It doesn’t look like much, does it? A little coin-sized gadget on a lanyard hardly screams “this will run half your holiday”.
But once you’re on a Princess cruise, the Medallion quickly turns into the thing you use for almost everything.
It’s your cabin key, your onboard spending tool, your way back onto the ship and, in some cases, your shortcut to finding the people you’ve somehow lost between the buffet and the pool deck. Handy is putting it mildly.
Some cruise gadgets feel like they’re there mostly to sound clever. The Princess Medallion is one of the few that genuinely makes life easier onboard. And once you’ve used it for a few days, going back to a standard cruise card can feel a bit old school…
1. Unlock Your Cabin Door Like Magic
This is the feature that usually wins people over within about five minutes.
Instead of fumbling around for a cruise card, your cabin door can unlock as you approach with your Medallion.
Honestly, this is so much better than it might sound. The amount of times I’ve been carrying drinks back to the cabins for the kids, then tried to do that awkward shuffle to get my cruise card out while balancing them…
It’s not quite a sci-fi moment – you still have to open the door yourself, which you can manage with your elbow – but it does feel impressively smooth when it works. After a few days, you stop thinking about it. Then the minute you sail on a ship without it, you suddenly miss it.
2. Board And Reboard Without the Usual Faff
Getting on and off the ship is one of those cruise routines you do over and over again, so anything that makes it quicker is a win.
Your Princess Medallion is part of the boarding and reboarding process, which means you’re not constantly digging around for a separate key card every time you head ashore or come back from port. It becomes second nature pretty quickly – grab your essentials, grab your Medallion, and off you go.
That might not sound thrilling, but on a busy port day when everyone’s queuing to get back onboard, anything that makes the process feel less clunky is worth having.
3. Pay For Drinks, Coffee and Shopping Onboard
Think of the Medallion as your onboard wallet.
Want a cocktail by the pool? Fancy a speciality coffee? Seen a souvenir in one of the shops that you know you’ll regret not buying? Your Medallion links to your onboard account, so purchases can be charged straight there instead of you carrying cash or reaching for a bank card every five minutes.
Again, yes, it’s a cruise card but in small, metal, round form. But it is so much easier than constantly digging it out of a bag or wallet.
It’s one of those features that quietly makes your cruise feel easier. You can travel lighter, keep your essentials to a minimum and stop worrying about where you last shoved your card. Dangerous for the holiday budget, maybe. Convenient, absolutely.
4. Order Food and Drinks to Wherever You’re Sitting
This is where the Princess Medallion starts to feel genuinely clever.
Using the Princess app, you can order food, drinks and other items and have them delivered to your location around the ship. So if you’ve claimed a sun lounger and have no intention of giving it up for the next two hours, you don’t necessarily have to.
It’s especially handy on sea days, when nobody wants to lose a good spot by the pool just because they fancy another drink or a snack. You order, and wait for it to come to you.
And you don’t even need to stay where you are. I’ve moved to the other end of the ship after ordering, and my food still found me!
Just don’t expect instant service during the busiest times. If half the ship has the exact same idea at sailaway, things can slow down a bit. Still, the fact that it works at all is really impressive.
5. Find Your Travel Companions Without Sending Back-and-Forth Messages
Every cruise group has one person who vanishes.
Sometimes it’s the partner who “just popped to get a drink” and somehow ended up in another bar on another deck. Sometimes it’s a teenager who said they’d be back in ten minutes and has not been seen since mini golf. Either way, the Medallion can help.
Princess lets guests in the same travel party locate each other through the app, which is genuinely useful on a big ship. It saves you from the usual stream of messages asking “Where are you?”, “Which pool?”, “What deck?”, and “No, the other side”.
For families and groups especially, this can be one of the best features of the whole system.
Bear in mind though, it’s not always 100% accurate. I once looked up my child’s location on the app, and the map showed his Medallion as being in the sea. Gladly, it wasn’t, and neither was he!
6. Get Directions Around the Ship
Cruise ships are brilliant. They’re also surprisingly good at making you feel like you’ve taken one wrong turn and accidentally entered another postcode.
If you’ve ever spent ten minutes trying to find the right dining room, theatre, lounge or spa entrance, you’ll appreciate this bit. The Princess system can help with wayfinding, showing you how to get from where you are to where you actually meant to be.
It’s particularly useful on the first day or two, when you’re still pretending you totally know the difference between forward, midship and aft. It also comes in handy when you’re racing to trivia, dinner or a show and do not have the patience for a scenic route through three wrong decks.
Now if only it worked like a sat nav and could give you directions that avoid the crowds… One day, maybe!
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7. Check Plans Without Being Glued to Your Phone
Not everyone wants to spend their cruise staring at an app, and fair enough.
One of the better things about the Medallion setup is that you can use screens around the ship to pull up useful information without needing to do everything on your phone. Depending on where you are, that can include your plans, bookings, activities and other personalised details.
That makes it easier for people who aren’t especially techy, and it’s also just a nice break from (small) screen overload. You can stay organised without feeling like you’re spending the whole holiday tapping through menus.
The big screens have games you can play on them using the Medallion, too.
Sometimes cruise tech works best when it gets out of the way a bit, and this is one of those times.
8. Make The Whole Cruise Feel More Personal
This is one of the more subtle perks, but it can make a difference.
Because the Medallion links to your profile, it helps create a more personalised experience onboard. That might mean staff can identify you more quickly, certain preferences are easier to see, or little touches feel more tailored to you rather than totally generic.
Walking past a digital screen on your birthday? A little celebratory message might pop up…
No, it doesn’t mean every crew member suddenly knows your life story. But it can make interactions feel smoother, especially when it comes to things like onboard purchases, bookings and service.
It’s the kind of feature that you don’t always notice until you sail without it and realise how many little moments it had quietly simplified.
9. Use It in Some Ports Too!
The Medallion isn’t always just for onboard use.
In some destinations and participating shops, Princess guests can use MedallionPay ashore as well. That means you may be able to make purchases in selected ports without switching back into full wallet-and-bank-card mode the second you step off the ship.
That convenience will appeal to some cruisers more than others. If you like keeping things simple, it’s a nice option. If you’re the kind of traveller who prefers paying in local currency and hunting down the best deal, you might be less fussed.
Also it’s important to know that it doesn’t charge purchases to your account, but instead uses the card you’ve registered to your account to pay immediately. Don’t assume you can use onboard credit to pay for things ashore. There’s a reason it’s called “Onboard Credit”.
Either way, it’s a useful extra to know about – especially if you like the idea of keeping your day ashore as low-hassle as possible.
10. Wear It at the Pool, On the Beach or In the Rain
A lot of cruise essentials are annoying the minute water gets involved. The Princess Medallion isn’t really one of them.
Because it’s designed to be worn throughout the cruise, you don’t need to panic if you’re heading to the pool, relaxing on the beach or get caught in a sudden downpour. That all-day convenience is part of the appeal. You’re not constantly taking it on and off or wondering where to stash it.
That’s especially useful on sea days, when you might bounce between breakfast, the pool, lunch, a hot tub, another drink and then back to the cabin without ever wanting to think too hard about what’s in your pockets.
11. Turn It into Something a Bit More You
The standard lanyard does the job, but it’s not exactly glamorous.
Princess also offers different accessories for the Medallion, so you can wear it in a way that suits you a bit better – whether that’s clipped to clothing, worn on a wristband or turned into more of a necklace-style accessory. If you hate having things around your neck all day, that flexibility helps.
The wristbands are especially useful for a lot of the things on this list.
It’s not the most important feature, obviously, but it does make the Medallion easier to live with. And on a cruise, the best gadgets are the ones you forget you’re even wearing.
What Can You Do with Your Princess Medallion after The Cruise?
This is where things get a little less exciting, but it’s still worth knowing because loads of people ask.
Once your cruise is over, your Princess Medallion isn’t really something you keep using for future sailings in the way some people hope. It’s not a permanent cruise pass you keep reactivating again and again. For most people, its useful life ends with that sailing.
The good news is that Princess says the Medallion itself doesn’t store your personal information, so you don’t need to treat it like a mini hard drive full of your card details. That’s a relief if you’ve ever looked at it after the cruise and thought, “Right, what exactly am I meant to do with this now?”
In reality, most passengers do one of three things.
They keep it as a souvenir, especially since it’s quite a fun little memento from the trip.
They turn it into a magnet or keepsake, which honestly suits it quite well.
Or they recycle it responsibly rather than throwing it in general rubbish, since it’s still a small electronic item.
So no, it’s not going to unlock your front door, buy you a coffee on land or magically shave money off your next Princess cruise. But it can still make a decent little reminder of a holiday you loved.
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Final Thoughts
For something so small, the Princess Medallion does quite a lot of heavy lifting.
Some of its features are practical – unlocking your cabin, paying for drinks, getting back on the ship. Others are more about making the whole cruise feel smoother, easier and a bit more modern. And that’s really where it works best. It takes everyday cruise admin and makes it less noticeable.
You probably won’t step onboard thinking the Medallion will be the highlight of your holiday. But by the end of the cruise, there’s a good chance it’ll be one of those little things you realise you’d hate to do without.
Princess Cruises has quite a lot going on in 2026! From bigger cruise programmes and new destinations to changes in pricing and onboard tech, there are plenty of updates worth knowing about if you’re planning a Princess cruise soon.
Some of these changes are already in place, while others will roll out throughout the year. Either way, it’s clear Princess is tweaking quite a few things behind the scenes while still trying to keep that familiar, relaxed style the line is known for.
But not all of these are changes you’ll welcome…
1. Caribbean Cruises Are Now Sailing in the Summer
One of the biggest changes for 2026 is the expansion of Princess’s Caribbean programme.
Traditionally, Princess has focused its Caribbean cruises during the winter months. But in 2026 the cruise line is running Caribbean sailings throughout the summer as well, giving travellers far more flexibility when it comes to planning a warm-weather cruise.
Ships including Regal Princess and Caribbean Princess will operate more than 90 departures between them, sailing from Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral. These itineraries cover the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, with a mix of week-long cruises and shorter getaways.
Many of the seven-night itineraries can also be combined into longer 14-night cruises, which is a nice option if you want to see more islands without changing ships.
2. Princess Is Having Its Biggest Alaska Season Ever
Alaska has always been one of Princess Cruises’ headline destinations, but in 2026 the cruise line is going bigger than it ever has before.
This year marks Princess’s largest Alaska deployment to date, with eight ships sailing the region and more than 180 departures scheduled throughout the season. The itineraries visit some of Alaska’s best-known ports including Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Icy Strait Point, alongside scenic cruising through places like Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm Fjord and the Inside Passage.
One of the most exciting additions this year is the cruise line’s newest ship Star Princess, which is making her Alaska debut. She’ll be sailing seven-night roundtrip itineraries from Seattle starting in May, bringing one of the line’s newest ships to the region for the first time.
Princess is also continuing its popular cruisetours in Alaska. These combine a cruise with a land journey into the interior, often including visits to Denali National Park and stays at Princess-owned wilderness lodges. It’s a great way to see more of Alaska beyond the coastline.
And because the United States will soon be celebrating its 250th anniversary, guests on some sailings will also find special commemorative souvenirs onboard, including limited-edition pins and themed blankets inspired by Alaska.
3. A New (For Princess) Bahamas Destination Is Coming
Later in 2026, Princess cruisers will get a brand-new stop in the Bahamas.
The destination is Celebration Key, a purpose-built private resort area on Grand Bahama Island created for cruise guests from Carnival Corporation brands. It’s designed to be a beachy, laid-back stop with big lagoon-style pools, wide white-sand beaches and plenty of food and drink spots dotted around the island.
While the island was opened in 2025 for visitors from Carnival ships, Princess ships are expected to start visiting Celebration Key towards the end of the year, with Star Princess scheduled for the first call in November 2026.
Guests will be able to spend the day swimming, relaxing on the beach, booking water activities or reserving private cabanas. From the early plans that have been shared, it looks like a mix between a beach club and a tropical resort.
4. Princess Plus and Premier Packages Have Been Updated
Princess has also made some changes to its bundled cruise packages.
