Cruiseable Plan my cruise

Ship comparison

Island Princess vs Norwegian Star

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Island Princess is a large Princess Cruises ship carrying 2,214 passengers, in service since 2002. Norwegian Star is a large Norwegian Cruise Line ship carrying 2,348 passengers, in service since 2000.

Choose Island Princess if you want a more active cruise, a more romantic trip or better-rated dining: it outscores Norwegian Star for active (8.0 vs 6.0), romantic (8.0 vs 6.0) and dining (7.7 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Choose Norwegian Star if you want more of a party: it outscores Island Princess for party (8.0 vs 6.5) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Side by side

Specifications

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

Island PrincessNorwegian Star
Cruise line Princess Cruises Norwegian Cruise Line
Ship size Large Large
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2002 (better) 2000
Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted 2009 2018 (better)
Gross tonnage 95,627 91,740
Passengers 2,214 2,348
Crew 900 1,065
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.5 2.2 (better)
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 43.2 (better) 39.1
Decks 16 15
Length 965 ft 935 ft
Beam 122 ft 105 ft
Speed 24 mph 28 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 7 / 10 7 / 10
Cruises on sale 34 61
Upcoming sailings 92 69
Cruise lengths 4–50 nights 6–16 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $529 (better) $549

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

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

  • Active Island Princess: 8.0 Norwegian Star: 6.0
  • Adventure & nature Island Princess: 4.0 Norwegian Star: 4.0
  • Cultural Island Princess: 8.0 Norwegian Star: 7.0
  • Dining Island Princess: 7.7 Norwegian Star: 6.0
  • Entertainment Island Princess: 7.7 Norwegian Star: 8.0
  • Family friendly Island Princess: 7.4 Norwegian Star: 7.0
  • Party Island Princess: 6.5 Norwegian Star: 8.0
  • Romantic Island Princess: 8.0 Norwegian Star: 6.0
  • Spa & fitness Island Princess: 8.0 Norwegian Star: 8.0
  • Staterooms Island Princess: 8.0 Norwegian Star: 7.0

Princess Cruises

Island Princess

Princess Cruises's Island Princess was built to Panamax size. This means she can offer you the exclusive experience of sailing through the Panama Canal!

Highlights

  • Travel Europe, and visit Cannes, Mykonos, Barcelona and Venice on an Island Princess Mediterranean cruise.
  • Ogle the engineering feat that is the Panama Canal, right from your stateroom or balcony!
  • Swim against the current in the lap pool or practice your putting on the nine-hole putting green.
  • What could be more exhilarating than watching a first run movie under the stars at sea?

Sailing now

34 cruises on sale, from $529.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Star

The ship where Norwegian's Freestyle Cruising mantra all began, Norwegian Star has been at sea since 2001, offering a large variety in dining options, lounges from the popular to the secluded, and a childcare program that is top notch.

Highlights

  • Bring your own chopsticks and enjoy Asian cuisine, from sushi to hibachi to Thai and Chinese
  • Extensive childcare services on board make cruiseing with the wee ones a cinch
  • Celebrate like the famous F. Scott Fitzgerald character at Gatsby's Champagne Bar

Sailing now

61 cruises on sale, from $549.

Questions

Island Princess or Norwegian Star?

Which is bigger, Island Princess or Norwegian Star?

Island Princess is bigger at 95,627 gross tons, against 91,740 gross tons for Norwegian Star. Island Princess carries 2,214 passengers and Norwegian Star carries 2,348.

Which ship is newer, Island Princess or Norwegian Star?

Island Princess is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2002 against 2000 for Norwegian Star.

Which has more space per passenger?

Island Princess, with 43.2 gross tons per passenger against 39.1 on Norwegian Star. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Norwegian Star, with one crew member for every 2.2 passengers against one for every 2.5 on Island Princess.

Which is better for families?

Island Princess scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 7.4 out of 10, against 7.0 for Norwegian Star.

Still deciding?

Tell us what matters and we will match the sailing

Send your dates, budget and who is travelling, and our partner travel agency will come back to you about Island Princess, Norwegian Star or a ship that suits you better.

Plan my cruise

Compare different ships