Welcome to my full comparison of Royal Class vs Sphere Class — the two Princess ship classes I sail the most. I’ve sailed multiple Royal Class ships, I’ve sailed Sun Princess (Sphere Class), and I’ll be sailing Star Princess soon. Because I book based on itineraries, casino offers, and points availability — not hype — I end up sailing both classes over and over again.
This guide breaks down the real differences, the vibes, the dining, the layouts, the spas, and my honest experience sailing both classes as a real cruiser, not a brochure reader.
👉 Want to see my full reviews for every Princess ship I’ve sailed? Check out my Princess Ship Review Hub— with real photos, real experiences, and real‑mom energy.
I’m not a credit card affiliate. I only share personal referral links for cards I personally hold and use. These are the same cards I use to book my own trips — no sponsored links, no gifted cruises, just real strategies that work for me.
⭐ Quick Take: Royal vs Sphere at a Glance
Sphere Class — modern, airy, resort‑style, new dining concepts, more specialty restaurants
Royal Class — classic Princess layout, cozy, familiar, best flow, iconic spaces
If you want the “new ship” feel → Sphere. If you want the “classic Princess” feel → Royal. If you want calm, comfort, and great itineraries → both.
Every Princess cruise I review is one I personally booked using my stacking strategy — nothing sponsored, nothing gifted. Just real trips booked with real deals, casino offers, and flights on points and miles. If you want to see the exact Princess Cruises I’ve booked (with full breakdowns of what I paid and how I stacked everything), you can find them all here:
👉Princess Cruises I’ve Booked Using My Stacking Strategy
🛳️ What Is Sphere Class?
Sphere Class is Princess’s newest ship class — starting with Sun Princessand soon Star Princess. These ships feel modern, bright, and airy, with new dining concepts and redesigned spaces.
What Sphere Class is known for:
The Dome — a multi‑use entertainment space
A redesigned Piazza
More specialty restaurants
A contemporary, resort‑style vibe
Updated cabins and decor
A fresh take on Princess’s signature spaces
Sphere Class feels like Princess leveled up — without losing the calm, relaxing vibe that makes Princess… Princess.
🛳️ What Is Royal Class?
Royal Class is the “classic Princess experience” — ships like Royal Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess, Regal Princess, and Enchanted Princess.
These ships have the best layout Princess has ever designed, tons of dining options, and a cozy, familiar vibe that keeps loyal cruisers coming back.
What Royal Class is known for:
The iconic Piazza
Alfredo’s
International Café (hello almond croissant)
Great flow and easy navigation
Unique touches on each ship
Incredible viewing spaces (especially for Alaska)
Royal Class feels comfortable, classic, and reliable — but each ship still has its own personality.
I travel 12–15 times a year, and I’m carry‑on only. If you want to see the exact luggage system I use on every trip — the real bags, organizers, and Lazy Girl packing setup — you can check out my full system here. And full disclosure: my husband has “borrowed” a few pieces and now claims them as his. 👉 My Carry‑On Only Luggage System
Lazy Girl Cruise Essentials
My real cruise essentials — cute, practical, and carry‑on friendly. Updated weekly with new finds.
🍽️ Dining: Sphere vs Royal
Sphere Class Dining
Sphere Class has more specialty restaurants, and honestly, I love that. It feels elevated and modern, and the options make every night feel different.
But here’s the real‑life part: I can’t afford to get the Premier Package every single time.
When I’m traveling solo or with my sons, I’m perfectly happy without it. When I’m traveling with my husband? The Premier Package becomes a huge selling point.
He loves specialty dining, premium drinks, and the whole elevated experience. For him, it’s worth every penny — and seeing him enjoy it makes it worth it for me too.
Royal Class Dining
Royal Class has the classics:
International Café
Sabatini’s
And yes — both classes have the International Café, which is basically my morning ritual. Almond croissant + coffee = happiness.
If you want a full breakdown of every dining option across the fleet, my Princess Dining Hubhas menus, tips, and my real‑life favorites.
