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Disney Destiny vs Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess
The Disney Destiny is a fairly new ship, being built in 2025. The Disney Destiny is inspired by stories of heroes and villains. You'll enter the ship through the Grand Hall which is themed after Marvel's Black Panther. Outside the ship, you'll see Spider-man painting the name on the stern. It's 21 years newer than the Sapphire Princess, which was built in 2004 and renovated in 2025.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Destiny is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,119 feet long and 128 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess, the Destiny is 24% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Disney Destiny holds 50% more passengers than the Sapphire Princess based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Destiny has less space per person compared to the Sapphire Princess.
| Disney Destiny | Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Wish | Gem |
| Gross Tonnage | 144,000 | 115,875 |
| Length | 1,119 | 952 |
| Beam/Width | 128 | 123 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 18 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,000 | 2,670 |
| Crew | 1,555 | 1,100 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 36 | 43 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Destiny has ten different dining options like Pride Lands, Worlds of Marvel, and Enchante by Chef Arnaud Lallement. Of those options, five are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Sapphire Princess has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sterling Steakhouse, Alfredo's Pizzeria, and Sabatini's. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sapphire Princess might be a better choice. It has 30% more dining options than the Destiny.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Disney Destiny | Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 13 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 5 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 54% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. Alcohol is not included in the base price of this cruise ship. To see if you would save money with a drink package, try our Drink Package Calculator.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Disney Destiny has a total of 8 pools and 3 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess has fewer pools than the Destiny and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Sapphire Princess. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Destiny.| Disney Destiny | Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 8 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 6 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Destiny, 83% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Sapphire Princess, only 67% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Disney Destiny | Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✗ | ✓ |
| Character experiences | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Movie Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water Coaster | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Disney and Princess Cruises are both considered "Premium" cruise lines. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Disney Destiny will likely be more expensive than on Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Disney Destiny | Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | Included | $2.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.50 | $6.25 |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | $77 -$100 |
| Internet Plan | $12 - $36 per device per day | $24.99 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.
Princess Cruises offers two packages to bundle onboard expenses. The Princess Plus package includes daily gratuities, the basic beverage package, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining meals, and internet for $60 per day per guest. The Princess Premier package upgrades to the premiere beverage package, wifi for up to 4 devices per guest, two specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, unlimited fitness classes, and a photo package for $80 per guest per day.
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