We asked Dream Vacations franchise owner Laurie Shuss this very question when we chatted with her on board Princess Cruises’ brand-new Star Princess. “I like this class,” she says, although she does admit that when her loyal Princess clients boarded the Sphere-class ships for the first time, “finding things was a little difficult, but, you know, a day or so and you’re acclimated.” She says the new Piazza is a step up from the other classes: “I like the stadium seating. On the other [non-Sphere-class] ships, you have to stand around the Piazza, but here there’s a lot of seating and it makes sense because they’re offering a lot of entertainment in the Piazza.”
One of her favorite accommodations and one she books for her clients is the Cabana Mini-Suite, which features a separate seating area and balcony, plus an extra cabana area with a TV. “They are very spacious and very long,” she adds, pointing to the extra cabana space. She recommends advisors book the Cabana Mini-Suites that are located on Deck 9, the Cabana Deck, so they have quick access to the jacuzzis, and, as she notes, groups can gather on the deck for get-togethers.
For those clients booked in the Sanctuary Collection, she highly recommends taking advantage of The Sanctuary restaurant. “It’s phenomenal—impeccable service, wonderful food.” Of the specialty restaurants, she gets excited when speaking about Love by Britto. “It really took me by surprise. The fact that everything has hearts…the food was fabulous. It’s just really, really special.”
Here’s more from our conversation with Shuss:
Recommend magazine: What about Spellbound — have you experienced it?
Shuss: Yes, we did Spellbound on Sun Princess. The entire group loved it. The mystery, the unknown—it was phenomenal.
Recommend magazine: How do you feel about the casino layout, particularly the non-smoking areas?
Shuss: On Star Princess, having a separate non-smoking casino is a good idea, but honestly, they should make that the larger space. A lot of cruise lines are moving in that direction—some even put smokers in enclosed glass rooms.
Recommend magazine: What’s your take on Princess Plus and Premier packages?
Shuss: I think some of the inclusions, like the Premium desserts, are unnecessary. I’d rather see more casual dining included—that actually drives more onboard revenue. I don’t think most people are realistically using two Premium desserts every day.
Recommend magazine: You sell a lot of Princess. Why does it resonate so well with your clients?
Shuss: My husband and I run a travel club with about 450 members in our community. Every month, we host vendor nights and highlight a specific cruise. Princess Cruises has been our New Year’s Eve group cruise for probably 10 to 12 years, and it grows every year.
Clients love that everything is bundled with Princess Plus. They love the variety of venues — the Dome, the theater, the Piazza, Princess Live. It’s easy for them, and it’s easy for us as advisors.
Recommend magazine: From an advisor perspective, how is Princess to work with?
Shuss: Princess is very easy to work with. We do a large barbershop singers cruise every two years, and our next one is booked for February 2027 on Sky Princess. We already have 100 people signed up.
They’re flexible, they provide additional inventory when needed, and there aren’t a lot of hiccups. When we did have an issue related to value-add pricing, the group department resolved it quickly.
Recommend magazine: Why do you focus so heavily on groups?
Shuss: Groups are where the money is—aside from luxury travel. Yes, they’re a lot of work, but we accompany our groups, make sure everything runs smoothly and add value wherever we can. We bring a printer onboard, create newsletters, host events — it’s all about the details.
Recommend magazine: Any final thoughts?
Shuss: I was very impressed with embarkation — separate lines, well organized, very smooth. I also love that you can place your belongings in your cabin even before it’s officially ready. That level of service really matters.
Overall, Princess continues to deliver for both guests and travel advisors.
