Cruise Spotlight
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Quantum of the Seas vs Royal Princess
The Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas was built in 2014. It was renovated in 2024. It's 1 year newer than the Royal Princess, which was built in 2013 and renovated in 2018. This ship is the third to carry the Royal Princess name. It's also one of 3 ships that feature Princess' Watercolor Fantasy Show, an outdoor dancing fountain show.
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 Quantum of the Seas is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,141 feet long and 136 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.2 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Royal Princess, the Quantum of the Seas is 19% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas holds 17% more passengers than the Royal Princess 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 Quantum of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Royal Princess.
| Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Quantum | Royal |
| Gross Tonnage | 168,666 | 142,229 |
| Length | 1,141 | 1,083 |
| Beam/Width | 136 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 19 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,180 | 3,560 |
| Crew | 1,500 | 1,346 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 40 |
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 Quantum of the Seas has sixteen different dining options like Cafe Promenade, Chef's Table, and Jamie's Italian. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Royal Princess has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Crown Grill, Alfredo's Pizzeria, and World Fresh Marketplace. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
The Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Princess Cruises Royal Princess.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 16 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 13 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 47% |
| 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 Quantum of the Seas and the Royal 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 Quantum of the Seas has a total of 4 pools and 6 hot tubs. 1 of the pools 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.
Princess Cruises Royal Princess has fewer pools than the Quantum of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Royal Princess. 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 and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Quantum of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Quantum of the Seas. Only 69% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Royal Princess, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Animated fountain | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Indoor Sky Diving | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| North Star | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Quantum of the Seas | Princess Cruises Royal 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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