Ruby Princess vs Anthem of the Seas

The Princess Cruises Ruby Princess was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2018. This ship is the second to sail under the Regal Princess name. It's 7 years older than the Anthem of the Seas, which was built in 2015.

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 Ruby Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 951 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 19-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas, the Ruby Princess is 33% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Princess Cruises Ruby Princess holds 26% fewer passengers than the Anthem of the Seas 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 Ruby Princess has less space per person compared to the Anthem of the Seas.

	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess	Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas
Class	Crown	Quantum
Gross Tonnage	113,561	168,666
Length	951	1,141
Beam/Width	118	136
Passenger Decks	19	14
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,080	4,180
Crew	1,200	1,500
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.6	2.8
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	37	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 Ruby Princess has eighteen different dining options like International Cafe, Sabatini's, and Main Dining Room. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Anthem of the Seas has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Dog House, Cafe Promenade, and Chef's Table. twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Anthem of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 17% more dining options than the Ruby Princess.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Ruby Princess might be a better choice then the Anthem of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess	Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas
Total Dining Options	18	21
Complimentary Dining Options:	11	12
Additional Fee Dining Options:	5	9
% of Included Options	72%	57%
	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. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.

There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Anthem of the Seas below.

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 Ruby Princess has a total of 4 pools and 6 hot tubs.

Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas has fewer pools than the Ruby Princess and the same number of hot tubs.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Ruby Princess.

	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess	Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas
Total Pools	4	3
Pools - General Access	3	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive		0
Total Hot Tubs	6	6
Hot Tubs - General Access	4	4
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	2	2
Hot Tubs - Exclusive		0

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 Ruby Princess. Only 67% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Anthem of the Seas, 76% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess	Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✗	✓
Adults-only area (additional fee)	✓	✗
Afternoon Tea	✓	✗
Arcade	✗	✓
Art Auctions	✓	✗
Basketball	✗	✓
Bionic Bar	✗	✓
Bumper Cars	✗	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✗	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
FlowRider	✗	✓
Indoor Sky Diving	✗	✓
Jogging Track	✓	✗
Laser Tag	✗	✓
North Star	✗	✓
Pool-side Movies	✓	✓
Putting green	✓	✗
Shows - Broadway play	✗	✓
Shows - musical review	✓	✓
Spa	✓	✓
Splash park	✗	✓
Sports Court	✓	✗
Thermal Suites	✓	✗
	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.

Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, is considered a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.

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 Ruby Princess	Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$17.00	$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services	18%	18%
Soda Price	$2.50	$3.50
Domestic Beer Price	$6.25	$8.25 See drink menus
Drink Package Price	$77 -$100	$77 - $118 Learn more
Internet Plan	$24.99 per device per day	$19 to $30 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.

Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.

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