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Alaska Glaciers

Carved by the hands of mother nature, meet alaska masterpieces.

Alaska’s glaciers have shaped the surrounding landscapes for millions of years. Mountains, valleys and fjords all come from the slow march these monuments make every day. Today, the glaciers of the Great Land — once only accessible to the adventurous few — are ready for you to explore. With over 50 years of experience cruising to Alaska, we look forward to showing you these unique wonders. All Princess Alaska cruises include at least one glacier-viewing experience.

Glacier Bay National Park

Known as Alaska’s crown jewel, Glacier Bay National Park is otherworldly in its beauty and breadth. This UNESCO World Heritage Site covers millions of acres and contains seven tidewater glaciers as well as mountains and deep fjords. Its waters are even home to whales, seals and otters. Cruise to Glacier Bay National Park and let the landscapes and wildlife show you what makes it so worthy of the utmost protection.

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Endicott Arm

Cut from age-old glacial movements, Endicott Arm is a narrow fjord over thirty miles long. Sailing down it gives you a view into some of the most dramatic vistas in the north. See the Alaska glaciers of Endicott Arm, including Dawes Glacier, and revel in the walls of ice that stretch stories above the waterline. Or delight in the cliffsides that are decorated with forests and wildlife.

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College Fjord

College Fjord is the meeting place where many of Alaska’s glaciers congregate and flow to the ocean. At the water’s edge are massive valley glaciers and dozens of smaller monuments that dot the mountainous region. Thanks to the professors who first settled here in 1899, many of these glaciers are named after the country’s best institutions of higher learning, such as Harvard Glacier.

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Hubbard Glacier

Hubbard Glacier is an unforgettable sight. Alaska’s largest tidewater glacier rises hundreds of feet from the ocean floor and towers above the waves, radiating a brilliant blue in the daylight. Thanks to its exceptional movement speed — for a massive river of ice — the face of this Alaska glacier calves at an incredible rate, providing a breathtaking show for the lucky onlookers.

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Mendenhall Glacier

Tucked in the coastal mountains around Juneau, this nearly 14-mile-long glacier cuts through the landscape and ends in a freshwater lake. Mendenhall is the best of Alaska’s ecosystems. It’s home to wildlife, and its rivers are brimming with salmon and trout. Not to mention, its forests burst from every inch of terrain, creating a true wonderland of nature.

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Matanuska Glacier

With ice colored in vibrant blues and bright whites, Matanuska is a sight to be seen on an Alaska Copper River cruisetour. Considered an "ice flow", it floats through valleys under its own weight. This structure measures 24 miles in length and is responsible for creating a "weather hole" — a pocket of sunny skies and enjoyable climates that occurs due to warm valley air being pushed into the atmosphere.

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Alaska Cruises

See the Great Land’s glaciers, wildlife, and national parks.

Alaska Cruisetours

Combine a cruise + train + lodge + Denali for an in-depth Alaska experience.

UNESCO World Heritage Site and Cruise wonder of the world.

Princess Cruises Offering New Northern Lights Programming on Alaska Voyages

The aurora borealis—also known as the Northern Lights—have mesmerized skygazers for centuries.

Now, Princess Cruises is unveiling new programming designed to help guests learn more about this dazzling celestial spectacle.

This summer, the cruise line is rolling out a new experience called “Voyage to the Stars” as part of its “North to Alaska with Princess” program. Guests who are sailing to Alaska will be able to watch a Northern Lights presentation in the Princess Theater to learn more about this natural phenomenon.

"Each season in Alaska we strive to deliver enriching experiences for our guests to feel immersed in the beauty and local culture of this spectacular destination," says Terry Thornton, chief commercial officer of Princess Cruises. "After receiving our highest guest satisfaction ranking ever last season, we knew we wanted to design elevated programming to further connect our guests to all of the wonders of the 49th state for our 55th anniversary season."

This summer, Princess will offer 158 departures on 14 unique itineraries—its biggest season yet. Travelers will visit 17 destinations on seven ships.

In addition to the new Northern Lights offering, Princess is offering a wide array of activities and activations during trips to No. 49. For example, guests who sail aboard Majestic Princess and Discovery Princess can go fishing during the day, then eat their own catch for dinner. The cruise line is also offering salmon cooking demonstrations, a four-course seafood pop-up dining event and 13 new shore excursions.

On land, the cruise line is also rolling out a new geocaching expedition program at its five Princess Wilderness Lodges. Princess is also serving Alaska-themed cocktails, mocktails and appetizers, plus a new Alaska tea experience, cooking demonstrations, cocktail-making classes and more.

The ultimate guide to Princess Cruises ships and itineraries

Call it the cruise line for people who want a big amenity-filled ship that isn't a floating amusement park.

Princess Cruises operates relatively large, reasonably priced vessels. But unlike many of its competitors in that space — most notably Royal Caribbean , Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises — it doesn't load them up with sprawling water parks, go-kart tracks, laser tag courses and other flashy, family-focused diversions.

