Princess Cruises is a premium cruise line which means they give you an elegant experience at an affordable price point.
This cruise line represents a good balance between traditional and modern cruising.
History & Overview:
Princess Cruises began in 1965 with a single sailing to Mexico. They were made famous on the show The Love Boat which featured the Pacific Princess ship.
Over the years the company continued to grow and today they are one of the most well-known, and loved, cruise lines in the world.
Princess Cruises is now one of the ten cruise lines that are part of the Carnival Corporation family.
Destinations & Itineraries:
They cruise to more than 300 ports all over the world from Mexico to Asia, and everywhere in between. They are considered leading experts in sailing to Alaska.
If there is an ocean port nearby, you can expect to see a Princess ship sailing to the region.
The itineraries range from just a single night sailing to over 100 days on their world cruise offerings.
Cruise Ships in the Fleet:
Princess Cruises currently has 18 ships in their fleet that can carry 600 to over 3,000 passengers.
There cruise ships fall into 5 different category classes, plus one special category. They are:
R Class:
The R class includes the smallest ship in the Princess fleet, the Pacific Princess. This is not the original ship that was made famous from The Love Boat show.
This ship was built in 1999 and carries just under 700 passengers. The Pacific Princess sails to the more exotic destinations such as Asia and South America, as well doing world cruises.
The intimate size allows you to easily make friends with both the crew and your fellow passengers. The longer and more exotic itineraries attract a more mature crowd onto the ship.
Coral Class:
The Coral Class includes the Coral Princess and Island Princess ships built in the early 2000’s. They hold just under 2,000 passengers.
These are some of the smaller, more intimate ships that the cruise line offers. They have a traditional, elegant ambiance. These ships sail in Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Panama Canal.
These ships focus on longer, more unique itineraries that attract a more mature crowd. You won’t find as many families and small children on them, except during the holidays.
The ships may not have all of the latest, modern features but they are still really nice ships that you will enjoy cruising on.
Sun Class:
The Sun Class includes both the Sun Princess and the Sea Princess ships. These ships were built in the mid-90’s and carry just under 2,000 passengers.
These ships are usually sailing in Australia, Asia, and the South Pacific regions. They also do world cruise itineraries.
These are classic, elegant ships that feature outstanding service and food onboard. While these are older ships, they have been through several refurbishments and still look really beautiful.
These ships tend to attract a more mature crowd and tend to be quieter than the larger ships in the fleet.
Grand Class:
The Grand Class includes nine ships. This class is broken up into a few sub-classes, but all of the ships are pretty comparable to one another.
The ships are the Grand Princess, Golden Princess, Star Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Ruby Princess, Caribbean Princess, Diamond Princess, and Sapphire.
These ships were built between the late 90’s and the late 2000’s. They hold approximately 2,500 to 3,000 passengers depending on the ship.
These are the ships that pioneered the Movies Under the Stars experience. Pretty much all of the mainstream cruise lines have this now, but Princess Cruises is the cruise line that started the trend.
These are largest ships that give you many options when it comes to activities, entertainment, and dining options on the ship.
These may be older ships, but because of the refurbishments that they have had, they still look amazing. You won’t feel like you are on an old, dated ship when you sail on one.
These ships attract a mixture of passengers from more mature couples to families with young children. These ships sail all over the world with a huge variety of itineraries including the Caribbean, Europe, and the US.
They offer a great value vacation for you and your family to enjoy together.
Royal Class:
The Royal Class is the newest and largest class of ships in the Princess Fleet. These ships were built from 2014 onward and carry more than 3,500 passengers.
Currently, the ships include the Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, and Sky Princess. Two more ships are scheduled to join the fleet.
They are the Enchanted Princess and Discovery Princess. These ships feel grand, modern, and elegant. They feature new, innovative features such as the SeaWalk and the Fountain Pool.
Yet, they are still Princess at heart, so when you first step aboard, they give you the welcoming, familiar atmosphere that you expect.
These ships sail in a wide variety of regions including the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. These ships offer a wide range of dining, entertainment, and places to relax and unwind on the ship.
You will never be bored while you cruise. This class of ships attract a wide variety of passengers from older, more mature couples to multi-generational families all sailing together.
Medallion Class:
This is a special class that features new technology to change the way you will experience cruising with Princess Cruises forever.
The Ocean Medallion technology is currently being included on any new ship builds for the company. It will also be integrated to the current ships as they go under their refurbishment.
Eventually, all of the ships in the fleet will be a Medallion Class ship. Don’t know what the Medallion Class experience is?
Read Princess Cruises’ Ocean Medallion: The Ultimate Guide. It will go over everything you need to know before embarking on your cruise so you can have the most amazing, stress-free cruise experience.
