princess cruise ship history

Search Please fill out this field.
Manage Your Subscription
Give a Gift Subscription
Sweepstakes

All 16 Princess Cruises Ships, From Newest to Oldest

Here’s everything you need to know about the Princess Cruises fleet.

Courtesy of Princess Cruises

Sailors of all ages love Princess Cruises for its quality, service, value, and serene style of cruising. What’s more, the 2023 T+L World’s Best Award-winning mega-ship line — which is also a WBA Hall of Fame Honoree — tends to steer clear of splashy entertainment (for example, you won’t find go-karts, water slides, or ziplines on board most ships) in favor of more refined activities. Discovery at SEA programming is a standout offering: In partnership with Discovery and Animal Planet, guests can partake in nature-centric onboard activities and shore excursions. Most Princess ships boast a majestic atrium modeled after an Italian piazza, and it’s here where you’ll find some of the best drinking, dining, and shopping venues on board.

According to travel advisor and cruise specialist Jennaca Boose of Marvelous Mouse Travels , Princess’ fleet of 15 ships — 16 if you count the upcoming Sun Princess , which will make its long-anticipated debut this year — is family-friendly, and each vessel is “equipped to entertain all ages;” however, some cater towards specific age demographics better than others. For example, she says, travelers sailing with younger children will especially love Royal Princess and Regal Princess , which “have even more to offer” beyond the kids club, such as “outdoor play areas with jungle gyms and a separate teen space with a hot tub.” Meanwhile, says Boose, cruisers craving an intimate onboard experience may consider sailing aboard Coral Princess or Island Princess , which are two of the line’s smaller ships.

Finally, it’s also worth noting that the line offers dozens, if not hundreds, of itineraries across the globe, including Alaska, Mexico, Japan, the Mediterranean, and many more. “Whether you’re looking for a quick getaway or an immersive cultural itinerary,” says Boose, “Princess has a ship for you.” Without further ado, keep scrolling for a breakdown of each ship in the Princess Cruises fleet to help you narrow down which vessels would be best for you.

Related: 21 Cruise Tips That Will Help Make Your Trip Even Better, According to Experts

Sun Princess

Inaugural Year: 2024

Ship Class: Sphere

Ship Capacity: 4,300 guests

The inaugural ship in Princess' new Sphere class, Sun Princess is the line's largest — and flashiest — vessel to date. Set to sail the Mediterranean and Caribbean, this 20-deck mega-ship is sure to make waves following its early 2024 debut. The Park19 family zone will offer nine fun-filled activities, including the Sea Breeze (the first Rollglider at sea), The Lookout (an open-air observation deck), and Coastal Climb (a climbing structure for adventure enthusiasts of all ages). There’s also a two-deck arena, the multi-level Dome entertainment space, and the brand-new Spellbound, a Victorian-themed bar where guests can watch magicians while sipping theatrical cocktails.

Discovery Princess

Inaugural Year: 2022

Ship Class: Royal

Ship Capacity: 3,660 guests

For an elegant onboard experience complete with world-class specialty dining that’ll entice any gourmand, spectacular live entertainment in the lavish Princess Theater, and the largest balconies at sea (spanning over 1,000 square feet) found in one of the ship’s splurge-worthy Sky Suites, look no further than Princess’ final Royal-class ship. Spend sea days soaking up the sun — and the ocean views — by the infinity Wake View Pool.

Enchanted Princess

Inaugural Year: 2021

The elegant Enchanted Princess is a haven for relaxation-seekers with four sparkling pools (including the infinity-edge Wake View Pool), 10 hot tubs, and a serene spa offering Asian-inspired treatments. For the ultimate splurge, reserve one of the sprawling Sky Suites, best known for their expansive balconies offering 270-degree sea views. Other honorable mentions include the Sanctuary, Discovery at SEA, movie screenings under the stars, and the SeaWalk, a 60-foot-long glass-enclosed hallway with floor-to-ceiling ocean vistas.

Sky Princess

Inaugural Year: 2019

The snazzy Sky Princess made its grand debut in 2019; fast-forward five years later, and the ship has retained its allure. The three-story atrium is the beating heart of the ship, dotted with shops, bars, and restaurants galore. Check out Chef’s Table Lumiere, or try your luck at the casino for the ultimate splurge. Finally, for the best ocean views, book one of the Sky Suites.

Majestic Princess

Taylor McIntyre/Travel + Leisure

Inaugural Year: 2017

Ship Capacity: 3,560 guests

This Royal-class ship was initially designed for cruises from Shanghai, which means passengers can expect Chinese-inspired decor along with the fantastic specialty restaurant, Harmony, which features mouthwatering Asian menu items like wok-fried lobster, spring rolls, and more. Also unique to Majestic Princess is the adults-only Hollywood Pool Club, a perfect spot for grown-ups looking to soak in style. Meanwhile, don’t miss the dazzling casino and incredible SeaWalk, where panoramic ocean views await.

Regal Princess

Inaugural Year: 2014

This 2014 mega-ship definitely delivers in terms of onboard attractions. A few fan favorites include movies under the stars (best enjoyed with popcorn and candy in hand, of course), original productions, an outdoor musical fountain show, and Princess Live!, where passengers will find interactive culinary shows along with late-night comedy and game shows that can be viewed in-person or from the comfort of one’s stateroom. Last but not least, don’t forget to snap a selfie on the SeaWalk.

Royal Princess

Inaugural Year: 2013

Prepare to receive the royal treatment (pun intended) aboard the 3,560-passenger Royal Princess . The ship’s dazzling common spaces, including the grand atrium and the SeaWalk, are sure to impress design lovers, while the drinking and dining options, including the extravagant Chef’s Table Lumiere — available only on Royal-class ships — will delight culinary connoisseurs of all ages.

Ruby Princess

Inaugural Year: 2008

Ship Class: Crown

Ship Capacity: 3,080 guests

Entertainment options abound on the 19-deck Ruby Princess , from movies under the stars and basketball to golfing and (hopefully) winning big at the casino. While party-going cruisers can dance ‘til the wee hours of the night at Skywalkers, serenity-seeking travelers may choose to hit the sack early before waking up to enjoy the spa or The Sanctuary.

Emerald Princess

Inaugural Year: 2007

Last refurbished in 2019, Emerald Princess features something for families of all ages, including reimagined Camp Discovery youth and teen centers and the serene Sanctuary, a kid-free slice of paradise in the middle of the sea. Passengers can also perfect their swing at the putting course, enjoy poolside movie screenings, unwind at one of several swanky bars and lounges, including the Speakeasy Cigar Lounge, hit the spa, or dance the night away at the onboard club. In summary, it’s pretty much impossible to be bored on this ship.

Crown Princess

Inaugural Year: 2006

Despite its 3,000-plus passenger capacity , Crown Princess never feels super crowded thanks to abundant onboard amenities and activities. Highlights include three main dining rooms, a three-story atrium, and, of course, ample activities and programming, which run the gamut from basketball courts and pajama movie nights for kids to karaoke and an onboard nightclub.

Diamond Princess

Inaugural Year: 2004

Ship Class: Grand

Ship Capacity: 2,670 guests

Best known for its Asia itineraries, Diamond Princess is sure to wow cruisers of all ages with its unique onboard features. Wellness-seekers need not miss the Izumi Japanese Bath, where guests can enjoy a traditional Japanese bathing experience coupled with breathtaking ocean views. There’s also the adults-only Sanctuary sun deck, Broadway-caliber entertainment, ample restaurants (including five main dining rooms), a nightclub, and so much more.

Caribbean Princess

Ship Capacity: 3,140 guests

This massive 18-deck ship was last refurbished in 2019 to bring it up to par with the line’s latest vessels. The European-inspired piazza , boasting street performers, eclectic boutiques, restaurants and bars, and a striking spiral staircase, is the beating heart of the ship. Plus, as part of the line’s partnership with Discovery, guests can enjoy nature-filled activities and lectures.

Sapphire Princess

Ship Capacity: 2,670 guests

Those craving a traditional cruising experience need not look further than the 20-year-old Sapphire Princess . With an onboard nightclub, five main dining rooms (plus many other bars and lounges, including a cigar lounge), this 2,670-passenger ship is among the line’s buzziest. After dancing the night away, adults can spend the day relaxing at The Sanctuary, while families will surely appreciate the dedicated spaces for kids, tweens, and teens.

Island Princess

Inaugural Year: 2003

Ship Class: Coral

Ship Capacity: 2,200 guests

Island Princess was purposefully built to sail through the Panama Canal. This 2,200-guest, 20-plus-year-old ship offers a more refined onboard experience compared to the line’s newer, flashier vessels. Sea days are well spent at the spa, in swimming pools, or sipping cocktails in the massive atriums; come nighttime, watch movies under the stars (a Princess staple) or catch live musical performances before hitting the sack — and getting ready to do it all again the following day.

Coral Princess

Ship Capacity: 2,000 guests

Coral Princess is Princess’ smallest ship; however, there is still plenty to see, do, and experience on board. Guests can make themselves right at home in the piazza-style grand atrium, where prime people-watching awaits. For some R&R, grown-ups can head to the tranquil, adults-only Sanctuary while the kids are at play at the children’s centers.

Grand Princess

Inaugural Year: 1998

Ship Capacity: 2,600 guests

Princess’ oldest ship underwent a major renovation back in 2019, adding fan-favorite restaurants like Alfredo's Pizzeria, Salty Dog Grill, and Coffee & Cones. Catch a Broadway-style show, relax at The Sanctuary, or partake in nature-centric activities as part of the line’s Discovery at SEA programming.

Cruising The Past Cruise News

Coulter’s steamlined modern department store miracle mile los angeles, history of princess cruises.

Posted by: Michael Grace August 23, 2010

Cruise Line History

Princess Cruises History: Exploring the origin of Princess Cruises and their naming the “Princess” ships. Where did the name of each of their “Love Boat” cruise ships originate?

A painting Cruising The Past commissioned of the first “Love Boat” and original cruise ship of Princess Cruises – the PRINCESS PATRICIA. Ready to sail from Los Angeles, seen docked at the foot of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, for her first (Princess) cruise to Mexico.

The Princess Patricia under steam. How she would have appeared when making her first Princess Line Cruises.

History of the S.S. Princess Patricia and the legacy of naming the “Love Boat” ships of Princess Cruises.

The Canadian Princess Railway formed the British Columbia Coast Steamship Service (BCCSS), which would provide passenger service to various coastal communities for the next 80 years. Many of its special breeds of coastal ships bore the name “Princess”. The CPR celebrated 100 years of service in 1981, the same year in which its last remaining cruise ship, the SS Princess Patricia (the original Princess Cruise Line’s Love Boat) was tied up, ending that phase of transportation service in the Pacific Northwest.

She began cruising to Alaska in 1889, when the arrival of a steamer as elegant as Islander was a big event. Her career ended suddenly when carrying gold and passengers south from Skagway on July 13, 1892. The ship sank after hitting a submerged rock or drifting iceberg; 42 perished.

Princess Victoria was the first purpose-built ship for the BCCSS, and immediately set the standards for luxury liners on the coast. Both the appearance of her hull and superstructure as well as interior arrangement would be copied for many subsequent Princess ships.

Princess Patricia in Acapulco, Mexico on her first Princess Cruise.

Princess Patricia docked in Ensenada, Mexico. During the first year of Princess Cruises – the company operated short cruises to Ensenada.

Ariel view of the Princess Patricia. On her way to Alaska.

Occupancy was regularly 97 percent and during one season the three ships handled 10,000 passengers on 22 voyages. Revenues dwindled during the Great Depression, and the BCCSS disposed of old or redundant vessels. World War II saw several Princess ships requisitioned for use as troop transports and supply ships.

