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Sapphire Princess vs Tropicale
The Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess was built in 2004. It was renovated in 2018. It's 24 years older than the Tropicale, which was built in 2028. The Tropicale is named after the original ship that sailed with Carnival from 1982 - 2001. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships. Unlike the first Excel Class ships, Tropicale does NOT have a BOLT roller coaster, instead it has a waterpark called "Sunsation Point." The ship will debut in 2028.
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 Sapphire Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 952 feet long and 123 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 18-story building. Compared to the Carnival Tropicale, the Sapphire Princess is 37% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess holds 51% fewer passengers than the Tropicale 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 Sapphire Princess has more space per person compared to the Tropicale. 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.
The Tropicale uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Gem | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 115,875 | 182,800 |
| Length | 952 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 123 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 18 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,670 | 5,400 |
| Crew | 1,100 | 1,700 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 43 | 35 |
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 Sapphire Princess has eleven different dining options like World Fresh Marketplace, International Cafe, and Sabatini's. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.
The Tropicale has twelve more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue, Street Eats, and Pizzeria del Capitano. nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Tropicale might be a better choice. It has 109% more dining options than the Sapphire Princess.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 11 | 23 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 4 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 64% | 61% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Sapphire Princess serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. The Tropicale serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Tropicale 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 Sapphire Princess has a total of 5 pools and 8 hot tubs.
Carnival Tropicale has more pools than the Sapphire Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Tropicale. 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 Sapphire Princess.| Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 8 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 5 |
| 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. On the Sapphire Princess, 67% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Tropicale, only 65% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterpark | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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.
Carnival, 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 Sapphire Princess | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 per device per day | $18.70 to $23.80 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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