Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess

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Vs. Ruby Princess

Overview

Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess
Double Occupancy: 2670	Double Occupancy: 3070
Gross Tonnage: 115875	Gross Tonnage: 113000
14 decks	19 decks
CDC Score: 98	CDC Score: 99
Launched: May 27, 2004	Launched: 2008

Similar in size and style to Sapphire Princess, Ruby Princess was cut from much of the same cloth, four years later. Debuting in 2008, Ruby is similarly geared to an adult crowd, with a number of venues duplicated between the ships, like Crooners martini bar, the Movies Under the Stars experience, and the variety and quality of the buffets. But there are a couple key differences to consider.

The first is passenger space. Although the two ships are virtually identical in length and gross tonnage, at double occupancy Sapphire holds 2,670 passengers while Ruby accommodates 15 percent more—3,080 passengers. This equates to slightly less elbow-room on Ruby (though we were able to find quiet areas to ourselves at most times while on-board). Second, although food on both ships was not generally standout, we did find our dining experience at Ruby’s swank steakhouse, the Crown Room, to be more elegant and with a more sophisticated menu than Sapphire’s sorry Sterling Steakhouse, which feels like an afterthought. Still, neither restaurant compares to the surprisingly fine steakhouses we’ve enjoyed on Carnival Cruise Lines.

Otherwise, the general ambience and amenities of the two ships is roughly comparable and a choice between them should be dictated by the voyages available on either.