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Your base fare covers the essentials you’d expect on a contemporary premium line: accommodations, most onboard entertainment, and a large portfolio of dining venues. Star Princess’s included options go well beyond a single buffet and a single main dining room, with multiple casual venues (think global buffet-style dining, grab‑and‑go café items, Lido options, and promenade snack spots) designed to fit different day parts and cruising styles.
Princess also bakes a lot of day-to-day convenience into the experience through its MedallionClass ecosystem: a wearable Medallion (lanyard, sports band or pendant) acts as a digital key and can streamline embarkation, payments and other onboard interactions. Internet, gratuities and beverages are not universally included in the base fare, but Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages can bundle popular add-ons and, in some cases, make select casual/specialty dining choices feel closer to “included.”
Princess markets Star Princess as one of its biggest food and drink statements to date, with 29 restaurants and bars across the ship. For included dining, the three-level dining room is the anchor, with different venues and styles across Aurora (traditional dining) and Celestial (anytime dining), plus other included staples such as The Eatery, the International Café, and a constellation of Lido and promenade options that keep snacks and quick meals within easy reach.
Casual included spots are designed for flexibility. The Lido area is organized into multiple stations — greens, grill, pizza, tacos and coffee/ice cream — while the Promenade adds classic “between meal” fuel like slices, burgers and ice cream. This variety matters on a ship this size, because it helps distribute crowds and gives you an option that matches your schedule, whether you’re returning from a port day late or grabbing a fast bite before a show.
For specialty dining (extra charge unless covered by a package), the headline venues include Crown Grill for steak and seafood, Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria for handmade pasta and old-school comfort dishes, The Catch by Rudi for seafood, and The Butcher’s Block by Dario for meat- and grill-centric dining tied to celebrity butcher Dario Cecchini. If you prefer Japanese cuisine, Makoto Ocean focuses on Edomae-style sushi, while Umai offers teppanyaki and hot-pot formats that double as dinner-and-a-show.
Two of the ship’s most talked-about concepts blend dining with “only on this ship” theming. Love by Britto is a more theatrical, art-forward venue that pairs a boutique setting with a menu associated with Princess culinary leadership. Spellbound by Magic Castle is positioned as an “extraordinary experience,” combining cocktails, themed rooms and close-up magic inspired by Hollywood’s famed private club.
Bottom line: Star Princess is at its best when you treat meals as part of the vacation plan. Make reservations early for the most in-demand venues, mix a few specialty dinners with included favorites, and use the International Café and promenade options to smooth out the day between excursions, shows and pool time.
Star Princess is built around “big ship” variety, with multiple zones that make it easy to design your own sea day. The ship’s signature spaces — the Sphere (Piazza) and the Dome — are as much about daytime life as they are about night programming, with the Piazza functioning as an all-purpose social hub and the Dome shifting between poolside relaxation and staged entertainment depending on the hour.
For active cruisers, the SkyDeck sports court supports games like pickleball and basketball, and the jogging track adds a simple way to stay in motion between ports. Families and younger guests have dedicated kid and teen venues, and Princess also leans on line-wide crowd-pleasers such as Movies Under the Stars for evenings when you want something low-key.
Wellness is a major pillar. Star Princess has a two-story Lotus Spa complex and a full fitness program that includes studios and wellness-focused spaces. Outdoor relaxation areas are intentionally varied: the forward Sea View Terrace emphasizes panoramic ocean vistas, while the aft Wake View Terrace is designed around wake views and an infinity pool feel.
If you’re looking for a more premium “ship within a ship” experience, the Sanctuary Collection adds an elevated layer: access to a top-deck retreat area and exclusive dining and lounge options aimed at guests who want quieter spaces without leaving the ship’s main action behind.
Entertainment is one of Star Princess’s defining strengths, in part because Princess designed new, technically advanced venues to support more immersive productions. The Princess Arena is the centerpiece: a configurable theater designed to improve sightlines and adapt to different show formats, giving Princess more flexibility than a traditional fixed proscenium setup.
