Royal Princess

Royal Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a Carnival Corporation & plc subsidiary. She is the third Princess Cruises vessel to use the Royal Princess name and served as the lead ship of the Royal class. When delivered in 2013, she was the largest vessel ever built for Princess Cruises and became the line's flagship. The ship was developed through a 2010 agreement between Carnival Corporation and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for two prototype vessels. The design increased overall volume and passenger capacity while allocating less space to pools than earlier Princess ships, allowing the company to add a broader mix of restaurants, entertainment spaces and public areas. Royal Princess was also among the early passenger ships designed to comply with safe-return-to-port requirements. Her principal visual feature is the SeaWalk, a pair of cantilevered glass-bottom walkways extending beyond the port and starboard sides of the hull. Royal Princess measures approximately 142,714 gross tons, is 330 metres long and has a beam of 38.4 metres. Four Wärtsilä diesel engines generate a combined 62.4 megawatts for a diesel-electric propulsion system. Two electric motors drive the propellers, giving the ship a service speed of about 22 knots and a maximum speed of approximately 22.9 knots. The vessel contains 1,780 passenger cabins and 751 crew cabins; about 81 percent of passenger cabins have balconies. Its maximum passenger-and-crew complement is approximately 5,600, while standard passenger capacity is about 3,560. Onboard facilities include the SeaWalk, three swimming pools, a dancing-water fountain, an outdoor movie screen, a nightclub, entertainment lounges and a range of dining venues. The ship was constructed at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard. Steel cutting began in March 2011, the keel was laid in October 2011, and the vessel was floated out in August 2012. Princess Cruises officially accepted the ship in May 2013. The Duchess of Cambridge named Royal Princess at Southampton on 13 June 2013. The ceremony included a traditional blessing, Royal Marines and military pipers. After preview sailings from Southampton, the ship began its maiden voyage on 16 June 2013, traveling to Barcelona through Vigo, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Málaga. She then operated Mediterranean itineraries before repositioning to Fort Lauderdale for Caribbean service. From 2013 through 2019, Royal Princess alternated between winter Caribbean cruises and summer European itineraries, including Mediterranean, Baltic and British Isles routes. She also operated cruises in the Canadian Maritimes and New England. After a major repositioning voyage around South America in early 2019, she became the first Royal-class ship to call at a port in the western United States. From Los Angeles, she served the Mexican Riviera and California coast, while summers were devoted primarily to Alaska cruises from Vancouver and Whittier. The ship underwent a wet-dock refurbishment in Freeport, Bahamas, in December 2018. Its scheduled operation was interrupted in March 2020 after the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a no-sail order following a crew-transfer-related COVID-19 concern involving Grand Princess. The ship later returned to service, operating West Coast itineraries from San Francisco in 2022 and 2023 and Australia and South Pacific cruises in 2023 and 2024.

Royal Princess was conceived as the lead vessel of a new Princess Cruises class intended to expand the line's scale and onboard resort facilities. Carnival Corporation & plc reached an agreement with Fincantieri on 17 February 2010 for two prototype ships. The final contract was signed on 4 May 2010. The vessels were planned at roughly 139,000 gross tons with passenger capacity of about 3,600, making them the largest ships yet ordered for Princess and among the largest built by Fincantieri at that time. Steel cutting for Royal Princess took place at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard on 15 March 2011. Princess Cruises announced on the same day that the new vessel would revive the Royal Princess name used by earlier ships in the company's fleet. The keel-laying ceremony followed on 20 October 2011, and the ship was floated out on 16 August 2012. The completed vessel was presented to Princess Cruises on 30 May 2013. At approximately 142,714 gross tons and 330 metres long, Royal Princess was a major step up in size for the company. The ship's design combined a diesel-electric propulsion plant with a large set of passenger amenities. Four Wärtsilä engines supplied electrical power, while two electric motors drove the propellers. The accommodation plan included 1,780 passenger cabins, 751 crew cabins and balconies in most passenger rooms. Its distinctive SeaWalk structures extended over both sides of the ship, and its public areas included pools, a water fountain, an outdoor movie screen, a nightclub and multiple entertainment lounges. The ship's naming ceremony took place in Southampton on 13 June 2013, with the Duchess of Cambridge as godmother. Preview sailings were conducted from Southampton to St Peter Port in June, followed by the maiden voyage on 16 June from Southampton to Barcelona. During its first summer, the ship operated extended Mediterranean voyages between Barcelona and Venice. In autumn 2013 it repositioned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and entered a pattern of seasonal Caribbean and European deployments. Between 2013 and 2019, European assignments included the Mediterranean, Baltic Sea and British Isles, with additional voyages in the Canadian Maritimes and New England. Caribbean seasons generally operated from South Florida. The ship experienced a significant power failure in September 2013 while traveling between Mykonos and Naples; backup power supported essential systems, the itinerary ended in Naples for repairs, and service resumed later that month. In December 2018, Royal Princess received a wet-dock refurbishment in Freeport, Bahamas. In February 2019, Royal Princess began a 49-day repositioning voyage around South America to Los Angeles. This made her the first Royal-class Princess ship to call at a western United States port. She subsequently served the Mexican Riviera and California coast from Los Angeles, while Alaska became a principal summer market from Vancouver and Whittier. An aviation accident near Ketchikan in May 2019 involved sightseeing floatplanes carrying Royal Princess passengers; the ship was docked in Ketchikan during the response and investigation. Operations were disrupted in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a crew member transferred from Grand Princess to Royal Princess, the CDC issued a no-sail order and Princess canceled a scheduled Mexican Riviera cruise before departure. After the broader cruise suspension, the ship returned to regional service. It operated from San Francisco for West Coast cruises in 2022 and 2023 and later served Australia and South Pacific itineraries during the 2023–2024 season. Royal Princess remains an active Princess Cruises vessel and continues to carry the name of the Royal class.