Compared to most of its big ship-operating rivals, Princess is known for a more serene, almost old-school style of cruising that isn't about a lot of gee-whiz attractions.

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As Princess executives like to say, the line is all about warm and gracious service in an atmosphere of comfortable elegance designed to spark connections among passengers.

Instead of bustling attractions, the top decks on the typical Princess ships offer lots of quiet and relaxing pool and lounge areas where you can enjoy the experience of being at sea without a lot of hustle and bustle. Inside, the experience revolves around dining, classic showroom entertainment and a classy bar and music scene — just as it has on Princess ships for years.

This is, notably, just the way Princess customers like it. Popular with middle-aged couples, retirees and multigenerational families, the "Love Boat" line caters to people who like a more traditional type of cruising than you'll find on the vessels of most other big-ship lines.

Related: Which cruise brand is right for you? A guide to the most popular lines

3 things TPG loves about Princess Cruises

• The abundance of outdoor pool and lounge areas on its ships
• Its expansive spas
• Its far-flung itineraries

What we could do without

• The lack of big suites on most of its vessels

The Princess Cruises fleet

Princess has downsized its fleet considerably in recent years with the removal of five vessels, but it's still the world's fifth-biggest cruise line by passenger capacity, with 16 ships that together offer roughly 50,000 berths.

In general, Princess operates big ships, though they're not quite as big as the vessels operated by Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises — the two lines best known for giant ships. The biggest Princess vessel, the line's new Sun Princess , measures around 177,000 tons. That's about 29% smaller than the biggest ship operated by Royal Caribbean. The line's Royal Class vessels are more than 40% smaller than the biggest Royal Caribbean ships.

Sun Princess is, without a doubt, the belle of the ball in the Princess fleet. Newer, bigger and more venue-filled than the line's other ships, it debuted in early 2024 and carries 4,300 passengers at double occupancy.

Also relatively new and chock-full of lots of venues are the line's five Royal Class ships, which measure between 142,229 and 145,281 tons. These vessels began rolling out in 2013 and carry about 3,600 passengers apiece at double occupancy.

Still, the biggest cohort of ships in the Princess fleet are its seven Grand Class vessels. Unveiled between 1998 and 2008, the vessels in this class are smaller than Sun Princess and the Royal Class ships at around 107,000 to 116,000 tons in size. This smaller size allows them to operate a wider range of itineraries than the Royal Class ships, but they're still big enough to offer a lot of onboard venues. The Grand Class ships carry between 2,600 to 3,100 passengers at double occupancy.

Rounding out the Princess fleet are its two Coral Class ships, which, at around 92,000 tons, are the smallest of the line's ships. They each carry around 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.

The downsizing of the Princess fleet over the past few years had a lot to do with the COVID-19 pandemic. Three ships left the Princess fleet starting in 2020 as part of an effort to cut costs during the line's coronavirus-caused global shutdown. Another two vessels — Golden Princess and Star Princess — had been scheduled to leave the Princess fleet even before the pandemic began. They were transferred to one of the line's sister companies, P&O Cruises Australia.

The line currently has one more vessel on order that will be a sister to the recently unveiled Sun Princess. To be called Star Princess, it's due to debut in August 2025.

Destinations and itineraries

Princess Cruises sails to more than 100 countries on seven continents, from North America and Europe to Asia and Australia, and it offers a wide range of itineraries — around 170 in a typical year. The line's ships visit more than 380 different ports and destinations and take passengers to more than 100 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Among the line's voyages, you'll find everything from three-day sampler cruises down the Pacific Coast to 116-day around-the-world voyages.

Princess is particularly known for cruises to Alaska , where it dominates the market for cruises along with sister line Holland America . In a typical year, Princess deploys seven or eight ships to Alaska in the summer — far more than most other lines. It also operates its own wilderness lodges in the state, as well as tourist trains and buses. It uses the lodges, trains and buses to offer a range of 10- to 17-night Alaska cruisetours that combine a cruise with land-based touring.

Princess also typically deploys five to seven ships to Europe in the summer, and it has a big presence in Australia, where it can deploy as many as six ships for parts of each year. In recent years, it has also become a major player in cruises around Japan that cater to both American and Japanese travelers, as well as Australians.

In North America, Princess ships sail out of Fort Lauderdale; Los Angeles; San Francisco; San Diego; Seattle; Galveston, Texas; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska. There are also some sailings that depart from New York City, Quebec City and Honolulu.

In Europe, Princess ships mostly sail out of Southampton in the United Kingdom; Copenhagen; Barcelona; Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens); and Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome).

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Princess Cruises ship

Who sails Princess Cruises

Princess appeals to an older demographic than lines such as Carnival and Norwegian. The average age of passengers is around 54, and you'll usually see a lot of couples on board in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

As noted above, these aren't people necessarily craving go-kart tracks and ropes courses at sea. They're people looking to explore the world in a comfortable, classy sort of way that also is relatively affordable. That last part is key. Princess offers a lot of globe-circling itineraries of the sort often available from high-end luxury lines. However, it does so at a much lower price.

