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MSC Seashore vs Princess Cruises Star Princess
The MSC Seashore was built in 2021. The MSC Seashore has a New York City-inspired aesthetic complete with a 10-foot-fall replica of the Statue of Liberty at the heart of the casino and shopping area called Times Square. It's 4 years older than the Star Princess, which was built in 2025. Star Princess is the newest ship from Princess Cruises. It's the 3rd ship to be sailing under the Star Princess name. The Star Princess is still under construction and Princess Cruises hasn't released all the details yet.
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 Seashore is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,060 feet long and 135 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. It's about the same size as the Princess Cruises Star Princess.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seashore holds 31% more passengers than the Star 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 Seashore has less space per person compared to the Star Princess.
| MSC Seashore | Princess Cruises Star Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Seaside EVO | Sphere |
| Gross Tonnage | 169,400 | 175,500 |
| Length | 1,060 | 1,133 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 21 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,632 | 4,300 |
| Crew | 1,648 | 1,592 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.4 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 30 | 41 |
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 Seashore has 16 different dining options like HOLA! Tacos & Cantina, Kaito Teppanyaki, and Kaito Sushi Bar. Of those options, 7 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 9 options have an additional fee.
The Star Princess has 5 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sabatini's, International Cafe, and Makoto Ocean. 9 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 12 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Star Princess might be a better choice. It has 31% more dining options than the Seashore.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| MSC Seashore | Princess Cruises Star Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 16 | 21 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 7 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 44% | 43% |
| 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The MSC Seashore has a total of 5 pools and 15 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools are adults only. 2 of the pools and 3 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.
The Princess Cruises Star Princess has the same number of pools as the Seashore and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Star 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.
| MSC Seashore | Princess Cruises Star Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 15 | 11 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 12 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 1 |
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 Seashore, 54% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Star Princess, only 25% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| MSC Seashore | Princess Cruises Star Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✗ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Royal Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spellbound by Magic Castle | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC is considered a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Princess Cruises, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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.
| MSC Seashore | Princess Cruises Star Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | $64.99 - $84.99 |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day | $24.99 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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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