1. 2020COVID-era sailing cancellation

   A CDC no-sail order led Princess Cruises to cancel a Mexican Riviera cruise before departure.

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2. 2019Royal-class debut on the western U.S. coast

   After circling South America, Royal Princess entered Los Angeles-based service and became the first Royal-class ship to call at a western U.S. port.

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3. 2013Delivery, naming and maiden voyage

   Princess Cruises accepted the ship in May, the Duchess of Cambridge named it in Southampton in June, and the ship began its maiden voyage on 16 June.

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4. 2012Royal Princess floated out

   The vessel was floated out at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard.

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5. 2011Construction begins

   Steel was cut at Monfalcone, and the ship's name was announced as Royal Princess.

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6. 2010Prototype ship agreement announced

   Carnival Corporation and Fincantieri agreed to develop two prototype ships for Princess Cruises.

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A large, resort-style Princess Cruises vessel positioned around destination-focused cruising, extensive public spaces, balcony accommodations and signature Royal-class attractions such as the SeaWalk.

• Royal Princess cruise itinerariesCruise vacations2013

  Royal Princess operates seasonal cruise programs rather than selling a conventional consumer product. Its documented routes have included the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Baltic Sea, British Isles, Canadian Maritimes, New England, Mexican Riviera, California coast, Alaska, Australia and the South Pacific. The ship has used homeports including Southampton, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Whittier and San Francisco.

• Onboard Royal-class experienceCruise ship amenities2013

  The vessel's onboard offer combines accommodation, dining, entertainment and leisure facilities. Signature features include the SeaWalk cantilevered walkways, three swimming pools, a dancing-water fountain, an outdoor movie screen, a nightclub and several entertainment lounges. The design emphasizes a broad resort-style public-space program within a large Princess Cruises ship.

• 2020Cruise cancellation following CDC no-sail orderOther

  A crew member transferred from Grand Princess to Royal Princess during the early COVID-19 outbreak, prompting regulatory concern.

  What changed. The CDC issued a no-sail order, and Princess Cruises canceled the ship's scheduled seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise before it departed Los Angeles.

  Aftermath. Royal Princess's operations were interrupted during the pandemic-era suspension of cruise activity.

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• 2019Repositioning to the western United StatesStrategy

  After several years of Caribbean and European seasonal deployment, Princess Cruises repositioned Royal Princess from the Atlantic side of the Americas to the Pacific.

  What changed. The ship completed a 49-day voyage around South America to Los Angeles and began serving the Mexican Riviera, California coast and Alaska markets.

  Aftermath. The move made Royal Princess the first Royal-class vessel to call at a western U.S. port and established a Pacific-focused deployment pattern.

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• 2020CDC no-sail order prompts cruise cancellation

  The CDC issued a no-sail order after a crew member who had transferred from Grand Princess to Royal Princess was identified as a COVID-19 concern. Princess Cruises canceled the ship's scheduled seven-day Mexican Riviera sailing before departure.

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• 2019Royal Princess enters Western U.S. deployment

  Following a 49-day voyage around South America, Royal Princess repositioned to Los Angeles and became the first Royal-class Princess ship to call at a port in the western United States.

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• 2019Floatplane collision affects Royal Princess Alaska itinerary

  Two sightseeing floatplanes carrying passengers from Royal Princess collided near Ketchikan, Alaska. Six people died, while other occupants were rescued. The NTSB and Alaska State Troopers led the investigation.

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• 2018Royal Princess receives wet-dock refurbishment

  The ship underwent refurbishment work during a wet dock in Freeport, Bahamas.

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• 2018Passenger dies after falling from upper decks

  A passenger died after falling from the upper decks onto a lifeboat while the ship was sailing toward Aruba. The FBI and Aruban authorities investigated, and no charges were filed.

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• 2013Royal Princess is named at Southampton

  The Duchess of Cambridge named Royal Princess at Southampton in a ceremony featuring maritime and British military traditions. The ship then completed its inaugural celebrations and began regular passenger service.

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• 2013Royal Princess experiences Mediterranean power outage

  A power outage occurred while the ship was sailing between Mykonos and Naples. Backup generation maintained essential services, but the cruise ended in Naples for emergency repairs before regular operations resumed from Barcelona.

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1. Royal Princess (2012)
2. Royal Princess official ship information