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Princess Cruises

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Princess Cruises fleet

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Princess Cruises is a premium travel brand and a subsidiary company of Carnival Group, making it one of the 10 cruise shipping lines and travel brands owned by currently the world's biggest cruise shipowner - Carnival Corporation . As part of the conglomerate, the Princess brand brings ~20% of the Group's revenue.

Company History and Changes

Princess Cruises (princess.com) was founded in 1965 by Stanley McDonald who chartered the Alaskan ship SS Princess Patricia (1948-built/1995- scrapped , IMO 5284924) for roundtrips to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles during the off-season (winter). In 1967, Princess started to charter the ship MS Italia (1967-built/2012- scrapped , IMO 6513994), which had a modern design, numerous innovations, more spacious upper decks, larger public areas (midship/ by placing the engines aft).

In December 2025, the company celebrates its 60th anniversary.

The new "Princess Italia" again operated the Mexican Riviera from LA (the Princess logo on the funnel was placed for the first time in 1967). In 1969 the ship made its inaugural season in Alaska with roundtrips from San Francisco . When the charter ended (in 1973), Princess chartered the "Carla C" ship (from Costa Cruises ) and unofficially renamed it "Princess Carla".

The company's modern-times history commenced in 1974 when it was acquired by P&O UK. The new owner transferred its "Spirit of London" ship (renamed Sun Princess) and 3 more boats bought from "Flagship Cruises" for the Princess brand - "Sea Venture" (Island Princess), Island Venture (Pacific Princess) and MS Kungsholm (Sea Princess). The first newbuild (specifically for Princess) was Royal Princess (1984, also served Princess under the name "Artemis").

A major company asset is "Princess Tours" (Alaska division acquired in 1986) with 10 luxury railcars for scenic tours of Mt McKinley and daily capacity 700+ passengers. With the acquisition of Sitmar Line (1988), P&O added to the Princess brand 3 more vessels (then under construction) - in 1989 (Star Princess/2021-scrapped as Columbus) and in 1990 (Crown Princess, Regal Princess), plus 2 former Cunard liners (renamed Dawn Princess, Fair Princess) and Sitmar's "Fairsky" ship (renamed Sky Princess).

The "P&O Princess Cruises" company was established in 2000 (October 23rd). It subsequently merged with Carnival Corp in 2003 (April 17th) into "Carnival Corporation & plc". The USD 5,4-billion-dollar merger created the largest cruise shipping company in the world ever , grouping 11 different travel brands as subsidiaries.

Currently, Princess Cruise Lines Ltd (USA) is transferred to Carnival's American division (Holland America Group), but the brand's marketing and sales in the UK are under Carnival plc (aka Carnival UK) which also manages Cunard Line.

The company's current President is John Padgett (assigned in October 2021) who reports directly to Holland America Group's President (Jan Swartz). John Padgett was employed by Carnival Corporation (2014-2021, as Chief Experience and Innovation Officer) and by Walt Disney Parks & Resorts (1996-2014).

The company's other top executives include Terry Thornton (CCO/Chief Commercial Officer), Jim Berra (CMO/Chief Marketing Officer), Carmen Roig (VP of Sales), Vicki Johnson (Senior VP of Communications).

The world's most romantic attention the Princess cruise brand received by the participation of its vessels (first Island and Pacific, later Royal, Sun, and Sea) in the onboard filmed TV-series "The Love Boat" (ABC-aired from 1977 until 1986).

• In May 2018, the cast of "The Love Boat" (ABC TV series run 1977-1986) and Princess Cruises was presented a Hollywood Walk of Fame star plaque. The honorary plaque is located in front of Dolby Theater's main entrance on Hollywood Blvd.
• Following the pilot show (May 5, 1977), the cruise ship-themed series continued for 10 seasons (until May 24, 1986).
• The Princess brand became famous and commonly known as "the Love Boat cruise line". In the series were used the Princess-owned ships Island Princess (2017-scrapped as "Discovery"), Royal Princess (now Artania ) and Sea Princess (2016-scrapped as "Veronica") cruising to exotic destinations around the world.

One of the most famous features of Carnival's Princess brand is its "Personal Choice Cruising" program - an unstructured and individualized approach to the ship vacation travel by the innovative "if you want it - when you want it" concept. The brand's travel style provides an exceptional feeling of choice and flexibility giving passengers the opportunity to customize their vacation in a way that most fits their personal interests and desires. Implemented in the mid-90s (on the Sun-class Princess ships), this unique concept of passengers being in control of their voyages and vacation experiences was realized via multiple shipboard dining venues, flexible entertainment options and affordable balcony staterooms.

Company changes 2024

In April was announced that starting September 14 (2024) fleetwide would be introduced 3 distinct main dining /table service options – Traditional, Reservable, and Walk-in Anytime. On each ship will be allocated 3 separate dining rooms - one for traditional dining (offering early and late dinner seating), one with reservable times, and one for open seating. The new options are integrated with the OceanNow service, allowing anything to be ordered anytime, and delivered anywhere onboard.

In July, in partnership with Anthony Felix Gemignani (American chef, restaurateur, author), Princess Cruises set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD title for the "World's Largest Pizza Party". The record was achieved simultaneously across multiple venues (fleetwide), with passengers enjoying 60,000+ slices of freshly oven-baked pizza. Chef Tony Gemignani crafted two exclusive for Princess Cruises pizzas featuring the combinations of Soppressata sausage with hot honey, and agave pesto with fresh goat cheese. Additionally, he shared three of his unique pizza recipes. In summer 2024, Gemignani's freshly oven-baked pizzas were introduced (at the specialty restaurants Alfredo's and Gigi's, and the Lido Deck's complimentary Slice Station fleetwide.

In August was introduced the MedallionNet Max (Wi-Fi package), in addition to MedallionNet Classic. Like MedallionNet Classic, MedallionNet Max costs US$25 per day (single-device plan) and US$45 per day (multi-device plan) but provides better/faster connectivity. However, it is available only to passengers purchasing the Princess Plus (US$60) and Princess Premier (US$80) beverage packages.

In August, the company's "Love Line Premium Liquors” collection (available fleetwide) was expanded with the Slainte Irish Whiskey (by Isaac Liev Schreiber/1967-born American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer). The whiskey ages in bourbon oak barrels and is finished in sherry casks. The Slainte Irish Whiskey is offered in cocktails at various bars (also at the O’Malley’s Pub) namely Slainte Frozen Irish, Filthy Molly, Passion of the Irish, Tropical Alibi, and Spank Mint.

Company changes 2023

On March 23, 2023, Princess announced the partnership with Luigi Lavazza SpA (1895-founded, Turin Italy-based manufacturer of coffee products) as the brand’s "Official Coffee Partner". By the deal, Lavazza products and services are offered fleetwide and include coffee-themed dinners, Lavazza-based recipes, educational sessions, coffee tastings/samplings and food pairings.

On June 24, 2023, were announced new onboard "Princess Perfect Weddings" packages and the appointment Randy Fenoli (1964-born American TV host and fashion/bridal designer best known for his TV show "Randy to the Rescue and Say Yes to the Dress") as Princess Cruises' Love and Romance Ambassador. Also was announced that he will host a bridal fashion-themed voyage on Regal Princess (leaving from Galveston TX on Dec 3rd) with signature events like meet & greets and wedding gown consultations. As brand ambassador, Fenoli developed the exclusive "Randy Fenoli Weddings" package.

In October 2023, the company announced a shift in its pricing strategy, ensuring that only early bookings get the best-priced deals possible (by eliminating last-minute cruise booking discounts) and also introduced the Best Price Guarantee and Princess Promotions.

Rail & Sail" (train+cruise) program 2024

In April was introduced the "Rail & Sail" (train+cruise) program providing swift and seamless access to Princess' ships homeported in Florida (Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral/Orlando). The program is via a partnership with Brightline/BLFX (high-speed intercity passenger railway in Florida connecting Miami with Orlando).

The  program significantly reduces pre- and post-cruise travel time compared to conventional road travel options. A Brightline  train with four custom-designed cars displays Princess' signature logo and images of popular call ports. Princess' branding is also prominently displayed within Brightline's five Florida train terminals. 

With the Rail & Sail program was also introduced a luggage express service allowing cruise tourists to check their bags at their Brightline station and find them securely waiting in their stateroom. Princess guests also receive up to 15% discounts when booking "Smart and Premium Rail & Sail" packages through Brightline's website.  Brightline offers Princess cruise passengers access to a comprehensive train schedule (daily departures) providing 16 roundtrip transits between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.

Brightline's train travel options are two -  Southbound (Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, with stops at West Palm Beach and Boca Raton) and  Northbound (Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, stops at Boca Raton and West Palm Beach). Residents of South Florida can also utilize Brightline's services from downtown Miami and Aventura terminals, with stops in Fort Lauderdale or Orlando.

(NEW) Ship boarding/embarkation system (2023)

On August 1, 2023, Princess Cruises implemented fleetwide a new boarding process aiming to make it easier for tourists to board the ships. As a result, the scheduled arrival times on embarkation day were eliminated.

The new embarkation system requires all passengers to complete the necessary steps (via Princess App) prior to the voyage.

• Green Lane qualified are passengers who have completed all the Travel Checklist's steps and have received their Medallion device by mail (only in the USA and Puerto Rico). Green Lane provides the most streamlined embarkation/fastest boarding. Note: Passengers who are Green Lane-eligible but choose not to have their Medallions shipped to them are classified as Blue Lane.
• Blue Lane qualified are passengers who have completed (some, none or all) Travel Checklist's steps but have opted not to have their Medallions mailed to them. Blue Lane guests still enjoy an expedited check-in but must pick up their Medallion at the cruise terminal.
• Accessibility Lane is for passengers experiencing mobility/accessibility difficulties. They have a separate/dedicated lane for faster check-in, regardless of their color designation.

The new embarkation system no longer requires selecting a specific arrival group time. Instead, guests can arrive within the designated check-in window at a time that suits them. However, Princess Cruises strongly recommends all guests to provide travel arrangement information via OceanReady (MedallionClass app and the Cruise Personalizer). The check-in details can be found in their travel summary.

Since August 2023, the company also improved the Digital Boarding Pass which is available in the Princess app (11 days prior to the ship departure date). The updated boarding pass now includes the deck and stateroom number.

Princess Upgrade (new cabin upgrades program)

In August 2022 was announced the "Princess Upgrade" program that allows passenger cabin upgrades on a regular basis (not as promos) and for all types of staterooms and categories.