The Princess Plus and Princess Premier options have both been updated ahead of the 2026 season. Prices have gone up slightly, but the packages now include a bit more value as well.
Depending on which package you choose, benefits can include things like additional casual dining meals, upgraded WiFi access and shore excursion credits. For example, guests with the Premier package on a seven-night cruise can now receive up to $100 per person in excursion credit.
Princess has also simplified how extras are bundled together, which should make it easier to understand what’s included rather than piecing together lots of separate add-ons.
Alongside the package updates, Princess has also made some changes to the booking process itself.
Most fares now come with non-refundable deposits as the default option. Refundable deposits are still available, but they usually come with slightly higher prices or stricter conditions.
Princess has also moved final payment deadlines earlier for many cruises, particularly longer voyages. So if you’re booking a big itinerary, you’ll likely need to pay the balance sooner than you might have done in previous years.
In short, the cruise line is clearly encouraging guests to commit earlier in the booking process.
The automatic service charge added to drinks, specialty dining and certain onboard purchases has increased from 18% to 20%. This fee is applied to optional purchases like cocktails, specialty restaurants and some dining room orders.
At the same time, the daily crew appreciation gratuities have gone up by $1 per person, per day across all cabin categories.
The new daily rates are:
• $20 per person for suites • $19 per person for mini suites and Club Class cabins • $18 per person for standard staterooms
These charges can still be adjusted onboard through guest services if needed. And for guests who book Princess Plus or Premier packages, these costs are already included.
While this is probably the main negative change for 2026 for the cruise line, it is inevitable – all cruise lines raise their prices over time.
7. Faster WiFi Across the Fleet
Princess has also finished rolling out its fastest internet service yet across the fleet.
The upgraded system, called MedallionNet Max, uses multiple satellite networks including Starlink to deliver faster and more reliable internet speeds at sea. That means things like video calls, streaming and uploading photos should work much better than they used to.
It’s especially useful in remote destinations like Alaska where connectivity has traditionally been patchy.
The cruise line’s MedallionClass system is also still expanding. Guests receive a small wearable device called the OceanMedallion which acts as a cabin key and allows for contactless boarding, onboard purchases and even food and drink delivery to wherever you’re sitting on the ship.
But, on the downside, the cost for getting the Medallion shipped to your home in advance of your cruise has increase. This service is only available to guests in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, and it now costs between $20 and $25 USD depending on where you live. It’s completely optional though – guests can collect their Medallion for free at the cruise port on the date their cruise begins.
The Princess app has also improved, making it easier to book dining, reserve activities and check what’s happening around the ship each day.
8. Dining Options Are Expanding Across the Fleet
Princess continues to expand its dining choices as ships receive updates and refurbishments.
One of the newer venues rolling out to more ships is Makoto Ocean, a sushi restaurant created in partnership with chef Makoto Okuwa. The venue debuted on the newest ships and has since been added to vessels like Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess.
The menu includes dishes such as yellowtail sashimi, miso sea bass and truffle salmon, along with a range of cocktails inspired by Japanese flavours.
At the same time, long-time favourites like Crown Grill are continuing to appear on more ships as the fleet evolves.
9. A Huge World Cruise Was Just Announced
While it doesn’t depart until 2028, Princess also made headlines this year with the announcement of a massive world cruise.
The 115-night sailing aboard Coral Princess will depart in January 2028 and travel around 36,000 nautical miles across five continents. Along the way the ship will visit 49 ports in 24 countries, including destinations across the South Pacific, Australia, Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean.
The itinerary includes overnight stays in places like Cape Town and Auckland, as well as late departures in cities such as Barcelona and Sydney so guests can experience destinations after dark.
Guests can book the full voyage or shorter segments ranging from around three weeks to several months.
Bookings for the sailing opened in 2026, giving long-term planners plenty of time to secure their spot.
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Final Thoughts
Overall, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy year for Princess Cruises.
Between the biggest Alaska season the line has ever had, Caribbean cruises expanding into the summer, a new private island destination and improvements to onboard technology, there’s quite a lot changing across the fleet.
There are a couple of small price increases to be aware of as well, but many of the updates also add extra perks or improved experiences.
For cruisers, it mostly means more options, better connectivity at sea and a few new places to explore along the way.
Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay might look like tropical twins at first glance – both are private island escapes owned by Carnival Corporation and shared by Princess, Carnival, and Holland America.
But don’t be fooled, these two slices of paradise offer very different experiences.
In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences so you’ll know exactly which island is the better fit for your perfect cruise day in the sun.
1. Only One Is an Island
While both Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay are sometimes referred to as cruise line private islands, only Half Moon Cay is actually an island. Princess Cays is a private resort area on the larger island of Eleuthera.
Half Moon CayPrincess Cays
Despite this, Half Moon Cay is actually bigger, much bigger, as it measures around 2,400 acres in total compared to the 40-acre stretch of beach that makes up Princess Cays.
Despite this, most guests visiting Half Moon Cay will stick to the 50 acres that have been developed as a luxury resort.
Guests can explore further afield from Princess Cays if they wish, and visit other parts of the island (provided they make it back to the ship in time, of course). Most people prefer to stick to the area around Princess Cays, though, since there’s more to do.
2. Different Cruise Lines Visit Each Destination
The Carnival Group owns a number of cruise lines, but not every one of them visits each of these destinations.
Princess Cays is primarily visited by Carnival and by Princess Cruises – unsurprisingly, considering the name. More Princess ships visit the resort than Carnival ships.
Half Moon Cay is mainly visited by Carnival, but some Holland America Line ships also visit the island.
Be aware that prices on the island will vary depending on which cruise line you’re visiting with! Cabana rental will be more expensive with Holland America, for example.
3. Half Moon Cay’s Sands Are Softer
The quality and style of the beaches on both islands are one of the key differences, and this could be one of the main deciding factors for you.
Half Moon Cay has sandy beaches that are known to be very soft – a lot of people find that the beaches here are some of the most luxurious of any destination, and they’re the perfect spot to relax with a cocktail.
The beaches on Princess Cays are a lot harsher, with rocks and shells making up most of the coastline. If you want to wander around the beach, then it’s recommended you at least wear water shoes to protect your soles from cuts and scrapes.
There are different beach areas to explore including an adults-only one, but the coasts are all similar.
4. Excursion Choices Are Different
A lot of the excursion options across both resorts are very similar. If you’re someone who wants to try snorkelling or see stingrays in their natural environment, then you’ll find a good range of options regardless of the destination.
Half Moon Cay then has a wider range of activities to try on the shore, including horse riding (and the option to ride a horse through the sea), bike tours, and some very scenic hikes into the island.
Princess Cays instead has a better range of water-based activities outside those typical excursions. You might want to cruise around the coast on a sailboat, try your hand at fishing with an expert guide’s help, or choose a clear-bottom kayak tour to see the underwater wildlife while staying (mostly) dry.
5. Princess Cays Has Better Snorkelling
If you love the idea of snorkelling – either as a beginner or a more experienced enthusiast – then choosing a cruise that visits Princess Cays will probably be more rewarding.
There are some wildlife species that you’ll be able to enjoy while snorkelling around Half Moon Cay, but there’s more variety around Princess Cays, despite the resorts only being a few miles apart.
The rockier shoreline is home to coral reefs and mangroves, which are more accommodating to aquatic species, and this is why there’s just more to see when you snorkel at Princess Cays.
6. Princess Cays Has More Bugs
There are more varieties of wildlife at Princess Cays than there are at Half Moon Cay. Unfortunately, this also extends to the bug species around the resort itself.
One of the bigger drawbacks for people who’ve visited Princess Cays is the number of bugs they sometimes have to deal with. Make sure you have repellent spray packed with you if you want to minimise the disturbances.
7. Drinks Packages Work Differently at Each Resort
Another important difference between these two destinations is how the drinks work once you’re ashore.
On a cruise to Princess Cays, your drinks package from the cruise ship covers you at the island’s bars. You don’t need to pay for the drinks that you would otherwise enjoy on the ship – they’re still included. If you don’t have a drinks package, then you’ll just pay for drinks individually as normal.
That’s not true on Half Moon Cay. You’ll need to either buy your drinks separately, or you can pay for a drinks package specifically for the island, although this is only available for Holland America Guests. Carnival guests just have to pay for the drinks individually.
Both destinations have a range of bars serving plenty of drink options, so at least getting served and finding a drink that you like won’t be an issue, regardless of your destination.
At both destinations, if you are paying for a drink, you can do so with your room card and the drinks will be charged to your account – no need to carry cash.
8. Princess Cays Has an Adults-Only Area
One feature that Princess Cays has that you won’t find on Half Moon Cay is an adults-only area. The Sanctuary is a little way away from the main beach areas and has its own private beach space.
You’ll also find bungalows here for adults only. Bungalows can be hired elsewhere for families, but if you’re looking to stay away from kids and enjoy some quiet time, then choosing a Sanctuary Bungalow is a better choice.
And Some Key Similarities…
Despite the differences between the islands, there are some important similarities between them, too.
Access
Both Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays are tender ports. This means the ship can’t dock, and instead you’ll have to hop on a tender boat to get to shore, and to get back to the ship later.
This does mean it’s a little less convenient for hopping back and forth – both resorts are designed as places you’ll visit for a few hours without interruption.
Dining Options
There’s a great BBQ buffet provided at both resorts for guests to enjoy at lunchtime. It’s completely free too, but it isn’t available all day, so make sure you don’t miss it. Typical serving times are between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm, but check as it can vary.
Half Moon Cay does have a Lobster Shack serving seafood options as well, but these are not included – you’ll need to pay extra for these a la carte items.
Cabana Rentals
Half Moon Cay has cabanas that guests can rent for the day, while Princess Cays has bungalows. The number of each is limited and these often sell out far in advance, so if you want your own private space to relax, then make sure you book early.
On Half Moon Cay, there are even luxurious options that can accommodate larger groups, which include your own private chef from the ship, a butler, a lifeguard and a bartender. However, prices start at $1,600 for the day, so be prepared to fork out a hefty sum if this sounds appealing.
Free Leisure Facilities
As well as plenty of hammocks and sun loungers, there are various activities and leisure facilities arranged for guests to enjoy on both Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays, without extra charges.
So if you want to try beach volleyball, or just get a cosy spot on a clamshell daybed with a view out to sea, there isn’t a penny extra to pay.
Shopping
You’ll find plenty of shopping opportunities across both resorts, with local vendors selling craft items and trinkets for you to take home. Unlike the other purchases on the island, you’ll need to pay for these with cash.
At both resorts, you might encounter pushy sellers. If you do, just be firm with them and walk away.
Final Word
Half Moon Cay tends to be the more popular of the destinations for a Carnival private resort, thanks to its beautiful sandy beaches (and the lack of annoying bugs), but Princess Cays still has plenty going for it, especially if you like snorkelling.
If you’re cruising with Holland America, then it’s likely to be Half Moon Cay you visit on a Caribbean Cruise, while with Princess, it’ll be Princess Cays anyway. It’s only on Carnival cruises that you might have a choice, so check out the itineraries available and decide which feels like the better fit for you.
I have some more detailed guides to each resort that you may find helpful:
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean are two of the biggest names in cruising — both offering global itineraries, modern ships, and broad appeal for families and couples alike.
But if you haven’t committed to a cruise line yet, choosing between them can be tricky. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll compare Princess and Royal Caribbean side by side, highlighting the key differences to help you decide which one fits your ideal holiday vibe.
Whether you’re drawn to a more refined, traditional cruise experience or excited by high-energy ships packed with headline attractions, this comparison will steer you in the right direction.
Ships
Princess Cruises has a relatively large fleet of ships compared to many cruise lines, but it is dwarfed by that of Royal Caribbean.
There are 16 ships currently sailing for the cruise line, with Star Princess scheduled to debut in October 2025, taking it to 17. Royal Caribbean has almost double that, with 28 currently sailing and another four under construction.
