Caribbean Princess

Caribbean Princess entered service in April 2004 as the largest Princess ship at the time and made the pool deck different for every cruise line that followed. The Movies Under the Stars screen — a 300-square-foot LED display installed over the main pool — was designed to give the outdoor deck an anchor activity beyond the pool itself. Complimentary popcorn, outdoor seating, and the novelty of watching a major film release on an open deck while the ship crossed open ocean created an experience guests responded to immediately. Most major lines have since introduced their own variants; the concept was unusual enough in 2004 that Princess marketed the screen as a feature in its own right for the next decade.

The Grand-class formula that Caribbean Princess carries includes the standard Princess configuration: main dining room (traditional or anytime seating), Alfredo's Pizzeria (included, a Princess staple), Crown Grill steakhouse, Sabatini's Italian specialty restaurant, and the Lotus Spa. The Horizon Court buffet runs the standard breakfast-through-late-night cycle. The onboard atmosphere runs adult-skewing without being explicitly adults-only — families travel on Caribbean Princess, but the ship's programming isn't organized around active family entertainment the way Royal Caribbean's amplified ships are.

The Sanctuary — Princess's premium adults-only reserved sun deck — is available on Caribbean Princess. The reservation-required, attendant-staffed space above the pool deck noise has become one of Princess's most consistently praised offerings, and its presence on Caribbean Princess gives the ship a quiet-outdoor option that isn't easy to find on a 3,080-guest ship otherwise.

Caribbean Princess has been updated through the years — cabin refreshes, dining venue updates — without a comprehensive amplification of the kind Royal Caribbean applied to its older Freedom-class ships. The ship runs as Princess runs it: a reliably maintained, competently staffed, itinerary-focused ship at the line's standard quality level.

The guest who fits Caribbean Princess: Princess travelers booking based on itinerary — the ship sails Caribbean, European, and transatlantic programs from multiple homeports. Guests who specifically want Movies Under the Stars on a sea day. Adults and couples who want the Princess service culture at a price point below the Royal-class ships.