Holland America vs Princess comes down to ship size and atmosphere. Holland America sails 11 mid-sized ships with a quieter, more traditional feel, live music and port-rich itineraries, while Princess runs a larger fleet of bigger, busier ships with more dining choice, kids’ clubs and its MedallionClass wearable tech. Prices are similar, both are excellent in Alaska, and the right choice depends on the kind of cruise you enjoy.
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Both lines belong to Carnival Corporation, share some ports and back-office systems, and target the same premium market, so it’s easy to assume they’re interchangeable. They aren’t. Below we compare fleets, Alaska, cabins, food, entertainment, families, drinks packages and price, with current figures for 2026 and 2027 sailings, then sum up who each line suits best.
Holland America vs Princess at a glance
| Feature | Holland America Line | Princess Cruises |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet (late 2026) | 11 ships, growing to 12 with Arcadia in 2029 | 17 ships, including Sun Princess (2024) and Star Princess (2025) |
| Typical ship size | Roughly 1,400 to 2,700 guests | Roughly 2,000 to 4,300 guests |
| Atmosphere | Calm, classic, unhurried | Livelier, resort-style, more variety |
| Typical passengers | Mostly mature couples and retirees | Wider age range, more families in summer |
| Signature entertainment | Music Walk: B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room, Billboard Onboard | Production shows, Movies Under the Stars, Piazza entertainment |
| Tech | Navigator app and key cards | MedallionClass wearable on every ship |
| Kids’ facilities | Club HAL, smaller and seasonal on some ships | Camp Discovery youth and teen centers |
| Add-on package | Have It All (from around $60 to $65 per person, per day) | Princess Plus and Princess Premier (from around $70 and $105) |
| Alaska | 6 ships in 2026, Denali lodge, Glacier Guarantee | 8 ships in 2026, Princess-owned wilderness lodges |
| Longest voyages | Grand Voyages, including world cruises | World cruises and long repositioning voyages |
Package prices are at the time of writing and change often, so always check the current rate when you book.
Fleets and ships: smaller and classic vs bigger and newer
This is the single biggest difference between the two lines, and it shapes almost everything else.
Holland America’s fleet
Holland America has 11 ships across four classes. The newest are the three Pinnacle-class ships, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam, which carry around 2,650 guests. Below them sit the Signature-class Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam, the Vista-class Oosterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam and Noordam, and the smaller R-class Volendam and Zaandam, at around 1,400 guests.
Holland America has not announced any new builds, so the fleet is older on average than Princess’s. It is refreshing ships instead, with Oosterdam due for a major refit in fall 2027 and Zuiderdam in April 2028. The next addition is a transfer rather than a newbuild: P&O’s Arcadia will join Holland America in 2029, taking the fleet to 12. If you want to know which ships are the pick of the fleet, see our guide to Holland America ships ranked from best to worst.
Princess Cruises’ fleet
Princess has 17 ships, from the 1998-built Grand Princess to the two Sphere-class ships, Sun Princess (2024) and Star Princess (2025). At around 175,000 gross tons and roughly 4,300 guests, the Sphere ships are the largest Princess has built, with the glass-domed Dome entertainment space and the Sphere-shaped Piazza atrium. The Royal-class ships, including Sky, Enchanted and Discovery Princess, carry around 3,600 guests, while Coral and Island Princess are smaller at about 2,000.
In short, Princess gives you more choice of ship size and newer hardware at the top end, while Holland America keeps everything mid-sized. If crowds and lines bother you, Holland America’s ships tend to feel more spacious per guest.
Itineraries and destinations
Both lines sail worldwide: Alaska, the Caribbean, Mexico, the Panama Canal, Europe, Canada and New England, Asia, Australia and South America. The difference is in style.
- Holland America leans towards longer cruises, more overnights and more unusual ports. Its Grand Voyages and world cruises are a big part of its identity, and its smaller ships can reach ports and waterways larger ships can’t. All its ships fit through the original Panama Canal locks, making full transits easy to find.
- Princess offers more short and mid-length sailings, more departures from US homeports such as Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale and Seattle, and more ships in Europe each summer. Its largest ships are too big for the original Panama Canal locks, so check which ship operates a canal cruise.
