Cruise Spotlight
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Sky Princess vs Apex
The Princess Cruises Sky Princess was built in 2019. This ship is the second ship to sail under the Sky Princess name. It's 1 year older than the Apex, which was built in 2020 and renovated in 2025. The Celebrity Apex features the "Magic Carpet," a moving platform that makes using water tenders a breeze while in port, or adds outdoor dining space while at sea. This Edge-class of ship is known to feel quite different than the rest of the Celebrity fleet as it's less geared towards traditional cruise passengers.
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 Sky 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 Celebrity Apex, the Sky Princess is 9% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Sky Princess holds 26% more passengers than the Apex 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 Sky Princess has less space per person compared to the Apex.
| Princess Cruises Sky Princess | Celebrity Apex | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Royal | Edge |
| Gross Tonnage | 141,000 | 129,500 |
| Length | 1,083 | 1,004 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 128 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,660 | 2,910 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,319 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 45 |
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 Sky Princess has fourteen different dining options like The Catch by Rudi, International Cafe, and Chef's Table Lumiere. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Apex has four more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Le Petit Chef and Family, Cosmopolitan Restaurant, and Magic Carpet. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other ten have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Apex might be a better choice. It has 29% more dining options than the Sky Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Apex might be a better choice then the Sky Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Princess Cruises Sky Princess | Celebrity Apex | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 18 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 10 |
| % of Included Options | 36% | 44% |
| 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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Apex 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 Sky Princess has a total of 4 pools and 10 hot tubs. 1 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Celebrity Apex has fewer pools than the Sky Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Apex. 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 are adults only on Sky Princess.| Princess Cruises Sky Princess | Celebrity Apex | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 9 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 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 Sky Princess, 77% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Apex, only 67% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Sky Princess | Celebrity Apex | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adults-only area (no extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Eden Entertainment Space | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rooftop Garden | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises and Celebrity are both considered "Premium" cruise lines. 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.
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 Sky Princess | Celebrity Apex | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 | $55 - $99 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.
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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