Pacific World

The 1995-built (as "Sun Princess") cruise ship Pacific World is the first Sun-class vessel in the Princess Cruises fleet, with sisterships Dawn Princess and Sea Princess (now MS Dream). The same name is now carried by the 2024-built Sun Princess.

In mid-September 2020, Princess Cruises sold Sun Princess. The company announced that the liner would leave the fleet in 2021 and be renamed "Pacific World". The new shipowner chartered the vessel to Peace Boat. The Japan-based global non-government organization (NGO) Peace Boat, founded in 1983, organizes educational cruises (a “floating university”) as well as global, theme-based conferences at sea. Also sold (to a Chinese company) was Sea Princess.

• A total of 23 Sun Princess cruises were canceled, covering departures originally scheduled between December 28, 2020, and August 14, 2021. The ship had been planned for deployment in Australia-New Zealand (January–March 2021) and Alaska (May–August 2021, roundtrips from Vancouver BC Canada and Los Angeles USA).
• The canceled voyages included roundtrips from Brisbane QLD (14-day New Zealand, 10-day Papua New Guinea, 4-day Australia Getaway, 10-day Tasmania), as well as repositioning cruises (15-day Brisbane–Fremantle, 12-day Fremantle–Singapore, 12-day Singapore–Yokohama, 28-day Singapore–Vancouver, 16-day Yokohama–Vancouver, 4-day Vancouver–Los Angeles) and Alaskan roundtrips (7-day Inside Passage with Glacier Bay from Vancouver and 14-day Inside Passage with Hubbard Glacier from Los Angeles).

On October 5, 2020, the vessel left her anchorage off Bandar Penawar (Johor, Malaysia) en route to Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and Manila (Philippines). In December, the ship arrived in China. As of November 29, she was docked at Husuntou (Qushan Island), located north of Daishan Island (Daishan County, Zhejiang Province, Zhoushan Archipelago). On April 9, 2021, the vessel arrived and anchored off Qushan Island, China.

Note: In mid-June 2020, Carnival Corporation (shipowner) announced its intention to sell 13 ships in FY2020, instead of the previously expected fleet optimization planned over the next 3–5 years. In mid-September, Carnival increased the number of cruise ships offered for sale to 18 (some were scrapped).

While operated by Princess Cruises, the vessel (IMO number 9000259) was Bermuda-flagged (MMSI 310438000) and registered in Hamilton. Sun Princess was last drydock refurbished in 2018 and was originally registered (in 1995) to Astramar SpA. Currently, the ship is Panama-flagged (MMSI 357189000).

History - construction and ownership

Princess Cruises is a US cruise company headquartered in Beverly Hills CA. Formerly a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (founded in 1977), the company merged in 2003 with Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest passenger shipping company. Among Princess Cruises’ assets is the Caribbean private island resort Princess Cays (on the southern end of Eleuthera Island, Bahamas), located approximately 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

When the 1,950-passenger ship Sun Princess debuted in 1995, she was not only the largest vessel in the Princess fleet but also the industry’s largest cruise ship ever built at the time. Together with the other Sun-class ships that followed (Sea Princess, Dawn Princess and Ocean Princessn Princess), the vessel introduced innovative features and facilities that had a revolutionary impact on the industry and served as a precursor to Princess Cruises’ later Grand-class ships. Despite her relaxed atmosphere, Sun Princess has since been overshadowed by more recent Princess innovations. Personal Choice Dining was introduced long after the ship was designed, so flexibility was not seamlessly integrated into the dining layout. Standard staterooms, while efficiently appointed, can feel narrow for couples, and the 400 private verandas are relatively few compared to newer vessels in the fleet.

Sun Princess underwent a USD 30 million drydock refit from April 5–18, 2016. The 14-day drydock in Singapore introduced the Princess Luxury Bed in cabins and Curtis Stone’s Share restaurant. Kai Sushi was transformed into Kai Seafood Bar. Other additions included Amuleto Café, an NZ Natural ice cream outlet, and the Legends sports bar, featuring tennis as well as weekly AFL and NRL football matches on LED screens.

Peace Boat's cruise itineraries

While operated by Princess Cruises, Sun Princess’ itinerary program was based on Australia and New Zealand voyages, departing from homeports Sydney NSW and Fremantle-Perth (Western Australia).

