Cruise Hospitality Center – Cruise Ship Operations & Hospitality Management Training

From its newest ship, Star Princess, to its oldest ship, Grand Princess, Princess Cruises delivers an enjoyable, almost old-fashioned cruising experience.

The focus is on spectacular service, world-class amenities and a relaxing, enjoyable time — not flashy features like the first roller coaster at sea or the first go-karting track at sea.

If you find the big resort-style ships to be a little too over-the-top for your liking, you may just love Princess Cruises. Here’s what you can expect across all 17 of its ships, from newest to oldest.

Star Princess

The soon-to-be newest vessel in the Princess Cruises fleet is 2025’s Star Princess. The ship is also one of the largest in the fleet, tying in size with Sun Princess, which debuted just a year earlier as a sister ship. 

Unique features on Star Princess include expanded non-smoking casino areas; a new SkyDeck sports court and jogging track; expanded dining venues with a larger Irish pub than has been on past ships and a larger Love by Britto restaurant; and The Dome, the first geodesic dome at sea. 

The ship offers just over 2,150 staterooms. Guests staying within The Sanctuary Collection suites, mini suites or deluxe balcony cabins enjoy access to a ship-within-a-ship area, with VIP, exclusive dining and relaxation areas. 

Entered service: 2025

Gross tonnage: 175,500

Passenger capacity: 4,310

Sun Princess

The lead Princess ship for the cruise line’s newest class, the Sphere Class, Sun Princess was the cruise line’s first ship in about two years (so not that long of a wait at all in cruise line terms).

Sphere class ships take their name from the giant glass-enclosed sphere featured on each, known as The Dome. 

When it debuted, the ship offered the most technologically advanced theater in the Princess fleet (you can now find this same theater design on Star Princess); 30 restaurants and bars; and Sanctuary Collection accommodations that provide access to a top-deck retreat area.

The ship also featured five pools and more than 5,000 square feet of shopping, with 25 brands making their first debut on the ocean. 

Entered service: 2024

Gross tonnage: 175,500

Passenger capacity: 4,310

Discovery Princess

While it’s since been surpassed by the Sphere Class in gross tons, Discovery Princess was once the largest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet. Wrapping up the six-ship Royal Class, the ship offers 19 decks and just over 1,800 staterooms.

It offers more than 20 dining and drinking venues, four pools and 10 hot tubs, and all the requisite features that you’d expect on a cruise ship, including a casino, the Lotus spa, kids clubs, theater and multiple lounges. 

Entered service: 2022

Gross tonnage: 145,000

Passenger capacity: 3,660

Enchanted Princess

Enchanted Princess is the fifth Royal Class ship, very similar in design to Discovery Princess, even if slightly smaller by gross tonnage if not by passenger capacity. It offers 19 decks, just over 1,800 staterooms and many of the same venues and amenities. 

When the ship first debuted, it was one of the few to immediately come outfitted with robust tech features via Princess Cruises’ Medallion feature, a wearable device and app combo that allows you to do all sorts of things, from opening your cabin door to accessing Wi-Fi to placing food and drink orders. 

Entered service: 2020

Gross tonnage: 144,650

Passenger capacity: 3,660

Sky Princess

Sky Princess is identical in size to sister ship Enchanted Princess, as the fourth ship in the Royal Class. Cruisers may find overall fewer combined included and specialty restaurants, as well as bars, than they might on the newer Discovery Princess, as well as a fewer number of hot tubs, but there’s still lots to love. 

When the ship debuted, it offered some of the largest suite balconies at sea, as well as outdoor spa treatments, Michelin-starred dining and Medallion technology.

Entered service: 2019

Gross tonnage: 144,650

Passenger capacity: 3,660

Majestic Princess

A member of the Royal Class, Majestic Princess is an example of a cruise ship that was built for a certain market.

