Princess Cruises

Sun Princess is the first Sphere-Class ship for Princess Cruises, and with that she comes with a lot of new features, a new ship layout, and lots of new accommodation options to choose from.

When booking your cruise, you want to make sure you get the perfect cabin for you – it’s a lot of money to spend, after all. So I wanted to collate all the information on the best and worst cabins on the ship, to make your decision easier.

I have cruised on Sun Princess, but obviously only stayed in one cabin!

So to put this guide together I’ve used forums, social media groups, reviews and more to find the staterooms and suites that people love, and those that they didn’t enjoy.

First, though, let’s take a look at the different cabin options available.

Sun Princess cabins – an overview

There are five main types of cabin you can choose from on Sun Princess, but within those five categories there are several sub-types too.

There are 14 main cabin options overall and that’s before you start considering obstructed views, accessible cabins, connecting rooms and more!

Here are the main cabin types:

And it’s not like one will always be better than another. It completely depends on your budget, your party size, whether you’re travelling with toddlers, whether you’re at risk of getting seasick… There’s a lot to consider!

Let’s delve into each of the categories in a little more detail, to help you narrow down your search.

Interior Staterooms

The Interior Staterooms on Sun Princess are the cheapest options on the ship, but if you’re someone who doesn’t spend a whole lot of time in the room, then they’re absolutely worth considering.

Suggested read: Why I (Almost) Always Choose an Inside Cabin for a Family Cruise

The rooms feature either a twin bed or queen double bed, depending on your preference, while some inside rooms have options for a 3rd or 4th berth with pull-down beds. It can be cramped but for a small family, it’s a good way to keep costs down.

You can also get Interior Staterooms that are designed for solo guests – these will have the queen bed configuration as standard. 

Oceanview Staterooms

The Oceanview Staterooms on Sun Princess are the next step up from Interior, and size-wise they’re pretty impressive – a lot of oceanview staterooms on other ships or cruise lines would be much closer in size to an Interior room, but with Sun Princess you get quite a lot of extra space.

That’s handy if you’re travelling with kids because some of the rooms will have convertible sofa beds rather than pull-down beds. And even if you’re only two guests in a room, you can enjoy the extra space of the sofa and the desk area.

Some rooms have the bed by the window, while others have the sofa by the window.

My preference would be to have the sofa by the window as you have a better seating area with the window seat by the sofa. And also, your bed is closer to the bathroom.

When you check the Sun Princess Deck plan and click on a cabin, you’ll be able to see where the sofa is located with the note that’s in red.

The windows in these rooms are reasonably-sized picture windows, which means they’re smaller than on some of the Royal-class ships in the Princess fleet that have floor-to-ceiling slanted windows. But for a budget option with natural daylight, it’s still a good choice.

Balcony Staterooms

There are four different types of Balcony stateroom, but I’m just going to cover three of them for now – (I’ll cover the Signature Balcony Stateroom together with the other Signature rooms).

Whichever you choose, you’ll have a choice of layout with the bed near the entrance or the sofa near the entrance.

Unlike with the oceanview cabins, my preference here would be to have the sofa by the entrance.

I stayed in one with the bed by the entrance and the area between the bed and wardrobe felt a little cramped. Plus, if would be nice to be able to lie in bed and look at the ocean. That’s just my opinion though, you may prefer to sit on the sofa and look at the ocean.

Here’s my video tour of our balcony cabin. Some of the tips in it will apply to all cabins types, so I hope you’ll find it useful even if you plan to stay in an inside cabin or a suite.

The balcony is separated from the main room by stylish sliding glass doors, rather than the swinging door you’ll find on older cruise ships.

It’s great for relaxing in your room with the door open, but make sure you remember to close it before you leave otherwise the wind can cause havoc when you open the stateroom door!

Mini-Suites

Princess Cruises ships all offer Mini-suite accommodations, which bridge the gap between full Suites and regular Balcony Staterooms. You’ll get a couple of additional perks, but nothing like what you get with suite-class accommodations – though you won’t be paying the price of a suite either.

Mini-suites are really for those who want a Balcony Stateroom but with more space.

Suggested read: Suite Vs Mini Suite Vs Balcony – What’s The Difference?

The welcome glass of bubbly is a nice touch, and you’ll get a properly separate sitting area, and a second TV too.

As well as the regular Mini-suites, you can also book a Cabana Mini-suite, which has its own cabana area between the balcony and the main room, perfect as a chilled space to enjoy the fresh air.

The Cabana Deck Mini-suites are another step up again, this time not only giving you the luxury of your own room cabana, but granting you access to the shared Cabana Deck space too, which is a small private deck space you can access directly outside your balcony.

It has sun loungers, a hot tub and an outdoor shower that you share with other Cabana Deck Mini-suite guests.

Reserve Collection Mini-suites

While Mini-suites sit between Balcony Staterooms and Suites, there’s another sub-class which is even closer to the Suite experience – those are the Reserve Collection Mini-suites.

If you’re familiar with Club Class Mini-suites on older Princess ships, this is the same thing – it’s just a new name.

Suites

There are four main types of suite that you can choose from on Sun Princess.

(Note that some of the names of these have changed recently. Vista Suites used to be called Penthouse Suites and Grand Suites used to be called Owner’s Suites)

Suites are the very best accommodations on the ship, and they come with a range of extra suite perks that you can enjoy to enhance your experience onboard.

This of course means they’re also the most expensive accommodations on the ship, and so you’ll only want to book them if you have the budget spare and you enjoy the luxury feeling that suite accommodations provide. 

Often a suite room will cost at least twice that of a balcony room, so consider whether you’d rather pay for one cruise in a suite, or two cruises.

Sanctuary Accommodations

The Sanctuary Collection debuted on Sun Princess, and these are the most exclusive accommodation options on the ship.

All of the suites are considered Sanctuary Accommodations, but you can also book a Sanctuary Balcony Stateroom, and a Sanctuary Mini-suite.

The Sanctuary Balcony Stateroom is a version of the Premium Deluxe Balcony, while a Sanctuary Mini-Suite is a regular Mini-suite. The difference is that, by staying in these rooms, you also get all the benefits of the Sanctuary area of the ship, including access to the Sanctuary Restaurant and Sanctuary Sun Deck.

You can only book these rooms with a Princess Premier fare, which means you’ll enjoy a premium drinks package, premium WiFi and a host of other benefits too.

Cabins To Avoid On Sun Princess

OK, now you’ve got an oversight of the accommodation types in general, let’s take a look at those cabins you might want to avoid.

1. Deck 9 cabins en-route to the buffet

9307 to 9361

A few people have criticised the layout of Sun Princess and how it’s not the easiest ship to navigate. And I agree, some of it makes no sense!

One of the main criticisms is how you have to walk through the ship past several stateroom areas to get to some of the dining venues, with the chief culprit being The Eatery – the buffet restaurant on Deck 9.

You can walk the length of the ship to elevators that will get you closer, but most people at the front of the ship will use the elevators or stairs nearest them, and then need to walk along a corridor of cabins on Deck 9.

This means during peak times (breakfast and lunch) the corridors get quite busy with a constant stream of people walking past your room and chatting. Breakfast starts from 6 am, so you may be woken early.

I would definitely avoid saying in one of these rooms on deck 9!

2. Rooms close to the Piazza

9350 to 9361, 10360 to 10639

As has become something of a trend for Princess Cruises, the Piazza in the centre of the ship is a real hub of activity and entertainment.

This is great if you’re wandering the ship looking to enjoy yourself – you’ll often stumble across different entertainers just as you walk around, and you’ll suddenly be front-row for something exciting and exhilarating.

However, if you’re in one of the Deck 9 rooms close to the Piazza, or a Deck 10 stateroom directly above, that can mean you’re kept awake at night as the entertainment continues into the early hours, and it can be pretty loud.

There seems to be little consideration for how much the sound carries, and some guests have apparently reported a lot of noise in the closest cabins – if you’re a light sleeper or you prefer to be tucked up in bed relatively early, maybe look elsewhere.

3. Rooms below the Pool Deck

16320 to 16441

A real classic recommendation of any ‘best and worst cabins’ guide, it’s best to avoid any cabins directly below the pool deck.

It’s due to noise, specifically the sounds of deck chairs being dragged across the wooden surface first thing in the morning.

If you value your sleep first-thing, you should give these cabins a miss, as there’s always some eager folks who like to be up super-early and make sure they get a deck chair, and they will drag them into place to do so. The sound can be pretty grating.

4. Cabins adjacent to a laundromat

5302, 9322, 10324, 10328, 11324, 12324, 12330, 14324, 14328 

There are several cabins that are adjacent to the laundry rooms on the ship, and those are more options that you might want to avoid booking if you’re worried about noise. 

Most of the rooms aren’t too bad because there’s just a small part of the laundry room wall that’s shared with the rear wall of the cabin, although that is close to your bed, so it could be an issue if people are up early or late to get their washing done.

