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Island Princess vs Destiny
The Princess Cruises Island Princess was built in 2003. It was renovated in 2024. It's 22 years older than the Destiny, which was built in 2025. The Disney Destiny is inspired by stories of heroes and villains. You'll enter the ship through the Grand Hall which is themed after Marvel's Black Panther. Outside the ship, you'll see Spider-man painting the name on the stern.
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 Island Princess is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 964 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Disney Destiny, the Island Princess is 36% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Island Princess holds 45% fewer passengers than the Destiny 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 Island Princess has more space per person compared to the Destiny. 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 Island Princess | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Coral | Wish |
| Gross Tonnage | 92,822 | 144,000 |
| Length | 964 | 1,119 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 128 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,200 | 4,000 |
| Crew | 900 | 1,555 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 36 |
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 Island Princess has nine different dining options like World Fresh Marketplace, Main Dining Room, and Sabatini's. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other three options have an additional fee.
The Destiny has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Pride Lands, Enchante by Chef Arnaud Lallement, and Worlds of Marvel. Five of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.
The Princess Cruises Island Princess has about the same number of dining options as the Disney Destiny.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Island Princess might be a better choice then the Destiny. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Princess Cruises Island Princess | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 9 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 5 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 3 | 5 |
| % of Included Options | 67% | 50% |
| 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. 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 Island Princess has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs.
Disney Destiny has more pools than the Island Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Destiny. 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 Island Princess | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 8 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 6 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| 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 Island Princess. Only 62% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Destiny, 83% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Princess Cruises Island Princess | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✗ |
| Character experiences | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Movie Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises and Disney 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 Island Princess will likely be cheaper than on Disney Destiny.
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 Island Princess | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 | $7.75 |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 per device per day | $30 - $49 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.
With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.
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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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