The new program was officially launched on September 6, 2022, on just 5x USA-based Princess boats (Caribbean, Discovery, Enchanted, Regal, Ruby). By the end of October (2022) the program was rolled out fleetwide.

"Princess Upgrade" is only for bookings within Final Payment and when the full payment has been made. Then customers receive an invitation to submit a bid on any cabin type and category that is above the currently booked. The bid can be changed or canceled at any time before being accepted.

Shipboard retail shopping

In September 2021, Princess and Harding signed a deal for the entire fleet's onboard retail shopping business to move under Harding’s management.

Harding+ (Bristol UK-based global travel and cruise retail group) in 2020 was acquired by Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP (1983-founded, NYC-based investment management firm with USD 34+ billion in managed assets). Harding has hubs in Bristol (England) , Miami (Florida USA) and Sydney (NSW Australia) .

The existing Princess retail team joined Harding's as part of the transition.

Each of the Princess boats has an onboard shopping arcade named "Shops of Princess".

In April 2016, Princess' owner Carnival Corporation signed a shipbuilding order for 2 new boats scheduled for deliveries in 2019 ( Sky Princess ) and 2020-2021 ( Enchanted Princess ). Sky and Enchanted are 4th and 5th ROYAL-class ships (same-designed as Royal, Regal , Majestic ) all constructed at Monfalcone yard as part of a previous agreement with Fincantieri (shipbuilder). At that time, Carnival Group had a total of 16 shipbuilding orders , with scheduled deliveries between 2016-2020. These 3670-passenger vessels have 80% balconied staterooms and some fleet-first features.

In late-January 2017, Carnival Corporation announced 2 more orders for the fleets of Princess (Royal-class) and Holland America Line (Pinnacle-class). Carnival signed an MoA (memorandum of agreement) with Fincantieri to construct both units, with deliveries in 2021 ( Nieuw Ryndam-Rotterdam for HAL, at Marghera yard) and 2022 ( Discovery Princess , at Monfalcone yard). When both contracts were finalized (February 2017), Carnival Corporation had a total of 19 newbuilds scheduled for deliveries in 2017-2022.

In July 2018 were ordered 2 new-class (larger than Royal-class) liners with GT tonnage/volume 175000 and passenger capacity 4300. These are the fleet's first dual-fuel (MGO and LNG) powered vessels. The contract with Fincantieri (Monfalcone) was signed in March 2019, with scheduled deliveries in 2023 and 2025. Princess in 2018 had 5 newbuilds on order with Fincantieri. The 2023-2025 units were Carnival Group's 10th and 11th LNG-powered ships .

By 2019, during drydock refurbishments (part of the company's USD 450 million fleet renovation program), 45000+ "Princess Luxury Beds" were rolled out fleetwide (to 22000+ staterooms / on all liners). The custom-made "Princess Luxury Bed" implements the latest sleep science technologies and was developed via partnership with Dr. Michael Breus (The Sleep Doctor) and Candice Olson (Canadian designer).

In December 2019, Princess signed with Panasonic Corporation a deal to deliver 4K laser projectors for the entire fleet (first unit was installed on Sky Princess). All liners will be outfitted with Panasonic PT-RQ50KU (4K Laser Projector with Solid Shine technology) to be used for the new 5-Skies production show featuring UHD imagery.

In September 2022 Princess signed with Xponential Fitness Inc (Irvine CA USA-based, 2017-founded company) a 5-year exclusive licensing agreement. Xponential Fitness is currently the world's largest global franchise group of boutique fitness brands. As of 2022, Xponential franchises 10 fitness brands (Club Pilates, pure barre, CycleBar, StretchLAB, Row House, YogaSix, Rumble, AKT Dance, STRIDE Fitness, BFT) and has 2220+ gym studios in 48 American states and 13 countries. The deal with Xponential, together with the partnership with OneSpaWorld (providing gym professionals and wellness staff and services) made Princess the first major cruise company to offer multiple premium fitness brands for personalized and customizable gym/training experiences. During the agreement period (2022-2027), at least 8x Xponential brands are available on each Princess boat (120 licensed gym studios fleetwide).

In 2024 ( Sun Princess ) and 2025 ( Star Princess ) debut the fleet's ever-largest (SPHERE-class) vessels, with GT-tonnage/volume ~175,000 tonnes.

Each boat has 21 floors, 2157 staterooms, and the signature (fleet-first ) facilities The Dome (top-deck entertainment space covered by a glass roof) and Piazza Atrium (3-deck-high, outward-looking midship suspended space with comfortable seating, 360-degree outside views, huge LED screen/movable, to allow live entertainment). Both SPHERE Princess ships also have new for the fleet cabin types - Signature Collection Suites (exclusive access to Signature Restaurant-Lounge & Bar-Sundeck) and Reserve Collection Staterooms (exclusive restaurant).

Princess ships with MedallionNet WiFi Internet

In early-September 2018 was introduced (on Caribbean Princess) Carnival Corporation's OceanMedallion technology - wearable devices allowing passengers access to "virtual concierge" services and amenities, as well as interactive entertainment. The new technology also includes the MedallionNet - (SES Networks-powered) Wi-Fi connectivity via access points installed in all staterooms. Passengers on MedallionClass cruise liners experience land-like Internet connection quality allowing streaming of movies, music, videos, video phone calls, real-time sharing on social media platforms.

All MedallionClass ships (Princess' entire fleet) feature touchless embarkation/disembarkation (homeport), keyless cabin entry, frictionless commerce, contactless capabilities (way-finding, on-demand service delivery), shipboard family and friends locator, interactive entertainment (first-run movies, live TV, events, activities planner).

In 2018, MedallionNet was installed on the Princess liners Caribbean, Regal, Royal and Ruby. In 2019, MedallionNet received the liners Coral (Apr 5), Island (May 15), Crown (Jun 30), Emerald (Aug 3), Sky (Oct 12), Golden (Dec 20). In 2020 were upgraded the liners Grand (Feb 21), Diamond (Mar 15), Majestic (Apr 18), Star (Jun 12), Enchanted (Jun 15) and Sapphire (Jul 27).

In 2021 was introduced "Ocean Sportsbook" (a real-time sports betting option available fleetwide/on all boats) which allows betting on sports like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, cycling, car racing, boxing, martial arts and other competitions.

When the cruise ship is in international waters, passengers can use the MedallionClass app to wager on sports and place bets during live events that occur during the voyage and also place bets on future sports events - that occur after the voyage. With USD 20+ billion in wagers placed with USA's sportsbooks in 2019-2020, online sports betting is expanding and expected to reach USD 155+ billion by 2024.

Ocean Sportsbook is via partnership with Miomni Gaming Ltd (1998-founded software developer) and available on all vessels since 2021. Ocean Sportsbook is part Ocean Casino's digital platform that lets wagers be placed beyond the ship's Casino Lounge (indoor-outdoor venues, sundecks/pool decks, wellness complex, staterooms, etc) on games including slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, bingo, lottery, keno.

In June 2021 the cruise company introduced the industry's first CrewCall. The on-demand service is via the cabin's smart HDTV (and the MedallionClass app) and allows passengers to call a crew (to their current onboard location) for assistance or to request services. The app's "CrewCall Chat" allows texting (via smart devices) a specific question or making requests to the crew member.

Cruisetours / Shore Excursions

Since 2017, Princess Cruises offers "Shore Excursions Best Price Guarantee" for tours in all ports of call. The program was launched fleetwide in Dec 2016 and guarantees if passengers booking through Princess find the same tour/excursion elsewhere at a lower price, they will receive 110% of the difference as non-refundable OBC (onboard credit). In such cases, an email request must be submitted at least 7 days prior to departure (at [email protected]) to be reviewed by the company's Shore Excursion team. Within 2 business days, booked passengers are notified if their request meets the criteria.

• "Best Price Guarantee" applies only to tours/shore excursions that are publicly available (priced online).
• "Best Price Guarantee" applies to all excursions, excepting those in Asia and also excepting private vehicle/driver excursions in all ports.
• Princess Shore Excursions program offers over 4,000 land tours/excursions in 360 destinations and over 150 itineraries.
• "Discovery" and "Animal Planet" themed excursions are also available as part of the new "Discovery at Sea" cruise tour program (via an exclusive partnership with Discovery Communications). These tours are unique, can't be booked independently and are available only through Princess. The program includes over 1,000 such tours worldwide.

The company's most popular/purchased cruise package is "Princess Plus" (cost US$50 per person/per day). The package is inclusive of premium beverages, unlimited WiFi Internet (for 4x devices), selected specialty restaurant dining, digital photos (+ 3x printed/8x10 cm), Princess Prizes, daily crew gratuities.

In 2022 was introduced the "Princess Premier Package" (cost US$75 pp per day) that is inclusive of unlimited WiFi Internet (for 4x devices), premium/top-brand liquors-wines-cocktails-coffees, specialty dining (2x meals per person), digital photos (unlimited, plus 3x printed), crew gratuities.

Princess Alaskan lodges (cruisetour packages)

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is a 663-room complex located approx 2 km (1 ml) from Denali Park's entrance. The building has an expansive deck overlooking Nenana River and views into the nature park. Accommodations are available exclusively to Princess Cruises customers, offered as optional pre-/post- Alaskan cruise tour packages.

In 2019 (company's 50th year in Alaska), Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge debuted the 180-seat restaurant "Fannie Q's Saloon". The new dining venue serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offering locally inspired, authentic dishes (Braised Pork Shoulder, Bison Sliders, Bear-Lard Pie). The modern saloon has indoor and outdoor seating, with live entertainment in the evenings. Outside Fannie Q's Saloon is the Fireside Patio with 3 new BBQ firepits and selling refreshment drinks. Grizzly Burger (formerly Grizzly Bar and Grill) now offers the company's signature "Ernesto" - exclusive ribeye burger created by Ernesto Uchimura (Japanese celebrity chef).

Like outdoor activities, Princess cruise tour passengers can meet mountain climbers (who have conquered Mt Denali) in the Mt McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge (Denali State Park). Outside the lodge, there is a retired airplane.

• Fishing and sledge dog puppies activities are both complimentary. Lodge's Denali show costs USD 20 per person.
• Playing with sledge dog puppies on a cruise ship is probably the last thing one would ever imagine doing. However, it is one of the new activities available on all Princess Cruises Alaska itineraries. The company's "North to Alaska" enrichment program debuted in 2017 and gives passengers the chance to take photos and interact with baby sledge dogs in the ship's Atrium (lobby) area. Dog handlers are on hand to talk about this Alaskan sport.
• The "Puppies in the Piazza" experience is available on all Princess Alaskan cruise ships and roundtrip itineraries. Also new is the chance to taste your own catch of the day for dinner. New fishing excursions allow passengers to select their preferred preparation by ship's culinary team.