Room 5302 is the worst of these because it shares an entire long wall with the laundromat so the noise here is bound to be a lot louder.

5. Rooms near Firefly Park (if you aren’t sailing with young kids)

Odd-numbered cabins from 6327 to 6435

The kids’ clubs on Sun Princess are split between different locations on the ship. Neon Grove and The Underground are for the older kids and teens, and they’re near the Princess Arena on Deck 7.

But the younger kids will use Firefly Park on Deck 6, which has its entrance right next to a series of Cove Balcony staterooms.

If you’re booking outside of school holidays then it’s not likely going to be an issue, but if you’re travelling without kids during a school holiday then expect this corridor to be a lot more busy – and noisier, too.

Of course, this makes it a fantastic location for families with kids age 3 to 7 who will be using the kids’ club, so it just depends on who you’re sailing with.

6. Premium Deluxe Balconies if you want privacy

10236, 10237, 10320, 10321,11248, 11249, 11320, 11321, 11455, 11460, 11603, 11604, 12248, 12249, 12320, 12321, 12455, 12458, 12601, 12602, 14246, 14247, 14320, 14321, 14457, 14460, 14601, 14602, 15238, 15239, 15320, 15321, 15459, 15460, 15603, 15604, 16244, 16247, 16320, 16321, 16459, 16460, 16603, 16604, 17418, 17419, 17603, 17604

There are several Premium Deluxe Balcony staterooms you can book on Sun Princess, but many of them are on a corner area of the ship – not right at the front or aft of the ship, but in mid-ship locations where the design sticks out in places.

These balconies suffer from a real lack of privacy, because you’re essentially at a right-angle to other balconies. You’re overlooked from above, and also from the balconies that are recessed in the ship slightly.

I stayed in a cabin like this on P&O Iona, which is a sister ship to Sun Princess. On Iona and Arvia, these are designated as regular balcony cabins, so they don’t cost any extra like they do on Sun Princess, but I still wouldn’t recommend them. 

Check out this video to see why not…

The difference between these cabins on P&O ships and Princess ships, is that with Princess you do get two sun loungers so you can make the most of the extra space. 

If you do still want one of these corner Premium Deluxe Balcony staterooms, you’re best booking one on Deck 17 if you can. While your balcony will still be visible from the other balconies on that deck, you at least won’t be overlooked by the balconies above, so the intrusion will be minimal.

Be warned that the absolute worst of these large balcony cabins are 10236 and 10237. These are right over the hot tub on the Cabana deck!

Not only would it feel SO WEIRD to be sitting on your deck chair overlooking the hot tub when people are in it. But the guests staying in these cabins aren’t even allowed to use these hot tubs themselves as they’re exclusively for Cabana guests staying on the deck below!

7. Mini Suites on Deck 9 & 10

9105 to 9361 & 10438 to 10635

If you want to enjoy a feeling of privacy on your balcony, then steer clear of the mini suites and Cabana mini suites on Decks 9 and 10.

The problem with this deck is that the balconies stick out further than the decks above, so every person looking down can see straight onto your balcony.

The Cabana Deck also has its own issues with privacy which, oddly, I’m going to cover in the ‘Best cabins’ section of this guide. You’ll see why.

8. Inside cabins oriented the ‘wrong’ way

6322, 6325, 6429, 10109, 10110, 10114, 10115, 10120, 10121, 10226, 10227, 10228, 10229, 11109, 11110, 11116, 11117, 11120, 11121, 15611, 15612, 15617, 15618, 15620, 15621, 15625, 15626, 15628, 15629, 15632, 15633, 15636, 15637, 17607, 17608, 17611, 17612, 17616, 17617, 17622, 17623, 17624, 17625, 17630, 17631, 17632, 17633

A minor issue, but one worth pointing out considering the issues some people have had with noise on Sun Princess and how the rooms aren’t the best at being soundproofed.

Most of the interior cabins are perpendicular to the corridors, meaning that the shortest wall faces the corridor where the door is.

But these cabins I’ve listed have a longer wall running along the corridor instead, which means a lot more of your cabin is closer to public areas, potentially including the headboard of your bed.

If you have kids running up and down the corridors, or chatty adults who’ve had a few too many drinks to control their own volume, you might find that these rooms feel a lot noisier just because there’s so much more of your wall shared with the space directly outside.

The Best Cabins On Sun Princess

There are loads of amazing cabins you can choose from on Sun Princess, and I’ve tried to avoid just picking the very top suites – but here are some others that are considered to be amongst the best options onboard.

1. Cove Balcony Staterooms

Cove Balcony Staterooms are not a new invention for Princess Cruises. Carnival has popularised them the most on several ships by now. But they do work as good options on the Sun Princess.

They’re good for anyone who wants to feel more sheltered, true, but they also have other benefits – mainly a clear view of the waterline.

Most of the balconies on higher decks, due to the design of Sun Princess, will be overlooking at least either part of a balcony below or a public deck area.

But because the Cove Balconies are lower on the ship, their view is uninterrupted. Plus, because they’re lower, they’re one of the best choices for anyone who suffers from seasickness. You’ll feel less of the ship’s movement, but also enjoy fresh air and a view of the horizon, both of which can alleviate symptoms.

2. Cabana Deck Mini-suites

I can definitely see how the Cabana Deck Mini-suites would split opinion, but I think most guests view them in a positive way.

You get lots of space to enjoy – your private cabana area, your own small balcony, and that then leads directly onto the Cabana Deck with sun loungers and a hot tub.

Sure, that’s a shared space, but you’re not sharing it with a huge number of other guests, so it does feel quite exclusive and luxurious.

The problems are that anyone could walk around right outside your balcony and look in, plus you are overlooked on both the Cabana Deck and your balcony from the higher decks.

If that’s a concern though, just retreat into your cabana space – that’s more private, so you aren’t overlooked, and then it’s just anyone nosey on the Cabana Deck that you need to worry about.

3. Sanctuary Balcony Staterooms

Lots of cruise lines these days have exclusive restaurants and sun decks for the use of suite guests, but Sun Princess offers these benefits to select Balcony Staterooms – and that’s pretty much unheard of.

If you like the idea of having access to a quiet, adults-only part of the ship along with a more exclusive restaurant, but you can’t afford a suite, then Sanctuary Balcony Staterooms are a fantastic middle-ground.

You are forced to pay for Princess Premier fares, which does jack the cost up, but you might’ve been considering that anyway and you do get a lot included for that price.

4. Spacious forward cabins (if you don’t get seasick)

10105, 10106, 11107, 11108, 12101, 12103, 12104, 12106, 14101, 14102, 14103, 14104

At the front of the ships, you’ll find some Premium Ocean View cabins (on deck 10) and some Deluxe Balcony (on decks 11, 12 & 14) that are much bigger than normal.

If you’re checking the deck plans, you might spot that there are other rooms close to those ones I’ve named that also look bigger than average, but those are specifically Accessible cabins, reserved for those who need the extra space for wheelchairs, mobility scooters etc. It’s just these that I’ve picked out that aren’t classified as accessible rooms, but that have the extra space.

Also bear in mind that you’re on a higher deck, right at the front of the ship – this is where you’re going to feel the motion of the ship more than anywhere else. So don’t book these if you’ve got any concerns about seasickness.

5. A very large inside cabin

12102

There’s an unusual inside cabin on Deck 12 right at the front of the ship. This one has its pros and cons, but some people will love it.

The cabin is much bigger than a standard inside cabin, yet it’s the same price.

To access the cabin you have to go through the ‘crew only’ doors, which is a little strange. Your neighbours will be the chief engineers, but they’re used to guests staying in this cabin being in the staff area!

Here’s what someone on Facebook had to say about this cabin…

The cabin is located right the front of the ship, so it’s a long walk to the buffet, and if you suffer from seasickness, this will be one to avoid. But, if you’re on a budget and want a lot of space, it’s ideal.

6. Balconies on the sphere

One of the standout features of Sun Princess is the sphere in the centre. Much of this is made up of balconies, which are larger than average and have a perfect mid-ship location. If you suffer from seasickness, this is the best possible spot to be in.

Check out the deck plan to see the sizes of each balcony. There are a few which are designated as Deluxe Balconies, but they actually have pretty large balconies that are more similar to the size of a Premium Deluxe. Those offer greater value for money.

Wanting an aft view cabin?

Many cruisers love aft view cabins and enjoy sitting on their balconies looking at the wake. However, one weird quirk of Sun Princess is that there are none!

Well, there are eight, but they’re wheelchair-accessible cabins, so if you don’t have a need for them, you can’t book them. 

Whilst it’s great that wheelchair users can enjoy some fantastic aft views, it’s a shame that people who don’t use wheelchairs don’t have this option.

Here’s what the aft of Sun Princess looks like…

There are the eight accessible cabins in the centre, with the huge rounded balconies. Above those is the two-storey suite lounge, with the Love Britto speciality restaurant above that.

