Sapphire Princess vs Sun Princess

The Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess was built in 2004. It was renovated in 2018. It's 20 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 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 Princess Cruises Sun Princess, the Sapphire Princess is 35% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess holds 38% fewer passengers than the Sun 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 Sapphire Princess has more space per person compared to the Sun 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 Sapphire Princess	Princess Cruises Sun Princess
Class	Gem	Sphere
Gross Tonnage	115,875	177,882
Length	952	1,133
Beam/Width	123	126
Passenger Decks	18	21
Passengers (double occupancy)	2,670	4,300
Crew	1,100	1,600
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.4	2.7
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	43	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 Sapphire Princess has eleven different dining options like Main Dining Room, Sterling Steakhouse, and World Fresh Marketplace. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.

The Sun Princess has five more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are International Cafe, The Catch by Rudi, and Umai Teppanyaki. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other thirteen have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sun Princess might be a better choice. It has 45% more dining options than the Sapphire Princess.

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

Restaurants on Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess & Sun Princess

Restaurant	Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess	Princess Cruises Sun Princess
Included
American Diner	✗	✓	Learn More
Burger & Hot Dog Grill	✓	✗
Burger & Lobster Grill	✓	✗
Main Dining Room	✓	✓
Swirls Ice Cream Bar	✓	✗	Learn More
The Eatery	✗	✓	Learn More
World Fresh Marketplace	✓	✗	Learn More
A la carte
Gelateria	✗	✓
International Cafe	✓	✓	Learn More
O'Malleys Irish Pub	✗	✓	Learn More
Flat fee
Alfredo's Pizzeria	✓	✓	Learn More
Crown Grill	✗	✓	Learn More
Lido Eats	✗	✓	Learn More
Love by Britto	✗	✓	Learn More
Makoto Ocean	✗	✓	Learn More
Sabatini's	✓	✓	Learn More
Sterling Steakhouse	✓	✗	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 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 Sapphire Princess has a total of 5 pools and 8 hot tubs.

The Princess Cruises Sun Princess has the same number of pools as the Sapphire 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 Sapphire Princess.

	Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess	Princess Cruises Sun Princess
Total Pools	5	5
Pools - General Access	4	4
Pools - Adults Only	1
Pools - Exclusive		1
Total Hot Tubs	8	11
Hot Tubs - General Access	6	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 Sapphire Princess, 67% 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 Sapphire Princess	Princess Cruises Sun Princess
Adults-only area (additional fee)	✓	✓
Afternoon Tea	✓	✓
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 Sapphire 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 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	$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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