Princess Cruises Ships
Princess Cruises currently have fourteen cruise liners in their fleet which are split into four Classes, Grand Class, Gem Class, Sun Class and Explorer Class.
Grand Class
The three Grand Class ships, Grand Princess, Star Princess and Golden Princess have fourteen decks and can carry up to 2,600 passengers. They each weigh 109,000 tons and are 951 feet in length.
Princess Cruises Grand Class ships are some of the most luxurious in the world. Grand Princess for instance has more than 700 balcony staterooms, an entire deck of Mini-Suites and hundreds of fantastic amenities, including the unique Movies Under the Stars cinema experience, to keep everyone refreshed and entertained.
Gem Class
There are currently five liners in the Gem Class which for marketing purposes are sometimes categorised as Grand Class. These are Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Caribbean Princess, Emerald Princess and Crown Princess. A sixth, Ruby Princess will enter service in November 2008.
Both Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess have thirteen decks and have a capacity of 2,670 passengers. They are 951 feet in length and weigh 116,000 tons. Caribbean Princess is 951 feet long, weighs in at 113,000 tons, has fifteen decks and can carry 3100 passengers. Emerald Princess, Crown Princess and Ruby Princess are the same size and weight as Caribbean Princess, but can accommodate fewer passengers, 3,070.
Similar to Grand Class, luxury and innovation are what makes Gem Class ships like Diamond Princess special. With 740 balcony staterooms on board it really is like staying in a five star floating hotel but with all the amenities of a top class resort thrown in.
Sun Class
Sun Princess, Sea Princess, Dawn Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess are all considered to be Sun Class ships. Coral Princess and Island Princess are the largest in the Sun Class weighing in at 91,627 tons and are 964 footers. They both have twelve decks accommodating 1,970 people. The other three ships in the Class have ten decks and can carry 1,950 passengers. They are 857 feet long and weigh 77,499 tons apiece.
Sun Class ships are slightly smaller than Grand Class and Gem Class ships and therefore carry fewer passengers. However, the feeling of space in luxurious surroundings is a feature of this Class and they are a very popular choice for cruise enthusiasts all over the world.
Explorer Class
The three remaining ships in the fleet, Tahitian Princess, Pacific Princess and Royal Princess are in the Explorer Class. Each weighs 30,277 tons and are 594 feet long. They have nine decks and have a capacity of 688 passengers.
Explorer Class are the smaller cruise ships in the Princess Cruises fleet. They give the feel of a traditional cruise experience from yesteryear yet they are surprisingly contemporary. Each carry around 700 mostly adult passengers and offer a stylish, peaceful and sophisticated kind of cruise.