I didn’t expect to be sailing on the Star Princess transatlantic sailing, but here we are. Thanks to a last-minute deal that was too good to pass up, I boarded Wednesday in order to enjoy a few days on board Princess’ newest ship as she sailed from Barcelona to Port Everglades, Florida.
The ship just launched on October 4, and this is only her third cruise as she repositions to Florida for her inaugural Caribbean season. (Next summer, the ship will be doing Alaskan itineraries.)
Like I said, this was a last-minute addition for my pretty packed travel schedule. I was working in Asia and the Middle East when I came across a great rate, so I reached out to my travel agent to book it.
I’m already scheduled to be on this ship for a three-day sailing out of Florida in early November. But when it comes to a ship this big — and this new — three days isn’t nearly enough to experience all it has to offer.
So I’ll be using this trip to check out some of the venues and activities I won’t have time to experience on that shorter sailing next month. Then I will save the the cruise in November to check out Spellbound (the speakeasy magic venue) and some of the signature shows.
Arrival in Barcelona
I flew in from Doha on Qatar Airways. It’s a six-hour flight, and I was able to book a Qsuite in business class using miles. That meant I’d have a lay-flat seat and meal service on demand. It was pretty bougie, and will make going back to economy a tough sell. (In cruise terms, it’s the equivalent of going from a top-notch suite to an interior stateroom!)
Barcelona is starting to roll out its new European Travel Information and Authorisation System system, which will eventually replace passport stamps with digital tracking.
ETIAS is a new electronic screening system that will soon be required for visa-exempt travelers entering most European countries, designed to enhance border security and streamline entry.
As of this week, they were still setting up, but it looks close to being live.
For my pre-cruise stay, I booked the Grand Hyatt Barcelona Towers. It’s only a couple miles from the airport and about 10 minutes to the port, making it pretty ideal.
Normally I’d stay at the Eurostars Grand Marina for ease of travel, but they were asking over $500 for the night, which was too rich for my blood. The Hyatt cost a fraction of that and even gave me a room upgrade without asking. Win/win!
I usually use Welcome Pickups when flying into a port city, but this time I tried the FreeNow ride share app, which is fairly new to Barcelona and powered by Lyft.
It’s a good option if you’d rather not deal with euros or questionable taxi drivers. Just make sure you have data on your phone, like you would when ordering an Uber back home.
Both my rides, airport to hotel and hotel to port, were 22 euro (or about $25) each with FreeNow.
Embarkation and First Impressions
Embarkation was smooth and efficient. Since this was a last-minute booking, I didn’t get my medallion shipped ahead of time, so I picked it up at the terminal.
The Helix Terminal was very quick when it came to processing guests. Those that already had the medallion went from security to the waiting area.
From curb to ship it took me under 30 minutes, and it would’ve been faster if I’d been paying attention! As a Platinum guest with Princess, I could have used priority boarding but missed the announcements because I was listening to music.
Spanish immigration was also checking passports at the terminal, so I picked up another stamp before boarding!
You enter Star Princess on Deck 7, right into the Piazza. There’s nothing better than when a ship is able to really “wow” you immediately, and this one does.
A DJ was playing, but with passengers still boarding, it didn’t quite have that party energy yet. That would pick up as the day went on, with the part atmosphere being in full-force by mid-afternoon.
Embarkation Day Lunch
Most people head straight to the buffet, and I was no exception, especially after sleeping through both dinner and breakfast. I went to the Americana Diner section in the aft of the buffet area.
This venuem located all the way aft on deck nine, has a buffet for breakfast and lunch. When evening rolls around, the space transforms into a dining venue with table service.
Deck nine is a very easy layout because going from front to back it’s staterooms, The Piazza, International Cafe and Alfredo’s Pizza. Keep going and you’ll come across the buffet and then, all the way aft, the Americana Diner.
Not sure if it’s still under the radar or if folks just chose other spots, but it was quiet. I grabbed a window seat overlooking the wake and had a solid meal of salad, lasagna and steak. Everything hit the spot.
Just like Sun Princess, the main buffet is on Deck 9, not the pool deck. If you’re looking for a quick bite upstairs, there’s still pizza and grill options on Deck 14. There is also a slice pizza outside on deck 9 that I just sort of randomly came across.
Inside Stateroom Tour
Staterooms were ready at 1:30. I’m in an inside cabin for this sailing, my first time doing that on a Sphere-class ship. When I sailed Sun Princess, I had a balcony on deck 11. This is on deck 14, midship.
This time it was a guaranteed inside cabin, so right up until I boarded the ship, where I’d be staying remained a mystery!
The cabin surprised me in the best way possible. Eight USB ports, two closets with built-in shelves and lots of space for hanging items, a fridge, plenty of drawers, and high beds that fit even a large suitcase underneath. (I’m a big fan of high beds, given that it really expands your storage space when you don’t have to figure out what to do with your luggage!)
Yes, USB ports are a basic ask in 2025, but you’d be amazed how many ships still get this wrong. Ships are designed years before construction, and once they’re built, it’s not like you can just say, “Oh, hey, let’s throw in a few more USBs.”
Well you could, but the shipyard wouldn’t love it.
The bathroom is decent-sized. The shower door swings outward, and the water controls are actually in front of you, so no awkward cold blasts while trying to figure out the knobs.
Delayed Sailaway
The Sailaway party kicked off around 5 p.m., but we didn’t actually leave the port until closer to 8. The ship needed to top off its LNG fuel tanks before heading out on the two-week transatlantic.
I skipped the party in favor of unpacking and making sure I didn’t leave anything at the hotel. (Although at that point, not sure exactly what I would have done if I had!)
Evening Entertainment and a Pizza
Tonight’s main theater show was The Barricade Boys: West End, a collection of songs from popular musicals. I appreciate a live band that isn’t tracked.
In this case, it was a group of four guys who were interacting with the crowd and had the audience eating out of their hand. It was a sight to see. They are fly-on entertainment and will be debarking in a couple days.
Like most show theaters these days, you will want to get there early or risk standing in the aisle. I walked up 10 minutes before the 7:30 show and a sign said the performance was full. I asked if I could stand in the back of the theater tucked away in the corner and they let me.
As regular readers know, I’m not really big on shows — no matter how good they are. I just have a hard time sitting still. In this case, I lasted about 15 minutes before heading to Alfredo’s for some pizza.
In fairness, they play again tomorrow night in the Piazza so I may go check that out. It’s always cool to see how the same (or at least similar) shows play when you put them in a different venue.
Alfredo’s now requires a dining package unless you’re on Plus or Premier, but it’s still worth it. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating.
This is my favorite pizza at sea. (For those wondering, Virgin and MSC round out my top three.) Dinner was a Margherita pizza and minestrone soup. Both were excellent.
On the way back to the room I stopped by the Piazza. There was a live show in progress, and I have to say the lighting, the energy, the stage rising from the floor… it all combines to really transforms the space.
It felt like a different venue from day to night, but I guess that’s the idea.
Looking Ahead
So far, I’m really impressed. The ship has that new ship smell, and I’m excited to check out more of the venues I didn’t get to see on Sun Princess.
Tomorrow we arrive in Palma de Mallorca, just under 200 miles from Barcelona, so even with the delayed departure, we’ll arrive on schedule.
RELATED READING: Sun Princess Trip Report
