Princess Cruises’ newest ship, Sun Princess, is going all out to celebrate her first holiday season at sea, offering guests special entertainment, traditional dinner menus, and holiday decorations on voyages that include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.
The 4,300-guest ship, the first in the line’s new Sphere class, is sailing 7- and 14-day Eastern and Western Caribbean “Holidays at Sea” cruises from Port Everglades, Florida.
Each of the holiday season voyages begins with a vibrant song-and-dance Tree Lighting Celebration in the ship’s Piazza, a multi-deck atrium with a grand spiral staircase that serves as the centerpiece of the ship. A guest will be selected to light the tree, which Princess Cruises promises will be the largest tree ever to grace one of its ships.
The Piazza will be the location of the Santa Tracker, where guests can follow Old Saint Nick on Christmas Eve as he travels toward the Sun Princess, and boards the ship to interact with guests.
Other entertainment will include the Princess World Orchestra performing “A Jazz Era Holiday Tribute” concert, and a Holly Jolly Sweater Party, where guests can put on their holiday sweaters and dance to holiday tunes chosen by a DJ.
For children, the cruise line’s mascot, Stanley the Bear, will be the focus of hide-and-seek games called Stanley, the New Elf’s Daily Hide and Seek. There also will be holiday trivia competitions and movies, with classic holiday films shown on the Movies Under the Stars outdoor screen.
Guests who are onboard for New Year’s Eve can put on their best party clothes for a gala countdown event featuring the Sun Princess Band and a champagne toast to ring in the new year.
“Our team has created a lineup of magical holiday experiences you won’t find anywhere else,” said Becky Thomson Foley, head of global entertainment at Princess Cruises.
“Whether you’re planning a memorable escape this year or looking ahead to the 2025 holiday season, immerse yourself in the holiday spirit, as at Princess, entertainment really does happen all around you,” added Thomson Foley.
The holiday fun extends to the ship’s dinner menus and cocktails. Thanksgiving dinner will feature a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, while the Christmas dinner entree will feature prime rib.
Hanukkah latkes will be served, and special cocktails will include a cranberry vodka drink called The Jingle and a spicy pecan beverage called Charm.
Religious services will include a Hanukkah Candle Lighting and service, a Christmas Eve Protestant Service, a Christmas Eve Catholic Service, and Interdenominational Christmas and Church services.
A new art show will debut on these holiday cruises, too. Called “ArtBeat a Happy Heart by Britto,” the show will feature the work of Romero Britto, founder of the Happy Art Movement. The show will be presented in collaboration with Cirque Eloize, the popular Canadian circus production company.
Britto has been a partner of Princess Cruises’ since Sun Princess launched in February 2024, when his specialty restaurant Love by Britto debuted aboard the new vessel.
Holiday Sailings Feature Caribbean’s Sun Destinations
Guests who wish to sail aboard Sun Princess during the Thanksgiving holiday can book a 7- or 14-day cruise departing on November 23, 2024. The 7-day Western Caribbean options visit Roatan Island, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.
Read Also: Eastern vs. Western Caribbean Cruise: Which Will I Prefer?
The 14-day voyage is a Western and Eastern Caribbean combination cruise, which adds calls at Princess Cays, Bahamas; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; and Grand Turk Island.
The Christmas cruise departure date is December 21, 2024, and a similar 7- or 14-day option is offered. The 7-day cruise calls at Roatan, Belize City, and Cozumel, and the 14-day voyage adds Princess Cays, Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
December 28, 2024, is the departure date for New Year cruises, also offered in 7- and 14-day versions. The 7-day sailing calls at the Eastern Caribbean ports of Princess Cays, San Juan, and Charlotte Amalie, while the longer option adds the Western Caribbean ports of Roatan, Belize City, and Cozumel.
