Of the seven cruise lines that account for the majority of cruises taken by North Americans, Princess Cruises has the simplest fleet.
The vast majority of the line's 17 ships fall into one of just two groups, known as "classes" in cruise industry lingo: the Royal Class and the Grand Class.
Each of these two groups is made up of ships constructed around the same time with the same basic design. If you know one member of the group, you know them all.
In total, the Princess fleet has six Royal Class ships and seven Grand Class ships, and the line operates just four ships outside these two groups: Star Princess, Sun Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess. Star Princess and Sun Princess are the line's newest and biggest vessels, and the only ships in the line's new Sphere Class of vessels. Coral Princess and Island Princess are the line's oldest and smallest vessels, part of what's called the Coral Class.
An introduction to Princess Cruises ships
Princess downsized its fleet considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic, removing five ships. But it has begun growing again in the last two years and remains the world's fifth-largest cruise line by passenger capacity, with 17 vessels that together offer roughly 54,000 berths.
In general, Princess operates big ships, but they're not quite as big as the vessels operated by Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises — the two lines best known for giant ships. The biggest Princess vessels, the line's new Star Princess and Sun Princess, measure around 177,000 tons. That's about 29% smaller than the biggest ship operated by Royal Caribbean. The line's Royal Class vessels are more than 40% smaller than the biggest Royal Caribbean ships.
Star Princess and Sun Princess are, without a doubt, the belles of the ball in the Princess fleet. Newer, bigger and more venue-filled than the line's other ships, they debuted in 2025 and 2024, respectively, and carry 4,300 passengers at double occupancy.
Also relatively new and chock-full of lots of venues are the line's six Royal Class ships, which measure between 142,229 and 145,281 tons. These vessels began rolling out in 2013 and carry about 3,600 passengers apiece at double occupancy.
Still, the biggest cohort of ships in the Princess fleet is its seven Grand Class vessels. Unveiled between 1998 and 2008, the vessels in this class are smaller than the Royal Class vessels at around 107,000 to 116,000 tons in size. This smaller size allows them to operate a wider range of itineraries than the Royal Class ships. However, they're still big enough to offer a lot of onboard venues. The Grand Class ships carry between 2,600 to 3,100 passengers at double occupancy.
Related: The ultimate guide to Princess Cruises
Rounding out the Princess fleet are its two Coral Class ships that, at around 92,000 tons, are the smallest of the line's ships. They each carry around 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.
Sphere Class
Ships in class: Star Princess (2025) and Sun Princess (2024)
Size: 177,882 tons
Princess' two Sphere Class ships haven't been at sea for long at all. The second vessel in the series, Star Princess, is just a couple of months old. That said, the Sphere Class is already making waves as a class of Princess ships that's a significant evolution from what came before.
Notably, the two vessels are more lively and offer more dining, drinking and entertainment options than any other Princess ship at sea. That's, in part, because the ships are significantly bigger than is typical for Princess, giving them room for more venues. At 177,882 tons, they're a whopping 21% bigger than the next biggest Princess ship and nearly double the size of the line's smallest ships.
The vessels also carry far more passengers than earlier Princess ships — 4,300 at double occupancy and 5,189 with every berth filled.
In short, if you're in the "bigger is better" camp when it comes to cruise ships, these are the Princess ships for you.
Among the most significant differences between both Star Princess and Sun Princess and earlier Princess ships is that they have a far more diverse array of eateries — a conscious effort by the line to offer its customers more options.
In addition to the two specialty restaurants found on almost every Princess ship (the Crown Grill steakhouse and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria), both Star Princess and Sun Princess are home to the Butcher's Block by Dario, a new meat-focused grill designed in partnership with celebrity Italian butcher Dario Cecchini (if you've seen Netflix's "Chef's Table," you know who he is).
Related: New Princess ship is serving breakfast for dinner
They both also have three new Asian dining options: Makoto Ocean, a sushi eatery designed by James Beard Foundation honoree Makoto Okuwa; teppanyaki-serving Umai Teppanyaki; and hot pot venue Umai Hot Pot (the latter two outlets share the same space). There's also a new restaurant called Love by Britto, designed in partnership with artist Romero Britto, and a version of The Catch by Rudi, a seafood restaurant designed by Princess' head of culinary arts Rudi Sodamin that is on a handful of Princess vessels.
