format drink made with whiskey, tea and port wine, is presented in a glass cylindrical vessel, with a miniature ship inside: You don’t get to see the ship until most of the drink is poured out.
The Revenge of The Kraken, also at the Wheelhouse, serves six tequila-based cocktails (two each of three different drinks) from Diageo brands in a display shaped like the legendary sea octopus.
“We source these items from all over the world, depending on the goal of the particular space or setting,” Kohen says of the drinkware. “Sometimes our team is inspired by a particular theme, or perhaps something they have seen while traveling abroad. Our F&B team is very collaborative, so we appreciate everyone’s input when deciding how to set up or change a particular setting.”
Sensory F&B options
On the more experiential end of dining, Spellbound by Magic Castle captures the essence of Hollywood’s exclusive Magic Castle, a members-only magician clubhouse in Hollywood. From its ornate decor with vintage curiosities and special effects, to surprises in themed rooms, to feats of magic from skilled magicians and illusionists, to a Parlor Bar with theatrical cocktails, Spellbound by Magic Castle provides an interactive and immersive experience.
For example, a cocktail called Escape From Houdini’s Chest, made with cinnamon- and strawberry-infused vodka, elderflower liqueur and lime, is served in a glass placed in a small chest filled with smoke.
The Professor cocktail, with rosemary/lemon-infused Hendrick’s gin, elderflower, velvet falernum and lemon, arrives in a coupe glass housed in what looks like a small vintage birdcage. Embossed into the drink’s foam is an image of an owl — Artemis, the guardian of the Spellbound club’s secrets.
The Sun’s new boutique restaurant Love by Britto celebrates the artist Romero Britto, founder of the Happy Art Movement. The 68-seat venue, which opened in late June, offers a romantic seven-course, prix fixe menu complemented by an extensive wine list and several love-themed cocktails. The intimate space celebrates the artist’s love of vivid colors, bold patterns and heartfelt emotions.
Specialty drinks at Love by Britto include the Strawberry Love Potion, made with Tequila Rose, Disaronno Amaretto, Chambord and strawberries; Expresso My Love, with Jameson Irish whiskey, OM chocolate liqueur, Disaronno Amaretto, Demerara, chocolate bitters and espresso; and the Britto Coupe, with Grey Goose strawberry and lemongrass vodka, Aperol, Cointreau, lime and strawberries.
The Sun also offers two new experiences in the Good Spirits at Sea Lounge. In one, Chef Darren McGrady — personal chef to members of the British Royal Family — leads a sophisticated Royal Afternoon Tea and shares his experiences and stories through digital media.
French winemaker Gérard Bertrand hosts a special wine tasting via visual media to showcase the flavors of his bio-diverse wines, the landscape and stories of the Languedoc region of southern France.
“Both are unique and intimate experiences that our guests have really enjoyed thus far,” says Kohen.
Princess is recognized for its wine selections that include more than 250 labels of wines designed to pair with the menus. The company last year partnered with Caymus Vineyards to offer a five-course Caymus Winemaker Dinner, available on all ships in the fleet.
Dawn of a new ship class
Princess began its journey in 1965 when founder Stanley B. McDonald chartered a Canadian Pacific steamer called Princess Patricia for cruises from Los Angeles to Mexico. The Pennisular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) acquired Princess in 1974 and expanded the fleet considerably. Carnival Corp. bought P&O Princess International in 2003.
The newest ship is the third to be named Sun Princess; the first ship sailed from 1974 to 1988 and was used to shoot the pilot episode of The Love Boat in Mexico. The second, which sailed from 1995 to 2020, had the largest number of balcony cabins at that time, and the cruise line’s first 24-hour cafe.
The new Sun was officially christened by its godmother, the actress Hannah Waddingham, in Barcelona this past April. It offers the most balconies and sun decks on any Princess ship, and the largest casino ever built by the line. Sun Princess is also the first LNG (liquefied natural gas) vessel for the company, reducing greenhouse gas emissions with energy recovery systems for eco-conscious cruising.
The design emphasizes expansive ocean views, with architectural elements such as The Dome — the cruise industry’s first geodesic feature on the top deck — and The Sphere, a suspended glass Sphere Piazza at the center of the ship. A sister ship, Star Princess, will be the second in the Sphere Class of ships for Princess and is scheduled to launch in fall 2025.
In addition to the new food and beverage venues, Princess elevated its main Horizons dining room on the Sun to a three-story space with aft views. Chef Rudi Sodamin teamed up with the Culinary Institute of America to create its inaugural menus.
The cruise line also increased flexibility and choice with three different dining options for Horizons: traditional, reservable or walk-in anytime. The move was popular with guests: Princess Cruises in April announced it was rolling out the three dining options across its fleet.
Full steam ahead
Cruising has come a long way since The Love Boat set sail, when the buffets ruled and most ships served dinner at two fixed times — early and late seatings. Guests were also typically assigned to a seating and table, with the same people, for the entire cruise.
The cruise lines have had to navigate the changing preferences for more flexibility, different options, higher quality and specialty offerings. They also have to keep raising the bar to appeal to consumers with greater expectations.
In another step Princess has taken to update and differentiate its beverage program, the company in late May revealed the Love Line Premium Liquors collection with celebrity partners. The exclusive line of wines and spirits includes Voli Vodka by Pitbull and Melorosa sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon from Jason Aldean.
It also includes Love Prosecco, a collaboration between Romero Britto and winemaker Villa Sandi. The prosecco is served at Love by Britto and available in bars across the Princess fleet.
The Love Line collection made its debut on the Sun Princess and rolled out to all the ships in the fleet throughout the summer. “It further elevates the onboard experience by providing guests with premium, specially crafted beverages they won’t find anywhere else,” says Kohen.
“Our guests are looking for unique dining experiences, which is why we’ve added so many new and exciting programming and venues onboard our ships,” he notes. The partnerships formed with celebrity collaborators in the F&B space “have also elevated our offerings immensely, especially on Sun Princess.”
