Princess Grand-class (Grand / Caribbean / Crown / Emerald / Ruby Princess) ship guide

Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; facts checked on the dates shown. We may earn a commission from links; it never changes what we recommend.

At a glance

• Ships covered: Grand, Caribbean, Crown, Emerald and Ruby Princess, all listed on the fleet index .
• Size: Caribbean Princess lists 112,894 tons and 3,140 guests ; Emerald Princess lists 113,561 tons and 3,080 guests .
• Deck count: 19 decks on Caribbean Princess and on Emerald Princess .
• Cabins: Suite through Interior, plus Mini-Suite and Reserve Collection .
• Kids and teens: Just For Kids 3-7, Just For Kids 8-12 and Just For Teens 13-17 .
• Adults-only space: The Sanctuary is named on the Emerald Princess page .
• Good fit: First-time and repeat cruisers who want a mid-size, traditional-feeling ship with many dining choices.
• Representative week: 7 nights, Los Angeles round trip to Mexico; a representative sailing, not a published one.

Who the class suits, and who it does not

It suits travelers who like a central atrium, traditional main dining plus several casual counters, and a ship small enough to learn in a day. It suits families, since three age-banded clubs are listed. It suits couples who want a quiet adults-only corner. It is a weaker fit if you want a ship with the newest attractions such as the very largest water parks or ride-style entertainment, which ships of this age typically do not carry. It is also a weaker fit if you need a cabin on a specific deck without checking the plan, because layouts vary by sub-group.

The ships in the class

Per Wikipedia, unverified on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand-class_cruise_ship, the wider Grand-class group has 11 ships built 1998 to 2010 with sub-groups: Grand, Gem, Caribbean, Crown and Ventura. Grand Princess is listed there as built in 1998 at 107,517 GT, Caribbean Princess as built in 2004 at 112,894 GT, and Crown, Emerald and Ruby Princess as built 2006, 2007 and 2008 at 113,561 GT each, per Wikipedia, unverified on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand-class_cruise_ship. Emerald Princess's own page gives an inaugural cruise of April 11, 2007 . The Grand, Crown and Ruby Princess pages: Not confirmed on https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/gp-grand-princess, https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/cp-crown-princess or https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/rp-ruby-princess as of 2026-10-16.

Cabins in about 150 words

Both ship pages list the same category names: Suite, Two Bedroom Family Suite, Reserve Collection, Mini-Suite, Balcony, Oceanview, Interior and Wheelchair-Accessible . Emerald Princess lists 1,539 guest cabins including nearly 900 with balconies . That is a high balcony share, so a balcony is realistic on a mid-budget plan. For Mexico's sunny ports, a balcony gives a private place to watch Cabo's arch or a sunset sailaway; an Interior suits people who are out all day. Cabins near the Piazza, night venues, pool decks and anchor/tender areas are usually noisier. Check the deck plan on the ship's page before picking a number, and read chapter 3 in the full guide.

What is included and what is paid

Listed without a specialty marker: the Main Dining Room (traditional, flexible and walk-in), the 24-hour International Cafe, World Fresh Marketplace buffet, Slice Pizzeria, The Salty Dog Grill, Coffee & Cones, and Movies Under the Stars . Specialty charge applies to Crown Grill and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria, and Chef's Table is by reservation . Which of the casual counters carry a surcharge: Not confirmed on https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/cb-caribbean-princess as of 2026-10-16. Drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities and port taxes: Not confirmed on https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq as of 2026-10-16 (the FAQ page links to Beverage Packages, Internet Packages and Crew Appreciation topics but states no amounts).

Sample week

A representative 7-night Mexican Riviera sailing from Los Angeles (San Pedro) typically runs: embark and sailaway on day 1, a sea day, then three Mexican ports (commonly Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta; Mazatlan is in Sinaloa, Level 4, Do Not Travel [read 2026-10-16, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html — Level 4, issued 2026-05-29]), two more sea days, and disembark on day 8. The Emerald Princess page lists "7+ day Mexico adventures" . It does not name Los Angeles or any port, so the order and ports are representative, not a published sailing. Ports and sequence on your sailing: Not confirmed on https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/ep-emerald-princess as of 2026-10-16.

Three free or low-cost things

• Sailaway from the stern or pool deck at Port of Los Angeles with Angels Gate Lighthouse on the breakwater: watching the departure from deck is typically free, and late-afternoon light tends to be best.
• Movies Under the Stars on the poolside amphitheater screen at Emerald Princess's open-air amphitheater, listed on the ship page ; whether any charge applies: Not confirmed on that URL as of 2026-10-16.
• El Arco at Cabo San Lucas seen from the water or shoreline: typically free to see from the beach side, with paid boat tours as an option; prices Not confirmed on https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq as of 2026-10-16.

Points primer in 80 words

Transferable points move only to the partners on our chart, so they do their work on the flight and hotel around the cruise. Per our transfer chart, checked 2026-10-08, 4 Chase points become 3 Hyatt points (4:3), which suits a night in a hotel before sailing; United is 1:1 from Chase, so a flight to Los Angeles can come from the same wallet. Amex-to-Hilton is 1:2 on the same chart. Whether your card's portal sells cruises: Not confirmed; check your issuer's portal.

Safety and advisories

Mexico: Level 2, Exercise increased caution [read 2026-10-16, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html — Level 2, issued 2026-05-29]. State-level levels on Mexico's page include Baja California Sur Level 2, and Jalisco Level 3 with no restrictions listed for Puerto Vallarta. Sinaloa is Level 4, Do Not Travel [read 2026-10-16, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html — Level 4, issued 2026-05-29]. Mazatlan is in Sinaloa, so if your sailing calls there, the guide offers only a ship-organized tour or staying aboard. US homeports carry no State Department advisory.

This is the free lite guide. The full day-by-day guide, with maps, photo stops, rain plans and the points playbook, is part of PerkJolt All-Access.