Royal Princess was the original Royal-class ship — launched in 2013 and the prototype for what became Princess's modern fleet identity. Twelve years on, she has settled into a confident Mediterranean rotation and now represents the cleanest pricing-versus-product trade-off in the Princess premium-mid tier. Reviewed on the standard seven-night Western Mediterranean rotation in early September 2025, she's the smartest pre-Discovery Princess to book in the region.
Itinerary
Civitavecchia is Rome's port, with most travelers either spending a day in Rome before embarkation or riding directly to the ship. Naples gives access to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Livorno is the port for Florence and Pisa — a long day for both, manageable for one. Marseille gives Provence (or the city itself, which we'd recommend over the Provence excursions). Barcelona is a full big-city day. Palma de Mallorca is a quieter, beach-focused finale.
The Western Mediterranean is the Western Mediterranean — port-dense, culturally varied, and demanding. Five port days plus two sea days is a lot of activity. We treated the sea days as serious recovery days and were grateful for the Sanctuary upgrade.
Cabins
We booked a Deluxe Balcony on Deck 9. At 222 square feet plus a 54-square-foot balcony, it's a competent Princess standard — not as generous as a mini-suite but with notably more space than entry-level balconies on competitors. Bedding is the Princess Luxury Bed standard. Bathroom is a standard tub-shower combination.
Cabin tech is one generation behind Discovery Princess — fewer USB-C ports at the bedside, a slower MedallionClass app response, an older TV interface. None of this matters in port-intensive cruising, but worth noting.
Food
The main dining rooms (Allegro, Concerto, and Symphony — same names as on Enchanted) operated competently. We ate four MDR dinners and were impressed by the consistency, particularly the seafood preparations. The Anytime Dining model worked smoothly on this less-busy September sailing.
Specialty dining was solid. Crown Grill (steakhouse, $39 cover) delivered the same excellent ribeye as on every Princess ship. Sabatini's Italian was the best Italian meal we had on the trip — better than any of the port-side restaurants at half the price. Bistro Sur la Mer (French) was a third specialty option; competent without being memorable.
Princess Pizza by the pool — included with cruise fare — is genuinely good for a free pool-deck pizza. The Italian guests gave it the highest possible compliment by ordering second slices.
Movies Under the Stars
This is the small joy of a Mediterranean Princess summer. The pool-deck big screen runs first-run films every evening, with blankets and popcorn provided. We watched a film three of seven nights and it became the routine highlight of the evenings on board. In the warm Mediterranean air, there's nothing quite like it on competitor ships.
Entertainment
Princess Theater productions are competent. Princess Live (the smaller theater) hosted the better entertainment — the comedy hour and the game shows were both well-done. The Vista Lounge late-night DJ format works.
The Sanctuary — Princess's adult-only top-deck retreat — was the daily refuge we couldn't have done without. Two sea-day bookings at $40 per person each were the best money we spent on the cruise.
Value
Deluxe Balcony for two adults in early September, booked five months ahead, came in at €2,940 all in for seven nights including taxes and gratuities. We added Princess Plus (€55/day each — Wi-Fi, beverages, two specialty dinners, gratuities pre-paid) for a final all-in of €3,710 — about €265/night per person.
Excellent value for premium-mid Mediterranean cruising. The equivalent on Celebrity Apex on a similar route was running €3,800/cabin higher at a comparable cabin level.
For the more polished Edge-class alternative on a similar route, see our Viking Star Mediterranean review; for the same Royal-class platform on the East Coast, see Discovery Princess Mexican Riviera.
Overall
Royal Princess is the right Princess ship when you're shopping the Mediterranean and the question is "what gives me the most premium-mid product per euro?" She's now twelve years old and confidently mature, with MedallionClass that works, dining that satisfies, and pricing that consistently beats newer alternatives.
Who It's For
Premium-mid Mediterranean cruisers; Princess loyalists who like the brand identity; first-time Mediterranean travelers seeking a polished but unpretentious ship.
Who It's Not For
Travelers who must have the newest hardware (book Discovery Princess or Sun Princess instead); cruisers who want a true large-ship spectacle (book Royal Caribbean Oasis class); first-time premium guests who don't want to navigate the Plus/Premier package math.
Cabin Strategy and Mediterranean Booking Notes
For Mediterranean sailings, the balcony category is essentially required — late-evening cabin returns after a long port day deserve a private outdoor space for sunset wine. The Caribe deck Premier balconies remain the best value in the fleet; their meaningfully larger outdoor footprint is worth the cabin selection effort. Sanctuary access is more important on Mediterranean than Caribbean sailings — the cultural-port itinerary is exhausting and the adult-only sundeck delivers genuine sea-day recovery. Mini-suite category is the right choice for travelers who want a sitting area and a larger bathroom without the full suite premium. Book 11–14 months out for May–September departures; Princess's Mediterranean inventory clears earlier than Caribbean. Pre-book Crown Grill on day one; book a single specialty restaurant per night through the rest of the cruise rather than a multi-night package. For broader regional context, see our Mediterranean cruise guide.
Editorial Cross-References
For the broader fleet context and itinerary calendar, see our Princess cruise line page. For broader planning context, see our cabin upgrade strategies guide.
