In celebration of Princess Cruises’ 50-year history of cruising down under, the line is set to deploy its biggest ship to date, the Discovery Princess, for the 2025-26 summer season. 

She will join her other sisters in the princess fleet, Crown Princess and Grand Princess, for the next wave season which will also include the line’s longest World Cruise yet.  

Discovery Princess was built in 2021 and has a gross tonnage of 145, 000. It spans 330 metres in length with an average speed of 22 knots. 

According to Princess Cruises’ President John Padgett, “Discovery Princess will continue to set new standards for premium cruising when she sails from Australia… She’s an incredible ship with many wonderful features for our guests, from superb cuisine to world-class entertainment and facilities.”

Suites and staterooms

Discovery Princess has 1438 cabins with balconies, which is 80% of the total staterooms. It also has 36 wheelchair-accessible cabins (29 Balcony, 7 Inside). Additionally, it has a total of 352 Suites including 314 Mini-Suites. This ship has no Oceanview cabins. 

The 2-Bedroom Sky Suite has two staterooms and is the only Suite that can accommodate five passengers. It measures 140 square metres with a 65 square metre- balcony. Sky Suites are the ship’s largest stateroom.

The 36-stateroom Balcony Suite ranges from 31 square metres to 44 square metres in size. The Suite’s balcony ranges from 11 square metres to 20 square metres. 

On the other hand, the Mini Suite has 314 staterooms and ranges from 22 to 31 square metres in size. It has a uniform balcony size of four square metres. 

Meanwhile, the ship’s Deluxe Balcony Cabin has 364 staterooms ranging from 19 to 24 square metres in size.   This accommodation has a uniform balcony size of four square metres. Addionally, the 724-stateroom Balcony Cabin has a uniform size of 17 square metres with a 4-square metre balcony. 

Furthermore, the Interior Cabin has 342 staterooms and has a uniform size of 15 square metres. 

All balcony cabins have floor to ceiling sliding glass doors that open to a private step-out veranda. Balconies are furnished with footstools, 2 patio chairs and a table. Balcony staterooms have ample closet space, bathroom (WC-shower), double sofabed, desk-chair, and drawers.

Standard amenities are also offered such as living area, 2 twin beds (convertible to Queen-size), deluxe bedding sets (Egyptian cotton linens), wardrobe, desk, smart HDTV, direct-dial phone, electronic safe box and lifejackets. There are also hairdryer, bath products, minibar/fridge, individual air-conditioning, evening turndown service, and a 24-hour room service.

Dining and culinary experience

Just like her sisters in the Princess fleet, Discovery Princess also offers an extensive list of dining options and mouth-watering menus. 

Complimentary dining

Discovery Princess has three main dining rooms: Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Both Skagway and Juneau offer anytime dining while Ketchikan serves dinner in two traditional sittings. All these three restaurants have the menus including the “always available” faves like steaks, salmon, and chicken. 

Princess signature dining hubs are also present in Discovery Princess. The International Cafe is always the guests’ go to place during breakfast and lunch. For guests craving for sandwiches and croissants and other delightful pastries, the International Cafe never disappoints. 

There’s also the World Fresh Marketplace which is the ship’s casual buffet dining hub. It is divided into several sections and is not usually crowded. This dining venue also features an “East Meets West” street food counter that serves French crepes, Asian noodles, German grilled sausages and even Japanese satays. 

Part of the list of included dining venues is Gigi’s Pizzeria. Aside from the mouth-watering pizza selection that it offers, this hub is also a go-to place on Deck 7 because it’s adjacent to the large (floor-to- ceiling) panoramic windows. 

There’s also the Salty Dog Grill where 100% handmade Gourmet Burgers are being served. It also has a new offerring, Street Tacos, which features a choice of grilled chipotle-lime chicken or roasted sweet potato-green chile.

Guests may also opt to dine in their own respective staterooms by availing Room Service dining which is free of charge. 

Specialty Dining

Aside from its signature complimentary dining venues, Discovery Princess also offers one of a kind dining experience with a fee through its array of specialty restaurants. 

Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria is one of Princess’ signature specialty restaurants. At Discovery Princess, guests are in for a treat with its handmade pasta courses such as the Spaghetti allo Scoglio and Manicotti alla Sorrentina. 

The Chef’s Table Lumiere is said to be the most exclusive dining experience on Discovery Princess. It is only limited to a select group of guests for a behind-the-scenes galley tour with champagne and hors d’oeuvres.  The multi-course dinner is hosted by the executive chef. 

