Princess Cruises has announced its return to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a season of Southern Caribbean cruises onboard the Grand Princess from October 2025 through March 2026. This marks the first time in over a decade that Princess Cruises will be sailing week-long voyages from the U.S. territory. The cancellation of all scheduled Australian voyages for the Grand Princess starting in October 2025 is due to the ship being relocated.
Princess Cruises will resume its Southern Caribbean sailings from San Juan, Puerto Rico, aboard the Grand Princess from October 2025. This will be the first time that Princess Cruises has announced its return to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a season of Southern Caribbean cruises onboard the Grand Princess.
The cruise line will offer seven-day voyages on board the Grand Princess from San Juan, Puerto Rico, starting in October 2025. The departure from San Juan after April 20th is unclear, but it is believed that the ships have contracts with the ports for a season.
The Golden Sand Peninsula in San Juan is a great venue for swimming and sunbathing, with shops and cafes nearby. Princess Cruises has a history dating back to 1965-1973, with the company acquiring Princess in 1988 and Sitmar in 1994. The line also delayed the delivery of its next ship, the Star Princess, by about two months, pushing the start date from July 29, 2025, to March 2026.
📹 What I Wish I Knew Before I Sailed a Princess Cruise
I made a big mistake. You see, I took my first cruise more than a decade ago. And in that time, I’ve sailed most major cruise lines.
📹 Beautiful San Juan Puerto Rico 🇵🇷🇺🇸 Caribbean Cruise Ports
San Juan Puerto Rico is one of the busiest Caribbean Cruise Ports. Lots of cruise lines visits here including Royal Caribbean, …
Princess all the way. We are a retired 60 ish couple. Sailed from Los Angeles to Hawaii in January 2022 on The Grand Princess in a mini suite, and she was Grand. As an older ship, she was stunning. We loved her, the staff, the food, entertainment everything. Loved the Medallion feature, the wi-fi was great. ❤
The term that describes Princess Cruise perfectly, that I did not see in your review is “Mature”. My wife and I are in our 60s and we have no need for rock climbing walls or Formula One go carts. All we need (regardless the duration of the cruise) is good food, clean surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere. And what we can’t stand on a cruise is where every thing requires a reservation. That’s what were are trying to get away from on vacation. We are hooked on Princess (we are looking forward to giving Holland America a try).
I really appreciate this article. We have never cruised and though we are a family of young teens. My teens don’t cope with loud noises and sensory over load. You have helped me dodge a proverbial situation by posting this article, which will now help me choose more confidently who to cruise with for my children’s peace of mind. Thank you again and good wishes to you.
I am 29 and only sail on Princess! I have been on Caribbean Princess, Ruby Princess, and Regal Princess! The vibe is always great the staff is friendly and always ready to help you! The premier package is well worth it for the printed photos, Alcohol, included tips, and also Princess prizes. I was one of the first Princess Prizes Free balcony cruise winners on the Ruby Princess. My first cruise was 15 days to Hawaii and absolutely loved every minute! So much to do and the food choices are great. Many options for even the pickiest eaters.
My Wife I had sailed on multiple cruise lines before sailing with Princess this last November(thanksgiving week cruise). I can honestly say that our cruise on Sky Princess was head and shoulder above and beyond any other cruise we had ever been on. We are “older”(52 and 50) now but still consider ourselves young at heart and love to be on the go. We were never bored just as you commented on the article. No other cruise line has ever made us feel like we were as important to them as Princess did. We had never been treated better, not only by the staff on board, but the officers on board, and the cruise line itself. Princess earned our Loyalty and now we are looking at Princess FIRST before any other cruise line for trips to where we want to go next. We loved the experience so much we are about to sail on Regal Princess in just a couple weeks. We do want to eventually try Celebrity Cruise line in the near future as well, but they will have their work cut out for them to live up to the standard Princess has set.
I love Princess! I have been cruising with Princess almost exclusively since I was 24 years old and I am 36 now. I tried Carnival and while I had fun, the younger aimed entertainment was not in my wheelhouse. I really enjoy the class, space and relaxed feel of Princess cruises and that has kept me coming back for years. I love that the “cruise deck” entertainment is kept to a minimum for those who do not need the cheesiness of cruise director antics. I appreciate that I am not constantly harassed to shop. Now that I am at platinum level membership, I like that staff go out of their way to welcome me back and my room cleaning staff and their supervisors go out of their way to introduce themselves on the first day but they also greet me by name and follow up, daily, on my experience on board and what I may need in my room and so forth. It really pays to invest in Princess because they invest in you from the very first sailing and that hospitality and investment in you just increases with your membership level too.
I’ve been lucky enough to be hired by Princess as a official articlegrapher for several cruises in recent years. The very first was for the inauguration of the Majestic Princess (Silk Road Cruise Journey) through the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and all of South-East Asia, ending up in Japan and Korea… all in one go! Having many preconceptions about cruises, I was surprised to find that I loved it, and today, looking back, it’s undoubtedly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, whether considering the working days or simply for the pleasure of cruising the oceans for several months. I find your article pretty representative of the “princess” spirit, and I share many of the aspects you point out. Great article! Thanks for the memories 😉
You are 💯 percent correct! After sailing with Carnival my first day on Princess was strange but once I understood the assignment (to chill and relax) I was hooked. We made friends on the ship. Don’t get me wrong people on Carnival are fun and friendly but always on the go so you really don’t get a chance to really enjoy your cruise mates. We are heading on a 10 day New year’s cruise on the Enchanted Princess and we are so excited! 🛳️ 🎉
We just cruised our first cruise for a week with Princess in March 2024 and we’re back and suffering the post-cruise blues. The Sky Princess was great. We had a wrist bracelet for the medallion but it’s not worth the trouble and I think it reduces the signal strength. We did buy lanyards that hold the medallion on a retractable tether. That seemed to be the best option. The rooms were always clean, the workers were always friendly, the food and entertainment were good. If you’re going to one of the shows then try to get there 20-30 minutes early for a good seat.
