Emerald Princess

Life aboard Emerald Princess

Emerald Princess sits at 113,561 gross tons and spans 15 decks, giving Princess Cruises the room to pack in a dining and entertainment programme that few ships match. She is part of the Princess Cruises Grand Class — a group that includes Grand Princess, Caribbean Princess, Sapphire Princess, Diamond Princess, Crown Princess and Ruby Princess — and shares their hallmarks: a large but navigable layout, flexible dining, and enough space on board that the ship never feels crowded even at capacity.

Two enclaves give suite guests a quieter world within the larger ship. The Sanctuary Collection centres on The Sanctuary — a reserved retreat with dedicated space. The Reserve Collection goes further, offering exclusive fine dining with personalised service and bespoke menus framed by ocean views, available to Reserve Collection guests at no additional charge. For those who want the energy of a large ship with the privacy of a boutique experience, these tiers deliver both.

Dining on Emerald Princess

The dining programme runs from complimentary to genuinely special, and food lovers will find plenty to explore across the voyage. The Main Dining Rooms and the round-the-clock International Café — fresh pastries, sandwiches and salads included in your fare — anchor everyday eating. The Afternoon Tea at the International Café offers a classic tiered English service, with a complimentary option or an upgraded Royal version available.

The specialty roster is where the ship earns its reputation with serious diners. Chef’s Table and Chef’s Table Lumière seat up to 12 guests each for a multi-course chef’s menu with matched wines — intimate, unhurried and thoughtfully curated, though both carry an additional charge. Ocean Terrace Sushi serves fresh sushi and sashimi al fresco, while Makoto Ocean – Seafood & Japanese Cuisine brings acclaimed chef Makoto Okuwa’s fusion Japanese cooking to a more formal setting. Crown Grill handles premium steaks and fresh seafood; The Butcher’s Block by Dario, overseen by master butcher Dario Cecchini, celebrates authentic meat culture; and Alfredo GiGi’s turns out wood-fired pizzas and handmade pasta in a casual but polished space. Brazilian churrascaria arrives in the form of Churrascaria Brazilian Grill, where trained servers bring fire-grilled meats tableside in the traditional rodizio style. Caymus Vineyards pairs Napa Valley wines with fine cuisine in what the ship describes as the most comprehensive wine collection at sea.

For something lighter or sweeter: the Gelateria turns out artisan Italian gelato with daily-rotating flavours; Love by Britto is a colourful dessert restaurant inspired by the art of Romero Britto; Americana Diner serves classic American comfort food around the clock; and the Crab Shack pop-up lets guests crack into king crab legs and chowder on the more relaxed end of the spectrum.

Bars and lounges give the evenings their own rhythm. Crooners pairs handcrafted martinis with live piano in an Art Déco setting; Good Spirits at Sea, guided by mixologist Rob Floyd, tells the story of ports through cocktails; Bellini’s offers prosecco-based drinks and Italian-inspired sips; and O’Malley’s does exactly what an Irish pub should — draught beer, live music and sport on screen. Princess Live! hosts daily interactive entertainment, from game shows and karaoke to comedy and live music, free to enter.

Cabins and suites

Emerald Princess carries 35 cabin grades spread across four families. Inside cabins come in 7 grades, with select options featuring connecting doors — useful for families travelling together. Outside cabins run to 8 grades. Balcony cabins, the most numerous at 11 grades, include a welcome glass of sparkling wine on embarkation; note that the stated cabin area includes the balcony. Suite guests choose from 9 grades and have access to the Reserve Collection dining. The Emerald Princess cabins and deck plans page has every grade laid out with full detail — that is the right place to choose your cabin and position on board.

Where Emerald Princess sails

Emerald Princess runs a genuinely wide programme across the Pacific and Caribbean — the Caribbean from San Juan and Bridgetown, Hawaii from Los Angeles, Australian waters from Sydney, the USA West Coast from Los Angeles, and Alaska from Vancouver.

Caribbean from San Juan and Bridgetown. The largest part of her programme is a Caribbean winter season running from November through February. From San Juan, she offers 14-night round-trips calling at Bridgetown, St. Thomas, Dominica, Philipsburg, Castries, Charlestown, Road Town (Tortola) and St. George’s — a sweeping tour of the eastern and southern Caribbean. Shorter 7-night versions of the same loop cover Bridgetown, St. Thomas, Charlestown, Dominica, Philipsburg and Castries. From Bridgetown, 6- and 7-night round-trips reach San Juan, St. Thomas, Philipsburg, Dominica, Castries, Road Town, Charlestown and Antigua. Browse Caribbean cruises in 2027 and Caribbean cruises in 2028 for the full selection.

Hawaii from Los Angeles. Seven 16-night round-trips depart Los Angeles between November 2026 and October 2027, calling at Honolulu, Hilo, Nawiliwili (Kauai), Kailua-Kona, Kahului (Maui) and Ensenada. It is one of the most complete Hawaii itineraries afloat, visiting all the major islands across a single sailing. See cruises to Hawaii in 2027 for sailings and prices, or browse everything we sail to Hawaii.

Australia from Sydney. Emerald Princess homeports in Sydney for a programme that ranges from 17–20-night southern Australian loops (calling at Hobart, Melbourne, Eden, Oyster Bay, Port Arthur, Phillip Island, Kangaroo Island and Adelaide) to grand 28–43-night voyages that push north through Melbourne, Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Darwin, the Kimberley Coastal Camp, Yampi Sound and Broome — full circumnavigations of the continent. These sailings run from October 2028 through February 2029. Australia cruises from Sydney lists the available departures; the broader Australia cruises page covers everything we sell there. For those interested in the season launch, the Princess Cruises 2027–2028 season and the Princess Cruises Australia 2026–2027 season pages have full details.