After the war, Princess Kathleen was rebuilt for the Alaska Service.

Two new sister ships were built for the Triangle Run, Princess Marguerite and Princess Patricia, named for earlier CPR ships. In 1952, Princess Kathleen ran onto rocks in Lynn Canal.

Fortunately, there was no loss of life but the ship sank. For the next 10 years, Princess Louise handled CPR’s Alaska cruises alone. The arrival of car ferries spelled the end of coastal service and the CPR ended its regular Triangle Run.

For two seasons Princess Patricia was chartered to Stan McDonald, a Canadian-born businessman now in Seattle, for cruising between Los Angeles and Acapulco during the winter. McDonald became excited about cruising during the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. He eventually branched out to other vessels but chose to name his new company Princess Cruises after the venerable Princess Patricia.

Princess Patricia on her first Princess Cruise – docked in San Francisco – heading south to Los Angeles. These were the original colors during the period Stanley McDonald charted the night boat from CPR. The two stacks were later changed to the red colors seen in the photos above.

The Princess Patricia became the last remaining passenger ship in the CPR fleet, continuing to sail to Alaska each summer until that era ended on October 12, 1981. Her legacy lived on with the many ships of Princess Cruise Lines.

The History of Princess Cruises: A Timeline of Key Events

1965 Company founder Stanley B. McDonald charters Princess Patricia and forms Princess Cruises — first winter season of Mexico cruises starts in November 1966 Princess Patricia returned to owners 1967 Princess Italia chartered (one of first modern ships built specifically for cruising) First Panama Canal cruises (company pioneered regularly scheduled Canal cruises) 1968 Princess Carla chartered Seawitch logo makes first appearance Boise Cascade purchases Princess First Alaska season (Princess Italia) First transatlantic sailing (13-day Nassau-Genoa, Princess Italia) 1970 Stanley McDonald repurchases Princess from Boise Cascade Princess Carla returned to owners 1972 Island Princess joins fleet (formerly Island Venture) Princess Tours founded 1973 Princess Italia returned to owners 1974 Princess acquired by the Pennisular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) Pacific Princess joins fleet (formerly Sea Venture) Sun Princess joins fleet (formerly P&O’s Spirit of London) 1975 “The Love Boat” TV series developed by producer Aaron Spelling; Princess agrees to become backdrop for the show 1976 “The Love Boat” begins filming 1979 Princess Tours acquires Johansen Royal Tours 1980 Stanley McDonald departs company 1981 Princess begins calling at first private Caribbean island, Palm Island in Grenadines 1984 Royal Princess joins fleet (innovative ship features all outside cabins) 1985 Pacific Princess launches company’s first Mediterranean season First major cruise line to base a ship in San Diego (Pacific Princess to Mexico) 1986 Sea Princess joins fleet from P&O (formerly Kungsholm) New “Voyage of the Glaciers” route debuts (Vancouver/Whittier on Sea Princess) New private island, Mayreau (Grenadines), replaces Palm Island 1987 Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge opens First Caribbean cruises from Miami First Asia cruises (Royal Princess) First Northern Europe (Baltic) cruises 1988 Princess acquires Sitmar Cruises Dawn Princess joins fleet (formerly Fairwind) Fair Princess joins fleet (formerly Fairsea) Sky Princess joins fleet (formerly Fairsky) Sun Princess sold First Midnight Sun Express Railcars built 1989 Star Princess joins fleet 1990 Crown Princess joins fleet Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge opens Captain’s Circle loyalty program begins 1991 Regal Princess joins fleet Sea Princess transferred to P&O as Victoria 1992 New private island launched (Princess Cays in Eleuthera) 1993 Golden Princess chartered (formerly Royal Viking Sky) Dawn Princess sold Fairbanks Princess Hotel opens 1995 Sun Princess joins fleet (world’s largest cruise ship) Fair Princess transferred to P&O Australia 1996 Golden Princess returned to owner C.R.U.I.S.E. customer service program debuts 1997 Dawn Princess joins fleet Star Princess transferred to P&O becoming Arcadia Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge opens 1998 Grand Princess joins fleet (world’s largest cruise ship) Sea Princess joins fleet “Love Boat: the Next Wave” debuts First world cruise (Island Princess — 64 days Rome/San Francisco) Santa Clarita, California customer service center opens Princess Cays expanded 1999 Island Princess sold Comprehensive company web site debuts 2000 P&O Princess demerged from P&O Ocean Princess joins fleet Sky Princess transferred to P&O Australia becoming Pacific Sky First Bermuda cruises (program ran 2000-02) Fleet transferred to British/Bermuda registry 2001 Golden Princess joins fleet Princess headquarters moves to Santa Clarita, California Use of shore power debuts in Juneau 2002 Star Princess joins fleet Original Pacific Princess sold Tahitian Princess joins fleet Crown Princess transferred to A’ROSA becoming A’ROSA Blu Ocean Princess transferred to P&O becoming Oceana Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge opened 2003 Princess acquired by Carnival Corporation Coral Princess joins fleet New Pacific Princess joins fleet (split deployment with P&O Australia New Island Princess joins fleet Sea Princess transferred to P&O becoming Adonia First Antarctica cruise 2004 Cunard Line integrated into Princess operations Diamond Princess joins fleet Caribbean Princess joins fleet Sapphire Princess joins fleet First Caribbean sailings from Galveston, Texas 2005 Royal Princess transferred to P&O becoming Artemis Sea Princess returns to Princess fleet Princess Cruises celebrates 40th anniversary 2006 Crown Princess joins fleet 2007 Department of Romance launched Emerald Princess joins fleet New Royal Princess joins fleet Regal Princess transferred to P&O Australia becoming Pacific Dawn 2008 Ruby Princess joins fleet

THE LARK – All-Pullman Sleeper Train – Overnight – San Francisco to Los Angeles

April 1, 2024

California’s Old Movie Palaces New Video

March 12, 2024

Berlin’s Famous Hotel Adlon Five Stars

March 1, 2024

Judy Garland Premiere of A Star Is Born

February 14, 2024

RMS Titanic – Books Passengers Were Reading On The Doomed Voyage

Any copying or reproduction of images or media herein is strictly prohibited.

CONTACT MICHAEL GRACE
Refine your search results by reviewing SEARCH TIPS
Site tech support provided by Ted Angel

WORLD CRUISE PORTS
CHAT SITE RULES – here on Doris Visits
AMBASSADOR CRUISE CHAT
AZAMARA CRUISES CHAT
CUNARD CRUISES CHAT
FRED OLSEN CRUISES CHAT
MARELLA DISCOVERY CHAT
MARELLA EXPLORER CHAT
RIVER CRUISING
P&O ADULT ONLY – Aurora & Arcadia Group
P&O BRITANNIA CHAT
P&O VENTURA CHAT
P&O IONA CHAT
P&O AZURA CHAT
P&O IONA chat group on Facebook
SAGA CHAT GROUP
VIKING CRUISES (all) CHAT
VIRGIN VOYAGES CHAT
LUXURY ADULT CRUISING
CHAT SITE RULES
Guidelines for Moderators
Over 50 CRUISE NOVELS, THRILLERS & ROMANCES (all)
FICTION@SEA Meet the writers – at crime writer’s festival in the Straits of Gibraltar
Stuart St Paul – 50 years in the movie industry
… and port presenter Jean Heard
Crime Writers @ Sea Festival.
Looking back at 2021; I cheated death, had major brain surgery, didn’t cruise. I end with a simple message.
Jumping off the Statue of Liberty – Stuart St Paul on how and why
Stuart’s last blog post
CRUISE SHIP HEIST
CSCI CRUISE SHIP CRIME INVESTIGATORS
Love To Cruise T-shirts
Kids Cruise T-shirts
Iona T-shirts
Azura T-shirts
Cunard T-shirts
Marella wear
Ventura T-shirt
WORKING AT SEA

The incredible history of Princess Cruises (P&O) & The Love Boat!

Princess cruise ships are still represented in reception of the Southampton P&O building. They still have offices there and use the port, with many sailings from Southampton. So, they are a genuine option for many UK cruisers who like these ships. The company used to be directly joined to P&O, now all three companies in that building, Princess, P&O and Cunard are all owned by Carnival. With the Adonia gone, Princess offers the only real small ship experience with the Pacific Princess . The rest of the ships are larger with excellent features. The history of the company is quite amazing, it is maybe, the history of cruising as we know it. If you remember the TV series The Love Boat , then you might know it was based on the ships of Princess Cruises but you might not know it starred the very young Tom Hanks! The company which was joined at the hip with P&O emerged in 2000 and they are both now part of the US brand Carnival. Princess still has many sailings from Southampton, still loved by British cruisers, and there are still Princess Ships displayed in cases in the reception of the P&O building in Southampton.

1965 – Princess Cruises was founded by ex Navy air corps man Stanley B. McDonald. He was born in Alberta, Canada and educated at Roosevelt High School in Seattle and then University of Washington. He started by forming a company called Airmac which was to transport circus and fairground equipment for The World’s Fair. He then charter a ship to transport public to the World’s Fair. The expansion was chartering the ship Princess Patricia for cruise holidays. The first winter season started in November and the ship went to Mexico.

1966 – The ship was returned to its owners, and in 1967 the Princess Italia was chartered, which was one of the first ships built specifically for cruising. This was the birth era of cruising. It was time when the first cruise ships went through the Panama Canal.

1968 – Saw the Princess Carla was chartered as a second ship and the witch logo was used. Boise Cascade purchase the Princess company from McDonald who had also merged his Airmac business into the RCA corporation in 1969. Transatlantic cruises started and in 1969 the company offered their first Alaska cruises.

1970 – sees Stanley McDonald purchase the Princess back from Boise Cascade, return the Princess Carla to its owners, and by 1972 he takes the ship Island Venture under the new name of Island Princess and forms Princess Tours.

1973 – The Princess Italia is returned to its owners and the game is stepped up as by 1974 Princess acquires P&O, which was then the Pennisular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. The Pacific Princess joins new fleet (formerly Sea Venture), and the Sun Princess (formerly P&O’s Spirit of London).

Join the Doris Visits Princess Cruises chat group – click here

1975 – Cruising was becoming fashionable high life and Princess agreed to be the location settings to a new US TV series “The Love Boat” TV series which begins filming the following year staring Phil Silvers. The first episode saw had multiple titles Newlyweds/The Exchange/Cleo’s First Voyage – In it, guest stars Georgia Engel was a stowaway, Gary Frank and Melanie Mayron were a pair of tremulous honeymooners, Stella Stevens and Pat Harrington were an eternally bickering married couple, and Audra Lindley and Phil Silvers were, respectively, an outspoken middle-aged lady and a woebegone widower. This made cruising stand out and the show ran ten years. And yes, spot a very young Tom Hanks. How much did TV advance cruising???

1979 – Now on a growing wave, Princess Tours acquired Johansen Royal Tours, then in 1980 Stanley McDonald left the company having purchase the realestate assets of the Chrysler Corporation. 1981 saw the birth era of what we now refer to as Caribbean season as the ships stopped at the private Caribbean island, Palm Island in Grenadines.

1984 – expansion added the Royal Princess joins fleet with the innovative feature of all outside passenger cabins. In 185 the Pacific Princess starts the company’s first Mediterranean season then becomes the first cruise ship to base in San Diego.

Please subscribe to the Doris Visits YouTube Channel and see the world’s cruise destinations

1986 – sees further expansion when the Sea Princess joins the fleet from P&O (formerly Kungsholm) and debuts their new “Voyage of the Glaciers” route. By 1987 Caribbean cruises were sailing out of Miami, Asia was added as well the first Baltic cruise. By 1988 P&O acquire Sitmar Cruises and further ships join the fleet. Dawn Princess (formerly Fairwind). Fair Princess (formerly Fairsea). Sky Princess (formerly Frisky) and the Sun Princess is sold before the Star Princess joins fleet in 1989, the Crown Princess joins in 1990 and the Regal Princess joins in 1991. Interestingly, the Sea Princess then transferred to P&O as the Victoria.