While not the biggest line for families with young children, Princess does draw a lot of multigenerational family groups. It's the line you take if you want an affordable ship that'll appeal to your 70-year-old parents as much as your 12-year-old kid.

Princess also draws a lot of passengers celebrating milestones. The line markets heavily to people marking birthdays and anniversaries with special packages and programs. It's also a huge player in the market for destination weddings at sea, with a division that will help you arrange a ceremony on board or at an exotic location on land during a port call.

Princess was, notably, the first cruise line to host modern-day weddings on ships, offering ceremonies officiated by the ships' captains hosted in onboard chapels.

It is, after all, the "Love Boat" line.

Cabins and suites

When it comes to rooms, Princess is sort of the Marriott of the big-ship cruise world. Its rooms are comfortable and functional but a bit bland. Avant-garde style is not a Princess thing.

The vast majority of the accommodations on Princess ships fall into one of three broad categories: windowless inside cabins, oceanview cabins and balcony cabins. Balcony cabins, in particular, are widespread on Princess ships. Among mass-market lines, Princess was the pioneer in adding large numbers of balcony cabins to ships.

While balcony cabins are common on Princess ships, you'll find relatively few suites on them. Just 50 of 2,162 cabins on the line's new Sun Princess are suites, for instance, and that's a lot more suites than you'll find on most other Princess ships.

What this means is there aren't a lot of ways to live large on a Princess ship or to pack a lot of people into a single accommodation. Until the debut of Sky Princess in 2019, the line didn't have a single cabin that could accommodate more than four people.

That said, the Grand Class vessels each offer two Family Suites that can be created by connecting a Mini-Suite with an adjacent inside cabin to form a six- to eight-person complex.

Unveiled five years ago, Sky Princess featured the line's first truly large stand-alone suites, dubbed Sky Suites. Such suites were added to the line's Discovery Princess, too.

There are two of the suites on each of the ships, and they measure a generous 1,800 square feet (though more than half of that space is taken up by a huge wraparound balcony). With two bedrooms plus a living room with a pullout sofa, they're designed for up to five people.

The line's new Sun Princess also has several large suites that measure as much as 1,260 square feet.

Still, even the biggest suites of Sky Princess, Discovery Princess and Sun Princess aren't the truly epic suites with huge interior living spaces that you'll find on the latest Royal Caribbean or Regent Seven Seas Cruises ships. If that's what you're after, Princess isn't your line.

Related: The 7 best cruise ship suites — picked by someone who has seen them all

Restaurants and dining

Every Princess vessel has three main dining rooms where meals are included in the fare, and these dining rooms are at the heart of the dining experience on Princess ships. Many passengers have all or most of their dinners in a main dining room.

As of this year, the three main dining rooms on each Princess ship operate under different formats. At one of the main rooms, you can make a reservation for any time, provided a table at the time you want is available. To ensure the time you want, it's best to reserve a table far in advance of your sailing, which you can do online once you've paid for the cruise in full. You also can make reservations on board ships during your cruise.

At another of the main dining rooms, you can just show up for dinner at any time without a reservation and be seated on a space-available basis.

The third main dining room on every Princess ship offers a fixed-time "traditional" seating option where you can request the same table at the same time with the same waiter every night of a cruise.

Every vessel also has a casual buffet eatery where meals are included in the fare. Near the main pool area on most ships, it's usually called Horizon Court but is also known as the World Fresh Market or Panorama Buffet on some vessels.

Other covered options on at least some Princess ships include poolside pizza outlets and poolside grills serving burgers. Also, on sea days, Princess transforms a bar or dining venue at lunchtime into an included-in-the-fare English-style pub. It serves traditional pub food such as fish and chips and cottage pie, along with Bass Ale or Guinness (for an extra charge).

Every Princess ship also has at least a couple of extra-charge eateries. On most ships, you'll find the line's signature Italian restaurant, Sabatini's. It serves homemade pasta, seafood and other Italian specialties in an elegant setting and comes with a flat fee of $45 per person.

Most Princess ships also have a signature steakhouse. On most vessels, it's called Crown Grill and offers premium beef and seafood cooked to order in an open, theater-style kitchen. On two ships — Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess — it's called Sterling Steakhouse, where passengers choose their cut of steak from a tray presented by their waiter.

On two ships — Coral Princess and Island Princess — the steakhouse has a Cajun and Creole twist. In addition to steak dishes, the menu features New Orleans-style peel-and-eat shrimp, alligator ribs and gumbo. On those vessels, it's called the Bayou Cafe and Steakhouse.

All the steakhouses come with a flat fee of $45 per person.

Princess ships also offer a chef's table experience — a concept the line pioneered in the cruise world. Costing $95 to $115 per person, it includes pre-dinner cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the ship's galley with the executive chef before a main dining experience at a private table in the dining room.