During the company's 2018 Alaskan program was inaugurated the custom-designed wilderness treehouse built at Mt McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. The treehouse allows guests to view Mt Denali while enjoying themed activities.

The treehouse was built during Discovery Channel's Animal Planet episode "Treehouse Masters", which premiered in August 2017. It was the first-ever treehouse in Alaska, being designed and built by Pete Nelson. Powered by solar panels, the facility provides Princess cruise ship tourists with a unique "Alaskan land tour" experience. Sized approx 500 ft2 (46 m2), the treehouse can be accessed by hiking the "hill trail loop".

(NEW) Princess cruise gratuities

Since August 2024, the company's daily gratuities (per person/pp) were raised fleetwide as follows:

• USD 17 pp - interior, oceanview, balcony staterooms, both adults and kids
• USD 18 pp - mini-suites, Club Class staterooms
• USD 19 pp - suites

For example, a family of 4 in an inside cabin on a 7-night voyage pay a total of US$476 in crew gratuities.

On ships deployed in Australia and New Zealand, gratuities are not compulsory.

Daily gratuity is an automatic service charge added to the passenger's onboard account each day.

Passengers can prepay gratuities. The amount of gratuities is split between the ship's staff (dining, housekeeping, cabin stewards).

Princess Cruises bear mascot Stanley

Since summer 2017, Princess ships feature a special onboard attraction - the company's mascot bear Stanley.

The sensationally cute bear mascot was named in a Facebook contest with over 9,000 entries, Mascot's name honors Stanley McDonald (1920-2014). In 1965 he founded Princess Cruises and expanded it into one of the world's largest cruise ship companies. In 1975, he sold Princess to P&O Cruises (back then named "Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company") and remained its Chairman until 1980.

As the bear fell in love with ship cruising, he decided to skip winter hibernation and became a stowaway. So since 2017 Stanley travels around the world on all Princess ships. Stanley also made "surprise" appearances on the company's "Chinese ship" Majestic Princess in July 2017 during the inaugural festivities in Shanghai China . From China, Stanley the Bear embarked on all Princess itineraries.

During the day, Princess' "cruise ship bear" wears themed apparel, which is tied to the ship's current itinerary destination. On Alaskan cruises that would be his lumberjack outfit. In China, he wears a traditional Tang suit and cap. In Japan, he wears a Yukata outfit. On formal nights, the bear dresses up in the Captain's uniform. The Stanley bear appears on all Princess ships. He interacts with passengers through various entertainment activities with engaging photo opportunities. Stanley also holds storytime hours for kids at the ship's youth facilities.

On the ship, passengers can participate in the daily contest "Where on the ship is Stanley". The mascot is also present on the special Welcome Aboard shows throughout the voyage. Souvenir Stanley bears plush toys are available for purchase in the onboard shopping arcade "Shops of Princess". The toy's price is USD 25. A portion of the proceeds from the toy's sales goes to "Princess Animal Welfare Sponsor".

Princess cruise ship passengers can share their travel adventures with Stanley using the social hashtag #StanleyAtSea.

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021-2022

Due to the COVID pandemic, Princess suspended its fleet's passenger shipping operations by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 12, 2020, through July 2021.

Next are listed Princess Cruises' first departures by ship/homeport - CARIBBEAN (Nov 28, 2021/Fort Lauderdale), CORAL (June 16, 2022/Sydney Australia), CROWN (May 7, 2022/Alaska from Seattle), DIAMOND (September 1, 2022/West Coast USA and Mexico from San Diego), DISCOVERY (March 27, 2022/ Maiden Voyage /Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles), EMERALD (Oct 15, 2021/Panama Canal from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale), ENCHANTED (Nov 10, 2021/ Maiden Voyage /Fort Lauderdale), GRAND (Sept 25, 2021/Los Angeles), ISLAND (April 27, 2022/Panama Canal from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles), MAJESTIC (July 25, 2021/Alaska from Seattle), REGAL (July 31, 2021/Southampton UK cruises to nowhere ), ROYAL (May 2, 2022/Alaska from Vancouver), RUBY (Oct 31, 2021/San Francisco), SAPPHIRE (Sept 24, 2022/Hawaii and Mexico from Los Angeles), SKY (Aug 30, 2021/Southampton UK cruises to nowhere).

• DIAMOND's Asia 2021 program (roundtrips from Yokohama to Korea and Japan) and South America 2022 program (from Buenos Aires Argentina and San Antonio Chile) were canceled.
• MAJESTIC's Alaska 2021 program (from Seattle) was first canceled then scheduled again (July 25 thru Sept 26).
• SAPPHIRE's Australia 2021 program was canceled and replaced with LA roundtrips to Hawaii-Mexico-California Coast.
• CROWN's Panama Canal 2021-2022 winter season (from Fort Lauderdale) was canceled.
• ISLAND's "World Cruise 2022" (112-day roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale) was canceled.
• CORAL's "World Cruise 2022" (108-day roundtrip from Australia/Sydney-Brisbane) was canceled.
• The 2021-built ENCHANTED's entire inaugural Mediterranean 2021 season (July 3 thru Nov 15/departures from Barcelona and Rome, including the Transatlantic crossing Europe-USA) was canceled.
• DISCOVERY's maiden voyage (Nov 3, 2021/Mediterranean from Rome) was rescheduled for March 27, 2022 (Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles).
• Due to Canada's ban, Princess Alaska 2021 program was entirely canceled, affecting the schedules of 6 ships (Grand, Majestic, Royal, Crown, Coral, Emerald).
• The Princess-operated Alaskan wilderness lodges and transportation (trains and buses) remained closed in 2020 and 2021. Because of Canada's extended travel restrictions, Princess canceled all Alaskan, West Coast USA and Hawaii departures from Vancouver and Seattle.
• Due to port closures and international travel uncertainties, Princess's Australia-New Zealand program was canceled through January 27, 2022. Also were canceled "World Cruise 2021" (Island Princess) and "Circle South America Cruise 2021" (Pacific Princess). Travel agents' commissions on all canceled bookings were paid in full.
• Princess UK 2021 summer program (Southampton roundtrips planned for 3 ships /Island, Regal, Sky) was canceled through July.

In late-January 2021, Pacific Princess was sold to Sycamore Partners and left the fleet to join Azamara .

All affected bookings were automatically canceled and received 125% refunds in FCC (future cruise credit) with rebooking, including full (100%) refund on prepurchased through Princess Cruises packages and services. With rebooking, all the money is transferred to FCCs, any itinerary choice (through December 31, 2022). The rebooking bonus is an additional 25% FCC (applied to the fare automatically) that can be used on any itinerary booked by May 1, 2022. A full (100%) monetary refund was offered to all cancellations made by March 31, 2021. All bookings can be canceled up to 48 hours prior departure (previously 72 hours). You will continue to receive FCC for the amount of your cancellation fee.

The FCC is non-refundable, eligible for the revised cancellation terms and can't be used on the same sailing as the original booking. FCCs are automatically be applied to your Captain's Circle profile on the canceled bookings. FCCs are not available instantly (may take up to 30 business days to be processed).

The fleetwide suspension came after two vessels suffered COVID-19 outbreaks - Diamond Princess (in Japan) and Grand Princess (in the USA). All shipboard employees (fleetwide) remained on the vessels. Each ship was planned to visit Princess Cays (Carnival-owned private island resort) once weekly where its crew can disembark and use the facilities.

Itinerary of Princess Cruises

Princess offers cruise travelers the complete package of comfortable accommodations, comprehensive onboard entertainment, options for families with children and, of course, incredible shore excursions. As it was founded in 1965, the Princess Cruises company has been able to refine their itinerary selection, and now you can sail to destinations all over the world with a vast array of diverse itineraries.

The impressive selection presents 160+ itineraries that reach 300+ ports globally, with sailings ranging from 7 to 100+ days on Princess World tours. The list of Princess cruise destinations includes Alaska, Europe-UK, the Caribbean, Bermuda, regular Panama Canal transition cruises (introduced in 1967), Mexican Riviera, South America and Pacific Islands (Hawaii and Tahiti), Asia, Australia-New Zealand, Canada-New England.

A 14-day "Canada and New England" cruisetour (roundtrip from NYC New York ) includes a 7-day Land Tour followed by a 7-day cruising itinerary. The Land Tour starts in Washington DC (hotel overnight), follows bus travel to Mount Vernon Plantation (George Washington), Virginia's Historic Triangle ( Jamestown Settlement and Williamsburg , hotel overnight in Williamsburg VA), Richmond VA (state's capital), Monticello Plantation (Thomas Jefferson), Staunton VA (hotel overnight), Gettysburg PA (hotel overnight), Philadelphia PA (hotel overnight) and ends in NYC (ship embarkation on Day 8). The segment (7-day NYC roundtrip) visits Newport RI , Boston MA , Bar Harbor ME and in Canada - Saint John NB and Halifax NS .

The company's 2024 program in North America features a maiden port - Yorktown (Virginia USA) , visited in the summer of 2024 by two liners - Island Princess and Emerald Princess. Along with Yorktown, tourists also visit Williamsburg and Jamestown - all grouped in the state's Historic Triangle. These voyages offer the unique opportunity for travelers to participate in Virginia's 250th anniversary commemorating the American Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence.

Alaska 2024-2025-2026 ships (deployment/itinerary changes)

Princess Alaska 2024 season is based on 7 ships (Royal, Grand, Sapphire, Discovery, Majestic, Crown, Ruby), 158 departures (14 itineraries), 17 ports/destinations (including 5 glacier viewing experiences), 4 homeports (Vancouver, Anchorage/Whittier AK, Seattle WA, San Francisco CA), 86 Glacier Bay NP visits.

• 3 ships (Royal and Grand departing Wednesdays, Sapphire departing Saturdays) sail the 7-day "Voyage of the Glaciers" featuring 2 glacier-viewing experiences on each trip. In addition, northbound sailings include a "More Ashore" late-night stay in Juneau.
• 2 ships (Discovery and Majestic) sail from Seattle WA on Saturdays and Sundays the 7-day "Inside Passage" itinerary and offer "More Ashore" late-night stays in Juneau.
• Crown Princess (from San Francisco) operates the 11-day "Inside Passage" voyages.
• Ruby Princess (out of Vancouver) operates the 7-day "Inside Passage" voyages visiting Glacier Bay NP.

