After both previous sailings were cancelled, we weren’t expecting our 10-day Mediterranean cruise to go ahead. Ultimately, our cruise on the Sun Princess, the latest ship from Princess Cruises, became its maiden voyage.
The planned inaugural cruise of the Sun Princess was departing from Rome, Italy, calling at Naples, Crete, Kusadasi, Turkey, Athens, Sicily and Palma Mallorca before arriving at Barcelona, Spain. The cruise itinerary did include Santorini but due to issues with the cable car, the port was changed to Crete.
This was our first cruise with Princess Cruises and we didn’t know what to expect although we were excited at being the very first passengers on this brand-new sphere-class cruise ship. So let’s see how we got on.
Sun Princess Embarkation – Civitavecchia, Rome
Embarkation on the maiden voyage of Sun Princess. We are departing from the Port of Civitavecchia, Rome.
The 10-day cruise around the Mediterranean begins with port stops in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Spain.
We have a pleasant surprise with our room allocation.
Naples – Sorrento And Pompeii
The first port of call on our cruise is Naples, the regional capital of Campania, Italy.
A small group of us take an excursion to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast before a guided tour of the ancient city of Pompeii. it was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
Crete And Kusadasi, Turkey
Unfortunately, the planned stop at Santorini was cancelled so it was off to Crete for a day before heading to Kusadasi, Turkey.
The port of Kusadasi is close to the ancient city of Ephesus, once the location of the Temple of Artemis —one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Sea Days And Athens, Greece
After Turkey, it was back to Athens, Greece. Although Athens is home to the Parthenon, it isn’t the most picturesque city.
However, the hourly changing of the guard at the Presidential Mansion is worth a visit.
It was then back onboard for another sea day as the Sun Princess sailed toward Sicily.
Messina And Taormina, Sicily
Sun Princess reaches Messina, Sicily. We take a 45-minute train ride to the picturesque town of Taormina (Godfather country).
The town sits on top of a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the snowcapped peak of Mount Etna.
We highly recommend visiting Taormina.
Palma, Mallorca – It’s The End Sun Princess
The next stop was Palma, Mallorca. A beautiful city and the capital city of the Spanish Balearic Islands.
The Old Town of Palma is a maze of narrow Moorish streets, perfect for exploring on foot. And you can’t miss La Seu, the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma.
Finally, it was an overnight cruise to cloudy and wet Barcelona for disembarkation.
Despite several venues not being ready and a change in itinerary we enjoyed our inaugural cruise on the Sun Princess. The food in the buffet and the dining rooms was very good and the serving staff were excellent. As we’ve experienced on other cruises, the staff you meet every day work very hard but further up the management tree, it tends not to be so good, especially when there is an issue.
The ship’s design is stylish but not ultra-modern and there isn’t a statement feature as you enter the ship. We liked the design, understated yet luxurious. No sparkly staircase for Instagrammers.
In a few months, when everything is up and running. We think the ship would be excellent and we would recommend Sun Princess and Princess Cruises (NOT Sponsored).