1993 – by this time the company was trading in private islands and hotels, it chartered the Golden Princess from Royal Viking and the Dawn Princess was sold. Progressing to ships with more options the Sun Princess joined the fleet in 1995 and boasted the largest number of balcony cabins, the first 24-hour café and the debut. The Fair Princess was transferred to P&O Australia and the following year the Golden Princess was returned to owner. The in and out continued as Princess continued on the success of the TV series and its product. In comes the Dawn Princess in 1997 as the Star Princess is transferred to P&O becoming Arcadia. In 1998 Grand Princess and Sea Princess join the fleet as “Love Boat: the Next Wave” debuts starring football player turned actor Robert Urich, but although it only runs two seasons we do get the long overdue first wedding chapel at sea.

1999 – sees the company debut its internet web site! The Island Princess is sold and the millennium sees P&O Princess International demerged from P&O. Ties seem strong though because as the Ocean Princess joins fleet, the Sky Princess is transferred to P&O Australia becoming Pacific Sky. The first cruises to Bermuda take place which is significant, because registry of the fleet then transfers there.

2001 – sees customer options leading a new style of cruising with dining choices. The Golden Princess joins fleet and headquarters moves to Santa Clarita, California. In 2002 the Star Princess & Tahitian Princess join and the original Pacific Princess is sold. Also out go the Crown Princess transferred to become A’ROSA Blu, and the Ocean Princess goes to P&O Cruises and becomes the Oceana.

2003 sees P&O Princess International acquired by Carnival Corporation. Coral Princess, a new Pacific Princess and a new Island Princess join the fleet. The Sea Princess is transferred to become the Adonia at P&O. It was the year of the first Antarctica cruise.

2004 – sees that the shake up is not over as the Cunard Line is integrated into Princess operations. Diamond Princess, Caribbean Princess, Sapphire Princess join the fleet allowing the Royal Princess to go to P&O Cruises as the Artemis in 2005. And on its 40th anniversary the Sea Princess returns leaving P&O with no Adonia.

2006 – and an amazing growth over 40 years sees the Crown Princess joins, then in 2007 the Emerald Princess and the new Royal Princess joins fleet. Out goes the Regal Princess to P&O Australia becoming Pacific Dawn. In 2008 the Ruby Princess joins, which is a sister ship to the Ventura and Azura and the close ties are still evident. In the following years the Tahitian Princess is renamed the Ocean Princess and then the small ship the Royal Princess transferred to P&O Cruises to sail as Adonia.

2010 – is the beginning of the era of digital travel documents, making more of direct web booking and flagging the future. In 2013 a new Regal Princess joins fleet and in 2015 the company turned 50 years old. Mcdonald had died the year before aged 94. Now in 2018 Princess Cruises has 13 fantastic ships, and only one is a small ship experience; The Pacific Princess, which is the sister to the three Azamara Club Cruise and it will be interesting to see if Carnival and Royal Caribbean do a deal to take the forth small ship so Azamara have a full set. A life on the ocean waves, so much drama.

Learn about the very special Princess Luxury Bed

Caribbean Princess – (Sister to Azura)
Coral Princess – (Panamax ship)
Crown Princess – (sister to Azura – Grand Class Ship)
Diamond Princess – (smaller but sister to Azura – Grand Class Ship)
Discovery Princess – (new in 2022)
Emerald Princess – (sister to Azura)
Enchanted Princess –
Grand Princess – (smaller but sister to Azura – Grand Class Ship)
Island Princess – (Panamax ship)
Majestic Princess – (sister to Britannia)
Regal Princess – (sister to Britannia)
Royal Princess – (sister to Britannia)
Ruby Princess – (sister to Azura)
Sapphire Princess – (Southampton based sister to Azura)
Sky Princess

PRINCESS CRUISES UK CHAT GROUP

PRINCESS CRUISES WEBPAGE FOR UK SAILINGS

How about reading one of our adventure cruise ship crime novels written by the team here at Doris Visits who have written movies and TV until these books. Paperback, Kindle and audiobooks are slowly loading in 2022

You should dress for a cruise with Princess the same way you would for any stylish land-based resort.

Smart Casual Guest attire should be in keeping with what they would wear to a nice restaurant at home.

Skirts/dresses, slacks, and sweaters for ladies
Pants and open-neck shirts for men

Inappropriate dinner wear such as pool or beach attire, shorts, ball caps and casual jeans (with fraying and/or holes) are not permitted in the dining rooms. Shoes must be worn.

Formal When formal nights are held, please observe the dress code in the Traditional Dining and Anytime Dining venues for the enjoyment of all our guests.

Evening gowns and cocktail dresses for women
Tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits with a tie for men

Princess offers formal wear rental on all cruises; this can be arranged prior to embarkation.

Dress with an elegance and style that is perfect for all the formal activities on your cruise with Princess. Cruiseline Formal Wear delivers beautifully-tailored clothing directly to your stateroom.

TAKING DRINKS ON BOARD ? CAN I ? HOW MUCH ?

EVERY CRUISE PORT – click here EVERY CRUISE SHIP – click here

Welcome to cruise doris visits, here to help you cruise, we film cruise port guides., our first stop 2024 will be africa..

Ex-movie makes, we now write thrilling

Pace-driven holiday cruise novels.

But we leave the chat to you under the watchful team of chat group mods & experts on our hosted FB groups

– feel welcome, join in, ask a question, start a chat thread, the doris visits chat groups.

AMBASSADOR CRUISE GROUP – UK based cruise line with two ships

AURORA & ARCADIA P&O GROUP – the adult ships

MARELLA CRUISES GROUP – Explorer style ships

MARELLA CRUISES GROUP – Discovery (Disco 2) style ships

CUNARD CRUISE GROUP – big fav of ours – inclusive – lively – dressy

FRED OLSEN CRUISE GROUP

P&O AZURA GROUP – Grand Class family ships – P&O VENTURA GROUP (no fly)

P&O BRITANNIA GROUP – the mid size family ship

P&O IONA & ARVIA GROUP – the big new family ships

SAGA CRUISE GROUP – smaller over 50 UK style all inclusive ships

VIKING CRUISES GROUP – smaller – adult only – US/UK/International ships – great routes

AZAMARA & OCEANIA VIRGIN ADULT SHIPS – Adult only ships

EVERY CRUISE PORT -click here EVERY CRUISE SHIP – click here

In 2024 we are building our AFRICA menu and visiting to film Cape Town and other ports

Walvis Bay, Namibia

Many safaris are offered and there is an abundant bird life including flamingos, pelicans

Dakar, Senegal. Trip to Gorée Island.

Dakar, Senegal has a very busy port which is always full of ships. Invaded many times it has changed hands over and over until it regained independence in August, 1960.

Cape Town, South Africa

This garden of wine and golf has features that include Robbin Island and Table Mountain but we start with the penguins.

Freddie Mercury house in Zanzibar

Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar. It is a strictly religious country so is not as proud of him as you might expect.

About Us

Doris Visits is just a little hobby, and a way of helping people research ports and ships. It is our way of giving back as we are on the ships between 6 and 12 times a year as Guest Lecturers. The site is also supported by other guest lecturers.

Why Doris? It was a character Jean played in a TV show and we started the port guides as a little spin-off. It took over. I mean, rode into town and said this is it.

Who is Jean ? Jean is a West End and Broadway actress who now has her own one woman show called Royal Mistresses, which she performs at guilds and on ships. Hence, she cruises – a bit. She now presents TV and is known by many cruisers for her Doris Visits port guides.

Who is Stuart? Featured in a clip in the 2024 Oscars – in the tribute to movie stuntmen – he was the Queen Alien in Aliens. Now, he points the iPhone at Jean when they go and explore ashore. He finished in movies as a director, and now writes cruise thrillers.

The grandchildren who sometimes travel and from their son Luke Aikman. He was the young Colin Firth in Fever Pitch and appeared in Freight. He is now a producer and business entrepreneur. Their daughter helped with the plot of the first four novels and is now writing with comedian Joe Wilkinson. Laura Aikman is known for being the girlfriend in the Christmas Gavin and Stacey, and Dyan Cannon in Archie. Some grew up with her Saturday show, Mysti.

Government Travel Advice by Country – click this box

Travel Health Pro advice by country – click here (Vaccination recommendations)

Fantastic cruise ship tours, top to bottom

Filmed guides of the world’s amazing cruise ports

Doris Visits does not collect data but our advertising partners may do. You are welcome to stop adverts, refuse cookies, and just enjoy the cruise with us.

DorisVisits.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by showing Amazon products. We joined to publish and sell our cruise novels. Please see Cruise Ship Heist. *Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. Doris Visits also participates in other affiliate programs, normally cruise or book related, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made using our the links we use you may assume links to third parties have these connections. You do not pay extra for ANY affiliate link you click, but that affiliate if they do pay us some money, is helping to pay for our server, widgets, apps and other tools we use to make this site work. To date we have never been a profit making site and the income from books supplements the cruise activity, help and advice we give. If in doubt, assume there may be a marketing link when you go through to a third party site. If you click links we use on other sites, used to drect you to cruise help, sites like Facebook, you should know that they replace our link with their own and that becomes the dominant link meaning they get paid the commission. The only site we can control is DorisVisits.com

Princess Cruises

Old itineraries from your cruise history

By philv , March 9, 2017 in Princess Cruises

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

I tried searching before but found no cruise detail on my account.

TravelingEA

I have an application called Tripit. Whenever I get a travel related email, it puts it into the app with the itinerary. It does keep the history, so I can look back. It keeps things like confirmation numbers etc.

The shipmate app shows old itineraries on just about all cruise lines going back many years. That's how I keep track of my cruises.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Try doing a search on CC for the Roll Call for the sale dates and ships that you were on. Usually people discuss the itinerary and activities for the sailing. I've found some good info on our past cruises doing that. Good luck.

For instance, any of these the one for your March, 2008 cruise? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/archive/index.php/f-297.html

The shipmate app shows old itineraries on just about all cruise lines going back many years. That's how I keep track of my cruises. Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Shipmate is free and you can enter past cruises and it seems to automagically know the itinerary. Of course I don't know how far back it would have the info. If you were cruising 20 years ago there was no such thing as an "app" and personal computers were not all that common either.

floridalover5623

When we started cruising I began an Excel spread sheet file after 4 or 5 cruises to keep track of things. Start one now before you forget any more information. :)

ggprincess2004

Going forward, if you save nothing else, save the patter from the first day, and also the log of the cruise. Those have the itinerary, and then the actual itinerary. If you have to renew a security clearance, apply for GOES, etc., you will need to know what countries you have visited in the last 5 - 7 years.

DrivesLikeMario

I don't remember having to list the countries we've visited for the last 5-7 years for our GOES application. That could really take a long time to write all that out! Did you, or others, have to spell them out? :confused:

shellbeachjim

Yes, it was required on the applications we filled out last year. I keep email folders for each of our vacations, so that was a big help. I usually include the year in the folder name to help keep things organized properly.

There are apps out there that have some of that information. However, I could not add my old cruises past 2000.

The last one that shows my previous itinerary is September 2001.

Princess only gives you the year, ship, and "where" of where you sailed, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, etc. Carnival gives you actual dates on their site. So I had to guess at my "actual" date on many Princess cruises. Still missing lots of cruises, but I have the bulk of them.

Oh yeah!! I had forgotten about that!! It's up for renewal every 5 years, isn't it? Well, I didn't do GOES, I did TSA-Precheck.

