Emerald Princess

The 2007-built Emerald Princess cruise ship is the 8th Grand-class Princess Cruises liner, with sisterships Caribbean, Diamond, Golden (now Carnival Adventure), Grand, Crown, Ruby, Star (now Carnival Encounter), and Sapphire.

The vessel (IMO number 9333151) is currently Bermuda-flagged (MMSI 310531000) and registered in Hamilton.

History - construction and ownership

Princess Cruises is a USA-based passenger shipping company headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA. A former subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (founded in 1977), in 2003 the company merged with Carnival Corporation – the world's largest cruise shipowner. Among Princess Cruise Lines Ltd’s assets is the private island resort Princess Cays (Eleuthera Island, Bahamas), located about 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

The 3100-passenger Emerald Princess followed the highly evolutionary Crown Princess (debut March 2006). The ships are nearly identical in layout and design, so passengers familiar with Crown will easily find their way on Emerald or Ruby (launched 2008). For newcomers, Emerald Princess impresses with higher-than-expected levels of cuisine, service, and onboard facilities for a stylish megaship carrying over 3000 guests.

Decks and Cabins

Most Emerald Princess staterooms (1533 total, in 33 categories) are balcony cabins sized 170 ft² (676 in total). Nearly 80% of all outside cabins feature private step-out balconies. Wheelchair-accessible cabins total 31. The largest accommodations are the Balcony Suites (410 ft² / 38 m², with terraces of 180 ft² / 17 m²).

The ship has 18 decks, of which 15 are passenger-accessible and 8 contain cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Emerald Princess offers three main dining rooms, each serving a Caribbean-themed menu. Botticelli operates with fixed-seating dining, while Michaelangelo and Da Vinci support “Anytime Dining.” Da Vinci also serves waiter-service breakfast and lunch. Menus rotate daily, with soups, appetizers, mains, and desserts, plus staples like Caesar salad and salmon.

Health-conscious Lotus Spa selections are lower in sodium and fat. Steamers Seafood (formerly Café Caribe) and World Fresh Marketplace (formerly Horizon Court) serve buffet-style meals all day, with Horizon offering breakfast buffets and lunch selections ranging from sandwiches to fried bananas.

The Italian-inspired Piazza/Atrium is the ship’s social hub, with the International Café (serving specialty coffees, pastries, quiche, and fondue) and Vines, the wine and sushi bar with one of the ship’s best wine lists.

In January 2016, Princess partnered with celebrity chef Curtis Stone for his first at-sea specialty restaurant, Share, which replaced Sabatini’s. Share, open for dinner only ($39 cover), offers a five-course menu with dishes like twice-cooked duck with fennel and bacon jus or shrimp salad with citrus salt and lemon gel. Share is available only on Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess, though “Crafted by Curtis” dishes are served fleetwide in MDRs.

Before Share, Emerald and Ruby Princess featured three MDRs, a steakhouse, and a buffet. Share elevated the dining experience with refined family-style meals and chic décor. The venue’s ambience blends upscale design with a relaxed atmosphere, ideal for both couples and groups. Knowledgeable staff and thoughtfully portioned dishes make the experience memorable.

Follows the complete list of Emerald Princess restaurants and food venues:

• Michaelangelo Restaurant (aft Dining Room; dinner only – “Anytime Dining” 5:30–10 p.m.)
• Crown Grill (160-seat steakhouse/seafood, 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; fixed dinner seatings at 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.)
• Share (specialty restaurant by Curtis Stone; reservations recommended)
• Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria (fast food, complimentary)
• World Fresh Marketplace (buffet, Lido Deck 15, complimentary)
• Steamers Seafood (aft buffet, Lido Deck, complimentary)
• Pizza & Ice Cream Bar (complimentary)

In April 2024, Princess announced that beginning September 14, 2024, all ships would adopt three distinct MDR dinner options – Traditional, Reservable, and Walk-in Anytime. Each ship will designate three dining rooms accordingly. The new program integrates with OceanNow service, allowing food and drinks to be ordered anytime and delivered anywhere onboard.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Princess Theater is the main entertainment venue, hosting comedy acts and musical productions for all ages. Crooners Lounge offers piano music and trivia contests, while Explorer’s Lounge features art auctions, magicians, and comedy shows. The Piazza hosts daily performances and demonstrations, while Club Fusion doubles as a game show lounge and nightclub. Skywalker Nightclub (Princess’ trademark) presents themed nights with music from the 70s to the 90s, along with modern hits. For a quieter experience, Wheelhouse Bar features live standards and soft rock.