Holland America vs Princess for Alaska
Alaska is where these two lines are strongest, and they have been rivals there for decades. Each owns land-based infrastructure, including hotels, lodges and rail cars, so both can sell a cruisetour that combines a cruise with Denali National Park.
- Princess in 2026: eight ships in Alaska, including Star Princess on its first season there, with around 180 departures from five homeports. Its seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers route includes Glacier Bay, and its land tours use Princess-owned wilderness lodges.
- Holland America in 2026: six ships (Koningsdam, Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam and Zaandam) and more than 100 voyages from Seattle and Vancouver, plus one-way sailings to Whittier. Every Alaska cruise includes at least one glacier, and the line’s Glacier Guarantee gives a future cruise credit of 15% of the fare if a glacier visit is missed. Cruisetours of 9 to 17 days include one to three days at Denali, some adding the Yukon.
Pick Princess for more ship and date choice, and Holland America for smaller ships and the Yukon cruisetours. For a wider look at the options, see our guide to the best cruise line to Alaska for you.
Staterooms and suites
Cabin categories are broadly similar: inside, ocean view, balcony and suites. Standard cabins on both lines are comfortable rather than lavish.
- Holland America cabins on older ships are often a little larger than average, with more storage and a classic décor. Neptune Suite guests get a private lounge, and Pinnacle Suites are the top accommodation.
- Princess has its Princess Luxury Bed in every cabin. Royal-class and Sphere-class ships have balconies on most outside cabins. Sun and Star Princess introduced new suite categories, including Signature Collection suites with an exclusive restaurant and lounge, and many Sphere cabins have Reserve Collection perks.
On any ship, cabin location matters as much as category. Our guide to the best and worst cabins on Enchanted Princess shows what to look for on a Royal-class ship.
Food and dining
Both lines get good marks for food at their price, but the dining experience feels different.
Holland America
Holland America’s main dining room and Lido Market buffet are the backbone, with menus shaped by its Culinary Council of guest chefs. Specialty restaurants vary by ship but typically include Pinnacle Grill (steak and seafood), Canaletto (Italian), and on some ships Tamarind (pan-Asian) and Sel de Mer (French seafood). Grand Dutch Café and the free New York Deli & Pizza are handy casual stops. Dining is more traditional, with dressy evenings on most cruises.
Princess
Princess offers more variety, especially on its newer ships. Sun and Star Princess have numerous venues, including a Japanese-inspired teppanyaki specialty restaurant and the Signature Collection restaurant for suite guests. Fleet favorites include Crown Grill steakhouse, Sabatini’s Italian, the free International Café, which is open 24 hours on most ships, and Alfredo’s Pizzeria. Princess also tends to keep its buffet and casual venues open for longer, which helps if you like flexible meal times.
If dining variety matters most, Princess wins. If you prefer a calmer, more classic dining room experience, Holland America feels more relaxed.
Entertainment and activities
Holland America builds its evenings around live music. The Music Walk brings together B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard dueling pianos, plus classical and other live music on many ships. Days are quieter, with talks, cooking demonstrations, Explorations Central (EXC) destination talks and plenty of deck chairs.
Princess offers more of a resort vibe: larger theater production shows, Movies Under the Stars on giant outdoor screens, a lively Piazza atrium with street-style entertainment, casinos, trivia, and the Lotus Spa and Sanctuary adults-only sun deck. On Sun and Star Princess, the glass Dome hosts acrobatic shows and pool by day.
One practical difference is technology. Every Princess ship uses the OceanMedallion, a small wearable that unlocks your cabin, lets crew bring drinks or food to wherever you are and speeds up embarkation. Holland America uses its Navigator app and traditional key cards, which some cruisers actually prefer for simplicity.
Cruising with kids and teens
Princess is the more family-friendly of the two. Camp Discovery youth centers, developed with Discovery, run activities for children aged 3 to 12, and teens have a dedicated lounge on most ships. Summer and holiday sailings in the Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska often have plenty of families on board.
Holland America’s Club HAL serves kids, but the program is smaller, and on some ships it runs only when enough children are on board. It works well for grandparents traveling with grandchildren who want a calm ship, but families with lively teenagers will usually find more to do on Princess.
