Why This Ship Is Excellent for Households

On board the 4,300-passenger Solar Princess, Princess Cruises’ new and largest ship, I ate very good sushi, stayed in a set I’d rank among the many best-designed at sea, and acquired a stark reminder of how a lot I dislike crowds.

One factor’s for positive: This isn’t your grandmother’s cruise. The Solar Princess is a fancier and livelier Love Boat for individuals who like their ships huge and their days filled with actions.

The 21-deck ship has all of it: Princess has beefed up the architectural options, culinary choices, and inventive leisure. This can be a enjoyable ship with loads of amusements on its higher decks and numerous different issues to do, together with stage performances and magic exhibits. (It additionally runs on liquified pure fuel, a cleaner gas supply than is typical within the business.)

Solar Princess definitely delivers some breathtaking moments. The Dome is a ship-topping glass dome which homes a lush, tiered lounge impressed by the Greek island of Santorini, with an indoor-outdoor pool. At evening, this area turns into an intimate scorching spot with a 250-seat theater for watching acrobats and aerialists whirl via the area. It’s a wow.

On my cruise, a six-night crusing from Rome to Barcelona in April, the climate was nonetheless a bit cool and generally wet, which resulted in folks spending extra time indoors than out. (It didn’t assist that the ship’s marquee household amusement points of interest — together with a journey that mimics the texture of dangle gliding — weren’t but up and operating.) I observed the crowds at a number of venues, together with whereas looking for a seat within the theater, comedy membership, and the Dome, in addition to on the Eatery, a bountiful buffet-style restaurant the place the crew serves visitors.

That being stated, vacationers can discover moments of privateness on board: There’s an array of suites and different premium staterooms and a few include entry to their very own non-public eating places and lounging areas.

I need to admit some disappointment on this ship’s three-deck Piazza, one other gathering spot. On earlier Princess ships, this venue felt like an Italian city sq., surrounded by cafes, bars, and eating places — it’s a spot I loved a lot that I acquired married within the Piazza of Regal Princess. On Solar Princess, although, the area is encased in a glass bubble, which appears to lure the noise from sport exhibits, events, and different reside leisure in close by areas. For me, it was a temper killer as my husband and I loved the fabulous omakase menu at Makoto Ocean within the Piazza. However for a lot of different visitors on board, the celebration stored going.

Right here’s a more in-depth take a look at the numerous options and facilities of Solar Princess and my evaluate of the ship.

Staterooms and Suites

Solar Princess has 2,157 staterooms, together with 100 connecting rooms for households or pals seeking to keep shut. The overwhelming majority of rooms are small, as is typical on ships of this measurement, with inexpensive choices just like the 215-square-foot oceanview or 136- to 145-square foot inside cabins; all have understated, up to date décor.

On the different finish of the spectrum are 4 classes of suites — 80 of them in complete. The very best of the very best are the Signature Sky Suites that sleep as much as 5 visitors in two bedrooms, plus a settee, and have two full loos. At 1,262 sq. toes, together with the balcony, they afford the posh of area, notably for many who wish to keep away from crowds across the ship. Different Signature Suites vary from 304 to 636 sq. toes, inclusive of balcony area. All suites unlock perks akin to unique lounging and eating.

I used to be notably taken by my Cabana Mini Suite, which was barely larger than 300 sq. toes, all in, however which felt roomy. These and different rooms akin to commonplace Mini Suites and Premium Deluxe Balcony cabins make up the Reserve Assortment, which additionally has its personal non-public restaurant and outside lounge space.

Starting in October 2024, visitors in all these classes could have included of their fare entry to the Sanctuary, an space beforehand open to anybody prepared to pay a day-use payment. Princess goals to rebrand the area as a non-public Sanctuary Membership, open solely to Signature Suites and Reserve Assortment visitors.

Bars and Eating places

Solar Princess has 30 bars and eating places, lots of them in partnership with food-world celebrities and different huge names. Along with Makoto, different collaborations onboard embrace the Butcher’s Block by Dario, a wild beef-focused idea from famed Italian butcher Dario Cecchini, the place the multi-course menus are served family-style; and one with Romero Britto, the Brazilian artist, who has lent his identify and graffiti-inspired aesthetic to a high-end tasting menu expertise. (It was, disappointingly, not but open once I was on board.) Then there’s SMiZE Cream, the ice cream outlet from supermodel Tyra Banks; Royal Afternoon Tea created by precise royal chef Darren McGrady; and a “grasp winemaker” tasting with a seal of approval from Gérard Bertrand, the vintner. All of those high-end choices come at additional cost.