Another dining option that recently began popping up on Princess ships is a seafood eatery called The Catch by Rudi, designed by Princess' head of culinary arts, Rudi Sodamin. (Holland America fans will remember Sodamin as that line's longtime master chef.)

The Catch by Rudi is only on Sun Princess, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess and Discovery Princess. Like the Princess steakhouses, it has a $45 per person cover charge.

Related: Cruise ship restaurant nirvana: The 10 best meals you can have at sea

Entertainment and activities

Princess ships are loaded with entertainment that ranges from Broadway-style theater shows to street entertainers who appear in each vessel's central piazza. That said, they're not floating amusement parks. Unlike some big-ship lines, Princess isn't topping its vessels with waterslides, go-kart tracks, ropes courses and other family-focused attractions.

Theaters and shows

There's no shortage of theater and lounge entertainment on Princess ships. On a typical night, you might find a flashy, fast-paced production show playing in the main theater, a comedian performing in a secondary lounge and live music on offer in several more venues.

In many cases, the main theaters on Princess ships are quite elaborate, with Broadway-show-level lighting and special effects, and the productions housed within the theaters are elaborate, too.

Princess has upped its game with its theater productions in recent years through a partnership with Stephen Schwartz, the Tony Award-winning composer of "Wicked," "Godspell" and "Pippin."

Among new productions that Schwartz has worked on is "The Secret Silk," which features life-size puppetry from Jim Henson's Creature Shop, dancing and special effects. It was created and directed by John Tartaglia, a star of Broadway's "Avenue Q" and "Beauty and the Beast."

Princess is also known for its karaoke nights, and it holds a "The Voice of the Ocean" competition during cruises, which is a spinoff of the TV show. Passengers compete in a live performance after karaoke auditions and rehearsal sessions with the shipboard band and backup singers. A team of coaches sits in giant "I Want You" chairs, just like on the show, and passengers vote to choose the winner.

Other interior attractions and activities

In addition to entertainment spaces, the interiors of Princess ships are filled with other venues where passengers can kick back and let loose day and night, including a range of bars, lounges and nightspots.

On many ships, the hub of activity is the Piazza, a sprawling, multilevel space that serves as a central gathering place, like a square in Italy. The configuration of the Piazza varies by ship, but the area typically offers several shops, a coffee bar called International Cafe, a wine bar called Vines and (on some vessels) additional bars and eateries. The Piazza is also home to roving street performers.

Every Princess ship also has a casino, often just off the Piazza, and spas are big on Princess ships. The Lotus Spa complexes on the line's Royal Class ships offer nearly two dozen treatment rooms, an extensive beauty salon and a thermal suite with a hydrotherapy pool, heated stone beds, a Turkish-style steam bath and other steam chambers.

Several of the newer Princess ships, including Discovery Princess, Enchanted Princess and Sky Princess, have jazz clubs called Take 5.

In addition to such venues, Princess offers a lot of enrichment activities on its ships. The line has partnered with Discovery to offer a Discovery at Sea program on vessels that includes activities like stargazing with a specialist from a top deck. The program also brings destination specialists and naturalists on board in places such as Alaska to offer insights.

Inspired by Discovery's popular "Shark Week," Princess has also created Shark Week at Sea programming that runs on select sailings in the summer with activities and games designed to challenge both adults and kids on the myths and interesting facts about sharks.

Culinary demonstrations, wine tastings and dance classes also are popular on Princess ships.

Top-deck attractions

The top decks of most Princess ships are notable for what they don't have: There are no roller coasters or pedal-powered sky rides like you'll find on Carnival ships or the go-kart tracks that top some Norwegian vessels. There are no surfing simulators, sky diving simulators, rock climbing walls or zip lines of the sort found on Royal Caribbean vessels. For the most part, there aren't even waterslides or watery splash zones (two vessels, Caribbean Princess and Sun Princess, do have splash zones).

Princess executives long ago decided not to engage in what they call the "amusement park arms race" taking place among lines operating big resort-like ships.

Instead, the line has mostly stuck to the basics with its top decks. They are covered with relaxing pool and lounge zones — and lots of them.

On the last three Royal Class ships, for instance, there's a main pool area at the center of the top deck with two full pools and three hot tubs, plus a secondary pool area at the back of the ship with another pool. There's also an adults-only pool area toward the front of the vessel, along with an extra-charge, adults-only relaxation area called the Sanctuary.

Between all these pool and lounge areas running along the sides of the ship are additional sunning areas with lounge chairs and four more hot tubs.

In short, there is a ton of space for relaxing on the top deck of these newest Princess vessels — more than you'll find on any other ship of comparable size, save for their earlier sisters in the Royal Class.

The one big attraction that you will find on the top deck of Princess ships, always at the main pool area, is a giant Movies Under the Stars movie screen. A growing number of cruise ships now have movie screens on their pool decks, but Princess pioneered the concept.

