Every Princess Cruise Line Ship Ranked Best to Worst (10/2026)

Best for: Cruisers who care more about a great crew than flashy attractions

Enchanted Princess comes out on top, and it's not a fluke of small numbers. It pulled the most Cruiseline reviews of any ship that didn't hit our cap, and the happy ones keep coming back to the crew. One reviewer put it neatly: Princess seems more interested in investing in its people than in roller coasters, and on this ship that trade-off mostly works.

It isn't spotless. Cruise Critic turned up a bed bug complaint, a raunchy late-night comedian who didn't land with the Princess crowd, and gripes about tiny balconies and overly loud shows. But the fall New England and Caribbean sailings drew a steady stream of four and five star reviews, and the complaints read like bad luck rather than a ship-wide pattern.

Best for: Long, adventurous itineraries like Antarctica and Northern Europe

Sapphire Princess is the quiet overachiever of the Grand Class. Reviewers on its Antarctica, Mediterranean and Northern Europe runs mostly praise the main dining room food, the theater shows and a recent dry dock that one cruiser said made the ship feel like new.

The low marks are about execution, not the hardware: a clogged toilet that took three plumbers and six days, a lackluster transatlantic with nothing to do on cold sea days, and the usual grumbling about Princess nickel-and-diming. The sample's on the small side, so treat the second-place finish as encouraging rather than definitive.

Best for: Princess fans who want a Royal Class ship with strong food and the thermal suite

Sky Princess posted the highest Cruise Critic average in the fleet, and that's the tougher of the two crowds. Fans talk about the thermal suite, a crew that seems genuinely happy and food that first-timers coming over from Cunard called a breath of fresh air.

The warning signs are worth noting, though. Several repeat cruisers say standards have slipped, OceanNow has been stripped back, specialty restaurants book up before you board, and one reviewer flat-out said the ship needs a refurb. It's still one of the best bets in the fleet, just not the unspoiled Royal Class flagship it was a few years ago.

Best for: Itinerary-first cruisers heading to Alaska or Hawaii

Emerald Princess keeps proving that an older Grand Class ship can still deliver. Alaska reviewers love the Dawes Glacier access, Hawaii sailors credit the enrichment talks, and plenty of people mention a well-kept ship and generous balconies.

Cruise Critic is noticeably cooler on it. A canceled Hubbard Glacier visit, a messy disembarkation for mobility-impaired guests and a few people who just didn't click with Princess pull the average down. If you're choosing it for the itinerary, you'll probably be happy. If you want wow-factor hardware, look elsewhere.

Best for: Bucket-list Panama Canal transits on a smaller ship

Island Princess is the fleet's Panama Canal specialist, and the reviews prove the itinerary does a lot of the heavy lifting. Bucket-list canal transits get rave write-ups, and people like the smaller ship: shorter elevator waits, less crowding and a theater show that's surprisingly good for a ship this size.

The criticism centers on Princess policies rather than the ship: upcharges, a limited nightly menu and a few Alaska land-and-sea guests who felt they didn't get their money's worth. It's a strong pick if you're booking the canal, less so if you're after onboard variety.

Best for: Princess regulars who want a calm, easy Alaska or Mexican Riviera trip

Royal Princess sits comfortably in the middle of the top 10. Alaska reviewers who caught good weather and a rare run up to Johns Hopkins Glacier are thrilled, and the Mexican Riviera crowd calls it calm and easy, which is exactly what Princess regulars want.

The bottom of the rating pile is harsh, with long waits, cold food and a couple of people who say the trip killed cruising for them. A few reviewers also note it's starting to show its age, shower curtain and all. Still, the good sailings outnumber the bad ones by a comfortable margin.

Best for: Families who want a solid Royal Class ship for the Caribbean or Canada

Majestic Princess gets a lot of reviews and a lot of opinions. Fans praise the food on Caribbean and Canada sailings, the shows and how easy the Princess app makes it to find your family onboard. Families in particular seem happier here than on most Princess ships.

The flip side is a cluster of reviews about understaffing, poor service and food that's slipped, including from Platinum-level loyalists who say they've noticed the change. A missed Grand Turk call didn't help either. It's a solid, middle-of-the-pack Royal Class ship rather than a standout.

Best for: Quick Galveston and Caribbean getaways

Regal Princess was popular enough to hit our 100-review cap on Cruiseline, mostly thanks to its short Galveston and Caribbean runs. Those guests largely describe a well-oiled machine, with a few asking for more bartenders and servers on busy days.

Cruise Critic tells a rougher story, with complaints about food poisoning, defective Medallions, a broken cabin light that took days to fix and the kind of front-desk back-and-forth nobody wants on vacation. A good ship for a quick getaway, but expect some friction.

