Rhapsody of the Seas vs Royal Princess

The Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas was built in 1997. It was renovated in 2025. It's 16 years older 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 Rhapsody of the Seas is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 916 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 11-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Royal Princess, the Rhapsody of the Seas is 45% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas holds 44% fewer passengers than the Royal 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 Rhapsody of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Royal Princess.

	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas	Princess Cruises Royal Princess
Class	Vision	Royal
Gross Tonnage	78,491	142,229
Length	916	1,083
Beam/Width	106	126
Passenger Decks	11	19
Passengers (double occupancy)	1,998	3,560
Crew	765	1,346
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.6	2.6
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	39	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 Rhapsody of the Seas has nine different dining options like Chops Grille, Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, and Chef's Table. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.

The Royal Princess has six more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are International Cafe, Alfredo's Pizzeria, and World Fresh Marketplace. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Royal Princess might be a better choice. It has 67% more dining options than the Rhapsody of the Seas.

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

	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas	Princess Cruises Royal Princess
Total Dining Options	9	15
Complimentary Dining Options:	8	10
Additional Fee Dining Options:	6	8
% of Included Options	33%	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 Rhapsody 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 Rhapsody of the Seas has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs.

Princess Cruises Royal Princess has more pools than the Rhapsody of the Seas and more hot tubs.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Rhapsody of the Seas.

	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas	Princess Cruises Royal Princess
Total Pools	2	3
Pools - General Access	1	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive	0
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 Rhapsody of the Seas. Only 62% 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 Rhapsody of the Seas	Princess Cruises Royal Princess
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✗
Adults-only area (additional fee)	✗	✓
Afternoon Tea	✗	✓
Animated fountain	✗	✓
Arcade	✓	✗
Art Auctions	✗	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✓	✗
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✗	✓
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 Rhapsody 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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