The screens show movies, concerts and sporting events during the day, but at night, they really shine. In a longtime Princess tradition, the line turns the main pool areas of its ships into outdoor movie theaters at night by reconfiguring lounge chairs to face the screen and bringing out blankets to ward off the evening chill. They even serve popcorn.

Some ships also feature basketball courts, miniature golf putting courses, shuffleboard games and pingpong tables tucked into corners of their top decks.

Additionally, the new Sun Princess has a family-friendly play zone called Park19 with a hang-gliding-like ride experience, a ropes course and the previously mentioned splash zone — quite a bit more family-fun pizazz than has been the norm at the line. For now, it's the outlier in the Princess fleet when it comes to decktop amusements.

Children's programs

While it doesn't draw as many families with young children as Carnival or Royal Caribbean, Princess offers an extensive children's program that gets high marks from parents.

The Princess Youth and Teen centers were recently rebranded "Camp Discovery" as part of the line's partnership with Discovery Communications and offer free, supervised activities daily for children ages 3 to 17.

The line splits children in the program into three age groups: the Treehouse (ages 3 to 7 years), the Lodge (ages 8 to 12 years) and the Beach House (ages 13 to 17 years). Each age group often has its own separate facilities on ships. On some ships, the age groups may be further divided based on available space.

Each group has its own age-appropriate activities, with newly revamped experiences designed to "help young Princess explorers learn, play and create fun memories."

While the free programming for children ages 3 to 12 ends at 10 p.m., you can pay extra to leave your kids at shipboard Youth and Teen centers from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. During those hours, they're supervised in what is essentially a group child-sitting service.

The Youth and Teen centers also welcome children under the age of 3 if they are accompanied by an adult.

Related: The 15 best cruise ships for people who never want to grow up

What to know before you go

Required documents.

A passport is required for all international itineraries, including world cruises and sailings to Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, India, Central and South America, the Panama Canal (partial and full transit), Caribbean voyages that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe, the South Pacific and Tahiti.

If you're a U.S. citizen, you don't need a passport for many domestic itineraries (including Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico sailings). You can instead travel with an official copy of your birth certificate and a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification. A few other forms of identification, such as a passport card, are also acceptable. That said, Princess strongly recommends that all travelers bring a passport.

Passports must be valid for at least six months. The name on your reservation must be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

Related: Where can I cruise without a passport?

Princess adds an automatic service gratuity of $16 to $18 per person, per day to final bills, depending on your cabin category. If you are unhappy with the service you receive, you can adjust this amount at the Guest Services desk before disembarking. (You can also increase the tip amount if so desired.) Also, an 18% gratuity is added to bills at bars, dining room wine accounts and spas.

Related: Tipping on a cruise: What to know about cruise ship gratuities

Princess has rolled out faster Wi-Fi systems with landlike speeds across its fleet in recent years, such that you now can stream video on ships. That's the upside. The downside is that such service costs a lot more than Wi-Fi access did in the past. Pricing changes over time, but the line was recently charging $24.99 per day to hook up a single device. That's an enormous increase from as recently as early 2023, when Wi-Fi access was available for just $9.99.

The faster Princess Wi-Fi system is called MedallionNet, and it's one of several technological upgrades that Princess has made to its ships in recent years under an umbrella called MedallionClass. MedallionClass also brings expedited embarkation, keyless cabin entry, on-demand food and beverage delivery, and the ability to locate friends and family on board — all via an app for mobile devices and a Princess-issued medallion that passengers carry while traveling.

Related: Wi-Fi on cruise ships: 5 things to know about internet use on board

Carry-on drinks policy

Princess allows you to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne per person onto ships at boarding at no charge (for consuming in your room; you'll be charged a $20 corkage fee if you want to bring it to an onboard restaurant or bar to drink). You can bring even more bottles of wine on board, but you will pay a $20 corkage fee per bottle.

Smoking policy

On all ships, smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas and in cigar lounges, designated sections within nightclubs and at designated slot machines within casinos (for those who are playing). It's forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies. Passengers caught smoking in their cabins will be charged a $250 fine per occurrence. One exception to the above rule is that e-cigarettes are allowed in cabins (but not on cabin balconies).

Princess ships have self-serve launderettes on cabin decks with washing machines, dryers, irons and ironing boards. There's a $3 per load charge to use a washer or dryer. The launderettes also have vending machines that dispense small boxes of detergent and water softener at $1.50 per box. Additionally, vessels offer extra-charge laundry and dry cleaning services.

Related: Everything you need to know about cruise ship laundry services

Electrical outlets

All vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets in rooms, and some also have European-style, 220-volt outlets and USB ports in cabins.

The currency used on most Princess itineraries is dollars. The exceptions are select sailings on ships based in Australia, where pricing is listed in Australian dollars. All vessels operate on a cashless system, with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a medallion that you can use to make charges. This same card or medallion also is what lets you into your cabin.