In honor of the company's 55th anniversary, in 2024 Princess introduces two new cruisetours - "The National Parks Tour" (15-day, 5x national parks, combines a 7-day cruise with scenic rail travel and stays at four Princess-owned wilderness lodges) and "The Katmai National Park Tour" (9-day, bear-watching experience at Katmai NP's Brooks Falls, includes the 7-day "Voyage of the Glaciers" itinerary).

Princess Alaska 2025 season has 3 roundtrip itineraries and the new "National Parks Cruisetour". Also New for 2025 are two roundtrips - the 22-day from San Francisco CA (Ruby Princess, coinciding with Summer Solstice 2025) and the 17-day from Seattle WA (Grand Princess, with 3 days of scenic glacier cruising). Also new is the 16-day roundtrip "Inside Passage Cruise" from Los Angeles CA (Grand Princess).

The 2024-introduced National Parks Cruisetour offers a 15-night vacation visiting five Alaskan national parks and nature reserves - Glacier Bay NP, Denali NP, Wrangell-St. Elias NP, Kenai Fjords NP, and Klondike Gold Rush NP. The unique travel experience combines a 7-day "Voyage of the Glaciers" cruise with scenic rail travel, and multiple days on land, including stays at 4x Princess-owned wilderness lodges.

The 2024-introduced "Katmai National Park Cruisetour" (9-day) groups an overnight in Anchorage (2-night hotel stay) with the 7-day "Voyage of the Glaciers" itinerary visiting Glacier Bay NP and College Fjord or Hubbard Glacier. Priced from US$2430 per person, the new Alaskan cruisetour also includes domestic flights (to and from Katmai NP) and all land transfers.

Princess Alaska 2025 program is based on 7 ships (including Caribbean Princess (for the first time), 5 homeports (including Los Angeles), 21 destinations, 4 glacier-viewing experiences (88 Glacier Bay NP visits), itineraries ranging from 4 to 22 days:

The 22-day "Ultimate Alaska Solstice with Glacier Bay National Park" roundtrip from San Francisco (Ruby Princess) departs June 6th, 2025.

The 17-day "Ultimate Alaska with Glacier Bay National Park" roundtrip from Seattle (Grand Princess) departs May 6th, 2025.

The 16-day "Inside Passage with Glacier Bay National Park" roundtrip from Los Angeles (Grand Princess) departs August 30th, 2025.

The 7-day "Voyage of the Glaciers" itinerary visits Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and two glacier-viewing destinations (Glacier Bay NP and Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord). Princess ships Caribbean, Coral, and Sapphire offer weekly northbound and southbound departures from Vancouver Canda to Anchorage/Whittier USA and vice versa. The itinerary is operated between May 10th and September 13th, 2025.

The signature 7-day "Inside Passage Cruise " (roundtrips from Seattle and Vancouver) and the 11-day itinerary (roundtrip from San Francisco and Vancouver) include 4 call ports and a day of glacier viewing. All Inside Passage cruises visit Glacier Bay NP.

The ships Discovery and Royal sail from Seattle weekly (May 4-Sept 21, 2025), Grand Princess departs weekly from Vancouver (May 27-Aug 19, 2025), Ruby Princess sails 11-day roundtrips from San Francisco (May 4-Sept 13, 2025).

Three "Alaska Samplers" itineraries (4 to 5 days) offer short breaks to Alaska with the ships Discovery, Royal and Grand. They offer 4-day sailings between Vancouver and Seattle stopping in Ketchikan (departures April 30th, May 13th, May 23rd, 2025). Caribbean Princess sails 4-day roundtrip from Vancouver visiting Ketchikan (Sept 13th) and a 5-day roundtrip from Vancouver stopping in Sitka and Ketchikan (May 5th).

The Alaskan 2025 schedule has 26 cruisetours, including Denali Explorer, On Your Own, Connoisseur Deluxe Escorted, and Off the Beaten Path. The Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service ensures a seamless transition between the ship in Whittier and the Denali area on the same day. Two Alaskan lodges (Mt McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, and Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge) provide unique perspectives for experiencing North America's tallest mountain.

Alaska 2026

In July 2024, Princess announced its Alaska 2026 season - the brand's largest yet, based on 8 ships (Discovery, Grand, Coral, Island, Emerald, Ruby, Royal, Star), 180 departures, 5 homeports, and 19 destinations.

• 7-day (14-day B2B) "Voyage of the Glaciers" itinerary is operated by 4 ships (Discovery, Grand, Coral, Island) visits two Alaskan glaciers.
• "Inside Passage" itineraries (7- to 20-day) visit to 4 glaciers, with departures from Seattle ( ships Royal and Star ),  San Francisco (ship Ruby),  Vancouver BC Canada (ship Emerald), and Los Angeles (ship Emerald).
• The 20-day "Ultimate Alaska Solstice" (ship Ruby) and the 16-day Inside Passage (ship Emerald) are longer voyages offering extended exploration opportunities.

Adventures Ashore: Princess Cruises' Alaskan shore excursions include "Cook My Catch" (fishing tours), helicopter tours, and whale-watching excursions.

The "North to Alaska with Princess" program offers cultural and educational activities like naturalist talks, Northern Lights (planetarium experience), and an Alaska seafood menu.

Alaskan Cruisetours (Cruise, Rail, and Lodge) packages combine the sea voyage with land tours, including visits to Denali NP. Alaska 2026 season offers 20+ cruisetours, including the 15-night "National Parks Tour" (five parks, 7-day cruise, scenic train travel, 8 nights ashore at Princess-owned wilderness lodges).

Europe 2024-2025-2026 itineraries (Mediterranean-Baltic-Iceland-Greenland-UK-USA-Transatlantic)

Princess Cruises Europe 2024 season (February to December) is based on 5 ships (Sun, Sky, Island, Regal, Caribbean), a total of 162 departures, and 85 different itineraries visiting 130 destinations in 34 countries.

• Sun Princess operates the 10-day "Grand Mediterranean" and Western Grand Mediterranean voyages (departing from homeports Barcelona or Civitavecchia-Rome ) and 7-day "Mediterranean" voyages (departing from Civitavecchia, Barcelona or Piraeus-Athens ).
• Island Princess offers 10-day Mediterranean voyages combinable into 20-day B2Bs/back-to-backs , including 10-day Holy Land voyages to the Eastern Mediterranean visiting Israel.
• Regal Princess operates 12-day "British Isles" voyages out of Southampton-London . The Sky Princess ship is also homeported in Southampton-London, for various 5- to 31-day itineraries visiting Iceland and Norway, Spain's Canary Islands. A 31-day Transatlantic crossing visits Canada and New England USA.
• Caribbean Princess is deployed in Northern Europe and homeported in London. The ex-UK itineraries include Norway's Arctic Circle (Search for Northern Lights Voyage), as well as a 16-day Iceland and Greenland. Caribbean Princess and Sky Princess will also spend the Summer Solstice at the top of the world on 14- or 16-day "Land of the Midnight Sun" and "Summer Solstice" itineraries.

Princess Cruises' all 5 European liners in spring and fall offer Transatlantic voyages (RepositionCruises.com) between Europe and the USA - Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale (Florida) , Galveston (Texas) , or NYC (New York) and Barcelona, London, or Civitavechia-Rome.

A total of four cruisetours (cruise+land packages) offer more "shore time" for visiting popular tourist sites with expert guides, hotel stays, and traditional regional cuisine. These are titled "Highlights of Spain", "Classic Italy", "Ring of Kerry", and "Best of Greece".

UK and Europe 2026 itineraries

In May 2024, Princess announced its biggest European season to date planned for 2026, with a fleet of 5 ships and a total of 222 voyages.

Running March through November (2026), the program groups 59 unique itineraries, 101 destinations (29 countries), voyages ranging from 5 to 42 nights. The schedule lists the new Sun Princess ship , roundtrips from Copenhagen Denmark , and new itineraries from Civitavecchia-Rome . 

Sun Princess offers 7-, 14-, and 21-night Mediterranean voyages from Civitavecchia, Piraeus-Athens , and  Barcelona . Longer voyages (Grand Mediterranean Adventure) are B2Bs without repeating ports. 

The Sky Princess ship returns to Europe for a 6th year (homeporting in Southampton) offering from 7 to 28 nights Northern Europe, the Canary Islands, and Mediterranean itineraries. Among the new offerings is a 28-night "Northern Europe and Mediterranean" itinerary (roundtrip from Southampton) visiting ports like Skagen ,  Copenhagen ,  Stockholm ,  Helsinki , and  Zeebrugge .

Also making a European debut in 2026 is the Enchanted Princess ship , offering Mediterranean roundtrips from Civitavecchia (5 to 14 nights).

The Majestic Princess ship is homeported in Southampton and scheduled to visit destinations in the British Isles and Northern Europe.

In 2026, Princess returns to Copenhagen (after 6 years) the Sapphire Princess ship , offering 12-night Northern European itineraries.

The company offers 5 unique cruisetours, combining European voyages with extended land tours, including visits to Madrid, Florence, Rome, and destinations in Greece, and Ireland.

Europe 2026 program also features Grand Adventures and Passages, and all the 5 ships has scheduled Transatlantic crossings (RepositionCruises.com) ranging from 14 to 29 nights.

Itineraries 2024-2025 Mexico, California Coast, Hawaii, Tahiti

Los Angeles ’ hometown cruise line Princess is further cementing its West Coast USA heritage with the newly released fall 2024 thru spring 2025 season.

Featuring 75+ voyages visiting Hawaii, Mexico, and the California Coast from 3 convenient homeports - San Francisco CA , Seattle WA , and Los Angeles - West Coast USA voyages are now open for booking.

West Coast USA 2024-2025 season features 75+ voyages (21 different itineraries) visiting 28 destinations (7 countries), 4 ships (Discovery, Grand, Majestic, Ruby) and roundtrip departures from 3 homeports (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle).

Discovery Princess sails 7-day Mexican Riviera voyages visiting Mazatlan , Puerto Vallarta , and Cabo San Lucas .

Weeklong California Coast cruises (Discovery Princess) visit San Diego , Santa Barbara , and more.

Grand Princess and Majestic Princess operate 10-day Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez itineraries.

