Grand Princess cruise ship: where it sails and who it suits

Grand Princess at a glance

Line

Princess Cruises

Class

Grand

Entered service

1998

Gross tonnage

107,517

Guests

About 2,600 (double occupancy)

Crew

About 1,150

Decks

17

Part of the Princess Cruises fleet. Sister ships: Caribbean Princess, Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Ruby Princess. Home ports: Brisbane, Sydney.

Grand Princess was built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, Italy, and sailed its maiden voyage on May 26, 1998. It gave its name to the Grand class. It has had several refits since, including a large drydock in 2011 described at the time as the most extensive in Princess history. It remains on Princess’s current fleet list, and Princess has announced sailings for it in Australia through the 2027–28 season. See where it fits in the Princess Cruises fleet.

Is Grand Princess still sailing in 2026–2027?

Yes. Grand Princess is in the Princess fleet for 2026 and 2027, and nothing Princess has published says it is leaving. What changes is where it sails:

• It spent summer 2026 in Alaska on 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruises between Vancouver and Whittier (for Anchorage).
• One of its last US West Coast sailings is a 10-day Baja Peninsula and Sea of Cortez cruise that left Los Angeles on September 25, 2026, with an overnight in Cabo San Lucas. See our Los Angeles cruise port guide.
• It then moves to Australia and spends about a year and a half there, taking over from Crown Princess as the year-round Princess ship in Australia.

Who it suits

Australian and New Zealand cruisers who want short breaks, Queensland and Tasmania coastal trips or longer South Pacific voyages on a familiar ship.

Travelers who prefer a mid-sized ship. At about 2,600 guests, Grand Princess is much smaller than Sun and Star Princess, which carry about 4,300.

Value-first cruisers who care about the route and the price more than the newest venues.

Who should look elsewhere: anyone who wants a modern ship. For a US-based Princess cruise in 2027, look at Royal Princess or Star Princess in Alaska, or the Caribbean ships from Florida.

Standout features

• Movies Under the Stars: films on a big outdoor screen by the pool.
• The Conservatory: a pool area with pools and hot tubs.
• The Sanctuary: an adults-only retreat.
• The Piazza: the central atrium, styled on a European town square.
• Two Bedroom Family Suites that sleep up to eight, with two bathrooms and a balcony.

Cabins to pick, cabins to avoid

Grand Princess has 1,301 guest cabins: interiors, oceanviews, balconies, mini-suites, suites and family suites.

Pick:

• Two Bedroom Family Suites if you are traveling as a group of up to eight.
• Interior cabins if you want the lowest fare and will spend little time in the room.

Avoid or think twice:

• Cabins directly under the Lido deck pool area, where deck chairs scrape early and late.
• Forward balconies on the upper decks, which can be too windy to use at sea.
• High forward and aft cabins if you get seasick.
• Cabins next to guest laundry rooms and near crew stairwells at the front of the ship.
• Obstructed-view oceanview cabins (lifeboats block the view), unless the price makes up for it.
• High aft balconies, which can collect soot from the funnel.

Before you book, open the deck plan and check what sits directly above, below and beside the cabin you want.

Dining and activities

Main dining rooms have flexible seating. Included casual food includes the World Fresh Marketplace buffet, International Café, Slice Pizzeria, the Salty Dog Grill and Coffee & Cones. Extra-charge options include Crown Grill (steakhouse), Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, Alfredo’s Pizzeria and the Chef’s Table. Other things to do on board include the Princess Theater, the casino, the One5 late-night club, the art gallery, the Lotus Spa and fitness center.

As on every Princess ship, drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are extra unless you buy a Princess Plus or Premier package. Princess sells both packages on its Australian site as well, so they apply to the Australia sailings too.

Where Grand Princess sails in 2026–2027

• Summer 2026: Alaska, on Voyage of the Glaciers cruises between Vancouver and Whittier.
• September 2026: Los Angeles, with the 10-day Baja cruise that sailed on September 25.
• From late 2026: Australia. Its first sailings on sale there leave Sydney in November 2026. It sails mainly from Brisbane and Sydney, with some departures from Fremantle (for Perth) and Auckland: short getaways, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia trips, New Zealand, and South Pacific voyages to Fiji and Papua New Guinea. An almost three-month voyage around the Pacific is also scheduled for 2027.
• 2027–28: still in Australia, sailing from Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Adelaide and Melbourne, with some voyages between Sydney and Singapore.

Sample Grand Princess sailings. From-prices per person, checked September 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Nov 18, 2026	Princess Cruises, Grand Princess	12	12 Night Australia Cruise (from Sydney, Australia)	$2,467	Check price
Mar 8, 2027	Princess Cruises, Grand Princess	8	8 Night Australia Cruise (from Brisbane, Australia)	$1,029	Check price
May 17, 2027	Princess Cruises, Grand Princess	17	17 Night Australia Cruise (from Fremantle, Australia)	$2,474	Check price
Aug 5, 2027	Princess Cruises, Grand Princess	30	30 Night World Cruise (from Tokyo, Japan)	$4,578	Check price
Sep 2, 2027	Princess Cruises, Grand Princess	2	2 Night Australia Cruise (from Brisbane, Australia)	$54	Check price
Sep 8, 2027	Princess Cruises, Grand Princess	31	31 Night South Pacific Cruise (from Auckland, New Zealand)	$3,917	Check price

Sister ships

Grand Princess was the first Grand-class ship. Its original twins, Golden Princess and the earlier Star Princess, have left the fleet (the current Star Princess is a new Sphere-class ship). The later, slightly larger ships of the same family, such as Crown, Emerald and Ruby Princess, are usually grouped in the Grand class too. If you want a similar ship on US routes in 2027, those are the closest match.

Grand Princess FAQ

Is Grand Princess still in service?

Yes. It is on Princess’s current fleet list and has announced sailings in Australia through the 2027–28 season. It is the oldest ship in the fleet, dating from 1998.

Where is Grand Princess sailing in Australia?

Mainly from Brisbane and Sydney, on short breaks, coastal trips around Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia, New Zealand cruises and South Pacific voyages. In 2027–28 Princess adds departures from Auckland, Adelaide and Melbourne.

Does Grand Princess do Alaska cruises?

It sailed Alaska in summer 2026 on Vancouver–Whittier Voyage of the Glaciers cruises. It has no Alaska season announced for 2027, when it is based in Australia.

How big is Grand Princess?

About 107,517 gross tons, with about 2,600 guests at double occupancy, about 1,150 crew and 17 decks.

Is Grand Princess a good ship?

It is an older ship that has been refitted several times. It lacks the restaurants and newer cabin designs of the Royal- and Sphere-class ships, so book it when the itinerary or price suits you. Compare it with newer ships on our cruise line rankings.