Cruise Spotlight
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Regal Princess vs Sun Princess
The Princess Cruises Regal Princess was built in 2014. It was renovated in 2025. Regal Princess is one of 3 ships that feature Princess' Watercolor Fantasy Show, an outdoor dancing fountain show. It's 10 years older than the Sun Princess, which was built in 2024. Sun Princess is the first in a whole new class of cruise ship for Princess Cruises. It's the 3rd ship to be sailing under the Sun 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 Regal Princess is considered a medium 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 Sun Princess, the Regal Princess is 20% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Regal Princess holds 17% fewer passengers than the Sun Princess based on double occupancy (two people per room). At full capacity, Princess Cruises Regal Princess holds 17% fewer passengers than the Sun Princess.
When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Regal Princess has less space per person compared to the Sun Princess.
| Princess Cruises Regal Princess | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Royal | Sphere |
| Gross Tonnage | 142,229 | 177,882 |
| Length | 1,083 | 1,133 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 21 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,560 | 4,300 |
| Passengers (maximum occupancy) | 4,303 | 5,189 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,600 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 33 | 34 |
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 Regal Princess has seventeen different dining options like Chef's Table Lumiere, International Cafe, and Crown Grill. Of those options, twelve are complimentary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.
The Sun Princess has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Main Dining Room, The Catch by Rudi, and Sabatini's. Eight of these restaurants are complimentary and the other thirteen have an additional fee.
The Princess Cruises Regal Princess has about the same number of dining options as the Princess Cruises Sun Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Regal Princess might be a better choice than the Sun Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Princess Cruises Regal Princess & Sun Princess
| Restaurant | Princess Cruises Regal Princess | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Americana Diner | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Burger & Hot Dog Grill | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Gigi's Pizzeria | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Swirls Ice Cream Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Eatery | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Pastry Shop / The Bakery | ✓ | ✗ | |
| World Fresh Marketplace | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Gelateria | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Gelato | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| International Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Makoto Ocean | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Vines Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Alfredo's Pizzeria | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chef's Table Lumiere | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Crown Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Lido Eats | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Love by Britto | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| O'Malleys Irish Pub | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sabatini's | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Butcher's Block by Dario | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Catch by Rudi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Umai Teppanyaki | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| Sanctuary Restaurant | ✗ | ✓ | 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 Barq's 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 Regal Princess has a total of 4 pools and 7 hot tubs.
Princess Cruises Sun Princess has more pools than the Regal Princess and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Sun Princess. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Regal Princess.
| Princess Cruises Regal Princess | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 11 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 10 |
| 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 Regal Princess, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Sun Princess, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Regal Princess | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✓ |
| Animated fountain | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Royal Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spellbound by Magic Castle | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Regal Princess will likely be cheaper than on Princess Cruises Sun 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 may 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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