Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess sailed from Singapore on Friday after two weeks in dry dock, with new cabins, a Sanctuary restaurant and an adults-only club. Here’s what changed.
Royal Princess is back at sea, and it’s got a fancier top deck.
The Princess Cruises ship finished a two-week dry dock in Singapore and welcomed guests on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, for an 11-night roundtrip to Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, Cruise Hive reported. Those passengers are the first to see the ship’s new Sanctuary Collection.
“The enhancements aboard Royal Princess introduce new accommodations, distinctive venues for entertaining, dining and socializing, and thoughtfully refreshed spaces designed to elevate every aspect of the guest experience,” Princess chief operating officer Rodrigo Llaguno said, according to Cruise Hive.
We couldn’t find a Princess news release about the dry dock itself, so the ship-level details below come from Cruise Hive unless we say otherwise. The Princess website’s Royal Princess page now lists the Sanctuary Club, the Sanctuary Restaurant and other new venues.
What is the Princess Sanctuary Collection?
Think of it as a ship within a ship. The Sanctuary Collection first showed up on Princess’ newest ships, Sun Princess and Star Princess. It gives guests in certain cabins their own spaces and extra service.
According to Princess’ Oct. 21 announcement, the package includes:
The Sanctuary Club, a private lounge and pool area with upgraded loungers and cabanas (the cabanas cost extra)
The Sanctuary Restaurant, with menus inspired by Princess destinations
Priority access and reservations, in-room extras and dedicated service
The Princess Premier package for guests who book once sales open
Suite guests also get a suite concierge and a private Suite Lounge, Princess said. Princess hasn’t published separate fares for the collection.
What changed on Royal Princess?
The biggest change is up top. The old Retreat Pool and The Sanctuary have become the Sanctuary Club, Cruise Hive reported. The new Sanctuary Restaurant is open on Deck 6.
There’s a catch for anyone sailing soon. On Royal Princess, the Sanctuary Club won’t be exclusive until April 22, 2027. Until then, guests 16 and older can preview the space even if they aren’t booked in the collection, per Cruise Hive.
The full Sanctuary Collection officially starts with the ship’s Jan. 4, 2027, sailing, a 12-day South Pacific cruise.
Cruise Hive also reported 20 new cabins:
6 mini-suites
7 oceanview cabins
2 interior cabins
5 solo interior cabins
Those solo cabins are good news for people who cruise alone and are tired of paying for two. The casino got a more open layout, and the ship’s shops switched to a new retail partner, Starboard, Cruise Hive said.
Which Princess ships are getting the Sanctuary Collection?
Royal Princess is first in a group of five Royal Class ships. Here’s the schedule from Princess’ announcement, with the date bookings open and the first sailing:
Royal Princess: bookings Oct. 22, 2026; first sailing Jan. 4, 2027
Regal Princess: bookings Nov. 5, 2026; first sailing April 17, 2027
Discovery Princess: bookings Dec. 4, 2026; first sailing April 24, 2027
Sky Princess: bookings Dec. 10, 2026; first sailing May 29, 2027
Enchanted Princess: bookings Dec. 17, 2026; first sailing June 12, 2027
Majestic Princess isn’t on the list. Princess called this the “first phase” of a multi-year update across its fleet.
“The Sanctuary Collection has quickly become one of the most distinctive and desirable ways to experience Princess,” Princess president Gus Antorcha said in the announcement.
Guests who booked Reserve Collection rooms on Royal Princess before Oct. 22 get the Sanctuary perks at no extra charge, though not the Premier package, Princess said.
Where is Royal Princess sailing next?
After this Asia trip, Royal Princess heads to Australia for the summer season down under, with Brisbane and then a Sydney homeport, Cruise Hive reported. It’s due to reposition to Seattle for Alaska cruises in early April 2027, then return to Australia in October 2027.
How old is Royal Princess?
The ship is 13 years old. Fincantieri built it in Monfalcone, Italy, and it was christened on June 13, 2013, in Southampton, England, by Catherine, then the Duchess of Cambridge and now the Princess of Wales.
It carries about 3,600 guests and measures about 142,700 gross tons. Royal Princess was the first of the Royal Class, the same design behind Regal, Majestic, Sky, Enchanted and Discovery.
For a 13-year-old ship, a two-week spa day in Singapore isn’t bad. Plenty of us would take that deal.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Cruise Hive (Oct. 30, 2026), the dry dock, new cabins and venues, and the Llaguno quote
Princess Cruises (Oct. 21, 2026), the Sanctuary Collection schedule and the Antorcha quote
Port Monkeys, the Royal Princess ship tour video
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.