Princess Cruises Ships
There are four classes of ship in the Princess Cruises fleet:
Sphere Class – The newest ships, accommodating 4,300 guests
Royal Class – Six large ships accommodating 3,560 to 3,660 guests
Grand Class – Eight mid-sized ships accommodating 2,600 to 3,140 guests
Coral Class – The oldest two ships, each catering for 2,000 to 2,220 guests
The oldest of the fleet is Grand Princess, which was launched in 1998. The newest is Sun Princess, which started sailing in early 2024.
Icon Class – the biggest cruise ships in the world accommodating up to 7,600 guests
Oasis Class – six mega ships that can accommodate around 6,800 guests
Quantum Ultra Class – two modern ships accommodating 5,500 guests
Quantum Class – three ships accommodating 4,900 guests
Freedom Class – three ships accommodating 4,400 to 4,900 guests
Radiance Class – four ships accommodating 2,500 guests
Voyager Class – five ships accommodating 4,000 guests
Vision Class – four ships accommodating 2,400 to 2,700 guests
The oldest Royal Caribbean ship in the fleet is Grandeur of the Seas, which was originally built in 1996. The newest ship is currently Utopia of the Seas; however, Star of the Seas is due to make her debut in August 2025.
So the eldest ships are Grand and Grandeur – a nice little coincidence!
How They Compare
None of the ships sailing for Princess Cruises or Royal Caribbean are small, and both cruise lines have a range of ship sizes to choose from. If you want the biggest ships packed with the most features, then Royal Caribbean is the cruise line to choose, but Princess has some spacious, stylish ships, too.
I’ve been on board several ships across the fleets, including:
Royal Princess
Island Princess
Sky Princess
Enchanted Princess
Allure of the Seas
Mariner of the Seas
Anthem of the Seas
So I’ve seen the differences first-hand. I’ve loved my cruises on the action-packed Royal Caribbean ships, though I can certainly appreciate the style of the Princess ships, too. I’d be happy with either.
Destinations
With both Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises, you’re going to be able to take your pick from itineraries all over the world, including the popular cruise destinations of the Caribbean and Europe, and also some further-afield locations around Asia and Australia.
Here’s a look at the cruise itineraries offered in each destination. This is distinct itineraries rather than individual sailings – Royal Caribbean has literally hundreds of Caribbean dates you can book.
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean
Alaska
23
96
Australia & New Zealand
96
29
Bermuda
0
7
Canada & New England
19
8
Caribbean & Bahamas
54
47
East Asia
20
36
Europe
147
107
Hawaii
8
7
Mexico & Latin America
7
8
Middle East & South Asia
0
3
Pacific Northwest
0
4
Panama Canal
22
5
South America
19
0
South Pacific
37
14
Transatlantic
37
22
Transpacific
0
5
World
46
0
Princess Cruises Destinations
Princess offers cruises from 30 ports of embarkation – as well as many sailings from Fort Lauderdale, there are also numerous dates you can book from Sydney, Yokohama (near Tokyo), and Southampton, which is great for cruises from the UK. There are several ships that sail from the UK, so British cruisers get lots of choice.
The cruise line offers some excellent cruises around South America and some longer world itineraries, whilst also specialising in Australia and New Zealand cruises – there are seven embarkation ports in this part of the world alone.
There are also Alaska cruisetours that can be booked, which include time at sea, a train journey and three or more nights in a Princess Wilderness Lodge – a really special vacation experience.
Some Princess cruises will visit Princess Cays, a private resort area on Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
Royal Caribbean Destinations
Royal Caribbean has even more embarkation ports to choose from – 35 in total worldwide, with the vast majority of those being in North America. Most Royal Caribbean cruises depart from one of the big 3 Florida ports (Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Port Canaveral).
Cruises from Southampton are available for UK guests, but only ever during the summer and on one ship – Anthem of the Seas for 2024 and Independence of the Seas for 2025.
Many Royal Caribbean cruises around the Bahamas and Caribbean include visits to Royal’s private destinations, either Labadee or Perfect Day at CocoCay.
How They Compare
For cruises around the Caribbean or Europe, both cruise lines offer a wealth of choice, and your decision will likely come down to the ship you’re sailing on instead.
The only exception may be for Caribbean or Bahamas cruises that include a private island – Princess Cays is a relaxing location, whereas Perfect Day at CocoCay is much more action-packed, so you may choose your sailing based on your preference for port day.
Princess Cruises also has a wider variety of cruises in Australia and some fantastic South America and World itineraries that Royal Caribbean doesn’t offer, so choose Princess if you want to explore more unique destinations.
Staterooms and Suites
As with any cruise line, your choice of staterooms and suites is going to depend on not just the line but also the individual ship – very few cruise lines have uniform accommodation options across their entire fleet.
You’ll of course have the options of choosing inside, ocean view or balcony cabins, or opting for a suite if you want something a little more luxurious.
Neither cruise line particularly caters to solo travellers well. Royal Caribbean does have some newer ships with a selection of solo cabins, but not many. Princess Cruises only has solo cabins on Sun Princess, the newest ship in the fleet, and numbers are very limited.
Princess Cruises Staterooms and Suites
Here’s a look at some of the more unique accommodation options on a Princess cruise.
Sky Suites
Available on the newest Royal and Sphere-class ships, Sky Suites are exceptional. The rooms themselves are spacious and luxuriously furnished, but it’s all about the balcony – over 1,000 square feet of space on some ships, including an outdoor TV and various decking furniture. These are great for relaxing or entertaining.
Reserve Collection
Debuting on the Sphere Class, the Reserve Collection includes Mini Suites and Cabana rooms in the best locations on the ship, giving you a fantastic place to unwind. You also get access to a private restaurant area, which normally would be something only offered to full suite guests on most cruise lines.
Signature Collection
The Signature Collection also debuts on the Sphere Class and includes the finest suites on the ship. As well as amazing accommodations, guests have access to a Signature Restaurant, a Signature Lounge and the Signature Sun Deck for relaxing – the perfect place to unwind in total tranquillity.
Royal Caribbean Staterooms and Suites
Royal Caribbean’s unique staterooms and suites are less about opulence and more about offering innovative experiences.
Virtual Balcony Staterooms
Virtual Balcony staterooms help to elevate the experience of anyone choosing an Inside stateroom. These rooms are available on many of the newer Royal Caribbean ships, and include a full digital screen on one wall, which acts as – you guessed it – a virtual balcony, with a live feed from the outside of the ship. While it’s no replacement for natural light, it is nice to enjoy a view (and know whether it’s daytime or still night!)
Interior Balcony Staterooms
The bigger Oasis-class and Icon-class ships offer interior balcony options, which are rooms with a balcony facing the inside of the ship, either overhanging the Central Park or Boardwalk areas.
These are good if you want your own outdoor space but want to pay less than an ocean-facing balcony, though you do have to bear in mind that you’re then facing another balcony directly opposite, so you do get less privacy.
Ultimate Family Accommodations
The Ultimate Family Suites and Ultimate Family Townhouses on select Quantum-class, Oasis-class and Icon-class ships are truly incredible. These suites are designed with families in mind, including a host of features including karaoke machines, games tables, and even a slide from the upper floor to the living area.
How They Compare
You have more varied options for your accommodation if you book with Royal Caribbean, but do you need those extra options? On a Princess cruise, you still have plenty of comfortable cabin options, and some of the suites offer a truly premium experience.
Choose Princess if you want the most spacious balcony suites, or choose Royal if you want unique family accommodations or something a little more innovative.
Food
The food experience on both cruise lines shares similarities, though there are some differences. As a guide, Princess is a better choice if you prefer sophistication, while Royal Caribbean tends to offer more variety for casual meals.
Princess Cruises Food
A lot of the Princess Cruises food philosophy is about bringing authenticity to its menus, with restaurants that offer flavours and dishes inspired by the regions you’re sailing in.
The best dining options are in the Main Dining Room and the speciality restaurants, though don’t worry – you can still enjoy plenty of more casual venues if that’s more your thing, including the buffet and various snack stops.
Indeed, a lot of people believe that Princess offers the best pizza at sea from its casual pizzerias.
Royal Caribbean Food
Royal Caribbean is a better choice if you prefer variety – the sheer range of dining options on even the smallest ships is enough to cater to every palate, even the very fussiest of eaters.
That’s not to say you can’t enjoy a sophisticated meal, though. The speciality restaurants, such as Chops Grille and Izumi, are high-quality experiences. Wonderland, which offers unique and creative dishes to please all your senses, is also very exciting to try.
However, the focus is very much on bringing a wider range of options to you across casual and speciality venues, with candy stops, ice cream, burger joints, seafood and so many more.
How They Compare
You aren’t going to be disappointed with either cruise line when it comes to dining. If you think you’ll spend more time enjoying formal dining, then Princess Cruises has the slight edge, while Royal is slightly better for its wider range of casual venues.
Onboard Activities
Both Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean have ships that are great fun during the day, though Royal Caribbean takes things to a whole other level.
Princess Cruises Activities
There’s a wide range of traditional cruise activities you can enjoy on a Princess cruise, such as dancing lessons, art auctions, and, of course, gambling in the casino.
Also, this isn’t a fun activity but it is a facility worth pointing out – Princess ships have self-service laundry facilities, which you won’t find on Royal Caribbean. This can be a lot cheaper than using the other laundry services onboard.
Royal Caribbean Activities
Royal Caribbean ships are almost unrivalled for the range of activities you can enjoy onboard. As well as the dance lessons, casino gambling, art auctions and more, you can also (depending on your ship), look forward to:
There’s a clear winner here if you’re looking for ships packed with activities. Royal Caribbean has some outstanding modern ships with loads to see and do – it’s impossible to try everything on a single cruise.
However, many people would prefer the more relaxing nature of a Princess cruise, with more space to unwind and soak up the sun by the pool.
Entertainment
Evening entertainment is similar in style between Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises, though it depends on whether you prefer to see new things or experience classic favourites.
Princess Cruises Entertainment
On a Princess cruise, you’ll enjoy Broadway-quality shows, including original musicals from the composer of epics such as Wicked. There’s plenty of variety in the theatre performances, while you can also enjoy live music, magic and comedy around the ship.
Royal Caribbean Entertainment
The entertainment on Royal Caribbean ships isn’t just Broadway-level; it includes actual Broadway shows. If you love famous musicals, you can catch shows like Cats, Grease, Hairspray and more on a Royal Caribbean ship.
How They Compare
You’ll be wowed by the entertainment on both Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises, so it really comes down to whether you are excited to see shows you already know and love, or if you’re happy to experience original shows from Princess that are just as thrilling.
Kids Facilities
Families are very welcome on both cruise lines, with excellent kids’ clubs to keep younger guests entertained.
Princess Cruises Kids’ Facilities
The Princess Cruises kids’ clubs, named Camp Discovery, have an educational angle to them. They still always prioritise fun, but thanks to partnerships with Discovery and Animal Planet, kids will find each day to be engaging and packed with exciting themed activities.
Princess also hosts exclusive dining events for children, including pizza and ice cream parties, so your kids will no doubt have a great time.
Royal Caribbean Kids’ Facilities
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean clubs are similar in style to Princess Cruises, although there are no big educational partnerships involved. Activities vary and still encourage discovery alongside fun, including an Adventure Science Lab and an Imagination Studio.
Kids even get their own Adventure Theater on some ships, showing age-appropriate movies.
How They Compare
There’s not a lot to choose between the kids’ facilities on Royal Caribbean and Princess, at least when comparing the actual kids’ clubs. Royal Caribbean arguably has ships that are more tailored to families, with its unique accommodations and various activities, but both are popular family cruise lines.
Cruiser Demographics
There’s a lot of crossover between the people who enjoy Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean:
Princess Cruises Demographics
Typically, the Princess Cruise demographic is quite broad. While you will find some younger families on the ships, the average age is a little higher than on Royal Caribbean, with a lot of guests in their 50s, 60s and 70s enjoying the slightly more sophisticated feel of the ships.
Because the Princess ships have good family facilities, they’re a popular choice for multigenerational cruisers, with lots of fun-loving grandparents taking their families on a relaxing getaway.
Royal Caribbean Demographics
The typical Royal Caribbean cruise passenger is younger than on Princess Cruises, with most guests being between their 30s and 50s. There are some younger families too, though Royal Caribbean’s cruises aren’t cheap, often ruling out the average parent in their 20s.
