Celebrity vs Princess Cruises 2026

Celebrity vs Princess scorecard

Graded on the criteria in how we rate cruises.
Criterion	Celebrity	Princess
Value	Good Fares sit above Princess, but the food and ships come close to lines that cost far more.	Good Fares often close to the mainstream lines, with packages that usually cost less than buying drinks, Wi-Fi and tips separately.
Food	Strong The strongest main dining room of the big-ship lines we rank, second only to Oceania for food overall.	Good Solid main dining and plenty of casual venues, with the most choice on Sun and Star Princess; the best meals cost extra without Premier.
Cabins	Good Edge-class Infinite Verandas, AquaClass and The Retreat suites give real choice, though the Millennium ships are older.	Good The Sphere- and Royal-class ships have modern balcony cabins; the Grand-class ships that run many long routes are older.
Ship and onboard	Strong The Edge ships are some of the best-designed large ships at sea, with a calm, adult feel and no mega-ship crowds.	Good Plenty of dining, shows and quiet spaces, and the Medallion wearable makes boarding and payments easy, but few big-ship thrills.
Itineraries	Strong Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Canada and New England, Australia and Asia, plus a Galapagos ship.	Strong The strongest Alaska program of any line, with the most Glacier Bay calls and its own lodges, plus Europe, Mexico, Hawaii and the Panama Canal.
What is included	Good All Included fares add a Classic drinks package and Basic Wi-Fi; crew tips and specialty restaurants stay extra.	Good The base fare is standard, but Plus bundles drinks, Wi-Fi and crew tips, and Premier adds specialty dining, photos and an excursion credit.
Fit	Good An excellent fit for couples and adult groups, a reasonable one for teens, a poor one for young kids who want slides.	Good A strong fit for couples, retirees and multi-generation groups, a weak one for families with kids who want slides.

Celebrity wins on food and ships; Princess matches it on itineraries and inclusions and wins outright in Alaska. That is why Celebrity tops our overall cruise line rankings while Princess tops our best cruise lines for Alaska.

Strengths

Celebrity: food and design. Its main dining room is the strongest of the big-ship lines we rank, and the Edge-class ships (Celebrity Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent and Xcel) are some of the best-designed large ships at sea, with the Magic Carpet, a moving platform on the side of the ship. Most ships carry about 2,100 to 3,300 guests. The All Included fare bundles a Classic drinks package and Basic Wi-Fi. Celebrity also runs a Galapagos ship, the 100-guest Celebrity Flora.

Princess: Alaska and ease. Princess sends eight ships to Alaska in 2027, has 85 Glacier Bay calls scheduled and runs five of its own wilderness lodges for Denali cruisetours. The Medallion wearable handles boarding, unlocks your cabin door and pays for things on board. Its Plus and Premier packages bundle drinks, Wi-Fi and crew tips, so the real cost is easy to see.

Weaknesses

Celebrity: higher fares than Princess, and crew tips and specialty restaurants stay extra even on All Included fares. It has no Glacier Bay permit, so its Alaska sailings go to Hubbard Glacier or Endicott Arm instead. The Millennium-class ships are older.

Princess: the fleet varies a lot in age, from the 2025 Star Princess back to the 1998 Grand Princess, so check which ship you’re booking. The food is solid rather than a highlight, and there are few big-ship thrills.

Who should pick which

Couples on a Caribbean or Europe trip: Celebrity, for the food and the Edge-class ships.
Alaska first-timers: Princess, for Glacier Bay, more dates and Denali lodges.
Multi-generation groups: Princess. It is our pick for multigenerational trips in the best family cruises.
Food-focused travelers: Celebrity. For even better food at a higher fare, look at Oceania.
Retirees who want a calm, familiar routine: Princess, or Holland America; see Holland America vs Princess.
Galapagos: Celebrity. Princess doesn’t sail there.

