Princess Cruises, reviewed honestly

Who Princess Cruises genuinely suits

Anyone who wants an American-run premium ship without flying to join it. Princess is the third-busiest line at Southampton, behind only P&O and Cunard, so this is a British-departure line far more than its reputation suggests.
Guests who like a smooth, modern onboard experience. MedallionClass gives keyless cabin entry and touchless payment through a wearable disc, and food and drink can be brought to wherever you are on the ship.

When you'd be better off elsewhere

Anyone expecting a quiet, small-ship feel. The newest Princess ships are genuinely large, and even the older ones are mid-to-large resort ships rather than intimate ones.
Anyone who wants a British-feeling ship. The crowd from Southampton is largely British, but the service style, the entertainment and the dining are American-led.

What the ships are actually like

Traditional-feeling mid-to-large ships, reliable and highly consistent, built around comfortable cruising rather than resort spectacle. Alaska and the Pacific Northwest are where the line is strongest, with decades of itinerary experience there.

Clear the Love Boat image before you compare it to anything else

The name does Princess no favours. This is not a retro ship trading on a 1970s television series; it is one of the most quietly modern products at this level. The wearable Medallion unlocks your stateroom as you walk up to it and pays for things without you reaching for anything, and OceanNow brings food and drink to wherever you happen to be on the ship rather than to your cabin door.

One thing to check rather than assume: that anywhere-delivery carries a one-time activation fee unless you are on a Plus or Premier fare, so it is not quite the free-for-all the adverts suggest.

What the fare covers

Usually in the fare

Your stateroom, the main dining rooms, entertainment and onboard activities

Costs extra

Drinks, Wi-Fi and speciality dining, unless you take Princess Plus or Princess Premier

Princess Plus covers drinks within a daily limit, Wi-Fi for one device, and casual dining; Premier covers unlimited premium drinks, more devices, unlimited dining and a shore excursion credit.

Read from the line's own website, October 2026. What a fare covers varies by sailing and by fare, so check your booking.

Tips and gratuities

Gratuities are not in the fare. A daily gratuity is added to your onboard account, so allow for it on top of the price shown.

A service charge is also added to optional drinks and dining. The daily amount can be adjusted on board.

Checked against the line's own website, October 2026.

Where Princess Cruises sits

Class

Premium, on our ladder from Mainstream through Ultra-Luxury.

A sample sailing

Royal Princess, 7 nights: Voyage of the Glaciers, Vancouver to Anchorage, guide price from £1,250pp.

Only P&O and Cunard sail more often from Southampton

142 of 1,791 sailings worldwide leave from a UK port (8% of the programme), from Southampton only.

Counted 17 August 2026 against live cruise-line inventory. Sailing counts move week to week.

Where Princess Cruises boards in the UK

In the UK, Princess Cruises sails from Southampton. Our guide covers who it suits, what actually sails and how to reach it.

Cruises from Southampton

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See what Princess Cruises actually has available

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