PRINCESS CRUISES · ROYAL CLASS
Royal Princess feels like a handsome premium hotel that happens to move through Alaska.
TRAVELER FIT
A sociable itinerary ship without solo cabins.
Good for destination-first families, average as a family resort.
A strong calm couples platform for Alaska.
ABOUT THE SHIP
Royal Princess introduced the design that still defines the middle of the Princess fleet: a huge three-deck Piazza, more than 1,400 balcony cabins, the glass SeaWalk, Princess Live!, expanded casual dining, an adults-only Retreat Pool, and a much larger resort footprint than the Grand-class ships before it. The architecture feels elegant and recognizable rather than trendy. It remains a strong expression of traditional Princess even though later Royal-class ships corrected several practical weaknesses.
In Alaska, Royal's greatest asset is the pairing of Glacier Bay access on selected sailings with Princess's destination operation, naturalist programming, ranger narration, shore infrastructure, and comfortable balcony inventory. Its greatest weakness is equally clear: there is no enclosed forward observation lounge or wraparound promenade, and the outdoor pools consume considerable upper-deck space. A balcony becomes more valuable here than it would on a warm-weather itinerary because indoor public viewing seats are limited.
The onboard vibe is refined, calm, multigenerational, and itinerary-led. The Piazza supplies a reliable current of music, coffee, cocktails, demonstrations, and people-watching, while Crooners, the theater, Vista Lounge, and the casino take over after dinner. It is livelier than Holland America but dramatically less attraction-driven than Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or Norwegian.
Recent Alaska guests are split in a useful way. Many praise the crew, food, Glacier Bay day, main public rooms, accessibility assistance, and overall value, while others describe worn cabins, dated soft goods, heat or maintenance issues, and inconsistent service on individual sailings. That does not make Royal a bad ship; it means the itinerary and fare should carry more of the sales argument than the novelty of the hardware.
Royal is best sold to travelers who want Princess's Alaska expertise, classic adult evenings, plentiful balconies, and a ship large enough for choice without theme-park energy. It is weaker for children who need headline attractions, scenery-first travelers unwilling to book a balcony, and buyers who equate premium with recently built. Choose the route and cabin carefully, then let the ship function as a comfortable destination platform rather than expecting it to be the destination itself.
Best for: Alaska-focused couples, mature multigenerational groups, traditional Princess loyalists, and travelers who value Glacier Bay over novelty.
Signature difference: the original Royal-class design, including SeaWalk, the expanded Piazza, and the class's most traditional venue mix.
Headline experiences: Glacier Bay programming on selected sailings, SeaWalk, Crooners, Chef's Table Lumiere, Retreat Pool, and Movies Under the Stars.
Primary tradeoff: strong destination credentials and classic atmosphere in hardware whose cabins and soft goods can show their age.
Royal Princess feels like a handsome premium hotel that happens to move through Alaska. It is grown-up without being formal, active without becoming frantic, and most convincing when the scenery—not a waterslide—is the day's headline.
Daytime: Alaska ports, glacier narration, upper-deck viewing, Piazza coffee, enrichment, spa, trivia, and quiet pool time when weather permits.
Evening: main dining, Crooners, theater productions, Vista Lounge, cocktails, casino play, and Movies Under the Stars.
Calmest options: the Sanctuary, Retreat Pool off peak, aft buffet seating, Wheelhouse before dinner, and a private balcony.
Most common friction: aging cabins, limited protected observation space, elevators after excursions, SeaWalk privacy, and the awkward aft dining-room route.
Royal Princess is sailing seven-night round trips from Seattle during the 2026 Alaska season, including Glacier Bay on selected departures, with Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Victoria commonly featured. Seasonal Pacific Coast, Hawaii, South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand deployments follow. The exact glacier authorization matters more than the phrase Inside Passage, so compare the day-by-day itinerary before choosing the ship.
DINING
Three dining rooms divide traditional, reservable, and walk-in service under Princess's current model. Rotating menus cover Princess standards, destination dishes, pasta, seafood, meat, vegetarian choices, and desserts. The aft Deck 6 room on several ships can be reached only from the aft elevators or stairs, a piece of Royal-class geography worth learning before dinner.