Follows the complete list of Emerald Princess lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues:

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

In 2024, Emerald Princess Theater was upgraded with a modern, energy-efficient lighting system installed by ROBE Lighting (Czech Republic). The installation included Robe ESPRITE, PAINTE, Spiider, LEDBeam 150, and ParFect 150 units. Reportedly, the venue’s stage power consumption was reduced by 50%.

Emerald Princess 2016 refurbishment review

The ship’s drydock refurbishment in November 30–December 13, 2015, was originally for general maintenance. However, an extensive refurbishment was undertaken in preparation for the 2016 UK season.

Upgrades introduced in 2016 included:

• Two new specialty dining venues: “Share” by Curtis Stone (family-style restaurant, charcuterie, homemade pasta) and “Salty Dog Gastropub” by Ernesto Uchimura (pub-style menu in Wheelhouse Bar with craft beers and small plates).
• On Deck 16, “Share” replaced Sabatini’s Italian restaurant (also on Coral, Ruby, Sun). “Salty Dog Gastropub” debuted on Crown Princess in 2015 and was later added to Ruby.
• Passenger cabins were fitted with the new Princess luxury mattress.
• The Fitness Center was upgraded with new sports equipment and free weights.
• 100 staterooms were converted to family cabins by adding interconnecting doors.

Itineraries

Emerald Princess operates cruises to Norway’s fjords, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and the Canary Islands, with Southampton (England) as her main European homeport. In November 2016, she inaugurated homeporting in Sydney, NSW (Australia).

In July 2022, the line opened sales for Emerald Princess’ 2023 summer season (May–August), based from Los Angeles/Long Beach. The program featured 5- to 16-day itineraries:

• 7-day “Mexican Riviera with La Paz” (June–July), visiting Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, and Ensenada.
• 16-day “Hawaiian Islands” (May–August), visiting Hilo, Honolulu, Maui/Lahaina, Kauai/Nawiliwili, and Ensenada.
• 7-day “Classic California Coast” (May–July), visiting San Francisco (overnight), Ensenada, and San Diego.
• 5-day “Cabo San Lucas Getaway” (May), including an overnight in Cabo San Lucas.
• 5-day “West Coast Getaway with San Francisco” (July), visiting Ensenada.

Together with Diamond Princess, Emerald marked Princess Cruises’ first year-round program from Los Angeles.

The Fincantieri Monfalcone-built Emerald Princess is part of Princess Cruises’ Grand-class series, with same-designed sisterships Crown and Ruby.

The ship was delivered in March 2007. Her christening ceremony was held on May 13, 2007, in Port Piraeus (Athens, Greece). Emerald Princess has four godmothers – actresses Florence Henderson, Marion Ross, Erin Moran, and Susan Olsen. Unusually, the naming ceremony took place after her inaugural cruise (maiden voyage), which departed from Port Civitavecchia-Rome, visiting the Greek Isles and other Mediterranean destinations. She spent her summer 2007 season in Europe before repositioning to Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida) for roundtrip Caribbean itineraries.

Emerald Princess refurbishments review

Drydock 2025

The ship’s most recent drydock refurbishment was in April 2025, conducted in Italy at Fincantieri’s Palermo shipyard. Works included routine maintenance, classification and safety inspections, technical upgrades, as well as hull cleaning and repainting.

Drydock 2022

In 2022, Emerald Princess underwent routine drydocking at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam in Port Rotterdam (Netherlands).

Drydocks 2015–2016–2019

The 2019 drydock (April 1–14) was carried out at Seaspan Victoria Shipyards in Victoria BC (Canada), focusing on routine maintenance and classification works.

The 2015 drydock (November 30–December 13) was originally scheduled for maintenance only, but during the process an extensive refurbishment plan was implemented in preparation for the ship’s 2016 UK season.

The deckplan changes introduced in 2016 included:

• Addition of two premium dining venues: “Share,” a family-style restaurant by Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone, featuring charcuterie and homemade pasta; and “The Salty Dog Gastropub” by chef Ernesto Uchimura, serving a classic pub menu nightly in the Wheelhouse Bar (Promenade Deck 7) with craft beers and small-plate pub favorites.
• On Deck 16, “Share” replaced “Sabatini’s,” the Italian restaurant also found on Coral, Ruby, and Sun Princess. “Salty Dog Gastropub” debuted on Crown Princess in October 2015 and was later added to Ruby Princess.
• All passenger cabins were upgraded with Princess’ new luxury mattress.
• The Fitness Center was enhanced with new equipment and free weights.
• 100 staterooms were converted into family cabins by adding interconnecting doors.