You’ll find a range of families and couples on a Royal Caribbean cruise, as well as some solo travellers, but it’s definitely more of a family-oriented cruise line.
Price
Neither Royal Caribbean nor Princess Cruises offer the most expensive sailings at sea, but they aren’t cheap options either. You can get good value with both, but as a guide, the newer the ship you book, the more you’ll pay.
Princess Cruises Prices
The basic cruise fare for a trip with Princess Cruises tends to be either similar to Royal Caribbean, or a little lower. You can get a 7-night cruise in the Caribbean on Sky Princess – one of the newer ships in the fleet – for as little as £70/$90 per person, per night.
However, that’s not the end of the story with Princess, fares get a little more complicated as you start looking at Plus and Premier cruise fares. These have more inclusions, but can almost double your cruise fare. You need to decide how many of the included benefits you would use before deciding whether it’s good value to pay for a Plus or Premier fare, or just book a basic cruise-only fare and then pay for extras individually.
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See the latest Princess Cruises offers…
Royal Caribbean Prices
The price of Royal Caribbean’s cruises varies greatly depending on which ship you choose – the newer Icon-class and Quantum-class ships are a lot more expensive than the older, smaller ships.
As a guide, a 7-night cruise on Wonder of the Seas (one of the biggest and best ships in the fleet, but not the very newest) will cost you around £140 or $175 per person, per night for an Inside Stateroom. That’s more expensive than with Princess Cruises, but the ships are very different in scale, even if they both launched within a relatively similar time.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest Royal Caribbean offers…
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest Royal Caribbean offers…
The Verdict
Whether Princess Cruises or Royal Caribbean is the cruise line for you depends on a number of factors.
If you want your cruise to be a contemporary upgrade on classical, sophisticated vacations, then I’d recommend Princess – the ships are beautifully appointed, and the dining is very high quality.
Whereas, if you like to be constantly busy, enjoying a cruise where fun is more of the focus on bold, colourful ships, then I’d be looking at Royal Caribbean, especially if travelling with very active kids.
Destination will play a part too, as will price, and I honestly think most people would love either cruise line – but consider the differences I’ve explained and you might find yourself leaning towards one over the other.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
If you’re after a cruise experience that’s a little more polished and relaxed, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises are two standout choices. Both offer a more refined, grown-up style of cruising, without losing the fun.
Owned by the industry’s two biggest players – Carnival Group and Royal Caribbean Group, respectively – these cruise lines often go head-to-head. They attract similar travellers, visit many of the same destinations, and offer comparable onboard experiences.
But the differences matter. And if you’re deciding between the two, this guide will help you choose the cruise line that’s the best fit for you.
Ships
The size of the fleet is one of the many similarities shared between Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises.
Princess has 16 ships currently sailing for the cruise line, with Star Princess scheduled to debut in October 2025, taking it to 17. Celebrity has 15 ships currently sailing for the cruise line, with Celebrity Xcel due to debut in November 2025, taking it to 16.
Princess Cruises Ships
There are four classes of ships in the Princess Cruises fleet:
Sphere Class – The newest ships, accommodating 4,300 guests
Royal Class – Six large ships accommodating 3,560 to 3,660 guests
Grand Class – Eight mid-sized ships accommodating 2,600 to 3,140 guests
Coral Class – The oldest two ships, each catering for 2,000 to 2,220 guests
The oldest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet is Grand Princess, which was launched in 1998. The newest is Sun Princess, which started sailing in February 2024.
Edge Class – four ships that accommodate 2,900 to 3,200 guests
Solstice Class – five ships that accommodate 2,800 to 3,000 guests
Millennium Class – four ships that accommodate 2,200 guests
Expedition Ships – not an official class but a separate type of ship; these travel to much smaller ports, including Antarctica. There used to be three ships accommodating 16, 48 and 100 guests; however, only Celebrity Flora remains after Celebrity Xpedition and Celebrity Xploration were sold to Lindblad Expeditions in early 2025.
The oldest ship in the fleet is the Celebrity Millennium, which, appropriately, launched in 2000. The newest ship is Celebrity Ascent, the most recent Edge-class ship.
There isn’t much to choose between the main Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises fleets. Princess does have some larger ships with the new Sphere Class, but they aren’t the mega-ships you’ll find with some other cruise lines.
The main difference is Celebrity’s Expedition ship – if you want a sophisticated cruise blended with a real sense of adventure, on a very small ship that has a very communal feel, then Celebrity would be the choice to make.
In terms of the available itineraries, both Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises have plenty of choices available. With these cruise lines, you aren’t just limited to the most popular cruising regions – you can explore the entire globe in style.
Here’s a look at the itineraries that are offered in each part of the world:
Princess Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
Alaska
23
63
Australia & New Zealand
96
28
Bermuda
0
4
Canada & New England
19
4
Caribbean & Bahamas
54
31
East Asia
20
35
Europe
147
136
Galapagos
0
42
Hawaii
8
9
Mexico & Latin America
7
0
Middle East & South Asia
0
2
Pacific Northwest
0
3
Panama Canal
22
8
Repositioning
0
4
South America
19
9
South Pacific
37
3
Transatlantic
37
20
Transpacific
0
10
World
46
0
Princess Cruises Destinations
Princess Cruises has a lot of exciting destination options for cruise guests, with a particularly strong focus on Australia and New Zealand – several ships spend a season Down Under, giving guests more variety when exploring this amazing region.
In total, the cruise line offers 30 different embarkation ports, with Sydney being one of the bigger ports, though there are many cruises from Fort Lauderdale and other North American ports too. UK cruisers get a lot of choice of ships, all sailing from Southampton.
Princess also offers some exciting cruisetour options in Alaska. These are special itineraries that incorporate a cruise and a stay in a Princess Wilderness Lodge, along with a beautifully scenic rail journey.
Some Princess cruises in the Bahamas include ports of call to Princess Cays, which is the cruise line’s private resort on Eleuthera.
Celebrity Cruises Destinations
Celebrity Cruises offers similar itineraries to Princess, but where you could argue Princess focuses on Australia, Celebrity does a similar job with Alaska – there’s a wealth of cruises to explore this amazing region and its stunning scenery.
With Celebrity, you get even more choice of embarkation ports – 33 in total. 11 of those are across North America and the Caribbean, while there are 9 embarkation ports in Europe, including Southampton again for cruises from the UK.
Celebrity’s destinations also include unique itineraries around South America and the Galapagos Islands on the Expedition ships, with smaller ports that only these ships can access.
How They Compare
Destination likely won’t be a deal breaker if you’re deciding between Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises – they have very similar offerings. If you want to cruise to Australia or New Zealand, you might find more flexibility in the Princess options, but you can say the same about Alaska and Celebrity Cruises.
The only major difference is those Expedition ships and the unique itineraries that they offer.
Staterooms and Suites
From an accommodation perspective, once again, both Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises have very similar options.
You can, of course, choose between Interior, Ocean View and Balcony staterooms across the fleets, with Interior being the cheapest option and Balcony being more expensive. And on every ship across both fleets, you’ll be able to opt for a luxurious suite, offering additional perks and more space.
One area where the cruise lines do differ is in their options for single passengers. Across many of the ships in the Celebrity Cruises fleet, you’ll find a range of solo cabins available. With Princess Cruises, it’s only the most recent Sun Princess ship which has any solo stateroom options, and they are very limited.
Princess Cruises Staterooms and Suites
Here are some of the different types of staterooms or suites you can find on some Princess ships:
Sky Suites
Available on select Royal-class ships along with the Sphere Class, Sky Suites are truly outstanding accommodation options. The top suite on the ships, where it’s available, the suite itself is beautifully decorated and offers a wealth of space to relax.
But it’s the balcony that’s the real star – one of the most expansive at sea, with great views around the ship and out to the oceans. It even has an outdoor TV, so you can sit back on your decking furniture and relax in complete bliss.
The Reserve Collection is new for the Sphere Class with Princess Cruises, and it’s a collection of some of the best Mini Suites and Cabana staterooms on the ship, in prime locations.
But it’s not just about the quality of the room, you also get a private restaurant for Reserve Collection guests to use – normally on cruise ships, this kind of feature is exclusive to full suite guests or those who’ve reached the top levels of a cruise line’s loyalty programme.
Signature Collection
The very best suites on the Sphere Class ships, the Signature Collection offers complete luxury, including the Signature Sky Suites, which have incredible views.
As well as the breathtaking suites, guests also get access to a private sun deck, restaurant, and lounge, away from the bustle of the rest of the ship and with some wonderful menus and drink options.
Celebrity Cruises Staterooms and Suites
These are some of the more unique options you can book on a Celebrity cruise:
Concierge Class
Concierge Class staterooms are offered across the Celebrity Cruises fleet (except for on the Expedition ships) and they include a wider range of amenities for guests to enjoy.
As well as better room furnishings, you can also get the help of the concierge team on the ship to arrange speciality dining reservations, theatre reservations or anything else you need help with.
AquaClass
AquaClass is another option for staterooms and suites on the Celebrity fleet, which are themed around the spas onboard. This means that, as well as a higher class of cabin, you get additional features themed around health and wellbeing, and priority access to book spa treatments. You also get free access to some of the facilities throughout your cruise.
The Retreat
The Retreat on Celebrity Cruises is the equivalent of Princess Cruises’ Signature Collection – the very best suites, all kept in one area of the ship.
With Celebrity, you also get access to an exclusive lounge, sun deck and Retreat Restaurant offering an enhanced menu. If you want to have an even calmer and more luxurious area of the ship to enjoy (on a ship which is already pretty special) then booking a suite in The Retreat will guarantee a wonderful experience.
Both Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises offer different stateroom and suite collections with enhanced facilities, or you can just opt to pay for a regular stateroom and still enjoy a comfortable, contemporary room.
There’s very little to separate them here – perhaps if the spa is your priority on a cruise, then you’ll love the Celebrity AquaClass; otherwise, the options are very similar across both cruise lines.
Food
For a lot of people, food is one of the main considerations when picking a cruise line. So, how do these two cruise lines compare?
Princess Cruises Food
Princess offers delicious dining options that are, where possible, inspired by the region where the ships are sailing. Each venue onboard every ship is distinctive and uses authentic ingredients and recipes, blending fine dining with a love of good, wholesome food.
There are several casual options on a Princess cruise, including the popular pizza, which many people say is the best at sea.
Some of the venues have now changed to having a small cover charge, depending on the cruise fare you pay, but there are enough complimentary options that you won’t get bored of the same food.
Celebrity Cruises Food
Celebrity has a similar approach to food across its fleet. Dining is considered an event, and so the food and service are designed to make every evening (and indeed, every breakfast and lunch) feel special.
There are some casual venues again, but the speciality dining restaurants are where the cruise line shines, with global cuisine prepared to Michelin standards.
Celebrity’s newest ships also have four Main Dining Rooms rather than one – essentially, these are complimentary restaurants where you can enjoy different themes as you cruise.
How They Compare
If you’re a foodie, then you’ll have a tough time choosing between Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity offers a marginally more premium experience onboard, which is reflected in some of the top-tier restaurants, but Princess Cruises’ speciality restaurants are still a step above what many mainstream cruise lines have to offer.
Onboard Activities
Princess and Celebrity are two cruise lines that primarily stick to the traditional style of cruising when it comes to daytime activities. You aren’t going to find roller coasters or epic water slides on these ships, but you will find plenty to keep you entertained when you want to do more than just relax by the pool.
Celebrity ships are a little more innovative and contemporary, but they aren’t anything like the ships you’ll find with Royal Caribbean or NCL, for example.
Princess Cruises Activities
On a Princess ship, you can expect to find a host of daily activities, including dancing lessons, art auctions and culinary classes – perfect for picking up some new skills to make your favourite menu dishes at home.
There’s also a casino on each ship, and you can enjoy Movies under the Stars if you want to kick back with a movie on the deck.
And while not really an activity, there’s one other facility that you’ll find on Princess ships but not on Celebrity – self-service laundry machines. This is much cheaper than using the laundry service onboard, even though it does mean taking more time out of your cruise. Handy for longer itineraries, though.
