Are you looking for the most venue-packed, resort-like Princess Cruises ships at sea? If so, you’ll want to get on one of the biggest Princess cruise ships.
The biggest Princess cruise ships are, by their very nature, the Princess ships with the most onboard restaurants, bars and showrooms, as well as the most sprawling decktop pool and lounge areas. The biggest Princess ships have the biggest casinos and spas among ships in the Princess fleet and the most cabins and suites — as well as the most variation in cabin and suite types.
With room for 4,000 passengers or more, the biggest Princess ships are truly large resorts of the sort you find at the biggest vacation destination on land. If you’re in the “bigger is better” camp when it comes to a resort experience, these are the Princess ships for you.
For more cruise news, guides and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter.
Still, Princess doesn’t just operate large vessels. The Los Angeles-based cruise giant — the fifth largest cruise line in the world — also has several relatively small cruise ships in its fleet that carry just 2,000 or 3,000 people and have a more intimate feel. In some cases, these vessels are nearly 50% smaller than the size of Princess Cruises’ biggest ships. These smaller ships, notably, have less deck-top pool space and fewer interior venues than the biggest Princess cruise ships. However, with fewer people on board, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The smallest Princess cruise ships are best for vacationers who like a more intimate, less crowded resort experience.
Related: The 4 types of Princess Cruises ships, explained
To make sure you end up on the right Princess ship for you, it pays to study which Princess ships are the biggest and which are the smallest before booking.
Here, every Princess ship currently in operation is ranked from biggest to smallest.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
1. Sun Princess
Maiden voyage: 2024
Size: 177,882 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,300
2. Discovery Princess
Maiden voyage: 2022
Size: 145,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,660
3 (tied). Enchanted Princess
Maiden voyage: 2020
Size: 144,650 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,660
3 (tied). Sky Princess
Maiden voyage: 2019
Size: 144,650 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,660
5. Majestic Princess
Maiden voyage: 2017
Size: 143,700 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,560
6 (tied). Regal Princess
Maiden voyage: 2014
Size: 142,229 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,560
6 (tied). Royal Princess
Maiden voyage: 2013
Size: 142,229 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,560
8 (tied). Ruby Princess
Maiden voyage: 2008
Size: 113,561 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,080
8 (tied). Emerald Princess
Maiden voyage: 2007
Size: 113,561 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,080
8 (tied). Crown Princess
Maiden voyage: 2006
Size: 113,561 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,080
11 (tied). Sapphire Princess
Maiden voyage: 2004
Size: 115,875 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,670
11 (tied). Diamond Princess
Maiden voyage: 2004
Size: 115,875 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,670
13. Caribbean Princess
Maiden voyage: 2004
Size: 112,894 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,149
14. Grand Princess
Maiden voyage: 1998
Size: 107,517 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,600
15. Island Princess
Maiden voyage: 2003
Size: 92,822 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,200
16. Coral Princess
Maiden voyage: 2002
Size: 91,627 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,000
What is the biggest Princess cruise ship?
The biggest Princess cruise ship is the 4,300-passenger Sun Princess, which is also the line’s newest vessel. It just debuted in February.
Sun Princess is the first vessel in Princess Cruises’ new Sphere Class of ships, which have been designed to be much bigger and more venue-packed than the vessels in the line’s last new series of ships, the Royal Class.
Sun Princess measures 177,882 gross tons, which is about 22% bigger than the biggest ship in the Royal Class (the 145,000-ton Discovery Princess). Royal Class ships range in size from 142,229 to 145,000 gross tons.
Note that gross tons is a size measurement referring to interior space, not weight.
A second ship in the Sphere Class series, Star Princess, is under construction at a shipyard in Italy and will debut in October 2025.
For more details on Sun Princess, including what venues are on board and what it’s like to sail on the vessel, see TPG’s comprehensive first look at Sun Princess after an early sailing.
What is the smallest Princess cruise ship?
The smallest Princess cruise ship is the 2,000-passenger Coral Princess. Measuring just 91,267 gross tons, it’s about 36% smaller than Discovery Princess, making it a significantly smaller vessel.
Coral Princess dates to 2002, a time when cruise ships were built far smaller than they are today and with far fewer venues. At 21 years old, it’s also one of the two oldest vessels in the Princess fleet and will probably be phased out sometime in the next decade.
Related: The ultimate guide to Princess Cruises
While significantly smaller than the newest Princess ships, Coral Princess still has many of the signature spaces and venues found on new Princess vessels, including an Italian eatery called Sabatini’s and a steakhouse.
Entertainment venues on Coral Princess include a relatively large main theater for production shows, a secondary lounge that offers comedy shows and other entertainment, and a casino. Like other Princess ships, the top deck of the vessel is mostly devoted to pool areas with hot tubs and lounge chairs. There’s also a spa.
While smaller and older than the typical Princess ship, Coral Princess has a loyal following among Princess fans who prefer smaller and more intimate ships.
Are bigger Princess cruise ships coming?
It’s not clear yet. Princess currently has one new ship on order, Star Princess. But the final size of Star Princess won’t be known until the vessel debuts in late 2025.
Star Princess will be the second vessel in the new Sphere Class of ships at Princess. It’s likely to be very similar in size to the first vessel in the series, the new Sun Princess. But it’s not uncommon for each new vessel in a series to be slightly bigger than the one before.
Star Princess is currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard near Monfalcone, Italy.
Note that this isn’t the first time Princess has named a ship Sun Princess or Star Princess. Both are recycled names from past Princess ships. Princess operated smaller vessels under the Sun Princess and Star Princess names up until 2020.
Related: Everything to know about Princess cabins and suites
What’s the difference between bigger and smaller Princess ships?
The biggest Princess cruise ships have room for more onboard venues and attractions than smaller Princess ships. That makes them more alluring for vacationers who prefer a big resort experience with lots of options as compared to a stay at a smaller resort.
On the biggest Princess vessels, the Sphere Class and Royal Class vessels, you’ll find the largest piazza-like central atriums in the Princess fleet surrounded by lots of bars and restaurants; multiple entertainment venues for live shows, comedy acts and more; and expansive pool decks with more space for sunning than you’ll find on smaller Princess vessels.
You’ll also find some only-on-the-Royal-class-ships extras, including, on some of the Royal Class ships, a glass-floored “SeaWalk” that extends over the side of the vessel.
Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Princess ship
Princess’ smaller cruise ships also are generally its older cruise ships and lack some of the above features, which are more typical of newer ships. These smaller Princess ships have a more intimate feel, at least in the pantheon of relatively big, mass-market ships, and they hold fewer people.
While Sphere Class and Royal Class ships can hold more than 4,500 passengers with every berth full, the line’s smaller vessels (particularly the relatively small Island Princess and Coral Princess) often sail with just 2,000 or so passengers on board.
That makes the smaller Princess ships a good choice for someone who wants to try Princess but isn’t eager to travel with huge crowds. The smallest ships in the Princess fleet thus appeal to a subset of Princess fans who prefer more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don’t mind giving up some onboard amenities to get it. They are also often less expensive to sail on, on a per-day basis.
Related: Don’t miss out on these Princess loyalty perks
In addition, because of their size, the smallest ships at Princess Cruises are able to operate itineraries to places that aren’t as easy for big ships to visit. Not all ports in the world can handle a ship the size of Sun Princess.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
Discover more from reviewer4you.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
