Best Princess Ship: All 17 Ships Compared

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CruisePing verdict

There is no single best Princess ship. Sky Princess is the strongest default for many UK travellers, Sun and Star Princess are the right choices for the new Sphere Class experience, and Island or Coral Princess suit passengers who actively prefer smaller, itinerary-led ships. Choose the route first, then use class, age, cabin and package cost to break the tie.

The quick answer

Priority	Best starting point	Reason
Best all-round choice from the UK	Sky Princess	Regular Southampton deployment and a broad Royal Class product
Best new ship experience	Sun Princess	Sphere, Dome and the widest dining proposition
Best newest alternative	Star Princess	Second Sphere ship with later refinements
Best smaller ship	Island Princess	2,200-guest scale and long destination-led voyages
Best for Japan	Diamond Princess	Regional specialism and Japanese bathing facilities
Best for maximum value	Depends on itinerary	Older Grand Class ships can price well, but compare refurbishment and cabin position

How to use this selector

Princess operates 17 current ships across designs dating from Grand Princess in 1998 to Star Princess in 2025. A simple newest-to-oldest ranking is not useful. The right ship depends on whether you prioritise Southampton convenience, new dining and entertainment, a smaller vessel, Japan, Alaska, Panama Canal or a long world-cruise sector.

Begin with itinerary and total travel cost. Then compare ship class, entered-service date, cabin location and included benefits. The Princess Cruises guide explains the line-wide product, while the individual guides below cover the ships in depth.

All 17 Princess ships compared

Ship	Practical family	Entered service	Best for	Main caution	CruisePing
Sun Princess	Sphere	2024	Newest architecture and dining breadth	Large scale and premium options	Full guide
Star Princess	Sphere	2025	Newest ship, Alaska and Caribbean deployment	Very close to Sun Princess; compare fare	Full guide
Sky Princess	Royal	2019	Southampton and all-round UK convenience	Still a large 3,660-guest ship	Full guide
Island Princess	Coral	2003	Long voyages and smaller scale	Older cabins and fewer venues	Full guide
Discovery Princess	Royal	2022	Modern Royal Class and West Coast itineraries	No regular UK homeport	See line guide
Enchanted Princess	Royal	2020	Modern Royal Class and broad dining	Large ship with limited novelty beside sisters	See line guide
Majestic Princess	Royal	2017	Alaska and Asia heritage with Royal Class scale	Some venue details differ from later sisters	See line guide
Regal Princess	Royal	2014	Established Royal Class and varied deployment	Older than Sky, Enchanted and Discovery	See line guide
Royal Princess	Royal	2013	Original Royal Class layout	Later sisters refine the concept	See line guide
Caribbean Princess	Grand-related	2004	Caribbean-focused value and traditional Princess	Age and higher passenger density need scrutiny	See line guide
Crown Princess	Grand	2006	Traditional Princess on varied itineraries	Older cabins and less contemporary venues	See line guide
Emerald Princess	Grand	2007	Familiar Princess layout and broad deployment	Choose itinerary over hardware	See line guide
Ruby Princess	Grand	2008	Traditional product and regional itineraries	Fewer new-generation features	See line guide
Grand Princess	Grand	1998	Classic Princess and often attractive fares	Oldest ship in the fleet	See line guide
Sapphire Princess	Grand-related	2004	Spacious traditional feel and destination-led routes	Older design and variable refurbishment expectations	See line guide
Diamond Princess	Grand-related	2004	Japan deployment and Japanese bathing facilities	Specialist regional product rather than default first choice	See line guide
Coral Princess	Coral	2003	Smaller scale and Panama Canal heritage	Older ship with fewer venues	See line guide

Sphere Class: choose the itinerary, not simply the newer sister

Sun Princess and Star Princess share the Sphere, Dome, 4,300 lower berths and 2,157 staterooms. Star has targeted refinements, but the ships are close enough that itinerary, fare and cabin availability should decide. Sphere Class is best when the ship forms a major part of the holiday and the passenger will use its broad dining and entertainment programme.

Royal Class: the most balanced Princess family

Royal, Regal, Majestic, Sky, Enchanted and Discovery Princess provide the modern mainstream Princess experience. They are large but less complex than Sphere Class. Sky Princess is the obvious UK starting point because of Southampton deployment. Discovery and Enchanted are later ships, while Majestic has regional design differences linked to its original Asian market.

Do not assume every Royal Class ship has identical lounges or restaurants. Compare the specific deck plan and current ship page. When two sailings are similar, choose itinerary and cabin position before a minor venue difference.

Grand Class and related ships: value can beat novelty

Grand, Caribbean, Crown, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Diamond Princess cover several related designs. These ships can offer attractive fares and traditional Princess atmosphere, but age, refit history and passenger density vary. Diamond Princess is the clearest specialist because of its Japan focus and Japanese bath facilities. Sapphire often attracts travellers who value destination-led itineraries and a less new-build feel.

Older does not automatically mean worse. It does mean cabin sockets, bathrooms, storage and public-space design deserve closer inspection. A strong itinerary on a well-priced older ship can be a better holiday than an expensive new ship visiting less appealing ports.

Coral Class: the deliberate small-ship choice

Island Princess and Coral Princess are the smallest current Princess ships. They appeal to passengers who want long routes, Panama Canal capability and a more traditional onboard rhythm. They also offer fewer dining and family choices and carry the realities of early-2000s design. Choose them because those trade-offs suit you, not because a lower passenger count sounds automatically luxurious.

Best Princess ship for families

Sun and Star Princess have the strongest modern family hardware, while Sky, Enchanted and Discovery Princess provide balanced clubs, pools, films and adult facilities. Princess is a good multigenerational choice when children are content with clubs and organised activity. It is not the first recommendation for families demanding large slides, surf simulators or amusement-park attractions.

Best Princess ship for couples

Couples have more freedom. Sky Princess is the practical no-fly choice, Sphere Class offers the broadest dining and premium Sanctuary options, and Coral Class supports long, quieter itineraries. Adults should judge school-holiday timing, Sanctuary access and evening venues rather than assume an adults-oriented atmosphere from the brand alone.

Best Princess ship for accessibility

There is no universal winner. Newer ships generally offer more accessible cabins and modern infrastructure, but their size creates longer distances. Smaller ships reduce walking but may have older room layouts. The itinerary can be more restrictive than the vessel because tenders, coaches and historic ports vary. Confirm a specific cabin and route directly with Princess before booking.

Best Princess ship from Southampton

Sky Princess is the strongest current answer because Princess has deployed it repeatedly from Southampton. That removes flights and supports longer northern Europe, Mediterranean and Canary Islands routes. The trade-off is sea-day time and weather at the start or end of the voyage. Compare a fly-cruise when warm weather and port intensity matter more than convenience.

Fare packages can change the winner

Princess Plus and Premier can add a substantial daily cost. Sphere Class carries different published UK prices for 2026 voyages. Premier has greater value on ships with several specialty restaurants than on vessels with a smaller dining programme. A cheap base fare can become expensive after drinks, Wi-Fi and crew appreciation, while a higher fare with the right package may be clearer. Use the official current package page for the exact sailing.

Final recommendation

For a first Princess cruise from Britain, start with Sky Princess unless its itinerary is weak. Choose Sun or Star Princess when you actively want Sphere Class and will use the ship. Choose Island or Coral Princess when smaller scale and long routes matter more than new facilities. For every other ship, itinerary and price should lead, with class and refurbishment used to understand the trade-offs.

Which Princess Ship Is Best for You?