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

Sapphire Princess at a glance

Line

Princess Cruises

Class

Grand

Entered service

2004

Gross tonnage

115,875

Guests

About 2,670 (double occupancy)

Crew

About 1,100

Part of the Princess Cruises fleet. Sister ships: Grand Princess, Caribbean Princess, Diamond Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Ruby Princess. Home ports: Singapore, Tokyo, Fremantle.

Sapphire Princess was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, Japan, and entered service with Princess Cruises in 2004. It was christened in Seattle in June 2004, the first cruise ship christened there. It is about 952 feet long, with 1,337 guest cabins, more than 700 of them with balconies, and about 1,100 crew. Its only identical sister is Diamond Princess, built at the same yard.

Why did Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess swap names?

The hull that became Sapphire Princess was meant to be Diamond Princess. A major fire damaged it while it was being built in Nagasaki, which would have delayed its delivery. To keep Diamond Princess on schedule, the two hulls swapped names: the sister hull being built alongside it became Diamond Princess, and the fire-damaged one became Sapphire Princess.

Where does Sapphire Princess sail in 2026–2027?

Sapphire Princess spends winter 2026–27 on Southeast Asia cruises from Singapore, then sails Japan cruises from Tokyo from March to September 2027. In the fall of 2027 it moves south to Australia, with a season based in Fremantle, the port for Perth, plus sailings from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland.

• November 2026: heading for Asia. A 16-night Panama Canal crossing from Fort Lauderdale on November 6 starts its move from Europe to Asia. Our Panama Canal cruise guide explains these trips.
• December 2026 to March 2027: Southeast Asia. Princess bases both Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess in Singapore from December 2026. Sapphire Princess has 14-night Southeast Asia cruises between Singapore and Tokyo, and a 25-night version.
• March to September 2027: Japan from Tokyo. 7- to 13-day Far East cruises from the Tokyo area, with longer combinations of up to 24 days. Princess calls its 2027 Japan season its biggest yet, with two ships, 78 departures and itineraries timed for the cherry blossoms and summer festivals. See our Asia and Japan cruise guide.
• September to October 2027: south to Australia. Southeast Asia voyages from Tokyo and Singapore, of up to 28 nights, take it to Fremantle.
• October 2027 to February 2028: Australia and New Zealand. 13- to 16-night Australia cruises from Fremantle, 4-night short breaks, and 14-night Southeast Asia cruises from Fremantle, plus sailings from Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland. Our Australia and New Zealand cruise guide compares the lines.
• 2028: back to Singapore in February and to Tokyo from March 2028, according to the sailings already on sale.

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

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Nov 6, 2026	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	16	16 Night Transcanal Cruise (from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) Florida)	$2,899	Check price
Jan 23, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	14	14 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$3,530	Check price
Feb 6, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	14	14 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$3,885	Check price
Feb 20, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	25	25 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$5,294	Check price
Feb 20, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	14	14 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$2,913	Check price
Mar 6, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	11	11 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$2,082	Check price
Mar 6, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	23	23 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$4,166	Check price
Mar 17, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	12	12 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$2,081	Check price
Mar 17, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	22	22 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$3,852	Check price
Mar 29, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	10	10 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$1,781	Check price
Mar 29, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	23	23 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$4,293	Check price
Apr 8, 2027	Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess	13	13 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$2,642	Check price

Who it suits

Japan and Asia travelers. In 2027 it is one of two Princess ships sailing from Tokyo, and it adds Southeast Asia from Singapore and Fremantle in the same year. Most of its trips are 10 days or longer, with many port days.

Travelers who like a mid-size ship. At about 2,670 guests it is much smaller than the Royal-class ships, with a traditional layout and adults-only space in The Sanctuary.

Travelers in Western Australia, since it is based in Fremantle, the port for Perth, from October 2027.

Who should look elsewhere: anyone who wants to sail from the US, or a newer ship. For a Princess ship on US routes, see Discovery Princess or Caribbean Princess.

What is inside Sapphire Princess?

According to Princess, Sapphire Princess has the Princess Theater, a casino, Movies Under the Stars by the pool, Skywalkers Nightclub, the Lotus Spa and fitness center, and The Sanctuary, an adults-only retreat.

• Bars: Crooners, the Wheelhouse Bar, Vines wine bar and Good Spirits at Sea.
• Skywalkers Nightclub for late evenings.
• The Sanctuary: adults-only space to relax.
• Fine Arts Gallery and the Lotus Spa Fitness Center.

Cabins to pick, cabins to avoid

Cabins run from interiors and oceanviews to balconies, mini-suites and suites. Princess lists a Two Bedroom Family Suite that sleeps up to six on this ship.

Pick:

• The family suite if you travel as a group of five or six: two linked rooms forward with a shared living area and balcony.
• Cabins near the aft Terrace Pool, such as A740 and A752, for quick access to the quieter pool.
• Inside cabins for the lowest fare on a long voyage.
• Midship cabins on a lower deck if you get seasick; they move least.

Avoid or think twice:

• Cabins under the Lido Deck (A310 to A751), where deck chairs are moved early and late.
• Forward balconies L200, L201, A104, A201, B104, B107, C104, C107, D104 and D105, which are windy at sea.
• Obstructed oceanview cabins on Deck 8, where lifeboats block the view, plus a few forward cabins on Decks 10 and 11 that look onto the bridge.
• High aft balconies A744 to A751 and B750 to B753, where soot from the funnel can settle.
• D226, D229, C610, C611, B708 and B711, next to the laundry rooms.

Dining and activities

Princess lists the main dining room, the World Fresh Marketplace buffet, Prego Pizzeria, the Trident Grill, Swirls ice cream, the 24-hour International Café and afternoon tea as included. Crown Grill and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria are among the specialty restaurants that carry a charge.

Kids’ clubs cover ages 3 to 7 and 8 to 12, with a teen space for 13 to 17. Drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are extra unless you buy a Princess Plus or Premier package; our Princess line guide explains what each covers.

Sister ships

Sapphire Princess’s identical twin is Diamond Princess, also built by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki and also sailing from Tokyo in 2027. Its design is a variant of the Grand-class ships built in Italy, so Grand Princess, Caribbean Princess and Emerald Princess have a similar size and feel.

Sapphire Princess FAQ

Where does Sapphire Princess sail in 2027?

Southeast Asia from Singapore early in the year, Japan from Tokyo from March to September, and Australia from Fremantle (for Perth) from October 2027, with some sailings from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland.

Does Sapphire Princess sail from the US?

Not in 2027. Its last US departure on sale is a 16-night Panama Canal crossing from Fort Lauderdale in November 2026, on its way to Asia. Earlier it sailed from the US West Coast, and in summer 2026 it sailed the Baltic from Copenhagen.

How big is Sapphire Princess?

About 115,875 gross tons and 952 feet long, with about 2,670 guests at double occupancy and about 1,100 crew. That is mid-size by today’s standards.

Who built Sapphire Princess?

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, Japan. It and Diamond Princess swapped names during construction after a fire on the hull that became Sapphire Princess.

Is Sapphire Princess a good ship?

We don’t publish ratings for ships. It is an older, mid-size ship, and its appeal in 2027 is the route: Japan, Southeast Asia and Western Australia. Compare Princess with other lines on our cruise line rankings.