Grand Princess' 16-day roundtrips from LA to the Hawaiian Islands visit the Big Island/Hawaii, Kauai , Maui , and Oahu .

Grand Princess and Sapphire Princess have longer (32- and 33-day) Transpacific itineraries to the South Pacific and the Hawaiian Islands (RepositionCruises.com), also visiting Tahiti isles.

The San Francisco-homeported Ruby Princess offers roundtrips to Hawaii, Mexico, California and Pacific Northwest USA. The liner also offers a 16-day "Hawaiian Islands" roundtrip from Vancouver BC Canada .

Majestic Princess operates the Classic California Coast itinerary out of Seattle. The 11-day roundtrip visits San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego (late-night stay).

Itineraries 2024-2025-2026 Americas, Australia and New Zealand

The company's 2024-2025 South Pacific (Australia and New Zealand) schedule also lists the longest world voyage ever to sail from Australia. The program is based on 3 liners: Royal and Crown (both homeported in Sydney NSW ) and Diamond (alternating between Brisbane - Melbourne ). It offers visiting 14 countries across 112 departures and 72 itineraries.

Crown Princess ship's "World Cruise 2025" is the longest-ever leaving from Australia. It visits 25+ UNESCO sites and features 8 late-night port stays. The ex-Australia itinerary continues to Southeast Asia, then via Suez Canal to Europe (Mediterranean and Northern Europe), follows a Panama Canal transit , then via the South Pacific back to Australia. The voyage also includes 9 maiden for Princess ports.

The AU-NZ program is based on 7 homeport cities, including Hobart (Tasmania) which is a departure port for Princess for the first time. Other departure ports are Adelaide , Auckland NZ , Fremantle/Perth .

There are also two relocation voyages between Australia- Japan/Tokyo (RepositionCruises.com) with stops in Hong Kong China, Tawain, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.

Out of Sydney NSW are offered 13- to 15-night long roundtrips to South Pacific islands.

Princess' Australia 2025-2026 summer season was initially based on 3 ships (Crown and Discovery/from Sydney, and Grand/from Brisbane). Grand Princess' winter 2025-2026 (October-April) deployment in Australia-New Zealand was canceled in 2024 (May) and replaced with 7-day Southern Caribbean itineraries leaving roundtrip from San Juan Puerto Rico .

South America & Antarctica 2024-2025-2026 Itineraries

Sapphire Princess embarkя on 4 journeys to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands , Elephant Island , Antarctic Sound, and Gerlache Strait. The Sapphire ship also visits South American destinations, accompanied by the fleetmate Majestic Princess .

Season 2024-2025 boasts 15 departures, 11 distinct itineraries, 26 destinations, 14 countries. A 17-day Antarctic voyage (roundtrip from Buenos Aires ) offers an overnight stay in Argentina's capital.

The 51-day "South America Grand Adventure" on Majestic Princess ( Los Angeles  to  Fort Lauderdale ) includes overnight stays in Callao/Lima , Buenos Aires, and  Rio de Janeiro .

Highlights 2024-2025 season include:

• Antarctica – 17 days – Four Voyages (Buenos Aires roundtrip s) to Antarctica (four days of cruising, visits Elephant Island, Antarctic Sound, Gerlache Strait), departures in December 2024 and January 2025.
• Cape Horn & Strait of Magellan – 14 or 15 days – Four Voyages ( Cape Horn Strait of Magellan ), departures in December 2024 and February 2025.
• Andes & South America – 18 days – Two Voyages: Discover the Andes and South America's beauty, featuring visits to  Puerto Vallarta , Lima, and other destinations. Departures in December 2024 and March 2025.
• Brazilian Adventure – 18 days – Two Voyages, departures in November 2024 and January 2025.
• Grand Adventures – 32-51 days – Five Voyages, departures in December 2024 and March 2025.

Passengers also have the option to enhance their voyage with two cruisetours:

• Iguazu Falls Adventure: Immerse in the grandeur of the world's largest waterfall system, Iguazú Falls, and explore the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro.
• Machu Picchu Explorer: Embark on a train journey through picturesque valleys to the ancient marvel of  Machu Picchu , coupled with a tour of historic Cusco.

Princess 2025-2026 South America & Antarctica program (November 2025-January 2026, ship  Sapphire Princess ) groups diverse 5 unique itineraries (7 departures) visiting 20 destinations across 11 countries.

The program's highlights are:

• Antarctica Adventures: Enjoy 17-day cruises featuring 4 days exploring Antarctica, including a special festive voyage celebrating Christmas and New Year's at sea with an overnight stay in Buenos Aires.
• Cape Horn & Strait of Magellan: Experience a 16-day journey with scenic cruising past the Amalia Glacier and an overnight in Buenos Aires.
• Ultimate Adventure: Embark on a 53-day voyage from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires, with overnight stops in Lima (Callao) and Buenos Aires, connecting South America and Antarctica.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Visit 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Lima's Historic Centre and the Church of Atlantida in Montevideo.

Caribbean 2025-2026 Itineraries

In 2025, in the Caribbean will be deployed the fleet's latest  and  largest ships of the SPHERE class - Sun Princess  and  Star Princess . Homeported in Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale Florida , both liners offer 7-day roundtrips to Eastern and Western Caribbean destinations.

Both sisterships start service in Europe/Mediterranean - Sun Princess in February (2025), followed by Star Princess in August (2025).

Princess Cruises' 2025-2026 itinerary program encompasses 278 voyages across the USA, Caribbean, Mexico, and Pacific Islands.

The program features a Mexican Riviera cruise (Royal Princess) celebrating the company's 60th anniversary (brand's inaugural cruise started in December 1965 on SS Princess Patricia ship).

Caribbean itineraries

Sky Princess will be the first ROYAL-class liner homeported in Port Canaveral/Orlando Florida , offering 8-day Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings, as well as 6-day roundtrips to the Eastern Caribbean.

The Caribbean deployment ( including the ships  Caribbean ,  Emerald ,  Enchanted ,  Island ,  Majestic ,  Regal , and  Sapphire ) encompasses 29 ports/destinations in 22 countries, and 178 departures with 25 different itineraries ( 4 to 20 days).

Princess' largest summer Caribbean season to date (2026 summer) is based on two ships ( Regal  and  Caribbean ,  homeported in Port Everglades  and  Port Canaveral , respectively), and groups 90+ sailings.

From Port Canaveral, Caribbean Princess offers 7-day roundtrips to Eastern and Western Caribbean destinations, with the B2B option to combine itineraries for a 14-day Caribbean Adventurer. Notable sailings include:

• 6-day Eastern Caribbean with Turks & Caicos: Nassau, Amber Cove, Grand Turk – May 11, 2026
• 7-day Eastern Caribbean with Turks & Caicos: Nassau, Princess Cays, Amber Cove, Grand Turk – Various dates from May to October 2026
• 7-day Western Caribbean with Mexico: Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan – Various dates from May to September 2026
• 7-day Eastern Caribbean with Puerto Rico: San Juan, Amber Cove, Grand Turk – Various dates from May to October 2026.

Form Fort Lauderdale, Regal Princess offers 7- and 8-day roundtrips to the Eastern, Southern, and Western Caribbean, also combinable into a 14-day B2B. Highlights include:

• 8-day Southern Caribbean with ABC Islands: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao – April 3, 2026
• 7-day Eastern Caribbean with Bahamas: Princess Cays, Amber Cove, Grand Turk – Various dates from April to August 2026
• 7-day Western Caribbean with Mexico: Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan – Various dates from April to August 2026
• 7-day Eastern Caribbean with St. Thomas: Princess Cays, San Juan, St. Thomas – Various dates from April to August 2026.

Additionally, Princess offers two special Southern Caribbean Islander/relocation itineraries:

(Caribbean Princess) 13-day Southern Caribbean Islander: Fort Lauderdale to Port Canaveral – April 28, 2026

(Regal Princess) 14-day Southern Caribbean Islander: Fort Lauderdale to New York – September 5, 2026.

Japan 2025 Itineraries

Princess Cruises' 2025 Japan season (March through August) groups 35 voyages (durations between 7- and 22 days) scheduled for the ship Diamond Princess homeported in Tokyo (Yokohama) .

The program offers visits to 36 different destinations (across three countries) with key highlights:

• Spring Flowers Voyages: These 10-day and newly introduced 11-day cruises in March and April cover Japan's four main islands, following the predicted blooming season from south to north.
• Southern Islands Itineraries: Featuring 9 days of exploration with two stops in the Okinawan islands and two calls to Taiwan, including a return to  Hualien .
• Sea of Japan Voyages: These 9-day and 10-day voyages trace the historic Kitamaebune trading route, showcasing various ports along the way.
• Hokkaido Voyages: The 10-day cruises include visits to  Otaru (for Sapporo) ,  Hakodate , and  Kushiro .
• Japan Explorer Voyages: Covering iconic destinations such as  Shimizu  (for Mt. Fuji),  Osaka or Kobe  (for Kyoto),  Hiroshima , and more in a 10-day itinerary.
• Scenic Cruising: Passengers have the opportunity to experience the picturesque Kanmon Straits, the waterway separating Honshu and Kyushu.

Additionally, Princess' Japan 2025 season coincides with several traditional summer festivals, including the Aomori Nebuta Festival, Kochi Yosakoi Dance Festival, Tokushima Awa Dance Festival, and Kumano Fireworks Festival in August. Guests can revel in the unique festivities during their voyage.

To enhance the shore experience, Princess is offering late-night and overnight port stays allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the local culture and lifestyle. The lists includes four late-night "More Ashore" ports - Aomori  (for Nebuta Festival),  Kochi (for Yosakoi Festival), Shimizu (for Mt Fuji) and Tokushima  (for Awa Odori Festival).

For travelers seeking a more comprehensive exploration of Japan, Princess Cruises offers the Japan Cruisetour option. This includes a combination of a cruise and a land tour, allowing guests to delve deeper into the cultural treasures of Kyoto and Tokyo. Highlights of the tour include visits to Kyoto's intricate gardens, Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, bustling Tokyo, and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mt. Fuji, with breathtaking views from Togendai and Lake Ashi.

Fleet deployment/concise review

Princess cruises panama canal itineraries.

Princess was the first line to cruise through Panama Canal locks - back in 1967. Caribbean Princess was the first big-sized liner to pass through the new Agua Clara locks in 2017. Regular crossings are scheduled for the liner Emerald Princess (maiden season in 2019) which passes through the Agua Clara Locks (canal's Atlantic side) and the Cocoli Locks (canal's Pacific side). The new locks were opened in June 2016, as part of a 10-year, USD 5,4 billion "Neo-Panamax" canal expansion.

