Sun Princess

The main pool deck has two pools big enough to swim laps, with seating around the edges and loungers in the water. Lido Slice, Lido Tacos (with tacos and shawarma), the Lido Grill and Coffee & Cones keep lunch easy, and the Movies Under the Stars screen shows first-run films and big games. Above it all sits the Dome, a glass-roofed venue with a stage, padded tiered loungers, aerial acts at night, an indoor/outdoor pool and the Cascade Bar.

Sun Princess has open-air retreats at both ends. Forward, the Seaview Terrace and Seaview Bar are adults-only, with a pool that connects into the Dome, plenty of loungers and some shelter from the wind. Terraced tiers with day beds step down to views straight over the bow. All the way aft, the Wake View Terrace has an infinity pool, two hot tubs, lounge seating and the Wake View Bar, a favorite spot for sail away.

The Sanctuary Collection is new for Princess, a ship-within-a-ship for guests in Sanctuary suites, mini-suites and balconies. Its Sanctuary Club sits on the top deck with a bar, food service all day, a pool big enough for laps, a hot tub, day beds and extra-padded loungers that run to the aft. Private cabanas cost extra. Suite guests also get the two-level Signature Suite Lounge, with a grand piano, light bites and concierge service.

The Piazza is the ship's gathering place, with three stories of glass windows, lounge seating that steps up several decks, a moving stage, a DJ and aerial acts from above. Around it are Coffee Currents, Bellini's cocktail bar, Crooners piano bar, the International Café and Alfredo's Pizzeria with its open kitchen. Makoto Ocean serves sushi, sashimi and a full tasting menu, and it's one of the most popular specialty options on board.

The Arena is unlike any theater Princess has built before. It's a theater in the round, with a stage that rises and lowers, a huge LED screen and seats that wrap around the sides, so every view is close. Expect aerial acrobatics, singers, dancers and guest entertainers, and it's the largest cast Princess has had on a ship. Nearby, the casino has roulette, craps, blackjack and poker tables plus a wide range of machines.

The specialty lineup runs deep. Umai pairs teppanyaki tables, where the chefs keep you laughing, with hot pot on the side. Sabatini's Italian Trattoria is bigger on this ship, with handmade pastas from an open kitchen, caprese and tiramisu. The Crown Grill remains the classic Princess steakhouse, and The Catch by Rudi, from celebrity chef Rudi Sodamin, focuses on seafood. Depending on your package, some specialty dining may be included.

O'Malley's Irish Pub has been a big hit, with live Irish music, pub food and Guinness on tap. Princess Live! hosts trivia, game shows and comedy, and the Wheelhouse Bar is back for a pre-dinner drink. Good Spirits at Sea is a bar with a teaching twist: cameras over the bar put the mixologist's work on screens all around, and the bartenders walk you through making cocktails or mocktails, recipes included.

The Lotus Spa has expanded treatments for Sun Princess, from massages and wraps to acupuncture, med-spa services, teeth whitening and a new IV therapy offering, plus a salon and barber shop. Couples rooms come with their own shower. The Enclave thermal suite (extra cost) has heated ergonomic stone loungers, a hydrotherapy pool with bubble loungers, a steam room, a salt room, a sauna and experience showers to use as a circuit.