Crown Princess

The 2006-built Crown Princess is the seventh GRAND-class ship operated by Princess Cruises, joining Caribbean, Diamond, Golden (now Carnival Adventure), Grand, Emerald, Ruby, Star (now Carnival Encounter), and Sapphire.

The vessel (IMO number 9293399) is currently Bermuda-flagged (MMSI 310500000) and registered in Hamilton.

History – Construction and Ownership

Princess Cruises is a U.S.-based cruise line headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Formerly a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (founded in 1977), the company merged with Carnival Corporation in 2003, becoming part of the world’s largest cruise ship operator. Princess Cruises also owns the private resort Princess Cays, located on the southern end of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, approximately 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

The 3,100-passenger Crown Princess showcases hallmark Princess features including Movies Under the Stars (a poolside big-screen theater, first introduced on Caribbean Princess), the three-deck Piazza with a bakery, Internet café, wine/sushi/tapas bar, and performance space, and The Sanctuary—an adults-only retreat with shaded loungers, massage cabanas, and spa services. Signature dining venues include the Crown Grill (steaks, chops, seafood) and Sabatini’s (multi-course Italian dining).

Decks and Cabins

Most Crown Princess staterooms (1,531 total, in 33 categories) are 170 ft² balcony cabins (677 in total). Nearly 80% of all outside cabins have private balconies. There are 31 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest accommodations are the Balcony Suites, measuring 410 ft² (38 m²), with a 180 ft² (17 m²) terrace.

The vessel has 18 decks, of which 15 are accessible to passengers and 9 contain staterooms.

Shipboard Dining Options – Food and Drinks

Crown Princess offers three main dining rooms with Caribbean-inspired menus. Botticelli features fixed dining times, while Michaelangelo and Da Vinci are for “Anytime Dining” guests. Reservations are optional. Da Vinci also serves waiter-service breakfast and lunch. Menus rotate and include soups, appetizers, entrees, and desserts, with classic options like Caesar salad and salmon. The Lotus Spa menu offers healthier choices low in sodium and fat.

Café Caribe and Horizon Court have nearly identical layouts and are open throughout the day. Horizon Court serves as a lido buffet for breakfast and lunch, with options like fried banana and peanut butter sandwiches.

Complete list of Crown Princess restaurants and food bars:

• Michaelangelo Restaurant (aft dining room; dinner only, “Anytime Dining” from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
• Crown Grill (160-seat steakhouse/seafood venue, reservations recommended; serves complimentary British Pub Lunch on select days)
• Da Vinci Restaurant (forward dining room; breakfast 7–9 a.m., lunch 12–1:30 p.m., afternoon tea 3:30–4:30 p.m., dinner “Anytime Dining” 5:30–10 p.m.)
• Botticelli Restaurant (aft dining room; dinner only, two fixed seatings at 6:00 and 8:15 p.m.)
• Sabatini’s Restaurant (Italian specialty restaurant, reservations recommended)
• Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria (self-service, complimentary fast food)
• Horizon Court (self-service buffet, complimentary)
• Café Caribe (aft self-service buffet)
• Pizza & Ice Cream Bar (complimentary)

In April 2024, Princess Cruises announced that starting September 14th, fleetwide main dining will offer three options—Traditional, Reservable, and Walk-in Anytime. Each ship will allocate three separate dining rooms: one for Traditional dining (early/late seating), one for Reservable times, and one for Walk-in Anytime (open seating). These are integrated with the OceanNow service, allowing guests to order anything, anytime, delivered anywhere onboard.

Shipboard Entertainment Options – Fun and Sport

The Princess Theater hosts comedy acts and live productions for all age groups. Other entertainment venues include Crooners Lounge (music trivia and piano performances), Explorer’s Lounge (Wii tournaments, comedy, magic, auctions), and The Piazza (musical acts and circus-style performances).

Club Fusion combines nightclub vibes with game shows, while Skywalkers Nightclub hosts themed nights with 70s, 80s, and 90s music, as well as modern hits. The Wheelhouse Bar offers soft rock and standards for low-key dancing.

Complete list of Crown Princess lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues for all ages:

• The Piazza Atrium (3-deck venue with live performances and Piazza Bar)
• Princess Fine Arts Gallery, Photo Gallery & Shop, Platinum Studio
• International Café (24-hour coffee and patisserie); Escapes Travel Café (computer room)
• Vines Bar (wine, seafood, sushi)
• Library (with Internet stations); Internet Café (24-hour)
• Princess Theater (2-level venue for musical shows, game shows, seminars)
• Speakeasy Lounge & Bar (smoking lounge and sports bar)
• Calypso Cove, Essence, Meridian Bay, Facets Shops
• Gatsby’s Casino
• Crooners Lounge & Bar (live music, seminars); Adagio Lounge & Bar
• Explorer’s Lounge & Bar (disco/show lounge; hosts karaoke, comedy, game shows, auctions)
• Wheelhouse Bar (daytime piano bar, English pub at night)
• Club Fusion Lounge (dance classes, quizzes; transforms into nightclub after 7:30 p.m.)
• Outrigger Bar (poolside); Tradewinds Bar
• Lotus Spa complex; Beauty Salon; Fitness Center with Aerobics Studio
• Hearts & Minds Wedding Chapel
• Movies Under the Stars (outdoor LED cinema)
• Video Games Arcade; Teen Center; Youth Center with paddling pool and play area
• The Sanctuary (adults-only sundeck)
• Calypso Reef & Pool; Neptune’s Reef & Pool
• Jogging Track; Center Court (volleyball, basketball, football); Shuffleboard; Princess Links mini-golf
• Skywalkers Disco & Nightclub