For Sun Princess’ last itineraries (planned for 2021 and all canceled), see the ship’s Wiki section.

On August 24, 2023, Peace Boat’s Pacific World departed from Yokohama on a 105-day around-the-world cruise, visiting a total of 24 ports and destinations across the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe (Iceland, the Baltic, the Mediterranean), North Africa (Egypt), and Asia. The itinerary included transits of major waterways such as the Panama Canal, Egypt’s Suez Canal, and Canada’s St Lawrence Seaway.

Decks and Cabins

Most Sun Princess staterooms (1,011 total, in 27 categories) are 145-ft2 Inside cabins (396). Nearly 80% of the ship’s outside staterooms feature private step-out balconies. There are 19 wheelchair-accessible (ADA) staterooms designed for passengers with disabilities. The largest accommodations are the Balcony Suites (470 ft2).

The ship has 15 decks, of which 11 are passenger-accessible and 7 contain cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Sun Princess’ dining options are generally well regarded, offering sufficient variety without the need to pay for specialty dining. Vegetarian selections are excellent, desserts are superb, and a good range of healthy options is available nightly. Service staff are friendly and attentive. The Regency Dining Room serves breakfast and lunch, though many passengers prefer the casual Horizon Court buffet or freshly baked pizzas at Verdi’s Italian Pizzeria. Horizon Court, one of the most popular venues, is open 24 hours a day and is located one deck above the swimming area. While compact by modern standards, the buffet offers excellent breakfast selections from 4:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., along with a wide variety of fruit, breads, and European specialties. The Terrace Grill serves BBQ items, hotdogs, salads, and chips poolside.

Below is the complete list of Sun Princess restaurants and food venues.

• Marquis Restaurant (dinner only; aft Dining Room with two fixed seatings at 5:30 pm and 7:45 pm)
• Regency Restaurant (aft Dining Room open for breakfast 7:30–9:30 am, lunch 12:00–1:00 pm, afternoon tea 3:30–4:30 pm, and two fixed dinner seatings at 5:45 pm or 7:45 pm)
• Kai Sushi (seafood specialty restaurant)
• Verdi’s Italian Pizzeria (complimentary)
• Horizon Court (self-service buffet restaurant, complimentary)
• Sterling Steakhouse (specialty restaurant)
• Terrace Grill Bar (fast-food venue, complimentary)

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Princess Theatre and Vista Lounge, two of the largest and most popular entertainment venues aboard Sun Princess, are located on the Promenade Deck. Guests can choose between early or late shows, with some productions staged twice nightly to allow flexibility. Entertainment includes large-scale stage productions and cabaret-style performances. “British Invasion” highlights 1960s hits from UK bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Beatles. The Princess Theatre is a steeply tiered Palladium-style venue offering excellent sightlines and theatre seating with small drink stands. The more intimate Vista Lounge features cabaret seating around small tables, lounge chairs surrounding the center stage, and bar-side stools. The venue hosts headline acts, game shows, bingo, trivia, and dance sessions, including ballroom and line dancing.

Below is the complete list of Sun Princess lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues for children, teens, and adults.

• The Grand Piazza Atrium (four-deck open space with live entertainment and the Piazza lobby bar)
• International Café (24-hour patisserie and specialty coffee bar offering desserts, pastries, wine, and spirits)
• Atrium Boutiques (Latitudes Shop)
• Art Gallery; Photo Gallery & Shop; Platinum Studio
• Internet Café (24-hour), Card Room
• Princess Sun Theatre (musical and theatrical productions, workshops, seminars, and game shows)
• Vista Lounge (entertainment venue featuring comedians, illusionists, and singers)
• Shooting Stars Disco & Nightclub
• Princess Sea Monte Carlo Casino
• Atrium Lounge; Vista Lounge & Bar
• Wheelhouse Bar (piano bar by day, English pub atmosphere at night)
• Rendez-Vous Bar (wine bar); Sundaes Bar; Sundowners Bar (poolside)
• Sun’s Oasis Spa complex; Beauty Salon; Fitness Center with Aerobics Studio
• Movies Under the Stars (outdoor LED-screen cinema)
• Video Games Arcade; Teen Center; Youth Center with paddling pool and outdoor play areas
• The Sanctuary (adults-only sundeck); Riviera Pool area
• Sports Court (volleyball, basketball, football); shuffleboard; golf net; Princess Links mini-golf course