USA West Coast from Los Angeles. Three 7-night round-trips run in March and April 2027, calling at San Francisco, San Diego, Ensenada and Santa Barbara — a compact coastal programme for those wanting a shorter sail along the Californian coast.

Alaska from Vancouver. Two 7-night round-trips in May and June 2027 head north from Vancouver to Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Endicott Arm and Glacier Bay — classic inside-passage territory in the brief Alaska season. See Alaska cruises from Vancouver in 2027 or browse all Vancouver to Alaska sailings.

Beyond these, she also sails New Zealand, Central America, the South Pacific and the Mexican Riviera on individual departures. Sydney to New Zealand cruises in 2027 covers her New Zealand programme; New Zealand cruises lists everything we sell there. For South Pacific options, see South Pacific cruises from Sydney in 2027 or the Circle Pacific 2027 programme.

Best suited to

Food lovers will find the specialty dining roster — from Chef’s Table Lumière to Ocean Terrace Sushi and The Butcher’s Block — substantial enough to anchor a good portion of the voyage around the table. Long-voyage travellers are well catered for: her Australian circumnavigations run to 43 nights, the Hawaii rounds to 16, and several Australian itineraries sit between 17 and 35 nights — a schedule shaped for guests who want to really go somewhere rather than sample. Suite guests benefit from both the Sanctuary Collection’s private retreat and the Reserve Collection’s exclusive dining, giving those in the top grades a genuinely distinct experience within the broader ship.

About a third of her sailings depart from Sydney or Brisbane. If you are local to either port, there is no long-haul flight involved — and if you are coming from another Australian state, it is a short domestic hop rather than an international journey. For the Caribbean, Hawaii, Alaska and US West Coast programmes, those sailings depart from the United States, Puerto Rico, Barbados or Canada — CruiseAway puts the international flights, the hotel nights either side and the transfers on the same booking as the cruise, so the whole trip is arranged in one place.

The Princess Cruises fleet

Princess Cruises currently sails 17 ships in this market. Emerald Princess belongs to the Grand Class, alongside Grand Princess, Caribbean Princess, Sapphire Princess, Diamond Princess, Crown Princess and Ruby Princess — all sharing the same hull.

The Royal Class comprises Regal Princess, Enchanted Princess, Royal Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess and Discovery Princess.

The Coral Class covers Coral Princess and Island Princess.

The Sphere Class includes Sun Princess and Star Princess.

The full line is on the Princess Cruises page, with every ship and its current sailings.

Why book with CruiseAway

CruiseAway’s cruise experts know the Princess fleet in detail — the differences between cabin grades, the nuances of each programme, which itineraries fill quickly. Every booking is backed by our Best Price Guarantee. Where the sailing departs overseas, our DreamAway Packages put the international flights, hotel stays and airport transfers on the same booking as the cruise — one conversation, one itinerary, one confirmation. Whatever cabin grade and fare inclusions suit you, we help you find them.

Read what other guests have said on the Emerald Princess reviews page, or go straight to the cabins and deck plans to choose your grade and position.

An alternative worth considering

Carnival Luminosa (Carnival Cruise Lines) also sails from Australian home ports and shares a number of the same destinations — including Australia, Barbados and the Netherlands Antilles — making her a reasonable comparison for anyone weighing up the Australian and Caribbean programmes. No flight is needed from the Australian departure ports, the same as Emerald Princess’s Sydney and Brisbane sailings.

Questions about sailing on Emerald Princess

Can I book Emerald Princess as part of a wider holiday, with flights and hotels?

Yes. CruiseAway’s DreamAway Packages are designed exactly for this. For the Caribbean, Hawaii, Alaskan and US West Coast programmes — where you are flying from Australia to join the ship — we arrange the international flights, any hotel nights you want at either end, and the transfers, all on one booking alongside the cruise. For the Australian sailings from Sydney or Brisbane, there is no international flight involved, and for guests coming from interstate it is a short domestic connection.

What is the longest sailing Emerald Princess offers?

The longest itinerary currently on sale runs to 43 nights — a round-trip from Sydney that pushes north through Melbourne, Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Darwin and into the Kimberley, calling at Kimberley Coastal Camp, Yampi Sound and Broome before returning south. The 35-night version covers much of the same ground. These grand Australia voyages depart in January and February 2029.

How does the Sanctuary Collection differ from the Reserve Collection?

The Sanctuary Collection centres on The Sanctuary — a dedicated retreat space reserved for Sanctuary guests aboard. The Reserve Collection is a dining privilege: exclusive fine dining with personalised service and bespoke menus, available to Reserve Collection cabin guests at no additional charge. Both sit within the broader suite experience and are not available to all guests.

Is the Hawaii sailing a round-trip from Los Angeles?

Yes. All seven Hawaii sailings currently on sale are 16-night round-trips departing and returning to Los Angeles. They call at Honolulu, Hilo, Nawiliwili (Kauai), Kailua-Kona and Kahului (Maui), plus Ensenada on the return leg — covering all the major islands in a single itinerary. Departures are spread across November 2026 through October 2027.

Which Princess Cruises ships share a hull with Emerald Princess?

Emerald Princess is part of Princess Cruises’ Grand Class, which also includes Grand Princess, Caribbean Princess, Sapphire Princess, Diamond Princess, Crown Princess and Ruby Princess. All are built on the same hull. If you would like to compare them, the Crown Princess, Grand Princess and Diamond Princess pages each cover their own programmes and current sailings.