Premium cruise line ยท Founded 1965
Princess Cruises Review: The Alaska and Sea Day Specialist
Short answer
Is Princess Cruises a good cruise line?
Princess Cruises is the strongest mainstream-priced option for Alaska and for travellers who want relaxed sea days. Interior fares start near $115 per person per night, the Princess Plus bundle adds $65 daily for drinks, WiFi and gratuities, and the onboard atmosphere is markedly calmer than Royal Caribbean or Carnival.
Key takeaways
- The most complete Alaska programme at sea, including rail cruisetours to Denali that no rival matches.
- Interior fares run roughly $115 to $150 per person per night on seven-night sailings.
- Princess Plus at $65 per person per day bundles drinks, WiFi and gratuities, and usually beats buying them separately.
- MedallionClass wearable tech genuinely works, particularly for drink delivery anywhere on the ship.
- Skews older than the contemporary lines, which is the point for some travellers and a drawback for others.
Overview
Princess sells calm. Where Royal Caribbean fills a sea day with things to queue for, Princess fills it with a lecture, a movie under the stars and a long lunch. The demographic skews to mid-fifties and up, the pool deck is quiet enough to read on, and the ship never feels like it is trying to sell you something every twenty metres.
Its structural advantage is Alaska. Princess owns five wilderness lodges in Alaska and runs its own rail cars, which means a Princess cruisetour can put you in Denali for three nights in a way no competitor can replicate. If Denali is part of the plan, this is the line.
The MedallionClass system, a wearable disc that unlocks your cabin, orders drinks to wherever you are standing and tracks your party, is the best-executed technology at sea. Our reviewers have sailed six Princess ships since 2021, including Sun Princess in May 2026.
Princess sits between the contemporary lines and true premium brands like Celebrity and Oceania. Fares run about 20 percent above Royal Caribbean and 25 percent below Celebrity, and the product tracks that positioning: better food and service than the contemporary lines, less design ambition than Celebrity.
The fleet is dominated by Royal class ships, which are well-proportioned 3,600-guest vessels with excellent promenade decks. The newer Sphere class ships, Sun Princess and Star Princess, are larger and introduced a glass-domed public space that has divided opinion.
Princess Plus and Princess Premier are the two fare bundles, and understanding them is most of understanding Princess pricing. Plus at $65 per person per day covers a drinks package, WiFi, gratuities, fitness classes and two casual meals. Buying those separately costs about $82, so Plus is genuinely good value for anyone who drinks at all.
Our Princess Cruises score
4.3 / 5
Averaged across the six criteria below, each scored independently by our reviewers after sailing the line. It is an editorial judgment, not a user poll.
- Value for money
- 4.3
- Cabins
- 4.2
- Dining
- 4.3
- Entertainment
- 4.0
- Service
- 4.4
- Family friendliness
- 3.8
Judged on fare versus what is included before you spend a cent onboard.
Judged on square footage, storage, bathroom and balcony quality at each grade.
Judged on included restaurant quality, not just the specialty venues.
Judged on range and production quality across a full sea day.
Judged on crew ratio, consistency and how problems get resolved.
Judged on kids clubs, cabin configurations and pool space for children.
The fleet
Princess ships fall into three groups. Sphere class is the newest and largest. Royal class, built from 2013 to 2022, is the fleet's core and arguably its sweet spot. Grand and Coral class ships are older, smaller and hold the low fares and the interesting long itineraries.
For Alaska, the older and smaller ships have an advantage: Coral Princess is Panama Canal sized and can access ports and passages the large ships cannot.
| Ship | Class | Guests | Launched | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Princess | Sphere | 4,300 | 2024 | Glass-domed Piazza, the Dome performance space and the best cabins in the fleet. |
| Star Princess | Sphere | 4,300 | 2025 | Sister to Sun Princess. Caribbean and Mediterranean deployment. |
| Discovery Princess | Royal | 3,660 | 2022 | The best Alaska ship in the fleet, with a large enclosed observation lounge. |
| Enchanted Princess | Royal | 3,660 | 2021 | Caribbean and Europe. Strong balance of size and comfort. |
| Majestic Princess | Royal | 3,560 | 2017 | Built for the Asian market, now on Alaska and West Coast routes. |
| Coral Princess | Coral | 2,000 | 2003 | Panamax-sized, so it can complete a full Panama Canal transit. Best small-ship Alaska option. |
| Ruby Princess | Grand | 3,080 | 2008 | Dated but comfortable, and consistently the cheapest Princess sailing available. |
What Princess Cruises costs
Princess fares run about 20 percent above the contemporary lines. The bundles are where the value sits: Princess Plus at $65 per person per day covers a drinks package worth about $45, WiFi worth about $20 and gratuities worth $17.00, so it is cheaper than assembling the same items yourself even before the two casual dining credits.