We only started cruising in 2011 so I have folders on the computers that have the itineraries, boarding passes, luggage tags, etc. Some folks have been cruising for a zillion years or so - maybe sailed with Leif Erickson. (:halo:) They won't have all their past info but they have some pretty amazing memories instead.

Nice suggestion.

I didn't start this until part way into our cruise history, but was able to reconstruct some of the early ones from memory (sketchy) and from photos and videos we took.

I agree. Start doing this immediately. We often refer to the records we have.

Thanks - I guess I've blocked that out! :D I keep a list in Word of our cruises which is just a quick reference to all of our cruises, the cabins we were in, the itinerary and date. Once I see that, I can remember what ports we went to. Photo albums help in a pinch!

I didn't start this until part way into our cruise history, but was able to reconstruct some of the early ones from memory (sketchy) and from photos and videos we took. I agree. Start doing this immediately. We often refer to the records we have.

It's only gets tougher as the years go on. ;)

I save my key cards. Before them, couldn't keep the actual keys. I have a paper boarding pass I always s thought was from Sky Princess in June of '96 to Alaska. Actually looked at it yesterday and it's April, which was not Sky Princess. It's black print on white paper in a soft plastic sleeve. So it was back in the metal keys days! No year, no ship name, but it does have a voyage number so I'm going to call Monday and try to track it down.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

Welcome to Cruise Critic
New Cruisers
Cruise Lines “A – O”
Cruise Lines “P – Z”
River Cruising
Cruise Critic News & Features
Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
Special Interest Cruising
Cruise Discussion Topics
UK Cruising
Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
Canadian Cruisers
North American Homeports
Ports of Call
Cruise Conversations

Announcements

New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started Friday at 07:21 PM

LauraS · Started Friday at 03:17 PM

LauraS · Started Thursday at 04:15 PM

LauraS · Started Thursday at 03:00 PM

LauraS · Started Thursday at 10:41 AM

Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
Find Your Roll Call
Meet & Mingle
Community Help Center
All Activity
Member Photo Albums
Meet & Mingle Photos
Favorite Cruise Memories
Cruise Food Photos
Cruise Ship Photos
Ports of Call Photos
Towel Animal Photos
Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
Write a Review
Live Cruise Reports
Member Cruise Reviews
Create New...

Princess Cruises Ships by Size, Age and Class (2022)

Princess Cruises has an active fleet of fifteen cruise ships with a further two ships on order (due 2023 and 2025).

In this guide, we will cover all the different ships in the Princess Cruises fleet and how they compare to each other.

Introduction to Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is an American cruise line which is part of the Carnival Corporation and sister to other brands such as Cunard Line , P&O Cruises and Holland America Line .

Its headquarters are based in Santa Clarita, California, however, some marketing activities are also carried out at Carnival House in Southampton, England.

The company itself was made famous by the television series, The Love Boat, however, it was founded in 1965 when Stanley McDonald chartered the original ship Princess Patricia to sail Mexican Riveria cruises when traditionally the ship would have been laid up for the winter.

Eventually, P&O Cruises acquired Princess in 1974, at that point the line had two ships – Island Princess and Pacific Princess .

Much later on, in 2003 when Carnival acquired P&O Princess Cruises (as it was then called) Carnival transferred operations of Princess Cruises over to America back from the UK.

Princess Cruises operate cruises worldwide – with many of their ships offering Alaskan itineraries and more recently several more of their ships now sailing from Southampton to Northern Europe, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean.

Princess Cruises Ships Frequently Asked Questions

What is the newest princess cruise ship.

Discovery Princess is the latest Princess cruise ship, she took her maiden voyage in March 2022

What is the oldest Princess cruise ship?

Grand Princess is currently the oldest Princess cruise ship. She was delivered in 1998.

What is the biggest Princess cruise ship?

Discovery Princess is the biggest Princess cruise ship. She is 145,000 GRT and can carry 3,660 passengers. Her sister Enchanted Princess is identical in size.

What is the smallest Princess cruise ship?

Coral Princess is the smallest Princess cruise ship. She weighs 91,627 GRT and can carry 2,000 passengers.

Where are the Princess cruise ships registered?

All of the Princess cruise ships are registered in the Bahamas. (Bermuda)

Can you smoke on Princess cruise ships?

You can only smoke in the designated areas on Princess ships. This is usually some bars, an area on the outside deck and various other venues. Smoking is not allowed on your balcony, in cafes or in restaurants.

How many Princess cruise ships are there?

There are fifteen Princess cruise ships currently in the fleet, with a further two ships on order.

Who owns Princess cruise ships?

Carnival Corporation owns Princess Cruises. It was originally part of P&O Cruises (who Carnival also now own).

Where do Princess cruise ships dock in Australia?

Princess cruise ships commonly dock in Sydney, Australia. More specifically they dock at the White Bay Cruise Terminal of the Overseas Passenger Terminal (Circular Quay West). Princess also sails out of Melbourne.

Which Princess ships go to Alaska?

Discovery Princess , Sapphire Princess , Majestic Princess and Crown Princess regularly sail to Alaska.

Are Carnival and Princess the same company?

Yes. Carnival Corporation is the parent company of Princess Cruises. Carnival Cruises is a brand of Carnival Corporation!

Princess Cruises Ships by Size (from largest to smallest)

What does ‘tonnage (grt)’ mean.

GRT (Gross Registered Tonnage) is a term used to calculate the volume inside a ship. It is a measure of cubic capacity and is calculated by the total volume from inside the hull and decks of the ship. 1 GRT = 100 cubic feet of space. In essence, the bigger the GRT – the more ‘space’ the ship has for passengers, cargo, etc.

How are ‘Passengers (Max)’ calculated?

You’ll see multiple numbers for passengers on ships – this is because many ships include extra beds in cabins (such as the sofa/couch can convert to a pull-out bed) – but the majority of cabins usually have 2 people in them. the ‘Max’ number is if every cabin used their additional pull-out bed, etc. This number is unlikely to be reached very frequently.

Princess Cruises Ships by Age (from newest to oldest)

Are all of princess cruises ships new builds.

Yes. All of the Princess ships are built specifically for the line. However, two of the design classes (Grand-class and Royal-class) have been used across sister brand P&O Cruises .

These include:

Ventura and Azura for P&O Cruises (Grand-class)
Britannia for P&O Cruises (Royal-class)

Princess Cruises Ships by Class (from newest to oldest)

Final thoughts.

Princess Cruises is a family-friendly cruise line with a reputation for great service and beautiful looking ships. Out of all the Carnival brands, Princess generally is first with new technologies (such as the Sea Medallion – a small device you wear that allows you to enter your cabin, pay for services and locate your family anywhere on the ship).

Princess has proved very popular in their Alaskan itineraries and also cruises from Australia and New Zealand. Recently, they have been offering near year-round cruises from Southampton over multiple ships as the market for new cruisers hots up in Europe.

Enjoyed this guide? Try reading about MSC Cruises , Disney Cruise Line , Royal Caribbean or Cunard Line !

Celebrity Cruises Ships by Size, Age and Class (2022)

Princess Cruises orders two new ships

MSC Magnifica Ultimate Buffet Guide

MSC Cruises Status Match – What is it?

Carnival Cruise Ships by Size and Age (2022)

MSC Magnifica Cabin and Experiences Guide

Princess Cruises welcomes its biggest ship ever with help from a star

It took a star to welcome the sun.

The Sun Princess , that is.

Princess Cruises on Tuesday officially hailed the arrival of its newest megavessel — at 177,882 tons, its biggest ever —with the help of "Ted Lasso" star Hannah Waddingham.

The Emmy Award-winning actress and singer presided over a star-studded 19-minute christening ceremony in the ship's Princess Arena theater that included a traditional bottle breaking, with a twist.

For more cruise news, guides and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Serving as the ship's godmother, Waddingham placed a triangular "sun ray" representing Sun Princess into a sun sculpture on stage to trigger the smashing of a huge bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne — a nebuchadnezzar that holds the equivalent of 20 traditional bottles — against the ship's hull.

"As much as theater ripples through my bloodstream, I have the strongest history of maritime in my family," a clearly proud Waddingham said moments before triggering the bottle smash.

She noted that her still-living, 107-year-old grandfather served on convoy ships crossing the Atlantic during World War II. She also grew up boating.

"It's in my blood and in my bones," she added.

Built at the giant Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, Sun Princess is the most notable new Princess ship to debut in more than a decade. Capable of holding up to 5,189 passengers (a record for a Princess ship), it's not only significantly bigger than previous Princess ships but packed with more onboard venues.

The naming celebration came two months after Sun Princess began sailing for the first time with paying passengers, a debut that was unexpectedly delayed by 20 days due to construction issues.

"Sun Princess is incredible. It's the largest, most luxurious love boat ever," John Padgett, Princess president, said at the event, harking back to the line's long-standing tie to the hit television show "The Love Boat" that ran in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Three stars from the show — Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell and Jill Whelan, who played bartender Isaac Washington, ship's doctor Adam Bricker and captain's daughter Vicki Stubing, respectively — were in attendance at the event.

The "Love Boat" stars were seated just a couple rows behind Carnival Corporation chairman Micky Arison and CEO Josh Weinstein.

Carnival Corporation is the parent company of Princess Cruises.

Makoto Okuwa, a James Beard Foundation honoree who designed a sushi eatery for Sun Princess, and Dario Cecchini, a celebrity Italian butcher who created a meat-focused restaurant for the ship, were also in attendance. So was the Brazilian artist Romero Britto, who sat to the right of Arison. Britto's colorful, upbeat art is the theme for the ship's high-end restaurant, Love by Britto.

Other celebrities at the event included model and television personality Tyra Banks, wildlife show host Jeff Corwin, fashion designer and television host Randy Fenoli and mixologist Rob Floyd. British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield performed her smash hit "Pocketful of Sunshine" among other hit songs on the top deck of the ship after the ceremony.

The biggest Princess ship ever

Under development for more than six years, Sun Princess is the first of the new Sphere Class of Princess vessels. The ships have been designed to be significantly bigger than previous Princess vessels and offer several new-for-the-line features.

First look: Inside Sun Princess, the giant new ship from Princess Cruises

Sun Princess is the first Princess ship with suites that come with exclusive access to a private restaurant, lounge and sun deck — part of an effort to draw more upscale customers to the brand.

Additionally, Sun Princess offers an innovative new type of "cabana cabin" on the ship's extra-wide 10th deck that features exclusive access to a private deck area. The top deck of the ship also received some unusual-for-Princess sizzle. Passengers will find a glass-dome-topped pool area that transforms into a nightspot after the sun goes down.

Other differences between Sun Princess and earlier Princess ships include the lack of a buffet restaurant on its main pool deck. But don't worry, buffet lovers: There still is a buffetlike venue on the ship. Called The Eatery, it's eight decks below the pool deck, closer to the ship's central piazza and just off its outside promenade.

The ship's main theater, the Princess Arena, also has a new look. Its new-for-Princess, in-the-round shape can be converted into a more traditional proscenium-type theater or a keyhole-type theater to allow for different types of productions.

Among other standout venues, Sun Princess features a secret hideaway for magical performances designed in partnership with the Magic Castle performance venue in Los Angeles.

Related: My strange night out at Princess's new magic-infused night spot

Princess also has revamped its main dining room program with the debut of Sun Princess. It now offers three distinct options for cruisers in its main dining rooms, ranging from a traditional fixed seating experience to a casual, come-when-you-want option that includes quick-served meals and even breakfast for dinner .

The arrival of Sun Princess marks the first time Princess has launched a new class of ship in nearly 11 years. With its debut, Princess now has 16 vessels in its fleet that collectively have room for about 50,000 passengers. That makes Princess the world's fifth-biggest cruise line, behind Royal Caribbean , Carnival Cruise Line , MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line .