On each corner, there is, what I would consider to be a huge waste of space. It’s a staircase that goes from Deck 10 to Deck 16.

All of these decks have cabins, which means that there is no reason for guests to ever use this staircase. There’s also an elevator right by it which goes all the way from Deck 7 to Deck 18, so it’s actually useful, unlike the stairs, which won’t take you anywhere except between cabins.

I have no idea why Princess Cruises didn’t use this space for some incredible corner aft suites as most ships have. For example, P&O Cruises’ Iona and Arvia are sister ships to Sun Princess, and this is where you’ll find the very best suites with wraparound balconies.

At the very least, they could consider putting sunloungers there so that people can actually use the space and enjoy the best views on the ship.

Final word

Sun Princess is still a relatively new ship, so I’ve pulled together these recommendations based on looking around the ship myself, the few negative reviews of cabins that I’ve seen, and an in-depth review of the deck plans.

Over time, more people may share their experiences and I’ll update this guide, but honestly, the cabins are one of the areas that most people seem to review quite positively so far. The ship has some other issues, but accommodations are broadly praised.

It’s always worth doing your own research too, so if you want to dig a little deeper, I’d recommend these resources:

Related Posts:

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.

Read more about me

Launched in 2021, Enchanted Princess is a ship worthy of her name – she’s absolutely beautiful, and furnished to the highest standards throughout, including the accommodation.

That doesn’t mean that every cabin and suite is as good as the others, though – there are still some that you should be looking to make your priority when you book your cruise, and some that you should be looking to avoid if you can.

With that in mind, I’ve spent over eight hours scouring the Enchanted Princess Deck Plans, reading cruise forums and social media groups, and pulling together a super-comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about Enchanted Princess’ cabins.

If you’re thinking of cruising on this magnificent ship, then take a look below to learn about every cabin type available, along with some that you might want to be wary of.

Enchanted Princess cabin types

There are six main cabin types to choose from on-board Enchanted Princess, although some have sub-classes of accommodation too.

Not sure which cabin’ type is right for you? It’ll depend on a few things, including how much time you’ll spend in your cabin, how much you want to spend, and how many people you’re travelling with.

Whether you know which one is right for you, or you want to know a bit more information first, let’s dive into more detail on the cabins.

But first, I suggest that you grab a copy of my free checklist to help you avoid any dodgy cabins when you cruise on any ship.

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of the cabin types on Enchanted Princess

Inside Cabins

The cheapest accommodation on any ship is the inside or interior cabins. They’re found on the inside of the ship, meaning you don’t get any windows – it’s a completely enclosed room. They’re generally the smallest rooms on the ship, although there are some that are slightly bigger than the Premium Oceanview rooms, so that’s not always true.

Because you don’t get any windows, that means no natural light – for some people this is a deal-breaker, while others will relish the chance to save money. After all, you’re never far from an incredible view if you just take a short walk to an open deck. A lot of people only use their room for sleeping, showering and getting dressed anyway, so they’re not too concerned with the size or whether there’s a balcony.

The beds in an interior cabin are twin, but they’re able to be zipped together to form a queen-sized bed if you’d prefer it. The inside cabins that can sleep four people will have Pullman beds as extras. Adults could use these but they’re mainly designed for children.

Suggested read: What is a Pullman bed?

The Pullman beds in the inside cabins are attached to the wall and fold down. This isn’t ideal because it can be easy for anyone in the beds below to bump their head on them, even when folded up against the wall.

In some of the higher cabin grades, there are bunk beds that fold into the ceiling – these are generally better since they’re not in the way at all.

Top tip from a cruise forum – if you do have a room with a fold-up Pullman bed, take some brightly coloured tape to stick on the corner, just so you can see it easily and won’t bang your head as much!

Inside Cabin Grades

Every cabin on Enchanted Princess has a grade. These grades consist of two letters – the first tells you what kind of room it is, and the second indicates where it is on the ship.

Inside cabins all begin with the letter I (because why complicate things?). The second letter runs from A to F, with IA rooms considered the best of the interior cabins, and IF the least desirable, although it’s mainly down to where they are on the ship.

The cost of the rooms will vary though, with an IF cabin running you less than an IA will. If you want a better location then you will need to pay a little bit more.

Oceanview Cabins

Not every ship in the Royal Class for Princess Cruises has Oceanview cabins, but Enchanted Princess does. Only six of them, mind, but these are pretty cool.

A lot of ocean view cabins on other, older cruise ships will have a porthole or relatively small window. In the Deluxe Oceanview cabins on Enchanted Princess, you get a floor-to-ceiling slanted window facing the front of the ship.

True, the front of the ship isn’t the best view – most people prefer the wake – but these huge windows let in a ton of natural lighting and really help to make the rooms feel much larger, even if they’re still some of the smallest on the ship.

Because of the layout of the rooms, there’s no option for 3^rd or 4^th berths, so if you’re a larger party you’ll need to book more cabins. Only one of these six rooms is suitable for wheelchair users too, so book nice and early if you want it.

Ocean View Cabin Grades

The Oceanview cabins on Enchanted Princess are all O6 grade.

Balcony Cabins

Whether you want a little more space, or you want to have your own private area where you can enjoy the fresh breeze and salty air, a balcony cabin gives you a small outdoor space to call your own, with sliding doors into your room.

Most of the cabins on Enchanted Princess have some kind of balcony, including the suites. But just within the balcony cabin grade, there are many different options available, with different-sized balconies. Don’t expect to have loads of room to lounge around if you choose the cheapest one.

And remember that there’s no guarantee of an incredible view. Even if you avoid choosing one with an obstructed view, you might get really unlucky and always be sailing facing away from the sunset. Still, the open deck is never more than a short walk away.

There are five types of balcony cabin on Enchanted Princess:

• Balcony
• Balcony with Obstructed View
• Deluxe Balcony
• Deluxe Balcony with Obstructed View
• Premium Deluxe Balcony

The Balcony and Deluxe Balcony cabins that have obstructed views are all situated on Deck 8, where the lifeboats are. Every cabin with a lifeboat near it is classed as an obstructed view, even if you’re situated between two lifeboats and can see through the gap between them. This is one good way you can save money, but I’ll explain more on that in a bit.

Balcony Cabin Grades

It’s an interesting little quirk that there are no DD rooms on Enchanted Princess. As far as I can tell there’s no reason for it to be skipped, and other ships in the Royal Class do have DD rooms. In fact, looking at older versions of the Enchanted Princess deck plans, it seems like there were some DD rooms that have been reclassified as DE.

Standard Vs. Deluxe Vs. Premium Deluxe Balcony

The main difference between Standard, Deluxe and Premium Deluxe Balcony cabins is the space that you get. Generally, you’ll get around 5% more floorspace upgrading from a Standard to a Deluxe, and then another 5% again going into a Premium Deluxe, although some are even bigger.

The other main difference is in the 3 and 4 berth options. Deluxe and Premium Deluxe cabins have a sofa bed, which is much more preferable to a Pullman for most people. The ones that sleep 4 guests will have a Pullman as well, but if you’re only travelling with one child then you can leave it untouched and just use the sofa bed.

Take a look at this video to see what you can expect from the top grade of balcony room – the Premium Deluxe Balcony…

Mini Suites

Choosing a full Suite on any cruise ship tends to be quite expensive, so Mini Suites work as a sort of middle ground between Balcony cabins and the really top-end accommodation. You’ll get more space again, and a few extras, but not the full range of perks that a Suite gets you.

Enchanted Princess Mini Suite Perks:

• A proper sitting area with the sofa bed and a coffee table
• A curtain to separate the sitting area from the bed space, creating a second bedroom
• A second TV – one facing the bed(s) and one facing the sofa
• A larger bathroom with a bathtub and a better shower
• The option to fit four chairs on the balcony (usually it’s two)
• A glass of Champagne when you board the ship

To see how the mini suite perks compare to the full suite perks, check out my guide to Princess Cruises Suite Perks.

Mini Suite Grades

Club Class Mini Suites

Some of the Mini Suites on Princess Cruises’ ships are considered Club Class. These are in the best locations and come with some extra perks as listed below.

Strangely, on Enchanted Princess, there are two types of Club Class Mini Suite but one of them is officially named a ‘Premium Mini Suite’.

Regardless of whether you book a Club Class Mini Suite or Premium Mini Suite, there are a selection of extra Club Class perks you’ll get as part of your accommodation. And the rooms are a lot more spacious too, ideal if you like to wander around while you get ready for dinner.

Enchanted Princess Club Class Mini Suite Perks:

• Priority embarkation and disembarkation at the start and end of your holiday – no queuing with the masses!
• A welcome half-bottle of red and half-bottle of white wine waiting in your Mini Suite on embarkation day
• Complimentary canapes in the evening on request
• A more luxurious bed with plush duvet and premium sheets
• Luxury bathrobes to use throughout your cruise
• Priority reservations for speciality restaurants on-board
• Club Class Dining – a special area of the Main Dining Room with extra menu options and even better service

Suites

Want the absolute best accommodation possible for your cruise? You’ll want a Suite. These rooms are much larger, and unlock a lot of perks for you to enjoy throughout the duration of your holiday.

