Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Royal Princess vs Grand Princess
The Princess Cruises Royal Princess was built in 2013. It was renovated in 2018. This ship is the third to carry the Royal Princess name. It's also one of 3 ships that feature Princess' Watercolor Fantasy Show, an outdoor dancing fountain show. It's 15 years newer than the Grand Princess, which was built in 1998 and renovated in 2019. Grand Princess was the largest and most expansive ship ever to be constructed when it debuted in 1998.
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 Royal Princess is considered a medium size 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 Grand Princess, the Royal Princess is 32% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Royal Princess holds 37% more passengers than the Grand 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 Royal Princess has less space per person compared to the Grand Princess.
| Princess Cruises Royal Princess | Princess Cruises Grand Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Royal | Grand |
| Gross Tonnage | 142,229 | 107,517 |
| Length | 1,083 | 949 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 118 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,560 | 2,600 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 41 |
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 Royal Princess has 20 different dining options like International Cafe, Main Dining Room, and World Fresh Marketplace. Of those options, 10 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 8 options have an additional fee.
The Grand Princess has 5 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are World Fresh Marketplace, Alfredo's Pizzeria, and The Salty Dog Grill. 10 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 4 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Royal Princess might be a better choice. It has 33% 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 Royal Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Princess Cruises Royal Princess & Grand Princess
| Princess Cruises Royal Princess | Princess Cruises Grand Princess | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfredo's Pizzeria | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Buffet | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Burger & Hot Dog Grill | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Chef's Table Lumiere | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Coffee and Cones | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Crown Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Gelato | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Horizon Court | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| International Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Prego Pizzeria | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Sabatini's | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Slice | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Swirls Ice Cream Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Pastry Shop / The Bakery | ✓ | ✗ | |
| 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 Royal Princess has a total of 3 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 Grand Princess has more pools than the Royal Princess and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Grand 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 Royal Princess | Princess Cruises Grand Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 6 |
| 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 Royal Princess. Only 73% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Grand Princess, 75% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Princess Cruises Royal Princess | Princess Cruises Grand Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✓ |
| Animated fountain | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 Royal Princess will likely be more expensive than on Princess Cruises Grand 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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