Designed to sail from Shanghai, the ship features Chinese signage, private karaoke rooms, a tea bar, Cantonese dining and a VIP casino. However, despite these features, the ship has not spent the entirety of its life sailing itineraries from Shanghai. 

The ship is smaller than its newer Royal-class sister ships, both in overall size and passenger capacity, with fewer staterooms, pools and other features.

Entered service: 2017

Gross tonnage: 143,700

Passenger capacity: 3,560

Regal Princess

Regal Princess may be more than a decade old now, but that doesn’t mean that you should bypass this ship immediately. The second-ever Royal-class ship, the ship is very, very similar to lead class ship, Royal Princess.

Worth Reading: I Spent 14 Days in a Cruise Ship Suite for the First Time

For example, it also offers the SeaWalk glass walkway off the Lido Deck. However, Regal Princess differs by adding an aft pool and promenade deck to its offerings.

Entered service: 2014

Gross tonnage: 142,229

Passenger capacity: 3,560

Royal Princess

The lead ship in the Royal Class, Royal Princess introduced new and noteworthy features include the aforementioned SeaWalk, with its over-water, glass walkway; an atrium with new bars; a new dining option, Chef’s Table Lumiere; new layouts for the buffet; a dedicated pastry shop; and private cabanas.

There’s even a television studio — something you’re not likely to find on just any cruise ship. The studio produces live shows and educational and entertaining content for the cruisers. 

Entered service: 2013

Gross tonnage: 142,229

Passenger capacity: 3,560

Ruby Princess

Ruby Princess is about half a decade older than Royal Princess, as well as a good deal smaller, holding about 500 fewer passengers.

The Crown-class ship only offers just over 1,500 staterooms, though still a good amount of restaurants, bars and lounges, as compared to some of the newer ships in the fleet.

The Crown Class is relatively small, with only three ships, Ruby Princess being the last.

Entered service: 2008

Gross tonnage: 113,561

Passenger capacity: 3,080

Emerald Princess

The middle Crown-class ship, Emerald Princess is nearing two decades in age, but, luckily, recent dry docks have kept the ship in fine condition, including dry docks in 2012 and 2015.

However, do note that, because of this ship’s age, you’re not going to find some of the higher-end, newer, tech-savvy features you might get on a Sphere-class ship.

The ship, though, is still in good condition, offers plenty of high-quality entertainment and upholds the level of service that Princess Cruises is known for.

Entered service: 2007

Gross tonnage: 113,561

Passenger capacity: 3,090

Crown Princess

Crown Princess is the lead ship for this class, named for the Crown Plaza on the ships, designed in the style of an Italian piazza. It’s the place to go for people watching or grabbing a drink, or just soaking up all that cruise ship energy. 

Other ship highlights included the Crown Grill steakhouse and adults-only Sanctuary deck.

Entered service: 2006

Gross tonnage: 113,561

Passenger capacity: 3,090

Caribbean Princess

Getting into the Grand Class ships, Caribbean Princess was the largest Princess Cruises ship by passenger capacity when it debuted, and it stayed in that position for years, with newer ships coming up smaller.

Caribbean Princess was finally surpassed by Royal Princess nearly a decade later. Caribbean Princess is still, though, the largest ship in the Grand class, as it features an additional deck. 

Like its name suggests, Caribbean Princess was designed to serve Caribbean itineraries, and along those lines, it features no pool roof. However, the ship has not spent its entire life to date sailing the Caribbean.

It also has sailed through New England and even to Greenland — a time when that pool roof may’ve been sorely missed. 

Entered service: 2004

Gross tonnage: 112,894

Passenger capacity: 3,140

Sapphire Princess

Despite being larger than Caribbean Princess by gross tonnage, Sapphire Princess can hold far fewer passengers, nearly 500 people less.

The Grand-class ship has 18 decks and just over 1,300 staterooms. It offers an impressive five main dining rooms, as well as a good selection of other restaurants, bars and lounges for its size. 

