Get exclusive travel offers and guides
Straight to your inbox
By signing up, you agree to the Finder
Privacy & Cookies Policy
and
Terms of Use, Disclaimer & Privacy Policy.
Best Cruise Deals
Cruise Lines
Travel Insurance
Top Travel Booking Sites
Travel Guides
Princess vs Royal Caribbean
Should your next cruise be with Princess Cruises or Royal Caribbean? Help is at hand here.
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
Neither Royal Caribbean nor Princess Cruises can be accused of being shrinking violets as far as their profiles in the cruise industry are concerned.
Both of these lines are world famous for their range of products and for their good quality.
So how do you choose between the two? Use the below table and the price comparison test to see how the lines size up with each other.
Princess vs Royal Caribbean
| Feature | Princess | Royal Caribbean | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where does it sail to? |
|
| Princess covers more destinations. |
| Does it have Wi-Fi? | Yes, for a fee. | Yes, for a fee. | Both offer Wi-Fi for a fee. |
| Does it provide towels? | Yes. | Yes. | Both provide towels. |
| Contact options |
|
| Royal Caribbean can be contacted by post. |
| Is it all-inclusive? | No. | No. | Neither is all-inclusive. |
| How much is the deposit? | Deposits start at 5% of the cruise cost. |
| Deposits are similar. |
| Does it have a gym? | Yes. | Yes. | Both have gyms. |
| Does it have hairdryers, laundry and irons? | Both are available. Charges apply to self-service laundry. | Hair dryers are provided. Self-service laundry is not. | Princess offers self-service laundry. |
| Does it include food? | Yes. | Yes. | Both include food. |
| Does it have casinos? | Yes. | Yes. | Both have casinos. |
| Does it have an ATM? | Yes. | Yes. | Both have ATMs. |
| Does it have formal nights? | Yes. | Yes. | Both have formal nights. |
| How much are drinks? | US$5-6 for a beer and US$7-11 for a wine. | US$5-8 for a beer and US$6-12 for a wine. | Drink prices are similar. |
| Is it good for families? | Yes. | Yes, especially the newer ships. | Both lines are good for families. |
| Does it have child care? | Yes, group kid sitting. | Yes. | Both offer child care. |
| Does it have virtual balconies? | No. | On some ships. | Royal Caribbean has virtual balconies. |
| Does it have a waterslide? | No. | Yes. | Royal Caribbean has waterslides. |
| Does it have a promenade? | Yes. | Yes. | Both have promenades. |
| Does it have free room service? | Yes. | Some items are free but gratuities apply. | Royal Caribbean has some charges associated with its room service. |
| What are my payment options? |
|
| Payment options are similar. |
| Can I price match? | No. | No. | Neither price matches. |
| Does it allow for cancellations/changes? | All fares come with cancellation penalties. | Some fares come with cancellation penalties. | Both penalise for some cancellations. |
| How much are airport transfers to the departure port? | Most transfers cost around US$18 for 10 miles. | Prices vary. For example, Miami Airport to Port Everglades (30 miles) is US$29 each way. | Airport transfer costs are similar. |
| How much are gratuities? | A discretionary gratuity of US$13.50-15.50 is added to your account daily. | US$14.50 per day or US$17.50 for suite guests. | Gratuities are similar. |
| Has a ship ever sunk? | No. | No. | Neither line has had a sunken ship. |
| Book | Book your Princess cruise | Book your Royal Caribbean cruise |
Who offers the best price?
Prices for a nine-day Sydney to New Zealand cruise, calling at five ports and cruising through one scenic waterway on the way, start at $1,514 with Princess Cruises. Note that the fares we found were on sale at the time of writing.
Prices for a 10-night New Zealand cruise from Sydney, calling at seven ports and cruising through three scenic waterways on the way, start at $1,232 with Royal Caribbean.
The verdict?
Prices for similar cruises are cheaper with Royal Caribbean, even with cruises with Princess being on sale. Princess is renowned for being a more luxurious cruise line compared to Royal Caribbean which is more geared toward families, which could reason out this price difference.
Is this cruise line good?
Princess Cruises is ranked as 3.5/5 on cruise review website Cruise Critic. Reviews highlight good service and decent food.
Royal Caribbean, meanwhile, has an overall rating of 3.5/5 but some ships that operate from Australia, like MS Radiance of the Seas, have higher ratings of 4. The friendliness of the staff is often commented on in reviews.
Any other differences worth noting?
Royal Caribbean has a reputation for being innovative. It pushes the boundaries in new ships with onboard activities such as challenging water slides and assault courses.
What are the deals like?
The main deals from Princess Cruises tend to be broken down by destination and offer reduced prices on cabins.
Royal Caribbean runs offers such as family sales that let kids travel for $29 and give adults 30% off. The line also regularly runs price cuts of up to 30% off on selected destination sailings.
Priceline.com
Up to USD$2,000 OBC with Royal Caribbean cruises
Available on cruises until 31 December 2023. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal ends
CruiseDirect
Up to 71% off holiday cruises
Available on select cruises in 2021 and 2022 with Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruises, MSC cruises and more. Destinations include Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Singapore, Caribbean, Bahamas and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal ends
CruiseDirect
Australia and New Zealand cruises from USD$228
Available on select dates in 2021-2022 with Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line and more. Sample rate is for a 3-night cruise with Carnival Cruises.
Last verified
CruiseDirect
3+ nights last-minute cruises from USD$180
Available on select travel dates with Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruises, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and more. Sample rate is for a 3-night Caribbean cruise with MSC. Destinations include Australia, Japan, Vietnam, Italy, Alaska and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
The verdict?
Royal Caribbean tends to offer deals for groups and families across a wider range of destinations and itineraries than Princess.
More guides on Finder
-
Amazon Prime Day 2021 Australia: Early deals on now
Amazon Prime Day 2021 officially starts on June 21 - or does it? Here's a stack of early-bird deals you can get right now.
-
Handypay Green Loan
A Green Loan from Handypay could help you make your home more energy-efficient. Handypay green loans are available up to $75,000 on terms of up to 10 years.
-
Victoria floods: How much food spoilage will your home insurance cover?
There’s been over 25,000 power outages across Victoria. Home insurance can reimburse you for the food that’s gone to waste. Find out who here.
-
TCL 20SE Review: Great display but otherwise unremarkable
If you're after a low-cost mobile with a quality display, the TCL 20SE is appealing, but you'll otherwise be left wanting for app performance, camera quality and battery life.
-
Today’s ASX top stocks: Moneyme (MME ↑18.8%), Cd Private Equity Fund I (CD1 ↑18.5%)
The 10 biggest movers on the ASX for Tuesday 15 June 2021.
-
Amazon Prime Day: 60% off fashion deals you’re not going to want to miss
Bargain hunters - get ready to save on Nike, New Balance, Cotton On, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and so much more.
-
Amazon Prime Day home deals to expect: Bose, iRobot and more
From home speakers to robot vacuums, these are the items to watch out for this Prime Day.
-
Staple items worth a splurge and how you can grab a cheeky 30% off all of them
We've got a cheeky 30% off at THE ICONIC so here are the staple items worth a splurge because the savings are too damn good.
Ask an Expert
