5 finest Princess cruise locations

Name it the big-ship cruise line for the country-counting crowd.

Among the many world’s 5 largest cruise manufacturers, all of which function comparatively massive, mass-market vessels, Princess Cruises presents probably the most numerous array of itineraries (greater than 170 in a typical 12 months), with stops in 100-plus nations and on all seven continents.

Regardless of having simply 17 vessels, the California-based line’s ships go to greater than 345 totally different ports and locations in a typical 12 months and convey vacationers to a whopping 100-plus UNESCO World Heritage websites.

Nonetheless, the road’s heaviest presence, by far, is in Alaska, Europe and the Caribbean.

In a typical summer season, Princess will deploy eight of its 17 vessels to Alaska whereas sending one other 5 or 6 to Europe. That leaves only a few vessels for different locations such because the Caribbean, New England and Japan.

Throughout a typical winter, Princess will transfer greater than half of those ships to the Caribbean, which turns into its largest focus (the road plans to have 9 vessels within the area in 2027!), but in addition sends a number of (often three) to Australia. It additionally operates sailings in South America and alongside the Mexican Riviera.

Among the many line’s voyages, you will discover the whole lot from three-day sampler cruises alongside the West Coast to 131-day world-circling voyages.

In North America, Princess ships sail out of Fort Lauderdale (by way of Port Everglades), Orlando (from Port Canaveral) and Miami (from PortMiami) in Florida, in addition to Boston; Los Angeles; San Francisco; San Diego; Seattle; Galveston, Texas; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska. Some sailings depart from New York Metropolis, Quebec Metropolis and Honolulu, too.

With so many choices, what are the very best Princess cruise locations you’ll be able to go to? Listed here are TPG’s high 5.

Associated: The final word information to Princess Cruises ships and itineraries

Europe

A few of Princess’ hottest itineraries are in Europe, the place the road historically has been a big participant. It usually deploys 5 or 6 vessels to the continent from spring to fall, making Europe one in all its largest focuses for greater than half the 12 months.

The itineraries that Princess presents in Europe are wide-ranging, with a various set of routings in each the Mediterranean and throughout Northern Europe.

Within the Mediterranean, the road presents the whole lot from five- to 50-night voyages that present the prospect to see such iconic locations as Barcelona; Rome, Florence and Venice, Italy; the island of Santorini in Greece; and Kotor, Montenegro, in a single cruise.

Some Princess cruises within the Mediterranean additionally embrace visits to Istanbul and Kusadasi, Turkey (the latter a gateway to the famed ruins of Ephesus) and Haifa and Ashdod in Israel (for visits to Jerusalem and different iconic locations within the nation).

In Northern Europe, Princess will take you to such well-known Baltic cities as Stockholm; Tallinn, Estonia; and Helsinki in a single crusing (till a number of years in the past, St. Petersburg, Russia, additionally was a serious Baltic vacation spot for the model, however like different cruise strains, Princess now not sends ships to Russia because of the battle in Ukraine). Some itineraries may even convey you to Iceland and the Norwegian fjords.

Among the many longest itineraries Princess presents in Europe is a 42-day “The Better of the Mediterranean” journey out of Istanbul that gives stops at almost three dozen ports in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Malta, France, Montenegro, Croatia and Cyprus. The subsequent departure of this itinerary is scheduled for Sept. 14, 2027.

In Northern Europe, Princess ships largely sail out of Southampton and Dover, England, in addition to Copenhagen.

Within the Mediterranean, the road’s hubs are Trieste and Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) in Italy, Piraeus (the port for Athens) in Greece and Barcelona.

The Caribbean and the Bahamas

You often will not discover a couple of or two Princess ships within the Caribbean and the Bahamas over the summer season for the reason that line turns its focus to sailings in Europe and Alaska then. However come winter, it should reposition fairly a number of of its vessels to the Caribbean and the Bahamas for sailings, making these warm-weather Princess cruise locations a best choice.

For subsequent winter, for example, it at the moment has 10 of its 17 vessels scheduled to sail within the areas for at the least a part of the season — together with its two latest and largest ships, the 4,300-passenger Star Princess and Solar Princess.

Princess presents a broad vary of Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries from three major dwelling ports — Port Everglades and Port Canaveral in Florida and New York Metropolis.

In the event you’re searching for one thing quick, the road has you lined within the type of fast five- and six-night journeys to the Jap Caribbean, although it’s best recognized for longer sailings. These embrace numerous seven-night itineraries to the Jap Caribbean and the Western Caribbean and numerous even longer 10- to 14-night Caribbean voyages.

The latter journeys supply the prospect to see a broader mixture of islands than is typical on Caribbean sailings.

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A 14-day “Circle Caribbean” itinerary out of Port Everglades, for example, stops on the islands of St. Maarten (the Dutch facet of the island of St. Martin), St. Kitts, Martinique, Dominica, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Aruba and Curacao.

Princess additionally presents a 12-day “Caribbean Islander” itinerary out of New York Metropolis with calls at St. Maarten, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Curacao and Aruba.

Alaska

Maybe the very best vacation spot you’ll be able to go to on a Princess ship is Alaska. That is as a result of Princess is especially recognized for cruises to the forty ninth state, the place it dominates the marketplace for cruises together with sister line Holland America. In recent times, Princess has deployed as many as seven or eight ships to Alaska in the summertime — way over most different strains.

