Discovery Princess cruise ship: who it suits and which cabin to book

Discovery Princess at a glance

Line

Princess Cruises

Class

Royal

Entered service

2022

Gross tonnage

145,000

Guests

About 3,660 (double occupancy)

Crew

About 1,346

Decks

19

Part of the Princess Cruises fleet. Sister ships: Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess, Enchanted Princess. Home ports: Los Angeles / Long Beach, Vancouver.

Discovery Princess was built by Fincantieri in Italy and delivered in January 2022. Its first cruise, on March 27, 2022, was a week to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles, and it was christened at the Port of Los Angeles that April. It is the sixth and last Royal-class ship in the Princess Cruises fleet. It is about 1,083 feet long. After a winter in Australia it had a two-week drydock in Singapore in November 2025, with new carpets, upholstery and furniture in public areas and cabins.

Where does Discovery Princess sail in 2026–2027?

Discovery Princess spends winter 2026–27 in Los Angeles, on 7-day Mexican Riviera round trips from October 2026 to April 2027. In summer 2027 it sails Alaska from Vancouver: one-way Voyage of the Glaciers cruises to Whittier, near Anchorage, with Glacier Bay, and Inside Passage round trips. In late 2027 it returns to Los Angeles.

• Autumn 2026: down the coast. One-way voyages from Vancouver to Los Angeles in September 2026, with stops such as San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Catalina Island and San Diego.
• Winter 2026–27: Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles. 7-day round trips to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, almost every Saturday. See our Mexico cruise guide and Los Angeles cruise port guide.
• Summer 2027: Alaska. 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruises between Vancouver and Whittier with two glacier days, one of them in Glacier Bay National Park, plus 6- to 10-day Inside Passage trips from Vancouver, many of them with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. CruiseBound also lists 14-night combinations and a 14-night Alaska trip from Los Angeles in May 2027. See our Vancouver cruise port guide.
• Winter 2027–28 and summer 2028: the sailings on sale repeat the pattern, with Mexican Riviera trips from Los Angeles from October 2027 and Alaska from Vancouver in 2028.

Sample Discovery Princess sailings. From-prices per person, checked October 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Oct 31, 2026	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,219	Check price
Nov 7, 2026	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$649	Check price
Nov 21, 2026	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,049	Check price
Nov 28, 2026	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,165	Check price
Dec 5, 2026	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,199	Check price
Dec 12, 2026	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,123	Check price
Dec 19, 2026	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,119	Check price
Dec 26, 2026	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$7,879	Check price
Jan 2, 2027	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,568	Check price
Jan 9, 2027	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$549	Check price
Jan 16, 2027	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,099	Check price
Jan 23, 2027	Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess	7	7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California)	$1,152	Check price

Is Discovery Princess good for an Alaska cruise?

Yes. Discovery Princess is a strong pick for Alaska in 2027 because its 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruises include Glacier Bay National Park and a second glacier day, and most cabins have a balcony for the scenery. The one-way route between Vancouver and Whittier also makes it easy to add a land tour before or after the cruise.

The trade-off is logistics: a one-way cruise means an open-jaw flight. If you would rather start and end in the same city, pick one of its Inside Passage round trips from Vancouver, which visit Endicott Arm instead of Glacier Bay. Our Princess Alaska guide compares every Princess ship and route, and our best cruise lines for Alaska compares the other lines.

Who it suits

First-time cruisers in Southern California. A Saturday 7-day Mexican Riviera trip from Los Angeles needs no flights for many people, and a modern ship makes a good first impression of cruising.

Couples and retirees who want plenty of dining choice and shows on a big ship without thrill rides.

Families with children who don’t need a water park. There are kids’ clubs for ages 3 to 7 and 8 to 12 and a teen lounge for 13 to 17, plus Two Bedroom Family Suites for up to eight. For slides and rides, look at Royal Caribbean.

Who should look elsewhere: anyone who wants a smaller ship. From Los Angeles in winter, Emerald Princess is a smaller, older Princess ship sailing 16-day Hawaii round trips.

Standout features

• Sky Suites: two suites of about 1,808 and 1,873 square feet including very large balconies, sleeping up to five with two bathrooms.
• The Piazza: the central atrium with street performers, boutiques and a spiral staircase.
• Princess Theater: Princess calls it the largest theater it has built so far.
• Movies Under the Stars: an open-air poolside screen.
• The Sanctuary: an adults-only outdoor retreat, and The Enclave thermal suite in the Lotus Spa.

Cabins to pick, cabins to avoid

Cabins run from interiors (about 158 to 162 square feet) and deluxe oceanviews (about 172 square feet) to balconies (about 214 to 222 square feet including the balcony), deluxe balconies (about 233 to 279 square feet), mini-suites (about 323 square feet), suites (about 460 to 932 square feet) and the two Sky Suites.

Pick:

• Sky Suites (S309 and S310) if your budget stretches, for the largest balconies on board.
• Extended balconies such as L301, L302, D226, D227 and D701 to D710, which have more outdoor space for the same cabin type.
• Midship balconies on lower decks if you get seasick, close to the lifts and with the least motion.
• Interior cabins if you will spend your time on deck; there are connecting interiors for families.

Avoid or think twice:

• Forward balconies L101 to L108 and M101 to M108, which can be too windy to use at sea.
• Obstructed-view cabins on most of Deck 8 (Emerald deck), where lifeboats block the view, and L109, L110, L114 and L115.
• Cabins under the pool deck (S114 to S221, M310 to M421 and M701 to M725), where loungers are moved early in the morning.
• Emerald deck cabins E123, E125 and E128 to E227, which sit above the evening entertainment venues.
• Balconies that jut out on Deck 9 (D145 to D277, D701 to D725), which guests above can look down onto.

Dining and activities

The main dining room offers traditional, flexible or walk-in dining. Included food covers the World Fresh Marketplace buffet, the 24-hour International Café, Slice Pizzeria, The Salty Dog Grill, Swirls Ice Cream Bar and afternoon tea. Specialty restaurants carry a charge: Crown Grill, Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, The Catch by Rudi and Gigi’s Pizzeria by Alfredo. 360: An Extraordinary Experience is a dinner show with a cover charge.

Bars include Good Spirits at Sea, Crooners, Bellini’s and O’Malley’s Irish Pub. Drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are extra unless you buy a Princess Plus or Premier package; see our Princess line guide.

Sister ships

Discovery Princess is the last of six Royal-class ships. Royal Princess (2013) and Regal Princess (2014) are the original pair; Sky Princess (2019), Enchanted Princess and Majestic Princess complete the class. The onboard layout is close to the same, so pick the sister whose dates and ports suit you.

Discovery Princess FAQ

Does Discovery Princess go to Alaska?

Yes. In summer 2027 it sails 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruises between Vancouver and Whittier with Glacier Bay National Park, and Inside Passage round trips from Vancouver with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier.

Where does Discovery Princess sail from in winter?

Los Angeles. From October 2026 to April 2027 it sails 7-day Mexican Riviera round trips to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, and the sailings on sale show the same pattern for winter 2027–28.

How big is Discovery Princess?

About 145,000 gross tons and 1,083 feet long, with about 3,660 guests at double occupancy, about 1,346 crew and 19 decks.

When was Discovery Princess built?

Fincantieri delivered it in January 2022, and its first cruise left Los Angeles on March 27, 2022. It had a refurbishment drydock in Singapore in November 2025.

Is Discovery Princess a good ship?

We don’t publish ratings for ships. It is one of the newest Princess ships, with many balconies, a wide choice of restaurants and the Sky Suites, but no water park. Compare Princess with other lines on our cruise line rankings.