The large buffet complex serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, carving stations, international food, salads, desserts, and ship-specific evening themes. Royal and Regal retain more Horizon Court branding, while later ships emphasize World Fresh Marketplace. Seating near the aft windows is calmer, but peak breakfast and cold-weather sea days can turn the central aisles into a luggage carousel without luggage.
The Piazza café operates around the clock on the normal schedule with included pastries, breakfast sandwiches, salads, quiche, desserts, and light meals. Lavazza coffee and premium tea require payment or an eligible package. Event crowds use the same seating, so this reliable food outlet is not always a quiet café.
The pool-deck counter serves included thin-crust pizza by the slice, with names varying by ship and refurbishment. It is fast, popular, and substantially different from the made-to-order seated pizza restaurant. Weather and a short queue determine whether it is a snack or the easiest lunch aboard.
The poolside grill serves included burgers, hot dogs, chicken, fries, and rotating casual items. Naming and menus differ by ship, but it is the practical alternative to entering the buffet in swimwear. Made-to-order periods can create a wait at noon.
The included pool-deck soft-serve counter offers cones and simple frozen treats during posted hours. Premium gelato, sundaes, and specialty desserts elsewhere may carry a charge or package entitlement. The similar branding is a recurring source of avoidable billing surprise.
Princess provides room service and Medallion-based delivery to cabins and public areas. Delivery charges are waived through eligible packages and otherwise follow current pricing; premium dishes and beverages can still cost extra. The technology is convenient when staffing keeps pace, while peak delivery times can be inconsistent.
Princess's steakhouse serves aged beef, chops, seafood, appetizers, family-style sides, desserts, and a substantial wine list. The warm wood room and adjoining bar make it a reliable couples dinner rather than an experimental meal. Reservations matter, and package inclusion does not erase supplements for selected premium items.
A slow multicourse Italian dinner built around antipasti, handmade pasta, seafood, meat, and traditional desserts. It works especially well for mixed-preference groups and travelers who want conversation instead of dining theater. Location varies by ship and can range from intimate to visually open onto the Piazza.
Installed on Majestic, Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery, Rudi Sodamin's seafood restaurant combines fish, shellfish, chowders, composed entrées, raw preparations on selected menus, and theatrical desserts. It replaced earlier French or Chinese concepts in some locations. Guests with seafood allergies should discuss cross-contact rather than assuming the non-seafood choices make the kitchen uncomplicated.
The seated casual restaurant makes Neapolitan-style pizza to order and adds salads, appetizers, and ship-specific dishes. Royal, Regal, and Majestic generally use Alfredo's branding; the later ships use Gigi's. It can carry a casual-dining cover or package entitlement even though the pool-deck pizza remains included.
The Piazza-level counter offers sushi, sashimi, oysters, seafood plates, and drinks à la carte under the current menu. It is useful for a lighter meal and people-watching but is exposed to atrium sound. Selection and service format vary between ships and deployments.
A limited-capacity multicourse dinner includes galley access when operating, champagne, hors d'oeuvres, a chef-led menu, wine pairings, and seating inside a dramatic light curtain. It requires an additional charge and advance request. Dietary restrictions need discussion before acceptance because the experience is not designed as ordinary flexible dining.
Selected sailings convert part of the buffet or another room into a paid seafood or themed dinner. These events are itinerary- and supply-dependent rather than permanent restaurants. Treat availability in an old review as evidence to ask, not a promise.
A served breakfast or romantic multicourse dinner is arranged on the guest's balcony with upgraded food and dedicated service. Wind, temperature, balcony size, and port schedule determine whether the premium feels magical or merely logistical. Reserve early and discuss weather fallback.
BARS
Princess's piano and martini lounge is the clearest social anchor for adults, pairing classic cocktails and premium spirits with live music. Seats disappear early around a popular performer. The open Piazza edge makes it convivial rather than intimate.
Regionally inspired cocktails and bartender storytelling turn a compact Piazza bar into a small show. The menu is strongest for curious cocktail drinkers; production slows when the same bartender performs and serves a queue. Not every early Royal-class deck plan uses the current name in the same location.
Prosecco, Bellinis, spritzes, wine, and Italian-inspired cocktails make this an easy pre-dinner stop overlooking the Piazza. It is polished but exposed to atrium music and events. Premium pours remain subject to package ceilings.