Related: The 4 types of Princess ships, explained

Sun Princess is initially sailing in Europe through the fall. It'll then reposition to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for voyages to the Caribbean. Fares start at $577 per person, not including taxes and fees, for a seven-night Caribbean sailing.

A second ship in the new Sphere Class series, to be called Star Princess, is on order from the Fincantieri shipyard for delivery in 2025. Its first voyage is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2025, and will take place in the Mediterranean.

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

Bigger ship, better views: 3 takeaways from Princess Cruises' newest vessel

I was rushing to make my dinner reservation on Princess Cruises’ new ship. But when I arrived at the restaurant, the view made me stop.

From the windows at the sushi eatery Makoto Ocean – part of a sphere-shaped structure near the middle of the vessel – I saw the sun sinking below the horizon, a reddish-orange dot on the Mediterranean Sea. The Sun Princess facilitates scenes like that by design.

“We wanted to make sure that within how we designed the (venues) and placed the furniture, we gave maximum opportunity for our guests to be able to celebrate those outward views,” Denise Saviss, Princess’ vice president of entertainment experience, told USA TODAY. “It is really, really unique to have so much glass on the ship.”

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

That was one of several striking features during a recent sailing (the ship is now cruising the Mediterranean before it moves to the Caribbean in October). Here are three takeaways from the first in the line’s aptly named Sphere Class.

1. The design showcases views at sea and in port

Makoto isn’t the only venue that offers that kind of view.

Other spaces inside the Sphere – which also houses lobby-slash-entertainment venue The Piazza – feature similarly sweeping vistas across decks 7, 8 and 9. I watched the light sparkle on the water while I sipped coffee one morning at International Café, and patrons dining at Alfredo’s Pizzeria can take in the scenery during their meal from many seats.

That’s also true elsewhere on the ship. At Horizons Dining Room, floor-to-ceiling windows face the ship’s wake. At the other end of the vessel, the Dome, a geodesic structure that Princess has said was inspired by the hills of Santorini, is like a massive solarium.

The space – which will also host shows including acrobatics – has multiple tiers of loungers, an indoor-outdoor pool and the Cascade Bar (which comes in handy for cooling off, as it felt a bit muggy in the Dome at one point on a sunny sea day).

The overall effect helped to bring the outside in.

2. The ship is bigger but still intimate

Sun Princess is the largest ship in the Princess fleet, and the 21-deck vessel can accommodate 4,300 guests. But that doesn’t mean everything is huge.

Given the scale of the offerings, a number of spaces on board feel notably intimate. One night, I walked to Good Spirits at Sea, a cocktail bar crafted in partnership with mixologist Rob Floyd that also hosts classes, and thought I was lost before stumbling upon it tucked around a corner on Deck 7. Inside, the 40-person venue offered a laid-back alternative to other more boisterous nightlife options.

On Deck 9, the ship’s buffet-like venue, The Eatery, gives way to narrower hallways toward the aft with backlit wood paneling and benches. At the end, they open back up to reveal specialty restaurants The Catch by Rudi and The Butcher’s Block by Dario (from Princess’ head of culinary arts, Rudi Sodamin, and in partnership with famed butcher Dario Cecchini, respectively).

Even the multi-configuration Princess Arena felt cozier than its near-1,000-guest capacity would suggest. I sat in the second-to-last row of my section for a performance by the vocal group ODY·C and was still close enough to see clearly.

3. The line leans into family-friendly activities

Part of Sun Princess’ expanded footprint has been used to broaden the line’s family offerings.

Park19, a new space on the ship’s top decks, features a variety of activities in an open-air setting. Saviss said the line worked to balance the interests of core customers and a growing family market “and make sure we're prioritizing spaces that everybody can enjoy.”

“There are some attractions that I think naturally, at first blush, people would say, ‘Oh, it's just for kids,’ but actually, the space is really comprehensive,” she said. “Our attractions are available for many different levels of ability and mobility.”

Those include Coastal Climb, an obstacle course that culminates in 360-degree views from The Lookout observation deck (the highest point accessible to guests on the ship, also reachable via elevator) and The Net ropes course.

On Sea Breeze, billed as the first Rollglider on a cruise ship, passengers will glide along the outer edges of the ship on an electric track (the ride will also be ADA-accessible, though Saviss said some mobility is required for maneuvering into the seat).

It’s as close as the ship gets to an amusement park (Princess’ version). “We're not running the rat race, if you will, of like, who can do it bigger, better,” Saviss said. “If you want to just have a really incredible bird's-eye view of Sun Princess, and in and around where the ship is sailing, you can do that. But there is an option to push a little lever while you're riding it and dial up the speed a bit faster, and then it does become a bit more thrilling.”

The ride was not yet available when I was on board, as the line moved through a testing, certification and training process, but is expected to open on April 27. Sun Princess’ original launch was delayed with the cruise line citing “additional technical work” needed at the shipyard, which pushed back the opening of some onboard amenities.

When is the best time to take a cruise?: We broke it down by region.

There is also a hammock area to chill when guests need a break, a recreational court that can host activities from pingpong to morning meditation, a jogging track and more. Elsewhere on board, guests will find the Firefly Park kids club and hangout spaces Neon Grove and The Underground for tweens and teens, respectively.

The reporter on this story received access to this sailing from Princess Cruises. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bigger ship, better views: 3 takeaways from Princess Cruises' newest vessel

Sun Princess is the first ship in the Sphere Class.

Princess Cruises' Star Princess ship delayed, 9 sailings canceled

Travelers will have to wait longer than planned to sail on Princess Cruises’ upcoming ship.

The delivery of Star Princess, which was set to debut next summer, will be pushed back by about two months. The cruise line said the delay was a “mutual” decision with shipbuilder Fincantieri.

“Following a comprehensive review of the remaining construction milestones, both parties have elected to adjust the ship's delivery date from July 29, 2025 to September 26, 2025, which will result in the cancellation of the nine inaugural sailings,” Princess said in a news release .

Guests whose cruises are impacted will be able to rebook on any Princess ship and, depending on which sailing they pick, receive future cruise and onboard credits. They will also be able to opt for a full refund of their fare instead.

“Despite our collective dedication and relentless pursuit to deliver the ship in late July, it has become evident that additional time is required to ensure the Star Princess is delivered to the highest standards expected by our guests,” Princess Cruises President John Padgett said in the release.

Your cruise was canceled: Now what?

The ship’s new inaugural itineraries will include 11 and seven-day Mediterranean cruises on Oct. 4 and 15, 2025, respectively. Those will be followed by a two-week transatlantic voyage to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Oct. 22, 2025.

Those sailings will be available to book on April 30.

Star Princess will be the second in the line’s Sphere Class. Sister ship Sun Princess was also delayed ahead of its launch earlier this year, with Princess citing “additional technical work” needed at the shipyard.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

We couldn’t find any results matching your search.

Please try using other words for your search or explore other sections of the website for relevant information.

We’re sorry, we are currently experiencing some issues, please try again later.

Our team is working diligently to resolve the issue. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Princess Cruises Unveils Exclusive New Sanctuary Collection Aboard Sun Princess and Star Princess

New Category Offers Unprecedented Level of Exclusivity and Premium Extras Aboard Newest Ships from Princess

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. , April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Elevating the art of relaxation and serenity, Princess Cruises is introducing exclusive, next-level Sanctuary Collection aboard Sun Princess and Star Princess, as these newest ships prepare to debut with this select, all-inclusive oasis in early 2024.

As the name suggests, guests reserving in the Sanctuary Collection enjoy exclusive access to the ship's top deck retreat area, along with a host of additional and high-end amenities designed to enhance their voyage. These indulgences include exclusive private dining and relaxation areas, a luxurious stateroom experience, as well as the Princess Premier bundle to round out the all-inclusive allure of the Sanctuary experience.

Aboard Sun Princess, the luxurious, spa-inspired, top-deck Sanctuary Club , is now reserved exclusively for Sanctuary Collection guests who access the private entry via their Princess Medallion. In the adults-only (16 and up) area, guests enjoy plush lounge furniture, private cabanas, pool and jacuzzi, attentive service, soothing music, refreshing beverages, and light fare. The Club also features exclusive programming, including sunrise yoga classes and sail-away receptions.

Other Sanctuary Collection amenities include priority specialty restaurant reservations, and premium stateroom amenities.

The new Sanctuary Collection aboard Sun Princess includes three levels of stateroom types – Signature Collection Suites (80), Mini Suites (123), and Premium Deluxe Balconies (12).

"Our new Sanctuary Collection offers guests those ultra-private, tucked away spaces that rival any high-end resort and surpasses the offerings of comparable cruise lines featuring similar ship-within-a-ship amenities," said John Padgett , president of Princess Cruises . "With spacious and well-appointed accommodations, along with an array of premium extras and its exclusivity, our new Sanctuary Collection delivers the ultimate in access and indulgence to deliver an unparalleled experience."

Sanctuary Collection staterooms on Sun Princess and Star Princess go on sale today. Guests who have booked as of April 23, 2024 already have reserved Sanctuary Collection staterooms on either ship will receive the additional amenities outlined at no additional cost, excluding the premier bundle.

The 177,500-ton, 4,300-guest Sun Princess offers an array of exciting new culinary and entertainment offerings, as well as luxurious staterooms and suites across a broad spectrum of categories. With the most balconies and sun decks on any Princess ship, guests can take in the sunshine and crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean and Caribbean from the comfort of their stateroom.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com .

About Princess Cruises Princess Cruises is The Love Boat, the world's most iconic cruise brand that delivers dream vacations to millions of guests every year in the most sought-after destinations on the largest ships that offer elite service personalization and simplicity customary of small, yacht-class ships. Well-appointed staterooms, world class dining, grand performances, award-winning casinos and entertainment, luxurious spas, imaginative experiences and boundless activities blend with exclusive Princess MedallionClass service to create meaningful connections and unforgettable moments in the most incredible settings in the world - the Caribbean , Alaska , Panama Canal , Mexican Riviera, Europe , South America , Australia / New Zealand , the South Pacific, Hawaii , Asia , Canada /New England, Antarctica, and World Cruises . The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).

SOURCE Princess Cruises

In This Story

To add symbols:

Type a symbol or company name. When the symbol you want to add appears, add it to My Quotes by selecting it and pressing Enter/Return.
Copy and paste multiple symbols separated by spaces.

These symbols will be available throughout the site during your session.

Your symbols have been updated

Edit watchlist.

Type a symbol or company name. When the symbol you want to add appears, add it to Watchlist by selecting it and pressing Enter/Return.

Opt in to Smart Portfolio

Smart Portfolio is supported by our partner TipRanks. By connecting my portfolio to TipRanks Smart Portfolio I agree to their Terms of Use .

Election Results
The Political Beat
Latest Links
Continuing Coverage
Talking About Race
Power Grid Security
Black History in the Carolinas
Streaming/Mobile Apps
Newsletter Sign-up (Opens in new window)
Severe Weather Resources
Interactive Radar
7-Day Forecast
Tracking the Tropics
Hour by Hour
Video Forecast
School Closings
Report Closings
Closings Instructions
WSOCTV Weather Apps
Live Stream
WSOC 24/7 News
Weather 24/7
NeighborhoodTV
The $pend $mart Stream
Law & Crime
Curiosity NOW
9 Investigates
Carolina Panthers
Charlotte FC
High School Football
Black History Month
Carolinas Get Real
Priced Out Of Charlotte
Mental Health Resources
Faces of Pride
Family Focus
9 Food Drive
9 School Tools
Steves Coats
9 Crisis Help
Carolina Strong
COVID-19 Community Resources
Back to School
Steals and Deals
Contests (Opens in new window)
Advertise with Us
Daily 2 Video
Toyota of North Charlotte
What's on Channel 9
What's On TV64
Closed Captioning
Visitor Agreement
Privacy Policy
Celebrando la Herencia Hispana
Programas de Telemundo
Share Your Pics!

