Princess Cruises built its reputation on destination-focused cruising. The idea that where you go matters as much as the ship you sail. Alaska, the Panama Canal, the Mediterranean, South America: Princess has been running itineraries to these places longer than most of their competitors, and it shows in the quality of their port programming and expedition content.
In 2024 and 2025, Princess launched two new flagship ships. Sun Princess and Star Princess. That represent a genuine step-change in hardware. The timing matters because the rest of the fleet has been overdue for renewal. Whether Princess is right for you in 2026 depends significantly on which generation of ship you end up on.
Overview: What Princess Does Best
Princess Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise company, and sits in the premium-mainstream tier. Above Carnival, below Celebrity and Holland America on the premium scale. They operate 15 ships with a passenger mix that skews slightly older than Royal Caribbean or Carnival, though the new ships are actively targeting a broader demographic.
Their strongest claim is Alaska. Princess has been running Alaskan sailings since 1969 and has invested in infrastructure no competitor can match: wilderness lodges, rail excursions, and fly-cruise packages through their Princess Alaska Tours program. If Alaska is your destination, Princess should be your first call.
The other signature innovation is MedallionClass. Princess's Ocean Medallion wearable technology. The quarter-sized disc (worn as a bracelet, necklace, or clip) enables contactless boarding, in-cabin and anywhere-on-ship food and drink delivery, cabin door unlock without keys, and location sharing for travel companions. When it works, it's genuinely impressive. When it doesn't, it's a frustration.
What Princess does less well: entertainment. The main stage production shows lag behind Royal Caribbean and Carnival in energy and production value. The onboard atmosphere is more relaxed, which suits their passenger demographic, but travelers expecting Oasis-class energy levels will find Princess quieter than expected.
The Fleet
Princess operates 15 ships. The two newest represent a major upgrade over the rest of the fleet:
Sphere Class (the new flagships)
Star Princess. 175,500 GT, 4,300 passengers, 2025. The newest Princess ship. Sphere-class design with expanded Piazza social hub, expanded specialty dining, and all MedallionClass features standard.
Sun Princess. 175,500 GT, 4,300 passengers, 2024. First Sphere-class ship and the largest Princess ship ever built. Features a stunning atrium Piazza, new cabin categories including Signature Collection, and a redesigned spa.
Royal Class
Discovery Princess. 145,000 GT, 3,660 passengers, 2022. Strong West Coast performer homeporting in Los Angeles.
Enchanted Princess. 145,000 GT, 3,660 passengers, 2021. European itinerary focus.
Sky Princess. 145,000 GT, 3,660 passengers, 2019. Strong mid-Atlantic performer.
Majestic Princess. 143,700 GT, 3,560 passengers, 2017. Originally built for the Chinese market with unique design touches, now sailing globally.
Regal Princess. 141,000 GT, 3,560 passengers, 2014. Still a solid ship, showing its age slightly on interior finishes.
Royal Princess. 141,000 GT, 3,560 passengers, 2013. The oldest Royal-class ship. Good bones but due for a refresh.
The Royal-class ships from 2013-2014 are increasingly showing their age compared to the Sphere-class flagships. The gap in cabin design, dining venues, and technology is significant. If you have flexibility, prioritizing Sun Princess or Star Princess will materially improve your experience.
Destinations & Itineraries
Princess sails a genuinely diverse global itinerary roster. Alaska is their crown jewel. Roundtrip Seattle sailings, Vancouver to Whittier one-ways, and multi-week Grand Voyages through Southeast Alaska all leverage Princess's unique infrastructure: the rail-connected Denali lodges, floatplane excursions, and wilderness experiences. No other mainstream line has this depth in Alaska.
The Caribbean (Eastern, Western, Southern) is well-covered with sailings from Fort Lauderdale. Princess's private island, Princess Cays in the Bahamas, is one of the simpler private island experiences in the industry. A beach stop without the waterslide infrastructure of Coco Cay or Perfect Day. Some passengers prefer it for that reason.
Mediterranean itineraries cover the major European ports with an emphasis on longer sailings (10-14 nights) rather than the 7-night format. The Princess shore excursion programming in ports like Rome, Athens, and Dubrovnik is well-regarded. Detailed, historically informed, and timed to avoid the peak crowd windows when possible.
The Panama Canal is another Princess specialty. Full transit and partial transit sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and San Francisco give genuine access to one of the world's engineering wonders. Princess offers these in repositioning and dedicated Canal itinerary formats.
World cruises: Princess runs one of the longest-running world voyage programs in the industry, with 111-night grand voyages circumnavigating the globe. These attract a specific passenger. Typically 60+ with significant cruise history. And Princess services them very well.
