Princess Cruises’ Sphere-Class Ships Top Condé Nast Megaship Awards
Built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, the two Sphere-class vessels each have 4,300 lower berths and measure approximately 178,000 gross tons.
Princess Cruises announced October 6 that it had taken the No. 1 position in the Mega Cruise Ship category of Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. The line’s announcement focused on its two Sphere-class ships, Sun Princess and Star Princess.
Princess described the result as Sun Princess’s third consecutive category win, following honors in 2024 and 2025. Star Princess received recognition in its first year of eligibility, having also appeared on the publication’s 2026 Hot List earlier this year.
The megaship category covers vessels carrying at least 4,000 passengers. Nearly 800,000 travelers took part in the Readers’ Choice Awards, which cover cruise lines alongside other travel categories such as hotels, destinations and airlines.
“Being recognized, once again, by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler is an incredible honor and a tremendous testament to our entire Princess team,” said Marie Lee, chief marketing officer of Princess Cruises. Lee also credited crew members for their service aboard the ships.
Built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, the two vessels each provide 4,300 lower berths and measure approximately 178,000 gross tons. Sun Princess introduced the Sphere class in 2024; Star Princess followed in October 2025 as the second ship in the class.
Dining venues aboard both ships include Makoto Ocean, Love by Britto and The Butcher’s Block by Dario, alongside other restaurants, bars and lounges. Their Sanctuary Collection combines premium accommodations and amenities, including the Suite Lounge, Sanctuary Restaurant and Sanctuary Club.
Public spaces include The Dome, a glass-enclosed venue whose design draws on Santorini’s terraces, and the Piazza, with views of the surrounding sea. The Princess Arena is another principal entertainment venue. Programming developed for the class includes original stage productions, live music and immersive performances.
The ships’ itineraries include Caribbean sailings, with Star Princess also sailing in Alaska and Sun Princess in the Mediterranean.
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