Enchanted Princess Suite Perks:

There are lots of different perks available for staying in a Suite on Enchanted Princess, and they vary depending on which type of suite you choose. You can read more about the pers of the different suites here.

Some of the perks (depending on your choice) include:

• Priority lines at the shore excursions desk
• More complimentary drinks including a fully-stocked mini bar
• Special events reserved for suite guests
• Upgraded room service options
• Free laundry and dry cleaning services

Suite Grades

There are six types of Suite to choose from across seven grades on Enchanted Princess:

Window Suites

Window Suites are quite rare in cruising, in that they are considered Suites but they don’t have any kind of balcony. They do still have amazing views though, as the windows completely wrap around the room and face the front corners of the ship. They can sleep up to 3 people, with a normal twin/queen bed and a sofa bed.

This video shows a Window Suite on Sky Princess, but they’re sister ships so the suite is identical:

Vista Suites

Vista Suites are situated on the Sun Deck just behind the Window Suites, towards the front of the ship.

They’re a little unusual – despite having more space than a Club Class Mini Suite, they don’t have the separate living area or second TV. You do get a large wardrobe for clothes storage though, which is a rare treat on a cruise ship.

Here’s a good video of a Vista Suite on Enchanted Princess:

Premium Suites

Situated at the front corners of Decks 9 through 12, the eight Premium Suites are spacious with separate living areas that have a sloping wall and a good-sized balcony to enjoy.

This video shows what you can expect from a Premium Suite on Enchanted Princess…

Penthouse Suites

Penthouse Suites are situated mainly on the aft corners of Decks 9 through 15, although there are some in a mid-aft position on Deck 14 as well. These sleep up to 4 guests and have a separate living area, and they’re beautifully furnished.

The bigger balconies are on those in the aft corners, with the Penthouse Suites on Deck 9 enjoying the biggest balconies of this sub-class.

Take a closer look at a Penthouse Suite on Enchanted Princess with this video:

Owner’s Suites

With expansive wrap-around balconies offering amazing views over the wake of the ship, and gorgeous, spacious bedroom and living areas, the two Owner’s Suites are very special, although they are situated directly about the Vista Lounge where live music is often playing.

Sky Suites

It’s not often that accommodation alone can elevate a holiday so much, but the two Sky Suites on Enchanted Princess really are something special. They have balconies measuring 1,000 square feet, with outdoor TVs, cuddle chairs, loungers and more with stunning views over the pool and the ocean.

Take a look at these images of one of the Sky Suites on Enchanted Princess. Incredible, right?

Special cabin types

Aft rooms

Ask experienced cruisers where their favourite place on a ship is to book a cabin, and most will say the aft. Because the rooms face the rear of the ship, you get an incredible view over the wake as you sail.

Also, because you’re facing away from the direction of travel, you’re more protected from the wind. These rooms also tend to be larger.

Enchanted Princess has the following options for aft-facing rooms:

• Premium Deluxe Balconies – Located on Decks 8 to 15
• Penthouse Suites – Located on Decks 9 to 15
• Owners Suites – Located on Deck 8

Connecting rooms

Connecting rooms are those that have a door between them. This door stays locked, unless a party books both connecting rooms and asks for the door to be unlocked so that guests can pass between them.

They’re a great option if you’re travelling in a larger party since you don’t have to have completely separate rooms.

On Enchanted Princess, you’ve got various room combination options if you want connecting cabins:

• Two Interior rooms
• Two Standard Balcony rooms
• A Standard Balcony and a Deluxe Balcony
• A Standard Balcony and a Mini-Suite
• Two Deluxe Balcony rooms
• Two Premium Deluxe Balcony rooms
• Two Mini-Suites

Remember that some cabins only sleep two people, so if your group is larger than 4, don’t assume that two connecting rooms will be sufficient – check that they have the beds you’ll need.

Accessible rooms

While wheelchair users should have no trouble navigating most of the public areas on a cruise ship, not every cabin is well-suited. Only some are designed with wheelchair users in mind, and they’ll be slightly larger, have a wet room for a bathroom, and extra-wide doors.

There aren’t too many of them, so if you don’t need one then avoid booking one – let someone who needs these facilities take advantage.

On Enchanted Princess you’ll find the accessible cabins on these decks:

• Interior – Decks 8 & 9
• Oceanview – Deck 17
• Balcony – Decks 9, 10, 11, 12 & 15
• Mini-Suite – Deck 10
• Club Class Mini-Suite – Decks 11 & 12
• Penthouse Suite – Deck 14

Cabins to avoid on Enchanted Princess

Now that you’re totally up to speed on the various cabin types and grades, let’s dig a little bit further into the specific rooms you might want to avoid when booking your cruise, and why. Here are some of the worst cabins on Enchanted Princess:

1. Balconies that you can’t use while at sea

L101 to L108, M101 to M108

While the rooms facing the front of the ship have some great views, you can’t enjoy them from your balcony while the ship is moving. That’s because the sliding doors must be kept closed at all times due to the high winds caused by travel.

The balconies tend to be larger, which makes up for it a little when you are in port. But while at sea you’ll need to find somewhere else to relax if you want to be outdoors.

2. Obstructed view rooms

L109, L110, L114, L115, Most balconies on Deck 8 (Emerald Deck)

Some of the balcony rooms on Enchanted Princess have a view that’s blocked, either by the Bridge or more usually by the lifeboats.

These rooms are cheaper than those without the obstruction, which is a good way of getting a cheaper balcony room if you’re not too bothered, especially as some are only partially blocked.

Some examples of the Enchanted Princess obstructed balcony views can be seen here.

3. Rooms with beds that block the balcony doors

L122, L123, M130, M131, M505, M511, M512, M620, M621, R107, R108, R234, R235, R511, R512, R735, A511, A512, A738, A739, B511, B512, C518, C519, C620, C621, C742, C743, D151, D152, D224, D225, D517, D519, D520, D522, D618 to D621, E123, E128, E218, E219, E522, E523, E620, E621, E707, E708, E711, E712

In some of the balcony rooms, the fold-down beds will run across the sliding doors leading to the balcony. During the day this isn’t an issue, as the beds will be folded up out of the way for you. But, it does mean you can’t really get to your balcony first thing in the morning if you want to enjoy the sunrise.

These cabins will be fine for two people, but families should avoid them as there are plenty of other cabins that don’t have this problem.

4. Rooms that can make seasickness worse

S101 to S215, L101 to L129

Anyone who knows they can sometimes get seasick would be best avoiding the cabins on higher decks towards the front of the ship, where the movement will be felt the most. Mid-ship cabins on a lower deck should keep the feelings of movement, and any vibrations, to a minimum.

5. Cabins that can be noisy in the morning

S114 to S221, M310 to M421, M701 to M725

Like a lie-in? Not every cruiser does, and some will be up at the crack of dawn to go reserve themselves a sun lounger or deck chair by the pool. If your room is directly below this area, the sound of loungers being scraped is often amplified, so that lazy morning might not be quite so relaxing.

6. Cabins that can be noisy in the evening

E123, E125, E128 to E227

The Emerald Deck is right above a lot of the entertainment venues and speciality dining restaurants on Enchanted Princess. Booking a room here, especially one of these cabins above the theatre, could mean you hear some noise until the shows finish at 11 pm. If you want to get to sleep before this time, another cabin location may be more suitable.

7. Cabins that can be noisy because they’re near the laundry rooms

M622, M623, R611, R612, A622, A631, B622, B623, C622, C623, D622, D623, E622, E623

Cabins near the laundry facilities can also suffer from a bit of noise. Not so much from the washing machines themselves – they’re relatively well insulated. Instead it’s more the amount of people coming and going to the laundry rooms, especially on longer cruises where more people are using them.

8. Cabins with interconnecting doors (if you don’t need them)

If you don’t intend to use connecting cabins, try to avoid booking them. Not only are you booking rooms that families might need, but the doors themselves can be a little annoying. They’ll always stay locked, but they’re far from being as soundproof as the walls, so you could well hear your next-cabin neighbours, which might not be ideal.

9. Cabins with Pullman beds (if you don’t need them)

Not every cabin has Pullman beds, so if you don’t intend to use them then you should avoid booking these rooms if possible. Again, this keeps them free for the families who need them.

And as I’ve said, the ones that fold up to the wall can sometimes stick out just enough for you to absent-mindedly bang your head when you sit up. Finally, some cruisers have reported that the Pullman beds, even on newer ships like Enchanted Princess, can be quite creaky during choppy seas.

Best avoided, if you can.