Princess Premier at $95 per day adds premium drinks, unlimited specialty dining, photos and reserved theatre seating. It only makes sense for heavy drinkers who also eat in specialty restaurants most nights.
Alaska pricing follows a sharper seasonal curve than the Caribbean. May and September sailings run 30 to 40 percent below late June and July, and the wildlife viewing in September is better than in May.
| Item | Typical price | What it covers | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior cabin, Caribbean | $115 to $150 per night | Cabin, main dining, buffet, theatre, pools | Good value for the service level |
| Balcony cabin, Caribbean | $155 to $200 per night | As above plus verandah | Yes |
| Balcony cabin, Alaska July | $255 to $340 per night | Peak-season Inside Passage sailing | Only if July is fixed for you |
| Balcony cabin, Alaska May | $165 to $215 per night | Shoulder-season Inside Passage sailing | Yes, the best Alaska value window |
| Princess Plus | $65 per person per day | Drinks to $15, WiFi, gratuities, two casual meals | Yes, cheaper than buying the parts |
| Princess Premier | $95 per person per day | Adds premium drinks, unlimited specialty dining, photos | Only for heavy drinkers who also eat out nightly |
| Gratuities, if not bundled | $17.00 per person per day | Crew appreciation, $19.00 in suites | Included in Plus and Premier |
| Denali cruisetour add-on | $1,100 to $2,400 per person | Three to five land nights, rail transfer, lodge stays | The single best reason to choose Princess |
Included in the fare
- Main dining rooms with traditional or flexible seating
- Buffet, pizza, burger grill and the International Cafe, which is genuinely good
- Movies Under the Stars on the top deck, with blankets and popcorn
- Production shows, a good enrichment lecture programme and Discovery at Sea partnerships
- MedallionClass wearable with cabin unlocking and onboard party tracking
Costs extra
- Alcohol, speciality coffee and bottled water unless bundled
- Specialty restaurants at $29 to $55
- WiFi unless bundled
- Gratuities at $17.00 per person per day unless bundled
- Shore excursions, spa and cruisetour land packages
Pros and cons
What it does well
- The most complete Alaska programme in the industry, including owned lodges and rail access to Denali.
- Calm, unhurried sea days with genuinely good enrichment lectures.
- Princess Plus is one of the few cruise bundles that is cheaper than buying the components.
- MedallionClass technology works, particularly drink delivery anywhere on the ship.
- International Cafe serves the best free casual food at sea.
Where it falls short
- Entertainment is competent but well behind Royal Caribbean and Norwegian.
- Family facilities are thin, with small kids clubs and no water park.
- The Sphere class Dome space is loud and glare-prone on sunny sea days.
- Older Grand class ships are dated and sold at prices closer to newer hardware than they should be.
- Alaska peak-season pricing is punishing in late June and July.
Who it suits
Book Princess Cruises if you are
- Alaska cruisers, particularly anyone who wants to see Denali
- Travellers who want quiet, unhurried sea days
- Couples aged 45 and up who found the contemporary lines too loud
- First-time premium cruisers stepping up from Carnival or Royal Caribbean
- Anyone who values enrichment lectures and scenic cruising
Look elsewhere if you are
- Families with children under 12 seeking extensive facilities
- Travellers who want big-budget theatre productions
- Anyone looking for a party atmosphere
- Guests who want the newest hardware across the whole fleet
- Budget travellers, since the fare premium over Carnival is real
Cabins
Princess cabins are well proportioned and quietly good. Royal class balconies run about 222 square feet including the verandah, with proper storage and a shower rather than a tub-shower compromise.