Celebrity Cruises Activities
The activities you’ll enjoy on a Celebrity cruise are quite similar to Princess. You’ll find a casino, art auctions, cooking lessons and again, the chance to watch a movie on the pool deck.
There are a handful of more unique activities that you can try on a Celebrity ship, such as:
How They Compare
If you’re looking for a cruise ship that is absolutely packed with things to do during the day, then perhaps neither Celebrity Cruises nor Princess Cruises are the right cruise line for you. That’s not to say the ships are dull – just that they are both more about showcasing the destinations you’re sailing to, and relaxing in your downtime.
If you’re a keen golf player or you’ve taken up the craze of pickleball, then Celebrity might just win you over, but Princess’ activities are varied and engaging too.
Entertainment
Live entertainment rarely makes or breaks a cruise decision, but it’s still handy to compare the options available. So, let’s take a look at what you’ll enjoy if you book a cruise with these two lines.
Princess Cruises Entertainment
Princess Cruises offers the expected range of variety entertainment, including comedians, live musicians, and impressive theatre shows, which are described as ‘Broadway-quality’. That’s not just an empty statement, though – the original productions have been created for Princess Cruises by famed composers and directors who’ve worked on big Broadway shows in the past.
Celebrity Cruises Entertainment
Celebrity Cruises takes a similar approach – rather than bringing the classic Broadway shows onto the ships, it has its own range of original shows that are just as good as the ones you know and love from theatres on land. Celebrity’s use of technology helps to enhance the productions even more, giving them a real wow-factor.
How They Compare
Choose Celebrity Cruises if you care deeply about the type of entertainment on the ship and you love an infusion of epic music with cutting-edge technology. The shows really are something special onboard, and you’ll be left wondering just how they achieved some of the effects.
If you end up choosing Princess because of other factors, you won’t feel let down by the entertainment either – it’s bombastic, thrilling and great fun, with very talented artists onboard.
Kids’ Facilities
Neither Princess Cruises nor Celebrity Cruises are aimed primarily at families – there are plenty of other cruise lines where younger guests are catered for with epic onboard features.
But neither is a bad choice for a family either.
Princess Cruises Kids’ Facilities
On every Princess ship, the Camp Discovery kids’ clubs offer a range of activities suited to different age groups. Through partnerships with Discovery and Animal Planet, kids will take part in various educational experiences that are still focused on fun, while encouraging new friendships throughout the length of the cruise, too.
The clubs also host kids-only dining events, allowing the grown-ups to enjoy a more sophisticated dinner together while the kids party with pizza and ice cream.
While Celebrity Cruises doesn’t have the official partnerships that Princess has for its kids’ clubs, the theming is still the same – educational fun, with a whole host of different games, crafts and more to keep kids stimulated and engaged while they make new friends.
Slumber parties, video game tournaments and more make sure that nothing ever gets too serious.
How They Compare
Kids and teens will have a great time in their respective kids’ clubs on both Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises. The experience is broadly the same on both cruise lines – younger kids will love all the games and crafts, while teens will enjoy a more relaxed lounge area where they can hang out, play video and board games, and generally relax in a cool, modern space.
Cruiser Demographics
The type of person who typically chooses these cruise lines helps to reveal a little more about the kind of experience onboard.
Princess Cruises Demographics
Princess is considered more of an upmarket traditional style of cruising, and so tends to have a slightly older demographic onboard. There’ll be some families, sure, but a lot of guests will be in their 50s and 60s, with many in their 70s too.
Celebrity Cruises Demographics
On a Celebrity cruise, the typical guest is younger, often in their 40s and 50s. Most will be couples, but there will be solo travellers and some families too, though they’ll be in the minority. The reason the guests are younger is that Celebrity is just a bit more of a hip, contemporary cruise line.
Both are stylish and offer a premium style, but with Celebrity, everything just feels a little more modern, and so better attracts a slightly younger crowd.
Price
While both cruise lines vary their pricing depending on the ship and itinerary, here’s how they approximately compare.
Princess Cruises Prices
Princess cruise fares can be quite good value, and a 7-night cruise in the Caribbean can start from as low as £70/$90 per person, per night, even on some of the bigger, more modern ships in the fleet.
Princess does offer different types of fare, where you can upgrade to include drinks, tips, dining and more. While these can add a large sum to your per-day rate, they might offer good value compared to buying each element of the package individually – so you need to determine how much you’d make use of all the inclusions.
Celebrity Cruises tends to have slightly higher prices than Princess to reflect the slightly more premium feel to the ships. However, they are still very reasonable, with a 7-night cruise in the Caribbean on the new Celebrity Xcel starting from as low as £85/$115 per person, per night.
Celebrity also offers optional fare upgrades if you want a more inclusive package, though you can stick with the cruise-only fare if you prefer.
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The Verdict
There are few competitor cruise lines that offer such similar experiences as Princess and Celebrity. Both offer a more premium style of cruising compared to other mainstream lines, although Celebrity ships are a little more contemporary and state-of-the-art, while Princess still keeps that slightly more traditional feel.
If you’re a younger cruise passenger, you might find that Celebrity appeals to you more, but Princess isn’t just for an older crowd either.
There’s no clear ‘best’ cruise line, even if Celebrity is considered slightly more luxurious – both offer great food, excellent service and some wonderful itineraries. But based on this guide, hopefully, you now have a feeling for which one feels right for you.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Thinking about going all-inclusive on your next Princess cruise? The Princess Premier package promises to cover pretty much everything – but is it really worth the cost?
I tested it out on a week-long cruise aboard Sun Princess and dug into the details, so you don’t have to. Here’s everything you need to know before deciding if Princess Premier is right for you…
For transparency, I want to tell you that I was invited aboard as a guest of Princess Cruises, but as always, the cruise line has no control over my content and all of my opinions are my own.
What Is Princess Premier?
Princess Premier is the top-tier package that Princess Cruises offers, designed to turn your cruise into an all-inclusive experience. It includes nearly every extra you’d typically pay for onboard.
For £75 per person per day (or $90 USD), here’s what you get:
OceanNow delivery and room service delivery with no fees
Unlimited drinks (up to $20 each)
Wi-Fi for up to four devices per guest
Crew gratuities (usually $17 to $19 per day)
Unlimited premium desserts
Unlimited fitness classes
Unlimited casual dining meals
Unlimited specialty dining
Unlimited digital photo downloads + 3 printed photos
Reserved theatre seating for main shows
Princess Prizes entries whenever you enter your cabin
In short, it’s a bundle of all the little things that can add up to hundreds during your cruise.
Before we get into things, I have one important tip for you…
If you want the Premier pages, buy it before your cruise! It costs $5 per day more if you wait until you’re on the ship. You can still add it within the first two days onboard, but it’s more expensive that way.
Also, if you’re cruising with children, you don’t need to buy the Premier package for them. And you probably shouldn’t, because they can’t use a lot of it like the alcoholic drinks, fitness classes and Princess Prizes.
Your kids can either:
Get the lower-tier Princess Plus package
Stick to the standard cruise fare
Some perks like Wi-Fi, photos and desserts can be shared with kids. Drinks, however, are strictly non-shareable.
About The Inclusions…
Now let’s take a closer look at everything you get with the package…
Unlimited Drinks Is A Huge Money Saver
If you enjoy a few cocktails by the pool or like wine with dinner, this package pays for itself quickly.
The included drink package covers any drink up to $20 — that includes:
Fancy cocktails
Top-shelf spirits
Craft beers
Wine by the glass
Barista-made coffees
By the time you’ve ordered your fourth drink of the day, the package could have already paid for itself!
But what if you drink cheaper drinks like soft drinks and bottled water? Well, I have a calculator that will work out your expected bar bill, based on the 2025 drinks prices on Princess ships. Just pop your email in below and I’ll send that to you…
One thing to watch out for: canned soft drinks are NOT included in the package. (Weird, I know). Fountain sodas are covered, but if you ask for a can of Coke Zero, expect a charge.
Tip: some bartenders will pour the can into a glass for you so it counts as a fountain drink!
Also note: bottles of wine aren’t included, but you do get 25% off. If you’re someone who splashes out on premium bottles, you can save a lot.
Unlimited Cruise Photos Will Make Your Holiday SO Memorable
Cruise ship photographers are everywhere — formal night, outside the ship at ports, they even green screen backgrounds at embarkation. Usually, the photos are pricey (like, “$83 for a five pics” pricey).
But with Princess Premier, you can:
Get all your digital photos free (download them straight to your phone via the app)
Choose three prints at no extra cost (via the Photo Studio onboard)
We normally skip the photo ops, but this time we went all out! The photographers are genuinely brilliant, and you get memories you’d never capture with a selfie.
All the Specialty Dining You Want
Specialty restaurants can cost $20 to $60+ per person, per meal. But with Premier, you can try as many as you like.
We dined at:
Umai Teppanyaki – The kids loved this one
Love By Britto – The most romantic restaurant ever
Sabatinis – The most exquisite Italian
Alfredo’s – The pizza is incredible
Umai Hot Pot – An interactive cooking experience
There are plenty more as well, including steakhouses, fish restaurants and pub food. Take a look at this six-course meal at Love By Britto before you tell me that you’d prefer to dine in the main dining room..!
Even with dietary restrictions (vegan, vegetarian, and picky kids), the staff were brilliant. Once you note your requirements, each restaurant is informed in advance and prepares something off-menu if needed.
Princess Prizes Is A Fun Little Extra
Each time you enter your stateroom while the ship is at sea, you’re automatically entered into a prize draw via the screen by your door. You might win spa treatments, jewellery, wine tastings, speciality dining meals and so much more!
We didn’t win, but it added a bit of fun every time we returned to the cabin.
Reserved Seats in the Theatre
Trying to get a good seat at a production show can be chaotic. But with Princess Premier, you get a reserved section, so you can stroll in 5 minutes before curtain up and still get a great view.
Note that this only applies to the big production shows, not smaller acts.
Room Service and Ship-Wide Deliveries
Room service delivery is included, with no extra fees. We made good use of it for lazy brunches on the balcony, late-night bottled water, glasses of wine while getting ready and kids snacks!
And with OceanNow delivery, you don’t just have to order it to your room. You can order food and drinks to be delivered anywhere on the ship! And if you move, the crew members can track you using your medallion so they will bring it right to you!
Getting a mojito delivered to my hammock on the top deck was a highlight of my cruise!
Other extras include unlimited fitness classes, a juice bar and huge ice-creams that come in big beer mugs.
Gratuities Taken Care Of
Tips for the crew are usually charged at $17 per person, per day (or $19 if you’re in a suite). These are included in the package, so straight away you can consider it as costing $73 per day instead of $90.
Cruise ship wi-fi is usually hit and miss. And I’ve found that the more people are using it, the slower it can be. However, despite Sun Princess being a huge ship, and lots of people having the wi-fi packages, the onboard wi-fi was always super fast. That’s because Princess reserves the fastest wi-fi for Plus and Premier Package guests, while everyone else gets the standard wi-fi.
Having four devices is handy too because you don’t need to log in and out. I used one login for my phone, one for my laptop (because I often work while at sea) and I have one to each of the kids so they could watch their iPads while I got ready to go out.
Who Is Princess Premier Good For?
We loved the Premier Package. Last year, we got the Plus Package, but next time we will get Premier again. Even though my husband doesn’t drink alcohol it’s still worth it for us.
Princess Premier is perfect if you:
Enjoy premium drinks
Want to dine in multiple specialty restaurants
Like having your photos taken
Use Wi-Fi a lot
Don’t want to think about extra charges onboard
It’s not for you if you:
Don’t drink at all
Are happy with main dining and the buffet
Never use onboard photographers
Aren’t fussed about little extras
Final Thoughts
For us, Princess Premier was 100% worth it. We drank cocktails guilt-free, tried new restaurants every night, got loads of fab photos, and avoided a nasty bill at the end.
Even if you don’t use every single perk, the value quickly adds up. And best of all? It makes the cruise feel truly carefree.
Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
I hate that feeling when I’m packing for a holiday where there’s a flight involved, and I have to make sacrifices on what makes it into the suitcase.
It’s a fine art, and I’ve refined it over the years – but I still resent it just a little bit.
With a Princess cruise, things a little different.
But you haven’t got complete freedom…
Luggage Limits on a Princess Cruise
Princess Cruises does not have a limit on the amount of luggage you take on board. There are no weight or size limits for the number of suitcases, and you can take as many cases as you want onto the ship.
However, it’s not quite as simple as that. It’s great that the Princess cruise luggage policy doesn’t have a cap, but you need to think about the practicalities. How much luggage can you take on a cruise before it becomes difficult for you, and what about flights?
Departure Port Location
While it’s great that Princess lets you pack as many suitcases as you want, without a care in the world about weight, how are you going to get your luggage to the departure port?
If you’re sailing from a port in another country, you’re going to have to fly there, and if you do that then you need to abide by the airline’s luggage restrictions. You can’t turn up and tell them you’re on a Princess cruise and therefore it’s fine if your bag is 5kg too heavy.
So for cruises departing from other countries, you’re limited by the airline. What about cruises from your home country?
There’s no need to worry about the Princess Cruises luggage allowance from Southampton, since there’s no limit. You do have the chance to take as many cases as you want onto the ship. But think about how you’re actually going to get them to the port.
Are you driving? If so, and your car has space, then that’s fine. A taxi might also be OK but they may have limited boot space, and the driver may not be comfortable with you holding suitcases on your lap.
Taking the train? You’re taking a risk by carrying lots of bags since there might not be space in the luggage racks. Plus you don’t want to have to spend a long time loading and unloading cases at your station.
Once you’ve got all your luggage to the port, you can wave goodbye to it as it is loaded onto the ship. Later that day, it’ll be waiting for you outside your room, and you can get to unpacking.
But then, if you’ve taken a load of extra bags, where do you put them once they’re unloaded?
Typically, a stateroom can hold two large suitcases, either under the bed or in the back of the wardrobe. But that’s about it. Any more, and they’re going to have to be placed on the floor somewhere.
Wardrobe space on Enchanted Princess
This isn’t so much of an issue if you’ve booked a suite, although it will spoil the look of the room. But if you’ve booked an Interior Stateroom, your space is already at a premium.
Do you really want to have to climb over the case or the bed each day, just because you wanted a few spare outfits? It’s less a case of how many suitcases can you take on a cruise, and instead how many do you want to have to find space for in your room?
Leaving the Ship
You also need to consider your journey home. If it’s a round-trip from a port in your home country, then again you don’t need to worry about airline restrictions. But you do need to think about actually getting off the ship.
When you’re leaving a ship, you’ve got two options. You can either check your luggage, which means putting new tags on it and leaving it outside your room the night before, or you can carry it off with you.
If you’ve brought too much that you can’t carry it in one trip, then you’ll need to check it. It’s not the end of the world but it will slow you down a lot, since you’ll then need to go find your bag at the port.
When everyone is trying to leave at once, either driving off the car park or snapping up all the cabs, then delays like this can become a little frustrating. So it’s something else to bear in mind.
Princess Cruises Packing Tips
Here are some tips for packing your luggage for your Princess cruise.
1. Know the Dress Codes
Princess has two dress codes – one for regular dining and one for formal nights.
Regular dining is smart casual, so avoid pool and beach clothing, shorts, fraying/holed jeans and sandals, though feel free to bring these to wear during the day.
Formal nights include tuxedos, dark suites, elegant pantsuits, cocktail dresses or ball gowns.
Here’s an example of a casual dress that I wore on a Princess cruise in the summer…
Here’s what we wore on a recent Sun Princess cruise for formal night:
2. Use the Laundry Facilities
You don’t need to pack an outfit for every day of your cruise. Each Princess cruise ship has a self-service launderette that’s equipped with washing machines, dryers and ironing equipment.
If you don’t like the idea of spending time doing laundry on your cruise, there’s also a laundry service that allows you to send your clothes off to be washed or dry cleaned and pressed.
You can see the latest prices for the self-service and professional laundry service in my Cruise Laundry Guide.
3. Know What To Pack
There are also some items, like pool and beach towels, that are provided so you don’t need to waste space in your case by bringing your own.
While many cruise ships only provide bath robes for suite guests, Princess Cruises make them available for everyone, for free. If there isn’t one already hanging in your closet, just ask your stateroom attendant and they will bring you one.
Princess Cruises has a number of prohibited items you shouldn’t bring on board. They’ll be confiscated if you try to bring them onto the ship – all luggage is scanned. Familiarise yourself with the list of Princess cruise prohibited items before you pack.
4. Bringing Your Own Drinks
Every passenger of drinking age is allowed to bring one 750ml or smaller bottle of wine or Champagne onto the ship, but no beers or spirits. This can be drunk in the cabin or brought to a restaurant, but in the restaurant, there will be a corkage fee.
The cruise line asks you to always pack your essential medicines or any valuables into your hand luggage, rather than your suitcase. That way, if something happens to your case, you have the important things with you.
Final Word
It’s exciting to be able to take as much luggage as you want on your cruise, but in reality, most people stick to a suitcase or two at most. Otherwise, it can still be a bit of a logistical nightmare.
The good news is that if you are sailing from a port in your home country, you don’t have to break out the scales to check the weight of your cases – just make sure you can close them, ideally without sitting on them, and you’ll be good.
Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Coral Princess is one of the older ships in the Princess Cruises fleet, and one of the smallest too. She was built to the older Panamax dimensions, meaning she is capable of sailing the original Panama Canals (larger canals have since been built).
The Coral Princess cruise ship also has a few quirks, including some related to her accommodations.
This means you need to be a little bit careful when selecting your stateroom for your cruise. It’s not that these rooms are bad, just that some may be better than others.
I’ve spent several hours studying the Coral Princess Deck Plan in detail – and trust me, there are some cabins that some people will definitely want to steer clear of…
Coral Princess Cabin Types
There are eight main types of cabins on Coral Princess. I’ve listed these in a handy table so that you can compare the sizes…
Not every ship in the Princess fleet has Oceanview rooms, but Coral Princess does. In fact, it’s also one of the few ships to have Premium Oceanview rooms, and Mini Suites without a balcony too.
Of all the Princess ships, this one (along with sister ship Island Princess) has the widest choice of base category.
However, the decision of which room you should book is a lot more than just picking a cabin type.
There’s a lot to consider, as within each type there are different categories, some of which are better than others, and then you also need to think about the location on the ship as well, and how close you want to be to certain facilities (or how far away, if you want a quieter room).
Because there’s a lot to think about, I’ve made a checklist that tells you everything you need to be aware of. And you can get it free here:
Coral Princess Inside Cabins
On most cruise ships, the most ‘basic’ accommodation you can book is an interior or inside cabin, and Coral Princess is no different. These rooms are on the inside of the ship, as the name suggests, which means you don’t have any windows for natural light.
They’re normally designed for two people but there are some that can sleep four. Inside cabins tend to be the smallest on a ship, and that’s generally correct with Coral Princess, although there are some that are very slightly bigger than some of the Oceanview cabins.
These rooms are ideal for anyone who either doesn’t like to be woken up by sunlight, and thinks they may get a better night’s sleep without any windows. Or for anyone who just isn’t too bothered by having a nice view. After all, there are plenty of open decks where you can go when you do want to see the sea.
And interior cabins are the cheapest available, which frees up more of your budget for onboard activities or even for your next cruise. There are some wheelchair-accessible interior cabins on Coral Princess, and they’re some of the most spacious rooms on the ship that aren’t suites.
Beds are flexible – they’re normally twin beds that can be converted into a double – while the cabins that sleep up to four will have Pullman beds that are more suited to children but can support some adults so long as you’re not too heavy.
Pullman beds are either fold-down from the wall, or they’re hidden in the ceiling, and on Coral Princess, it’s the fold-down from the wall version. These aren’t as good, because people in the twin beds can bump their heads on the Pullman even when folded up.
I took this photo of a Pullman bed in an inside cabin on Ventura, but it’s the same thing on Coral Princess…
Coral Princess Inside Cabin Grades
Every cabin on Coral Princess has a two-letter code that tells you the grade. The first letter makes clear the cabin type, while the second character (a mix of numbers and letters) tells you where it is on the ship, and what sub-type of room it is.
Inside cabins begin with I, and the second letter runs from A to F. A is considered the best due to the location, while F is the worst. Costs vary, so an IA will cost more than an IF – if you want the best location, you have to pay a little more.
Grade
Sleeps up to
Average size (sq ft)
IA
2
156
IB
4
156
IC
2
156 – 166
ID
2
156
IE
2
156 – 166
IF
4
156
Coral Princess Oceanview Cabins
If you want to enjoy a view from your room, or the thought of no natural light leaves you feeling a bit cramped, then an Oceanview is the next step up. Cheaper than a Balcony, you tend to get just a little more space than an Interior cabin, but more importantly some view of the ocean.
Bear in mind that some of the Oceanview cabins on Coral Princess have an obstructed view, either caused by the lifeboats or other obstructions at the aft of the ship. These are cheaper, so if you’re not so worried about the view and just want some sunlight, these could be ideal.
There are also Premium Oceanview cabins available on Coral Princess, which are larger rooms situated towards the front of the ship. There are only a handful of these available, but if you want a better view (being higher) and more space, they’re a good option without having to upgrade to a Balcony.
Coral Princess Oceanview Cabin Grades
This table shows the different grades of Oceanview rooms on Coral Princess:
Grade
Type
Sleeps up to
Average size (sq ft)
O5
Premium Oceanview
2
212
O6
Premium Oceanview
2
212
OB
Oceanview
2
162
OC
Oceanview
2
162
OD
Oceanview
2
162
OE
Oceanview
2
162
OV
Oceanview Obstructed
4
162
OW
Oceanview Obstructed
2
162
OY
Oceanview Obstructed
2
162
OZ
Oceanview Obstructed
2
162
Note that families only have the option of the obstructed view with this room type. Interestingly, the larger, Premium OceanView rooms are just for couples. I suppose that’s because if you are a couple, you wouldn’t want to pay extra and then have to contend with the awkward Pullman beds that you would likely bash your head on in the night.
Coral Princess Balcony Cabins
Looking for a little more space again, and the chance to soak up some fresh air from the comfort of your own room? That’s when you want a Balcony cabin. These have sliding doors opening onto your own miniature veranda where you’ll have a couple of chairs and you can sit and relax with a view.
Within the Balcony category, there are a couple of different options available – Balcony and Premium Balcony. Premium Balconies have more space and are in some premium locations, although Coral Princess does have regular Balcony cabins that have aft views too.
There are also obstructed-view Balcony cabins on Coral Princess, so if you don’t mind the lack of view and just want a private space to enjoy the sea air, these are the cheapest Balcony cabins on the ship.
Coral Princess Balcony Cabin Grades
Grade
Type
Sleeps up to
Average size (sq ft)
B1
Premium Balcony
4
248
B2
Premium Balcony
4
248
BA
Balcony
4
248
BB
Balcony
4
210 – 234
BC
Balcony
4
210
BD
Balcony
3
210 – 234
BE
Balcony
2
210 – 234
BF
Balcony
2
210
BY
Balcony Obstructed
2
210
BZ
Balcony Obstructed
2
210
Coral Princess Mini Suites
The Mini Suites on Coral Princess are a middle step between a Balcony stateroom and a full-size suite.
This has some plusses and some drawbacks – you get more space, and you get a few extra benefits, but not as many as if you were to make the step up all the way to a full suite. However, you’re also not paying the same price as you would be for a Suite, so there is that to consider as well.
The perks you get in a Mini Suite on Coral Princess are:
A separate sitting area in your suite, with a sofa bed and a coffee table
A curtain so that you can separate the sofa bed from the main bed area, creating two bedrooms
An extra TV – the usual one facing the bed, and a second in the sitting area
A better bathroom that has a bathtub and a massage shower
An upgraded bed, that has better pillows and a plump mattress topper
Additional balcony chairs – up to four (instead of the normal two)
A glass of sparkling wine as you board the ship
There are some Mini Suites on Coral Princess that don’t have a balcony, but instead are oceanview only. Obviously, these don’t come with any balcony chairs.