10. Cabins that are miles away from anything

S101 to S115, L101 to L129, M101 to M131, R101 to R108, A101 to A129, B101 to B133, C101 to C139, D101 to D151, E101 to E130

Enchanted Princess is a big ship, with a lot of facilities, most of which are situated towards the aft on the lower decks. While getting between floors is easy enough with the lifts, you don’t want to be trekking the length of the ship all the time if you can avoid it. Aim for the mid-ship instead, close to the lifts, to cut down on your longer walks.

11. Overlooked balconies

D145 to D277, D701 to D725

On Deck 9 (Dolphin Deck) some Enchanted Princess rooms have double-size balconies. While this can certainly be seen as a positive, it’s important to note that these balconies are overlooked by the balconies above.

You see, the reason why these Deluxe Balconies are so large is that they jut out further than all of the rest. So, while you might enjoy the extra space, anyone above you looking down will see right onto your balcony. There’s no privacy unless you stand right at the back.

Here’s the view looking down from my cabin on the deck above…

Instead, book these – the best cabins!

So now you know which rooms to avoid on Enchanted Princess, let’s take a look at the best rooms on the ship.

These are the ones that you want to book, if they’re still available for your dates. You can check the Princess Cruises website to see if they are, even if you intend to book with a travel agent.

1. Sky Suites

The Sky Suites really are amazing. Their huge balconies could easily host parties, or you can just cuddle up outdoors and watch the TV. They’re super luxurious and spacious, and you get a ton of perks too – though you can of course expect to pay a chunky price to book these rooms.

2. Rooms with extended balconies

Not all balconies are equal on Enchanted Princess. Due to the design of the ship, some rooms have an angled or otherwise extended balcony that’s bigger than the rest of the sub-class. Some Balcony cabins will have a balcony larger than a Deluxe Balcony or Premium Deluxe Balcony!

These Enchanted Princess balcony cabins give you extra space:

• Standard Balconies: L301, L302, D226, D227, D701 to D710, E112, E114, E118
• Deluxe Balconies: E111, E115, E117
• Premium Deluxe Balconies: R732 to R735, B736 to B739
• Mini-Suites: M407 to M410, M422, M423, M426, M427, R409, R410, R414, R415, R428, R429, R432, R433, A409, A410, A414, A415, A428, A429, A432, A433, B409, B410, B414, B415, B428, B429, B432, B433, C409, C410, C428, C429, C432, C433, D407, D408, D410, D411, D424, D425, D428, D429

3. The cheapest cabins

Not everybody wants the biggest cabins, and if you’re someone who wants to spend more time making use of the rest of the ship’s facilities, then an inside cabin can save you a lot of money.

The price difference between an inside and a balcony can be significant, with the extra money then available for more speciality dining, or excursions, or even another cruise.

If you’re a larger family then connecting inside rooms are the best way to keep costs down. Your options are:

•  C240 & C244 – Sleeps 6
• C241 & C245 – Sleeps 6
•  C715 & C717 – Sleeps 8

Should you say no to an upgrade?

As your cruise gets closer, sometimes the cruise line will look at the cabins they have available and move guests into what they consider to be an upgraded room as a nice little perk. It’s very rare you’ll change class, but you might move from a BD to a BA, for example.

However if you’ve followed the tips in this guide and managed to find the room that’s perfect for you, an upgrade could actually be a bad thing! Don’t worry though, all you need to do is ask your travel agent to make a note on your room booking stating ‘No upgrades’ and you’ll be left alone.

Always do your research with the Enchanted Princess deck plan first, and once you have your ideal room, it’s often best to stick with it instead of risking an upgrade.

Related posts:

More Princess Cruises Cabin Guides

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.

Read more about me

Discovery Princess is one of the newest ships in the Princess fleet, and the last to be built in the Royal class, which has spanned a decade of ship-building for the cruise line. She is an outstanding ship packed with features and offers some really comfortable accommodation.

While the Royal class ships are all pretty similar, there are a few differences between them. However, Discovery Princess is an identical sister ship to Enchanted Princess, providing the same great options for cabins as well as the same entertainment.

But as with any cruise ship, some cabins are better than others. There are some that you should make sure you book if they’re available, and others that you may want to avoid, depending on your preferences.

I’ve spent over eight hours looking over all the deck plans for Discovery Princess, as well as checking in with thoughts from the first guests to have sailed on her via cruise forums and social media.

So, here’s a handy guide to Discovery Princess rooms to help you find the perfect one for your cruise.

Discovery Princess Cabin Types

When selecting your cabin, there are six main types to choose from on Discovery Princess. While some have sub-classes, these are broadly how the cabins are categorised.

Not sure which is the best cabin for your holiday? There’s no single right answer, because it depends on how you prefer to cruise, what your budget is, and who you’ll be sailing with.

So, let’s dive into the details of the different cabin types so that you can make an informed decision.

But before we do that, make sure you grab a copy of my checklist, so you can always avoid booking a bad cabin when you book a cruise, no matter the cruise line or ship.

Discovery Princess Inside Cabins

If you’re looking to spend the least amount of money on your cruise holiday, consider an inside or interior cabin. These rooms are completely enclosed on all four sides – there are no windows.

They’re also usually the smallest rooms on the ship, although not always – some of the rooms are a little bigger, so if space is important make sure to pick one of those.

No windows of course means no natural light – you’ll spend all of your cabin time under the artificial glow of a lightbulb. This may not bother you at all – especially if you’re the kind of person who uses their cabin just as a place to sleep and get ready.

There’s always an open deck with plenty of natural light just a short walk away, after all. But for others, it may be too off-putting to not have any window or outside view.

In an inside cabin, the beds are laid out as twin as default, but they’re called zip and lock beds, meaning they can be zipped together to create a large double if you prefer.

Some inside cabins can sleep up to 4 people, and they’ll have Pullman beds as the extra beds. Pullman beds are extra beds that are either attached to the wall and fold down, or they’re hidden in the ceiling and can be pulled down. While adults could in theory use these, they are really better left for children.

On Discovery Princess, the Pullman beds in inside cabins are the wall-mounted kind, but in higher cabin grades you may get the ceiling ones. 

The ceiling ones are preferred because, in the limited space of a cruise cabin, it’s easy to bump your head on a wall-mounted one even when folded away. Many people on cruise forums recommend taking along some colourful tape to stick to the corner, just as an extra warning to stop you from hurting yourself as you sit up from the main beds below.

Discovery Princess Inside Cabin Grades

On every Princess Cruises ship, the cabins are given a grade that consists of two letters, to tell you more about the room. The first letter is the type of room, and the second lets you know where it is on the ship.

Inside cabins are, helpfully, given the first letter of I. The second letter then runs from A through to F, with IA being considered the best interior rooms and IF the least desirable.

In reality, there’s not a lot of difference between the actual rooms, it’s more to do with their location, and how close they are to different amenities.

And that does have a bearing on the cost. An IF cabin will be cheaper than an IA one. If you want the best location for your inside cabin you will need to pay a little more.

Discovery Princess Oceanview Cabins

Most of the Royal class ships in the Princess Cruises fleet don’t have oceanview cabins – they tend to instead skip straight from inside to balcony. However Discovery Princess, like her sister ship Enchanted Princess – does have a handful (just six!).

And they’re pretty cool too. These aren’t the small windows you’ll get in a lot of other cruise lines’ oceanview cabins, but instead are huge floor-to-ceiling slanted windows, giving you a ton of natural light.

They’re forward-facing, so your window faces the front of the ship, which isn’t really the best view on board. Most people prefer to look out over the wake. But, the angled window and extra light make the rooms feel much bigger than they actually are.

However, that slanted window has a drawback – there’s no option for Pullman beds in these rooms, they’re designed for only two people. If you’re travelling with family then you’ll either need to book more than one of these rooms or choose a different class. There’s also one of the six that is wheelchair accessible.

Discovery Princess Ocean View Cabin Grades

The Ocean View rooms on Discovery Princess are grade O6.

Discovery Princess Balcony Cabins

Most people who want to enjoy a bit of natural light on their Discovery Princess cruise are going to book a balcony cabin. These give you your own private area to enjoy the views and fresh air, as well as a little bit of extra space for your room in general. Your balcony is connected to your cabin via sliding doors.

The vast majority of cabins on Discovery Princess have a balcony, but not all balconies are created equal. There are suites with much larger balconies, while some cabins just have slightly bigger ones due to the layout of the ship. If you choose the cheapest balcony cabin, don’t expect to have loads of room to relax outside.

And a balcony cabin doesn’t guarantee you an amazing view, either. Some have obstructed views, though you’ll be told of this when you book, so you won’t get a surprise.

There are five different types of balcony cabin on Discovery Princess:

• Balcony
• Balcony with Obstructed View
• Deluxe Balcony
• Deluxe Balcony with Obstructed View
• Premium Deluxe Balcony

The cabins with obstructed views are situated on Deck 8, which is where the lifeboats are hung. Every balcony cabin that’s close to a lifeboat is considered to have an obstructed view, even if you actually have a view between the lifeboats. So, you can be clever and save some money if you book one of these – more on that later.