Princess Panama Canal program is based on 5 ships, with 10- to 21-day itineraries also visiting ports in Mexico, Caribbean, Central-South America. Each Princess cruise ship transit of the Panama Canal features live narration (from the Navigation Bridge) and a day of scenic sailing through Gatun Lake. Full transits additionally feature coastal cruising (wildlife and rainforests) along Panama and Costa Rica, as well as top-rated Caribbean beaches.

Australia and New Zealand itineraries

Princess' 2022-2023 Australia and New Zealand season is based on 4 ships - Majestic Princess and Royal Princess (from Sydney NSW ), Grand Princess from Melbourne , Coral Princess from Brisbane .

The program features 121 departures, 68 different ports/islands in 14 countries, 76 itineraries (ranging 2- to 36 days).

• homeports Adelaide , Auckland , Brisbane, Melbourne, Fremantle-Perth , Sydney.
• 10- to 19-day NZ itineraries roundtrip from Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney.
• Circumnavigation of Australia (roundtrips) visiting Cairns ( Great Barrier Reef ) and Kuri Bay ( Kimberley) .
• 5- to 10-day Tasmania (roundtrip from Brisbane or Sydney)
• 7- to 14-day Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef (roundtrips from Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney)
• 4 Transpacific Crossings (RepositionCruises.com) between North America and Australia in fall 2022-spring 2023 on Grand Princess and Majestic Princess
• 35-day "Hawaii, Tahiti and South Pacific" roundtrips from Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney
• (Royal Princess) 12- to 20-day "Asia and Australia" voyages (August 2022/from Hong Kong to Sydney) and 16-to 18-day from Sydney to Hong Kong (March 2023).

Princess AU & NZ 2022-2023 program offers 8 ports/islands with late-night departures, 10 UNESCO sites (including Tasmanian Wilderness, Greater Blue Mountains, Te Wahipounamu), 2 optional cruisetours (Australian Outback, Ultimate Australia) visiting Uluru’s Ayers Rock and the Great Barrier Reef.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

From pre-cruise preparations to post-cruise disembarkation, get the answer you’re looking for within the topics below., pre-cruise faq.

• Prepare for Your Cruise
• Before You Leave for Your Cruise
• What To Pack for a Cruise
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Onboard FAQ

• Onboard Experience
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• Dining & Nightlife
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Post-Cruise FAQ

• Disembarkation
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Cruisetours FAQ

• Alaska Cruisetours
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• The OceanReady® Process
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The ultimate guide to Princess Cruises ships and itineraries

Call it the cruise line for people who want a big, amenity-filled ship that isn't a floating amusement park.

Princess Cruises operates relatively large, reasonably priced vessels. But unlike many of its competitors in that space — most notably Royal Caribbean , Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises — it doesn't load them up with sprawling water parks, go-kart tracks, laser tag courses and other flashy, family-focused diversions.

Compared to most of its big ship-operating rivals, Princess is known for a more serene, almost old-school style of cruising that isn't about a lot of gee-whiz attractions.

As Princess executives like to say, the line is all about warm and gracious service in an atmosphere of comfortable elegance designed to spark connections among passengers.

Instead of bustling attractions, the top decks on the typical Princess ships offer lots of quiet and relaxing pool and lounge areas where you can enjoy the experience of being at sea without a lot of hustle and bustle. Inside, the experience revolves around dining, classic showroom entertainment and a classy bar and music scene — just as it has on Princess ships for years.

This is, notably, just the way Princess customers like it. Popular with middle-aged couples, retirees and multigenerational families, the "Love Boat" line caters to people who like a more traditional type of cruising than you'll find on the vessels of most other big-ship lines.

Related: Which cruise brand is right for you? A guide to the most popular lines

3 things TPG loves about Princess Cruises

• The abundance of outdoor pool and lounge areas on its ships
• Its expansive spas
• Its far-flung itineraries

What we could do without

• The lack of big suites on most of its vessels

The Princess Cruises fleet

Princess has downsized its fleet considerably in recent years with the removal of five vessels, but it's still the world's fifth-biggest cruise line by passenger capacity, with 16 ships that together offer roughly 50,000 berths.

In general, Princess operates big ships, though they're not quite as big as the vessels operated by Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises — the two lines best known for giant ships. The biggest Princess vessel, the line's new Sun Princess , measures around 177,000 tons. That's about 29% smaller than the biggest ship operated by Royal Caribbean. The line's Royal Class vessels are more than 40% smaller than the biggest Royal Caribbean ships.

Sun Princess is, without a doubt, the belle of the ball in the Princess fleet. Newer, bigger and more venue-filled than the line's other ships, it debuted in early 2024 and carries 4,300 passengers at double occupancy.

Also relatively new and chock-full of lots of venues are the line's five Royal Class ships, which measure between 142,229 and 145,281 tons. These vessels began rolling out in 2013 and carry about 3,600 passengers apiece at double occupancy.

Still, the biggest cohort of ships in the Princess fleet is its seven Grand Class vessels. Unveiled between 1998 and 2008, the vessels in this class are smaller than Sun Princess and the Royal Class ships at around 107,000 to 116,000 tons in size. This smaller size allows them to operate a wider range of itineraries than the Royal Class ships, but they're still big enough to offer a lot of onboard venues. The Grand Class ships carry between 2,600 and 3,100 passengers at double occupancy.

Related: The 4 classes of Princess Cruises ships, explained

Rounding out the Princess fleet are its two Coral Class ships, which, at around 92,000 tons, are the smallest of the line's ships. They each carry around 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.

The downsizing of the Princess fleet over the past few years had a lot to do with the COVID-19 pandemic. Three ships left the Princess fleet starting in 2020 as part of an effort to cut costs during the line's coronavirus-caused global shutdown. Another two vessels — Golden Princess and Star Princess — had been scheduled to leave the Princess fleet even before the pandemic began. They were transferred to one of the line's sister companies, P&O Cruises Australia.

The line currently has one more vessel on order that will be a sister to the recently unveiled Sun Princess. To be called Star Princess, it's due to debut in October 2025 .

Destinations and itineraries

Princess Cruises sails to more than 100 countries on seven continents, from North America and Europe to Asia and Australia, and it offers a wide range of itineraries — around 170 in a typical year. The line's ships visit more than 380 different ports and destinations and take passengers to more than 100 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Among the line's voyages, you'll find everything from three-day sampler cruises down the Pacific Coast to 116-day around-the-world voyages.

Princess is particularly known for cruises to Alaska , where it dominates the market for cruises along with sister line Holland America . In a typical year, Princess deploys seven or eight ships to Alaska in the summer — far more than most other lines. It also operates its own wilderness lodges in the state, as well as tourist trains and buses. It uses the lodges, trains and buses to offer a range of 10- to 17-night Alaska cruisetours that combine a cruise with land-based touring.

Princess also typically deploys five to seven ships to Europe in the summer, and it has a big presence in Australia, where it can deploy as many as six ships for parts of each year. In recent years, it has also become a major player in cruises around Japan that cater to both American and Japanese travelers, as well as Australians.

In North America, Princess ships sail out of Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades and Port Canaveral , Florida; Boston; New York City; Los Angeles; San Francisco; San Diego; Seattle; Galveston, Texas; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska. There are also some sailings that depart from New York City, Quebec City and Honolulu.

In Europe, Princess ships mostly sail out of Southampton, England; Copenhagen; Barcelona; Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens); and Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome).

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Princess Cruises ship

Who sails Princess Cruises?

Princess appeals to an older demographic than lines such as Carnival and Norwegian. The average age of passengers is around 54, and you'll usually see a lot of couples on board in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

As noted above, these aren't people necessarily craving go-kart tracks and ropes courses at sea. They're people looking to explore the world in a comfortable, classy sort of way that also is relatively affordable. That last part is key. Princess offers a lot of globe-circling itineraries of the sort often available from high-end luxury lines. However, it does so at a much lower price.

While not the biggest line for families with young children, Princess does draw a lot of multigenerational family groups. It's the line you take if you want an affordable ship that'll appeal to your 70-year-old parents as much as your 12-year-old kid.

Princess also draws a lot of passengers celebrating milestones. The line markets heavily to people marking birthdays and anniversaries with special packages and programs. It's also a huge player in the market for destination weddings at sea, with a division that will help you arrange a ceremony on board or at an exotic location on land during a port call.

Princess was, notably, the first cruise line to host modern-day weddings on ships, offering ceremonies officiated by the ships' captains hosted in onboard chapels.

It is, after all, the "Love Boat" line.

Cabins and suites

When it comes to rooms, Princess is sort of the Marriott of the big-ship cruise world. Its rooms are comfortable and functional but a bit bland. Avant-garde style is not a Princess thing.

The vast majority of the accommodations on Princess ships fall into one of three broad categories: windowless inside cabins, ocean-view cabins and balcony cabins. Balcony cabins, in particular, are widespread on Princess ships. Among mass-market lines, Princess was the pioneer in adding large numbers of balcony cabins to ships.

While balcony cabins are common on Princess ships, you'll find relatively few suites on them. Just 50 of the 2,162 cabins on the line's new Sun Princess are suites, for instance, and that's a lot more suites than you'll find on most other Princess ships.

What this means is there aren't a lot of ways to live large on a Princess ship or to pack a lot of people into a single accommodation. Until the debut of Sky Princess in 2019, the line didn't have a single cabin that could accommodate more than four people.

That said, the Grand Class vessels each offer two Family Suites that can be created by connecting a Mini-Suite with an adjacent inside cabin to form a six- to eight-person complex.

Unveiled five years ago, Sky Princess featured the line's first truly large stand-alone suites, dubbed Sky Suites. Such suites were later added to the line's Discovery Princess and Enchanted Princess, too.

There are two of the suites on each of the ships, and they measure a generous 1,800 square feet (though more than half of that space is taken up by a huge wraparound balcony). With two bedrooms plus a living room with a pullout sofa bed, they're designed for up to five people.

The line's new Sun Princess also has several large suites that measure as much as 1,260 square feet.

Still, even the biggest suites on Sky Princess, Discovery Princess and Sun Princess aren't the truly epic suites with huge interior living spaces that you'll find on the latest Royal Caribbean or Regent Seven Seas Cruises ships. If that's what you're after, Princess isn't your line.