Drinking age

You must be 21 to consume alcohol on many Princess itineraries. The exceptions include sailings between ports in Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand, and Singapore, where the drinking age is 18. For cruises between Japanese ports, the drinking age is 20.

During the day, there is no specific dress code, and people dress casually. If it's a sea day in a warm-weather destination, and you're bound for the top deck, that means looking like you're going to the beach — T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits (with a cover-up to go inside) are just fine.

At night, there is an official dress code that is enforced when entering restaurants. Most nights are designated as "smart casual," which Princess takes to mean pants and an open-neck shirt for men and skirts and dresses or slacks for women.

Beach attire, shorts, baseball caps and casual jeans (think: the fraying kind or those with holes) are not allowed. One or more nights per cruise, depending on the cruise length, will be designated as a "formal" night when men are expected to turn out in dark suits with a tie or even a tuxedo. The suggested attire for women on such nights is evening gowns or cocktail dresses.

Related: Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

Princess Cruises' loyalty program

Princess has a four-tier frequent cruiser program, the Captain's Circle, that is worth joining for the perks — if you're willing to bear with its convoluted tier qualifying structure.

You reach the first tier, Gold, by taking a single cruise. However, from there, you move to each successive tier either by accruing a certain number of "cruise credits" (which aren't necessarily the same as the number of cruises you've taken) or by sailing a certain number of days.

To reach the Ruby level, for instance, requires three cruise credits (more on those in a moment) or 30 days on Princess ships. Platinum status kicks in after five cruise credits or 50 days on ships.

Related: Princess Cruises' Captain's Circle loyalty program: Everything you need to know

In most cases, members earn one cruise credit for every cruise they take. However, members who book a suite or travel solo in a cabin meant for two will receive two cruise credits for the voyage. The number of cruise credits you have earned is thus often the same as the number of cruises you have taken, but not always.

As is typical with cruise line loyalty programs, lower tiers don't bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits. You'll receive things like an invite to a private party (at the Gold tier) and a free upgrade for your travel insurance package when buying it through the line (at the Ruby tier). However, higher levels of the program start to be enticing.

The second-to-highest tier, Platinum, brings such perks as priority check-in and boarding, and a free internet package.

The top Elite level (15 cruise credits or 151 cruise days) adds such things as an exclusive window to preview and book new itineraries, priority ship-to-shore water shuttle service, complimentary laundry and a complimentary minibar setup.

Members at all tier levels get access to special pricing on certain cruises. They also receive a monthly newsletter and a membership pin.

Note that, in contrast to airline frequent flyer programs, cruise line loyalty programs do not require you to requalify for status every year. So, yes, the perks with lower tiers aren't great. However, it's not as difficult as it might at first seem to hit the more rewarding higher-level tiers in just a few years if you're cruising a lot.

A Princess passenger staying in suites will hit the Platinum level after just three cruises. The top Elite level is reachable within just eight cruises for someone staying in suites.

Related: A beginners guide to cruise line loyalty programs

How much does a Princess cruise cost?

Princess ships are very reasonably priced. They're not the least expensive vessels out there, but they're not pricey by any means. It's possible to find Princess voyages to the Caribbean, the Bahamas or Mexico starting under $100 per person, per night, including all taxes and fees — at least in the offseason.

For instance, as of the date of this story's posting, six-night sailings from Galveston, Texas, to the Western Caribbean in February 2025 started at just $418 per person, not including taxes and fees of $138. That works out to just $93 per night, per person, with taxes and fees for a package that includes your lodging, transportation and meals.

As you might expect, pricing for ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September, October, November (not including Thanksgiving week) and parts of December.

When you book can also matter. Cruises book up much further in advance than airplanes or hotels. Many cruisers will tell you that the best pricing for any given sailing is often available when cruises first go on sale (which can be a good two years before a departure). Booking far in advance also gives you the best chance of getting your preferred cabin type and location on a ship.

Once on board a Princess ship, you'll pay extra for most drinks, extra-charge restaurants, spa services, shore excursions, internet service and a few other things — unless you've bought a package for some of these items in advance.

Specifically, the line now offers bundle pricing for extra-charge items such as gratuity fees, Wi-Fi fees and a few other fees for onboard items if passengers pay for them in advance.

The line's Princess Plus plan gives passengers prepaid gratuities, a single-device Wi-Fi plan, a basic beverage package and a few other freebies for a bundled price of $60 per person, per day.

An enhanced version of the above plan called Princess Premier gives you Wi-Fi access on more devices, a premium drinks package and other additional inclusions for $80 per person, per day.

Most onboard activities, such as theater shows, are included in the fare.

Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise

How to book

If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to Princess.com to make a booking directly.

That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise — there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process, trust us — we recommend that you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises.

A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. They can also help you if something goes wrong just before, during or after your voyage.

If you're sure that Princess is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who understands all the little quirks that are unique to Princess cabin categories and, preferably, has done ship inspections to see the cabins firsthand.

Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles

Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card points when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases . This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , which offers 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and dining (excluding the annual up-to-$300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on dining.

Bottom line

Princess offers big, amenity-filled ships that are comfortable and classy at an affordable price.

If you're looking for a lot of top-deck fun zones — waterslides, go-kart tracks and the like — it's probably not the line for you. However, if you're on the hunt for not-too-expensive vessels that will take you to the farthest corners of the world in comfort, Princess ships should be on your shortlist.

It's also a great line if you're trying to put together a multigenerational trip, as its ships are designed to appeal to a wide range of age groups.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

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See the northern lights on every princess cruise to alaska in 2024.

Award-Winning "North to Alaska with Princess" Program Debuts New Immersive Experiences for 55 th Anniversary 2024 Cruise and Cruisetour Season

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. , May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The dreamlike images of green and purple lights swirling in the northern sky, known as the Aurora Borealis or "Northern Lights," is an unforgettable spectacle, and something all guests sailing this summer with Princess Cruises to Alaska is guaranteed to see.

This new immersive Voyage to the Stars experience is part of the cruise line's award-winning North to Alaska with Princess program set to debut for the upcoming 2024 cruise and cruisetour season that strengthens the overall guest connection in the Great Land. This year Princess guests will step inside a planetarium in the Princess Theater for a front row seat to the "Northern Lights" presentation showcasing the beauty and wonder of this phenomenon featuring live imagery, designed to engage adults and kids alike.

"Each season in Alaska we strive to deliver enriching experiences for our guests to feel immersed in the beauty and local culture of this spectacular destination," said Terry Thornton , chief commercial officer of Princess Cruises. "After receiving our highest guest satisfaction ranking ever last season, we knew we wanted to design elevated programming to further connect our guests to all of the wonders of the 49 th state for our 55 th anniversary season."

The 2024 season promises to be the biggest and best ever for Princess with 158 departures on 14 unique itineraries with 17 destinations, including five glacier viewing experiences on seven stunning ships. The cruise line's 55 th  anniversary season also features 91 visits to Glacier Bay National Park, taking more guests through this scenic cruising experience than any other cruise line, including the "Voyage of the Glaciers" itineraries between Anchorage ( Whittier ) and Vancouver, B.C. , and Inside Passage voyages roundtrip from Seattle , San Francisco and Vancouver, B.C.

The award-winning North to Alaska by Princess program is exclusive to the cruise line and designed by experts to showcase local storytellers, cultural experiences, the flavors of Alaska and more. Additional North to Alaska by Princess offerings for the 2024 season include:

Onboard Princess Ships Cook My Catch comes to The Catch by Rudi  Guests sailing to Alaska aboard Majestic Princess and Discovery Princess can enjoy their very own catch of the day after a day of fishing on special Princess shore excursions in the new specialty seafood restaurant, The Catch by Rudi. The first Princess restaurant primarily devoted to seafood offers a completely fresh take on seafood with contemporary interpretations of classic dishes, international fusion influences, highly creative presentations, and an engaging dining experience.

Crabshack This fan favorite returns to Alaska in all its shell-cracking glory with casual seafood options not to be missed. The four-course meal features a range of seafood favorites, including popcorn shrimp, clam chowder, even an Alaska -inspired steamer pot full of crab legs, shrimp, clams, and mussels. Guests will find this pop-up dining event in the World Fresh Marketplace on all seven ships sailing in Alaska in 2024.

Salmon Cooking Demonstration  Embark on a culinary adventure onboard with a new Salmon Cooking Demonstration, an exclusive experience on the last sea day of the cruise, that celebrates the richness of Alaska cuisine. Expert chefs showcase the art of preparing and cooking salmon, a staple in the region and a delicacy known for its flavor and versatility.

Pendleton : A Partnership Highlighting American Craftsmanship  Celebrating the 55 th anniversary sailing to Alaska , Princess has partnered with Pendleton , an iconic lifestyle brand that has been based in the Pacific Northwest for over 100 years. Popular Pendleton blankets, flannels, coats, graphic tees and more will be available for purchase onboard (and at the Princess Wilderness Lodges). Specially designed for Princess, a commemorative limited edition " Alaska , The Great Land" blanket will be available for $299 .

Shore Excursions Princess has added 13 new shore excursions to the already abundant lineup ashore to bring Alaska to life in an engaging, immersive, sometimes delectable and always memorable way. New shore excursions for the 2024 season include:

Juneau Highlights: Glacier Gardens & Whale Park

Treadwell : Living History Walk of Alaska's Lost Mine

Crab Feast at George Inlet Lodge

Exclusive Flightseeing & Taste of Alaska

White Pass Steam Train to Bennett Lake (offered on Friday & Sunday calls only)

Port Chilkoot Distillery Tour & Tastings

Stories of Haines E-Bike Tour

Stories of Haines E-Moped Tour

Metal Torching Alaska Art Class

Advanced Mountain Bike Adventure

Guide's Choice Hike

Marine Expedition & Wildlife Quest

WaveRunner Island Exploration

On Land at Princess Wilderness Lodges Alaska Adventure Quest: Geocaching Expedition  Guests will embark on a thrilling Alaska adventure like never before with a new Geocaching Expedition program at each of the five Princess Wilderness Lodges throughout Alaska . The program offers a unique blend of outdoor exploration and teamwork, making it the perfect adventure for families, friends, and solo explorers alike. Guests can use their cellphone as a GPS device or grab a map from the front desk at their lodge and follow clues and coordinates to find hidden caches strategically placed throughout the lodge properties.