The wider range of eateries is complemented by the most diverse array of entertainment venues ever on a Princess ship. They include an innovative main theater that can be reconfigured three ways for performances; a secondary performance venue for comedy shows and karaoke nights; a central atrium that houses musical performances, game shows and other lively events throughout the day; and a covered-by-a-glass-dome nightspot atop the ship rigged for aerial shows.
Additionally, the vessels are home to a clubby, magic-infused nightspot called Spellbound by Magic Castle, a first-of-its-kind venue at sea. Open to just a small portion of the vessels' passengers each night (who pay at least $45 per person for the exclusive access), they're floating versions of Magic Castle, the iconic private club for magicians and their guests in Los Angeles.
Related: My strange night out at Princess Cruises' new magic-infused nightspot
Both of the vessels offer a sports court area on their top decks as well.
The vessels are also the first Princess ships with a separate suite complex aimed at the growing number of big-ship-loving vacationers willing to pay big bucks to be pampered while at sea.
Royal Class
Ships in class: Discovery Princess (2022), Enchanted Princess (2020), Sky Princess (2019), Majestic Princess (2017), Regal Princess (2014) and Royal Princess (2013)
Size: 142,229 to 145,281 tons
The six Royal Class ships in the Princess fleet aren't as big as Star Princess and Sun Princess. But they're still significantly bigger than the rest of the line's vessels and, like the Sphere Class ships, offer more of everything — more lounge space, more restaurants, more bars and more entertainment — than you'll find across most Princess ships.
On the Royal Class ships, you'll find all of the things for which Princess is known: lively, piazza-reminiscent central atriums surrounded by bars and restaurants that serve as central gathering points; lots of entertainment venues for live shows, comedy acts and more; and relatively uncluttered pool decks with lots of space for sunning.
You'll also find some extras not found on the other ships, including the glass-floored SeaWalk that extends over the side of some of the vessels.
Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Princess ship
Each Royal Class ship has at least half a dozen eateries, including main restaurants and a casual buffet where meals are included in the fare. Extra-charge restaurants on the vessels include versions of the line's signature steakhouse, Crown Grill, and Italian restaurant, Sabatini's.
Some of the ships also have the seafood restaurant The Catch by Rudi (also featured on Sun Princess), which serves up the likes of Dover sole, mussels Provencale and lobster. Plus, you'll find pizzerias on the vessels and the gourmet hot dog- and taco-serving Salty Dog Grill.
As noted above, the Royal Class ships can carry about 3,600 passengers apiece, based on double occupancy (two people per cabin). However, it's possible you'll find even more people on these ships when you sail on them. When additional berths from pull-down bunks and pullout sofa beds are factored in, the total capacity of the ships jumps to around 4,600 passengers.
In case you're curious, the name of the Royal Class series ties to the godmother of the initial Royal Class vessel. Dubbed Royal Princess, it was famously christened by a royal, the United Kingdom's Catherine, Princess of Wales (then the Duchess of Cambridge). The cruise line's previous ship, the first Royal Princess, debuted in 1984 and was christened by Diana, Princess of Wales.
Grand Class
Ships in class: Ruby Princess (2008), Emerald Princess (2007), Crown Princess (2006), Caribbean Princess (2004), Sapphire Princess (2004), Diamond Princess (2004) and Grand Princess (1998)
Size: 107,517 to 115,875 tons
The Grand Class ships have long been at the core of the Princess fleet, and they continue to be highly popular with Princess fans. About 20% smaller, on average, than the line's Royal Class ships, the seven vessels in the series offer a more intimate feel than the Royal Class ships while still being big enough to offer a lot of features and activities.
Like the Royal Class ships, Grand Class vessels have interiors that revolve around lively, piazza-style atriums with cafes serving as central gathering places. They also have big theaters (home to production shows), comedy clubs and multiple restaurants and bars spread across their interiors. The top decks feature quiet and relaxing pool and lounge areas where you can enjoy the experience of being at sea without a lot of hustle and bustle — a notable difference from the vibe on a lot of big ships at competing lines.
