What I would actually book
A standard Deluxe Balcony is the sensible default for most couples — roughly 200 to 235 sq. ft. depending on which source’s measurement you trust. Families and anyone wanting more sitting-area space should price a Mini-Suite before assuming they need a full Sanctuary Collection suite. Because this ship is newer than her sister, this guide leans more heavily on class-wide patterns confirmed on Sun Princess than on Star-specific lived experience for anything not directly documented here — where that’s the case, we say so.
Deluxe Balcony
Roughly 200–235 sq. ft. depending on source, decks 9–17.
Mini-Suite
Roughly 267–305 sq. ft. — price this before assuming you need a full suite.
Signature Sky Suite, aft Deck 16
A two-bedroom, ~1,260 sq. ft. suite sleeping up to 5 — only 4 exist on this ship.
4.0 / 5.0 overall — 54 member reviews
A smaller sample than her sister’s, consistent with being newer.
A non-smoking casino section, a larger pub, an expanded top-deck sports area
Venue-level improvements over Sun Princess — not cabin-structural changes.
Cabins above the Piazza and forward Deck 16–17 near The Dome
The same class-wide noise patterns documented on Sun Princess — see the location section below.
The category ladder, bottom to top
Star Princess’s ladder mirrors her sister’s: Interior, Premium Oceanview, Cove and Deluxe Balcony, Mini-Suite and Cabana Mini-Suite categories, and up through four Sanctuary Collection suite grades to the Signature Sky Suite. No source we found documents an actual deck-plan or cabin-numbering difference between the two ships — the figures below are confirmed independently for this ship where possible and consistent with Sun Princess’s otherwise.
| Family | Category | Approx. size | Deck(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior | Interior (IA–IF, IS) | ~135–145 sq. ft. | 5–17 | No window — 460 cabins, the largest single category on the ship |
| Oceanview | Premium Oceanview (O2, O3, O5) | ~212–215 sq. ft. | 5, 6, 10, 11 | Window, no balcony — 186 cabins |
| Balcony | Cove Balcony (DG, DH) | ~200 sq. ft. | 6, midship | Lower, more recessed balcony position — 100 cabins |
| Balcony | Deluxe Balcony (D1, D2, DA–DF) | ~200–235 sq. ft. (sources conflict) | 9–17 | 949 cabins — the single largest category on the ship |
| Mini-Suite | Mini-Suite (M1, M2, MA, MD/ME) | ~267–305 sq. ft. | 10–17 | 243 cabins; 123 are Sanctuary Mini-Suites |
| Mini-Suite | Cabana Mini-Suite (C1, C2, CA, CB) | ~267–330 sq. ft. incl. private cabana | 9–12 | 146 cabins — includes 100 connecting staterooms on this ship |
| Suite | Signature Suite (S9) | ~267–304 sq. ft. | 11, 14, 15, 16 | 30 cabins — entry tier of the Sanctuary Collection ladder |
| Suite | Signature Grand or Vista Suite (S4) | ~305–635 sq. ft. | 15, 16, 17 | 36 cabins — see the naming hedge below |
| Suite | Signature Grand or Vista Suite (S2) | ~564–565 sq. ft. | 10, 16 | 10 cabins — see the naming hedge below |
| Suite | Signature Sky Suite (SO) | ~1,260 sq. ft. | 16, aft | Two-bedroom, sleeps up to 5 — only 4 exist, the largest cabin on the ship |
Princess’s own current suite page names four Sanctuary Collection grades — Signature Sky Suite, Signature Grand Suite, Signature Vista Suite and Signature Suite. Several third-party cabin databases instead use older "Owner’s Suite" and "Penthouse Suite" names for what appear to be the same physical rooms (the unit counts and sizes reconcile). Cross-referencing those databases points toward Signature Grand Suite as the 10-cabin S2 grade and Signature Vista Suite as the 36-cabin S4 grade, though no single source states that pairing directly — we present it as our best-supported reading rather than a confirmed fact.
Reported totals split between 2,157 and 2,162, matching the range reported for her sister — we couldn’t resolve this to a single figure without a live, authoritative Princess-published total.
The value baseline — plus a cabin-wide design quirk
Interior cabins run roughly 135–145 sq. ft. — genuinely windowless, with no video-screen consolation feature. Regardless of category, this ship’s motion-sensor nightstand reading lights are worth knowing about before your first night — a Cruise Critic-published feature specifically praises this ship’s bed and mattress construction and quieter cabin doors, but a separate, independent guest account for this ship still reports the same overly sensitive motion sensor found on her sister, triggered by simply turning over in bed.
Skip straight to Premium Oceanview or a balcony category rather than assuming any Interior cabin has a consolation feature — it doesn’t on this ship.
Worth pricing, in a genuinely limited category
Premium Oceanview cabins run roughly 212–215 sq. ft. across Decks 5, 6, 10 and 11 — a real window, no private outdoor space. At 186 cabins, this is one of the smaller categories on the ship relative to the 949-cabin Deluxe Balcony tier, so expect less flexibility on sailing date and exact cabin position if a window-only room is specifically what you want.
