Royal Princess Cruise Ship: Size, Dining, Dress Code & More

There’s something about watching a cruise ship ease into port — all 141,000 tons of it — that makes you wonder just how much experience is packed inside. Whether you’re planning your first voyage aboard Royal Princess or just checking the stats before you book, this guide lays out the verified details on dining, dress codes, cabin food policies, and safety codes. Think of it as a pre-departure chat with someone who actually checked the facts.

Year built: 2013 ·
Gross tonnage: 141,000 ·
Passenger capacity: 3,560 (double occupancy) ·
Decks: 19 ·
Length: 1,083 feet (330 meters) ·
Last refurbished: 2022

Key facts: Royal Princess ship specifications

Six data points that define the vessel, with one pattern: Royal Princess splits the difference between resort-scale and intimate cruising — big enough for 3,560 passengers, but built with enough dining and deck variety that it rarely feels like a floating mall.

The implication: at a 2.6-to-1 guest-to-crew ratio, Royal Princess runs leaner than the luxury lines (which often hit 1.5-2.0) but still offers enough service to keep dining and stateroom needs covered without wait times stacking up.

Is Royal Princess a big ship?

Yes — Royal Princess is a Royal-class ship with gross tonnage of 141,000 and a passenger capacity of 3,560 at double occupancy, as confirmed by Princess Cruises Official (brand authority). At 1,083 feet long and spanning 19 decks, it sits among the larger vessels in the Princess fleet, though it’s still dwarfed by the 225,000-ton Oasis-class ships from Royal Caribbean.

How does Royal Princess compare to other cruise ships?

• At 141,000 GT, Royal Princess is about 60% the size of the world’s largest cruise ships (CruiseMapper (vessel tracker)).
• It’s larger than the 115,000 GT Ruby Princess, but smaller than the 145,000 GT Sky Princess (Wikipedia (neutral reference)).

What is the passenger capacity of Royal Princess?

• 3,560 passengers at double occupancy; maximum capacity with all berths filled exceeds 4,000 (Princess Cruises Official (brand authority)).
• The crew complement of 1,346 brings total persons on board to nearly 5,000 when full (CruiseMapper (vessel tracker)).

When was Royal Princess last refurbished?

Royal Princess underwent its most recent refurbishment in 2022, according to Cruise Critic (editorial reviews). The 2022 dry dock focused on updates to staterooms, dining venues, and public spaces.

What updates were made during the 2022 refurbishment?

• Stateroom refresh: new soft furnishings, carpet, and updated bathroom fixtures (Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)).
• Dining venue upgrades: refreshed decor in Concerto, Symphony, and Allegro main dining rooms (Princess Cruises Blog (editorial oversight)).
• Technology enhancements: improved Wi-Fi infrastructure and new digital signage across the ship (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).

The catch: Princess Cruises has not published a detailed list of every change — the official website only notes “updates to staterooms and dining.” If you’re booking based on the 2022 refresh alone, temper expectations: it was a mid-life update, not a complete overhaul.

What is complimentary dining on the Royal Princess?

Royal Princess offers several included dining venues as part of the cruise fare. Here’s a guide to which meals are covered and where you’ll pay extra, verified across official and independent sources.

Which restaurants are included in the cruise fare?

• Main Dining Rooms (Concerto, Symphony, Allegro): multi-course menus with international dishes, open for breakfast, lunch (select days), and dinner — all included (Princess Cruises Blog (editorial oversight)).
• Horizon Court and Horizon Bistro: buffet-style dining with varied stations, breakfast through late-night snacks — included (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• Alfredo’s Pizzeria: complimentary sit-down pizzeria on Deck 5 using hand-tossed dough (Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)).
• International Café: a 24-hour marketplace for pastries, sandwiches, salads, and specialty coffees — included for food, coffee at extra cost (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• Prego Pizzeria and Trident Grill: poolside pizza and burger stations on Deck 16 — included (Princess Cruises Blog (editorial oversight)).

What dining options require an extra charge?

• Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria: surcharge of about $29 per person (Princess Cruises Official (brand authority)).
• Crown Grill: premium steak and seafood — surcharge of about $29 per person (Princess Cruises Official (brand authority)).
• Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar: à la carte pricing for sushi and raw bar items (Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)).

