Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Island Princess vs Enchanted Princess
The Princess Cruises Island Princess was built in 2003. It was renovated in 2024. It's 18 years older than the Enchanted Princess, which was built in 2021.
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 Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess, the Island Princess is 36% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Island Princess holds 40% fewer passengers than the Enchanted 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 Island Princess has more space per person compared to the Enchanted 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 Island Princess | Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Coral | Royal |
| Gross Tonnage | 92,822 | 145,000 |
| Length | 964 | 1,083 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 19 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,200 | 3,660 |
| Crew | 900 | 1,346 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 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 Island Princess has nine different dining options like Main Dining Room, Sabatini's, and World Fresh Marketplace. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other three options have an additional fee.
The Enchanted Princess has five more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sabatini's, Crown Grill, and Chef's Table Lumiere. Eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Enchanted Princess might be a better choice. It has 56% more dining options than the Island Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Island Princess might be a better choice then the Enchanted Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Princess Cruises Island Princess & Enchanted Princess
| Restaurant | Princess Cruises Island Princess |
Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Burger & Hot Dog Grill | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Gigi's Pizzeria | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Swirls Ice Cream Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Pastry Shop / The Bakery | ✗ | ✓ | |
| The Salty Dog Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| World Fresh Marketplace | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Gelateria | ✗ | ✓ | |
| International Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Patisserie | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Flat fee | |||
| Bayou Cafe & Steakhouse | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Chef's Table Lumiere | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Crown Grill | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| O'Malleys Irish Pub | ✗ | ✓ | 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 Island Princess has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs.
Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess has more pools than the Island Princess and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Enchanted 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 Island Princess | Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | ||
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 9 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| 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. 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 Enchanted Princess, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Princess Cruises Island Princess | Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Island Princess will likely be cheaper than on Princess Cruises Enchanted 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 | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 |
| 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.
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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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