A clubby room for whiskey, cocktails, beer, wine, and live music sits beside Crown Grill on the original ships; later layouts integrate the steakhouse bar more tightly. It is one of the most traditional Princess spaces. Noise depends heavily on the performer and dinner traffic.
Royal, Regal, Majestic, and some earlier layouts use Vines as a wine-focused Piazza venue, while Enchanted and Discovery now feature O'Malley's pub programming in comparable social territory. O'Malley's adds food, beer, whiskey, live music, and a louder group atmosphere. Verify the current deck plan because retrofits have changed these rooms.
On Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery, this dedicated lounge was created for jazz, cocktails, and a quieter evening than the Piazza. Programming has broadened on some sailings and casino changes can affect the surrounding footprint. It remains one of the best Royal Plus spaces for adults who want live music with an actual seat.
Outdoor bars serve the main pools, adults-only Retreat area, forward or side views, and aft decks depending on ship. The aft Wake View Bar is a particular strength on Majestic and the Royal Plus ships. Weather determines their real capacity, especially in Alaska and Northern Europe.
The casino bar serves gaming and late-evening traffic with cocktails, beer, wine, and spirits. Rated play belongs to Princess Players Club rather than Captain's Circle. Smoking rules and the size of nonsmoking areas vary by sailing and casino configuration.
STATEROOMS & SUITES
Royal class is overwhelmingly a balcony ship, but the labels hide important differences. A standard Balcony usually lacks the sofa found in a Deluxe Balcony; a Mini-Suite is a larger open room rather than a true suite; Reserve Collection is primarily a dining-and-service upgrade; and the full suites add the Concierge Lounge and suite privileges. Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery also add rare Premium Oceanview and Window Suite rooms plus the enormous two-bedroom Sky Suites.
Windowless rooms that emphasize value and location.
The windowless entry category has twin beds that convert to a queen, Princess Luxury Bed components, a shower bathroom, open wardrobe, desk, refrigerator, safe, television, and Medallion entry. Selected rooms add upper berths for a third or fourth guest. They deliver darkness, white noise, and a lower fare, but the compact room can feel tight when every berth is occupied.
Fixed-window rooms, including view-specific and premium layouts, without private outdoor space.
A very limited category on Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery uses large forward windows for daylight and broad views without a balcony. The unusual room geometry can provide useful floor area, but the forward position brings motion, wind noise, and privacy considerations when crew use nearby exterior decks. These rooms do not exist in meaningful numbers on the first three ships.
Standard, deluxe, cove, and Sanctuary balconies with different interior space and fare benefits.
The standard Royal-class balcony adds a compact private veranda to a practical bedroom but usually no sofa. Many balconies are shallow, and obstructed rooms can face lifeboats, davits, the SeaWalk structure, or public decks. Location letters mostly describe deck and position, so the exact cabin matters more than a supposedly higher grade.
A small sofa or loveseat and modestly larger interior distinguish the Deluxe Balcony from the standard room. Selected cabins sleep three or four using the sofa or upper berth. Obstructed versions can be excellent value, but privacy beneath the SeaWalk, connecting doors, balcony depth, and the equipment outside the rail require a cabin-number check.
Found principally on Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery, this category pairs the Deluxe interior with a more desirable position or larger balcony, including scarce aft-facing options. Wake views are excellent, while vibration, soot, sun, and long walks are the tradeoffs. The premium buys location and outdoor space rather than suite service.
Larger rooms with a sitting area and category-specific benefits, but not always the privileges of a full suite.
The mini-suite adds a full sofa sitting zone, second television, more storage, a larger bathroom with tub or expanded shower depending on accessible design, and a private balcony. It remains one open room rather than a separated bedroom. On the original ships, rooms below the SeaWalk can be visible from above; on every ship, compare noise and balcony depth.
The physical room is a well-located mini-suite, but the important upgrade is access to the dedicated Reserve Collection dining area with no normal reservation requirement, separate entrance, dedicated waitstaff, and additional daily selections. Current extras can include priority embarkation, wine, and evening canapés. Benefits and dining-room placement can change, so the booking confirmation outranks old reviews.
The largest accommodations, with layouts and suite benefits that vary by ship, fare, and category.
Available only in small numbers on Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery, the Window Suite provides full suite space and benefits behind large panoramic windows but no private balcony. It can offer considerably more interior room for the money than a balcony suite, particularly in cold weather. The lack of fresh air and forward or high position are the deliberate tradeoffs.