We did the 15 day LA to Ft. Lauderdale Panama Canal cruise on board the Emerald Princess in January and absolutely loved it. We last sailed in 2007, and our last trip on Princess was the Pacific Princess from NY to Bermuda in 2001. The Pacific Princess was a lovely ship but she only carried about 650 passengers, so we were kind of intimidated by the idea of a ship big enough to carry more than 3000 passengers. We found that it was a long walk from the front to the back of the ship for us (we are 71) but being annual passholders at Walt Disney World meant the distances were not something we couldn’t handle, but enough that we slept well at night. One of the things we talked about after getting home was all the things we never found time to do on the Emerald, and how we would go on Princess again happily as there was still so much to do. In March we got an offer from Princess for a ridiculously good fare in April, and as we were debating how to celebrate our anniversary, we decided to go on another Princess cruise. We leave in 2 weeks.
We just came back from our first cruise with princess and I have to agree 100% with everything you said!!! You suscribes it perfectly!!!! I traveled with my husband and we had that same conversation as we were driving back home! I would like to add that this was the friendliest staff we have ever seen in a cruise! They always had a snails, would greet you all day long, would offer to help and would even catch them singing while working!!! That made this trip extremely special!!
im 14. ive been on like 4 princess cruises since i was 9, and have another one booked in december. i like the simplicity and quality of the ship, because i find a lot of those ships with so many random activities to be a little bit tacky. i think that if you go on 1-2 princess cruises youll figure out what you enjoy. fyi if anyone going on the first cruise ever is my age, make friends on the first to second day. you get those memories early and create everlasting memories.
Sailed on a 10-day Princess cruise very recently and had one of the best vacations of my life. I was in the NAVY in the early eighties and wasn’t going to go out to sea ever again in my life. My partner got a free cruise for 2 balcony room from a casino and just loved it. It was relaxing the enclave was amazing, the food was great, and the service was amazing. We saw every show and went on every port call (only did a couple excursions). We have 2 more Princesses cruises already booked. One in 73 days and the other in December. I can’t wait!
We cut our teeth on Princess when we were in our late 20s and early 30s. That was a few years ago and we are still not the typical demographic. We now cruise with kids, and try to cruse with multi-generational family, however, we are usually buy ourselves as a family unit. You’ve hit all the points that keep us coming back. Ships that don’t feel crowded. Low key vibe. Tasteful activities. Generally good food, or at least the chance to try things you can’t find at home. Competitive pricing for lots of different classes of room, and the ability to avoid being nickeled and dimed throughout the trip. Really great itineraries, especially from west coast ports. Different itineraries attract different age groups, but the crowd is a bit older, but that has never bothered us. I recommend Princess to anyone that asks who is a first time cruiser.
I’ve been on carnival and Norwegian. They’re the crowded, constant noise cruises that are fun. But quite frankly their crowds can get rowdy. as I get older, Princess is more ideal: calmer, not crowded, within my budget but there’s still fun things for me and my teen daughter. Taking my 2nd princess this august to Hawaii. Good article thanks 💙🤍🚢
We have done 9 cruises in the last 10 years with Princess. You are correct that if you just want to have a relaxing and enjoyable cruise, this is a good one. We are now in our mid 60’s and have tried other lines to see the differences. Carnival was crowded, loud and much more family oriented with all the bells and whistles for the kids. Not on the top of our list. Last January we did an NCL cruise and there were some aspects that we liked however there were some places that were so loud because of the center design that it was just was too loud. So, that one will be above Carnival for us. The reason I watched your article is that we will be going in November on the Discovery. It just feels like home. Thanks for sharing!!
We love Princess…We cruised exclusively with Disney until someone told us Princess was a similar upscale-ish experience without all the the theming and kids and dollar bills :). I’m not into loud party cruises (or cruisers), so Princess is perfect. It feels luxurious (OMG the beds are amazing), but doesn’t break the bank. All that said, we also love Royal Caribbean for more activities and dining options if that’s what we’re in the mood for or if we travel with our kids/grandkids. We may splurge one more time for Disney before the grandkids get too old, but Princess has become my choice for hubs and I. Have our next Princess cruise booked for September.
Years ago you may not been as pleased as you are now, my sailing started in 1972 skip several year before second,but as time went by Imy sailing trips got closure together. I have tried 7cruise lines and after 26 cruises mostly on Celebrity and Princess. I tend to rate the two as a close tie at finish line with nose win to Celeb. BUT last 5 years have took note that Princess ship upgrades are making noticeable difference, and their medallion concept is be on top of improvement list. You have made the right choice to choose a cruise line NEWEST ship for first time sailing with that line, that way you experience what the future have in store. My last cruise was this past Christmas on Celibrity newest ship Beyond and I was amazed with design, layout, theater stage electronics and impress with rooftop Garden with live shrubs &plants (with my background in prop. maint.) I had to explore and take note on their watering system. Very interesting. What beyond Let to have is the medallion, room key did what madallion does, only you would had to physically swipe the card near cabin door lock to open . I still put Princess and Celib. At close tie. I’ll yet you decide who take the lead.
Agreed 100%! Our family was on this same cruise and I will say it was a wonderful trip for most of our group that ranged in age from 13 – 76 years of age. The only person who was disappointed was my 14 year old son who was sad that there wasn’t a gaming area. Hopefully you were able to partake in the drink presentations at Good Spirits Bar!
I was on this cruise! It was a fun time! I agree with everything you have to say about the ship. Princess has good prices and is more relaxing and adult oriented than most others I’ve been on. The low cost of drinks was very nice. But we were all very underwhelmed with the food in the buffet and the main dining room. I’ve sailed with Princess multiple times, but I do feel that the food quality is drastically declining, so I will be trying other liners for my next few cruises to compare.
Great article. We’ve taken our kids on Princess and Carnival. While they like the slides and rides on Carnival, they actually preferred the Princess kids club. They described it as more engaging and hands on. We also went over spring break, so they were able to make lots of friends. We’re hoping to take a Royal ship soon, but I wouldn’t hesitate to take the family on Princess again.
I’ve only been on one cruise before and that was on the Carnival Miracle. I didn’t really enjoy the experience much because it was too crowded and there were not very many places to actually relax. I’m set to sail on Crown Princess February 2024 to the Mexican Reviera, so I’m super excited after perusal this article! I’m relatively calm myself but I’m only 31 so I hope it isn’t too boring lol.