Norovirus on Princess, Royal Caribbean cruises sickens nearly 200 people

Norovirus breakout sickens nearly 200 FILE PHOTO: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: The Sapphire Princess docks at Circular Quay December 23, 2004 in Sydney, Australia. The Sapphire Princess is one of the ships where a norovirus outbreak was reported. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images/Getty Images)

Outbreaks of norovirus have sickened nearly 200 people on Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International ships in the past few weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

>> Read more trending news

Ninety-four guests and 20 crew members on the Sapphire Princess reported being ill during a round-trip cruise that left Los Angeles and had stops in Hawaii and the South Pacific. The cruise began April 5 and will end on May 7, according to CruiseMapper .

According to the CDC , 67 guests and two crew members reported being sick during a Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas cruise from Tampa to Los Angeles that ended April 22.

“At the first sign of an increase in the numbers of passengers reporting to the medical center with gastrointestinal illness, we immediately initiated additional enhanced sanitation procedures to interrupt the person-to-person spread of this virus,” a Princess spokesperson told USA Today in an emailed statement.

“Our sanitation program, developed in coordination with the CDC, includes disinfection measures, isolation of ill passengers and communication to passengers about steps they can take to stay well while onboard.”

Since January, there have been three confirmed norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships under U.S. jurisdiction, according to NBC .

Norovirus is circulating at the highest level since April 2023 in various parts of the U.S., CDC records show . The highly contagious virus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis, or an inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines. It leads to intense bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps.

Symptoms usually begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure. Most people will recover on their own within three days but can spread the virus for up to a week.

Key Bridge: 1st container ship reaches Port of Baltimore since bridge collapse
Ryan Gosling surprises Universal Studios Hollywood guests at stunt show
Pandas to return to US; pair to live at San Diego Zoo
At least 4 killed, 100 injured after tornadoes hit Oklahoma
3 Louisiana police officers wounded, gunman killed in violent standoff

Former NFL Super Bowl Champion arrested in Meck County

$850k in damages reported, 30 people displaced following large apartment fire in south Charlotte

One seriously hurt in north Charlotte shooting, MEDIC says

Former NFL lineman Korey Cunningham found dead in his house

Southwest Charlotte bridge closed due to repairs

Protect Your Trip »

The 10 best cruises for teens in 2024.

The best cruises for teens provide the right mix of autonomy and time with family.

The Best Cruises for Teens

At Edge aboard the Disney Wish, tweens ages 11 to 14 years old play games and make new friends in a bright, colorful hangout inspired by a chic New York City loft.

Amy Smith | Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

Teen spaces on cruise ships foster friendships through games, music, events and more.

Cruises make the perfect family vacation, especially when traveling with teens. Teens can mix and mingle with others their age in teens-only clubs, play games, listen to music, or grab a pizza and watch a movie under the stars. If your tweens and teens need more action-packed fun to keep them entertained, some cruise ships act like floating amusement parks with zip lines, racetracks, roller coasters, ice skating rinks, laser tag, waterslides and more.

The following lines offer the best cruises for teens and tweens, along with their parents.

Find your perfect cruise

MSC Cruises

Courtesy of MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises offers plenty of family fun and activities for teens on its ships, including sports tournaments, waterslides and a family disco. On select ships, you'll also find the full-size MSC Formula Racer simulator, an interactive XD cinema, a virtual reality experience, zip lines and an arcade room. The Young Club programming by MSC Cruises offers daily activities for 12- to 14-year-old tweens, while teens 15 to 17 can participate in sports and dance competitions as well as video game tournaments at the Teen Club. Older kids can also participate in fun themed events, karaoke, piloting practice at the Drone Academy and flash mobs – and there's a teens-only disco.

On MSC Seascape , teens can stay busy in three new concept spaces. "Future" features a state-of-the-art technology area with the latest-generation consoles, VR and video screens for hours of entertainment. "Chill Out" is just as it sounds – a place to hang out, chat, and play foosball and pingpong. Meanwhile, "Music" is a dance club where kids can choose their own tunes and dance the night away with cool lighting and sound effects. If all that isn't enough, Robotron, the first of its kind at sea, is an amusement park-like ride that combines the thrill of a roller coaster with personalized music and lighting.

MSC World Europa boasts the largest and most engaging kids area in the fleet with an impressive 8,245 square feet of action-packed space. The new Teens Lab features an immersive area for teenagers with more than 20 of the latest consoles, seven VR stations and dozens of video games. Drone Academy 2.0 is a high-energy relay race for drones. There's even more onboard fun at Z Active, a sports program that offers basketball, football and zorb ball alongside two firsts for the line – pickleball and hoverboards. Teens can also take a spin on the bumper cars at the MSC Sportplex.

MSC Euribia – the line's newest ship, which set sail on its inaugural cruise in June 2023 – has a total of 7,500-plus square feet of space dedicated to kids ages 0 to 17. The new Teens Club Extra Space offers three different areas: the Young Club (ages 12 to 14), the Teens Club (15 to 17) and the Teens Lab (12 to 17). Some of the activities include those found on other MSC ships, such as Z Active, Drone Academy 2.0 and the MSC Dance Crew competition. Teens will also have access to new video games; pingpong; World Quest, an interactive game show based on trivia and geography; and Caravaggio, an immersive spy game show about an art heist.

Compare MSC Cruises on GoToSea , a service of U.S. News.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line boasts a teens-only venue, Entourage, which caters to young adults 13 to 17 years old. This supervised space – available on 16 of the line's 19 ships – keeps teens busy in an adults-free lounge that's filled with video games, movies, music, arts and sports. Teen counselors on Norwegian Cruise Line plan activities and challenges to keep kids entertained throughout the cruise. A list of detailed activities is available on embarkation day so teens can plan out their schedule for the cruise.

Norwegian Prima , the first vessel in the Prima class, features many first-at-sea innovations perfect for entertaining families and energetic teens, including the three-level Prima Speedway. With cars reaching up to 30 miles per hour, this quarter-mile-long racetrack is one of the highest-rated attractions on Prima. Adventurous teens will also want to check out The Drop and The Rush. Billed as the fastest slides at sea, these chutes offer thrill-seekers a heart-pumping 10-story freefall plunge.

If that's not enough action, teens can also play The Bull's Eye, a classic game of darts that uses a video tracking system, or check out Tee Time for a pumped-up version of mini-golf set against a Las Vegas backdrop. In the Galaxy Pavilion, an indoor gaming complex, you'll find more than a dozen attractions, including immersive simulator experiences, escape rooms and the Topgolf Swing Suite – all of which are unique to Norwegian Prima. When it's time to cool off, the Tidal Wave waterslide is another first for the brand, letting guests ride inner tubes to catch the surf.

Norwegian Viva, the second vessel in the Prima class, is set to launch in August 2023. As the newest ship in NCL's fleet, Viva will also feature these exciting high-tech attractions, including Viva Speedway. If you and your teens are fans of the movie "Beetlejuice," you're in for a treat: The Broadway musical adaptation will debut on the new ship.

The line's Breakaway Plus class – Norwegian Escape , Joy , Bliss and Encore – is also popular with families as these ships offer plenty of activities and attractions suited for active teens, such as go-kart tracks, outdoor laser tag and VR games in the Galaxy Pavilion.

Find Norwegian Cruise Line deals on GoToSea .

Disney Cruise Line

Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line features two cool spaces dedicated to teens and tweens, who can hang out on comfy couches, watch shows or movies, and play video games. These hangouts, called Edge (for ages 11 to 14) and Vibe (ages 14 to 17), are available on all Disney Cruise Line ships.

On Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream , the space at Vibe also features a private outdoor deck with chaise lounges, wading pools, foosball and more. While indoors, teenagers can mingle with others their age, or just kick back and relax in individual nooks. There's a dance club area for karaoke contests, talent shows and dance competitions. The trendy indoor-outdoor space – at almost 9,000 square feet – is accessible with a teens-only card or DisneyBand+. On the new Disney Wish ship, Vibe has a French twist inspired by a Paris artist's loft with neon signs and funk pop art.

For tweens sailing on Disney Fantasy or Dream, Edge is a bright, loft-style gathering spot – located in the funnel – that has individual computer stations for gaming and a massive video wall for screening television, movies and games. There's also a lit-up dance floor for dance parties. Two nifty features of the space – and its location – are views of the pool decks below as well as three portholes that allow for glimpses of the riders on the water coaster, AquaDuck, as they zoom by.

On the first night of the cruise, kids receive information on what activities and events will be available during their vacation so they can curate a personalized entertainment itinerary. Some fun options throughout the week may include "Gotcha," a game of elimination where one teen will become the ultimate victor. For a special treat – and a bit of pampering – guests ages 13 to 17 won't want to miss an afternoon at Chill Spa, located inside Senses Spa & Salon.

Book a Disney cruise on GoToSea .

Royal Caribbean International

Michel Verdure | Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

The newly updated space for teens 13 to 17 years old on Royal Caribbean International vessels is hidden behind a secret speakeasy entrance. The dedicated venue, which has a gaming lounge and music, is a cozy place to hang out to meet other teens on the ship. There's also an outdoor patio where you can relax in the sun or chill out under the stars. Teens will find planned activities throughout the day at the lounge, including sports tournaments, a nightly teen disco and themed parties.

Social 100 is an exclusive new space for ages 13 to 17 on Wonder of the Seas . The outdoor space sits next to the waterslides and boasts a hot tub, lawn games, cozy seating, a selfie area, and a bar serving zero-proof cocktails and shakes. The indoor part of Social 100 features a gaming area, foosball tables, a vending machine and more comfortable spaces for teens to mingle.

Teens have plenty of activities they can do with their families on Royal Caribbean's ships, especially on the new Icon of the Seas, the first vessel in the Icon class. Slated for its inaugural sailing in January 2024, Wonder of the Seas will be the world's largest cruise ship . Cruisers of all ages will have endless opportunities for fun with more venues, activities and attractions than you've ever seen on a cruise ship.

Teens and their parents will appreciate Chill Island, a three-level pool deck with the first swim-up bar at sea. The new water park, Thrill Island, boasts six waterslides, including exciting firsts at sea, such as Pressure Drop, the first open freefall slide. If that's not enough to get the adrenaline pumping, teens can check out Crown's Edge – a combination thrill ride, skywalk and ropes course – or other Royal Caribbean favorites like Adrenaline Peak, Sports Court, the FlowRider surf simulator or the reimagined mini-golf course.

If you're hanging out in the new Surfside neighborhood on Icon, a dedicated space for young families, teens will have easy access to the supervised teens-only club, Social 020, from this open-air space.

When you head ashore to Perfect Day in CocoCay, one of the best cruise line private islands , teen cruisers will find plenty of fun land-based activities like Thrill Waterpark and 1,600-foot-long zip lines. Be sure not to miss another thrilling experience: Up, Up and Away. The helium balloon ride soars 450 feet above the ground to the highest vantage point in the Bahamas , offering incredible panoramic views of the island and surrounding turquoise waters.

Explore Royal Caribbean cruises on GoToSea .

Holland America Line

Michel Verdure | Courtesy of Holland America Line

The Kids Club on Holland America Line offers a fun supervised program for 13- to 17-year-old guests in an adult-free zone known as The Loft. The name is in the process of changing to High Score!, and you'll already find the updated concept on Oosterdam and Eurodam . The line's other ships will change over to the new venue throughout 2024. High Score! is a family game room that serves as a secret getaway for teens by day. In the evenings, entire families can come to play skeeball, board games and join in other activities.