Sphere class introduced a redesigned cabin with a bigger bathroom and better lighting, and its balcony cabins are the best in the fleet. The trade-off is that Sun Princess and Star Princess have more inside-facing cabins overlooking the Piazza than most travellers expect.
For Alaska, book a balcony on the port side northbound and starboard southbound if you want the best glacier and coastline views from your cabin, though the ship rotates during scenic cruising so it matters less than people think.
- Royal class balcony cabins are 222 square feet including verandah, well laid out.
- Sphere class cabins are the fleet's best, with larger bathrooms.
- Alaska: a balcony is worth the premium far more than it is in the Caribbean.
- Club Class Mini-Suites include priority dining and are better value than a full suite.
- Deluxe balcony on Grand class ships is small; check the square footage before booking.
Dining
Princess food is a clear step above the contemporary lines. The main dining rooms cook to a higher standard, the bread is baked onboard, and the menus rotate more genuinely than Royal Caribbean's.
The International Cafe is the sleeper hit: an included venue serving proper sandwiches, salads and pastries around the clock, and the best free casual food on any ship covered on this site.
Specialty dining is good rather than exceptional. The Crown Grill steakhouse at about $39 is the pick; Sabatini's Italian is competent. On Sphere class, the Catch by Rudi seafood restaurant at $49 is the best meal on the ship.
- Main dining room quality is a real step up from the contemporary lines.
- International Cafe: included, open around the clock, genuinely good.
- Crown Grill steakhouse at about $39 is the best-value specialty booking.
- Catch by Rudi on Sphere class at $49 is the fleet's best restaurant.
- Club Class dining gives mini-suite guests a separate, faster dining room.
Entertainment
This is Princess's weakest area relative to price. Production shows are shorter and less ambitious than Royal Caribbean's, and the theatre on Royal class ships has poor sightlines from the rear.
What Princess does well is the quieter end: a strong enrichment lecture programme, Movies Under the Stars on the top deck with blankets and popcorn, and genuinely good live music in the Piazza.
Sphere class introduced The Dome, a glass-covered venue hosting aerial and acrobatic shows. It is impressive in the evening and unpleasantly hot and glary during the day.
- Production shows are the weakest part of the product for the price.
- Movies Under the Stars is a genuine highlight, with blankets and popcorn.
- Enrichment lectures and Discovery at Sea programming are strong.
- The Piazza is the best live music space in the premium segment.
- The Dome on Sphere class works at night, less so in daylight.
For kids
Princess accepts children from age three in Camp Discovery, split into Treehouse (three to seven), Lodge (eight to twelve) and Beach House for teenagers. The facilities are modest: a couple of rooms, no water park and a small splash zone on newer ships.
It works fine for a family that wants a calm holiday with occasional childcare. It does not work for a family expecting the facilities of Royal Caribbean or MSC.
Youth staff are good and the programme is free during the day and evening, with late-night group babysitting at $5 per child per hour.
- Camp Discovery from age three, three age bands to seventeen.
- Free during the day and evening, $5 per child per hour after 10pm.
- No water park; splash zones on newer ships only.
- Best suited to families who want a calm cruise, not a facilities-led one.
- Alaska cruisetours are excellent for older children and teenagers.
For adults
The Sanctuary is Princess's adults-only retreat: a shaded top-deck area with proper loungers, dedicated stewards, chilled towels and food service, priced around $40 per person per day or $160 for a week. It is one of the best-value paid spaces at sea.
Beyond that, the whole ship functions as an adult space most of the year. Sea days are quiet, the pool deck is calm, and adult couples routinely report that they never noticed the children onboard.
The Lotus Spa thermal suite is competent, with weekly passes around $199. Vines wine bar and the Crooners piano bar are the best evening rooms.
- The Sanctuary: adults-only shaded deck with service, about $160 per week.
- Sea days are genuinely quiet across the whole ship.
- Crooners piano bar and Vines wine bar are the strongest evening venues.
- Lotus Spa thermal suite passes at about $199 per week.
- Adults-only atmosphere without needing an adults-only line.
Terms worth knowing
- MedallionClass
- Princess's wearable disc that unlocks the cabin door, orders food and drink to your location anywhere onboard and locates your travel party.
- Princess Plus
- A daily bundle at $65 per person covering a drinks package, WiFi, gratuities, fitness classes and two casual dining meals.