Sailed Santiago to Buenos Aires with a number of days cruising in Antarctica waters this past January. I echo your comments. Not crowded. Food was wonderful. Plenty to do and see. Sea days (and there were many) were relaxing and fun since there were activities of all types. I thought the price was a good value. Not crowded. Staff was amazing. We mainly do river cruising but think we will definitely do another ocean voyage on Princess.
You nailed it. I only go Princess now. Touring the west coast in three weeks with hubby (Crown Princess). Heck, Princess is probably the only line with free afternoon tea and scones/desserts. And the food and wine list- don’t get me started. Wonderful. PS do their Norway cruise. This line is known for better excursions!
I had the same initial hesitation to Princess…the name! But you nailed it, Connor. They offer the ideal balance of adult comfort, fun, and reasonable price. Holland America does better on itineraries and their service is just as fabulous, but Princess ships, with the luxurious central piazzas and numerous entertainment venues, will have you exploring and finding new places for an extended cruise 🙂
I absolutely love Princess. I’ve never been a big partier. Princess and Holland America are both such relaxing and refined experiences. They are just my speed. I have been on Carnival and Royal in the past, and they both made me very uncomfortable. There were so many families onboard, and such an emphasis on partying. Those ships just felt loud and crowded.
Carnival has always been crowded and rowdy passengers on board. We have sailed both Princess and Norwegian pre pandemic. We are now ready to cruise again and since we liked both Princess and NCL, our deciding factor now in choosing which line to go with is the price. We also looked at some of the reviews of cruisers in the past year… and the winner for us is Princess. We are going for a Mexican Riviera cruise in November via Discovery Princess and on a Grand Mediterranean cruis in February 2024 via the Sun Princess, their newest ship.
Just booked our 25th Princess Cruise which sails in October. Discovery Princess for the first time. Mini suite. Standard balcony cabin appears to be a bit small. Our last cruise was pre-Covid on the Pacific Princess sailing around the UK in 2018. It was fabulous, as was all the Princess Cruises we sailed on. We have also done one (and never again) Carnival to Mexico and a few Royal Caribbean which are also great. Just a tad too busy and noisy for my vacation time which is when I want to divest of noise. We have never had a bad experience on a Princess Cruise. My first was to Alaska in 1990. Been to AK eight times since. Never gets old. Here’s a Pro Tip: If you’re a veteran, Princess throws you some on board credits when you prove your status. (Call them). Usually $100 plus any additional OBC’s that may be had when they have specials. Our next cruise scored us $400 between my wife and I. Not complaining ! 😂
I’ve got 35+ cruises with Princess. Glad you enjoyed everything. The Medallion is great as you described & the Princess Plus is great as it includes your drinks, gratitudes & wi-Fi charges. Did you order anything from your phone & if so how did that work? Something to know about Princess….If your a veteran & have at least 100 shares of Carnival Corporation stock you get OBC for both of these regardless of the length of your cruise. On a cruise 14 days or longer that’s a total of $500 to use on the ship. Great article. Thanks for posting.
One of the things that bothered me about cruising in general was the pricing based on double occupancy as I mostly travel solo. But I decided to try out a group cruise and it was on Princess in 2018. I was hooked, Princess was amazing. I’ve since done 8 more cruises and 7 of them have been on Princess. They’ve all been wonderful experiences. The last one I took was on the Diamond Princess and I got invited to dine at the captain’s table and a tour of the bridge all thanks to a photo of the Diamond Princess I took while on the one non Princess cruise I took. It’s a great story but one far too long to share here. Princess has been my favorite and I’m sure I’ll be booking another one soon.
First cruise was in 2016 on Royal for a 10 day Southern Caribbean cruise, and have since been on Regal and Enchanted for a New England/Canada and just booked an Alaskan on Discovery for May 2024. I love that Princess caters to a more ‘mature’ crowd that isn’t necessarily looking to party and get Sh*tfaced, the relaxed atmosphere, overrall upscale feel, great service and food are all things I have enjoyed. I also enjoy the general lack of kids to help make it a more peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Princess Plus and Premier are totally worth it, especially if like me you prefer higher end drinks or at least the option of them. There’s a charm to modern ships that are not as gaudy as older ships; Sure we’ll say the same thing when current ships are 20 years old…. but the muted golds and modernized fixtures are so much nicer to see an use. I’ve been on 2 Carnival cruises otherwise, and don’t get me wrong we had fun… (pun intended), my first experience was on Pride to the Bahamas and I hated the ship and destination islands, compared to Royal which was still brand new when I went on it… Pride was an absolute letdown for the ship itself, with ‘promises’ that it was going in for major renovations, which have still not happened (since 2018). The 2nd was on Panorama right before Covid shutdown the industry, where I splurged for an upgrade to a Cloud9 Spa room on a Mexican Riviera cruise. I had us booked on 2 NCL cruises for January of 2024, both of which were canceled by the line; I will not be booking with them again, horrible experience overall.
Just read about response comment on Celebrity Beyond and yes I agree it appear to be floating art musuuem which from what I been told is same as Celibrity Edge, which I am a museum fanatic rather be art, machinery, autos, or history artifacs, etc. Which could be little interest to others, As for Princess their Decor is more toward Luzery Hotel look same look throughout ship. I prefor a little variety. Thou apperance is noted, my main interest is in their itenuaries and plan on board activities which. Now also was mention serving size at meals were less, so let me mention I belief you will find this on most cruise ships, for their been notice of waste of food be left on plate, and I’m personally against food waste and thus agree to down sizing on portion. Boarding ship I realize cruise expense INCLUDES meals & for this reason I chose main dining room over paying for select dinning, so can’t claim if select will bring you seconds if you clean your plate but know for fact their been occasion in main dining where I have received second portion abone reguest. YES I have had opportunities to eat in select dining room for was gifted to me without charge, and found services to be better than main dine but this I notice is due to less occupancy, and slower relax atmosphere. And too much food which I had make effort to finish, for not only raise not to waste food but educated that not to clean plate means you are NOT please with meal. As for my rating between 7 CRUISE LINES, (26 tours) my preference would be CELEBRITY A+, PRINCESS an A, but found that CELEBRITY has change karaoke to sing with life band playing which limit your selection to what this band knows, Whereas PRINCESS still follow the original karaoke format and have few hundred songs listed in their data banks And with this note I’ll take away the plus form CELEBRITY which put the 2 Cruise Lines equity tied in my opinion.
