Photo: Pjotr Mahhonin | Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0; crop by CruisePing.
Island Princess at a glance
| Cruise line | Princess Cruises |
|---|---|
| Ship class or type | Coral Class |
| Entered service | 2003 |
| Last major refurbishment | Major refurbishment completed in 2019; later maintenance and updates do not make it a new-generation ship |
| Gross tonnage | 92,822 GT |
| Length | 294 m / 964 ft |
| Guest capacity | 2,200 guests at lower-berth occupancy |
| Crew | 895 |
| Passenger decks | 16 decks in official ship data |
| Cabins or suites | 1,107 staterooms, including 31 suites and 192 mini-suites |
| Accessible cabins | 28 wheelchair-accessible staterooms |
| Dining venues | Two main dining rooms plus buffet, casual and specialty venues |
| Bars and lounges | Princess Theatre, Explorers Lounge, Wheelhouse Bar, Crooners and Churchill Lounge |
| Pools and hot tubs | 3 pools and 5 hot tubs |
| Library | Dedicated Library and Writing Room |
| Spa and fitness | Lotus Spa, fitness centre and sports facilities |
| Children’s facilities | Princess youth and teen spaces, with a smaller family programme than the largest ships |
| Adults-only facilities | The Sanctuary and quieter traditional lounges |
| Wi-Fi | MedallionNet available; performance and packages depend on voyage and fare |
| UK departures or deployment | Longer destination-led voyages, Panama Canal and world-cruise sectors; no regular UK homeport season |
Best suited to
- Travellers who choose the itinerary first and prefer a smaller Princess ship
- Adults taking longer voyages who value a library, promenade-style spaces and traditional lounges
- Passengers prepared to accept an older ship in exchange for scale and route
Think carefully if
- You want the newest cabins, widest dining choice or large entertainment technology
- Children need extensive attractions and a large peer group
- You assume smaller automatically means spacious after later cabins were added
The booking decision
Island Princess should be selected for reasons almost opposite to Sun Princess. She is roughly half the tonnage, carries about 2,200 guests at lower-berth occupancy and retains a more traditional Princess atmosphere. The ship regularly appears on longer, destination-led itineraries where sea days, lectures, reading space and a stable routine matter more than a catalogue of new attractions.
Age is part of the decision. Island Princess entered service in 2003 and received a major refurbishment in 2019, but no refurbishment can change the basic age, cabin dimensions or engineering of the platform. Later additions increased the cabin count and altered some public spaces. Passengers who want a new ship should not persuade themselves that a refit makes Island equivalent to Royal or Sphere Class.
Scale, layout and the effect of added cabins
The Coral Class hull was designed with Panama Canal transit in mind. At 294 metres and 92,822 GT, the ship is easier to cross than Princess’s largest vessels. Traditional lounges, the Library and Writing Room and a less monumental atrium support a slower onboard rhythm. That is valuable on a long voyage.
However, the ship’s capacity was increased during earlier alterations, and some experienced cruisers feel the public-space ratio is less generous than the original design. Peak dining and theatre times can still feel busy. Smaller does not mean empty. The official Island Princess deck plan is essential because aft cabins, added accommodation and venue locations create meaningful differences.
Cabins and suites
Princess lists 1,107 staterooms: 31 suites, 192 mini-suites, 581 balcony rooms, 185 outside rooms and 118 inside rooms. The high proportion of outside and balcony accommodation is useful on scenic itineraries. The trade-off is that older cabin design can feel narrower and less storage-efficient than the newest ships.
Choose location before chasing the cheapest grade. On a long voyage, repeated walks, lift access and noise become more important. Balcony value is strongest for scenic cruising, but weather can limit use. Passengers needing accessible accommodation should examine the 28 designated rooms individually and use the published accessible-route material rather than rely on category labels.
Dining: traditional strengths and limits
Island Princess has two main dining rooms, Horizon Court buffet, Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, Bayou Café and Steakhouse, poolside grill, pizzeria, ice cream, patisserie and room service. That is enough for a varied long voyage, but it is not comparable with the 30 restaurant-and-bar headline on Sphere Class.
The Bayou Café gives the ship a distinct specialty option, while the main dining rooms support a more traditional dinner routine. Princess Plus or Premier can still be relevant, but unlimited specialty dining has less practical value on a ship with fewer specialty choices. This is a good example of why package value depends on the actual ship rather than the benefit list alone.
Lounges, library and life on a long voyage
The Princess Theatre, Explorers Lounge, Wheelhouse Bar, Crooners and Churchill Lounge provide a conventional evening programme. The dedicated Library and Writing Room is a genuine advantage for readers and passengers on extended itineraries. It is more substantial than the dispersed reading opportunities on the newest ships.
Expect lectures, quizzes, live music, production entertainment and destination-focused sea days rather than immersive technology or major family attractions. Island Princess can feel comfortable and sociable over several weeks because routines settle quickly. It can also feel repetitive to passengers who need a constant stream of new venues.
Pools, spa and adult atmosphere
The official fact sheet lists three pools and five hot tubs. The Sanctuary offers an adult retreat, while Lotus Spa and the fitness facilities cover the expected Princess wellness programme. Outdoor capacity is adequate for the ship’s scale, but warm-weather demand and long sea days can still make preferred areas busy.
The passenger profile often skews more adult because of itinerary length and destination. That makes the ship attractive to couples and solo-minded travellers who value conversation and quiet. Families are accepted and youth spaces exist, but a child expecting the attractions of a modern resort ship is likely to be disappointed.
Panama Canal and destination-led deployment
Princess describes Island Princess as custom-built for the Panama Canal. The ship also appears on long global itineraries and world-cruise sectors. These routes are the main reason to book it. Port sequence, scenic transit, time ashore and sea-day balance should dominate the decision.
Long itineraries magnify cabin position, laundry arrangements, package cost and medical considerations. A daily package that looks reasonable for seven nights becomes a major expense over several weeks. Calculate Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, drinks and specialty dining over the full duration before deciding how inclusive the booking needs to be.
Before you book Island Princess
- Book for the route and ship size, not because a refurbishment makes it equivalent to a new ship.
- For a long voyage, inspect cabin position, storage, laundry access and noise sources in detail.
- Do not overvalue Premier when the ship has fewer specialty venues than Sphere or Royal Class.
- Confirm tender ports and accessible routes before booking mobility-sensitive itineraries.
Why there is no embedded official ship video
Princess does not currently provide a suitable substantial, current, exact-ship tour of Island Princess on its own official YouTube channel. Third-party tours are not substituted because their accuracy, filming date and commercial relationships vary.
Island Princess compared with other Princess ships
| Ship | Main difference | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Princess | Larger, newer and regularly based in Southampton | Choose for modern facilities and UK convenience |
| Sun Princess | Nearly double the tonnage with Sphere Class venues | Choose for dining breadth and ship-led holidays |
| Star Princess | Newest Sphere Class and broader family hardware | Choose when novelty and resort scale matter more than intimacy |
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