Star Princess | Trip report from christening cruise
Princess Cruises recently invited us for a three-day sail on their new Star Princess cruise ship; here’s our day-by-day trip report.
The sailing included two nights in Fort Lauderdale (one in a hotel and one on the ship for her christening before sailing).
Brightline and Fort Lauderdale hotels
We began our adventure on Nov. 5, 2025, by taking the Brightline train from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale. The ride was pleasant, certainly much more enjoyable than driving. Princess hosted us in the Premium Cabins which aren’t necessary, but the extra leg room, along with complimentary food and drinks, made it an extra enjoyable trip.
Upon arrival in Fort Lauderdale, we checked into our room at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina around 5 p.m. After a quick unpacking, we headed off to a cocktail party at the Pier 66 hotel revolving rooftop lounge. The evening was beautiful, and we returned to the hotel with wonderful memories and for a good night’s sleep.
Boarding the Star Princess
The next day, our excitement grew as we boarded a bus and headed to the Star Princess at Port Everglades nearby. We strolled onboard with our luggage, making our way directly to our cabin to unpack.
Then the ship’s designer led us on a tour, highlighting the design differences from its sister ship, the Sun Princess, which came out last year.
After the tour, we prepared for the naming ceremony in the Princess Arena, the ship’s multi-function theater. With Camila and Matthew McConaughey serving as the godparents — one godmother and one godfather — the ceremony took an unconventional turn when a tequila bottle (from Pantalones Organic Tequila, owned by the McConaugheys) was smashed on the hull instead of the traditional champagne bottle. Small bottles of tequila were handed out to guests, and both the godparents and the captain spoke a few words during this short, sweet ceremony.
Following the ceremony, a reception took place in The Dome, a large, glass-enclosed geodesic structure at the top of the ship that serves as a pool deck and entertainment venue. The reception had food stands set up from the many restaurants onboard, a bar, live music, and even an artist spray-painting a ship on a violinist’s dress while she played.
Sheryl Crow on deck
The evening continued on deck with a Sheryl Crow concert. Under a full moon and perfect weather, she played all her hits.
The moon emerged from behind the clouds, creating a gorgeous scene that looked as if the Princess herself was gazing at a star — which was even more spectacular during the drone show after the concert.
Later, on deck 17, we enjoyed a late-night meal before returning to our cabin for the night.
Exploring the ship
We started the morning with breakfast at The Eatery buffet, then explored the ship before more guests boarded. I toured the Lotus Spa and booked a massage. The main Lotus Spa sits on Deck 6 midship, while the salon, barber shop, wellness studio, and fitness center are all on Deck 18 midship.
Lunch was back at The Eatery, followed by more ship wandering.
We had dinner at The Sanctuary restaurant, which is revered for guests staying in The Sanctuary Collection of staterooms. Although we weren’t staying in one, the public relations team arranged for us to dine there. The ship has many restaurants which are included in your cruise cost, and many specialty restaurants which cost a bit more.
I had the chateaubriand and my husband Matt had the prime rib. They were both good. But the desserts were great! I had the flourless chocolate cake, which was served warm. It was delicious. Matt ordered an ice cream sundae, so we combined the two desserts, which was an excellent choice.
After dinner, we went to a show called “Meridian” in Princess Arena. It was a cute musical set on a pirate ship. The stage was really cool with its revolving center. The singers were quite good.
After the show, we went to see an amazing performance in The Dome of a sand artist set to music played by her partner. Watching her create beautiful pictures with just sand on a lit surface was mesmerizing.
We then headed to one of the coffee shops to get a late-night snack before going back to our cabin.
Spellbound speakeasy
We started the morning separately. Matt got ready to go to a press meeting, while I stayed in the room and caught up on a little work after getting ready. Later, we had a late breakfast together at The Eatery.
We walked around the ship until it was time for our lunch at O’Malley’s Irish Pub. Although the atmosphere was great, the food was just okay. It’s typical pub food.
In the late afternoon, we got ready to visit an exclusive speakeasy called Spellbound by Magic Castle. We loved looking at the magical collection scattered around the venue. The bar had several fun drinks and one mocktail. Some of the specialty drinks included a smoke effect a coin that you can use in the Zoltar machine in the bar.
If you’re not familiar, Magic Castle is an exclusive club for magicians in Los Angeles. You have to be a magician to be a member, and you have to be invited by a member to visit. But Magic Castle has a special relationship with Princess Cruises, so the only place you can visit a Magic Castle outside of L.A. are the two Spellbound lounges on the Sun Princess and now on the Star Princess. Each has its own theme. The theme on Sun Princess is set in the ’30s and the Great Cardini magician, who is the great uncle of Randy Pitchford, who owns the Magic Castle with his wife.
We had to leave Spellbound to get to our dinner reservation (at Crown Grill steakhouse), but we had so much fun in there and there’s so much to see, that we decided to go back after dinner. It’s a $45 per person charge to enter Spellbound, but we think it’s worth it. It includes a magic show and two drinks, and you can spend as little or as long as you want in there for the evening. Dressy attire is required.
Here’s a full tour of Spellbound, as well as the opening ribbon cutting:
After getting our tea and snacks at The Eatery, we went back to the cabin to sleep. I really sleep well on cruise ships — the waves gently rocking me is my favorite way to fall asleep.
Spa and tour
The next morning after breakfast, Matt went to a tour of the Star Princess galley, which you can see in this video:
I went back to the room to pack a little bit. We met up after his tour and went into Nassau to shop for a swimsuit — Matt forgot his. He found a nice, fairly inexpensive one at a shop right outside the ship. I bought a cute island-decorated umbrella. We walked around, taking pictures near the ships before going back onboard.
We dropped our purchases off in the cabin and then went to meet some of our media friends at a sushi place called Makoto Ocean. There is a $35 charge to dine there. The menu has a few different bento boxes to choose from or chirashi-zushi. We all loved our selections. We recommend it.
Next, I went to the spa to enjoy the Enclave area before my massage. It’s smaller than on some of the massive ships, but very nice. I really liked the salt room and the heated lounge chairs. Then I had an aromatherapy stone massage. It was wonderful — my muscles really needed it.
I went back to the room and got ready for dinner at Love by Britto, located on Deck 17. In our opinion, it is worth the surcharge. The décor and the food are whimsical, yet elegant. They even fold the napkins into the shape of a heart. We both really loved it. The whimsical art is displayed not only in the cutlery and plates, but also in the plating of the food. The buttery, croissant-like bread, served with “love butter,” is too good to pass up. The ravioli appetizers, main courses, and desserts were all so decadent and delicious.
After our wonderful dinner, we walked around the ship then caught a production show in the Princess Arena theater called “Illuminate.” This was our favorite of the two shows. It’s themed to a circus, with amazing acts, fun characters, cool costumes, and unique special effects.
We also caught a bit of a juggler performing to jazz music on The Dome stage before we got our usual tea and cookies before bed.
The next morning we woke up early and finished packing, then had an early breakfast. It’s always a little sad getting off the ship.
What to not miss on the Star Princess
On the Star Princess, don’t miss:
- The Dome shows
- Spellbound by Magic Castle
- “Illuminate” in the Princess Arena
- Lunch at Makoto Ocean
- Dinner at Love by Britto
- A spa treatment — your body will thank you
All in all, the Star Princess is a beautiful new relaxing ship that appeals more to a mature crowd, rather than younger families.
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