The teens-only space (during the day) on Holland America Line resembles a New York artists loft where kids can listen to music, watch movies, play games and meet and hang out with same-age cruisers. Programs and activities at the current space, The Loft, include themed events, karaoke, a teen disco and nighttime activities such as Poker Night and video game tournaments. Youths can also participate in pingpong, basketball and other teens-only sporting events. If they still need more entertainment to keep them busy, the Kids Club offers origami lessons and watercolor painting as well as competitions in "Mario Kart," air hockey, foosball, pinball and more.

The Kids Club is complimentary for guests. The space is open daily, and you'll also find teen events around the ship. When it comes to dining, there are many teen-friendly dining options – where teens can even enjoy mocktails like nonalcoholic mojitos – at venues throughout the ship.

If you're cruising to Alaska with Holland America or other adventure-filled destinations, look for excursions that will appeal to younger family members like zip lining tours, trail hikes, float trips, helicopter tours and wilderness safaris. Alaska is a teen favorite, especially in Skagway (one of Alaska's top destinations ), where travelers can get a thrill out of dog mushing with a team of Alaskan huskies, taking a ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, or going on a rock climbing excursion.

Find Holland America Line cruises on GoToSea .

Tips on Trips and Expert Picks Newsletter

Travel tips, vacation ideas and more to make your next vacation stellar.

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

Princess Cruises

Courtesy of Princess Cruises

The modern Beach House lounge is the go-to place for passengers ages 13 to 17 to socialize and meet others their age when sailing on a Princess Cruises ship. Fun activities for teens include late-night movies and tournaments where they can challenge their peers in video games or at air hockey, foosball and table tennis. For more energetic activities, join in the fun during indoor dodgeball and basketball games. Or, learn new dance moves from some of the dancers in the crew, then hit the dance floor for one of the competitions. At the "Rock the Boat Party," teenagers can dress up and party the night away with mocktails and new friends on the ship.

"Movies Under the Stars" is one of Princess' signature events. Guests can watch movies, sporting events and concerts while bundled up with cozy blankets on the pool deck outdoors. Teens will enjoy the complimentary snacks – not to mention the special movie nights designed with them in mind, such as "Scary Movie Night." You might even find teen makeovers and glitter tattoos some evenings on the ship.

The line's three newest ships – Discovery Princess , Enchanted Princess and Sky Princess – offer the most activities for teens, but all of the ships in the fleet host youth programs in partnership with Discovery, along with plenty of other family-friendly activities. These offerings include Discovery Family and Animal Planet shore excursions and onboard entertainment like "The Voice of the Ocean," a musical competition.

Parents will be able to keep track of their busy teens anywhere on the ship with the state-of-the-art Princess MedallionClass system. The quarter-size wearable medallion and accompanying app allow guests to personalize their itinerary and locate family members and friends on board.

When Sun Princess launches in February 2024, as the first vessel in the line's Sphere class, it will feature Park19. This top-deck family activity zone boasts many outdoor adventures, including Sea Breeze – the first Rollglider at sea. The ADA-accessible seated ride offers a hang-gliding experience with panoramic views of the ocean and ports of call. Families and teens can also check out the climbing obstacle course, cargo nets and lookout points. The ship also has a recreational court – which offers pingpong, shuffleboard, fitness classes and more – and a splash zone where you can cool off after all the outdoor activities.

Inside Sun Princess, tweens and teens will find two centers just for them: Neon Grove and The Underground. Both spaces offer cozy and colorful areas for young adults to hang out, socialize, and play video games on the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. They'll also find foosball, skeeball and air hockey on top of planned activities like movie nights, dance parties and scavenger hunts.

Explore Princess Cruises on GoToSea .

Adventures by Disney

Adventures by Disney offers river and expedition cruises for the whole family; the itineraries span many choices and experiences for tweens and teens with a focus on culture, history, gastronomy and adventure. The river cruises are operated in partnership with AmaWaterways, while the expedition cruises are a collaboration with luxury French cruise line Ponant.

If you're sailing on the Adventures by Disney Rhine River Cruise itinerary, for example, guests can choose between various exciting excursions. While you're docked in Strasbourg, France , for the day, teen-friendly options include a tour of the Black Forest, complete with a toboggan run and a visit to a woodworking museum. Another choice here is to visit Germany's Europa-Park, a one-of-a-kind theme park located between the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains. In Melk, Austria, on the Danube itinerary, families can go for a bike ride along the Danube River, hike to the castle in Dürnstein or visit a family-run apricot farm.

Another great feature of these cruises is that teens can opt to have dinner and evening get-togethers with same-age cruisers, so they don't have to dine with their parents or younger siblings every night. Adventure Guides also curate special activities for teens like game shows and pool parties.

In destinations like Antarctica, the Adriatic and the Galápagos Islands , expert naturalists lead tours during these bucket list trips. You might even find a bit of Disney storytelling woven into the presentations by the Adventure Guides.

Keep in mind if you have younger kids as well as teens that children need to be 5 or older to sail on the river cruises. For the Galápagos Islands expedition cruises, the minimum age for Junior Adventurers is 7, and for expeditions to the polar regions, kids need to be 10 years of age or older.

Read: The Best Cruise Insurance Plans

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Celebration in Caribbean waters.

Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Celebration, which launched in November 2022, is the line's newest Excel-class ship. It features an expanded family and youth program, including its offerings for teens. The line also rolled out the new program fleetwide in spring 2023.

The Carnival Cruise Line teen programming at Circle "C" is for tweens ages 12 to 14, while Club O2 is for ages 15 to 17. In these venues you'll find entertainment like themed dance parties – and even a Carnival prom – as well as video games, movies and karaoke. Circle "C" stands for "Cruise, chill and connect," and that's what teens can do in this colorful, contemporary space with engaging counselors. New activities include anime drawing lessons and pop culture games at Circle "C." Older teens can foster new friendships while engaging in Japanese crafts and authentic tea ceremonies at Club O2.

Teens will appreciate Carnival's onboard water park, Waterworks, which includes a splash park and slides. Carnival Panorama even has the trampoline park Skyzone. Teenage passengers won't want to miss the first roller coaster at sea, BOLT, on Excel-class ships: Mardi Gras , Celebration and the upcoming Jubilee, scheduled to launch in December 2023.

For even more action, Vista-class ships feature Skyride. This two-lane, bike-like ride is suspended above the top deck of the ships and extends out over the ocean. More indoor fun can be found at Thrill Theater (on Horizon and Vista ), an immersive cinematic experience where you'll feel the seat rumble, the wind blow through your hair and even a spritz of water during the action-packed video.

Book a Carnival cruise on GoToSea .

Celebrity Cruises

Michel Verdure | Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

This line's Teen Club features activities focused on kids 13 to 17. Some of the events offered for teens in the Camp at Sea program on Celebrity Cruises range from video game tournaments and sports competitions to culinary classes and silent disco parties. Teen cruisers can even book glass-blowing classes on Celebrity Solstice , Equinox and Eclipse . The offerings for young passengers are similar at either The Basement on Edge-series ships ( Edge , Apex , Beyond and Ascent, set to launch in November 2023) or at X Club on Solstice- and Millennium-class ships. Note, however, the line's three Galápagos expedition vessels do not have the teen venues. Families who need accessible accommodations, activities and programs will also find autism-friendly cruises on Celebrity.

When it comes to pampering, Celebrity's spas offer spa menus for 13- to 17-year-olds. Teens can book facials that are designed for young sensitive skin or have express pedicures and manicures. When you're ready to relax, schedule a two-by-two massage, where parents and kids can have a side-by-side treatment.

Celebrity also offers family-focused excursions that highlight cultural attractions, wildlife sightings and adventure. Some of these tours include seeing gentoo, king and Magellanic penguins in the Falkland Islands; taking an aerial tram through the treetop canopies of a rainforest in Costa Rica ; and going on a small culinary or sightseeing group excursion in Europe and other destinations around the world. On Caribbean sailings – especially when school is out for summer or on holidays – Celebrity has additional family-friendly shore excursions on its five- and seven-night sailings.

Find a Celebrity Cruises deal on GoToSea .

Cunard Line

Cunard Line offers programs and activities for passengers ages 13 to 17 years old in its Teen Zone. This dedicated space is a place for teens to hang out with cruisers their own age and play video and team games, table tennis, and more. On the first day of the cruise, you'll find an activity program for young guests delivered to the stateroom so your teens can plan out their vacation experience, which may include entertaining theme days, deck sports, quizzes and dancing at the disco.

Teens on Cunard Line can participate in the activities around the ship, hit the pool for a dip, practice their putting or try their hand at croquet. If you're sailing on Queen Mary 2, those interested in science, wildlife and the solar system can watch up to four 3D films a day (on sea days) in the largest planetarium at sea.

Compare Cunard Line cruises on GoToSea .

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Gwen Pratesi has been an avid cruiser since her early 20s. She's sailed to destinations around the globe on nearly every type of cruise ship built, including the newest megaships, luxury yachts, traditional masted sailing ships, and expedition vessels in Antarctica and the Galápagos. Pratesi covers the travel and cruise industries for major publications, including U.S. News & World Report.

Top Resorts Where Kids Stay Free

Two kids in the pool smiling at the camera at Woodlock Resort.

Tags: Travel , Cruises , Family Vacations

World's Best Places To Visit

# 1 South Island, New Zealand
# 4 Bora Bora

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

The Best Beach Hats

Megan Johnson and Sharael Kolberg April 26, 2024

The Best Florence Tours

John Rodwan April 25, 2024

The 9 Best Louisiana Swamp Tours of 2024

John Rodwan April 24, 2024

How Much Does a Cruise Cost?

Gwen Pratesi April 24, 2024

The Best Whale Watching in Cape Cod

Lyn Mettler April 24, 2024

Best Whale Watching Tours in Maine

Marisa Méndez April 23, 2024

The Best Wineries in Napa Valley

April 23, 2024

The Best East Coast Beaches

April 19, 2024

The Best Carry-on Luggage

Erin Evans , Rachael Hood , Catriona Kendall , Amanda Norcross and Leilani Osmundson April 17, 2024

Access Your Cruise Experience - Log In or Sign Up

Create an account.

Receive special offers
Manage your cruises
Access the MedallionClass™ app
Manage your Captain's Circle Account

Entertainment
Celebrities
Ticket Sales
Promoted: What to Watch on Prime Video

trending now

NYC firefighter, 36, dies of heart attack after being fired to...

Slack co-founder's missing teen found in van with 26-year-old...

I worked cruises for years — here are 6 things I'd never do on...

We've finally found an issue that unites the country — Trump's...

Joe Biden is far from 'decent' despite what the media and...

NBA coach carried off court after scary collision -- serious knee...

Teacher, 26, charged with sexually abusing boy she met at church...

Hotel in trendy NYC neighborhood quietly converted into shelter...

Breaking news, kate middleton disproves major prince harry claim.

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

Hear the words “royal bride” and I’m assuming we all immediately conjure the same image: An immaculately well-bred woman with a pedigree that predates the Norman Conquest.

(That bloody Frenchie William and his expansionist notions.)

A woman who has grown up in some stately pile where the genteelly leaking roof might drip on the occasional Holbein and flatulent ancient labradors stumbling about the place.

A woman who can bag a pheasant and an earl’s son on the same day without once dropping her drink and a woman totally bereft of anything so dull as professional ambition.

Prince William , to his eternal credit, was having none of it.

This Monday will mark 13 years since he wed middle-class university graduate Kate Middleton , officially marking her transition from Bucklebury convenience store regular (Haribo sweets were a particular favorite) to future Queen.

(Haribo sweets, I’m assuming, are still a particular favorite. In fact, that shop’s owners Hash and Chan Shingadia were invited to the wedding.)