However Princess doesn’t skimp relating to included choices. The multi-level Horizon eating room, designed to maximise ocean views, has choose dishes created with the Culinary Institute of America. Deck 6 is reserved for conventional early- and late-seating eating the place you might be assigned a desk; deck 7 has anytime eating, although reservations are really useful. There’s additionally an off-the-cuff idea, American Diner, the place you may get breakfast all day or order burgers, shakes, fried rooster, and different comfort-food favorites.

The Eatery takes the place of a conventional buffet, with crew dishing up Asian, Mexican, salads, Mongolian BBQ, Italian, tapas, and different choices. There’s additionally free quick meals together with burgers and pizza on the Promenade and Lido Deck.

Princess regulars will likely be pleased to search out acquainted venues together with the nautically impressed Wheelhouse Bar and Crown Grill steakhouse.

The place Solar Princess Sails

The ship follows the solar to the Mediterranean in spring and summer season and the Caribbean in fall and winter. In Europe, cruises from Athens, Barcelona, and Southampton, England vary from seven to 14 nights, with a couple of longer choices. Within the Caribbean, weeklong sailings are from Fort Lauderdale to the Jap Caribbean (both Turks & Caicos and Dominican Republic or San Juan and St. Thomas) with a cease on the non-public Princess Cays within the Bahamas. Western Caribbean cruises embrace Cozumel, Mexico.

Shore Excursions

Along with the standard lineup of bus, strolling, and biking excursions in and round most port cities, Princess has an unique partnership with TV’s Discovery Channel, to provide varied historic, household pleasant, and wildlife excursions. The corporate has additionally lately launched some excursions created by Nationwide Geographic. Throughout a go to to Gibraltar, my husband took one of many “Discovery Beneficial” excursions, which explored the World Conflict II–period tunnels of “The Rock,” and got here again raving about it. Princess additionally has a spread of Native Connections excursions, which goal to attach passengers with, for example, the homeowners of a household horse farm or a chef who can information vacationers via a market, each in Cartagena, Spain, a spot I visited on my current journey.

Facilities and Leisure

There’s a ton to do on Solar Princess. The new leisure ticket — and, actually, there needs to be a ticketing system — is for the circus exhibits within the Dome, with seating for 250 visitors. The primary theater, Princess Area, is a brand new idea that’s adaptable to totally different stage types together with theater-in-the-round. Right here, I noticed a pirate-themed present enhanced by high-tech particular results, with singers and dancers performing hits such because the Eurythmics’ “Candy Desires” and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” It was an entire blast.

Conserving with the Eighties theme, “Soiled Dancing” performed together with different hits on the enormous, outside Motion pictures Beneath the Stars display screen within the Lido pool space. The Snort Lounge, within the Princess Stay! leisure venue, performed host to visiting comedians; it was one other scorching spot on my cruise. The Piazza additionally has leisure, together with reside music, DJ units, and sport exhibits.

Spellbound by Magic Fortress begins with a magic-themed dinner, then proceeds via a secret black door to rooms the place visiting professionals wow onlookers and stage exhibits in an intimate theater. Try the classic pictures and posters from the true Magic Fortress in L.A., or attempt to crack the key of card tips over dramatic drinks akin to Escape from Houdini’s Chest, a cinnamon vodka concoction that arrives in a smoking chest with handcuffs.

On the prime the ship, Park19 is an exercise wonderland for the household, with options such because the Splash Zone, a hammock space, and a function known as Infinite Horizon, with partitions that tilt past the deck, providing sweeping views of the ocean.

Solar Princess has 5 swimming pools and 9 scorching tubs. On my voyage, I discovered the “hidden” Wake View Terrace pool on Deck 8 to be far much less crowded than the 2 Lido deck choices.

Elsewhere, each the on line casino and the Lotus Spa on the ship have been enlarged in comparison with comparable amenities on different Princess ships.

Household-friendly Choices

Solar Princess is a superb selection for these with children, and the ship has youth and teenage facilities with counselors supervising age-appropriate actions for ages 6 months to 17 years. Firefly Park Youngsters Membership is for ages 3 to 7 (and youthful, so long as mother and father are current with their youngsters). Neon Grove is the place for teenagers aged 8 to 12, and the Underground is for teenagers. Actions for the youthful children embrace an outside play space with tricycles, whereas older children get PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Change gaming consoles, plus skee-ball.

Accessibility

Solar Princess has extra accessible cabins, 51, than different ships within the model’s fleet, and so they span most classes, together with suites. There’s even one accessible Signature Sky Suite. The upper-deck amusement journey, Sea Breeze, is accessible, as are many different areas of the vessel. The Princess web site has plenty of particulars about accessibility options, together with provisions for many who use mobility gadgets and other people with different particular wants.