Princess Cruises sits in cruise marketing purgatory. Too upscale for Carnival crowds. Not quite fancy enough for Celebrity wannabes. This middle child status might actually be their biggest strength.
Princess ships carry 2,000 to 4,000 passengers but never feel chaotic. Their newest ships like the Sun Princess feature excellent specialty dining and spacious suites. The piazza-style atriums create social spaces without the Vegas vibe of other lines.
Their Alaska and Mediterranean itineraries consistently rank among the best in the industry. Princess knows these routes cold. They also excel at longer voyages where other lines phone it in. A 14-day transatlantic crossing on Princess beats a week bouncing around the Caribbean on a floating shopping mall.
The downside is real. Princess skews older and quieter. If you want bumper cars and surf simulators, look elsewhere. Their entertainment tends toward piano bars and production shows your parents would enjoy. The casual dining options lag behind newer cruise lines.
Princess works best for cruisers who want comfort without pretense. Think couples in their 50s and up who appreciate good service but do not need a butler. First-time cruisers often love Princess because the experience feels like an actual vacation instead of a theme park at sea.
If you want to cruise without explaining to friends why you cruise, Princess makes sense. They do the fundamentals well without the circus acts. Sometimes boring wins.
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