Dining Options on Princess Cruises:
Complimentary Options:
Princess Cruises offers both traditional dining and anytime dining options in the main dining room. The Horizon Court is the buffet area onboard the ships that you can enjoy.
There are also many other dining options that are included in the price of your cruise. These include Alfredo’s Pizzeria which serves up freshly made personal pizzas.
The International Café is open 24 hours and offers complimentary snacks and desserts. It also features gourmet coffee and tea at an additional charge.
You can also get room service, which is also available all day and night for you to enjoy. There are also a few other dining options such as poolside treats and afternoon tea service in one of the main dining rooms each day.
Specialty Dining Options:
There are many different options that you can choose to enjoy while on the ships at an additional cost. The restaurants vary depending on which ship you are sailing on.
Some of the most popular ones are Share, by celebrity chef Curtis Stone, The Salty Dog Gastropub, Crown Grille, and Sabatini’s.
A few other amazing dining experiences that you can do are the Winemaker’s Dinner, the Chef’s Table, and the Ultimate Balcony Dining package.
Entertainment Options:
There is a huge variety of entertainment options that you can enjoy throughout the day. You can watch the Broadway-style shows in the Princess Theater.
You will also be able to enjoy various comedians, illusionists, magicians, and performers in both the theater and various public areas around the vessel.
If you love karaoke then you will love to participate in The Voice of the Ocean competition. This is a spin on the very popular television show.
You can also enjoy various parties that are thrown throughout your cruise vacation. There are many, many options that are all different depending on the ship you decide to go on.
Activities Onboard:
Princess Cruises have a wide variety of activities that you can do throughout the day and night.
You can join in on cooking demonstrations, language classes, dance classes, game shows, trivia games, Bingo games, wine tasting, and art auctions.
If you are looking to keep fit you can enjoy the onboard gym and participate in the fitness classes they offer. Feeling lucky? Try your luck at the Casino onboard.
There are activities for the kids to enjoy while they are onboard as well. The larger ships in the fleet have a kid’s club program for children ages 3 to 17 to use.
Some of the ships even have a special, private space for passengers between the ages of 18 and 20 to enjoy.
The whole family will be able to find loads of stuff to do, especially on the larger ships. You will definitely not be bored while on your cruise ship.
What’s included on a Princess Cruise?
- Cruise ship room
- Complimentary dining options
- Room service (there are a few exceptions, so check the menu)
- Entertainment Options
- Pools & Spas
- Sports Deck area
- Fitness Center
- Most activities throughout the day and evening
- Live music and performers around the ship
- Movies Under the Stars
- Kid’s Club Program (late-night babysitting service is an extra charge)
What’s not included in your cruise cost?
- Specialty Dining Restaurants and Experiences
- Gourmet Coffees, Teas, and Ice Cream from Gelato
- The Sanctuary (private adults-only sun deck area)
- Spirits, Beer, or Wine Tastings
- Alcoholic beverages
- Sodas
- Internet access
- Spa Treatments
- Shore Excursions
- Gratuities (Currently $14.50-$15.50/person per night depending on stateroom category)
- Tips (A 15% tips is added onto any spa services and alcoholic drinks you order, so check your receipts)
Pro Tip: Check into buying the various drinks packages to save you money. Also, each adult in your room can bring on one bottle of wine at no charge (don’t forget your wine opener).
What is Princess Cruises’ dress code?
The dress code is pretty casual for the most part. You can relax and enjoy yourself throughout the day on the ship.
The evenings tend to be country-club casual. You want to dress nice for the main dining room.
While you don’t need to wear a dress or tuxedo, you can’t wear shorts and flip flops if you want to have dinner in the main dining room. You will be stuck eating in the buffet or by the pool if don’t want to dress nice.
There is usually at least one formal night, it depends on the length of the cruise. On these nights you want to dress up and get fancy. Again, this is only for the main dining room.
You can still enjoy the other dining options such as the buffet or specialty restaurants on these nights if you decide not to participate.
Should you choose to sail on Princess Cruises?
Princess Cruises caters to all kinds of travelers. The smaller ships are best suited for more mature passengers.
They have longer, more unique itineraries and not as many activities for the kids to do.
You will find that the cruises that are outside of school holidays will mostly have older passengers on them. These cruises tend to be quieter and more relaxing.
The larger ships and the cruises that take place during holidays and summer break will have more families and children onboard the ships.
However, Princess Cruises works best for those who want the traditional cruise experience while still experiencing a low-key, comfortable atmosphere.
If your family wants the water slides, rock climbing walls, and ice-skating rinks then they need to look at a different cruise line, such as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.
Overall, Princess Cruises offers you a contemporary cruise experience at an affordable price point.
Have you been on Princess Cruises? What are your thoughts on this cruise line? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.