But have we fundamentally misunderstood, mislabeled and mistaken what Kate is really about?

And not just us but Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex too?

Harry spent the royal wedding day in 2011 seeming totally enamored with his incoming sister-in-law, grinning and looking like a man with a generous hip flask concealed somewhere on his person.

Catherine Princess of Wales during a visit to the Windsor Family Hub on June 06, 2023 in Windsor, England.

A decade and a bit later and he was singing a very different tune.

In December 2022 the Duke popped up on TV screens to suggest to the world that the Waleses’ rose-tinted romance and all the “happily ever after” froth wasn’t a case of love conquering all but of weak-kneed capitulation and of pragmatism winning out.

“I think for so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mold as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with,” Harry told the Netflix cameras.

“The difference between making decisions with your head or your heart. And my mum certainly made most of her decisions, if not all of them, from her heart. And I am my mother’s son.”

Golly gosh darn – whoever could the duke have been talking about?

Could the implication be that the Duke of Sussex had followed his heart all the way to Meghan and her authentic self while “Willy” had essentially caved and wed a woman who “fit the mold” and wouldn’t mind spending her Thursdays forever more in Bermondsey opening new rec centers?

At the time that “Harry & Meghan” came out, while this particular “mold” declaration of Harry’s got some media pick up, it also got lost in the wash of the stream of other revelations and clangers from the couple’s singing-for-their-supper series.

But as we approach the Waleses’ wedding anniversary, we need to talk about how the wild, weird events of 2024 so far have proven the extent to which Kate cannot be written off as some mold-fitting docile popsy.

The thing is, Kate looks like a Good Girl.

She has the wavy, bouncy hair, the nice wardrobe, and she has never once thought “f—k it” and gone out on the lash with sister Pippa using the Duchy of Cornwall Amex.

Somehow the princess has managed the extraordinary feat of not once in her 4748 days (truly) of royaling to look bored senseless while making chitchat with retirees holding small flags in regional market town squares.

Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis announcement

However, you know what they say about appearances.

Harry might have seemingly written-off Kate with his Netflix “mold” comment but the Princess of Wales has turned out to be something of a surprise package.

Famed Australian essayist Charmian Clift talked about her work representing “sneaky little revolutions” and I think that phrase perfectly sums up the Princess of Wales’ approach to her royal life.

Consider the fact that, right now, the Princess has not made an official public appearance in more than four months besides releasing her truly shocking March video revealing she has cancer.

The royal diktat goes, duty first. Health, relationships, personal wellbeing, sanity and parenting are all meant to come second to the grinding, onerous drumbeat of royal work.

Yet this year Kate, wholly with the support of William, has put her recovery and her family ahead of the dreaded d-word.

Keep up with today's most important news

Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update.

Thanks for signing up!

Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Never miss a story.

For centuries, to be a woman who married into the royal family required a complete and utter sublimation of one’s own needs, desires and identity for the greater monarchical good.

Kate has firmly but entirely rejected this, prioritizing herself and her kids ahead of the needs of the institution.

Ditto the actual work that the Princess of Wales does in normal times.

Sure she and William are not entirely off the hook for the occasional hospital wing ribbon-cutting but they have both discreetly chucked in the traditional royal model of them doing charity by turning up with the national media every so often.

The Waleses, in the last few years, clearly thought “sod it” and decided to actually do the work and to change the world themselves, which is they now have the Princess’s Early Years Foundation, the Prince’s Earthshot Prize and the homelessness initiative Homewards.

Quietly doing away with a century-old royal doctrine?

Revolutionary, I tell you.

(Marx and Engels might have a different read, I’ll grant you.)

And there are other ways that Kate has, again and again, shrugged off any suggestion that she might neatly twist and contort herself to squeeze into a particular mould.

For example, reportedly one of the reasons the family moved to Windsor’s Adelaide Cottage was so that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would not grow up cosseted by the privilege and luxury of Kensington Palace and got used to having their fish fingers served via silver salver.

Or the fact that Kate’s kids attend a co-ed day school.

(George turns 11 in July. By that age both William and Harry had been boarding at all-boys outfits for years.)

Or even things like, no other princess before has made a habit of quotidian things such as taking her children to shop at discount chain Homebase or packing them sandwiches in plastic lunch boxes to be eaten out of the boot of the car or having them, including a future king, help unpack Waitrose deliveries.

My point is, Kate has charted her own course with increasing confidence and a refreshing lack of traceability.

On some fronts, yes, the princess has wholly assimilated to royal ways but on the points that matter she set her own course and quietly just did what is right for her.

Harry might have seemingly obliquely disparaged both Kate and William with his “mold” line but I think we can say that the Princess of Wales has defied this particularly belittling label.

Viva la sneaky little revolutions.

Daniela Elser is a writer, editor and a royal commentator with more than 15 years’ experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.

Share this article:

COMMENTS

The History of Princess Cruises: A Timeline of Key Events
1966. Princess Patricia returned to owners. 1967. Princess Italia chartered (one of first modern ships built specifically for cruising) First Panama Canal cruises (company pioneered regularly scheduled Canal cruises) 1968. Princess Carla chartered. Seawitch logo makes first appearance. Boise Cascade purchases Princess.
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises is an American cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. The company is incorporated in Bermuda and its headquarters are in Santa Clarita, California. As of 2021, it is the second largest cruise line by net revenue. It was previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises.The line has 15 ships cruising global itineraries that are marketed to both American and ...
Princess Cruises History
Contact your cruise line. Founded by Stanley McDonald, Princess Cruises began with the chartering of Canadian Pacific Ltd.'s Princess Patricia from 1965 to 1966, offering Caribbean sailings, and ...
All 16 Princess Cruises Ships, From Newest to Oldest
Courtesy of Princess Cruises. Inaugural Year: 2024. Ship Class: Sphere. Ship Capacity: 4,300 guests. The inaugural ship in Princess' new Sphere class, Sun Princess is the line's largest — and ...
History of Princess Cruises
By 1907, Princess May and the new Princess Royal began regular 6-day sailings to Skagway. A year later, the CPR inaugurated its famous Triangle Route, with service between Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria. Princess Charlotte joined the fleet, handling the Triangle Route as well as occasional excursions to Alaska.
Princess Cruises ships from newest to oldest
Related: The 3 types of Princess Cruises ships, explained. The oldest Princess cruise ships — those built in the late 1990s and early 2000s — can be as much as 30% smaller than the line's newest vessels. Here, every Princess ship currently in operation is ranked from newest to oldest: 1. Discovery Princess.
History of Princess Cruise Lines
The History of Princess Cruises: A Timeline of Key Events (*from Princess Cruises Public Relations Department) 1965 . Company founder Stanley B. McDonald charters Princess Patricia and forms Princess Cruises — first winter season of Mexico cruises starts in November. 1966 .
Sapphire Princess
Sapphire Princess is a cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises that entered service in 2004 as the sister ship of Diamond Princess.At the time she was one of the world's largest cruise ships, with a capacity of 2,670 passengers and is the second Gem-class ship built by Princess Cruises. Sapphire Princess was christened on 10 June 2004, in Seattle—the first cruise ship ever to be christened in ...
Grand Princess
Grand Princess is a Grand-class cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises.It was built in 1998 by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani in Monfalcone, Italy, with yard number 5956, at a cost of approximately US$450 million. She was the largest and most expensive passenger ship ever built at the time. Grand Princess was the flagship in the Princess Cruises fleet until the new Royal Princess took ...
The incredible history of Princess Cruises (P&O) & The Love Boat!
The expansion was chartering the ship Princess Patricia for cruise holidays. The first winter season started in November and the ship went to Mexico. 1966 - The ship was returned to its owners, and in 1967 the Princess Italia was chartered, which was one of the first ships built specifically for cruising. This was the birth era of cruising.
The History of Princess Cruises: A Timeline of Key Events
Company founder Stanley B. McDonald charters Princess Patricia and forms Princess Cruises - first winter season of Mexico cruises starts in November; 1966. Princess Patricia returned to owners; 1967. Princess Italia chartered (one of first modern ships built specifically for cruising)
Old itineraries from your cruise history
There are apps out there that have some of that information. However, I could not add my old cruises past 2000. The last one that shows my previous itinerary is September 2001. Princess only gives you the year, ship, and "where" of where you sailed, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, etc. Carnival gives you actual dates on their site.
Princess Cruises Ships by Size, Age and Class (2022)
Final Thoughts. Princess Cruises is a family-friendly cruise line with a reputation for great service and beautiful looking ships. Out of all the Carnival brands, Princess generally is first with new technologies (such as the Sea Medallion - a small device you wear that allows you to enter your cabin, pay for services and locate your family anywhere on the ship).
Royal Princess (2012)
Royal Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, and is the third ship to sail for the cruise line under that name.The largest ship to have been built for Princess at the time of delivery in 2013, she became the flagship of Princess. As the lead vessel of the Royal class, she lends her name to the company's Royal class, which ...
Princess Cruises welcomes its biggest ship ever with help from a star
It took a star to welcome the sun. The Sun Princess, that is.. Princess Cruises on Tuesday officially hailed the arrival of its newest megavessel — at 177,882 tons, its biggest ever —with the help of "Ted Lasso" star Hannah Waddingham.. The Emmy Award-winning actress and singer presided over a star-studded 19-minute christening ceremony in the ship's Princess Arena theater that included a ...
Bigger ship, better views: 3 takeaways from Princess Cruises ...
Sun Princess is the largest ship in the Princess fleet, and the 21-deck vessel can accommodate 4,300 guests. But that doesn't mean everything is huge. Given the scale of the offerings, a number ...
Princess Cruises delays new ship, cancels 9 cruises
Travelers will have to wait longer than planned to sail on Princess Cruises' upcoming ship. The delivery of Star Princess, which was set to debut next summer, will be pushed back by about two ...
Discovery Princess
Discovery Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc.The 145,000 GT-vessel was ordered in January 2017 with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and her steel-cutting was performed on 14 February 2019 in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy. Originally expected to begin operations in November 2021, the ship saw her construction and ...
Princess Cruises Unveils Exclusive New Sanctuary Collection ...
Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.
Royal Princess
3rd/4th berths available in select cabins. ^ Applicable on cruises six days or longer. Reservations can be made once onboard your ship. † Guests may call for room service delivery or order through OceanNow® in the Princess® Cruises app at any time of the day or night.
Norovirus on Princess, Royal Caribbean cruises sickens nearly 200
Outbreaks of norovirus have sickened nearly 200 people on Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International ships in the past few weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diamond Princess (ship)
Diamond Princess is a British-registered cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises.She began operation in March 2004 and primarily cruises in Asia during the northern hemisphere summer and Australia during the southern hemisphere summer. She is a subclassed Grand-class ship, which is also known as a Gem-class ship. Diamond Princess and her sister ship, Sapphire Princess, are the ...
The 10 Best Cruises for Teens in 2024
The modern Beach House lounge is the go-to place for passengers ages 13 to 17 to socialize and meet others their age when sailing on a Princess Cruises ship. Fun activities for teens include late ...
Access Your Cruise Experience
Access your Princess Cruises account or create a new one. Manage bookings, enjoy personalized services, and more with My Princess.
Kate Middleton disproves major Prince Harry claim
Hear the words "royal bride" and I'm assuming we all immediately conjure the same image: An immaculately well-bred woman with a pedigree that predates the Norman Conquest.
Caribbean Princess
MS Caribbean Princess is a modified Grand-class cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises, with a capacity of over 3,600 passengers, the largest carrying capacity in the Princess fleet until June 2013 when the new Royal Princess, another Princess ship superseded its record.She has 900 balcony staterooms and a deck of mini-suites. Caribbean Princess is slightly larger than the other ...