This was incredibly helpful. I’ve sailed with Princess several times and can confirm that all of what you said is accurate. My vacations were relaxing and enjoyable, and the ships are more than big enough to accommodate all of the guests. Princess was especially enjoyable when visiting Alaska. If there is a date/location that Princess offers that suits my schedule in the future, I would love to cruise with Princess again.
We are in our 70’s now and have cruised for many, many years with all the various Cruise lines, and the past few years we finally sailed on Princess and it’s been our only one we cruise on now. We love them. Going on another one, a 30 day cruise, booked already. My hubby says “ok Princess” to me, “Let’s go”. Lol
Thanks for letting the cat out of the bag😂 Yeah, the wife and I took many cruses on the fun ships. With and without our children. About 25 years ago we shifted to the more relaxed atmosphere on Princess with a cruise to Alaska and it’s been Princess only since then. Now in my 70’s, we are set again to be in the UK for 3 weeks and 8 nights of that time will be with Princess. Your four days were a good start, but now you should step it up to a 10 or 15 day Panama Canal cruise. I recommend the Island Princess, one of the smaller ships of their fleet. Why? It’s one of the last of the modern ships (20 yrs old) that can fit into the original historic locks that were built when Roosevelt was President. Not FDR, Teddy. All the newer ships are too large and must use the new Panamax locks nearby. Better hurry and do this before you miss this experience. Princess does the Canal and Alaska better than any other line.
Just got off the Sky Princess for the second time..and yes the Thermal Suite i was in every day and had my seaweed wrap massage, classy ship and extremely restful..love the medallion too. I dont have to move 😂😂 to have a meal and drinks…li chose Princes Premier the best choice i could have ever made. Cannot wait until Sun Princess is here🚢😊
While we had a fantastic time on the NCL Breakaway Vloggers Cruise a few weeks ago and met so many of the YouTube “CruiseTubers” that we follow, we can honestly say that for our age demographic (early 70s) and pocketbook, Princess and Celebrity fit the bill. Definitely a relaxed chill atmosphere and enough to do and have fun when you want to. When it comes time for our granddaughter to be introduced to cruising, we will look to NCL out of NY, or even better, our home port of Cape Liberty, Bayonne NJ, for a Royal Caribbean ship (Oasis) for her first cruise. 👍🌞
Princess cruises are more relaxing than the others I have sailed. I sailed the first time on the Discovery Princess on February 20th 2023 with a 5 day cruise to Cabo San Lucas overnight. Will be sailing again April 15th for a 7 day to Mexico. The production shows and the other entertainment are excellent!
OMG. Carnival Celebration was a huge letdown. Crowded, crowded, crowded. We spent so much time in the cabin just to get a break from the crowds. The food was even worse. I am a huge Carnival fan. The food is always wonderful. On Celebration, I went to bed hungry every night. Portion were TINY! Especially in the specialty restaurants. The showroom and the Celebration Central was a huge miss. I don’t like sitting 2 solid hours before a show just to get a seat. Grand Princess on !ay 1st. I am so excited. Thanks for doing this article Tanner.
Welcome to Princess. It has been our preferred ship for ‘cruise’ vacations. If we want and ‘amusement park’ vacation we will go to an amusement park. We took the Discovery on it’s inaugural last year and ship was even less crowded and internet worked better. (They have known problem with it not working as well in a more crowded ship.) We were also caught by the parade. We were on a tour and we were the group that couldn’t get back in time and ship had to wait for us (why you always should buy ship excursions) and the captain made the announcement that we had returned and the ship could leave.
We have sailed princess five years now and always have positive thoughts about the cruise the crew and the food. We’re in our early 70 s and enjoy the quiet atmosphere absent the water slides and other distractions. Princess does have children on board but teenagers would probably enjoy the activity available on other ships.
We’ve done Disney, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival (I’ve done Holland America also years ago) especially when our kids were younger (Disney was hands down our fave family cruise line) but as my kids are now young adult and teen about to turn 18, we opted to try Sun Princess next year for Europe and cannot wait! My girls do not want a loud, crazy activity cruise, no longer into Disney characters as much as when they were young, and love to chill, eat great food, and want more history, art museums, culture and education talks instead – so this cruise line may be our new perfect fit! Your cruise savings tips and review articles are great by the way!! Have to say that Princess offered some fantastic deals recently – with Premier and Plus packages included in our rates and extra perks by booking really early.
i have to say of all the different cruise lines I’ve sailed; I had the best time on Princess, One BIG thing was the beautiful cocktail lounge at the back of the ship with dancing to a DJ music and the other was the FANTASTIC !!!! theater production WOW I had to see it twice it was SOOO good… on Ruby Princess 2009
I hope my very first cruise in May will be a better experience than what I have experienced after the sale. Bought the Premier package and tried to prebook the two free specialty dining as they fill up sometimes months before the cruise. They tried to charge my card for the second one. I called dining support about ten times with no help from Princess, until finally one lady got my second dining booked. Checked my banking account the next day and sure enough, without permission, she had charged my card anyways. Was told several times not to worry, the charge would be given back when I entered the ship. I have enough stress at work and booked this cruise to relax and take my mind off the real world, so I definitely don’t need this kind of stress before I even arrive for the cruise. This will probably be my last cruise with Princess.