Related: Everything you want to know about Princess cabins and suites

Restaurants and dining

Every Princess vessel has three main dining rooms where meals are included in the fare, and these dining rooms are at the heart of the dining experience on Princess ships. Many passengers have all or most of their dinners in a main dining room.

As of this year, the three main dining rooms on each Princess ship operate under different formats. At one of the main rooms, you can make a reservation for any time, provided a table at the time you want is available. To ensure you get the time you want, it's best to reserve a table far in advance of your sailing, which you can do online once you've paid for the cruise in full. You also can make reservations on board ships during your cruise.

At another of the main dining rooms, you can just show up for dinner at any time without a reservation and be seated on a space-available basis.

The third main dining room on every Princess ship offers a fixed-time "traditional" seating option where you can request the same table at the same time with the same waiter every night of a cruise.

Every vessel also has a casual buffet eatery where meals are included in the fare. Near the main pool area on most ships, it's usually called Horizon Court but is also known as the World Fresh Market or Panorama Buffet on some vessels.

Other covered options on at least some Princess ships include poolside pizza outlets and poolside grills serving burgers. Also, on sea days, Princess transforms a bar or dining venue at lunchtime into an included-in-the-fare English-style pub. It serves traditional pub food such as fish-and-chips and cottage pie, along with Bass Ale or Guinness (for an extra charge).

Every Princess ship also has at least a couple of extra-charge eateries. On most ships, you'll find the line's signature Italian restaurant, Sabatini's. It serves homemade pasta, seafood and other Italian specialties in an elegant setting and comes with a flat fee of $45 per person.

Most Princess ships also have a signature steakhouse. On most vessels, it's called Crown Grill and offers premium beef and seafood cooked to order in an open, theater-style kitchen. On two ships — Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess — it's called Churrascaria Grill and is a Brazilian-style steakhouse with meat presented by waiters.

On two ships — Coral Princess and Island Princess — the steakhouse has a Cajun and Creole twist. In addition to steak dishes, the menu features New Orleans-style peel-and-eat shrimp, alligator ribs and gumbo. On those vessels, it's called the Bayou Cafe and Steakhouse.

Princess ships also offer a chef's table experience — a concept the line pioneered in the cruise world. Costing $95 to $115 per person, it includes predinner cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the ship's galley with the executive chef before a main dining experience at a private table in the dining room.

Another dining option that recently began popping up on Princess ships is a seafood eatery called The Catch by Rudi, designed by Princess' head of culinary arts, Rudi Sodamin. (Holland America fans will remember Sodamin as that line's longtime master chef.)

The Catch by Rudi is only on Sun Princess, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess and Discovery Princess. Like the Princess steakhouses, it has a cover charge of $45 per person.

Related: Princess cruise food: The ultimate guide to restaurants and dining on board

Entertainment and activities

Princess ships are loaded with entertainment that ranges from Broadway-style theater shows to street entertainers who appear in each vessel's central piazza. That said, they're not floating amusement parks. Unlike some big-ship lines, Princess isn't topping its vessels with waterslides, go-kart tracks, ropes courses and other family-focused attractions.

Theaters and shows

There's no shortage of theater and lounge entertainment on Princess ships. On a typical night, you might find a flashy, fast-paced production show playing in the main theater, a comedian performing in a secondary lounge and live music on offer in several more venues.

In many cases, the main theaters on Princess ships are quite elaborate, with Broadway show-level lighting and special effects, and the productions housed within the theaters are elaborate, too.

Princess has upped its game with its theater productions in recent years through a partnership with Stephen Schwartz, the Tony Award-winning composer of "Wicked," "Godspell" and "Pippin."

Among new productions that Schwartz has worked on is "The Secret Silk," which features life-size puppetry from Jim Henson's Creature Shop, dancing and special effects. It was created and directed by John Tartaglia, a star of Broadway's "Avenue Q" and "Beauty and the Beast."

Princess is also known for its karaoke nights, and it holds a "The Voice of the Ocean" competition during cruises, which is a spinoff of the TV show. Passengers compete in a live performance after karaoke auditions and rehearsal sessions with the shipboard band and backup singers. A team of coaches sits in giant "I Want You" chairs, just like on the show, and passengers vote to choose the winner.

Other interior attractions and activities

In addition to entertainment spaces, the interiors of Princess ships are filled with other venues where passengers can kick back and let loose day and night, including a range of bars, lounges and nightspots.

On many ships, the hub of activity is the Piazza, a sprawling, multilevel space that serves as a central gathering place, like a square in Italy. The configuration of the Piazza varies by ship, but the area typically offers several shops, a coffee bar called International Cafe, a wine bar called Vines, and (on some vessels) additional bars and eateries. The Piazza is also home to roving street performers.

Every Princess ship also has a casino, often just off the Piazza, and spas are big on Princess ships. The Lotus Spa complexes on the line's Royal Class ships offer nearly two dozen treatment rooms, an extensive beauty salon, and a thermal suite with a hydrotherapy pool, heated stone beds, a Turkish-style steam bath and other steam chambers.

Several of the newer Princess ships, including Discovery Princess, Enchanted Princess and Sky Princess, have jazz clubs called Take 5.

In addition to such venues, Princess offers a lot of enrichment activities on its ships. The line has partnered with Discovery to offer a Discovery at Sea program on vessels that includes activities like stargazing from a top deck with a specialist. The program also brings destination specialists and naturalists on board in places such as Alaska to offer insights.

Inspired by Discovery's popular "Shark Week," Princess has also created Shark Week at Sea programming that runs on select sailings in the summer with activities and games designed to challenge both adults and kids on the myths and interesting facts about sharks.

Culinary demonstrations, wine tastings and dance classes also are popular on Princess ships.

Top-deck attractions

The top decks of most Princess ships are notable for what they don't have: There are no roller coasters or pedal-powered sky rides like you'll find on Carnival ships or the go-kart tracks that top some Norwegian vessels. There are no surfing simulators, sky diving simulators, rock climbing walls or zip lines of the sort found on Royal Caribbean vessels. For the most part, there aren't even waterslides or watery splash zones (two vessels, Caribbean Princess and Sun Princess, do have splash zones).

Princess executives long ago decided not to engage in what they call the "amusement park arms race" taking place among lines operating big resort-like ships.

Instead, the line has mostly stuck to the basics with its top decks. They are covered with relaxing pool and lounge zones — and lots of them.

On the last three Royal Class ships, for instance, there's a main pool area at the center of the top deck with two full pools and three hot tubs, plus a secondary pool area at the back of the ship with another pool. There's also an adults-only pool area toward the front of the vessel, along with an extra-charge, adults-only relaxation area called the Sanctuary.

Between all these pool and lounge areas running along the sides of the ship are additional sunning areas with lounge chairs and four more hot tubs.

In short, there is a ton of space for relaxing on the top deck of these newest Princess vessels — more than you'll find on any other ship of comparable size, save for their earlier sisters in the Royal Class.

The one big attraction that you will find on the top deck of Princess ships, always at the main pool area, is a giant Movies Under the Stars movie screen. A growing number of cruise ships now have movie screens on their pool decks, but Princess pioneered the concept.

The screens show movies, concerts and sporting events during the day, but at night, they really shine. In a longtime Princess tradition, the line turns the main pool areas of its ships into outdoor movie theaters at night by reconfiguring lounge chairs to face the screen and bringing out blankets to ward off the evening chill. It even serves popcorn.

Some ships also feature basketball courts, miniature golf putting courses, shuffleboard games and pingpong tables tucked into corners of their top decks.

Children's programs

While it doesn't draw as many families with young children as Carnival or Royal Caribbean, Princess offers an extensive children's program that gets high marks from parents.

The Princess Youth and Teen centers were recently rebranded "Camp Discovery" as part of the line's partnership with Discovery Communications and offer free, supervised activities daily for children ages 3 to 17.

The line splits children in the program into three age groups: the Treehouse (ages 3 to 7 years), the Lodge (ages 8 to 12 years) and the Beach House (ages 13 to 17 years). Each age group often has its own separate facilities on ships. On some ships, the age groups may be further divided based on available space.

Each group has its own age-appropriate activities, with newly revamped experiences designed to "help young Princess explorers learn, play and create fun memories."

While the free programming for children ages 3 to 12 ends at 10 p.m., you can pay extra to leave your kids at shipboard Youth and Teen centers from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. During those hours, they're supervised in what is essentially a group child-sitting service.

The Youth and Teen centers also welcome children under the age of 3 if they are accompanied by an adult.

Related: The 15 best cruise ships for people who never want to grow up

What to know before you go

Required documents.

A passport is required for all international itineraries, including world cruises and sailings to Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, India, Central and South America, the Panama Canal (partial and full transit), Caribbean voyages that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe, the South Pacific and Tahiti.

If you're a U.S. citizen, you don't need a passport for many domestic itineraries (including Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico sailings). You can instead travel with an official copy of your birth certificate and a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification. A few other forms of identification, such as a passport card, are also acceptable. That said, Princess strongly recommends that all travelers bring a passport.

Passports must be valid for at least six months. The name on your reservation must be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

Related: Where can I cruise without a passport?

Princess adds an automatic service gratuity of $16 to $18 per person, per day to final bills, depending on your cabin category. If you are unhappy with the service you receive, you can adjust this amount at the Guest Services desk before disembarking. (You can also increase the tip amount if so desired.) Also, an 18% gratuity is added to bills at bars, dining room wine accounts and spas.

Related: Tipping on a cruise: What to know about cruise ship gratuities

Princess has rolled out faster Wi-Fi systems with landlike speeds across its fleet in recent years, such that you now can stream video on ships. That's the upside. The downside is that such service costs a lot more than Wi-Fi access did in the past. Pricing changes over time, but the line was recently charging $24.99 per day to hook up a single device. That's an enormous increase from as recently as early 2023, when Wi-Fi access was available for just $9.99.

The faster Princess Wi-Fi system is called MedallionNet Classic , and it's one of several technological upgrades that Princess has made to its ships in recent years under an umbrella called MedallionClass. MedallionClass also brings expedited embarkation, keyless cabin entry, on-demand food and beverage delivery, and the ability to locate friends and family on board — all via an app for mobile devices and a Princess-issued medallion that passengers carry while traveling.

Princess also recently began offering an even faster Wi-Fi service called MedallionNet Max that only is available to those paying for one of the line's add-on extras packages known as Princess Plus or Princess Premier.