If daylight matters more than private outdoor space, Premium Oceanview is the cheaper way to get it — just don’t expect the same breadth of cabin choice as the much larger Deluxe Balcony category.
The default choice, plus a lower-positioned variant
Deluxe Balcony is the standard private-outdoor-space category on this ship, and the single largest category at 949 cabins — its exact square footage is genuinely unsettled across sources, ranging from 200 to 236 sq. ft. Cove Balcony (Deck 6 midship, 100 cabins) sits lower and more recessed than the standard Deluxe Balcony — one Cruise Critic member review of this ship specifically criticized a lower-deck balcony where "the ocean was a good ten feet away" with a walkway visible along the ship’s length below, consistent with the Cove Balcony’s known positioning.
If an unobstructed, close-to-the-water balcony view is the reason you’re booking a balcony cabin at all, price Deluxe Balcony specifically rather than assuming Cove Balcony delivers the same experience for less — this ship-specific complaint is a real, documented example of that trade-off.
A genuine step up, including a version with its own cabana
Mini-Suite runs roughly 267–305 sq. ft. across Decks 10 through 17, adding a sitting area without full suite pricing. Cabana Mini-Suite (Decks 9–12, 146 cabins) adds a semi-private deck cabana to the same general size range — this ship’s Cabana Mini-Suite inventory specifically includes 100 connecting staterooms, worth knowing if you’re traveling as a larger group and want adjoining rooms in this category. 123 of this ship’s 243 standard Mini-Suites are specifically Sanctuary Mini-Suites, carrying Sanctuary Collection perks even though they’re priced and categorized as mini-suites.
A standard Mini-Suite
The sitting-area upgrade over a balcony cabin, priced below the suite tiers — price this before assuming you need a full suite.
A Sanctuary Mini-Suite specifically
The same physical footprint, bundled into the Sanctuary Collection program — confirm which specific cabins carry this designation before booking.
A connecting Cabana Mini-Suite
This ship’s 100 connecting staterooms in this category make it a genuine option for larger groups wanting adjoining rooms rather than a single big suite.
Four suite grades and a dedicated deck, Sanctuary-branded from day one
Sanctuary Collection covers 80 Signature Collection Suites across four named grades, the 123 Sanctuary Mini-Suites described above, and 12 Premium Deluxe Balcony cabins. All Sanctuary guests get the Princess Premier package bundled in, access to the adults-only Sanctuary Club retreat deck, and a dedicated Sanctuary Restaurant; suite guests specifically also get a personal Suite Experience Manager, priority tender disembarkation, an in-suite Lavazza coffee machine, and a two-story Suite Lounge. Unlike Sun Princess, this ship never carried the Reserve Collection name — she launched with Sanctuary Collection branding from her first sailing.
When the Signature Sky Suite earns the premium
You want the single largest room on the ship — a two-bedroom, ~1,260 sq. ft. suite sleeping up to 5, aft on Deck 16 — and you’re booking early enough to get one of only 4 that exist.
When a Signature Suite (the entry grade) is the smarter buy
You want genuine Sanctuary Collection access without paying for the largest physical suites. At 30 cabins, this is the most available of the four suite grades.
A Cruise Critic member review of this ship specifically reported no Suite Lounge access on that sailing, while Princess’s own materials and a separate Cruise Critic feature on this ship describe the Suite Lounge as included. We couldn’t confirm whether this reflects a specific sailing’s operational issue or something broader, so we’re flagging the discrepancy rather than resolving it.
An estimated figure — Princess hasn’t published an authoritative per-ship count
Princess’s general accessibility page describes two categories fleet-wide — Fully Accessible Staterooms and Ambulatory Accessible Cabins — but gives no per-ship counts, and this ship’s own accessible-route page showed only placeholder content as of this research. Third-party sources put the figure at roughly 55 accessible cabins on this ship, broken down as 14 suites, 22 deluxe balcony, 6 oceanview and 13 interior cabins across Decks 5 through 16 — this is the more detailed of the two ships’ third-party breakdowns, though it still doesn’t trace back to a Princess-published document we could independently verify. A Cruise Critic comparison piece states accessible-cabin locations are identical between the two ships, including a shared complaint that some accessible cabins sit far from elevators through narrow hallways.
Confirm the exact accessible cabin number, category and door width directly with Princess or a travel advisor well ahead of your sailing — this is a case where we could not find an authoritative, Princess-published per-ship count to anchor to.
The same class-wide patterns as her sister, not yet superseded
Because this ship shares Sun Princess’s deck plan and Princess hasn’t announced any acoustic changes to the Piazza atrium, we treat the class-wide noise patterns documented on Sun Princess as applying here too — flagged clearly as class-wide rather than independently re-confirmed cabin-by-cabin on this specific ship, since her shorter service history means less lived-experience data has accumulated yet.
Cabins directly above the three-level Piazza atrium (Decks 10–11 midship)
The same layout as her sister — a dedicated cruise-forum thread about this location on Sun Princess notes only 8 Cabana cabins exist on Deck 11 versus 52 on Deck 10, suggesting midship Deck 10/11 is the highest-risk position class-wide.