My wife and I are taking the Alaska cruise in the beginning of September 2023. I’ve read these comments and they sound promising. We had a horrible cruise 23 years ago and it’s taking that long to get back on a cruise ship so hopefully all these words of wisdom will come true. I will make sure to leave my comment Vegas kid
Princess #1. 8 cruises now on Princess, one on Royal Caribbean, one on Norwegian . In our early 60’s, we will always stay with Princess. Just returned in February 2023 on the Discovery Princess, 5 days to Cabo San Lucas in an Aft suite, loved it! So relaxing. ( First cruise since the Pandemic). I must say though the food quality has gone down as well as the help. Bottom line……always Princess!❤
My first princes cruise was last year on Enchanted Princess to Norway and this year on Sky Princess. again to Norway. Norway is a beautiful country with fantastic scenery. They were beautiful ships. The shows were fantastic especially 5 skies. The ships were very laid back and relaxing and was not over crowded which as fantastic. The food was really nice and really friendly staff. My next Princess cruise hopefully in September to New York, Boston and Montreal
Wife and I have sailed 36 times on Carnival,NCL and Princess,we’re platinum on those ships one time on Royal Caribbean once to Cuba. Like you said Princess was great, more room, great state rooms, food was awesome and even in the buffet they waited on you. Another perk for me since I’m retired Military I get $100 On board credit for less than a 15 day cruise or $200 for longer, Princess take care of their passengers, one time we were on a 28 day cruise out of LA, our flight was delayed as to were we missed out ship leaving, Called Princess from Sacramento and they said no problem, they booked us a flight to Hawaii to meet the ship, we only missed 4 days of the cruise, however they credit us OBC $400 a piece for missing those 4 days. So with my 200 military,800 for missing and they even gave my wife $200 for some promotion, so $1200 OBC we never had to pay for any thing.Awesome trip.
I just did my first Princess cruise last week on the Sky. Overall I was a bit disappointed. I have only been on Royal before so I was expecting a more upscale experience. Maybe it was just a bad week, but the crew was hit and miss for me. A lot of them were not as friendly and outgoing as I am used to. I know they all work extremely hard for us and I am so grateful for them. I also expected the food to be much better, but it was only ok for the most part. I love the medallion and the app so there’s a plus. I liked the “less crowded” feeling also. The ship is beautiful but I don’t know if that’s enough for me to go with them again. Of course if a really great deal/sale came up…..😊 Anyways…just my thoughts on Princess. I could be wrong. 😛
I’ve been cruising Princess since my 30’s and I’m almost entering my 50″s 🤔 I love Princess and have been on several of their fleet. Nothing compares to them, I have done other lines and don’t like how crowded they are. A cruise is what you make of it… You can still have a good dance wtc on Princess too
So glad you liked Princess! As a relatively new cruiser, I’ve only sailed twice on Princess, once on Celebrity, and once on NCL. I can say, Princess is my favorite by far. (NCL is my least favorite…talk about nickel-and-diming! And now in-person muster drills. Yuck!). Though I did have issues with the Princess medallion working on both the Regal Princess and the Ruby Princess. It didn’t always work for ordering drinks and food and sometimes my order never showed up, though the app would say it was delivered (and thus counted towards my daily drink allowance). But hopefully they’re working out the kinks on that technology as time goes on.
We just got off a Princess cruise. Our internet was 19.99 a day and was super fast🤷🏼♀️ I agree with a more chill atmosphere. Our drinks were $15 generally. We had more space too but for our cruise had a lot of the retirement age bracket so I had wondered if they just did different things which left things feeling for spacious.
Just sailed on Discovery and Grand a couple weeks ago (contractor). I LOVE the Medallion system! Such cool technology! Amazing (and somewhat scary) that they can find you anywhere on ship; e.g., to bring you an ordered food, drink, etc. I thought these two ships were the same class, but Discovery is definitely a step up from the older Grand. I agree that it felt much more laid back and less hurried, and especially less crowded! A couple months ago I was on Oasis and I HATED it! Dealing with over 6,000 is NOT my idea of fun.
We have sailed many cruise lines and keep coming back to Princess as it is a more traditional cruise experience. Holland America along with Cunard are similar regarding tradition. These are considered premium and represent excellent value. I have been on ultra luxury lines and have left feeling I wasted a bunch of money. Princess is like the very nice Marriott hotel/resort. Not over the top, just solid – you know what to expect. Many of us were sad when Princess sold their R class ships. They held less than 700 passengers and were just beautiful – they were a favorite of many. These ships are now with Azamara and Oceania.
I just booked my 9th Princess Cruise for the late summer/early fall. It’s a Love Boat cruise that will focus on all things Love Boat including some of the original actors from the TV series that I so loved! I am strictly a Princess sailer. I have no reason to switch lines when Princess meets every need that I have. When boarding a Princess ship, I feel like I’m “home”. In fact, I usually get the same deck and stateroom! B302 or B304!
Recently went on a Princess 10 day SF-Mexican Riviera cruise. I Loved the medallion!! One day, I went to an event by myself. The waitstaff completely ignored me (maybe they thought I was just passing through). Finally, I ordered a drink via my Medallion, and I was served within 8 minutes. My kids (14, 16, and 18 years old) also liked being able to order snacks independently. I will say, my teens were very “MEHHH” about the cruise. MY 18 year old son went to the dance club one night – and one night only. He danced with a couple ladies older than his mother. My 14 year old was Over-it by day 5. Maybe if I’d booked more excursions, it would have been more teen-inviting??? It’s not for a family with teens, but I would absolutely book Princess again for just my husband and I (or maybe once my kids get older, and they want to invite an adult partner).
Thanks alot. I’m going on my first cruise in July on NCL Escape out of Miami . I live near Lauderdale. I seriously considered Princess but the only ship here then is The Caribbean Princess an older ship. I agree with your assessment of it being luxurious but affordable. I could have gotten on that ship staring at less than $399. I actually saw a negative supplement on one particular week. Assuming I like cruising, that’s one line I plan on choosing at some point. I like the feel of the ships even like the look of them from outside. I see them often as I work for a limo company specializing in cruise passengers.