Related: The ultimate guide to Princess cabins and suites
Indeed, what you won't find on most of the Grand Class ships (and most Princess ships in general) are a lot of family-focused deck-top attractions. Unlike many of its competitors in the big-ship market — most notably Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises — Princess hasn't been known to load up the tops of its vessels with sprawling water parks, go-kart tracks, laser tag courses and other flashy diversions.
Compared to most of its big ship-operating rivals, Princess is known for a more serene, almost "old school" sort of cruising that isn't about having a lot of attractions.
While all of the Grand Class ships are fairly similar, as they were built in clusters, you will still find some variation from ship to ship.
Among the biggest differences is that the three oldest of the Grand Class vessels — Grand Princess, Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess — each have one fewer deck than the rest of the ships in the class.
You'll also find some variation in restaurant choices on the seven Grand Class vessels. All have a signature Princess steakhouse (either called Crown Grill or Sterling Steakhouse) and a Sabatini's Italian eatery, but two of the ships — Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess — also have a gastropub called Salty Dog that isn't found on the other vessels. Some of the vessels have a seafood outlet called Steamers.
Additionally, one of the Grand Class ships — Diamond Princess — has been specially overhauled to appeal to the Japanese market with extensive Japanese baths, a sushi restaurant and cabin bathrooms retrofitted with Japanese-style bidets. This ship often sails around Japan on voyages that target the local market but also Americans and Australians.
Three of the Grand Class ships — Ruby Princess, Emerald Princess and Caribbean Princess — have more elaborate spas with thermal suites than the others. Additionally, one of the vessels, Caribbean Princess, features a family-focused pool deck with a splash pool — a nod to family vacationers that's unique among ships in the class. As a result, Caribbean Princess makes for a top choice for Princess fans who will be cruising with small children.
Coral Class
Ships in class: Island Princess (2003) and Coral Princess (2002)
Size: 91,627 tons
The Coral Class ships are even smaller than the Grand Class ships — about 15% to 20% smaller — and have a cozier feel. But because of their smaller size, they also have somewhat fewer features and amenities than ships in the other Princess classes.
In general, these are ships that appeal to cruisers looking for a more intimate experience than what you'll find on the big Royal Class ships. They also draw cruisers who care more about the destinations that they visit on a cruise than the onboard attractions.
Along those lines, Princess often deploys the Coral Class ships on its more far-flung, destination-rich itineraries, including lengthy globe-spanning cruises. Just this month, for instance, Coral Princess is setting off on an epic 115-day world cruise out of Los Angeles to the South Pacific, Australia and Asia, and it'll operate a similarly ambitious 114-day sailing across the Pacific in early 2027.
Related: Everything to know about the Princess Captain's Circle loyalty program
As is typical for Princess ships, both Coral Class vessels have a restaurant scene revolving around main restaurants, a casual pool deck buffet, a steakhouse (in this case, one with a New Orleans theme called Bayou Cafe and Steakhouse) and an Italian eatery called Sabatini's.
The casual pool deck buffet on each of the ships is, notably, located at the bow, which allows for great views over the water and what some Princess fans say is a better flow than buffets located farther back on pool decks.
Entertainment venues on the ships include a relatively large main theater for production shows, secondary lounges that offer comedy shows and other entertainment, and a casino. Like other Princess ships, the top decks of the vessels are mostly devoted to pool areas with hot tubs and lounge chairs. Both ships also have spas.
Bottom line
The Princess fleet is relatively easy to understand. There are just four types of ships in the Princess fleet, and, for the most part, they aren't wildly different from each other.
Princess believes strongly in offering a consistent product from ship to ship, and it generally doesn't make revolutionary changes with each class of vessels it unveils (though the newest Sphere Class has relatively more differences from earlier classes).
The big difference among the line's four classes of ships is the size of the vessels in the classes. If you're a fan of big ships, you'll want to gravitate to the new Sphere Class and Royal Class vessels. If you like your cruise ships more intimate, you'll probably want to book the Grand Class or Coral Class vessels.
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