With fifteen cruise ships currently in service and two more scheduled for delivery by the end of 2025, Princess Cruises is one of the smaller mainstream cruise lines at sea. The cruise line rose to prominence in part due to the television series The Love Boat, which was a fictional show about the crew and different passengers onboard MS Pacific Princess that ran from 1977 until 1986.
Today, Princess Cruises is known to be more upscale than other mainstream cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Additionally, they offer sailings to more unique destinations around the globe-- think the South Pacific and Antarctica, Africa, and India, just to name a few. They actually pride themselves on carrying "more than a million passengers each year to more worldwide destinations than any other major line."
While their innovative ships may not be as large as some of today's mega-ships, they offer a wide array of dining choices, entertainment, and amenities.
Here is a breakdown of Princess Cruises' fleet by ship size. Note that all information regarding ship-specific statistics was gathered directly from Princess' website.
Read more: Princess Cruises Tips & Tricks
What is Princess Cruises' MedallionClass, and is it available on every ship?
Princess' MedallionClass is meant to enhance your vacation by enabling a higher level of personalization and service, both before your cruise begins and while onboard. Rather than receiving a plastic cruise card, you will get a quarter-sized device that will function as your charge card, room key, etc. during your trip. Your device will even help staff locate you, so that you can get drinks and snacks delivered right to you!
As of mid-2022, all Princess ships are now MedallionClass enabled, so it does not matter if you opt to cruise on the smallest or largest ship in the fleet; you will be able to take advantage of the many MedallionClass perks:
- Touchless embarkation and disembarkation
- Keyless stateroom entry (in fact, your stateroom can be opened when you are up to ten feet away from the door!)
- Contactless commerce
- Simplified safety training
- On-demand food, beverages, and retail items delivered anywhere on board
- Guest service requests via mobile device chat
- Location-based gaming and wagering
- Entertainment content via smart devices
Can I book a "Princess Plus" or "Princess Premier" fare on any Princess ship?
If you are new to cruising, you should know that not every cruise line offers all-inclusive fares. For the most part, the rate that you see advertised will include accommodations, entertainment, transportation between ports of call, and select food and beverages. You will be responsible for anything else (i.e., shore excursions, alcoholic beverages, Wi-Fi, etc.) that you think would enhance your vacation experience.
Now, Princess Cruises offers guests the ability to make their initial fare more inclusive through their Princess Plus and Princess Premier fare options. With either of these fares, you can expect to pay more than you would for a standard base option.
With Princess Plus, you will receive the following benefits:
- Princess dining, accommodations, and entertainment
- MedallionClass® experience
- Plus Beverage Package (includes drinks up to $15 each)
- Wi-Fi (1 device per guest)
- Crew appreciation (which are just cruise tips)
- 2 Premium desserts per day
- 2 Fitness classes per cruise
- Unlimited juice bar
The Princess Premier fare includes everything that the Plus fare does, as well as:
- Premier Beverage Package (includes drinks up to $20, rather than $15)
- Wi-Fi (up to 4 devices per guest)
- Crew Appreciation
- 2 specialty dining meals per guest
- Photo package (unlimited digital + 3 prints)
- Princess Prizes
- Unlimited Premium desserts and fitness classes
- Special Medallion accessory
- Reserved theater seating (for production shows only)
You will have to continue through the booking process to see what the rates are for each option on your selected sailing. For a 4-night Pacific Coastal cruise onboard Sapphire Princess departing on May 7, 2024, the base fare is $648 per guest, Princess Plus is $888 per guest, and Princess Premier is $968 per guest.
Sphere Class
When Sun Princess, the first Sphere Class ship, sets sail in 2024, she will become Princess Cruises' largest ship based on gross registered tons. She will also be Princess' first-ever LNG-powered ship and the third ship to be named "Sun Princess." The first sailed from 1974 to 1988 and the second from 1995 to 2020.
- Tonnage: 175,500
- Passenger capacity: 4,300
- Length: 1,133 feet
Onboard, there will be 29 different bars and restaurants for guests to choose from, as well as 1,500 balcony staterooms, the most on any Princess cruise ship ever. At the aft of the ship will be the brand-new Wake View Terrace. Here, you will find an infinity pool, a South Beach-style resort deck, a full bar, and continuous entertainment.
And, of course, there will be fan-favorites returning to this new class of ship, including The Sanctuary, Piazza, and Crown Grill Steakhouse.
A second unnamed Sphere Class ship is currently under construction with plans to be delivered in 2025.