If you haven’t been to Alaska try princess again enough to do in ports and the scenery is great to enjoy in princess chill style. I agree multi generational carnival or RCL. Hubby and I Princess a lot of bang for your buck. I am now north of 65 and have been cruising since I was 12 on 15 different lines princess was even a favorite back as a teen
Thanks for your article. My husband & I want to do a cruise together to Alaska for my birthday. We are both foodies and want to do something romantic (couples massage, dress up) to commemorate our anniversary too. We are both active and love the idea of all the things to do on Royal Caribbean so we were concerned about booking a Princess cruise that doesn’t seem to have the same “fun” factor but you set our mind at ease about trying Princess for our trip. I think we’ll enjoy it even though it will be my husband’s first cruise and my 4th.
I sailed on Sky Princess and loved the experience. There is always something to do on the ship. In fact there are more activities than you have time for. I love to play board games and there was a board game group on the ship. I was never able to go to one of their activities because there was always something else I wanted to do more. The only thing I did not like about my cruise on Sky Princess was how short it was. 7 days was not enough and I plan on doing a longer cruise next time, at least 10 days, but thinking of 14 days,
Sailed sky princess 3/2023. Previously sailed with carnival so I was looking forward to seeing the difference. There were no waterslide, rock walls, or outdoor activities which disappointed me until I realized it’s because they don’t cater to children, which I appreciate very much. On carnival there was a broadway type show 2 times a night and on this princess trip there were no shows. We saw a comedian magician and they were supposed to perform Rock Opera on the last night but they cancelled due to technical difficulty. The people on the cruise were much more upscale, no screaming across the dining area and running through, loud and disrespectful. Much more food options at the buffet. But nothing outstanding. No towel animals on the bed either
We have only cruised on Princess (more than 20). The last was Oct 22 on the Discovery. The ship seemed less crowded. We are thinking maybe result of COVID and less folks travelling. We have been on some Princess cruises with more folks but really never felt overcrowded. Being in the retired category and not real big into the party mode makes Princess more to our liking. Additionally, they do take us to locations that we want to see. It is more about the destinations for us than just being on the ship. While they offer a wide selection of foods and plenty of it, the meals just aren’t the best for us. Not sure what it is but something is just lacking. We continue to favor Princess and have thought of trying another line but just not sure which. Again for us it is the destinations.
We are in our 70’s and dont need flowriders, climbing walls, water slides etc. We have sailed on the sister line, P&O in the UK, some of whose ships are basically the same as those in the Princess fleet. We did a long cruise on Sky Princess, 25 nights, Southampton to USA/Canada and back. It was relaxing and fitted the bill but there were a few organisational things that proved a pain. The worst was when we docked in the USA for the first time, sadly it was out at Brooklyn cruise terminal in the aftermath of the Hurricanes last autumn, ok, Fall!! We had to miss a couple of storm damaged ports and got an extra day in New York. All 2,800 passengers had to disembark and go through formal immigration, no one was allowed back on until all passengers had been through immigration. The rain was relentless and being a day early there were few taxis or buses, the ticket machine for the ferry to Manhattan broke down. The end result was a few thousand people cramming the terminal waiting for clearance to get back on board. Shudder. We are going on Sky again in May which will be more typical of a routine cruise – 7 nights. That will give us a better idea of Princess.
We have used Princess almost always. First, we love to dance; I mean more than just swaying on the floor, and Princess is the only line that offers excellent dancing venues. You will not find that on HA or RCCL or Celebrity. These cruise lines offer dancing but the dance floor is the size of a mini postage stamp. Another great feature we like is Club Class dining. You need to book a cabin in a class that offers this bonus. Here you get almost personal dining service and the food is great. Not so on RCCL Oasis class ships that offer the “Coastal Kitchen”…Royal Caribbean missed the boat with this dining room; food is not very good, service is variable and it is connected to the Suite lounge so drinkers wind up grabbing the best tables directly from the Lounge. Also, the Discovery Princess offered a great lecture series by Leo Rossi about the band, Fleetwood Mac…never seen anything like it on any other ship. Lastly, the bathroom arrangements in suites is outstanding with the ability to separate one’s self from each other. Go Princess.
You really nailed it with your review of Princess. We recently sailed on the Caribbean Princess on a partial Panama Canal cruise and had a similar experience. The entertainment and dining were great and the ports visited were amazing. The atmosphere onboard is a little more formal and quieter with lots of things for couples to enjoy like dancing and relaxing in the Sanctuary. I would definitely recommend Princess for a romantic getaway.
Never been on a Princess cruise. Always sounded to us like we wouldn’t fit in as we have always surmised it as a bunch of stuffy uppity passengers, maybe because my snotty sister in law loves it? We are Platinum Carnival and after our 3 week b2b2b on the Celebration we are now somewhat disenchanted with Carny. Yes it was crowded, yes too many people and yes we got tired of having to go to a production show 45 minutes before showtime just to get a seat…any seat. And we are getting old I guess as we are both in our 60’s and don’t do the roller coaster or other activities such as. Cheers🍻
I like Princess Cruises. They have good food and the Casino is good. Shows are a hit and miss. Food is very important. The service is very good on Princess Cruises. Could do without going to Mexico. You won’t find many things you would find on other cruise lines. My late wife liked the entertainment on Princess Cruises. Like to relax. Good food. On sea days Princess has a good tea time. Never went to the Thermal Spa. Yes, the medallion was good. My last cruise on Princess used it. Medallion has some good points. Princess Cruise Line has good pizza. Carnival has good pizza too. Like this line a lot. It is part of the First Family of Cruising. The Carnival Corp.
My wife and I are looking at sailing on the Enchanted Princess, for our 48th Anniversary, which I believe is their newest ship. We’re pretty elderly and do enjoy the shows on board in the theater. Are they pretty good compared to Celebrity and Holland America? Being a retired musician the other musical venues, that are held in the clubs/bars, interest me greatly. Any pertinent info would be greatly appreciated.
