Princess Cruises Is Bringing Its Exclusive Sanctuary Experience to Five More Ships

Princess Cruises is making a major change to five of its ships, bringing an exclusive experience previously available only on its two newest vessels to thousands more passengers.

Starting in 2027, the cruise line will introduce its Sanctuary Collection aboard five Royal Class ships, adding private pool areas, exclusive restaurants, upgraded accommodations, and personalized services.

A Princess Cruises crew member serves a drink to a guest relaxing on a lounge chair beside the pool at the Sanctuary Club.

The rollout begins with Royal Princess in January, with four more ships following through June 2027. And for some passengers who’ve already booked, the changes could mean receiving extra perks without paying more.

Princess Cruises Expands Sanctuary Collection to Five Ships

Princess Cruises announced on October 22, 2026, that its Sanctuary Collection will be introduced aboard Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Discovery Princess, Sky Princess, and Enchanted Princess.

The experience first launched aboard Sun Princess and was later introduced on Star Princess, the cruise line’s two newest Sphere Class ships.

Sanctuary Collection is a premium accommodation package that combines selected cabins with access to private areas, exclusive dining, and additional onboard services. The Sanctuary Club, meanwhile, is the private pool and relaxation area included as part of that experience.

Princess Cruises President Gus Antorcha said:

“The Sanctuary Collection has quickly become one of the most distinctive and desirable ways to experience Princess.”

He added:

“Expanding Sanctuary Collection across five additional Royal Class ships allows more guests to enjoy the privacy, personalized service and premium amenities they would expect from an intimate luxury resort, while still having the destinations, entertainment and choices of a Princess cruise just steps away.”

The announcement is also part of a larger, multi-year fleet modernization program, although Princess has yet to confirm which other vessels might receive upgrades in the future.

What Guests Can Expect From the Sanctuary Collection

One of the biggest additions will be the Sanctuary Club, an exclusive area reserved for passengers staying in designated Sanctuary Collection accommodations.

Each club will feature a dedicated pool, upgraded loungers, comfortable seating areas, and spaces where guests can relax away from the ship’s busier public decks.

There will also be shaded cabanas available to rent for an additional charge, along with food and beverage service delivered directly to guests around the pool.

A couple enjoying drinks together on a comfortable sofa inside a private cabana at the Princess Cruises Sanctuary Club.

The Sanctuary Club is an adults-only retreat for guests aged 16 and older, making it particularly appealing to passengers looking for a quieter place to spend their sea days.

Another addition is the Sanctuary Restaurant, a dedicated dining venue available exclusively to Sanctuary Collection guests.

Rather than offering exactly the same menu throughout a voyage, the restaurant will feature dishes inspired by the destinations the ship visits. Passengers will have access to a dedicated dining room and waitstaff, with no reservations required.

Dining at the Sanctuary Restaurant is included in the collection experience, so eligible guests won’t need to pay a separate cover charge.

A waiter serves dinner to two guests seated at a table in an elegant Princess Cruises restaurant.

Sanctuary Collection accommodations will also come with selected in-room amenities, priority services, and specially arranged daily activities.

More Benefits for Suite Guests

Passengers booking Sanctuary Collection suites will receive some additional benefits that aren’t available to everyone in the collection.

These include access to a private Suite Lounge, where guests can enjoy refreshments, comfortable seating, and a quieter setting away from the ship’s main public areas.

Suite guests will also have access to personalized concierge assistance for dining reservations, entertainment arrangements, and other onboard requests.

Importantly, the collection won’t be limited to suites. Princess is also including selected mini-suites, balcony cabins, and oceanview staterooms.

However, not every cabin in these categories will qualify. Only accommodations specifically designated as Sanctuary Collection staterooms will receive the additional benefits. These will be identified when passengers make their bookings.

On Royal Princess alone, 231 accommodations across multiple decks will be included in the new collection.

This gives passengers several cabin categories to choose from, although Sanctuary Collection accommodations will have different pricing from standard cabins.