Take a look at this video to see what the unusual cabin type of Mini Suite with No Balcony looks like…
Coral Princess Mini Suite Grades
Grade
Type
Sleeps up to
Average size (sq ft)
M1
Club Class Mini Suite
3
280 – 302
MB
Mini Suite
4
280 – 302
MD
Mini Suite
4
302
ME
Mini Suite
4
302
MY
Mini Suite No Balcony
4
300
Club Class Mini Suites
If Mini Suites are a halfway house between Balcony cabins and Suites, then Club Class are a two-thirds house. They’re a premium subclass of Mini Suites that have some additional perks, despite not being any larger.
Coral Princess Club Class Mini Suite perks:
Priority embarkation and disembarkation queues at the start and the end of your cruise
An even comfier bed
Bathrobes provided for each guest for the duration of the cruise (don’t steal them!)
A half bottle of red wine and a half bottle of white wine in your Mini Suite on embarkation day
Evening canapes served in your room (on request)
Access to an exclusive seating area in the Main Dining Room, with additional menu options to choose from.
If you’re thinking about making the step up to a Mini Suite or a Club Class Mini Suite, it’s worth taking the time to consider whether these extra benefits are worth it to you. And if they are, then you might also want to pay a little more for a full-sized Suite.
If the perks aren’t something you want to pay more for, then it’s not worth booking a Club Class Mini Suite, although you may prefer the extra room that a regular Mini Suite gives you compared to a Balcony cabin.
Coral Princess Suites
If you want to really live the high life, or you just want the most space to be able to relax in the privacy of your own room, then a Suite is the way to go. Coral Princess has some pleasant Suite options, giving you all of the perks of a Club Class Mini Suite, as well as a long list of additional extras as well.
However, Coral Princess does only have two classes of suite – the least of any ship in the Princess fleet.
Coral Princess Suite Perks:
Priority queues for embarkation and disembarkation, and for shore excursions/tenders
Priority lines for booking shore excursions and for guest services desks
Priority booking for the speciality dining venues
Access to the Club Class Dining area of the Main Dining Room with its extra menu choices
Access to the exclusive Lotus Spa Thermal Suite
An upgraded room service menu to choose from
Your boarding drink is upgraded to Champagne
A free mini bar in your room, a fruit bowl (topped up on request) and a fresh vase of orchids in your suite for your arrival
A free mimosa served at breakfast every day
A twice-daily ice service
Tea served in your suite
A cruise card wallet
Complimentary use of umbrellas as necessary
Free laundry, dry cleaning and shoe-shining
One free private portrait photograph taken by the ship’s photographer
Coral Princess Suite Grades
Here are the different suites you can choose on Coral Princess…
Grade
Type
Sleeps up to
Average size (sq ft)
S5
Premium Suite
3
470
S6
Vista Suite
3
470
So, which is the best? Read on to find out…
Premium vs Vista
There are just two types of Suite on the Coral Princess, which is a more limited range than there are on other Princess Cruises ships – even more so than sister ship Island Princess, which had a third class (Penthouse).
Not only that, but both the Premium and Vista class of suites on Coral Princess are the same size, and they come with the same perks. So which is better?
Honestly, the only difference is location. The Vista Suites are situated towards the aft of the ship, but they don’t have aft views. The Premium Suites are therefore slightly better since they’re in the middle of the ship.
If there’s a major price difference between them, I’d suggest you book the Vista since you essentially get a very similar suite and only a marginally worse location.
Special Cabin Types
Coral Princess Aft Rooms
Most people covet an aft room because of the views you can enjoy. Looking out of the wake is pretty exciting, and you’re sheltered from a lot of the winds that stream past the ship while you’re sailing too. Plus the rooms tend to be larger, so you’re getting more space and a wonderful view every morning.
But Coral Princess is not designed for aft views – the rear of the ship doesn’t have any balconies at all. Because of that, you’re very limited in your choices if you want an aft view. And if you’re looking for a balcony, you’ll need to look elsewhere on the ship.
On the Coral Princess, the aft-facing rooms are:
OD Oceanview cabins on Deck 11
OE Oceanview cabins on Deck 8
Coral Princess Accessible Rooms
While the public areas of the ship are fully accessible for wheelchair users, not every cabin is really suited. There are a selection of dedicated accessible cabins though, which have wider doorways, more floorspace around the bed to allow a chair to manoeuvre, and a wet room.
These are really popular and will often book up quickly, so if you’re interested then you should definitely try to book in advance. And if you don’t need an accessible cabin, try not to book them so that those who do require the space don’t miss out.
The accessible cabins on Coral Princess are:
Interior Cabins – Decks 5
Oceanview Obstructed Cabins – Deck 8
Balcony Cabins – Decks 10 and 11
Coral Princess Connecting Rooms – There Aren’t Any!
Connecting rooms are designed for any groups that are travelling together that either can’t fit into one cabin, or that want a little more space.
They’re two cabins side-by-side that have a door between them. This door is locked by default, so that any guest can book these rooms without a stranger wandering in. But if you book both rooms you can have this connecting door unlocked so that you can wander between the two rooms freely.
And yet, Coral Princess is a very rare ship in that she doesn’t have any connecting cabins at all! So if you wanted to share two cabins as a group, you can’t open a door between them.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
See the latest Princess Cruises offers…
Coral Princess Cabins to Avoid
Now that we’ve run through every type of accommodation you can book on Coral Princess, it’s time to pick out those individual cabins that maybe aren’t the best choice.
Obviously, I haven’t stayed in every room on Coral Princess. I mean, who has? But, what I have done is spent many hours scouring cruise forums and Facebook groups as well as the deck plans.
I’ve found the rooms on Coral Princess that people haven’t been too happy with, and made a note of them for you here.
But remember that a lot of this is subjective, and some of these might actually be a good choice for you. None of the recommendations here are down to a ‘bad’ room. These are all tips based on the location of the rooms, and what surrounds them.
With that clarified, here are the Coral Princess cabins you might want to avoid.
1. Cabins That Are Under the Lido Deck
A311 to A623 (Deck 12)
A common thread you see on forums and Facebook groups about cruise ships is problems with the noise from pool decks. There are a lot of rooms that are situated directly underneath the wooden decking of the pools, and when guests wake up nice and early to secure themselves and deck chair, they will often scrape it along the floor to get it into position.
And that sound carries through the floor.
What was interesting was that it wasn’t just complaints about the passengers in the morning that I read about, but also about crew working late to clean the Lido, scraping the deck as they cleaned it as late as almost midnight.
When the guest in question complained they did get an apology, as well as a credit to their onboard spend account, so that should show it’s not a super-regular thing. But if you are someone who appreciates a lie-in then definitely consider booking a room that isn’t underneath the scraping deck chairs.
A few cruise lines have balcony cabins situated in a forward position on the ship, but they’re rendered completely unusable while the ship is sailing because of the high winds – barring some that have special reinforced panels in place.
While Coral Princess doesn’t have forward-facing balconies, it does have some that are situated close to the front of the ship. These balconies may be out of bounds during particularly high winds, but even when you are allowed to use them I saw a couple of people saying that it wasn’t a pleasant experience – it was too breezy to be able to relax.
If your idea of a balcony is one where things are peaceful, a mid-ship location may be a better choice.
The good news is that, on Coral Princess, there are only a few of these rooms. The ones on deck 12 (Aloha) are certainly the worst because other balconies near the front of the ship on lower decks are sheltered by either Oceanview rooms or Mini-Suites with ocean views.
3. Cabins That Can Make Seasickness Worse
A209 to A321 and A618 to A722, B201 to B310 and B618 to B737
If you’re someone that’s worried about potentially getting seasick, then you’ll want to avoid cabins where you will feel the motion the most. Those are the cabins on the higher decks towards the front and aft of the ship.
Aim for a mid-ship room on a lower deck if you are concerned, as you’ll feel the rocking of the ship less.
4. Cabins Directly Adjacent to the Laundry
B711, C710, D720, E717
There are a handful of laundry rooms on Coral Princess, meaning guests don’t have to cart their dirty clothes up many floors in the elevator. However, there are a couple of staterooms that are directly adjacent to these rooms, and you may want to avoid them.
And there are two reasons – firstly, the obvious noise of the machines. This isn’t terrible but it can also cause vibrations in the room. This is less of an issue for B711 and E717 as while they are next door to the laundromat, they run perpendicular and so the machines aren’t all sharing a wall with the rooms – unlike the other cabins I’ve listed above.
The other issue is just traffic – you may have a lot of noise from people coming and going, especially as each of the cabins I’ve listed is between the laundromat and the lift.
5. Obstructed View Rooms if a View Is Important to You
Any OV, OW, OY or OZ Oceanview cabin or any BY or BZ Balcony cabin
There are a number of Oceanview cabins and Balcony cabins that have an obstructed view. Most of the obstructions are caused by the lifeboats but others are just due to the layout of the ship.
This isn’t a problem if you don’t want a view and only want some natural sunlight – you’ll still get that, and you can save money. But if you want a good view, it’s best to book an unobstructed room since you don’t know just how much you’ll be able to see.
In this video, my friends Richard and Helen from Visit With Us discuss whether booking an obstructed view on a Princess cruise ship is a good idea or not.
6. Overlooked Balconies
C311 to C415, C505 to C633, D311 to D415, D505 to D623
Decks 9, 10 and 11 of Coral Princess have a tiered design. This means that if you book certain cabins on Deck 9 (Dolphin Deck) or Deck 10 (Caribe Deck), then your balcony will be overlooked from above.
This isn’t a problem for everyone. But, if you book one of these rooms then be sure that you’re fully dressed before heading out onto the veranda!
These overlooked balconies do have their advantages though, as they tend to be much larger than those on higher decks. So you may decide that the compromise in terms of privacy is worth it for the extra space.
Larger balcony on Coral Princess
Coral Princess has ‘bump outs’ in the design – wider points where the cabins stick out more. This location doesn’t have the same issues as the recessed areas – but you also won’t get the extra balcony space.
7. Cabins With Late-Night Noise
Plaza Deck (Deck 5)
If you’re someone who likes to get an early night, you may wish to avoid the staterooms on Deck 5 of Coral Princess.
They are all situated underneath the casino and nightclub, which are two popular venues for people to while away the hours in the evening. The noise can carry down into your room, and if you prefer silence then you might struggle to shut it out.
It’s not an issue if you’ll be joining people in the casino or nightclub – in fact, you might prefer the proximity at the end of the night – but for ‘early-to-bed, early-to-rise’ folks, you may prefer to look elsewhere on the ship.
The Best Cabins on Coral Princess
1. Premium Suites
The best accommodations on Coral Princess are the Premium Suites, and if you want the most spacious room and the full list of suite perks, these are the ones to go for – unless the Vista Suites are significantly cheaper (they shouldn’t be).
Coral Princess doesn’t have suites in the typically ‘best’ locations since there are no aft-facing suites on this ship. But the mid-ship location means its easy to reach every different feature of the ship without walking end-to-end, and the suites themselves are comfortable and attractive.
2. The Cheapest Cabins
The cheapest cabins on Coral Princess are some of the inside cabins, especially those situated towards the front of the ship. They’re not the biggest, and they’re a decent walk from many of the amenities, but for someone who plans on spending a very small amount of time in their room they are ideal.
Take a look at this video for a tour of an Inside Cabin…
You’ll save a lot of money – often paying half of what a guest in a Premium Balcony or Mini Suite may be paying – which can go towards all your onboard experiences or even your next cruise holiday.
3. Aloha Deck Rooms if You Enjoy the Pool or Have Kids
There are a handful of cabins situated at the rear of the Aloha deck towards the aft, all of which are Balcony cabins. And they’re perfect if you have kids, as they’re situated close to the kids clubs – meaning those walks at the start and end of the day can be very short.
The Sanctuary Pool is also close at hand, so you can drop the kids at the clubs and then go relax for a while. Or, just one flight of stairs up, you can enjoy the Spa and the pools, so you never have far to travel to get changed.
