Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady vs Princess Cruises Royal Princess
The Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady was built in 2021. It was renovated in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. It's 8 years 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 Scarlet Lady is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 912 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Royal Princess, the Scarlet Lady is 23% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady holds 24% fewer passengers than the Royal Princess based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Scarlet Lady has more space per person compared to the Royal Princess. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
| Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Lady | Royal |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 142,229 |
| Length | 912 | 1,083 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 19 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,700 | 3,560 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 1,346 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 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 Scarlet Lady has twelve different dining options like The Pizza Place, The Test Kitchen, and The Galley. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare.
The Royal Princess has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Crown Grill, Sabatini's, and International Cafe. 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 25% more dining options than the Scarlet Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Scarlet Lady might be a better choice then the Royal Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 0 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 100% | 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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Scarlet Lady 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 Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 2 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.
Princess Cruises Royal Princess has more pools than the Scarlet Lady 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.
| Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | ||
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 |
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 Scarlet Lady. Only 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Royal Princess, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Animated fountain | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Virgin Voyages and Princess Cruises 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady will likely be more expensive than on Princess Cruises Royal Princess.
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.
| Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | Included | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | Included | 18% |
| Soda Price | Included | $2.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 See drink menus | $6.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | $77 -$100 |
| Internet Plan | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/day. | $24.99 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.
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.