Additionally, the French Bistro-style Bistro Sur La Mer is up at deck 7 showcasing authentic French dishes. Classics such as  Bisque de homard (lobster bisque), filet mignon, and roasted jumbo scallops are just a few of the restaurant’s menu highlights. 

Guests can also go to Crown Grill where “timeless steakhouse traditions” are highlighted. This restaurant offers exceptional chops such as Premium Beef Chop, New Zealand Double Lamb Chops, and the Porterhouse. Additionally, Rib-Eye, Filet Mignon, and New York Strip are also part of their steak selection. 

Meanwhile, for a private dining room with a view, guests can always go for the Ultimate Balcony Dining. A sumptuous multi-course meal, including succulent lobster tail and juicy steak, a choiced beverage, hors d’oeuvres, are all catered by the ship’s dedicated waitstaff right in the privacy of the guests’ spaces. 

Onboard activities

Entertainment

The showpiece of the ship’s entertainment space is the awe-inspiring Princess Theater that spans from deck 6 through deck 7. Broadway-inspired productions, magicians, and comedy shows are showcased in the Princess Theater. 

The pioneering “Movies Under the Stars” is an innovative concept that is now a signature feature of Princess fleet’s entertainment offering. It is an outdoor theater by the pool installed with million-dollar state-of-the-art Times Square-style LED screen. Additionally, the screen is more than 300 square feet in size with a 69,000-watt sound system screens.  

For guests who are fond of game shows, trivia questions, and live music performances, they can go to Princess Live! studio at deck 7. 

The atrium

The famous Piazza Atrium common to Princess ships is also a hit among passengers. The Piazza hosts live music performances beginning in the afternoon until the evening. 

Bars and lounges

When it comes to bars and lounges, Discovery Princess has an impressive list for guests to choose from. Take Five Bar on deck 6 features jazz-inspired custom cocktails. There’s also the ship’s signature piano bar- the Crooners Bar. This cocktail hub also features live sing-a-long music.

Furthermore, for guests who are looking for a variety of champagne and sparkling wine-based cocktails, the Bellini’s is the place to go. 

Pools and spa

Passengers also get to enjoy the ship’s well laid out pools. The ship has two main pools situated near the Movies Under the Stars. There’s also the Wake View Pool which is a part of the adult-only sun deck. This aft-situated pool also has loungers and deck chairs. 

For a more quiet and relaxing ambience, guests can go to the adults-only Retreat Pool. Here, guests can rent cabanas or loungers for half day or full day rates. 

Discovery Princess is also home to Lotus Spa and Salon center. The Enclave, located at the spa center, is a hydrotherapy pool and thermal suite complex. 

Recreation

The ship also has an extensive Fitness Center. There are separate changing rooms for male and female guests along with a wide array of sports equipment to suit guests’ workout routine. 

The glass-bottomed SeaWalk never fails to offer a breath-taking sea and port views from 39 metres above sea level.

In addition, there is a jogging track located just a deck above the Fitness Center. 

Kids

Discovery Princess also offers Camp Discovery for kids. The Tree House at Camp Discovery is specifically designed for kids from three to seven years old. On the other hand, the Lodge is for kids aged eight to 12 and is offering charades, games, scavenger hunts, art programs and video games. 

Discovery Princess deck plan

Discovery Princess’ deck plan showcases a total of 1834 cabins for 3668 passengers. This largest ship of the Princess fleet boasts her 19 decks including 14 bars and lounges, two swimming pools, eight outdoor Jacuzzis, and 16 elevators. 

Deck 4 houses the ship’s Medical Centre, while deck 5 is home to The Piazza, Lotus Spa & Salon, The Catch by Rudi, International Cafe, and the Dining Room. 

Deck 6 has the lower level of the Princess Theatre, Churchill’s Lounge and Bar, Princess Casino, Shops of Princess, Chef’s Table Lumiere, Crooners Bar, and the Take Five bar. 

Meanwhile, deck 7 houses Sabatinni’s, Bellini’s Bar, Gigi’s Pizzeria, Princess Live!, the Crown Grill, and the Vista Lounge. 

Staterooms are concentrated from deck 8 through half of deck 16 and a portion of deck 17. Additionally, the Sky Pool, the SeaWalk, World Fresh Marketplace, the Pastry Shop, and the Wake View Pool are all housed on deck 16. 

The ship’s deck 17 has the Retreat Pool, the Fitness Center, the Teen Lounge, and the Youth Center. Deck 18 on the other hand, houses the Sanctuary, the Sports Central, Jogging Track, and the Movies Under the Stars. 

The laundry rooms are located on decks 8 through 16. These are self-service laundromats that come with an ironing board and free detergents. 

The ship’s deck plan can be viewed here.