MedallionClass: The Technology Story
Ocean Medallion is the feature Princess markets most aggressively, and it deserves a dedicated assessment because it defines the modern Princess experience in ways that don't apply to other lines.
The Medallion itself is a passive disc that interacts with sensors throughout the ship. The OceanReady app connects to it and enables: contactless boarding (fastest in the industry on a good day), door unlock as you approach your cabin, ordering food and drinks delivered anywhere on the ship, and locating travel companions on a ship map.
The anywhere-delivery feature is genuinely useful. Sitting on a deck chair and ordering a cocktail delivered within 15 minutes is a strong quality-of-life improvement over walking to a bar. The OceanNow delivery system charges a small convenience fee ($5 per order) on some ships, which has frustrated passengers who felt it should be free.
The realistic assessment: MedallionClass works well most of the time and poorly some of the time. App glitches, sensor dead zones in older ship retrofits, and connectivity issues have generated complaints. On the Sphere-class ships (Sun Princess, Star Princess), the system is better integrated into purpose-built infrastructure. On the Royal-class ships, it's a retrofit. Functional but occasionally inconsistent.
Dining
Princess dining improved significantly with the Sphere-class ships. Sun Princess launched with an expanded specialty dining lineup: Spellbound (supper club concept), Umai Teppanyaki (hibachi), Catch by Rudi (seafood, from chef Rudi Sodamin), and an expanded Sabatini's Italian dining room. The variety is genuinely impressive and the quality of the specialty venues is among the best in mainstream cruising.
The main dining room (called "Symphony Dining Room" or similar by ship) serves three-course dinners with daily menus that rotate through the voyage. Quality is solid. Better than Carnival, on par with Royal Caribbean, slightly below Celebrity at the top end. The Share by Curtis Stone specialty dining experience on several ships is a standout. The Australian chef's influence on the menu is distinctive and worth the upcharge.
The World Fresh Marketplace buffet on the Sphere-class ships is an improvement over the older Horizon Court setup. Better station design, better traffic flow, and improved quality. On the older Royal-class ships, the buffet is functional but unremarkable.
Alfredo's Pizzeria is one of Princess's best included dining offerings. Authentic Neapolitan-style pizza available for lunch and dinner at no extra charge. The International Cafe (pastries, light sandwiches, coffee) is another strong included venue that's open nearly 24 hours.
The Plus and Premier fare packages (Princess's version of the beverage and dining bundle) run $60-$80 and $80-$120 per person per day respectively. Plus covers drinks up to $15 per beverage, two specialty dining meals, gratuities, and Wi-Fi. Genuinely comprehensive if you drink, and one of the better package values in mainstream cruising when caught on a good sale price.
Entertainment & Activities
Princess entertainment is the line's acknowledged weakness relative to Royal Caribbean and Carnival. The main stage production shows are pleasant but rarely exceptional. Competent dancers, solid singers, and themes that tend toward the safe and familiar. "Rock Opera" and "Magic to Do" (Pippin-inspired) are among the better Princess productions.
Movies Under the Stars is a Princess original. A giant outdoor movie screen on the pool deck that runs films, sports events, and concerts, often paired with blankets and complimentary popcorn. It's genuinely charming, particularly on Alaska sailings where the backdrop of glaciers and mountain scenery makes it memorable. Several competitors have copied the concept, but Princess still executes it best.
Discovery at Sea (partnership with Discovery Channel) provides enrichment programming: nature documentaries synced to itineraries, Discovery Channel content on the in-cabin screens, and naturalist lectures on Alaska sailings. For destination-focused travelers, this is a meaningful differentiator.
The Sphere-class ships introduced The Dome. A glass-domed multi-purpose space at the bow that transitions from pool area to nightclub to yoga studio depending on the time of day. It's one of the more visually striking spaces in mainstream cruising and a genuine improvement over the Royal-class ship entertainment spaces.
Activities skew more wellness-oriented than activity-intensive: cooking demos, enrichment lectures, trivia, crafts, and spa programming. There are no roller coasters or skydiving simulators. If physical thrill activities are what you're after, Royal Caribbean is the better choice.
Cabins & Staterooms
Princess cabins are thoughtfully designed with above-average storage for a mainstream line. Standard interior cabins run around 163 square feet. Functional and well-maintained. The Sphere-class interior cabins include what Princess calls "The Infinite Veranda" on some interior categories: a window that opens wider than traditional portholes, blurring the line between interior and ocean view.
Balcony staterooms at 220-240 square feet are the most popular choice. On the Sphere-class ships, the new Signature Collection cabins provide enhanced amenities (upgraded bedding, priority dining reservations, minibar) at a step below full suite pricing — a smart middle option.