We cruised on Princess years ago when we cruised to Alaska. It was wonderful. Last November we took a 4 night cruise on Royal Caribbean. The staff was awesome; the food just ok.(they have now made changes to the MDR menus that I don’t like); and it was very crowded. We were surprised at the number of kids that were on the cruise since it was during the week and those kids should have been in school. The bed was very slanted and uncomfortable. There were women eating in the buffet that almost had swimsuits on, with a string here and a string there, but were wearing see through swinsuit cover-ups. So they were just about naked. I’m surprised Royal Caribbean allowed it. It was not a pleasant experience and the variety of food in the buffet was very lacking. Our next cruise will be on a Princess cruise. I’m excited about being able to use the Medallion for the first time. We will also look into the additional packages you were talking about. Princess is more our style. One of the things we really loved was the variety of entertainment in the Piazza in the afternoons. The beds were also very comfortable and were a dream to sleep on!! I doubt very seriously there will be almost naked women in the buffet. The food in both the buffet and Main Dining Room were very good. The excursions were well organized. I can’t really think of anything to complain about on our Princess cruise. Since Princess will be sailing out of Galveston, that will make it a lot easier to cruise instead of flying or driving a very long way to get to a cruise port.
We are on a princess Caribbean cruise right now and the drink packages are extremely confusing. If you’re not careful you end up getting a glass of wine that is not ” free.” They have to simplify the description and delivery of all these packages. Either they were poorly designed in the first place or it’s done intentionally to confuse us…..
Taking our eighth cruise in two weeks. Two princess to Alaska, two to the Bahamas, now to new england/ Canada. Been to Mexico three times once that initial warm up cruise to Ensenada was on another carrier that was over crowded, full of young drunkard couples with screaming children but this is what I would have wanted when I was young. Glad this exists.
Princess is part of Carnival Corp. If you want a party atmosphere with lots of drinking, then take a Carnival cruise… that’s what they’re known for. If you want to relax, Princess is really hard to beat. And if you haven’t discovered The Sanctuary, then you really need to research it. I’ll be on the Ruby Princess at the end of June on round trip to Alaska from San Francisco. First thing I’ll do is book a day or two at The Sanctuary.
I love sailing with princess, also as a guy in this 30s. We went for the first time last year and it was just such a relaxing vibe. We did two weeks around the med and by the time it we we’re due to head back we already had our next one booked. Additionally, with their new ships coming online in 2024 and 2025 it’s only going to get better.
Princess is by far the best. Everything you said is true: you don’t feel overcrowded, there are always seats available in theater and buffet, no crowded elevators. By the second day, the first day’s crowds seem to have disappearsd! Also, pre-trip planning and communication with Princess is much easier than any of the other lines we have sailed (Carnival, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean). Of course, my husband and I are older snd not interested in loud music, late night parties or thrill rides. We sailed Celebrity for the first time last year. The food was the best of them all. It caters to an older crowd and is not glitzy and glamorous like Princess, but we thoroughly enjoyed Our time on Celebrity. You woyld see the Captain almost every day around ship. Our last cruise was on Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas out of Galveston. Probably won’t do that again. Way too crowded; constantly waiting for an elevator or struggling to find an empty table at the buffet; food was mediocre at all venues; had to pay extra and reserve seats for sone entertainment only to find the reservation was bogus. Layout of the ship was a mess. We’ll stick with Princess!
We LOVE Princess. We just booked our 10th overall cruise, this one on the Island Princess for a full transit Panama Canal in May 2024. This will be our 7th Princess cruise. We sailed once with NCL on the Norwegian Jewell and twice on Costa Mediteranea – we will never sail on either of those cruise lines again. We only booked them because they were specialty concert cruises with amazing entertainment included. NCL had extra charges every time we turned around and their drink package was outrageously over-priced. Costa was just bad everything. Princess just feels elegant for a reasonable price and I much prefer ships that cater more to adults. We’re 70 and I don’t want to be around a pool with splash parks, water slides, go carts. climbing walls etc – I prefer a more relaxed pace. Thankfully, there are other cruise lines that cater to families and we can choose not to book those ships.
I took my first ever cruise on Caribbean Princess in February 2022 and while I say I loved it there were some times where I was a little bored because I forgot to bring a book and couldn’t get access to the wifi for part of the trip when we were out at sea and there weren’t that many things to do it was tough it was only the second cruise for Princess after Covid so it was 50 percent capacity and not as many events as usual but I loved Princess and wish I could afford to go back THE ONLY THING I HATED ABOUT THE CRUISE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE CREW THAT I MET So many of them i wanted to stay in contact with 😪
Have sailed on three different cruise lines mostly Princess. (15 cruises) I stay away from the ships that have waterslides, rock walls, etc. We are more traditional cruisers and we prefer the Princess itineraries and ships. We find the service excellent, the food good, great entertainment, and enjoy the flow/beauty of the ship. We are Princess Fans! .
My first ever cruise, about 22 years ago (has it really been that long?), was on the Grand Princess. I loved it, and my parents can tell you I was obsessed with cruises for years afterward. The only reason my wife and I don’t sail Princess, unlike my parents who have cruised it more times than I can count, is that we don’t like the dress code for dinner. I know dress codes have changed a bit in the last few years, but the last time we were on a Princess cruise in ’18, there were still the formal nights with suits, ties, dresses, etc. I mean, for Europe, I get it I guess, but I don’t want to wear a suit in the Caribbean just to have dinner in the main dining room we ate in every night. That’s the main reason we don’t tend to cruise Princess, unless it is with my family, but I definitely get the appeal about the line.
I have tried other 2 cruise lines (Car and RC) and got tired of stupid kids running around. . Royal was a nice cruise line until they started to attract families. I just came back from St Thomas in Sky Princess and it was a dream. I knew it was special the minute I went aboard the ship. It was elegant and upscale. Thee was no screaming or loud music in the atrium or by the pool. Most passengers were relaxing and enjoyed their vacation. The best part was the sore excursion. A weekend short trip to Mexico would not be the same.