The ship also spreads entertainment beyond the main theater. Princess Live! hosts smaller-scale performances, game shows and interactive programming, while the Piazza’s open-plan layout encourages pop-up music and social moments that feel more like a lively hotel atrium than a cruise ship corridor.
For a ticketed, “special night out” style experience, “Spellbound by Magic Castle” is the marquee. It combines themed rooms, craft cocktails and close-up magic — ideal for couples or groups who want something more curated than a standard lounge set. Princess’s new show titles highlighted for Star Princess include production-style offerings such as Illuminate and Meridian, designed for the ship’s newer entertainment spaces.
Star Princess has 2,157 staterooms, including 80 suites, 123 mini-suites and more than 1,000 balcony cabins, plus a meaningful number of connecting rooms for families and multigenerational groups. On a ship this size, that cabin mix matters: It offers everything from efficient interior and oceanview categories to true suite-style accommodations built around space, privacy and access perks.
The newest “story” in the accommodations lineup is the Sanctuary Collection. Princess positions these staterooms as a quiet-luxury tier that pairs upgraded in-room comforts with access to exclusive venues (including the Sanctuary Restaurant and dedicated lounge areas), creating a calmer day-to-day experience that’s still integrated with the broader ship.
If you’re trying to optimize value, a balcony cabin is often the sweet spot on Star Princess: you get fresh air and a private perch for sailaways and scenic cruising, while still being able to lean on the ship’s extensive public spaces for lounging, dining and entertainment.
Princess generally keeps the onboard vibe “smart casual,” with most venues welcoming daytime resort wear and evenings skewing a notch dressier in dining rooms and specialty restaurants. You’ll see plenty of guests in sundresses, collared shirts and dark jeans at night, with some travelers choosing to dress up more formally for photos and special dinners.
For Star Princess specifically, pack with flexibility in mind: comfortable shoes for long port days, light layers for breezy deck time, and one or two outfits that feel special if you plan to book a premium dining night or experience a ticketed venue like Spellbound.
Star Princess is a mega-ship by Princess standards, and peak-time patterns apply. The most popular specialty restaurants and signature experiences will book up quickly, and pool decks can feel busy on sea days — especially on warm-weather itineraries. If you value a quieter pace, build in earlier dining times, off-peak lounging hours and, when possible, port days that naturally thin the ship.
While the ship offers a lot within the base fare, many of the vacation “extras” that frequent cruisers budget for — packages, premium dining, cocktails, specialty coffee, and some unique experiences — can add up. The good news is that Princess’s Plus and Premier options can simplify planning if you know you’ll use the inclusions; the caution is to do a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation before you buy.
Finally, because Star Princess is designed around marquee spaces like the Dome and the Sphere/Piazza, the ship’s atmosphere is intentionally social. Travelers looking for an ultra-quiet luxury ship should consider smaller vessels; travelers who want energy, variety and modern venues will be in the right place.
As with most major cruise lines, your fare does not automatically include items such as gratuities, alcoholic beverages beyond any promotions, specialty coffee, spa treatments, casino play, and many specialty dining experiences. Some casual and specialty venues carry a cover charge, and select room service options may involve a delivery fee unless you’re covered by a package.
Shore excursions are a separate cost unless bundled into a promotion or package. Given Star Princess’s inaugural Europe and Caribbean deployment, many guests will want to budget for at least a few “anchor” excursions — particularly in ports where independent touring is less convenient or where you’re aiming for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Highlights on Star Princess will include the following:
Princess Cruises has revealed that the new Sphere class ship will have expanded accommodation options with luxurious cabins and suites, including the new Reserve and Signature Collections. Sister ship Sun Princess is set to have a total of 2,157 cabins so that's a good bet for Star Princess as well.
Interested in a cruise on Star Princess? Contact a Cruiseable travel consultant at 1-877-322-3773, or by email, to get additional information and to find the best rates and value for your vacation dollar.
