Is Princess Cruises Right for You: A Canadian's Honest Guide
If Alaska is the trip, Princess is the line most Canadians should look at first. It has sailed the route for decades, owns its own lodges and rail cars for land tours, and runs frequent sailings from Vancouver. Outside Alaska it is a comfortable, middle-of-the-road line that suits couples and mixed-age groups better than thrill-seekers.
Why is Princess so strong in Alaska?
Princess has built up infrastructure in Alaska that most rivals do not have. It owns wilderness lodges near Denali and Fairbanks, and runs glass-domed rail cars on the Alaska Railroad for its cruisetours, which combine a cruise with several nights on land. Alaska cruisetours explained covers how those packages work.
Itineraries are a strength too. Princess sells Inside Passage round trips from Vancouver and Seattle as well as one-way sailings between Vancouver and Whittier, its Gulf of Alaska port near Anchorage. Glacier Bay National Park appears on many of its sailings. If you are weighing the route, round-trip Vancouver vs one-way to Anchorage sets out the trade-offs.
On board, Princess's Alaska programme brings local guides, naturalists and cultural presenters onto the ship, so sea days feel connected to the places you are passing.
Princess ships at a glance
| Class | Examples | What it is like |
|---|---|---|
| Sphere | Sun Princess, Star Princess | Newest and largest, around 4,300 guests, with the glass-roofed Dome |
| Royal | Discovery Princess, Majestic Princess, Royal Princess | Around 3,600 guests, balcony-heavy, glass-floored SeaWalk |
| Grand | Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Ruby Princess | Around 3,000 guests, older layout, often well priced |
| Coral | Coral Princess, Island Princess | About 2,000 guests, sized for the Panama Canal |
Guest numbers are approximate. Which ships sail from Vancouver changes year to year, so check your season.
Beyond Alaska
In winter Princess sails the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, with calls at Princess Cays, its private beach in the Bahamas. The smaller Coral-class ships run full Panama Canal transits, and Princess keeps a ship based in Japan for much of the year, which suits Canadians flying from Vancouver.
MedallionClass and Princess Plus
Every guest gets a free Medallion, a small disc worn on a lanyard or wristband. It unlocks your cabin, pays for drinks and lets you order food and drinks to wherever you are sitting through the OceanNow service. It also tends to speed up boarding.
Princess also sells bundled fares. Princess Plus adds a drinks package, MedallionNet wifi and crew appreciation, and Princess Premier adds more on top, such as a higher drink limit and extra wifi devices. For a couple who would buy drinks and wifi anyway, these bundles often beat buying the pieces. See the Princess drink package price for the maths.
What the onboard atmosphere is like
Dining and evenings
Expect reliable main dining rooms with set or flexible dining times, plus specialty restaurants such as Crown Grill and Sabatini's. Evenings centre on the Piazza, the atrium with live music, and Movies Under the Stars on the top deck.
Pace and crowd
The guest mix leans towards couples over 50, with families on summer and school-holiday sailings. There are no headline thrill rides. Adults who want a quieter corner can pay for The Sanctuary, an adults-only deck retreat on many ships. Repeat guests earn status in the Captain's Circle loyalty programme.
Who Princess suits, and who it doesn't
Princess is a good fit for:
- First-time Alaska cruisers, especially from B.C. and Alberta
- Couples over 50 who want comfort without formality
- Multi-generation groups, since the ships cater to every age without catering to extremes
- Anyone who wants Denali on land as well as glaciers at sea
You may prefer another line if you want:
- Waterslides, surf simulators or the biggest possible ship
- A design-forward, younger-feeling ship, which Celebrity does better
- An adults-only ship
- The cheapest possible mainstream fare
For a wider view, see best cruise lines for couples over 50.
The Canadian angle
Princess quotes fares in Canadian dollars to Canadian residents, but everything on board is charged in US dollars. Gratuities, drinks and wifi are the three biggest extras, and Princess Plus or prepaid crew appreciation locks them in CAD before you sail.
For British Columbians, a Vancouver round trip means no flight at all. Albertans can fly or drive, as covered in cruising from Vancouver without flying.
Princess policies explained
The practical rules people search for most, in plain language:
- Princess price drop policy
- Princess gratuities
- Princess cancellation policy
- CPAP on Princess
- Princess dress code
- Princess smoking and vaping policy
- Princess alcohol policy
- Princess kids club ages
- Princess wifi packages
- Princess drink package price
Have a question about this? A licensed cruise expert can answer it for free — no booking required, no pressure.
Ask a cruise expert →Comparing Princess for your Alaska plans
Princess's Alaska advantage shows most in cruisetours and itinerary choice. Compare its sailings against your dates, preferred port and whether you want Denali, and the right ship usually becomes obvious.
Want this priced up for your dates? Speak to a licensed cruise expert — same price as booking direct, plus perks like onboard credit and prepaid gratuities the websites don't show. No fee, no obligation, and you can book online if you'd rather.
Get a quote or book online →Frequently asked questions
Why is Princess Cruises known for Alaska?
Princess has invested in Alaska for decades, including owning wilderness lodges and glass-domed rail cars used on its cruisetour land packages. That gives it deeper route experience and infrastructure than lines that treat Alaska as one summer region among many.
Is Princess Cruises good for a first cruise?
Yes. Princess sits in an approachable mid-market space with broad appeal across ages, solid included dining and plenty of itinerary choice, without leaning very casual or very formal. It is a particularly easy first cruise if Alaska is the goal.
What is MedallionClass on Princess?
MedallionClass is Princess's free wearable system: a small disc called a Medallion that acts as your room key and onboard payment, and lets you order food and drinks to wherever you are on the ship. Every guest gets one at no charge.
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