Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Caribbean Princess vs Island Princess
The Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess was built in 2004. It was renovated in 2024. It's 1 year newer than the Island Princess, which was built in 2003 and renovated in 2024.
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 Caribbean Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 952 feet long and 158 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 19-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Island Princess, the Caribbean Princess is 22% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess holds 43% more passengers than the Island 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 Caribbean Princess has less space per person compared to the Island Princess.
| Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess | Princess Cruises Island Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Caribbean | Coral |
| Gross Tonnage | 112,894 | 92,822 |
| Length | 952 | 964 |
| Beam/Width | 158 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,140 | 2,200 |
| Crew | 1,200 | 900 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 36 | 42 |
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 Caribbean Princess has eleven different dining options like Main Dining Room, Crown Grill, and The Salty Dog Grill. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.
The Island Princess has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sabatini's, Main Dining Room, and World Fresh Marketplace. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other three have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Caribbean Princess might be a better choice. It has 22% more dining options than the Island Princess.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess & Island Princess
| Restaurant | Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess |
Princess Cruises Island Princess |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Burger & Hot Dog Grill | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Coffee and Cones | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Slice | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Swirls Ice Cream Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Salty Dog Grill | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| World Fresh Marketplace | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| International Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Patisserie | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Vines Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Bayou Cafe & Steakhouse | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Crown Grill | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Sabatini's | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
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 Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess has a total of 4 pools and 7 hot tubs.
Princess Cruises Island Princess has fewer pools than the Caribbean Princess and fewer hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Caribbean Princess.| Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess | Princess Cruises Island Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | ||
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive |
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 Caribbean Princess, 80% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Island Princess, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess | Princess Cruises Island Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Putting green | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises 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.
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 understand what you might spend onboard a Princess Cruises ship.
| Princess Cruises | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 |
| Internet Plan | $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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About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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