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Ship comparison

Caribbean Princess vs Sapphire Princess

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Caribbean Princess is a large Princess Cruises ship carrying 3,082 passengers, in service since 2004. Sapphire Princess is a large Princess Cruises ship carrying 2,670 passengers, in service since 2004.

Choose Sapphire Princess if you want a lower starting fare, more adventure and nature or more culture: it outscores Caribbean Princess for adventure & nature (4.0 vs 2.0) and cultural (8.0 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its cruises start from $228 (vs $569).

Caribbean Princess does not lead by a clear margin on any measure we track, so pick it for its itinerary or its dates.

Side by side

Specifications

marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.

Caribbean PrincessSapphire Princess
Cruise line Princess Cruises Princess Cruises
Ship size Large Large
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2004 2004
Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted 2019 —
Gross tonnage 112,861 115,875
Passengers 3,082 2,670
Crew 1,163 1,238
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.7 2.2 (better)
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 36.6 43.4 (better)
Decks 15 13
Length 952 ft 952 ft
Beam 118 ft 121 ft
Speed 25 mph 25 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 8 / 10 8 / 10
Cruises on sale 128 104
Upcoming sailings 151 109
Cruise lengths 5 to 49 nights 2 to 42 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $569 $228 (better)

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Caribbean Princess leads on 1 of the ten, Sapphire Princess on 2, with 7 level.

  • Active Caribbean Princess: 7.0 Sapphire Princess: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature Caribbean Princess: 2.0 Sapphire Princess: 4.0
  • Cultural Caribbean Princess: 6.0 Sapphire Princess: 8.0
  • Dining Caribbean Princess: 7.1 Sapphire Princess: 7.0
  • Entertainment Caribbean Princess: 7.8 Sapphire Princess: 7.8
  • Family friendly Caribbean Princess: 8.0 Sapphire Princess: 8.0
  • Party Caribbean Princess: 5.0 Sapphire Princess: 5.0
  • Romantic Caribbean Princess: 8.0 Sapphire Princess: 8.0
  • Spa & fitness Caribbean Princess: 8.0 Sapphire Princess: 8.0
  • Staterooms Caribbean Princess: 8.0 Sapphire Princess: 8.0

Princess Cruises

Caribbean Princess

Until Royal Princess came on the scene, Caribbean Princess was the largest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet. When she launched in 2004, this ship was a game changer for Princess and it helped define the brand. Now, it stands as a standard in cruising.

Highlights

  • 881 cabins with private balconies
  • Five pools, plus two splash pools
  • Family-friendly cruising with supervised youth programs
  • Adults-only retreat at the Sanctuary

Sailing now

128 cruises on sale, from $569.

Princess Cruises

Sapphire Princess

Sapphire Princess from Princess Cruises is the perfect ship for sightseeing, featuring more than 700 balconies from which passengers can step out and enjoy the refreshing ocean breeze.

Highlights

  • Cooking demonstrations and photography classes via ScholarShip@Sea
  • Rest and relaxation in the Lotus Spa

Sailing now

104 cruises on sale, from $228.

Questions

Caribbean Princess or Sapphire Princess?

Which is bigger, Caribbean Princess or Sapphire Princess?

Sapphire Princess is bigger at 115,875 gross tons, against 112,861 gross tons for Caribbean Princess. Caribbean Princess carries 3,082 passengers and Sapphire Princess carries 2,670.

Which ship is newer, Caribbean Princess or Sapphire Princess?

Both made their maiden voyage in 2004.

Which has more space per passenger?

Sapphire Princess, with 43.4 gross tons per passenger against 36.6 on Caribbean Princess. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Sapphire Princess, with one crew member for every 2.2 passengers against one for every 2.7 on Caribbean Princess.

Which is better for families?

They score the same for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10.

Still deciding?

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