The Sanctuary is Princess's adults-only area on most ships — a reserved sun deck with padded loungers, dedicated attendants, and light meals. Access is sold separately (around $40-$50 per person per half day, or full voyage passes). It's consistently booked out quickly — reserve on embarkation morning if you want it. The quality of the space is excellent and worth it for sun-deck enthusiasts who want a quieter alternative to the main pool.
Suites on Princess are comfortable and well-appointed but don't offer the dramatic separation from the main ship experience that Royal Caribbean's suite program provides. Princess Suite benefits include priority embarkation, access to the Club Class dining area (a quieter, elevated MDR section), and enhanced cabin service — meaningful but not transformative.
Loyalty Program: Captain's Circle
Captain's Circle tiers: Gold (1 cruise), Ruby (5 cruises or 50 days), Platinum (15 cruises or 150 days), Elite (30 cruises or 330+ days).
Elite is where the meaningful perks kick in: complimentary dry cleaning (2 bags per voyage), internet minutes (250 per voyage — useful though not comprehensive), priority embarkation, and invitation to the Elite Lounge with complimentary cocktails during select hours. The daily Elite cocktail hour is a genuine benefit that loyal Princess passengers plan around.
The program rewards frequency and cruise days equally, which means shorter-voyage cruisers can accumulate status faster than on some competitor programs. For Alaska cruisers doing 7-10 day voyages annually, the path to Elite is accessible within 5-7 years of regular sailing.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Best Alaska cruising program in the industry — rail, lodge, and fly-cruise infrastructure is unmatched
MedallionClass technology is genuinely innovative when it works — anywhere-on-ship delivery is a real quality improvement
Sun Princess and Star Princess are excellent new ships — the Sphere-class design is a meaningful step up
Plus and Premier fare packages offer genuine all-in value when bundled at sale pricing
Movies Under the Stars is a charming and well-executed experience unique to Princess
Discovery at Sea enrichment programming suits destination-focused travelers well
The Sanctuary adults-only sun deck is among the best quiet-area products in mainstream cruising
Cons:
Main stage entertainment is a clear weakness — production shows lag Royal Caribbean and Carnival significantly
MedallionClass has known reliability issues on older retrofitted ships — frustration when it glitches
The older Royal-class fleet (Regal, Royal Princess) is showing age and lacks the amenity depth of new ships
Princess Cays private island is basic compared to Coco Cay or Ocean Cay — no waterslide infrastructure
OceanNow delivery convenience fee ($5/order) has frustrated passengers who expected free anywhere-delivery
Onboard atmosphere skews older — not a negative for everyone, but worth knowing if you want high energy
Pricing
Princess sits at the upper end of mainstream pricing — consistently above Carnival and on par with or slightly above Royal Caribbean. Interior cabins on 7-night Caribbean sailings typically run $120-$180 per person per night at standard rates, with promotional windows bringing prices down 20-30%.
The Plus package ($60-$80/person/day) represents genuine value if it's added at the time of booking during a bundle promotion. It covers gratuities, Wi-Fi, two specialty dining meals, and drinks up to $15 — at those add-on rates individually, the package often breaks even or saves money for moderate drinkers.
Alaska is where Princess pricing is most competitive — their infrastructure advantage means their all-inclusive Alaska programs (land + sea) genuinely compare favorably to piecing together rail, lodges, and excursions independently. The 7-night Gulf of Alaska cruisetour with Denali rail connection is the signature Princess product and one of the best-value adventure travel packages in North America when caught on promotion.
If you're ready to book, Cruisebound is the fastest way to compare Princess sailings across the full fleet and find the right departure date and ship for your itinerary.
Browse Princess Cruises sailings on Cruisebound
Final Verdict
Princess Cruises is the best mainstream choice for destination-focused travelers — particularly Alaska, the Panama Canal, and longer Mediterranean voyages where itinerary depth matters more than onboard entertainment intensity.
The fleet transition is at a critical point. Sun Princess and Star Princess are excellent ships that make a strong case for the brand. The older Royal-class ships are functional but increasingly dated, and the entertainment programming fleet-wide needs investment.
MedallionClass is genuinely innovative and when it works smoothly, it's the best onboard technology experience in mainstream cruising. The reliability has been improving but isn't yet seamless on older retrofitted ships.
For the right passenger — someone who wants enrichment over entertainment, destinations over pool-deck stimulation, and a ship that earns its stripes through where it goes rather than what's on it — Princess is an excellent choice. Book Sun Princess or Star Princess if you can. The ship matters.
Best for: Alaska-focused travelers, destination-driven cruisers, enrichment seekers, and those who want a quieter onboard atmosphere with strong shore programming.
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