To account for the ship’s age, it has been refurbished several times, including in 2012 and 2018, to provide cosmetic enhancements, as well as add new features like mini suites and kids and teens clubs. 

Entered service: 2004

Gross tonnage: 115,875

Passenger capacity: 2,680

Diamond Princess

Princess Cruises had a busy year in 2004, with three cruise ships entering service. Diamond Princess was the third of these, alongside sister ships Caribbean Princess and Sapphire Princess. Diamond Princess is quite similar to Sapphire Princess, although able to carry more overall passengers.

Like a handful of Princess Cruises ships, Diamond Princess was designed with a certain market in mind. In this case, it was Japan. As such, special features you can spy on this ship include Japanese dining options throughout the restaurants, a dedicated sushi restaurant, Japanese bath facilities and Japanese culture-oriented entertainment and classes.  

Entered service: 2004

Gross tonnage: 115,875

Passenger capacity: 2,710

Island Princess

The newest of the Coral-class cruise ships (one of only two in the Princess Cruises fleet), Island Princess is much smaller than Diamond Princess and a relatively small cruise ship overall.

At less than 100,000 GT and capacity for just over 2,000 passengers, this ship is intimate. Coral-class cruise ships were designed to sail through the Panama Canal, though, which is to credit for the ships’ small sizes. 

Island Princess only has 16 decks and just over a thousand staterooms (with the very, very large majority being exterior staterooms). There are two main dining rooms and a handful of restaurants and lounges, as well as three pools.

Entered service: 2003

Gross tonnage: 92,822

Passenger capacity: 2,210

Coral Princess

The lead Coral-class ship is just slightly smaller than its sister. Coral Princess, though, despite the smaller gross tonnage and passenger capacity, actually has quite a few more staterooms, about 1,500 to Island Princess’ thousand or so.

Coral Princess was one of the first Princess Cruises ships to make its debut after the cruise line was purchased by Carnival Corp. 

Entered service: 2003

Gross tonnage: 91,621

Passenger capacity: 2,000

Grand Princess

The oldest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, Grand Princess entered service in the last millennium — but don’t let that dissuade you from booking a cruise on this ship.

It’s received its fair amount of dry docks, including one scheduled for April 2025. Throughout various dry docks, the ship has received new and updated restaurants, lounges, kids club, public spaces and more.

At the time the ship entered service, it was one of the best in the biz — huge for the time, and rather, well, “grand.”

While it’s since been far surpassed by not just cruise ships in its own fleet, but also around the world, Grand Princess still manages to please thanks to the cruise line’s fine attention to detail and service.  

Entered service: 1998

Gross tonnage: 107,517

Passenger capacity: 2,610

What is the Newest Princess Cruises Ship You Can Book Now?

The newest Princess Cruises ship you can book now is Star Princess, which will set sail in early October 2025 with its first itinerary being an 11-day Mediterranean cruise from Spain.

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Other bookable itineraries include lengthy cruises to the Greek Isles, Turkey, France, Italy and Greece, ranging from nine to 21 days; week-long Alaska cruises; and five to 14-day cruises in the Caribbean (both Eastern and Western). 

A third Sphere-class Princess Cruises ship has yet to be announced.

What’s the Newest Class of Princess Cruises Ships?

The newest Princess Cruises ship class is the Sphere class. So far, there are two ships in this class: Sun Princess and Star Princess, debuted in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The ships are known for their “spheres” on the top of the ship, which create one-of-a-kind common spaces within what’s the first geodesic dome at sea.

What’s the Oldest Princess Cruises Ship?

The oldest Princess Cruises ship is Grand Princess, which entered service in 1998 as the lead Grand-class ship. Over its lifetime, the ship has been refurbished multiple times, to keep it up to modern standards, as well as to add new successful ship features for the line.

Although it’s the oldest ship in Princess Cruises’ fleet, it’s not the smallest.  

Princess Cruise Ships By Age: Newest to Oldest

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