Cruise Spotlight
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Discovery Princess vs Grand Princess
The Princess Cruises Discovery Princess is a fairly new ship, being built in 2022. It's 24 years newer than the Grand Princess, which was built in 1998 and renovated in 2019. Grand Princess was the largest and most expansive ship ever to be constructed when it debuted in 1998.
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 Princess Cruises Grand Princess, the Discovery Princess is 35% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Discovery Princess holds 41% more passengers than the Grand 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 Discovery Princess has less space per person compared to the Grand Princess.
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Princess Cruises Grand Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Royal | Grand |
| Gross Tonnage | 145,000 | 107,517 |
| Length | 1,083 | 949 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 118 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,660 | 2,600 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 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 Discovery Princess has 19 different dining options like Main Dining Room, Sabatini's, and World Fresh Marketplace. Of those options, 11 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 8 options have an additional fee.
The Grand Princess has 4 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Crown Grill, International Cafe, and Alfredo's Pizzeria. 10 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 4 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Discovery Princess might be a better choice. It has 27% more dining options than the Grand Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Grand Princess might be a better choice then the Discovery Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Princess Cruises Discovery Princess & Grand Princess
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Princess Cruises Grand Princess | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfredo's Pizzeria | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Bistro Sur La Mer | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Buffet | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Chef's Table Lumiere | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Coffee and Cones | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Crown Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Gelato | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Gigi's Pizzeria | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| International Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Sabatini's | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Slice | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Swirls Ice Cream Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Pastry Shop / The Bakery | ✓ | ✗ | |
| The Salty Dog Gastropub | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Salty Dog Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| World Fresh Marketplace | ✓ | ✓ | 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 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 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.
Princess Cruises Grand Princess has more pools than the Discovery Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Grand Princess. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Princess Cruises Grand Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | ||
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 9 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Discovery Princess. Only 73% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Grand Princess, 75% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Princess Cruises Discovery Princess | Princess Cruises Grand Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Putting green | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Princess Cruises Discovery Princess will likely be more expensive than on Princess Cruises Grand 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 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 | $64.99 - $84.99 |
| 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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