Price and what’s included

Both are premium lines, but Princess is often priced closer to the mainstream lines and Celebrity a step higher. The packages work differently, so compare the total:

Celebrity All Included: the fare bundles the Classic Drink Package (with the drinks-package gratuities) and Basic Wi-Fi. Onboard crew gratuities are charged separately. Cruise-only fares without the bundle also exist.
Princess Plus and Premier: add-on packages, priced per person, per day. Plus bundles up to 15 drinks a day, Wi-Fi for one device, crew gratuities and four casual dining meals per cruise. Premier raises that to unlimited drinks, Wi-Fi for four devices and unlimited specialty dining, and adds photos, reserved theater seating and a shore excursion credit.

If you’d buy drinks and Wi-Fi anyway, both come out cheaper than paying as you go. See our all-inclusive cruise guide for how the bundles compare.

Ships

Celebrity has 14 ocean ships in three classes. The Edge class is the reason most people book, with Celebrity Beyond a good example; the Solstice ships, such as Celebrity Reflection, have a real lawn on the top deck and are the value pick. Celebrity Xcite is due in 2028.

Princess has 17 ships from about 2,000 to 4,300 guests. The Sphere-class Sun Princess and Star Princess are the newest and largest; the six Royal-class ships, such as Sky Princess, are the modern core of the fleet. No further Sphere-class ship is on order.

Food

Celebrity wins. It has the stronger main dining room, and its specialty restaurants are a step up again. Princess’s main dining is solid and it has plenty of casual venues, with the most choice on Sun and Star Princess, but it isn’t a reason to book on its own. Our guide to eating healthy on a cruise works on either.

Itineraries

Alaska: Princess, clearly. It is one of six lines the National Park Service lets into Glacier Bay, and it pairs cruises with its own lodges near Denali. Celebrity sends Celebrity Edge, Solstice and Summit on round trips from Seattle and Vancouver and one-ways to Seward, and is our pick for food on an Alaska cruise. See the Princess Alaska guide.

Europe: both are strong. Celebrity sails the Mediterranean, Greek Isles and Northern Europe from April to October. In 2027 Princess sails the Mediterranean from Athens, Barcelona, Rome, Istanbul and Trieste, and Northern Europe from Southampton and Copenhagen. See our European cruise guide.

Caribbean and Canada: both sail the Caribbean in winter, mostly from Fort Lauderdale (Celebrity also uses Miami), and Canada and New England from New York and Boston in the fall.

Only on one line: the Galapagos, on Celebrity Flora. Princess answers with longer Alaska round trips from San Francisco and Los Angeles for travelers who’d rather not fly.

Families and adults

Neither line has water slides. Princess has kids’ and teen clubs and draws more multi-generation groups; Celebrity has a kids’ program but skews more adult. For adults, both have a quiet adults-only retreat: the Solarium pool area on many Celebrity ships and The Sanctuary on Princess ships such as Sun Princess. Celebrity appears in our best cruises for adults as the best adult-leaning modern ship.

Celebrity vs Princess FAQ

Is Celebrity better than Princess?

For most adults, yes: better food and better-designed ships. Princess is the better choice for Alaska and for multi-generation trips. Our Celebrity review and Princess review grade each line in full.

Is Celebrity more expensive than Princess?

Usually, for the same length of trip. Compare totals, though: Celebrity’s All Included fare covers drinks and Wi-Fi but not crew tips, while Princess Plus covers drinks, Wi-Fi and tips.

Is Celebrity or Princess better for Alaska?

Princess. It goes into Glacier Bay, has more ships and dates, and runs its own Denali lodges. Celebrity is the pick if food matters most and Glacier Bay doesn’t.

Which line is better for older travelers, Celebrity or Princess?

Princess suits travelers who want a familiar routine and lots of itineraries; Celebrity suits those who want a more contemporary ship and better food. Holland America is worth a look too.

Are Celebrity and Princess owned by the same company?

No. Celebrity belongs to Royal Caribbean Group; Princess belongs to Carnival Corporation.

Celebrity vs Princess cruises: which premium line should you book?

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