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Ship comparison

Discovery Princess vs Royal Princess

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Discovery Princess is a large Princess Cruises ship carrying 3,668 passengers, in service since 2022. Royal Princess is a large Princess Cruises ship carrying 3,560 passengers, in service since 2013.

Choose Discovery Princess if you want more of a party, a newer ship or more adventure and nature: it outscores Royal Princess for party (8.0 vs 6.0) and adventure & nature (5.0 vs 4.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its maiden voyage was in 2022 (vs 2013).

Choose Royal Princess if you want better-rated staterooms, more culture or a better-rated spa and gym: it outscores Discovery Princess for staterooms (10.0 vs 8.0), cultural (8.0 vs 6.0) and spa & fitness (8.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Side by side

Specifications

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

Discovery PrincessRoyal Princess
Cruise line Princess Cruises Princess Cruises
Ship size Large Large
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2022 (better) 2013
Gross tonnage 141,000 142,229
Passengers 3,668 3,560
Crew 1,346 1,200
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.7 (better) 3.0
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 38.4 40.0 (better)
Cabins 1,834 —
Decks 18 19
Length 1,083 ft 1,083 ft
Beam 155 ft 126 ft
Speed — 25 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 9 / 10 9 / 10
Cruises on sale 20 55
Upcoming sailings 148 96
Cruise lengths 4 to 14 nights 3 to 36 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $429 $289 (better)

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Discovery Princess leads on 2 of the ten, Royal Princess on 6, with 2 level.

  • Active Discovery Princess: 6.0 Royal Princess: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature Discovery Princess: 5.0 Royal Princess: 4.0
  • Cultural Discovery Princess: 6.0 Royal Princess: 8.0
  • Dining Discovery Princess: 7.0 Royal Princess: 7.0
  • Entertainment Discovery Princess: 8.0 Royal Princess: 8.0
  • Family friendly Discovery Princess: 7.0 Royal Princess: 7.8
  • Party Discovery Princess: 8.0 Royal Princess: 6.0
  • Romantic Discovery Princess: 7.0 Royal Princess: 8.0
  • Spa & fitness Discovery Princess: 7.0 Royal Princess: 8.0
  • Staterooms Discovery Princess: 8.0 Royal Princess: 10.0

Princess Cruises

Royal Princess

Royal Princess remains one of the jewels of the Princess Cruises line. Features include an expanded atrium with additional entertainment and casual dining options, a top deck pool with a water and light show, an enhanced Movies Under the Stars screen and the new SeaWalk with views 128 feet straight down.

Highlights

  • Balconies on all outside staterooms
  • Expanded atrium with additional entertainment and casual dining options
  • Uper-deck pool exclusively for adults, featuring plush private cabanas
  • The SeaWalk & SeaView Bar — a first-of-its-kind enclosed walkway extending from the ships top deck and a port side cantilevered bar, each with glass floors and sweeping ocean views

Sailing now

55 cruises on sale, from $289.

Questions

Discovery Princess or Royal Princess?

Which is bigger, Discovery Princess or Royal Princess?

Royal Princess is bigger at 142,229 gross tons, against 141,000 gross tons for Discovery Princess. Discovery Princess carries 3,668 passengers and Royal Princess carries 3,560.

Which ship is newer, Discovery Princess or Royal Princess?

Discovery Princess is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2022 against 2013 for Royal Princess.

Which has more space per passenger?

Royal Princess, with 40.0 gross tons per passenger against 38.4 on Discovery Princess. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Discovery Princess, with one crew member for every 2.7 passengers against one for every 3.0 on Royal Princess.

Which is better for families?

Royal Princess scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 7.8 out of 10, against 7.0 for Discovery Princess.

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