In 2024, the Princess Theater was upgraded with a modern, energy-efficient lighting system provided by ROBE Lighting (Czech Republic). The installation included 69 Robe ESPRITE, 78 Robe PAINTE, 87 Robe Spiider LED WashBeams, 98 Robe LEDBeam 150s, and 48 ParFect 150 RGBA units. The upgrade reportedly reduced power consumption by 50%.

Itineraries

Crown Princess sails 3- and 4-day Baja Mexico and 7-day Mexican Riviera itineraries roundtrip from Long Beach–Los Angeles, California. During summer, she operates Alaska cruises from Seattle, Washington.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship was paused for over two years (March 2020–May 2022). Service resumed on May 7, 2022, with a 7-day Alaska itinerary from Seattle.

In September 2023, Princess announced that starting October 2024, Crown Princess would be deployed year-round in Australia (replacing Coral Princess) with a homeport in Sydney, NSW. Additional departures will be available from Fremantle (Perth), Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide, with itineraries visiting Queensland, Southern Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific destinations.

The Fincantieri Monfalcone-built Crown Princess is part of Princess Cruises' GRAND-class series, sharing the same design with sister ships Emerald and Ruby, as well as Pacific Dawn (now Ambassador Ambience).

The ship was christened on June 13, 2006, in New York City, USA, with Martha Stewart—renowned U.S. author, television personality, and businesswoman—serving as godmother. The inaugural cruise began on June 14 from Port Canaveral (Florida, USA), sailing to the Caribbean with stops in Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman.

The ship's current Captain is Domenico Lubrano Lavadera.

World Cruise 2026

In November 2023, as part of its 2025–2026 Australian deployment, Princess Cruises announced the line’s longest-ever Around The World voyage, to be operated by Crown Princess.

This 114-night/115-day roundtrip itinerary departs from Sydney, NSW on May 10, 2026, visiting 48 destinations in 31 countries across six continents.

The cruise is also available as a 115-day roundtrip from Brisbane, QLD (departing May 12) and Auckland, NZ (departing May 6).

The itinerary features two maiden port calls—Alexandria (Egypt) and Patmos Island (Greece)—along with three overnight stays: New York City, Callao-Lima (Peru), and Quebec City.

Segmented itineraries are offered, including: Auckland to Dover (59 days), Sydney to New York (77 days), Sydney to Dover (55 days), Brisbane to Dover (53 days), Dover to Brisbane (62 days), Dover to Sydney (60 days), Dover to Auckland (56 days), and New York to Sydney (38 days).

Crown Princess Refurbishment 2018 Review

The ship’s most recent drydock was in 2022 at Vigor Shipyard in Portland, OR. The project included hull cleaning and repainting, underwater hull maintenance (including steelwork, stabilizers, and thrusters), along with minor hotel upgrades.

During the 2018 drydock (March 24–April 3 at Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas), the ship received extensive updates and enhancements:

• Four top-deck dining venues were upgraded and renamed: Salty Dog Grill, Slice, Coffee & Cones, and The Mix.
• The Salty Dog Grill (formerly Trident Grill) now serves Princess burgers made with 100% all-beef patties and freshly baked buns, as well as Street Tacos featuring roasted sweet potato-green chile or grilled chipotle-lime chicken.
• Slice (formerly Prego Pizzeria) offers Neapolitan-style pizzas.
• Coffee & Cones (formerly Sundaes Ice Cream Bar) features complimentary ice cream cones, gourmet ice cream sandwiches, and specialty coffee from the "New Grounds Crafted Coffee" program.
• Sabatini’s was renamed "Sabatini’s Trattoria."
• The Sun Deck's outdoor theater received a larger LED screen.
• Horizon Court (buffet restaurant) was reupholstered.
• The Mix (formerly Mermaid’s Tale) was updated as a poolside bar with an improved menu.
• The Club Class Mini-Suite category was introduced, featuring exclusive dining privileges and VIP services, including a dedicated dining area, expanded menu, expedited seating, and priority embarkation/disembarkation.

All staterooms were upgraded with Princess Luxury Beds.

The Camp Discovery Center (for children ages 3–17) was launched in partnership with Discovery Channel, part of the “Discovery at Sea” enrichment program.

The Lotus Spa and Fitness Center received renovated treatment rooms and beauty salon, along with state-of-the-art training equipment in the gym.

The Casino was refreshed with new carpets, lighting, and flat-screen TVs at the bar.

The onboard retail area (Shops of Princess) was upgraded, and an Effy Fine Jewelry boutique was added.

All lounges were recarpeted, and soft furnishings were professionally cleaned.

Ocean Medallion digital connectivity technology was also installed.