Discovery Princess Balcony Cabin Grades

While I said that the Discovery Princess is identical to Enchanted Princess, here’s where there is actually a very slight difference. Discovery Princess has a DD grade of cabin, while Enchanted Princess skips this for some reason. It’s a little odd.

Standard Vs. Deluxe Vs. Premium Deluxe Balcony

There are two main differences between Standard, Deluxe and Premium Balcony cabins on Discovery Princess.

The first is simply the space that you get. A Deluxe Balcony cabin is around 5% bigger than a Standard, while a Premium Deluxe Balcony is normally around 5% bigger than a Deluxe, though some have even more room.

The second difference is in the sleeping options for the 3rd and 4th berths. A Standard Balcony cabin has the Pullman beds, while in a Deluxe and Premium Deluxe you’ll get a sofa bed for the 3rd berth. Any that sleep 4 still have one Pullman, but the sofa bed is preferable especially if you have young children that you don’t want to risk rolling out of the bed.

Take a look at this video to see what you can expect from the top grade of balcony room on Discovery Princess – the Premium Deluxe Balcony…

Discovery Princess Mini-Suites

If you like the idea of booking a suite for your cruise holiday but your budget isn’t going to stretch all the way to a full-blown suite experience, then a Mini-Suite could be ideal.

They’re essentially a stepping stone from Balcony to Suite, getting you some (but not all) the benefits you’d get with the ship’s more expensive rooms, including extra space.

Discovery Princess Mini-Suite Perks:

• A separate sitting area, where you’ll find the sofa bed and a coffee table
• A dividing curtain to turn the sitting area into a separate, second bedroom
• A second TV – as well as the one facing the sofa, there’s one facing the bed(s)
• A bigger bathroom that includes a better shower and a bathtub
• Space for four chairs on the balcony (instead of two)
• A glass of Champagne when you first board at the start of your holiday

Discovery Princess Mini-Suite Grades

Club Class Mini-Suites

If you’ve got a little bit more left in the budget when looking at a Discovery Princess Mini-Suite, consider a Club Class Mini-Suite or a Premium Mini-Suite. Despite the name, the Premium Mini-Suite is considered part of the Club Class.

That means that no matter which you book, you’ll get the same extra perks as well as much more space than a typical Balcony cabin.

Discovery Princess Club Class Mini-Suite Perks:

• Priority queuing for embarkation and disembarkation at the start and end of your cruise
• A half-bottle of red and half-bottle of white wine waiting in your room on the first day
• Complimentary canapes in the evening, if you ask for them
• A better bed with more premium sheets and a thicker duvet
• Your own luxury bathrobes to use during your cruise
• Priority reservations for speciality restaurants on-board
• Club Class Dining – a reserved area of the Main Dining Room that has an extended menu

To see how the Mini-Suite and Club Class Mini-Suite perks compare to the full Suite benefits, don’t miss my guide to Princess Cruises Suite Perks.

Discovery Princess Suites

Looking for the absolute best accommodation that you can possibly enjoy for your Discovery Princess cruise? Then you’ll be wanting to know more about the Suites. These spacious, luxurious rooms also unlock a heap of perks to make your stay even more comfortable.

Here are just some of the perks you can enjoy with your Suite booking on Discovery Princess, although these do vary by the type of suite you pay for.

Discovery Princess Suite Perks:

• Priority queues at the shore excursions desk – beat the rush!
• A fully-stocked mini-bar that is free to enjoy
• Special events reserved for Suite guests
• Upgraded room service menu options
• Free laundry and dry cleaning services

To see all the perks you get for every type of Suite, check out this guide.

Discovery Princess Suite Grades

There are seven different Suite grades on Discovery Princess, with six different types of Suite to choose from.

Window Suites

It’s very rare to find a suite on any cruise line that doesn’t have a balcony, but Discovery Princess does things a little differently. And you don’t miss out too much with a Window Suite, since the windows wrap around the room and offer stunning views over the front corners of the ship.

This video shows a Window Suite on Sky Princess, but they’re sister ships so the suite is identical:

Vista Suites

Vista Suites are another slightly quirky option, in that they’re bigger than a Club Class Mini-Suite but they just have one room, without a separate sitting area (and so no second TV either).

But, you do get a large wardrobe, which isn’t too common on a cruise ship – ideal for properly hanging your formalwear.

This video shows a Vista Suite on Enchanted Princess which is identical to the Vista Suites on Discovery Princess:

Premium Suites

Premium Suites are essentially the same layout as a Club Class Mini-Suite, but bigger. There are eight of these, situated at the front corners of the ship on Decks 9 to 12, with a good-sized balcony.

Here’s what a Premium Suite looks like Again, the video is from sister ship Enchanted Princess, but the Suites are identical.

Penthouse Suites

Penthouse Suites are found in two different locations on Discovery Princess – the aft corners on Decks 9 to 15, and mid-aft on Deck 14.

Penthouse Suites all sleep up to 4 guests and are really luxurious. If you want the biggest balcony on a Penthouse Suite, then choose one on Deck 9.

Here’s a fantastic video of an S3 Penthouse Suite on Discovery Princess for you:

I suggest also taking a look at this video of an S4 Penthouse Suite, to see how they compare.

Owner’s Suites

Often on a ship, the Owner’s Suite is considered the best accommodation possible. While that’s not true on Discovery Princess, they are still incredibly special.

Large wrap-around balconies offer stunning views across the wake of the ship. Just be aware that they are located directly above the Vista Lounge, but you shouldn’t hear much of the live music below.

Sky Suites

The Sky Suites on Discovery Princess are genuinely amazing. They each have a massive balcony – more than 1,000 square feet of space – without an outdoor TV and various decking furniture including your own cuddle chair where you can relax.

The insides of the room are pretty special too. Overall, they’re very expensive, but if you can afford it they will make your cruise even more special than you ever thought possible.

Take a look at this video of one of the two Sky Suites on Discovery Princess and you’ll see what I mean…

Special Cabin Types

Here are some more rooms that you may wish to consider on Discovery Princess…

Discovery Princess Aft Rooms

Most cruise ship passengers who’ve tried a few different ship locations will say that their favourite location is the aft of a ship. Because you’re at the rear of the ship you get a great view over the wake as you sail, and you’re also more shielded from the wind. Aft rooms tend to be larger too.

Discovery Princess has these options for aft-facing rooms:

• Premium Deluxe Balconies – Located on Decks 8 to 15
• Penthouse Suites – Located on Decks 9 to 15
• Owners Suites – Located on Deck 8

Discovery Princess Connecting Rooms

Connecting rooms are pretty self-explanatory – these rooms are connected together by a door that remains locked unless a party books both and asks for it to be unlocked.

There’s a good option for traveling in a larger group, since you can essentially turn two separate rooms into one larger one.

On Discovery Princess, there are various different combinations of room available with connecting doors:

• Two Interior rooms
• Two Standard Balcony rooms
• A Standard Balcony and a Deluxe Balcony
• A Standard Balcony and a Mini-Suite
• Two Deluxe Balcony rooms
• Two Premium Deluxe Balcony rooms
• Two Mini-Suites

Not every room can sleep up to 4 guests, some are only suitable for 2 people. So don’t assume that, as a party of 6 people, you can book two rooms and be fine. Make sure to check the rooms before you call to book by looking at the symbols on the Discovery Princess deck plan.

Discovery Princess Accessible Rooms

Generally, cruise ship rooms aren’t huge, especially if you want to book an inside room. So, if you’re a wheelchair user, you’ll definitely want to buy one of the accessible rooms that has been designed with wider doors, a little extra space and a wet room with handrails.

There are only a handful on the ship, so make sure you only book one if you use a wheelchair or scooter, or are travelling with someone who does.

On Discovery Princess you’ll find accessible cabins on these decks:

• Interior – Decks 8 & 9
• Oceanview – Deck 17
• Balcony – Decks 9, 10, 11, 12 & 15
• Mini-Suite – Deck 10
• Club Class Mini-Suite – Decks 11 & 12
• Penthouse Suite – Deck 14

Discovery Princess Cabins to Avoid

OK, now that you’ve got a good understanding of the different cabins on Discovery Princess, here’s the info you really need – which rooms should you be avoiding?

Some of these are still down to personal preference, but here’s a quick rundown of some of the cabins that have downsides.

1. Balconies That You Can’t Use While at Sea

L101 to L108, M101 to M108

Some of the cabins at the front of the ship forego a balcony in favour of a window (Deluxe Oceanview cabins and Window Suites), but there are some that have balconies. You need to be aware that you can’t use these balconies while the ship is sailing, because of the high wind speeds.

To compensate, the balconies tend to be larger, so when you’re in port you have more space to enjoy. But avoid booking these rooms if you want the freedom to use your balcony while sailing.

2. Obstructed View Rooms

L109, L110, L114, L115, Most balconies on Deck 8 (Emerald Deck)

Obstructed view rooms will split opinions. They’re cheaper, so if you don’t mind then you can save money, but a lot of people want a balcony to be able to properly enjoy the view of the ocean, and not of a lifeboat or the bridge.

