Princess Is Bringing Its Luxury Sanctuary Collection to Five More Ships — and Bookings Are Opening Now

Princess Cruises is taking its quietest, most luxurious corner of the ship and making it much bigger. This week the line announced that the Sanctuary Collection — until now found only on its two newest ships, Sun Princess and Star Princess — will expand to five more vessels: Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Discovery Princess, Sky Princess, and Enchanted Princess.

Think of it as a resort inside the resort: designated staterooms with access to private spaces the rest of the ship cannot enter, exclusive dining, and premium perks included in the fare. Princess calls this the first phase of a multi-year fleet modernization, aimed at giving more guests the privacy of an intimate luxury resort with a big ship's destinations and entertainment still just steps away.

So what do guests actually get? The centerpiece is the Sanctuary Club, a private retreat with tranquil lounge areas, a dedicated pool, upgraded loungers, and food and drink service delivered poolside — shaded cabanas are available for an extra charge. Meals have their own venue, too: the Sanctuary Restaurant serves menus inspired by the destinations on your itinerary, in a smaller, quieter dining room. Suite guests also get a private Suite Lounge and a dedicated concierge to help coordinate dining and entertainment.

Perhaps the biggest value is what is bundled in. Every new booking includes Princess Premier, the line's most inclusive package — premium unlimited beverages, specialty and casual dining, high-speed Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, room service, and OceanNow delivery. Add priority reservations and curated in-room amenities, and this is far more than a cabin upgrade.

It is also not limited to the most expensive suites. Depending on the ship, Sanctuary Collection covers select suites, mini-suites, balcony staterooms, and even oceanview staterooms, including some newly constructed oceanview cabins. On Royal Princess, for example, 231 staterooms — about 13% of the ship — will carry the designation.

There is one honest trade-off. On these five ships, the existing Sanctuary retreat becomes the Sanctuary Club — and day passes go away. For years, any guest could buy a half- or full-day pass for a quiet sea day without booking a premium cabin. Now, if you are not in a Sanctuary Collection stateroom, you cannot buy your way in, and the club is for guests ages 16 and up. If that day-pass ritual was part of your Princess routine, factor it into your next booking.

The rollout is staggered, so the dates matter. Royal Princess is first: bookings opened October 22, 2026, for sailings beginning with a 12-night South Pacific voyage departing January 4, 2027. Regal Princess follows, on sale November 5 for an April 17, 2027 transatlantic from Port Everglades, then Discovery Princess on sale December 4 for an April 24, 2027 seven-night Mexico sailing roundtrip from Los Angeles. Sky Princess opens December 10 for a May 29, 2027 14-night Baltic sailing from Southampton, and Enchanted Princess opens December 17 for a June 12, 2027 seven-night Mediterranean sailing from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome.

One nice touch: guests who reserved a Reserve Collection stateroom on Royal Princess before October 22 will receive the Sanctuary Collection experience at no additional cost on eligible sailings, though Princess Premier is not included in that upgrade.

Our advice: if you have ever priced Princess Premier, drinks, and specialty dining separately, compare a Sanctuary Collection cabin against that total before assuming it is out of reach — the bundle changes the math. And if you want first pick of the limited Sanctuary cabins on a specific 2027 sailing, put that ship's on-sale date on your calendar now.

Source: Princess Cruises — read the full story here.