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To Conclude
There really aren’t any bad cabins on Coral Princess, but depending on your preferences for noise, location and how prone you are to feeling seasick, there may be some that are better for you than others.
I took a lot of this feedback from Facebook groups and forums, and by reading Coral Princess reviews, so it’s always a good idea to check those out yourself too. You can even ask about a specific room – someone on the groups will normally be able to tell you about their own experiences, and people love to share their own Coral Princess cabin photos too.
Remember to check out the Coral Princess deck plans if you want to do your own research too – it’s always worth checking where your room is before you confirm.
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Coral Princess Accommodation FAQs
When was Coral Princess last refurbished?
Coral Princess may be an older ship but she was refurbished as recently as January 2019. The refurb updated the decor in many areas of the ship, including some of the bars and restaurants, and crew areas too.
How many cabins does Coral Princess have?
Coral Princess has 1,000 cabins in total including 6 suites. She has a maximum guest capacity of 2,000 making her one of the smaller ships in the Princess fleet, due to the Panamax spec she was built to.
What class is Coral Princess?
Coral Princess is part of the Coral Class, the smallest class of ship for Princess Cruises. The only other ship in the class is the Island Princess, which was built one year later.
Is Coral Princess a MedallionClass ship?
Yes, Coral Princess is a MedallionClass ship. All Princess Cruises ships have received the MedallionClass upgrades, which allows guests to use their medallion as their room key, or to add purchases to their account, or track their travelling party around the ship.
What is the best deck on Coral Princess?
There’s no single answer – the best deck depends on your preferences. Decks 9 to 11 have only cabins above and below them, which tends to make for less noise. Higher decks will have a better view, but are also worse if you tend to get seasick.
Related Posts:
More Princess Cruises Cabin Guides
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Planning a cruise for your extended family can be really tricky. Everyone wants something different from their holiday – which leaves you with the challenge of finding something that ticks all the boxes for everyone.
However, after trying pretty much all of the cruise lines that allow children on board, I’ve found what I believe is the best cruise for the whole family – grandparents included!
We were invited to spend a week on Sun Princess, Princess Cruises’ newest ship. My children, husband, mother-in-law and I all had the best time.
Here’s why you won’t find a better ship than this one for your family holiday…
Fun for All Ages
Some other cruise lines are geared towards retirees, making them very popular with the over-60s. I’m talking about lines like Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Cunard, and Ambassador Cruise Line.
While these may be favourites with the grandparents – and they do allow kids on board during school holidays – children’s activities can be something of an afterthought.
If your kids are young enough to be happy with just a swimming pool and a colouring book, then these can be great. But older kids will probably want more from their summer holiday…
Then, there are cruise lines that are ALL about the kids. I’m talking about Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, and Carnival. Sure, your teens will love the facilities, but Nana and Grandad might find these mega-ships a bit too large, loud, and overwhelming.
Plus, you’re essentially paying for the zipline, waterslides, and rock climbing walls whether you use them or not.
Princess Cruises gets the balance just right. Their large and modern ships are especially designed with all generations in mind.
Princess Cruises’ kids’ clubs are among the best at sea, and there’s plenty for older adults too. You’ll find a jam-packed schedule of trivia, language classes, cookery demonstrations, dance lessons, afternoon tea and so much more.
With so much to do on board, you can enjoy activities together or head off and do your own thing.
Princess Cruises’ Medallion Technology is a Game-Changer
The more people there are in your group, the harder it can be to keep everyone organised. But the Princess Cruises Medallion solves that problem.
The Medallion is a small device, about the size of a ten pence piece (or a quarter, for my American friends). It uses GPS technology to do some seriously clever things.
One of my favourite features is that you can see where your family members are using your phone. So you don’t need to plan to meet at a specific place and time – you can just find each other whenever you like.
If kids or grandparents don’t have a smartphone, that’s not a problem. There are screens around the ship where you can check where everyone is. It even gives you step-by-step directions to help you find them.
The Medallion also replaces your cruise card. Because you can wear it on your wrist or around your neck, you’re far less likely to lose it. No more “Mum, can I have my cruise card to get a drink?” – the kids can just go and get one themselves.
You can also use the Princess Cruises app to order food and drinks anywhere on the ship. Crew members can see your location, so even if you move, your order will still find you.
There’s Food Everyone Will Love
Everyone loves the food on Princess ships – whatever their tastes, dietary needs, or level of fussiness!
In the Main Dining Room, there’s a new menu every day, with separate options for children, vegans, and vegetarians.
The buffet is open throughout the day and offers just about every cuisine you can think of – from Asian and Mexican dishes to American favourites and kid-friendly classics.
Sun Princess has loads of casual dining spots too, both by the pool and along Deck 8. Here, you can grab pizza slices, burgers, hot dogs, tacos, burritos, nachos, and salads – all at no extra cost.
When it comes to speciality dining, Sun Princess is a foodie’s dream! We went for the Premier package, which gave us unlimited access to the speciality restaurants.
From teppanyaki live cooking shows to steakhouses and gourmet Italian restaurants, there are countless options – you could eat somewhere different every night.
There’s also an extensive room service menu included in your fare. And thanks to the app and Medallion technology, you don’t have to eat it in your cabin – you can have it delivered anywhere on the ship!
With Princess Cruises, you can dine as a family or enjoy an adults-only meal while the kids are at the kids’ club, which is open throughout the day and from 7pm to 10pm in the evening.
For couples, I recommend the Love By Britto restaurant – it’s probably the most romantic restaurant at sea.
The Vibe is So Relaxed
I love how relaxing a Princess cruise is. There are no strict dress codes – although you can dress up for formal night if you fancy it.
Some people go for floor-length gowns and tuxedos, while others stick to a sundress or polo shirt. It’s totally up to you, and you’ll never feel out of place.
There’s no need to rush around following a rigid schedule – there’s so much going on that you can just wander and stumble across something fun.
The ships are spacious, and we never had to queue for anything. Sun Princessis big – but not too big. There’s no blaring music or wild parties – just good, wholesome family fun.
Entertainment for All
The entertainment on a Princess cruise is brilliant for all ages. Sun Princess has several venues, so you might find acrobats in the Arena, a comedy show in Princess Live, trivia in the Irish Pub, and live music in the Piazza – all happening at the same time.
You can do as much or as little as you like. One person might want to watch Movies Under the Stars on the outdoor screen, another might head to the casino, and someone else might fancy a show – and that’s absolutely fine.
Children aged eight and up can sign themselves in and out of the kids’ club (once you’ve given permission). That’s perfect, because if they ever get bored of the evening entertainment, they can just head to the club and join in the fun – with air hockey and Minecraft gaming being firm favourites with my kids!
Spacious Family Cabins and Connecting Rooms
One of the biggest challenges when cruising with extended family is the cabin layout – but Sun Princess makes it easy. There are spacious family cabins with extra beds and generous storage, as well as interconnecting rooms.
On our cruise, Granny stayed in her own cabin nearby. We made sure hers had extra beds too, so the kids could enjoy a sleepover a couple of times during the week.
Shore Excursions That Everyone Can Enjoy
Another reason a Princess cruise works so well for multigenerational holidays is the variety of shore excursions. There’s something for everyone, including a range of excursions that are designed especially with families in mind.
We loved that many of the excursions were short enough to avoid overtiring the little ones (or the grandparents!) and were well organised with plenty of shade, water and knowledgeable guides.
It really takes the stress out of exploring new places when all you need to do is step off the ship and onto a coach. The excursions can be a little bit pricier than third-party excursions, especially for larger families, but they are just so convenient if you want a stress-free day ashore.
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Final Thoughts
If you’re planning a cruise with kids, grandparents, or the whole extended family, Sun Princess truly offers something for everyone. From top-notch kids’ clubs and delicious dining options to relaxing spaces and smart tech that makes everything easier – this ship has nailed the balance between fun and relaxation for all ages.
Our multigenerational holiday couldn’t have gone more smoothly, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Princess Cruises for your next family adventure.
Please feel free to share this article with your family members, or send them this video where I go into more detail about what you can expect on a Princess cruise…
Ready to Set Sail?
Cruise deals for next year are already being snapped up – especially during school holidays. Booking early gives you the best choice of cabins and often the biggest savings too.
Check out the latest Princess Cruises deals for 2026 now – and get your family cruise locked in before prices rise!
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Love a cheeky cocktail on your cruise? You’re not alone. But if you’re banking on classic Happy Hour deals aboard Princess Cruises, things aren’t quite the same anymore.
Here’s the lowdown on what’s changed, what still counts as a bargain, and how to make the most of drink time without overspending at sea.
Princess Cruises Does Have A Happy Hour For Select Guests
Princess Cruises does have a happy hour event, taking place each evening from 4.30 pm until 6.30 pm in the Elite Lounge – though it isn’t called Happy Hour. It includes a range of cocktails discounted to $8 and some complimentary appetisers. It’s open to Platinum and Elite guests as well as guests staying in a suite.
So, there is no happy hour event on a Princess cruise that’s open to all guests. Instead, you either need to have reached Platinum or Elite level in the Captain’s Circle loyalty programme, or you need to stay in a suite.
How To Get In The Elite Lounge
Reaching Platinum level and gaining access to the Elite Lounge isn’t too difficult with Princess Cruises – you just need to have completed either five prior cruises or have cruised for 50 days with the cruise line, if you’ve booked longer itineraries.
Elite is the next step up, but as long as you’re at least Platinum, you can take advantage of access to the Elite Lounge.
If you’re going the suite route rather than the loyalty route, you would need to be staying in a full suite – mini-suites don’t count.
The Happy Hour only takes place in the Elite Lounge. The drinks that are offered will usually change each day, and there’ll be a selection on offer, around six or so. You can order any other drink that you want, but they’ll be charged at full price.
The discounted drinks during Happy Hour are all $8, though remember there’s an 18% gratuity to pay on top of that – so you’ll actually be paying $9.44 for each drink.
If you have a drinks package, then the events in the Elite Lounge might not be worth attending. The Plus Beverage Package includes drinks up to $15, so it would cover the discounted drinks anyway – you’re not getting a special deal.
The Elite Lounge is open from 4.30 pm until 6.30 pm daily. This time has been brought slightly forward in the last couple of years to allow guests who are dining at 5 pm to grab a pre-dinner drink.
It’s also worth noting that, on some formal nights, the Elite Lounge will typically become the Captain’s Gala and guests will actually enjoy free drinks instead of discounted ones.
For Suite Guests, The Concierge Lounge Is Better Than The Elite Lounge
Suite guests will also get complimentary drinks in the Concierge Lounge (which is different from the Elite Lounge), so the Happy Hour benefit is only really useful for guests who have reached Platinum or Elite level in the Captain’s Circle, who haven’t purchased a drinks package.
Here’s a letter I received during my cruise, which shows the timings for both the Elite Lounge (with drinks special offers) and the Concierge Lounge (with free drinks)…
Princess Cruises Happy Hour Historically
There have been Happy Hour events on Princess Cruises’ ships historically, though they have now been removed. They would include special offers, including discounts on certain drinks, and the option to buy a drink and get another for $1.
Times change on cruise lines and the drinks prices, drinks packages and other offers are all very different on a Princess cruise than what they were even just a couple of years ago. So while it may be a shame that there’s no Happy Hour, it’s not a surprise.
As recently as 2016 there have been Happy Hour discounts on Princess sailings:
There may be another Happy Hour event, or something similar, introduced on Princess Cruises in future. However, with the popularity of the Plus and Premier cruise fares and their inclusions, it’s more likely that the cruise line will push people towards booking those fares instead and getting a drinks package as part of the deal.
Final Word
While there’s no official “Happy Hour” for all guests on a Princess cruise, the more loyal cruisers and those in a suite can enjoy discounted drinks in a two-hour window each evening.
If you aren’t at Platinum level in the Captain’s Circle, and you were hoping to get cheaper drinks, keep an eye out for any events you can attend onboard where you might get a welcome drink.
Or, just bring some of your own wine or Champagne onboard – you’re allowed one bottle per person.
Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