If you’re wondering exactly how obstructed are the obstructed views on Discovery Princess, then I recommend that you take a look at these photos.

3. Rooms With Beds That Block the Balcony Doors

L122, L123, M130, M131, M505, M511, M512, M620, M621, R107, R108, R234, R235, R511, R512, R735, A511, A512, A738, A739, B511, B512, C518, C519, C620, C621, C742, C743, D151, D152, D224, D225, D517, D519, D520, D522, D618 to D621, E123, E128, E218, E219, E522, E523, E620, E621, E707, E708, E711, E712

Some of the Balcony cabins that sleep up to four guests have Pullman beds that will block access to the sliding balcony doors.

This isn’t a problem when they’re folded up during the day, but if you wanted to nip outside to enjoy the sunrise while your kids are asleep, make sure not to book one of these rooms.

4. Rooms That Can Make Seasickness Worse

S101 to S215, L101 to L129

While most large ships don’t tend to be too bad for sufferers of seasickness, as they mask the motion, it’s still better to avoid a cabin in a high location near the front of the ship if you do get sick. You’ll feel the least movement in a mid-ship location on a lower deck instead.

5. Cabins That Can Be Noisy in the Morning

S114 to S221, M310 to M421, M701 to M725

If you’re the kind of person who appreciates a long lie-in, don’t pick one of the cabins directly underneath the decked areas by the pool. Early risers will be happy to go and claim a lounger, often scraping it across the deck, which can be very audible below.

6. Cabins That Can Be Noisy in the Evening

E123, E125, E128 to E227

Rooms on the Emerald Deck are directly above the Promenade Deck, which has some of the late-night entertainment venues. There may be some noise that creeps through the floor through until the later hours, so if you’re someone that is normally asleep by 10pm consider a different location.

7. Cabins Near the Laundry Rooms

M622, M623, R611, R612, A622, A631, B622, B623, C622, C623, D622, D623, E622, E623

The laundry rooms on Discovery Princess are well insulated, so booking a room close to them isn’t going to mean you’re stuck listening to the whirring of a dryer. But you will have to put up with a lot of traffic outside your room since a lot of people can visit the laundry facilities, especially on a longer cruise.

8. Cabins With Interconnecting Doors You Don’t Need

If you don’t need cabins with connecting doors, try to avoid booking them. That’s not just to keep them free for people who do need them, but also because the doors themselves aren’t as soundproof as an actual wall. If you don’t want to hear your neighbour’s TV, choose a non-connecting cabin.

9. Cabins With Pullman Beds You Don’t Need

Some of the Pullman beds do stick out of the wall when folded away, so if you’re only travelling as a party of 2 then you can avoid any accidental head bumps by leaving these rooms free for families.

10. Cabins That Are a Long Walk From Anything

S101 to S115, L101 to L129, M101 to M131, R101 to R108, A101 to A129, B101 to B133, C101 to C139, D101 to D151, E101 to E130

Discovery Princess is an impressive ship with tonnes to see and do. A lot of the main facilities are on the lower decks, near the aft. If you intend to make regular use of them, try to book a mid-ship location so that you’re near the lifts. That way, you aren’t hiking back and forth all of the time.

11. Balconies With No Privacy

D145 to D277, D701 to D725

On Deck 9 (Dolphin Deck) some staterooms have double-size balconies. While this can certainly be seen as a positive, it’s important to note that these balconies are overlooked by the balconies above.

The reason why these Deluxe Balconies are so large is that they jut out further than all of the rest. So, while you might enjoy the extra space, anyone above you looking down will see right onto your balcony. There’s no privacy unless you stand right at the back.

Here’s the view that anyone looking down from the deck above will see…

The Best Cabins on Discovery Princess

So now you know which rooms to avoid on Discovery Princess, let’s take a look at the best rooms on the ship.

1. Sky Suites

It’s usually hard to recommend a cabin type on a cruise ship that costs as much as the Sky Suites do. But they’re so awesome that, if you have the budget to spare, then you should absolutely go for it. The outdoor space alone is worth it.

2. Rooms With Extended Balconies

While a lot of the balconies on Discovery Princess are the same size, sometimes you can get a little bit extra just down to how the ship is laid out. In fact, there are even some Standard Balcony cabins that will have a slightly bigger balcony than a Deluxe or Premium Deluxe one.

The Discovery Princess balcony cabins that have a little extra space are:

• Standard Balconies: L301, L302, D226, D227, D701 to D710, E112, E114, E118
• Deluxe Balconies: E111, E115, E117
• Premium Deluxe Balconies: R732 to R735, B736 to B739
• Mini-Suites: M407 to M410, M422, M423, M426, M427, R409, R410, R414, R415, R428, R429, R432, R433, A409, A410, A414, A415, A428, A429, A432, A433, B409, B410, B414, B415, B428, B429, B432, B433, C409, C410, C428, C429, C432, C433, D407, D408, D410, D411, D424, D425, D428, D429

3. The Cheapest Cabins

Cruising on a budget? Then you’ll want to keep costs as low as possible, especially if you’ve got a larger family to take along.

Booking two interconnecting inside rooms is the best way to make sure you’ve enough space for everyone without completely emptying the holiday fund. Your options are:

• C240 & C244 – Sleeps 6
• C241 & C245 – Sleeps 6
• C715 & C717 – Sleeps 8

Say no to upgrades

It’s not completely uncommon for a cruise line to offer to upgrade you as the holiday gets nearer – they might think that it’ll be easier to sell a cheaper cabin grade last-minute, so want to reward you for booking early.

But you can say no to the upgrade if you’re happy with your choice. Always check, because if you’ve followed the tips in this guide, you might have your perfect room already, and your upgrade may be into one of the rooms best avoided.

When you book your cruise, you’ll be asked if you want the option of a free upgrade should one become available. Don’t be afraid to say no to this. If you say yes, you won’t be able to change your mind later once you see that your upgraded room isn’t actually better.

You don’t want all that time spent looking over the Discovery Princess deck plans to find your perfect room to go to waste, do you?

Discovery Princess Accommodation FAQs

Related Posts:

More Princess Cruises Cabin Guides

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.

Read more about me

Booking a Princess cruise holiday isn’t as simple as picking a date, picking a room and then paying. There’s an added layer of complexity thanks to the different cruise fare options available, and choosing the right one for you is important.

They each impact what’s covered by your fare, and you need to make sure that you understand exactly what the price of the cruise is paying for, and how much extra you’re going to need to budget to pay for everything.

So, in this guide, I’ll take you through what you get with your Princess Cruises fare, what you need to pay extra for, and make it as easy as possible for you to work out how expensive your cruise will actually be.

Standard Vs Plus Vs Premier – An Overview

Exactly what you get included in your cruise depends on whether you choose a standard fare, or you upgrade to Plus or Premier.

Plus and Premier are packages that offer a wide range of extras for a set fee. Plus costs £50 ($60) per person, per day, while Premier costs £65 ($80) per person, per day.

Each cover your tips, a drinks package, WiFi internet access and more, with potential savings of up to 69% compared to buying everything separately.

However, you might not use everything within a package. If you’re not someone who drinks alcohol, or you don’t plan to use the WiFi, it’s important to price up what each element costs and decide whether it’s cheaper for you to upgrade to one of those fares, or stay with Standard and then add on the extras individually.

Read my full guide to Princess Plus vs Princess Premier to learn more.

What’s Included in a Princess Cruise and What Costs Extra..?

1. Accommodation

Regardless of which cruise fare you choose to pay for, your accommodation is always included. Whether you choose Standard, Plus or Premier has no impact on the stateroom or suite you book.

You’ve got five main options when you book a room with Princess Cruises:

• Interior – rooms without a window, always the cheapest option
• Oceanview – rooms with a window
• Balcony – rooms that have their own private balcony
• Mini Suite – larger than a Balcony with a small number of extra perks
• Suite – the biggest rooms, with a longer list of extras

You also have the option of choosing a guarantee cabin, where Princess Cruises will pick your cabin for you, or you can pay a little extra to choose the exact cabin you want. 

Picking a guarantee cabin can save money, but risks you getting the worst cabins in your chosen class – an Interior room that’s a long walk from anything, or a Balcony stateroom with an obstructed view, for example.

If you pay extra for a Mini Suite, you’ll get a few extra benefits:

• A separate sitting area with sofa bed and coffee table
• A curtain to separate the sofa bed sitting area from the main bed
• An extra TV
• An enhanced bathroom with bathtub and massage shower
• A luxury mattress topper and better pillows
• Up to four chairs on the balcony (compared to the standard two)
• A glass of sparkling wine when you board

If you pay for a Suite, you get a much longer list of perks. The best features include priority boarding and disembarkation, welcome Champagne, an upgraded room service menu and reserved dining areas.