Alaska-Themed Cocktails, Mocktails and Appetizers  Leveraging local ingredients, embark on a taste journey throughout the rugged wilderness of Alaska with signature crafted cocktails, mocktails and appetizers. All are infused with the flavors of Alaska and all options vary by lodge to give guests the most exquisite tastes from all over the state.

Garden to Table At the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge and Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge, Princess chefs tap natural resources to provide guests with the freshest ingredients from the on-property gardens in their dishes and drinks made right at the lodge. The menus are seasonally crafted to accommodate nature's growing and harvesting season. Using fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs from these gardens will help guests feel more connected with the great land and make a positive and sustainable impact by minimizing the food delivery carbon footprint.

Golden Heart Tea at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge Nestled in the heart of the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, Princess' Alaska tea experience invites guests to step into a world of sophistication and culinary delights. The attentive staff, well-versed in the art of tea service, will guide them through Alaska sourced tea, helping them choose the perfect blend to enhance each exquisite bite—from scones to salmon mousse, mini cakes and more.

Naturalists Lead Outdoors Program For those seeking a more hands-on connection with nature, the naturalist program at the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge and Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge immerses guests in the breathtaking wilderness of Alaska , offering a unique and educational experience focused on the region's rich natural environment. Led by experienced naturalists, the program combines hands-on field experiences with informative lectures to deepen understanding of Alaska's flora, fauna, and geological wonders.

Cocktail-Making Class at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge  Guests can immerse themselves in the art of mixology at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge's Cocktail Making Class. This hands-on experience at Fannie Q's Saloon invites participants to discover the secrets behind crafting the perfect cocktails and mocktails. Led by skilled mixologists, the class covers various techniques, from muddling and shaking to garnishing.

Denali Education Center Presentations at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge Discover the wonders of Denali National Park as the Denali Education Center presents sessions that bring the region's natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage to life. Expert educators and naturalists lead these presentations, sharing their deep knowledge and passion for the unique ecosystem that surrounds the lodge.

Cooking Demonstration at Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge  Embark on a culinary adventure at the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge with a captivating cooking demonstration. Led by an expert chef, this experience invites guests to discover the artistry behind crafting delectable dishes inspired by the flavors of the region. The chef will share insights into the use of local and seasonal ingredients, highlighting fresh seafood that define the culinary landscape of the Copper River region.

New for 2024 are convenient, seven-day Inside Passage itineraries, many including Glacier Bay National Park, round-trip from Vancouver on Ruby Princess. The cruises deliver four awe-inspiring ports, including Juneau , Skagway , and Ketchikan along with visits to Endicott Arm and scenic cruising of Dawes Glacier.

Plus, there are more than 20 amazing cruisetours (cruise + land tour) that combine the unmatched Princess cruise experience with visits to the sights of Denali National Park , Kenai Peninsula , Copper River, Fairbanks and Anchorage and all from the comfort of the exclusive Princess lodges. Celebrating the 55 th  anniversary, two new cruisetours debut in 2024:

National Parks Tour - A 15-night adventure to five of Alaska's most breathtaking parks including Glacier Bay, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords National Parks, and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway . This experience combines a seven-day cruise, scenic rail travel, and eight nights land, including stays at four Princess-owned wilderness lodges.

Katmai National Park Tour - Nine-day cruisetour includes two nights in Anchorage , where guests have the chance to embark on an intimate bear-watching experience at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park. This tour immerses travelers in the heart of Alaska's wilderness, allowing them to witness these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat, before or after sailing on a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise that includes a coveted visit to Glacier Bay National Park.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-Princess (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting www.princess.com .

About Princess Cruises Princess Cruises is The Love Boat, the world's most iconic cruise brand that delivers dream vacations to millions of guests every year in the most sought-after destinations on the largest ships that offer elite service personalization and simplicity customary of small, yacht-class ships. Well-appointed staterooms, world class dining, grand performances, award-winning casinos and entertainment, luxurious spas, imaginative experiences and boundless activities blend with exclusive Princess MedallionClass service to create meaningful connections and unforgettable moments in the most incredible settings in the world - the Caribbean , Alaska , Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe , South America , Australia / New Zealand , the South Pacific, Hawaii , Asia , Canada /New England, Antarctica , and World Cruises. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).

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SOURCE Princess Cruises