Related: Wi-Fi on cruise ships: 5 things to know about internet use on board

Carry-on drinks policy

Princess allows you to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne per person onto ships at boarding at no charge (for consuming in your room; you'll be charged a $20 corkage fee if you want to bring it to an onboard restaurant or bar to drink). You can bring even more bottles of wine on board, but you will pay a $20 corkage fee per bottle.

Smoking policy

On all ships, smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas and in cigar lounges, designated sections within nightclubs and at designated slot machines within casinos (for those who are playing). It's forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies. Passengers caught smoking in their cabins will be charged a $250 fine per occurrence. One exception to the above rule is that e-cigarettes are allowed in cabins (but not on cabin balconies).

Princess ships have self-serve launderettes on cabin decks with washing machines, dryers, irons and ironing boards. There's a charge of $3 per load to use a washer or dryer. The launderettes also have vending machines that dispense small boxes of detergent and water softener at $1.50 per box. Additionally, vessels offer extra-charge laundry and dry cleaning services.

Related: Everything you need to know about cruise ship laundry services

Electrical outlets

All vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets in rooms, and some also have European-style, 220-volt outlets and USB ports in cabins.

The currency used on most Princess itineraries is dollars. The exceptions are select sailings on ships based in Australia, where pricing is listed in Australian dollars. All vessels operate on a cashless system, with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a medallion that you can use to make charges. This same card or medallion also is what lets you into your cabin.

Drinking age

You must be 21 to consume alcohol on many Princess itineraries. The exceptions include sailings between ports in Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand, and Singapore, where the drinking age is 18. For cruises between Japanese ports, the drinking age is 20.

During the day, there is no specific dress code, and people dress casually. If it's a sea day in a warm-weather destination, and you're bound for the top deck, that means looking like you're going to the beach — T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits (with a cover-up to go inside) are just fine.

At night, there is an official dress code that is enforced when entering restaurants. Most nights are designated as "smart casual," which Princess takes to mean pants and an open-neck shirt for men and skirts and dresses or slacks for women.

Beach attire, shorts, baseball caps and casual jeans (think: the fraying kind or those with holes) are not allowed. One or more nights per cruise, depending on the cruise length, will be designated as a "formal" night when men are expected to turn out in dark suits with a tie or even a tuxedo. The suggested attire for women on such nights is evening gowns or cocktail dresses.

Related: Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

Princess Cruises' loyalty program

Princess has a four-tier frequent cruiser program, the Captain's Circle, that is worth joining for the perks — if you're willing to bear with its convoluted tier qualifying structure.

You reach the first tier, Gold, by taking a single cruise. However, from there, you move to each successive tier either by accruing a certain number of "cruise credits" (which aren't necessarily the same as the number of cruises you've taken) or by sailing a certain number of days.

Reaching the Ruby level, for instance, requires three cruise credits (more on those in a moment) or 30 days on Princess ships. Platinum status kicks in after five cruise credits or 50 days on ships.

Related: Princess Cruises' Captain's Circle loyalty program: Everything you need to know

In most cases, members earn one cruise credit for every cruise they take. However, members who book a suite or travel solo in a cabin meant for two will receive two cruise credits for the voyage. The number of cruise credits you have earned is thus often the same as the number of cruises you have taken, but not always.

As is typical with cruise line loyalty programs, lower tiers don't bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits. You'll receive things like an invite to a private party (at the Gold tier) and a free upgrade for your travel insurance package when buying it through the line (at the Ruby tier). However, higher levels of the program start to be enticing.

The second-to-highest tier, Platinum, brings such perks as priority check-in and boarding, and a free internet package.

The top Elite level (15 cruise credits or 150 cruise days) adds such things as an exclusive window to preview and book new itineraries, priority ship-to-shore water shuttle service, complimentary laundry, and a complimentary minibar setup.

Members at all tier levels get access to special pricing on certain cruises. They also receive a monthly newsletter and a membership pin.

Note that, in contrast to airline frequent flyer programs, cruise line loyalty programs do not require you to requalify for status every year. So, yes, the perks with lower tiers aren't great. However, it's not as difficult as it might at first seem to hit the more rewarding higher-level tiers in just a few years if you're cruising a lot.

A Princess passenger staying in suites will hit the Platinum level after just three cruises. The top Elite level is reachable within just eight cruises for someone staying in suites.

Related: A beginners guide to cruise line loyalty programs

How much does a Princess cruise cost?

Princess ships are very reasonably priced. They're not the least expensive vessels out there, but they're not pricey by any means. It's possible to find Princess voyages to the Caribbean, the Bahamas or Mexico starting under $100 per person, per night, including all taxes and fees — at least in the offseason.

For instance, as of the date of this story's posting, six-night sailings from Galveston, Texas, to the Western Caribbean in February 2025 started at just $418 per person, not including taxes and fees of $138. That works out to just $93 per night, per person, with taxes and fees for a package that includes your lodging, transportation and meals.

As you might expect, pricing for ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September, October, November (not including Thanksgiving week) and parts of December.

When you book can also matter. Cruises book up much further in advance than airplanes or hotels. Many cruisers will tell you that the best pricing for any given sailing is often available when cruises first go on sale (which can be a good two years before a departure). Booking far in advance also gives you the best chance of getting your preferred cabin type and location on a ship.

Once on board a Princess ship, you'll pay extra for most drinks, extra-charge restaurants, spa services, shore excursions, internet service and a few other things — unless you've bought a package for some of these items in advance.

Specifically, the line now offers bundle pricing for several extra-charge add-on items including gratuities, a Wi-Fi package, a specialty dining package and a drink package — if passengers pay for them in advance.

The line's Princess Plus plan gives passengers included gratuities, a single-device Wi-Fi plan, a basic beverage package and a few other freebies for a bundled price of $60 per person, per day.

An enhanced version of the above plan called Princess Premier gives you gratuities, Wi-Fi access on more devices, an unlimited drink package and an unlimited dining package for $90 per person, per day.

Most onboard activities, such as theater shows, are included in the fare.

Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise

How to book

If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to princess.com to make a booking directly.

That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise — there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process, trust us — we recommend that you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises.

A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. They can also help you if something goes wrong just before, during or after your voyage.

If you're sure that Princess is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who understands all the little quirks that are unique to Princess cabin categories and, preferably, has done ship inspections to see the cabins firsthand.

Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles

Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card points when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases . This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , which offers 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and dining (excluding the annual up-to-$300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on dining.

Bottom line

Princess offers big, amenity-filled ships that are comfortable and classy at an affordable price.

If you're looking for a lot of top-deck fun zones — waterslides, go-kart tracks and the like — it's probably not the line for you. However, if you're on the hunt for not-too-expensive vessels that will take you to the farthest corners of the world in comfort, Princess ships should be on your shortlist.

It's also a great line if you're trying to put together a multigenerational trip, as its ships are designed to appeal to a wide range of age groups.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

• Princess Cruises

"Destination Collection" (aka Cruise Atlas) and other cruise brochures will return!

By azbirdmom , October 8, 2021 in Princess Cruises

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I just listened in to John Chernesky's webinar live from the Majestic Princess.  In response to a question, he indicated that they are currently working on publishing new destination brochures including the Destination Collection.  More info to come soon but he said that they recognize that people like to have these as a hard copy and not just in electronic form.  So happy that these weren't another unfortunate victim of Covid.  Looking forward to seeing my "wish book" again some day soon!

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• 2 yr azbirdmom changed the title to "Destination Collection" (aka Cruise Atlas) and other cruise brochures will return!

To me personally it seems like a waste.  Everything comes to your screen these days.

FlorenceItaly

15 minutes ago, Mud_Shark said: To me personally it seems like a waste.  Everything comes to your screen these days.   Don

I agree.  As a consumer this expense will get passed onto us.  As much as I enjoy hard copies, I understand the cost saving measures of electronic.

fluffybunny22

I like having hard copies so I can look at the deck plans. I don't like having to navigate that on my computer.

5 hours ago, azbirdmom said: I just listened in to John Chernesky's webinar live from the Majestic Princess.  In response to a question, he indicated that they are currently working on publishing new destination brochures including the Destination Collection.  More info to come soon but he said that they recognize that people like to have these as a hard copy and not just in electronic form.  So happy that these weren't another unfortunate victim of Covid.  Looking forward to seeing my "wish book" again some day soon!

I know many disagree with the return of the "Cruise Atlas" or "wish book" but it is so much nicer  and somehow feels more personal to thumb through this hard copy than to shop for cruises on the internet!

I will always call it the Cruise Atlas, and I use it to document the itineraries on our wish list so I will be glad to have it back in publication.

AnyMajorCruiseDude

I’m also happy to have it in print.  I still prefer reading paper books too, even though I’ve got hundreds on my kindle.

 Princess could give opportunities to opt in to receiving it, via email and/or a pop up on the website when eligible members log in, rather than send it to everyone,  often in duplicate. 

For me, the printed version is essential.

a) Most of the cruises we have booked with Princess were after finding them in the printed copy which is easy to thumb through in any room in the house. Frankly, looking at 150 pages on a screen in the room that has a computer is no fun.

b) I often refer to it when responding to  questions on Cruise Critic. Quick to find what I am looking for in the printed version. I would not spend the time it would take to try to find something in it online.

There are lots of things that I would rather do on my laptop or a Smart device.  But the cruise atlas is one of the few things that I am happy to have available to physically access.  Some of the things like comparing deck plans from ship to ship or the at a glance color coded itineraries by ship and month on the back cover aren't as easily read online.  We all have our favorite ways to do things and knowing that the paper version will be distributed with 2022/2023 itineraries made me very happy.

We also really enjoy and use the "Cruise Atlas". I flip back and forth on the pages and highlight many things such as itineraries, deck plans, etc.

I also think it would be nice as has been mentioned, for customers to opt out.

• 3 months later...

Someone recently posted that the electronic version of the cruise atlas was on the Princess website.  I just found that they added a "mail me" button and it works!  Now we'll see how long it will take to get here, and if we'll get two as usual (one for Captain's Circle status and the other ordered from the website).

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ROYAL CARIBBEAN

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YOUR VACATION IS WAITING

Ready to start planning your cruise? Our new interactive brochure will make it easy to view all of our cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska or Europe. Featuring videos and ship details, this is your first stop to start choosing where to explore next. Found a favorite? Sharing with family and friends is easy, so you can get ready to sail!

VIEW OUR 2024-25 E-BROCHURE

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Free Princess Cruises Brochures

Start planning your dream vacation with our destination brochures . You'll find itinerary details & maps, onboard experiences, ship highlights, and more.

2025-2026 Brochures

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