Here’s the full list of Princess Cruises suite perks

2. Food

On a Princess cruise, you’ll always be able to eat for free. You get to enjoy all your meals in the Main Dining Room, or you can eat casually at the buffet restaurant whenever it’s open.

There’s also an International Cafe serving lighter bites, and you can enjoy snack items from a poolside venue too, and none of these cost any extra.

There are some Premium Dessert options served in the Main Dining Room which cost extra – these are extra to the regular desserts.

If you’re a Plus guest you can enjoy two of these every day (surely that’s enough?) while Premier guests get as many as they want.

Then there are paid-for dining venues available too. These are split into two categories – Casual Dining, and Speciality Dining.

Casual Dining includes a range of different relaxed venues, such as Alfredo’s pizza, the Salty Dog Pub and more. These all have either a la carte pricing or a fixed fee, but they aren’t super-expensive – fixed-fee dining is $14.99 per person.

If you choose the Standard package, you’ll always have to pay for these. On the Plus package, you get two Casual Dining meals included in your cruise. On the Premier package, they’re completely unlimited.

Speciality Dining venues are more formal restaurants onboard, serving a range of cuisine. These cost more – typically around $29 per person for dinner. 

Standard and Plus guests always have to pay for these, whereas Premier fare guests can enjoy two speciality meals during their cruise at no extra charge – the only exception is at the Chef’s Table Lumiere which is considered fine dining, and so will always cost extra.

3. Drinks

On a Princess cruise, you get eight different types of drink included as standard – tap water, lemonade, ice tea, hot tea, standard coffee, hot chocolate, milk, and fruit juice.

But you can’t get all of those from the bars – some are only available for free in the buffet, and some only at breakfast.

The rest of the day, you’re going to have to pay for your drinks. Expect to pay in the region of $7 for a beer, $10+ for a glass of wine or a cocktail, and $2.50 for a fountain soft drink, to give you an idea of how much you’re likely to spend onboard.

You can see the Princess Cruises drinks menus with prices here.

Like most cruise lines, you can also choose to pay for a drinks package. There are four you can choose from:

If you choose the Standard fare, you can pick any drinks package if you want one – but you don’t have to. Remember that you can’t have a drinks package for just a few days, you need to pay for it for the duration of your cruise.

If you book your cruise with the Plus package, you get the Plus Beverage Package included. And the same with the Premier cruise fare – you get the Premier Beverage Package included.

Here’s what’s weird – the Plus and Premier packages are cheaper than buying the drinks packages separately!

There’s no catch – it literally makes zero sense to buy a Plus or Premier Beverage Package. If you want them, then buy the Plus or Premier cruise fare.

There are only two reasons that the prices could be weird in this way:

• It’s an oversight by Princess Cruises (unlikely, as it’s been like this for a while)
• Having the drinks package prices this much higher means they can claim bigger percentage savings for the Plus and Premier cruise fares

The Plus fare is advertised as saving you 57% instead of buying each bit separately.

The Premier fare apparently saves you 69%. But those percentages would be a little bit lower if the drinks packages cost less than the cruise fare packages.

A bit sneaky? Maybe.

Regardless – you need to work out whether a drinks package is right for you, and then budget for the package you want or for the drinks you’ll buy individually. My drinks package calculator can help you work it out.

4. Room Service & Ocean Now

Princess Cruises offer a room service menu with a wide range of food items you can enjoy. There’s a great breakfast selection, and plenty of snacks and simple food items served throughout the rest of the day.

There’s a $5 delivery fee every time you use room service, although this is waived if you’ve paid for the Plus or Premier cruise fares.

Princess also does something cool called OceanNow, which is essentially room service but for almost anywhere on the ship.

You might be sat by the pool, or in a bar, or in the theatre and decide you’re feeling peckish – just use the app on your phone and you can order food to be delivered to you.

If you want to use this, you’ll need to pay a one-off activation fee of $15 for your cruise but this is again waived if you’ve gone for the Plus or Premier cruise fare.

5. Entertainment

Princess Cruises offers a range of entertainment during your cruise, from Movies under the Stars on the pool deck to immersive theatre shows, live comedy, bar singers and so much more.

And it’s all included at no extra cost – you’re welcome to enjoy the entertainment in any of the venues no matter which fare you’ve chosen for your cruise.

However, there is one little catch. If you’ve paid for the Premier cruise fare, you get to enjoy reserved seating in the theatre for any production shows, meaning you’re guaranteed to get one of the best seats. Otherwise, you’ll need to queue up and hope you get a good seat.

6. Activities

There are a lot of activities available during your cruise with Princess, including organised sports games, leisurely swimming in the pool, fitness classes, cookery classes, casino gaming, shopping and more.

Some of these – the sports, the pool etc. are free and can be enjoyed as much as you want to, but most of the activities require you to spend your own money. You don’t get a casino budget as part of your cruise fare, unfortunately!

The only impact on activities from the cruise fares comes with the fitness classes. Plus fare guests get two free classes per cruise, while Premier fare guests can enjoy unlimited fitness classes.

7. Kids’ Clubs

Princess Cruises has a range of kids’ clubs that offer exciting activities throughout the day, and guests are welcome to use these at no additional charge.

Infants and toddlers under 3 must be accompanied by parents, but children aged 3 to 7 can stay in The Treehouse, while those aged 8 to 12 can enjoy The Lodge. There are also dedicated teen lounges too.

These are open into the evening, but then at night from 10 pm there is a charge for babysitting, and only for kids aged 3 to 12. It costs $5 per hour, per child.

8. Service Charges

There are two types of service charge that you’ll need to pay on your Princess cruise. The first are the daily gratuities, which cost between $16 and $18 per person, per day depending on which class of stateroom you have booked.

They’re included in the fare if you’ve chosen Plus or Premier fare packages, but anyone with a Standard cruise fare has to pay the gratuities separately.

Suggested read: Can you opt out of gratuities on a cruise?

The other charges are a set rate of 18% applied to any purchases of speciality dining, drinks, drinks packages, spa services and a couple of other features onboard. 

If you get the Plus or Premier packages then the service charge is covered for anything included, but you’d need to pay it for anything you buy on top of that – so if you booked Premier, you wouldn’t pay the 18% service charge on the two included speciality dining meals, but you would pay it on any further speciality dining meals you paid for.

9. WiFi

WiFi is another feature which isn’t included on a Standard cruise fare, but that you do get if you pay for the Plus or Premier fare.

It costs from $24.99 per day for one device, but you can also get a four-device plan for $44.99 per day. The speeds are the same, it just affects how many devices you can connect.

The Plus cruise fare gets you the one device package included, while the Premier cruise fare includes a four-device WiFi package for your cruise.

10. Laundry

If you’re on a longer cruise, you might want to use the laundry services instead of packing enough outfits for every single day. Princess gives you two options, and neither are included in the fare – so make sure you budget for laundry if you plan on using it.

The self-serve laundry facilities are the cheapest option, but they take more effort. It costs $3 for a washload, $3 for drying, and you can buy detergent for $1.50.

If you’d rather have your laundry done for you, you can pay for the service instead. You’ll pay by the item, with the option for laundering or for dry cleaning. Expect to pay between $1 and $4.50 per item for washing and pressing, and between $2.75 and $11.50 for dry cleaning.

11. Flights and Transfers

The advertised cruise fares for Princess on their website won’t include your flights by default, but you can add them on through the cruise line if you prefer. If you do, you’ll also get your overseas transfers included too.

You don’t have to use the cruise line’s flights though. If you book via a travel agent, they’ll typically price flights separately and get you a better deal, or you can always book your own.

Just make sure you don’t forget to budget for (or book) your transfers from the airport to the cruise port, and leave plenty of time too. If your cruise port is more than half a day away, travel the night before and pay extra for a hotel so that you definitely don’t miss the ship.

Cruising from a port in your own country, like Southampton for UK guests?

Factor in cruise parking costs, or the cost of your coach or train to get to the port as well when putting together your cruise budget, as that won’t be included in the fare.

12. Shore Excursions

One last thing that you won’t get included in your fare – even if you book a Premier fare – is shore excursions.

If you want to go on tours when you’re in port, you’ll need to pay for them – either via the cruise line, or with a third party if you want to save money.

Suggested read: How I Find Affordable Shore Excursions

You don’t always have to. Some ports are walkable or there may be free shuttle buses to get you into the main town. Just be careful if you aren’t on a cruise line excursion – you have to make it back to the ship in time or you will be left behind.

To Conclude

There you have it – everything you get included with your cruise fare with Princess, whether you choose Standard, Plus, or Premier, and all the extras you’ll need to pay for.

It can be tough working out what the best deal is for you, so try to work out what you would want to pay extra for, and then see if either the Plus or Premier fare offers better value. They definitely do if you want one of the drinks packages, but not everyone drinks enough to justify that cost.

At least now you know everything that will cost more, and it should be much easier to work out how much a Princess cruise will actually cost you.

Related Posts:

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.

Read more about me