The Asian cruise market is booming. Recognizing the trend of younger passengers and a high proportion of family travelers, Princess Cruises has launched a Japan-bound voyage on the Sun Princess, themed around family fun.
Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Sun Princess exudes a strong Japanese ambiance. With a total displacement of 77,441 tons, it can accommodate over 2,000 passengers. The ship’s restaurants offer a variety of gourmet delights, including two main dining rooms serving five-course formal meals, the Sea Sushi Restaurant where professional chefs prepare fresh sushi, udon noodles, and sashimi, and the popular International Dessert Bar loved by kids, which serves special treats 24 hours a day.
For families, the Sun Princess highlights three key features. Feature one: Set sail and travel together—parents and children traveling as a family enhance family bonding. Setting off on a cruise avoids the exhaustion of long journeys, and with family travelers often carrying more luggage that can easily exceed weight limits, cruises have no baggage restrictions, making travel more convenient. Feature two: A floating family fun park—the “Discovery at SEA Lab.” The newly renovated Sun Princess adds numerous kid-friendly entertainment facilities and partners with the Discovery Channel to launch the Discovery at SEA Lab, offering programs tailored for children (ages 3–12) and teenagers (ages 13–17), along with nighttime stargazing activities, allowing families to enjoy quality time together.
Feature three: The “SHARE Restaurant” created by Curtis Stone. The Sun Princess collaborates with Curtis Stone, the chef from the TV show “Surfing the Menu,” emphasizing the concept of “sharing” by preparing meals and dividing them onto plates for family and friends, fostering connection through shared dishes.
This summer, the Sun Princess debuts a new island-hopping experience, visiting Okinawa, Ishigaki Island, Miyako Island in Japan, and even Amami Oshima, a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status. Passengers can enjoy diverse island vibes in one cruise and create unforgettable summer memories.
Following the success of the Sapphire Princess last year, Princess Cruises has added three more ships—the Majestic Princess, Sun Princess, and Diamond Princess—to solidify its market presence. In 2017, the Sapphire Princess operated 49 voyages, carrying approximately 120,000 passengers. This year, the three ships will operate a total of 52 voyages, with passenger numbers expected to rise to 150,000.
Curtis Stone, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and North American Operations at Princess Cruises, stated that statistics show family travelers account for over 50% of Princess Cruises’ annual passengers. The newly refurbished Sun Princess, launched in June this year, is designed with a “family fun” theme and includes many new experience facilities—stay tuned. Meanwhile, the Diamond Princess will arrive in Taiwan in November, adopting the “common homeport” concept for the first time, with Keelung (Taiwan), Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka (Japan) serving as homeports. It will not only carry Taiwanese passengers but also welcome Japanese travelers aboard for unique cruise experiences.
(China Times)