Sky Princess vs Rhapsody of the Seas

The Princess Cruises Sky Princess was built in 2019. This ship is the second ship to sail under the Sky Princess name. It's 22 years newer than the Rhapsody of the Seas, which was built in 1997 and renovated in 2025.

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 Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas, the Sky Princess is 80% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Princess Cruises Sky Princess holds 83% more passengers than the Rhapsody of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Sky Princess has the same amount of space per person as the Rhapsody of the Seas.

	Princess Cruises Sky Princess	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas
Class	Royal	Vision
Gross Tonnage	141,000	78,491
Length	1,083	916
Beam/Width	126	106
Passenger Decks	19	11
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,660	1,998
Crew	1,346	765
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.7	2.6
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	39	39

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 International Cafe, The Catch by Rudi, and Crown Grill. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.

The Rhapsody of the Seas has five fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Windjammer, Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, and Chef's Table. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sky Princess might be a better choice. It has 56% more dining options than the Rhapsody of the Seas.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

	Princess Cruises Sky Princess	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas
Total Dining Options	14	9
Complimentary Dining Options:	10	8
Additional Fee Dining Options:	9	6
% of Included Options	36%	33%
	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 Rhapsody 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 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.

Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas has fewer pools than the Sky Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Rhapsody of the Seas. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Sky Princess.

	Princess Cruises Sky Princess	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas
Total Pools	4	2
Pools - General Access	3	1
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive		0
Total Hot Tubs	10	6
Hot Tubs - General Access	9	4
Hot Tubs - Adults Only		2
Hot Tubs - Exclusive	1	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 Sky Princess, 77% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Rhapsody of the Seas, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Princess Cruises Sky Princess	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✗	✓
Adults-only area (additional fee)	✓	✗
Adults-only area (no extra fee)	✓	✗
Afternoon Tea	✓	✗
Arcade	✗	✓
Art Auctions	✓	✗
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✗	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✓	✗
Mini golf	✓	✗
Pool-side Movies	✓	✓
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.

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 Sky Princess	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody 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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