This Might Be the Foodiest Cruise Ship in Europe—And It Sails From Rome to Athens

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This Might Be the Foodiest Cruise Ship in Europe—And It Sails From Rome to Athens originally appeared on Parade.
When the original Love Boat hit the airwaves in 1977, viewers were introduced to Princess Cruises' ship, the Pacific Princess, through its famed Acapulco itinerary. Thanks to beloved characters Captain Stubing, Julie, and Gopher, a cruise craze was born. Now, almost 50 years later, Princess Cruise is still celebrating its Love Boat legacy while embracing innovation every step of the way.
And one big way in particular is aboard its newest vessel, Sun Princess, which was christened in 2024 by Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham. With its innovative and truly over-the-top food program boasting 30+ gourmet dining options, passengers on European cruise sailings have something remarkable to come back to every night of their trip. Along with its sister ship, Star Princess, setting sail for the first time this fall, this cruise ship is the standout choice for official foodies only. An innovative sustainability program to help cut down on food waste completes the innovative offerings.
I got to take a taste earlier this year on board a 7-day sailing from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Athens, and in addition to delectable excursions in Naples, Sorrento, Crete, Istanbul and Mykonos, I ate my way through each of the 5-star restaurants, on-board buffets, casual pubs and eateries and even a British afternoon tea conceived by Queen Elizabeth's chef himself. And I can truly say, it was remarkable and incredibly value-driven. Here's a review of all the food & beverage experiences available on board—and what blew me away most.
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From what seems like a nearly 24-7 entertainment schedule in the ship's central piazza-a towering three-story glass sphere in the middle of the ship—to its nightly packed arena performances, there's a buzzing energy aboard the Princess, but make no mistake, this is no "party boat" cruise—everything about the experience from quick, iPad enabled boarding to modern deluxe balcony rooms to its zen-luxe Sanctuary Club, is high end. "By thoughtfully evolving our packages, we're ensuring they reflect what our guests truly desire—more flexibility, enhanced culinary experiences and opportunities to explore ashore—all the while retaining the exceptional benefits they've come to expect,' says Alfredo Jimenez, Princess Cruises Vice President, Onboard Revenue. 'Ultimately, it's about delivering an even more rewarding and personalized vacation experience."
Assembled by a team of visionary designers and engineers, the cruise ship has an open, flow-like atmosphere, encouraging myriad little discoveries, whether it's the "secret" wake-view infinity-edge pool at the boat's aft, the luxury shopping boutique with pre-loved Gucci and Goyards on the way to dinner or live session guitarists at the Irish Pub. Sixteen (!) lounges and bar spaces, two cafes and five pools with live entertainment mean there's never a wait for a signature Aperol spritz, a Chipotle-style taco at the poolside truck or an after-dinner gelato or espresso. Need something off-hours? OceanNow delivery service will come to your GPS-enabled location anywhere on the cruise to hand-deliver a snack, beverage or amenity in 15 minutes. (Seriously, I tried it a few times—it was amazing.)
With three main floors with fine and casual dining, a casino, a ship-length pool deck, a full-service spa & fitness center, jogging and pickleball spaces and glass-dome top deck with DJ nights, the ship feels like it has so much to explore, even for weeklong and multi-week sailings. At-sea days offer plenty of low-key fun, in the form of Cruise Director Cole's hourly dance parties in the piazza, water aerobic classes, live rock at the pool decks and ongoing trivia games at Princess Live! There's even an upscale, formal-dress-only immersive magic/cocktail experience called Spellbound that has to be seen to be believed.
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While Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian and Disney cruises also sail out of the popular European ports, Sun Princess tops them all, in number and celeb-chef distinction. Recognized by Condé Nast Traveler's Reader's Choice Awards 2024 as its overall favorite mega cruise, I could see why fans loved it. Celebrity-chef-driven dining options left nothing to be desired. Whether you felt like Italian Tuscan, a classic New York steakhouse, a romantic, intimate sunset meal or incredible fresh-caught selections at Makato sushi or Rudi's, you have your total pick. But beyond similar dining options typical with longer-stay cruiselines, it was truly the 5-star-level service that made these restaurants feel at the highest fine-dining level as opposed to typical all-inclusive and cruiseline options where it's more of a revolving door getting cruise-goers in and out. With pre-booked reservations, and standard multi-course menus, you truly felt as though you were dining in a New York-City restaurant, but with the ease of everything being taken care of pre-trip. Here is a rundown on each option, including some standout meal options:
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Princess offers seven fine-dining options, available through the Premier Pass, one large eatery and one diner-style breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet, a casual pub-style eatery, Horizons sit-down multi-level main restaurant for lunch and dinner, pool-side fare at the Lido deck, two coffee bars for quick lattes and baked goods on the go, plus with Spellbound by Magic Castle, an immersive hours-long cocktail and magic experience. Here were favorite menu moments from celeb-chef stand-outs:
Makoto Ocean by Chef Makoto Okuwa: Premier pass guests can choose à la carte sushi options or go for the 9-course Makato Ocean Signature Sushi Course—a stunning sushi masterclass including everything from blue fin tuna nigiri to stone crab temaki. Every bite was an explosion of flavor.
The Butcher's Block by Dario Cecchini: This Italian chophouse serves its upscale multi-course menu of antipasti, carpacchio, tartare and prime cuts like T-bone steak family-style so everyone can take a taste of the deliciousness.
The Catch by Rudi Sodamin: Conceived by the most decorated chef working at sea today, Chef Rudi's menu celebrates the ocean's bounty with exquisite, but not stuffy dishes including Tale of Citrus—a lobster-tail salad that's as beautiful to look at as it is to eat, filet mignon and lobster tail surf and turf and sole à la minute, fileted tableside.
