Cruise Spotlight
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Discovery Princess vs Eclipse
The Princess Cruises Discovery Princess was built in 2022. It was renovated in 2025. It's 12 years newer than the Eclipse, which was built in 2010 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 Discovery Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,083 feet long and 126 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 19-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Eclipse, the Discovery Princess is 19% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Discovery Princess holds 28% more passengers than the Eclipse 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 Discovery Princess has less space per person compared to the Eclipse.
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Royal | Solstice |
| Gross Tonnage | 145,000 | 122,000 |
| Length | 1,083 | 1,040 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,660 | 2,850 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,286 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 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 Discovery Princess has fourteen different dining options like The Salty Dog Gastropub, World Fresh Marketplace, and The Salty Dog Grill. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Eclipse has four fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are AquaSpa Cafe, Main Dining Room, and Sushi on Five. Nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Discovery Princess might be a better choice. It has 40% more dining options than the Eclipse.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 43% | 40% |
| 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. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Eclipse below.
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 Discovery Princess has a total of 4 pools and 10 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 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.
Celebrity Eclipse has fewer pools than the Discovery Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Eclipse. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 9 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 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 both ships, 73% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lawn Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises and Celebrity 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 Princess Cruises Discovery Princess will likely be more expensive than on Celebrity Eclipse.
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.
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $4.75 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 | $9.99 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 | $55 - $99 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 per device per day | $19 to $30 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.
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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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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