Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Emerald Princess vs Sky Princess
The Princess Cruises Emerald Princess was built in 2007. It was renovated in 2019. It's 12 years older than the Sky Princess, which was built in 2019. This ship is the second ship to sail under the Sky Princess name.
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 Emerald Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 951 feet long and 159 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 Sky Princess, the Emerald Princess is 19% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Emerald Princess holds 16% fewer passengers than the Sky 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 Emerald Princess has less space per person compared to the Sky Princess.
| Princess Cruises Emerald Princess | Princess Cruises Sky Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Crown | Royal |
| Gross Tonnage | 113,561 | 141,000 |
| Length | 951 | 1,083 |
| Beam/Width | 159 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 19 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,080 | 3,660 |
| Crew | 1,200 | 1,346 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 37 | 39 |
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 Emerald Princess has 16 different dining options like Crown Grill, The Salty Dog Grill, and Sabatini's. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 5 options have an additional fee.
The Sky Princess has 3 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are International Cafe, Main Dining Room, and World Fresh Marketplace. 10 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 9 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sky Princess might be a better choice. It has 19% more dining options than the Emerald Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Emerald Princess might be a better choice then the Sky Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Princess Cruises Emerald Princess & Sky Princess
| Princess Cruises Emerald Princess | Princess Cruises Sky Princess | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfredo's Pizzeria | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chef's Table Lumiere | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Coffee and Cones | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Crown Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Gelato | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| International Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Planks BBQ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Sabatini's | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Slice | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Steamers Seafood | ✓ | ✗ | |
| The Catch by Rudi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Pastry Shop / The Bakery | ✗ | ✓ | |
| The Salty Dog Gastropub | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Salty Dog Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Vines Wine Bar | ✓ | ✓ | 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 Emerald Princess has a total of 5 pools and 7 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.
Princess Cruises Sky Princess has fewer pools than the Emerald Princess and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Sky 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 Emerald Princess | Princess Cruises Sky Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | ||
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 9 |
| 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 the Emerald Princess, 80% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Sky Princess, only 77% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Emerald Princess | Princess Cruises Sky Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adults-only area (no extra 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 Emerald Princess will likely be cheaper than on Princess Cruises Sky 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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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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