A full suite with separate or clearly divided bedroom and living areas, larger bathroom, walk-in storage, expanded balcony, minibar setup, priority services, specialty breakfast under current rules, and Concierge Lounge access. Location varies between Riviera, Marina, and aft positions. Furniture, balcony exposure, and actual separation should be checked by cabin number.
A larger full-suite layout with a distinct living room, generous storage, upgraded bathroom, and broad balcony. Forward and aft placements create very different motion, wind, sun, and walking-distance profiles. The category receives the core Princess suite package and Concierge Lounge access but not the private restaurant-and-sundeck ecosystem found on some competing lines.
One of the largest conventional Royal-class accommodations, typically positioned aft with a separated bedroom, large living and dining area, walk-in storage, upgraded bathroom, and deep wake-facing balcony. It is excellent for entertaining and long voyages. Vibration, soot, sun, and distance from the Princess Theater are the honest costs of the view.
Exclusive to Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom Sky Suite combines a large living and dining room with an enormous wraparound upper-deck balcony overlooking Movies Under the Stars. It includes full suite benefits and dedicated service. Its outdoor footprint is spectacular, but sound from deck programming, wind, limited shade, and visibility from public spaces should be expected rather than discovered onboard.
SPECIAL SPACES
A three-deck atrium concentrates International Café, bars, shops, dining, music, demonstrations, dancing, and guest services into the ship's visual center. Marble, sweeping stairs, and changing lighting produce a polished hotel-lobby grandeur. The open design also broadcasts sound and lets popular events consume almost every casual chair.
The glass-floor walkway projects 28 feet beyond the starboard side about 128 feet above the sea. It is a brief thrill and excellent photo stop rather than a full attraction. Cabins and balconies beneath it can lose privacy, and the port-side SeaView structure can create related shade or sightline issues.
The forward theater presents production shows, guest entertainers, comedy, destination programming, and enrichment. Sightlines are generally clean, but seats and row access can feel tight and capacity does not cover a full ship at once. Arrive early for the first performance on sea days.
The aft lounge handles comedy, cabaret, live music, dancing, lectures, and secondary productions. Its broad floor and bar make it more flexible than Princess Live. Pillars and shallow seating angles can affect views when the room is full.
Trivia, game shows, demonstrations, lectures, and audience-participation programming occupy a dedicated television-studio-style venue. Royal, Regal, and Majestic use a more enclosed theater arrangement; Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery use a more open lounge-like plan that many repeat passengers find more comfortable.
The Sanctuary is a paid adults-only enclave with reserved loungers, service, and optional treatments or cabanas; the nearby Retreat Pool is generally an adults-only public pool rather than part of the paid area. This is not Sphere-class Sanctuary Collection. Availability, half-day sales, and current reservation procedures should be confirmed immediately after boarding.
The spa offers treatments, salon services, and the paid Enclave thermal suite with heated loungers, hydrotherapy pool, steam, sauna, and sensory showers. The fitness center includes cardio, weights, and classes. Royal-class ships famously lack a conventional wraparound promenade, making the upper jogging track more important for walkers.
A giant screen, pools, hot tubs, loungers, blankets, and snacks support movies, concerts, and sports events. Royal Plus adds a particularly useful aft Wake View pool. Cold-weather itineraries expose the class's limited covered-pool capacity except on Majestic, whose Hollywood Conservatory is enclosed.
The Treehouse, Lodge, and Beach House divide supervised programming for younger children, tweens, and teens. Activities emphasize games, science, crafts, destination learning, and social time rather than giant attractions. Registration, staffing, late care, and age grouping vary with the sailing's child count.
Slots, table games, electronic gaming, tournaments, and rated play occupy a central evening venue. Casino size and adjacent spaces have changed during refits, especially on Majestic and the Royal Plus ships. Offers are individualized, so a points formula from one sailing should not be treated as a permanent published tier chart.
Royal keeps the first-generation combination of Club 6, Wheelhouse Bar, enclosed Princess Live!, and no public aft pool. The design feels more traditional than the Royal Plus ships but provides fewer strong outdoor wake spaces.
Selected 2026 sailings include National Park Service rangers, narration, and hours of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay. The ship rotates for major glacier views, but guests should claim an exterior deck location early or book a balcony because indoor panoramic space is scarce.