💆♀️ Spa Experience: Royal vs Sphere
Princess does spas really well — across both classes.
I’ve reviewed the spas on Majestic Princess(Royal Class) and Sun Princess (Sphere Class), and they’re both fantastic.
Royal Class Spa (Majestic Princess)
Majestic has one of my favorite thermal suites in the fleet. Cozy, calm, beautifully designed — the perfect “escape within an escape.”
Sphere Class Spa (Sun Princess)
Sun Princess takes the spa experience and turns the dial up. Bigger, more modern, more features — heated loungers, multiple steam rooms, a salt room, therapy pool, specialty showers, and more.
Bottom Line
If spa time is part of your vacation, you’ll be happy on either class. New to thermal spas? This is what you are missing → What Is a Cruise Thermal Spa? A Complete Guide
Recreate the Thermal Spa at Home
Everything I use to recreate that dreamy cruise‑ship thermal spa feeling at home — steam, aromatherapy, soft lighting, and cozy textures. These are my real favorites from my spa routine.
🎭 Entertainment & Shows: My Real Experience
I always share my real experiences, and here’s one of them: I’m not a “show person.” I don’t go to every production, and I’m not the best person to tell you whether the vocals were Broadway‑level.
But that’s what I love about cruising — you can make the trip your own.
I’m sailing with a friend in April who loves shows. She’ll be in the theater every night. I might go with her… or I might wander off to do something I truly enjoy: the spa, the Piazza, a quiet cocktail, a late‑night walk on deck, or just relaxing in my cabin.
Princess makes it easy to divide and conquer — both classes let you cruise your way.
💗 My Honest Take: Why I Love Both Classes
I sail both classes — repeatedly — and that alone probably tells you everything. They each give me something I love, and I never feel like I’m “settling” when I book one over the other.
The “Princess Is for Old People” Myth
I used to hear people say Princess was “for old people,” and maybe that stuck with me back when I was a never‑cruiser in my 30s and 40s.
But now that I’ve actually sailed Princess — and just turned 50 — here’s the truth:
👉 I want a relaxing vacation.
👉 I want calm.
👉 I want good food, good coffee, and good ports.
👉 I don’t need waterslides or loud pool decks.
I don’t mind kids — I have two great ones — but I don’t want a vacation full of kids. Princess gives me the calm I want with the itineraries I love.
My Virgin Voyages Reality (No Shade, Just Facts)
I’ve sailed Virgin Voyages five times — and I genuinely love them. But I started to feel like I was getting the same vacation every time.
That might be on me (five Virgin cruises in two years was definitely an obsession era), but it made me realize something:
👉 I need variety.
👉 I need different ships, different layouts, different vibes.
👉 Princess gives me that — even within the same class.
If you’re curious how Virgin compares, I have a full Virgin Voyages Hub with all five cruises I sailed during my obsession era.
🎯 So… Which Class Should You Choose?
Choose Sphere Class if:
You want the newest ships
You love specialty dining
You want modern spaces
You want the Dome
You want a fresh, contemporary vibe
Choose Royal Class if:
You want the classic Princess feel
You want the best layout
You love Alfredo’s + International Café
You want cozy, comfortable spaces
You want ships with unique personalities
Choose Both if:
You’re like me — you love Princess, you love calm, you love good food, and you love variety.
🔗 Keep Learning
Ready to book your Princess cruise? I always recommend starting here — it’s the easiest way to compare ships, dates, and deals. Click the ship to go directly to Princess Cruises (affiliate link)
👩💻 About the Author
Julie Davis is the creator of No Point Left Behind, where she shares the real trips her family books using points and miles — no cherry‑picked examples, no hypothetical redemptions, just the actual flights and hotels they book based on where they want to go.
She’s been using points and miles for over 20 years, helping her family (and her retired parents — the unofficial mascots of the blog) travel more while spending less. Julie specializes in beginner‑friendly strategies, family travel, and Lazy Girl‑approved shortcuts that make award travel feel simple instead of overwhelming.
