Princess Cruises

Refined, scenic-focused cruising with a strong Alaska reputation.

Princess sits in the comfortable middle, nicer than Carnival or Royal Caribbean but short of full luxury. The crowd skews 50+, the atmosphere is calmer, and the food is a step above the mainstream average. They are the dominant Alaska operator, and they own their own land tours, lodges, and rail cars.

Best for:

Couples

50+ travelers

Alaska first-timers

Scenic cruisers

Sails:

Alaska

Caribbean

Mediterranean

Hawaii

Ship Classes

Sphere-class — The newest flagship design — the Dome, a glass-domed observation lounge that transforms for evening entertainment.
Royal-class — The largest balconies in the fleet, with SeaWalk glass-floor walkway and the Signature restaurant.
Coral-class — Smaller, more traditional ships — well-suited to narrower Panama Canal and river-adjacent ports.

Tips for Princess Cruises

•For Alaska, look at Princess's "Cruisetours" — they pair the cruise with rail/lodge time at Denali. Nobody else owns the Alaska land infrastructure they do.
•The "Princess MedallionClass" wearable replaces your room key, lets you order food and drinks delivered anywhere, and unlocks your cabin door automatically.
•Specialty restaurants (Crown Grill, Sabatini's) have small per-cover fees that are well worth it on longer sailings — book before boarding.
•Movies Under the Stars on the top deck is a Princess signature — they hand out blankets and popcorn after sundown.
•Princess is calmer than Royal/Carnival but not stuffy — think relaxing, not luxury.
•Alaska sailings: book a port-side cabin (left side of the ship) for the best Inside Passage scenery on a northbound itinerary.
•The MedallionClass app lets you order anything to anywhere — drinks to your deck chair, food to your room — and saves a lot of waiting in line.

Popular Ships

Sun Princess

Newest Sphere-class flagship — the Dome, a glass observation lounge.

Photo: Adamdl06204917, CC0

Discovery Princess

West Coast favorite — strong Alaska and Mexican Riviera presence.

Photo: Russell Keller, CC BY-SA 4.0

Enchanted Princess

Royal-class with the largest balconies in the Princess fleet.

Photo: A Guy Named Nyal, CC BY-SA 2.0

Popular Ports on Princess Cruises

Cozumel weather Juneau weather Santorini weather St. Maarten / St. Martin weather Skagway weather Grand Cayman weather Ketchikan weather Honolulu weather

Your Cruise, Your Weather

Plan Your Cruise With Free Weather Forecasts

Ship Classes

Sphere-class — The newest flagship design — the Dome, a glass-domed observation lounge that transforms for evening entertainment.

Royal-class — The largest balconies in the fleet, with SeaWalk glass-floor walkway and the Signature restaurant.

Coral-class — Smaller, more traditional ships — well-suited to narrower Panama Canal and river-adjacent ports.

Tips for Princess Cruises

•For Alaska, look at Princess's "Cruisetours" — they pair the cruise with rail/lodge time at Denali. Nobody else owns the Alaska land infrastructure they do.

•The "Princess MedallionClass" wearable replaces your room key, lets you order food and drinks delivered anywhere, and unlocks your cabin door automatically.

•Specialty restaurants (Crown Grill, Sabatini's) have small per-cover fees that are well worth it on longer sailings — book before boarding.

•Movies Under the Stars on the top deck is a Princess signature — they hand out blankets and popcorn after sundown.

•Princess is calmer than Royal/Carnival but not stuffy — think relaxing, not luxury.

•Alaska sailings: book a port-side cabin (left side of the ship) for the best Inside Passage scenery on a northbound itinerary.

•The MedallionClass app lets you order anything to anywhere — drinks to your deck chair, food to your room — and saves a lot of waiting in line.