The Newest Princess Cruises Ships (In Order)

The Princess Cruises fleet has 15 ships. Some of the older ships in the fleet are still going strong after over 20 years of service. The more recent additions, however, are larger with a more modern look and feel.

Princess Cruises has launched an average of one new ship every two years – a trend that’s continuing with the launch of a brand new class in the coming years.

If you want to know more about the newest Princess ships, and the ships that are just around the corner for the cruise line, then read on.

What Are The Newest Princess Ships?

The newest Princess cruise ships are Discovery Princess, Enchanted Princess and Sky Princess. Of those, the Discovery Princess is the most recent, having launched in 2022.

There are two new ships under construction currently. These will be the first Sphere-class ships for the fleet.

Newest Princess Ships On Order

First, let’s take a look at the Princess cruise ships that are under construction, starting with those that will be next to launch…

1. Sun Princess – 2024

The Sun Princess is one ship that I’m really excited about. It’s a brand new class of ship for the cruise line – the Sphere-class. When she launches in 2024, she will be the largest ship to ever sail for Princess Cruises by some distance.

Sun Princess will be the first ship in the fleet to be powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), a much cleaner fuel than most ships currently use. This will help the cruise line to reduce its environmental impact as more ships switch to this fuel source in the future.

The maximum guest capacity of Sun Princess will be 4,300, so still some way short of the biggest cruise ships in the world. Instead, the focus is on sumptuous decor and accommodations, including some of the world’s largest suites.

There will be an epic 29 restaurants and bars available to enjoy, while there will be entertainment at every hour of the day in the Princess Live! venue. The Piazza is a stunning central hub, and The Dome transforms from an enclosed pool space during the day to a vibrant entertainment venue at night.

The Sun Princess will also feature the debut of the Reserve Collection and the Signature Collection. Reserve Collection Mini-Suites and Cabanas are situated in prime locations on the ship and grant access to a private restaurant, while Signature Collection Suites offer access to the Signature Restaurant, Sun Deck and Lounge.

Long-term plans for the sailings of the ship are yet to be finalised but her first season will be spent sailing around Europe, with cruises departing Athens, Rome and Barcelona.

2. Star Princess – 2025

Sister ship to Sun Princess, Star Princess has been confirmed for a 2025 launch and will be sailing her first season in Europe. She’ll feature the same exciting features as Sun Princess, including the Reserve Collection and Signature Collection.

Her entertainment venue will be inspired by the white terraces of Santorini, and she will host a selection of unique food concepts too. She’ll be the third ship to have sailed for Princess Cruises under the Star Princess name.

Further details for the ship are still yet to be confirmed but expect that she’ll have the same fantastic selection of dining venues and restaurants as Sun Princess. We do know that she will also feature Cirque Éloize shows, as will her sister ship.

The Newest Princess Cruises Ships Currently Sailing

Next, let’s take a look at the newest Princess Cruises ships that have recently been launched and are sailing right now…

1. Discovery Princess – 2022

The Discovery Princess was the most recent Princess Cruises ship to launch, debuting in early 2022. She is the last of the Royal-class ships which started back in 2013 with Royal Princess, and is a true gem of the fleet.

The Royal-class ships are not identical, and Discovery Princess is closest in layout to the ships added later in the class – the Enchanted Princess and the Sky Princess.

One of the standout features is the Sky Suite – one of the largest suites at sea with an incredible balcony which alone is big enough to host parties with other guests. Of course, this suite isn’t just about the size (although that’s pretty impressive), when you book a suite like this, you also get a whole host of extra perks.

Of course, popular features from across the class are retained including the Sanctuary – an adults-only retreat where guests can enjoy outdoor massages, special beverages and light snacks in a completely peaceful environment.

The Discovery Princess offers some fun itineraries too, away from the typical Caribbean/Europe combination. During the winter months she is based in Los Angeles, sailing the Pacific West Coast. And then in summer, she moves to Vancouver and offers thrilling cruises to cruise ports across Alaska.

2. Enchanted Princess – 2020

Enchanted Princess was the fifth Royal-class ship to launch for Princess Cruises. She was originally announced in 2015 as part of a wider deal that the Carnival Group struck with the shipbuilding yard Fincantieri, and then a year later she was fully confirmed.

She was delivered to the cruise line in September 2020, but due to the ongoing world events her maiden voyage was delayed until November of 2021.

She is very similar in design to Sky Princess, and is capable of hosting up to 3,660 passengers when at full capacity – around half the size of the biggest ships in the world, but bigger than any other ship in the Princess fleet at the time.

She has the best features of the enhanced Royal Class, meaning great places to unwind and a wealth of fantastic dining options, including more venues than on any other class of ship in the Princess fleet.

Also introduced to Sky Princess, and replicated on Enchanted Princess, there are extra swimming pools including two deep-tank pools when you want a swim.

Enchanted Princess does follow the classic Caribbean/Europe split over a year. During the summer months, she mainly cruises from Barcelona, Athens and Rome around the Mediterranean, focussing on France, Spain and Italy.

And then in winter she moves to Fort Lauderdale, with itineraries sailing around the southern and eastern Caribbean.

3. Sky Princess – 2019

Often when cruise lines make small adjustments to a ship class, they slightly adjust the name – see Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Plus, or the NCL Breakaway Plus. Princess Cruises didn’t do that with Sky Princess – despite the fact that she offered enough enhancements over the previous Royal-class ships to be worthy of a subclass of her own.

She was first announced as part of the same deal with Fincantieri that would ultimately confirm her sister ship, Enchanted Princess, back in 2015, and her name was confirmed in 2017. She remained on schedule and was able to take her maiden voyage, as planned, in late 2019.

Sky Princess introduced a number of new features to the Royal Class for Princess Cruises, including the aforementioned extra pools and the Sky Suite class of accommodation. 

New entertainment venues were also added for the first time on Sky Princess, including Take Five – a jazz venue that brings the history of the genre to life whilst you sip on carefully crafted cocktails.

Sky Princess does call Fort Lauderdale her home during the winter, but more excitingly for UK passengers, she sails from Southampton during the summer months, and is one of the larger ships to sail from the UK.

To Conclude

It’s an exciting time for Princess Cruises. The last three ships to launch for the line have helped to push the Royal Class to exciting new heights, bringing in popular new entertainment venues, leisure facilities and the stunning Sky Suite accommodations.

And next up we can look forward to seeing just how incredible the Sphere-class ships are. They look amazing from early renders and, once the ships begin sailing, I’m sure they will be fantastic flagships for the cruise line. Sun Princess leads the way and I can’t wait to see her once she is fully unveiled.

I’d be surprised if they stuck at just having two in the fleet though…

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