Best for: Loyalists who like a classic, smaller-feeling ship with live music every night

Grand Princess is the oldest ship in the fleet, and the reviews are split almost exactly along that line. Loyalists love it: venues never feel crowded, there's live music end to end every night, and one couple's on their 37th sailing aboard.

Then there's the other camp, who say she needs to be scrapped, complain about the food and the cabins, and call it a ship crying for help. The January 2026 San Juan airport closure also dragged a few scores down. If you like classic, smaller-feeling ships, you'll probably be in the first group.

Best for: First-timers who want year-round Caribbean sailings at a good price

Caribbean Princess hit the Cruiseline cap too, and its year-round Caribbean schedule means a lot of first-timers in the mix. Many came away happy with the crew, the holiday sailings and the ports, and one 40-cruise veteran put it in their personal top three.

Cruise Critic reviewers were far less forgiving. Titles like Motel of the Seas and Time to Retire This Ship say plenty, and the complaints focus on poor bar service, hot public areas, crowding and a new service fee that didn't seem to buy better service. It rounds out the top 10, but only just.

Best for: Alaska and Panama Canal itineraries on a small ship, with realistic expectations

Coral Princess draws a split verdict. Alaska and Panama Canal reviewers love the smaller ship and its crew, and the shoreside logistics got good marks. There's also an enthusiastic fan club for the pizza muffin.

But the complaints are hard to ignore: no hot water for days, worn furniture, and a world cruise that, per one reviewer, felt like an ordinary cruise with nothing special for full-voyage guests. If you're on Coral for the itinerary, go in with realistic expectations about the ship.

Best for: Cruisers who want Princess's newest ship and don't mind a lot of walking

Star Princess is Princess's newest ship, and it's doing a little better than its sister Sun Princess, which isn't saying much. People who liked it point to the Cabana deck, specialty restaurants like Love by Britto, comfortable beds and showers with real glass doors.

The criticism echoes Sun's: a confusing layout, long walks that are rough on anyone with a mobility device, a dining experience that didn't live up to the hype, and loyalists unhappy about cut elite perks. One reviewer summed it up as bigger, not better.

Best for: Long Australia and South Pacific voyages, ideally in a suite

Crown Princess spent most of the window on long Australia and South Pacific voyages, so we found only 19 in-window reviews across both sites. That's why it carries an asterisk.

What's there is mixed. Long-voyage guests on Dover to Sydney and 35-night runs loved it, and a Vista Suite review is a strong case for booking up. Others complained about staffing cuts at the bars, illness onboard, specialty dining packages that didn't include what they expected, and a ship that's starting to look tired.

Best for: A relaxed, sedate cruise to Mexico, Hawaii or Alaska

Ruby Princess has the widest gap between the two sites of any ship in the fleet. Cruiseline reviewers on Mexican Riviera, Hawaii and Alaska sailings mostly had a nice, relaxed time and loved cruise director Harlequin.

Cruise Critic reviewers, on the other hand, gave it the second-lowest average there, with complaints about Buy 2 Get 2 Free crowds, surprise surcharges on the Plus package and long-time loyalists saying goodbye. Several said it's best suited to a very sedate, older crowd.

Best for: Alaska cruisers who want a newer Royal Class ship

Discovery Princess is the newest Royal Class ship, which makes its spot in the bottom three a bit of a surprise. Alaska guests, especially those who got lucky with the weather, were generally happy, and a family traveling with a special-needs relative called the crew wonderfully supportive.

The low ratings cluster around its Australia season: a segmented voyage that felt patched together, illness onboard, bare holiday decorations and reviewers who said Princess was clearly more interested in the bottom line. It's a nice ship having an uneven year.

Best for: Cruisers who want Japan and Asia itineraries with a Japanese touch onboard

Diamond Princess spends its time in Japan and Asia, and only 28 reviews landed in our window. The best ones are glowing about the Japanese influence onboard, the crew and itineraries like the Nebuta Festival sailing.

The worst are rough: canceled ports, broken cabin fixtures, shows that worked for either Japanese or English speakers but not both, and a ship that's showing its age. Book it for the itinerary, not the ship.

Best for: Cruisers who want the newest look and Mediterranean or Caribbean routes and can live with crowds

Sun Princess comes in last, and it isn't close on Cruise Critic, where it scored a 2.69 across 68 reviews. The recurring complaints are crowding, venues that are too small for the number of people onboard, a buffet layout that gets your food cold before you sit down, and slow service everywhere.

Cruiseline reviewers were far kinder, scoring it 4.38, and many enjoyed the Mediterranean and Caribbean itineraries, the elevators and the ship's modern look. But when experienced Princess cruisers keep saying this doesn't feel like a Princess ship, it's worth taking seriously.