Crown Grill Steakhouse: An NYC-style steakhouse with experienced waitstaff that seem to know just when your dirty martini needs refilling. Menu stand-outs include Black-and-Blue Onion French Soup with Jack Daniels, and Filet Mignon, NY Strip and Kansas City Strip cuts.
Sabatini's Trattoria Italian Dining: This Tuscan-style menu includes antipasti, pasta and main courses that celebrate favorites like panzella bread salad and carbonara. Try to see if the chef-table special menu is on offer for a truly rare treat in acclaimed Italian dining.
Umai Teppanyaki: Yes, teppanyaki-style dining with goofy chefs cooking up your food with a side of dad jokes has become a favorite at all-inclusive resorts and cruises for a reason—it's fun with big groups. The fresher-than-fresh rock shrimp, lobster tail and steak served up with all the banter make it stand out.
Love by Britto: Truly the most romantic and inventive restaurant on the ship, every menu item seemed conceived from an artist's palette, including the oyster with lemongrass, kafir, mirin and gold flakes amuse bouche to the duet of Prime Beef & Wagyu entree and a heart-shaped brioche—every item felt served with a side of love.
What It's Like to Stay in a Deluxe Balcony Cabin on the Sun Princess
Brand new as of February 2024, the ship has 2,162 staterooms, including interior and ocean-view rooms, balcony rooms, cabanna rooms, suites and Sanctuary Club-level accommodations. Bathrooms include a spacious stand-up shower, separate toilet area and full sink. Rooms are equally airy, including a queen-size bed with Egyptian cotton linens and turn-down service, a comfortable lounge area, SMART TV, bar with refrigerator and plenty of space to stow multiple luggage and unpack two separate wardrobes. More than 1,500 rooms include balconies with privacy slides on either side, perfect for after-dinner stargazing or early morning views of the port. Compared to other ships, the average square footage may be similar, but vacationers have commented that they love the freshened up, new room decor and premium space to spread out when relaxing or sleeping.
Where the Sun Princess Sails: Rome to Athens and Beyond
Princess' Mediterranean cruise route stops in major European ports along the Mediterranean Sea, making 7-21-day loops. As a cruise-goer, you can choose from port embarkation in Barcelona, Rome (Chittiavechia) or Athens, and there are overnight shore stay and cruise-shore excursion options as well. Sun Princess itinerary 2025 sailings are still available for last-minute bookings, and you can score some great deals through travel agents and other online booking sites. One tip I learned from repeat cruisers on board the ship was to make the $100 deposit / booking credit at the end of the cruise since that allows for the most credits and savings possible.
Is the Princess Premier Package Worth It? Here's What It Includes
Like most cruiselines, Princess offers base rates for staterooms, which include access to continental and International-style buffet dining, unlimited coffee and bakery items, dinner at main dining room Horizons and even basic room-service menus. While these options were totally adequate and offered everything from made-to-order omelettes, burgers, steak—you name it—partaking in the ship's Premier Pass is how you access all of its fine dining options, unlimited cocktails and wine and unlimited WiFi access. As of July 2025, full premier pass access costs about $100 per person, per day and includes:
Unlimited beverages, including alcoholic beverages like Duck Horn, Stag's Leap and Woodford Reserve Bourbon, hand-made coffee drinks, smoothies and bottled water. (Ideal for topping up before and after excursions.)
Unlimited specialty dining, including all the restaurants listed above. (Though for some premium cuts and seafood options, there are additional charges.)
Unlimited WiFi aboard the ship for four devices. This is actually huge and can save you hundreds on International roaming charges. On Princess Sun, it worked perfectly, and I never had an issue with outages.
Unlimited reserve seating for Princess theater arena shows, Broadway-style performances, comedy acts and magician shows.
Unlimited photos, Princess prizes and crew gratuities.
A new shore excursion credit, varying by voyage length: $100 (6–9 days), $200 (10–20 days), and up to $300 for voyages of 21+ days.
Sanctuary Club—Princess Sun's VIP level access reserved exclusively for adults—includes its own balcony suites, fine-dining restaurant and top-level pool deck. While we were able to sit pool-side and get served via it's super-funky (and highly social-media-friendly) Champagne wall where you ring a bell and are served a glass of chilled bubbly from an eerily gloved hand(!), I found the boat to be not too packed to really need it. Everything you'd want, from artisanal cocktails at Good Spirits to fine dining was available with the Premier Pass. It's also incredibly affordable, working out to about $3,000 per person for a 7-day sailing. Of course, there are always upcharges, and for meal options such as Wagyu steak at Teppanyaki, or whole lobster at Rudi's, there are additional costs, however, I found them to be totally reasonable for what was offered, and when thrown in as extras, you might not find the additional charges to be more than a few hundred on top of your stay.
Final Verdict: The Sun Princess Is the Best New Cruise for Food Lovers
I can safely say that this cruise is definitely a food lover's dream, and I was already envisioning coming back for a 50th birthday group party thanks to its plethora of options for every taste and food preference without the hassle of having to book everything myself. Even gluten-free foodies say it is the boat to beat when it comes to special diets. And beyond the culinary options, it was the overall always-on entertainment, anticipatory service of all waitstaff, hospitality of the cruise director, total professionalism of the experience and quiet-luxe style that made Princess standout among a sea—no pun intended—of competition. It's truly the best cruise for foodies in 2025.This Might Be the Foodiest Cruise Ship in Europe—And It Sails From Rome to Athens first appeared on Parade on Jul 28, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.