- Cruisetour
- A combined land and sea holiday. In Alaska, Princess adds three to five nights in its own wilderness lodges with rail transfers to Denali.
- The Sanctuary
- An adults-only top-deck retreat with dedicated stewards and food service, sold by the day or the week.
| Line | Balcony, per night, July | Denali land option | Scenic cruising | Enclosed viewing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess | $255 to $340 | Owned lodges and rail cars | Glacier Bay on most sailings | Good on Royal and Sphere class |
| Holland America | $235 to $310 | Owned lodges and rail cars | Glacier Bay on most sailings | Excellent, purpose-built |
| Norwegian | $240 to $325 | Third-party packages | Varies by ship and itinerary | Best in fleet on Bliss |
| Royal Caribbean | $250 to $340 | Third-party packages | Endicott Arm or Dawes Glacier | Good on Quantum class |
| Celebrity | $305 to $410 | Third-party packages | Endicott Arm or Hubbard Glacier | Very good on Edge class |
Should you book Princess?
Princess is the right answer for two very specific reasons and a reasonable answer for a third. Work out which applies before comparing fares.
Book Princess
Choose it when: You are cruising Alaska and want to see Denali. The owned lodges and rail cars make a Princess cruisetour genuinely hard to replicate.
Book Princess
Choose it when: You want quiet sea days, good food and enrichment lectures, and found Royal Caribbean or Carnival too loud.
Add Princess Plus
Choose it when: You will have more than two drinks a day or need WiFi. At $65 it undercuts buying drinks, WiFi and gratuities separately.
Book Holland America instead
Choose it when: You want the same Alaska strengths with a slightly older demographic and marginally lower fares.
Book another line
Choose it when: You are travelling with children under 12 who need facilities, or entertainment is a priority.
Skip it if: You are doing an Alaska cruisetour, where the land portion outweighs onboard facilities.
Ready to price a Princess Cruises sailing?
Lead-in fares from $132 per person per night in our latest sampling. Compare live fares, then come back and check our cost guides before adding packages.
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Princess Cruises questions, answered
Is Princess Plus worth it?
Usually yes. At $65 per person per day it covers a drinks package worth about $45, WiFi worth about $20 and the $17.00 daily gratuity, plus two casual dining meals. Buying those separately runs about $82 per day. It only fails to pay off if you drink nothing at all and do not need WiFi.
Why is Princess the best line for Alaska?
Princess owns five wilderness lodges in Alaska and operates its own glass-domed rail cars, so a Princess cruisetour can put you in Denali National Park for three to five nights on a single booking. It also holds a large share of the limited Glacier Bay National Park entry permits, so more Princess itineraries include Glacier Bay than rivals.
How much does a Princess Alaska cruise cost?
A seven-night Inside Passage balcony sailing runs about $255 to $340 per person per night in July and $165 to $215 in May or September, based on 2026 sampling. A Denali cruisetour adds $1,100 to $2,400 per person for three to five land nights including rail transfers and lodge stays.
What is MedallionClass on Princess?
MedallionClass is a wearable disc, worn as a pendant or clip, that unlocks your cabin door as you approach, lets you order food and drink to your exact location anywhere onboard, and shows where your travel party is on a ship map. It is included in the fare and is the best-executed onboard technology in the industry.
Is Princess good for families?
Only moderately. Camp Discovery accepts children from age three across three age bands and is free during the day and evening, but there is no water park and the facilities are small. Princess suits families who want a calm holiday; families wanting facilities should look at Royal Caribbean, MSC or Disney.
Princess or Holland America for Alaska?
Both own Alaska lodges and rail cars, and both hold Glacier Bay permits. Princess has newer ships, better technology and a slightly younger crowd. Holland America runs marginally lower fares, a more traditional atmosphere and a stronger enrichment programme. If Denali is the priority, either works; if onboard modernity matters, choose Princess.
About the author
Ports and Destinations Writer
Lena Hartley covers the parts of a cruise that happen off the ship: departure port logistics, shore excursions, weather windows and whether a port call is worth leaving the ship for at all.
48 sailings logged across 8 cruise lines.
This page was fact-checked by Captain Alberto Ruiz, marine and operations reviewer, on . Prices and policies are re-checked against cruise line sources at least every 90 days. Read our editorial policy.