Sun Princess, the newest and next-level Love Boat from Princess Cruises, has been named a 2025 Good Housekeeping Family Travel Award Winner, an accolade reserved for exceptional family experiences. Coming on the heels of being named Condé Nast Traveler’s Mega Ship of the Year, this recognition further establishes Sun Princess as a standout in the global cruise industry.
The Good Housekeeping Family Travel Awards spotlight destinations and experiences that deliver extraordinary value, quality, and joy for families traveling together—from parents with young children to grandparents reuniting with the whole clan.The 2025 winners were chosen based on a rigorous selection process that included expert reviews, consumer feedback, and real-world testing by Good Housekeeping’s team of editors. The ship’s unique blend of innovation, luxury, and entertainment makes it a one-of-a-kind setting for commemorating life’s significant moments.
“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from one of the most trusted names in family recommendations,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. “Our ship was designed to bring generations together through unforgettable experiences at sea, and this award reaffirms our commitment to creating cherished family memories.”
Sun Princess introduces the new, innovative Sphere Class ship platform that has been designed exclusively for Princess Cruises. A true engineering marvel, Sun Princess recently completed an inaugural cruise season in the Mediterranean and debuted in Ft. Lauderdale last month for the ship’s first Caribbean season. Its sister ship, Star Princess, will join the fleet in Fall 2025 offering Caribbean itineraries alongside Sun Princess before Star Princess transitions to Alaskan voyages in Spring 2026.
Princess ships are renowned for offering spacious venues and Sun Princess takes that to the next level. The Dome is a ground-breaking geodesic, glass-enclosed structure at the top of the ship inspired by the terraces of Santorini that features an extraordinary indoor-outdoor pool and solarium by day that transforms into a venue for all-ages entertainment each night.
Sun Princess also boasts a suspended Sphere Atrium, the namesake of this new class of ship, which takes the central Piazza hub of the ship into a new dimension, where guests can dance to music that spans generations or take part in other curated activities that bring loved ones together as they enjoy expansive ocean views.
For younger travelers seeking age-specific adventures, Sun Princess offers a range of supervised clubs. These complimentary areas include:
Firefly Park – For the youngest guests, this innovative, imaginative and immersive space, located on deck six, invites younger youth and family to explore, play and socialize. Whether through the program’s structured activities featuring art projects, science experiments or climbing walls and structures, this space encourages exploration and discovery of new people, cultures and places, and fosters a special connection to the sea. Firefly Park also invites families of babies and toddlers, ages six months to three, to crawl and engage their senses with a dedicated play area. After hours babysitting is available from 10 pm – 1 am for $5.
Neon Grove (tweens) and Underground (teens) – Located on deck seven, two separate areas offer an inviting space for tweens and teens to hang out, interact and just have fun. Both spaces feature colorful, comfy sofas and chairs for lounging, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles, plus air hockey, foosball, and skeeball. Program activities for these age groups include ship scavenger hunts, movie nights, hosted games and dance parties.
Additional Sun Princess features include:
- Best Foodie Destination at Sea: 30 restaurant and bar venues across the ship, including celebrity collaborations such as Spellbound by Magic Castle (the cruise line’s second “Extraordinary Experience” blending magic with mixology), Makoto Ocean (sushi by Chef Makoto Okuwa); Love by Britto (a romantic, art-infused restaurant by Romero Britto); The Butcher’s Block by Dario (perfectly prepared beef and steak from the world’s most famous butcher – Dario Cecchini; grilling up perfectly prepared beef and steak); The Catch by Rudi (an exceptional dinner concept from renowned chef Rudi Sodamin showcasing treasures from the sea); and Umai Teppanyaki, a first on a Princess ship.
- Showstopping Entertainment: The Princess Arena, a state-of-the-art theater, and Cirque Éloize performances in The Dome.
The ship also features the line’s signature MedallionClass technology for personalized, premium service, reinforcing Princess Cruises’ reputation for delivering exceptional family vacations.
The full award feature can be found on goodhousekeeping.com/familytravel2025.
Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-Princess (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting www.princess.com.