Royal Class
There are six ships in Princess Cruises' Royal Class: Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess, Enchanted Princess, and Discovery Princess. The latter three ships feature more staterooms than the first three ships in the class and have a few differences in what is available onboard.
When it comes to amenities, Royal Princess was the first ship to feature the Seawalk, a cantilevered 60-foot-long glass-floored walkway that extends 28 feet over the side of the ship. On the Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery Princess, the Seawalk was redesigned to be shorter. It is also directly attached to the ship, rather than functioning as a separate partially enclosed walkway.
Dining venues also vary from ship to ship. You will find numerous complimentary options, such as main dining rooms and the International Cafe, onboard all ships. Some specialty venues, however, are not available class-wide. Majestic Princess is the most different of all the Royal Class ships, as she was designed to cater to an Asian market.
You can find itineraries on Royal Class ships to places like Alaska, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, the California Coast, Canada & New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, and Tahiti, and the South Pacific. You can enjoy a cruise on one of the newest Princess ships without having to sacrifice your dream itinerary!
Discovery Princess (2022)
- Tonnage: 145,000
- Passenger capacity: 3,660
- Length: 1,083 feet
Enchanted Princess (2021)
- Tonnage: 144,650
- Passenger capacity: 3,660
- Length: 1,083 feet
Sky Princess (2019)
- Tonnage: 144,650
- Passenger capacity: 3,660
- Length: 1,083 feet
Majestic Princess (2017)
- Tonnage: 143,700
- Passenger capacity: 3,560
- Length: 1,083 feet
Regal Princess (2014)
- Tonnage: 142,229
- Passenger capacity: 3,560
- Length: 1,083 feet
Royal Princess (2013)
- Tonnage: 142,229
- Passenger capacity: 3,560
- Length: 1,083 feet
Grand Class
The Grand Class is Princess' largest class of ships. Comprised of seven vessels that range from 107,517 to 115,875 gross registered tons, they offer sailings to destinations across the globe, including Alaska, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Japan, the Panama Canal, and even South American & Antarctica.
There is a lot of variation between what each ship has to offer. Grand Princess, for instance, is the smallest ship in the class and can only carry 2,600 passengers. The last Grand Class ship, Ruby Princess, has two more passenger decks than Grand Princess and can hold 480 more guests at double occupancy.
Even though many of these ships are nearing 20 years old, all Grand Class ships have been refurbished and fitted with new staterooms, suites, and venues.
Diamond Princess (2004)
- Tonnage: 115,875
- Passenger capacity: 2,670
- Length: 952 feet
Sapphire Princess (2004)
- Tonnage: 115,875
- Passenger capacity: 2,670
- Length: 952 feet
Ruby Princess (2008)
- Tonnage: 113,561
- Passenger capacity: 3,080
- Length: 951 feet
Emerald Princess (2007)
- Tonnage: 113,561
- Passenger capacity: 3,080
- Length: 951 feet
Crown Princess (2006)
- Tonnage: 113,561
- Passenger capacity: 3,080
- Length: 952 feet
Caribbean Princess (2004)
- Tonnage: 112,894
- Passenger capacity: 3,149
- Length: 952 feet
Grand Princess (1998)
- Tonnage: 107,517
- Passenger capacity: 2,600
- Number of staterooms: 1,303
- Length: 949 feet
Coral Class
Princess Cruises' Coral Class only has two ships currently in operation: Coral Princess and Island Princess. While they are the smallest ships in the fleet, they are not the oldest, as that title is held by Grand Princess.
While venues vary by ship, there are still plenty of amenities onboard to keep you satisfied and entertained, such as 10-12 dining options (which includes two main dining rooms and 24-hour room service), a theater, spa, casino, fitness center, 3-4 pools, and The Sanctuary.
If you are looking for a unique sailing, a Coral Class ship is most likely going to be your best bet, as they are the only class in Princess' fleet to offer world cruises! You can choose to sail on a single segment -- like a 22-night cruise from Sydney, Australia to Dubai or 52-night cruise from Sydney, Australia to London (Dover), England -- or for the entire voyage.
Due to the class' focus on longer and more intensive journeys, you are not going to find many 7-night round trip cruises onboard Island or Coral Princess.
Island Princess (2003)
- Tonnage: 92,822
- Passenger capacity: 2,200
- Length: 964 feet
Coral Princess (2003)
- Tonnage: 91,627
- Passenger capacity: 2,000
- Length: 965 feet
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
