Caribbean Princess Cruise Ship Guide: Cabins, Dining and Verdict

Photo: AK-Bino | Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0; crop by CruisePing.

CruisePing verdict

Caribbean Princess can be excellent value for families and traditional Princess passengers, but its 3,140 guests are carried on a smaller platform than Royal Class. The 2019 refurbishment, five pools and Reef Splash Zone add practical appeal, while cabin age and passenger density require more scrutiny than the cheerful Caribbean branding suggests.

Caribbean Princess at a glance

Cruise line	Princess Cruises
Ship class or type	Grand-related design with an additional passenger deck
Entered service	2004
Last major refurbishment	2019 major refurbishment
Gross tonnage	112,894 GT
Length	290 m / 952 ft
Guest capacity	3,140 guests at lower-berth occupancy
Crew	1,200
Passenger decks	15 passenger decks within 19 total decks
Cabins or suites	1,571 staterooms, including 36 suites and 180 mini-suites
Accessible cabins	26 wheelchair-accessible staterooms
Dining venues	Three main dining rooms plus Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, Planks, Steamers, buffet and casual food
Bars and lounges	Piazza venues, Crooners, Wheelhouse, Explorers Lounge, Club Fusion and Skywalkers
Pools and hot tubs	5 pools and 7 hot tubs
Library	Dedicated library
Spa and fitness	Lotus Spa, fitness centre, sports facilities and adult Lotus Pool
Children’s facilities	Reef Family Splash Zone plus youth and teen centres
Adults-only facilities	The Sanctuary, Lotus Pool and traditional lounges
Wi-Fi	MedallionNet available; package and device limits vary
UK departures or deployment	Caribbean and North American deployment are typical; no regular Southampton homeport season

Best suited to

Families who will use Reef Splash Zone, pools and youth facilities
Value-focused travellers wanting traditional Princess rather than newest-ship hardware
Passengers choosing a strong Caribbean, Canada or Panama-linked itinerary

Think carefully if

You equate lower tonnage with a quiet or spacious ship
You want contemporary cabins, abundant sockets or the latest dining concepts
The fare is close to a newer Royal Class ship on a comparable route

The booking decision

Caribbean Princess is not simply a smaller alternative to Royal Class. The design carries 3,140 lower berths in 112,894 GT, and the additional passenger accommodation can make public-space ratios feel tighter than the headline size suggests. Choose it for itinerary, family facilities and value rather than intimacy.

The 2019 refurbishment added Reef Family Splash Zone and refreshed dining and accommodation, but the ship entered service in 2004. Cabins, bathrooms and engineering remain rooted in that era. A meaningful fare saving can make those compromises sensible; a near-Royal-Class price weakens the case.

Passenger density and layout

The Piazza, Princess Theatre, Explorers Lounge, Wheelhouse, Club Fusion and aft Skywalkers create a traditional Princess social map. Five pools spread outdoor demand better than on some newer ships, while the Lotus Pool provides a quieter adult option.

Crowding is most noticeable at lifts, buffet times and after shows. The extra passenger deck distinguishes Caribbean Princess from some Grand-class relatives and is central to the booking decision. Smaller tonnage does not guarantee fewer queues.

Cabins and older-ship trade-offs

Princess lists 1,571 staterooms, including 675 balconies, 180 mini-suites and 36 suites. Balcony rooms can be strong value, but design, sockets, storage and bathroom details are older than on Royal Class. Families should compare usable floor space rather than accepting a maximum occupancy number.

The ship has 26 wheelchair-accessible rooms. Exact configuration and routes need confirmation, particularly when a room must accommodate more than two people. Location near lifts is valuable, but traffic and noise should also be considered.

Dining and traditional evening venues

Three main dining rooms are supported by Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, Planks BBQ, Steamers Seafood, International Café, World Fresh Marketplace, Slice and Salty Dog Grill. The mix is varied, although some concepts operate differently from permanent standalone restaurants on newer ships.

Crooners, Wheelhouse, Explorers Lounge and Club Fusion give the evening a familiar Princess rhythm. Skywalkers provides a distinctive high aft lounge absent from many later vessels. Passengers who value traditional venues may prefer this to the more design-led new ships.

Families and Reef Splash Zone

Reef Family Splash Zone is the ship’s clearest family advantage. Combined with youth clubs, five pools, films and organised activities, it creates a stronger family proposition than age alone suggests. It still lacks the major slides and attraction hardware of family resort lines.

Standard cabins can feel tight with every berth occupied. Families should compare adjoining rooms or a mini-suite rather than focusing only on the cheapest four-person cabin. School-holiday sailings increase demand around pools and casual food.

Itineraries and value

The ship’s name encourages a Caribbean association, but deployment can include Canada and New England, Panama-linked routes and other North American programmes. Use current schedules rather than assuming every sailing is a warm-weather week.

Value depends on the whole package. Flights, hotel nights, drinks, Wi-Fi and crew appreciation can erase a cheap base fare. Compare the total with a newer ship from a more convenient port.

Before you book Caribbean Princess

Judge passenger density, not tonnage alone.
Inspect cabin sockets, storage and bathroom details before choosing an older room.
Families should decide whether Reef Splash Zone offsets tighter peak-time public spaces.
Demand a clear saving or better itinerary before accepting an older ship over Royal Class.

Caribbean Princess compared with other Princess ships

Ship	Main difference	Choose it when
Regal Princess	Larger-tonnage Royal Class with more modern cabins	Choose Regal when prices and itineraries are close
Coral Princess	Far smaller destination-led ship	Choose Coral for canal heritage and quieter scale
Sky Princess	Newer Royal Class with UK homeport relevance	Choose Sky for convenience and modern hardware

Caribbean Princess Cruise Ship