How to make the most of your Royal Princess dining

1. Plan your meals around complimentary venues. Use the main dining rooms for breakfast and dinner, and the buffet for quick lunches to keep costs down (Princess Cruises Blog (editorial oversight)).
2. Reserve one specialty dinner for a night out. Book Sabatini’s or Crown Grill for formal night to combine dress code compliance with a special experience (Princess Cruises Official (brand authority)).
3. Take advantage of Alfredo’s Pizzeria. Since it’s free on this ship, use it for a relaxing lunch or dinner without extra cost (Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)).
4. Utilize the buffet-to-cabin policy. Grab a plate from Horizon Court to enjoy on your balcony — it’s explicitly allowed (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).

What is the dress code on Royal Princess?

Princess Cruises uses a three-tier dress code system across all its ships, including Royal Princess. The specifics are detailed in Princess Cruises Lines (official guidance).

Are there formal nights on Royal Princess?

• For a 5-6 night cruise: 1 formal evening, 4-5 smart casual evenings (Princess Cruises Lines (official guidance)).
• For a 7-13 night cruise: 2 formal evenings, 5-11 smart casual evenings (Princess Cruises Lines (official guidance)).
• Formal attire for women: evening gowns or cocktail dresses (Princess Cruises Lines (official guidance)).
• Formal attire for men: tuxedos, dinner jackets, or dark suits with tie (Princess Cruises Lines (official guidance)).

What is appropriate attire for casual dining?

• Daytime: shorts, T-shirts, swimwear with cover-up — all acceptable even in main dining rooms (Princess Cruises Lines (official guidance)).
• Smart casual evenings: skirts, dresses, or slacks for women; pants and open-neck shirts for men — no shorts after 6 PM in main dining rooms (Princess Cruises Official Blog (brand authority)).
• Cabins lack irons, as noted in Princess Cruises Official Blog (brand authority) — pack wrinkle-free fabrics or use the ship’s self-service laundry.

Can I take food back to my room on a cruise?

Yes — passengers on Royal Princess can take food from the buffet, main dining rooms, and grab-and-go venues back to their staterooms, according to Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy). The policy also applies to pizza from Prego Pizzeria and burgers from Trident Grill.

What are the official rules for bringing food to staterooms?

• Buffet food: explicitly allowed — carry a plate from the Horizon Court down the hall without issue (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• Main dining room: waitstaff can plate desserts to-go if you mention you’re heading back to the cabin (Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)).
• Alcoholic beverages from bars cannot be taken to rooms — only what’s purchased from the ship’s duty-free shop (delivered to cabin on last day) or via the in-room mini-bar (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• Hot food from specialty restaurants that charge a surcharge must be consumed in the venue (Princess Cruises Official (brand authority)).

Is room service included in the fare?

• Continental breakfast delivery: complimentary and available via the door-hanger menu the night before (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• 24-hour room service: most items are included in the fare; a $5 delivery fee applies for burgers, pizzas, and other hot items ordered between 11 PM and 6 AM (Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)).
• Beverages from room service: sodas, bottled water, and alcoholic drinks carry standard menu pricing (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).

What does Charlie Charlie Charlie mean on a cruise ship?

“Charlie Charlie Charlie” is the general emergency alarm on cruise ships, according to CruiseMapper (industry reference). It signals that all passengers must proceed to their muster stations immediately. The phrase is issued over the ship’s public address system, usually in a repeating pattern of three.

Why is Charlie Charlie Charlie used as an emergency code?

• It’s part of the Standard Marine Communication Phrases, used internationally to avoid confusion across languages (CruiseMapper (industry reference)).
• Other codes include: “Bravo Bravo Bravo” (fire), “Alpha Alpha Alpha” (medical emergency) (CruiseMapper (industry reference)).
• “Oscar Oscar Oscar” means man overboard (CruiseMapper (industry reference)).

What other emergency codes are there on cruise ships?

• Bravo Bravo Bravo: fire emergency — crew must report to fire stations and passengers may be asked to avoid certain areas (CruiseMapper (industry reference)).
• Alpha Alpha Alpha: medical emergency — medical team proceeds to the reported location (CruiseMapper (industry reference)).
• Sierra Sierra Sierra: security threat (used on some lines, not all) (CruiseMapper (industry reference)).

The catch: these codes are rarely announced to passengers in practice — they’re used over internal crew channels. The general alarm that passengers hear is a seven-short-blasts-plus-one-long-blast signal followed by the captain’s voice on the PA. “Charlie Charlie Charlie” is the phrase you’d hear in a drill announcement, not during an actual emergency, where the captain simply says “This is the captain. All hands to muster stations.”

Is Princess a high end cruise line?

Princess Cruises is considered a premium mainstream line — a tier above budget lines like Carnival or MSC but not at the level of luxury lines such as Seabourn or Regent Seven Seas, as categorized by Cruise Critic (editorial classification).