Cabins near laundry rooms
Specific cabin numbers are documented for Sun Princess (see her ship page); we found no independent confirmation those exact numbers carry over identically to this ship, though the underlying deck plan is shared.
Forward Deck 16–17, near The Dome
The Dome runs as a late-night disco until roughly 1:30am on both ships, per Cruise Critic’s editorial cabin guide — Princess has not announced any change to this venue’s design or hours for this ship.
Cabins directly beneath the pool deck
Early-morning deck-chair and setup noise, consistent with the pattern documented on Sun Princess and typical for a ship this size.
This ship’s shorter service history means less forum and review data has accumulated than for her sister — we lean on Sun Princess’s more mature documentation for the location patterns above rather than independently sourced Star-specific complaints, and say so here rather than presenting borrowed data as this ship’s own.
What does the next dollar actually buy?
A real window — this ship has no video-screen consolation feature, so this jump buys genuine daylight.
Private outdoor space — the single upgrade most reviewers point to when asked what made the cabin. Price Deluxe Balcony over Cove Balcony if an unobstructed view specifically is the point.
A genuine sitting-area upgrade, and — if it’s a Sanctuary Mini-Suite specifically, or a connecting Cabana Mini-Suite for a larger group — a way into more space or Sanctuary perks without full suite pricing.
The real jump on this ship: a dedicated restaurant and lounge, the adults-only Sanctuary Club deck, and the Princess Premier package bundled in.
Each step up trades the entry Sanctuary Collection tier for more scale, ending in the two-bedroom Signature Sky Suite — price all of them before assuming higher always means better for your trip.
Compare the ship, not just the class
Star Princess cabin questions
What is the best cabin on Star Princess?
A standard Deluxe Balcony is the easiest right answer for most couples. Families and anyone wanting more sitting-area space should price a Mini-Suite before assuming they need a full Sanctuary Collection suite.
Did Star Princess ever use the Reserve Collection name?
No. Unlike her sister Sun Princess, Star Princess launched with Sanctuary Collection branding from her very first sailing.
What’s actually different between Star Princess and Sun Princess?
Venue-level detail, not the stateroom grid: a separate non-smoking casino section, a larger O’Malley’s Irish Pub, and an expanded top-deck sports area. No source we found documents an actual cabin-numbering or deck-plan difference between the two ships.
What is the largest cabin on Star Princess?
The Signature Sky Suite — a two-bedroom, roughly 1,260 sq. ft. suite aft on Deck 16, sleeping up to 5. Only 4 exist on this ship.
Does Star Princess have the same noise issues as Sun Princess?
Likely yes for the Piazza and Dome patterns, since the two ships share a deck plan and Princess hasn’t announced acoustic changes — but this ship has less independently-documented, cabin-specific complaint history of her own given her shorter time in service, which this guide states directly rather than borrowing Sun Princess’s specific cabin numbers as if they were independently confirmed here.
How many wheelchair-accessible cabins does Star Princess have?
Roughly 55, per third-party cabin databases, broken down as 14 suites, 22 deluxe balcony, 6 oceanview and 13 interior cabins — we could not find an authoritative, Princess-published count to confirm this against directly.
Where can I find the official Star Princess deck plan?
Princess publishes the current deck plan for this ship at princess.com/deckPlans.do?shipCode=ST — use it to confirm the exact cabin number, deck and any obstruction before booking. A direct link is included above.
A newer ship, and an honest accounting of what leans on her sister
This page is Seabound’s own research into Princess’s published stateroom data, cross-checked against third-party cruise sources current as of August 2026 — it isn’t a locked or pre-audited document. Star Princess is newer than her sister, which means less independently-documented lived experience exists for her specifically — we’ve tried to be explicit throughout this page about which facts are Star-specific and which are reasonable, class-consistent extrapolations from Sun Princess.
The location/noise patterns in this section are documented for Sun Princess and applied here on the basis of a shared deck plan and no announced acoustic changes — not independently re-confirmed cabin-by-cabin for this ship.
The specific laundry-adjacent cabin numbers documented for Sun Princess are not independently confirmed to carry over identically to this ship.
Cruise Critic review volume (54 reviews) is meaningfully smaller than her sister’s (240), consistent with less time in service — treat any aggregate score as a thinner sample.
Total stateroom count is reported as either 2,157 or 2,162, matching the range reported for her sister.
The Sanctuary Collection suite-grade naming ambiguity (Signature Grand Suite vs. Signature Vista Suite) applies equally here and is unresolved in any source we checked.
The accessible-cabin count (roughly 55) comes from third-party sources, not a Princess-published document we could verify directly for this ship.
The named-tier category structure, the Sanctuary Collection branding from launch, and the non-smoking casino, larger pub and expanded sports-deck additions are each confirmed on Princess’s own published materials or official press statements.
The motion-sensor nightstand light complaint, the Cove Balcony sightline/positioning complaint, and the shared Piazza/Dome noise pattern with Sun Princess are each corroborated by more than one independent source.
Which category is the better buy for a given traveler type given what’s currently knowable, and what each rung of the upgrade ladder is likely purchasing based on the confirmed class-wide pattern.