Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Grand Princess vs Majestic Princess
The Princess Cruises Grand Princess was built in 1998. It was renovated in 2025. Grand Princess was the largest and most expansive ship ever to be constructed when it debuted in 1998. It's 19 years older than the Majestic Princess, which was built in 2017 and renovated in 2025. Majestic Princess was originally designed for the Chinese market. Because of this intent, the ship was unique to the Princess fleet with some additional features and unique restaurants, but during a 2025 drydock, most of the unique restaurants were replaced with Princess' standard offerings. It also has a great indoor pool for cooler weather cruising. Majestic Princess is also one of 3 ships that feature Princess' Watercolor Fantasy Show, an outdoor dancing fountain show.
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 Grand Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 949 feet long and 118 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 2.2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 17-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Majestic Princess, the Grand Princess is 25% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Grand Princess holds 27% fewer passengers than the Majestic Princess based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Grand Princess has more space per person compared to the Majestic Princess. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
| Princess Cruises Grand Princess | Princess Cruises Majestic Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Grand | Royal |
| Gross Tonnage | 107,517 | 143,700 |
| Length | 949 | 1,083 |
| Beam/Width | 118 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 17 | 19 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,600 | 3,560 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 1,346 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 40 |
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 Grand Princess has ten different dining options like World Fresh Marketplace, The Salty Dog Grill, and Sabatini's. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.
The Majestic Princess has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chef's Table Lumiere, World Fresh Marketplace, and International Cafe. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Majestic Princess might be a better choice. It has 20% 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 Majestic Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Princess Cruises Grand Princess & Majestic Princess
| Restaurant | Princess Cruises Grand Princess |
Princess Cruises Majestic Princess |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Coffee and Cones | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Slice | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Salty Dog Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Salty Dog Grill | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| World Fresh Marketplace | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Confectionary | ✗ | ✓ | |
| International Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| O'Malleys Irish Pub | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Alfredo's Pizzeria | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chef's Table Lumiere | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Crown Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sabatini's | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Catch by Rudi | ✗ | ✓ | 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 Grand Princess has a total of 5 pools and 8 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 2 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 Majestic Princess has fewer pools than the Grand Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Majestic 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.
| Princess Cruises Grand Princess | Princess Cruises Majestic Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 8 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 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 Grand Princess. Only 75% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Majestic Princess, 78% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Princess Cruises Grand Princess | Princess Cruises Majestic Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Animated fountain | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Grand Princess will likely be cheaper than on Princess Cruises Majestic 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 | $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.
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
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.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.