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Oasis of the Seas vs Sun Princess
The Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas was built in 2009. It was renovated in 2024. Oasis of the Seas was Amplified in 2019 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship. It's 15 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 Oasis of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,187 feet long and 215 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Sun Princess, the Oasis of the Seas is 28% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas holds 30% more passengers than the Sun Princess 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 Oasis of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Sun Princess.
The Oasis of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | Sphere |
| Gross Tonnage | 226,838 | 177,882 |
| Length | 1,187 | 1,133 |
| Beam/Width | 215 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 21 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,606 | 4,300 |
| Crew | 2,181 | 1,600 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 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 Oasis of the Seas has twenty different dining options like Starbucks, Dog House, and Johnny Rockets. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other twelve options have an additional fee.
The Sun Princess has four fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Eatery, Main Dining Room, and Love by Britto. 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 Oasis of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 25% more dining options than the Sun Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Oasis of the Seas 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.
| Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 20 | 16 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 13 |
| % of Included Options | 40% | 19% |
| 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 Oasis of the Seas and the Sun Princess 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 Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas has a total of 4 pools and 10 hot tubs.
Princess Cruises Sun Princess has more pools than the Oasis of the Seas 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 Oasis of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 11 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 8 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 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 Oasis of the Seas, 78% 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.
| Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Royal Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spellbound by Magic Castle | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Court | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean 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.
Princess Cruises, on the other hand, 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. 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.
| Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas | Princess Cruises Sun Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $2.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $6.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | $77 -$100 |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $24.99 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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.
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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