Drinks packages and what’s included
Both lines sell a cruise fare plus an optional bundle, and comparing them properly is one of the most useful things you can do before booking, because they don’t include the same things.
| Holland America Have It All | Princess Plus | Princess Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price at time of writing | From around $60 per person, per day for sailings before summer 2027, then $65 | From around $70 pre-cruise ($75 onboard) | From around $105 pre-cruise ($110 onboard) |
| Drinks | Signature Beverage Package, drinks up to $12, up to 15 a day | Drinks up to $15 | Unlimited drinks, any price |
| Wi-Fi | Surf Wi-Fi | One device | Four devices |
| Specialty dining | 1 to 3 nights depending on cruise length | Not included | Unlimited specialty dining |
| Shore excursion credit | Up to $100, $200 or $300 depending on cruise length | Not included | Credit included (amount varies) |
| Gratuities | Not included | Included | Included |
The Princess price increases apply to sailings from October 13, 2026. The key point many comparisons miss is gratuities: Princess Plus covers crew appreciation, which is worth roughly $18 to $20 per person per day, while Have It All doesn’t. Once you add gratuities to a Holland America quote, the gap between Have It All and Princess Plus mostly disappears, and Holland America’s shore excursion credit can tip it back. Our guide to Holland America drink packages explains when buying a drinks package separately makes more sense.
Price: which is cheaper?
Base fares are close. On comparable itineraries Princess is often a little cheaper per night, partly because its larger ships spread costs across more guests, while Holland America can cost more on longer voyages with more exotic ports. Both run regular sales with reduced deposits, onboard credit or discounted packages, and prices change daily.
For a fair comparison, price the same month, the same cabin type and the same add-ons, then add gratuities where they aren’t included. Browse our cruise deals for 2027 for current offers.
Who should choose Holland America and who should choose Princess?
Choose Holland America if you
- Prefer smaller, less crowded ships and a calm atmosphere
- Love live music more than big production shows
- Want longer cruises, Grand Voyages or unusual ports
- Are planning an Alaska cruisetour that includes the Yukon
- Value a shore excursion credit in your package
Choose Princess if you
- Want newer, bigger ships with more dining and entertainment
- Are traveling with children or teenagers
- Like the convenience of MedallionClass
- Want the widest choice of Alaska dates and ships
- Prefer a package that includes gratuities
Princess’s newest ships, such as Sun Princess, show where the line is heading on dining and entertainment.
If ship age matters to you, check the full Princess fleet from newest to oldest before choosing between the two lines.
Both lines are big-ship options, so it is worth reading how they compare big-ship, luxury and expedition Alaska cruises before you book.
FAQs
Which is better, Holland America or Princess?
Neither is better for everyone. Holland America suits travelers who want smaller, calmer ships, live music and longer, port-rich itineraries. Princess suits those who want bigger ships with more dining, nightlife, kids’ facilities and MedallionClass convenience. Fares are similar, so choose on atmosphere and itinerary.
Is Holland America more upscale than Princess?
Slightly, in feel rather than price. Holland America ships are smaller and more traditional, with a quieter, more formal mood. Both lines sit in the premium category and have similar cabin standards, and Princess’s newest ships are more modern than anything in the Holland America fleet.
Is Princess or Holland America better for Alaska?
Both are among the strongest Alaska lines, with Glacier Bay access and their own Denali lodges for cruisetours. Princess sends more ships and offers more departures and lodges, while Holland America offers smaller ships, a glacier on every Alaska cruise and its Glacier Guarantee.
What is the average age on Holland America and Princess?
Neither line publishes official figures, but Holland America generally draws an older crowd, often retirees, especially on long voyages. Princess attracts a wider age mix, from couples in their 40s to multi-generational families, with more children aboard in summer and on holiday sailings.
Which is cheaper, Holland America or Princess?
Base fares are often close, though Princess frequently comes in a little cheaper per night on comparable routes. At the time of writing, Holland America’s Have It All add-on costs less per day than Princess Plus, but Princess Plus also covers gratuities, so compare the total cost of each quote.
