Princess Cruises - Cruise Line Profile of Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises offers a quality product in a mainstream cruise line. Its ships appeal to all ages, and the interests and incomes of the passengers can vary widely. Most of the ships fall into the large ship category. Princess is the original love boat, but passengers should not expect to find this TV show on Princess cruise ships. The well-organized Princess was originally a British cruise line, and the ships have a better passenger to space ratio than Carnival or Royal Caribbean.

Princess has 16 ships, ranging in size from 700 passengers (Pacific Princess, and Ocean Princess) to over 3000. The ships are modern and well-maintained.

• Sun Princess (1995)
• Dawn Princess (1997)
• Sea Princess (1998)
• Grand Princess (1998)
• Ocean Princess (1999)
• Pacific Princess (1999)
• Golden Princess (2001)
• Star Princess (2002)
• Coral Princess (2002)
• Island Princess (2003)
• Diamond Princess (2004)
• Caribbean Princess (2004)
• Sapphire Princess (2005)
• Crown Princess(2006)
• Emerald Princess (2007)
• Royal Princess (2007)
• Ruby Princess (2008)

Princess will launch its newest ship, the Royal Princess, in 2013.

Princess Cruises are well-suited for couples, families, and older singles. Active cruisers who enjoy a large ship atmosphere with clean, pleasant surroundings at an affordable price will enjoy Princess. Princess passengers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and income brackets. Younger passengers tend to be found on the shorter Caribbean itineraries, while the older, more affluent frequent the exotic destinations. All in all, Princess has a very diverse, loyal clientele.

Like other modern cruise lines, most of Princess' cabins are outside, and many have balconies. The numerous categories of cabins range from large suites (almost 600 square feet) to small interior cabins (160 square feet). Storage space is adequate, and all cabins have refrigerators, TVs, and hair dryers. The decor of the cabins is warm and clean.
Pictures of a Mini-Suite on the Emerald Princess

Cabins and Suites on the Ruby Princess, Emerald Princess, and Crown Princess

Princess has both "traditional" fixed-seating, fixed-time dining in one dining room on each ship, and "personal choice" dining in the other dining rooms. Each ship has specialty restaurants that have a small cover charge. The linens and china are of good quality, and the service is better than you might expect for a large ship serving thousands each day.
More Information on Dining and Cuisine on the Emerald Princess

Pictures of the Dining Options and Cuisine on the Emerald Princess

Princess Cruises has an excellent onboard troupe of performers who put on glamorous, Las Vegas-style production shows geared to the North American audience. The Princess cruise ships also have cabaret acts and many audience participation shows. No one should ever get bored on a Princess ship.

Although Princess is owned by Carnival Corporation, the ships do not have Carnival's brilliant, sometimes garish decor. Princess is much more subdued, with calm colors and neutral tones. Many of the Princess ships have teak deck chairs, which is a nice touch. You will find the ubiquitous "art" for sale at the art auctions lining the walls of most common areas.

The Lotus Spa is operated by Steiner Leisure, and it has all the standard spa treatments, along with some interesting exotic ones. The fitness centers have all the latest equipment. Some fitness classes like Zumba are free, but you will have to pay a fee for kickboxing and yoga. Many of the Princess ships feature the Sanctuary, an adults only retreat near the spa. It's a wonderful place to get away from the rest of the world. Princess allows you to book spa appointments online before you sail.

Contact Information
Princess Cruises
Corporate Headquarters
24844 Avenue Rockefeller
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
On the Web: http://www.princess.com

Princess Cruises debuted in 1965, and today is part of the world's largest cruise line -- Carnival Cruises.

I cruised on the Emerald Princess in May 2007, and have numerous photo galleries and articles on this ship.
Emerald Princess Library of Information and Photos

I attended the christening and sailed on a two-day preview and a seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise on the Ruby Princess.
Ruby Princess Library of Links