I absolutely cannot agree with your story about Princess Discovery. This was my 11th cruise with Princess and the 4th one to Alaska. This was our first time for the inside Cruise from Seattle back to Seattle. Positives first: the excursion we booked, outstanding. 1. Crabbing experience in Ketchikan 2. Cruise to the Glacier in Juneau 3. Train ride to the Yukon in Skagway. Nothing more positive to report. The ship was totally booked out, what Princess didn’t do was to hire more staff, for dining service or bar tending. It was a disaster. Any reservation we had for dining was just worseless. The dining staff was always overworked. Food was cold and tasteless. Just not enough stewards. It looked to us that princess after the low season under COVID now they really were out to make the big bucks, ignoring anything that we liked so much with Princess. Well done princess you stuffed your pockets and I will never cruise with your Princess again. Remember this was my 11th and last cruise. I hope many other people feeling the same way. We heard lots of the same complaints every day. 🤑😎🥴🤠🤬😡
you said 400 for a 7 night cruise approx, you are so lucky in the US with your cruises. here in australia we wouldnt even get a 3 or 4 night cruise for that money (im talking about with the conversation), for us a 7 night princess cruise were looking at around 2000 plus per person. it explains why you guys can do so many cruises each year, if you lived here i doubt anyone could afford to cruise anywhere as much, we charge premium prices even for a budget cruiseline, its not fair 🙁 that on top of the 10 interest rate hikes we have had in the last 12 months and another 8 expected, cruises are becoming more and more out of the normal australian reach 🙁
We are going on our first Princess cruise at the end of this month for our first trip to Alaska. We have sailed Norwegian, Royal, and MSC previously and trying Virgin later this year. The main reasons we chose them for this trip were the price point, itinerary, and overall reviews. We definitely wanted to go to Glacier Bay so from what I read, only Holland America, Princess and NCL go there. We are familiar with NCL however our last cruise with them wasn’t the best so we since ventured out to try other lines and have enjoyed experiencing the differences. I have heard Holland America is a very nice experience as well. There will be three of us, my wife, 19 y/o daughter and myself so I’m really excited to see what Princess has to offer especially for Alaska as we will be on sensory overload 😊. 🛳️
I have sailed exclusively on Princess and Cunard. If you like theater Princess has fantastic stage shows. I love Caribbean Princess the best and from the movies you shot a remain convinced that Caribbean Princess is superior. I enjoy Cunard also you know “the most famous Ocean Liners in the World “.
Why does everyone make such a big deal about the medallion? Other lines have a similar item, different name. Princess has some great itineraries; that’s the only reason I’d choose them. The posted costs are great, but by the time you add the port charges/taxes and one of the “plus” packages, they are more costly than my upcoming cruise on a premium line.
Rollercoasters, water slides, and amusement park features are best for the ground and not at sea. This notion that one cannot enjoy a cruise for the virtues of a cruise and people have to demand amusement park stimulation at sea is sad and reflects a mindset of ‘I want it all and I want it now’. Alas, this is why the global economy is in the state it is in. All these amusement park features result in a trade-off and you can see it in the lack of peace/calm, the diminished quality of the standard food, and most importantly, the constant upselling of ‘moments’. Alas, we know your social media website is built on selling the cruise experience and will never speak ill of its excesses. Thanks for your insights.
I just completed Regal Princess and let me tell you that all the people that complain about kids should know that they learn that behavior from their parents. I’ve never been with so much rude adults before. I found many rude adults on Regal. Cutting lines in the elevators and buffet, not saying back good morning, saving a whole row intje theater for people that came late to the show or never show up. Just to mention a few. I’m not planning to return soon. They have great ideas but not well executed. Medallion didn’t work well, I have to restart my phone several times during the cruise to make it work. Activities overlap with each other and you can’t participate on some of them because schedule conflicts. Food was ok, nothing special. Kids area was amazing, and crew was hit and miss.
Princess is geared more for people who want to chill. I’m a platinum member with them. They’re geared for an older crowd (not college crowd) 40’s —70’s. I would NEVER set foot on a Carnival, MsC, RCCL, or Norwegian. Rough crowd….look what just happened on the Carnival line. My wife & I are 63 with 2 adult children. The Princess ships are getting bigger & bigger. I don’t think it’s higher end. Silversea, Azamara, & Seaborn are true upscale. I’m on one more cruise with them next week (16 night out of Southampton to Ireland, Iceland & Scotland ) then I’m DONE! -ships getting too big -nickel & diming all over the on board experience -All pre-cruise support staff are in the Philippines and hard to understand -Terrible experience with upcoming cruise with regards to honoring price drops (painful) -All older ships (before 2014) need a serious face lift. Very dated looking -transition to new dining concept is a hot mess! They randomly dropped all my dinner reservations I had made months before the cruise even though I’m sailing July 12th. I used to go on Celebrity but they are starting the “ship within a ship concept” NOTHANKS! I sincerely appreciate your perspective on other cruise lines being crowded, that’s EXACTLY the primary reason for changing from Princess to Azamara, Silversea, Atlas, celestial, & Emerald cruise lines. Smaller ships, more inclusive, more port intensity including overnights. I don’t mind paying more for far more relaxing on board experience. I Love to party, drink & dance but cannot deal with lines lines & more lines.
We have sailed with NCL, American Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean and once on Princess. It was a group cruise booked by someone else and we will never cruise with them again. My main problem is that Royal Caribbean takes food allergies very seriously while Princess does not. We were also bored on Princess and that has never happened while on Royal Caribbean and we have cruised on their ships from Empress to Wonder.
I sailed on Caribbean Princess back in 2018 and fell in love with Princess. I just got back from a cruise to San Diego and Ensenada on the Royal Princess ship with my family and loved it. My mother loved how the staff on ship was extremely nice and helpful with anything. The food was great. The atmosphere on ship was great. Princess introducing the Medallion Class is the best thing ever. Its super duper easy to use, stress free and you wont have to worry about misplacing it by having it around your neck or as like wrist band( kinda like a apple watch). Always looking forward to be sailing with Princess again. Princess is a family favorite:) Although I do love Princess, I also want to try sailing with other cruise lines. I would love if anyone would like to share their favorite cruise lines and experiences with ships they’ve been on 🙂 thank youu <3
We must have had a rare bad experience. Cruised to alaska on a packed ship with no place to sit in the buffet to eat. Food was mostly bland food you would heat in your microwave. Sewage smell in on room 3rd night coming out of the ducts above bed couldnt sleep all night. The smell was tbroughout the ship in different areas. This was our first cruise. If this is as good as it gets wont cruise again. The ports were amazing and a few of the shows. Everyone is saying this is the best so why try a different cruiseline. I can find better things to do with 5000