Royal Princess Gets 20 New Cabins and Fresh Look After 2-Week Dry Dock

The 3,600-passenger Royal Princess has just come out of dry dock in Singapore, and the 13-year-old vessel now has some new cabins, expanded dining venues, and Princess Cruises’ Sanctuary Collection.

The 14-day dry dock in Singapore wrapped up on October 30, 2026, and the ship is headed to Australia with these fresh updates.

Here are a few things that were added or changed on the first Royal-Class vessel for the cruise line.

New Cabins Added to Royal Princess

One of the biggest changes to the ship was the addition of 20 new guest staterooms onboard. The new accommodations give cruisers a wider selection of cabin categories to choose from. And there are even some new staterooms for solo travelers:

• 6 Mini-Suites
• 7 Oceanview Staterooms
• 5 Single Interior Staterooms
• 2 Interior Staterooms

The addition of five single interior cabins continues a growing industry trend of accommodating solo cruisers without forcing them to pay those pesky single supplement fees.

Debut of the Sanctuary Collection

Royal Princess is the latest ship in the fleet to receive Princess Cruises’ Sanctuary Collection (rolled out to five Royal-Class ships).

This all-inclusive VIP experience offers guests staying in qualifying suites, mini-suites, deluxe balcony cabins, and the newly added oceanview staterooms exclusive perks and dedicated spaces.

As part of the rollout, a brand-new Sanctuary Restaurant has opened on Deck 6, located right next to the Concerto Dining Room.

The Sanctuary Collection guests also get exclusive access to the top-deck Sanctuary Club, which features plush loungers, personalized service, and a quiet break from the rest of the ship.

Big Changes to the Central Piazza

The ship’s central Piazza received a pretty big makeover too with two revamped food and beverage venues designed to draw guests in throughout the day and night.

• O’Malley’s Irish Pub: This replaced the former Vines Wine Bar on Deck 5.  O’Malley’s features traditional Irish-inspired food, draught beers, signature cocktails, and live music.
• Expanded Bellini’s Cocktail Bar: Bellini’s has expanded into the space previously occupied by the Photo Gallery. The larger footprint offers more seating overlooking the Piazza too, giving guests a front-row seat to the central space.

Expanded Casino Floor and Updated Retail

Casino players will notice a brand-new layout inside the Princess Casino. Princess removed the interior staircase connecting Decks 6 and 7, and opened up some floor space to make more room for slot machines and other games.

On the retail side, the Effy jewelry boutique was redesigned as well. In addition, The Shops of Princess transitioned to a new retail partner, Starboard Cruise Services.

What’s Next for Royal Princess?

Following her dry dock, Royal Princess is making her way Down Under for the 2026–2027 season. The ship will homeport out of Sydney, Australia, offering 42 itineraries and 62 departures across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.

After that Royal Princess will wrap up her Down Under season in late March 2027 and then begin a long transpacific repositioning journey heading back toward North America:

• March 28, 2027: Departs Sydney on a transpacific sailing stopping in Honolulu (April 16), Los Angeles (April 22), and Vancouver (April 28).
• April 28, 2027: Sails a short 3-night repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Seattle.
• May 1, 2027: Arrives in Seattle, Washington, to kick off her Alaska season with 7-night roundtrip sailings.