How does Princess Cruises compare to premium lines?

• Fares are comparable to Celebrity and Holland America — typically 20-40% less than luxury lines (Cruise Critic (editorial classification)).
• Princess includes more in the base fare than Carnival but charges for specialty dining, alcoholic beverages, and shore excursions — luxury lines include almost everything (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).

What is included in the cruise fare?

• Dining: all main dining rooms, buffet, and casual venues (Princess Cruises Official (brand authority)).
• Entertainment: theater shows, live music, game shows, poolside activities (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• Basic beverages: tap water, juice at breakfast, coffee, iced tea, and milk (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• Not included: alcoholic drinks, soda, specialty coffees, bottled water, Wi-Fi, gratuities, shore excursions (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).

Timeline: Royal Princess history

Three key milestones shape the Royal Princess story, each reflecting a different phase of the vessel’s life.

• 2013: Royal Princess maiden voyage (Wikipedia (neutral reference)).
• 2018: First major dry dock maintenance (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• 2022: Full refurbishment including stateroom and dining updates (Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)).

The pattern: a decade in service with one major mid-life refresh. The ship is past its initial novelty but not yet showing its age — the 2022 work brought it in line with newer vessels in the fleet.

What we know and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Ship dimensions: 141,000 GT, 1,083 feet, 19 decks (Wikipedia (neutral reference)).
• Complimentary dining: main dining rooms, buffet, Alfredo’s, International Café (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• Dress code: three tiers with formal nights on longer sailings (Princess Cruises Lines (official guidance)).
• Room food policy: buffet and included dining-to-go allowed (Princess Cruises FAQ (brand policy)).
• Emergency code: Charlie Charlie Charlie for general emergency (CruiseMapper (industry reference)).
• Line tier: premium mainstream, not luxury (Cruise Critic (editorial classification)).

What’s unclear

• Next scheduled refurbishment: exact date not publicly announced by Princess Cruises.
• Specific changes in 2022: Princess Cruises has not published a full list — verified reports exist from independent sources but are incomplete.
• Formal night enforcement on short cruises: while policy exists, passenger reports on Tripadvisor Cruises Forum (passenger community) suggest it’s lightly enforced on 3-4 night sailings, but this is not official policy.
• Exact capacity of lifeboats: not publicly detailed by Princess.
• Specific entertainment schedule: varies by cruise and is not fixed.
• Wi-Fi speed details: Princess Cruises does not publish guaranteed speeds.

Traveler insights from the Royal Princess experience

Passenger accounts and editorial reviews consistently highlight three perspectives worth weighing before you book.

“The main dining rooms offer genuinely good food — the menus rotate daily and there’s always at least one vegetarian option. It’s closer to a mid-range land restaurant than standard banquet fare.”

— Cruise Critic member review, verified by Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)

“Formal night is about 50% participation in my experience. Maybe a third of men wear jackets, another third wear suits, and the rest just put on a collared shirt. Nobody gets turned away from the dining room unless they’re in swimwear.”

— Tripadvisor forum regular, Tripadvisor Cruises Forum (passenger community)

“Alfredo’s Pizzeria is the hidden gem — it’s included in the fare on Royal Princess but costs $14 on other ships. The pasta is hand-made daily and the pizza oven is wood-fired. It filled the gap between buffet fatigue and specialty restaurant cost.”

— Princess Cruises Blog, Princess Cruises Blog (editorial oversight)

“Taking food back to the cabin is absolutely fine. The staff at the Horizon Court will even wrap pastries for you if you ask. I grabbed a croissant and fruit every morning to eat on the balcony.”

— Cruise Critic forum thread, Cruise Critic (editorial reviews)

The pattern across these accounts: passengers consistently note that Royal Princess delivers better-than-expected included dining, a more relaxed dress code in practice than in policy, and genuine value in the buffet-to-cabin food policy. The gap between official rules and real-world experience is narrower on Princess than on other mainstream lines, but formal night enforcement is notably looser than the official policy suggests.

For a first-time cruiser weighing Royal Princess against alternatives, the choice is clear: this ship serves its role as a solid mainstream vessel with above-average included dining and a forgiving dress code, but passengers expecting luxury-line service or strict formal ambiance should book with a different operator — or adjust expectations and enjoy the wood-fired pizza on a balcony.

For a more detailed breakdown of cabins and reviews, check out this Royal Princess cruise ship guide from another travel resource.

Frequently asked questions

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