Princess additionally operates its personal wilderness lodges in Alaska, in addition to vacationer trains and buses, to supply an in depth vary of 10- to 17-night Alaska “cruisetours” that mix a cruise with land-based touring.

Associated: Which Princess Alaska cruisetour is best for you? An entire information to all of your choices

The Alaska cruise season is a brief one, lasting roughly from Might to September. For 2026, Princess will deploy eight ships to the Alaska market throughout this window with:

• 4 ships (Discovery Princess, Grand Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess) working one-way “Voyage of the Glaciers” itineraries between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Whittier, Alaska — a small port city about 50 miles southeast of Anchorage. These seven-night sailings at all times embrace two days of glacier viewing at two of Alaska’s three most well-known locations for seeing glaciers: Glacier Bay Nationwide Park & Protect, Hubbard Glacier and School Fjord. In addition they embrace stops at three of the most well-liked cruise locations within the state: Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.
• 4 ships (Royal Princess, Star Princess, Ruby Princess and Emerald Princess) crusing seven- to 16-day “Inside Passage” cruises out of Seattle (Royal Princess and Star Princess), San Francisco (Ruby Princess), Vancouver (Emerald Princess) and Los Angeles (Emerald Princess). These voyages additionally embrace a mixture of glacier viewing and stops at iconic Alaska port cities.

The attraction of the one-way sailings on Discovery Princess, Grand Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess is that they are often mixed with the stays in Princess’ lodges talked about above to create the longer Alaska cruisetours that mix a one-way cruise with a land tour.

The land tour portion of such journeys brings visits to such well-known inside Alaska areas as Denali Nationwide Park & Protect and the city of Fairbanks.

Associated: Greatest Alaska cruisetours to ebook proper now

Australia

Princess has been sending a number of ships to Australia each winter for a few years, providing a variety of itineraries out of Sydney, Brisbane, Fremantle (the port for Perth), Adelaide and Melbourne that make calls not simply round Australia but in addition in New Zealand.

The itineraries within the area that the road presents range in size from simply two nights to 43 nights, however the shorter voyages are primarily geared toward an area Australian crowd searching for a fast getaway. Amongst North People, the most well-liked itineraries are the longer ones, which can be as targeted on New Zealand as they’re on Australia.

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Amongst a number of New Zealand-heavy itineraries that Princess presents repeatedly are 13-night voyages from Sydney that characteristic calls at Bay of Islands, Auckland, Picton, Christchurch and Dunedin, in addition to scenic cruising at New Zealand’s Fiordland Nationwide Park (variations on this itinerary generally embrace a cease in Tauranga in lieu of one of many above ports).

A 15-night New Zealand itinerary out of Sydney brings calls at Dunedin, Christchurch, Picton, Auckland, Bay of Islands and Tauranga, in addition to scenic cruising at New Zealand’s Fiordland Nationwide Park.

Princess additionally presents full circumnavigations of Australia. A typical 28-night model of those journeys will embrace visits to Newcastle, Melbourne, Adelaide, Albany, Busselton, Perth, Exmouth, Broome, Darwin, Cairns, Willis Island and Brisbane, in addition to scenic cruising in Yampi Sound and alongside the Kimberley Coast.

For 2026, Princess plans to have three of its vessels within the Australia and New Zealand area for at the least a part of the 12 months.

Japan

In 2013, Princess turned the primary main worldwide cruise model to supply an prolonged season of voyages round Japan, and it stays a pacesetter in Japan-focused cruises. In the event you’re enthusiastic about cruising to the island nation, Princess ought to high the listing of strains to contemplate.

Princess usually sends one or two ships to Japan yearly for an prolonged season that usually lasts from February to November. It presents a large mixture of itineraries across the nation, ranging in size from seven to twenty-eight nights.

The longer journeys on the schedule ship vacationers to such iconic Japanese locations as Nagasaki and temple-filled Kyoto (by way of the port of Osaka), in addition to such lesser-known ports as Tokushima and Miyako. Some itineraries embrace at the least one cease in South Korea or Taiwan.

Princess usually deploys its 2,670-passenger Diamond Princess to Japan — a 22-year-old ship that has a distinctly Japanese taste, thanks to an enormous makeover in 2014. The makeover introduced the addition of an in depth conventional Japanese bathtub space — a primary for a cruise ship — in addition to a sushi restaurant. Menus in Diamond Princess’ major eating places and buffet characteristic Japanese gadgets resembling miso soup and noodles alongside Western fare.

Diamond Princess initially was up to date with Japanese-style design and facilities particularly to lure Japanese vacationers to its Japan sailings, however the around-Japan voyages have confirmed common with People and Australians, too. You may often discover a mixture of Japanese, American and Australian vacationers on the road’s longer Japan sailings.

Backside line

Princess sails to locations world wide and presents a variety of itineraries from the Caribbean to Asia. You may discover probably the most decisions amongst Princess itineraries in Europe, Alaska and Australia. The road can be well-known for voyages to Japan. Its particular give attention to Japan sailings, with a ship retrofitted with Japanese design, particularly, is one thing that units it other than different huge strains.

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