Princess Premier Is Included With New Bookings

Another significant benefit is the inclusion of Princess Premier, the cruise line’s most comprehensive onboard package.

Passengers making new Sanctuary Collection bookings after sales open for their chosen ship will receive Princess Premier as part of their fare on eligible sailings.

The package includes unlimited premium beverages, specialty and casual dining, high-speed Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, complimentary room service, and OceanNow delivery.

For guests who usually purchase drinks, internet, and specialty dining separately, having these benefits bundled into the fare could make the collection more appealing.

Guests relax beside the Sanctuary Club pool on a Princess Cruises ship, with a woman holding a drink and a man sitting at the pool's edge.

However, there’s an important difference between new bookings and reservations made before the announcement.

Guests making new eligible Sanctuary Collection bookings receive Princess Premier automatically. Passengers whose existing bookings are upgraded to Sanctuary Collection will receive the new amenities, but Princess Premier won’t be added unless it was already included in their original reservation.

Those passengers can still purchase or upgrade to Princess Premier separately if they wish.

It’s also worth comparing the total cost of a Sanctuary Collection cabin against a regular stateroom with Princess Premier added. The collection offers more private spaces and services, but the better-value option will depend on the fare difference and which amenities passengers plan to use.

When Will Sanctuary Collection Be Available on Each Ship?

Princess Cruises is introducing the collection in stages, with each ship having a separate booking date and first sailing.

Here’s the confirmed schedule:

Ship	Bookings Open	First Sanctuary Collection Sailing
Royal Princess	October 22, 2026	January 4, 2027
Regal Princess	November 5, 2026	April 17, 2027
Discovery Princess	December 4, 2026	April 24, 2027
Sky Princess	December 10, 2026	May 29, 2027
Enchanted Princess	December 17, 2026	June 12, 2027

Royal Princess will be the first to officially introduce the experience, beginning with a 12-day South Pacific cruise departing January 4, 2027.

However, Princess has also confirmed that selected Sanctuary Collection preview sailings aboard Royal Princess will begin on October 30, 2026, ahead of the official January launch.

Next will be Regal Princess, which introduces the collection on a transatlantic voyage departing Port Everglades, Florida, on April 17, 2027.

Discovery Princess follows a week later, with its first Sanctuary Collection sailing departing Los Angeles on April 24 for a seven-day roundtrip cruise to Mexico.

For passengers sailing from the UK, Sky Princess will introduce the experience on May 29, 2027, with a 14-day Baltic voyage departing Southampton.

Finally, Enchanted Princess will complete the initial rollout on June 12, 2027, with a seven-day Mediterranean cruise departing Civitavecchia, the port serving Rome.

With departures covering the South Pacific, Europe, Mexico, and the Atlantic, the new collection will be available across several different itineraries rather than being limited to one cruising region.

What Happens If You’ve Already Booked?

Passengers who’ve already booked one of the affected ships may be wondering what the announcement means for their reservation.

Princess has confirmed that guests who booked a Reserve Collection stateroom aboard Royal Princess before October 22, 2026, will receive the new Sanctuary Collection experience at no additional charge.

That means eligible passengers will gain access to the Sanctuary Club, Sanctuary Restaurant, and other collection amenities once they’re available on their sailing.

Two guests raise champagne glasses in front of a pink Sanctuary Club sign surrounded by flowers and greenery aboard a Princess Cruises ship.

The same general approach applies to passengers on the other four ships whose existing staterooms are being converted into Sanctuary Collection accommodations.

Princess says their original reservations and cabin numbers will remain unchanged, but they’ll receive access to the new amenities once the collection becomes available aboard their ship.

The main exception is Princess Premier. Passengers who booked before their ship’s Sanctuary Collection sales date won’t automatically receive the package unless it was already part of their reservation.

Anyone with an existing booking should check whether their cabin has been redesignated as a Sanctuary Collection stateroom and what benefits are included in their original fare.

Traditional Sanctuary Access Is Also Changing

There’s another change that could affect passengers who aren’t booking a Sanctuary Collection cabin.

The traditional Sanctuary has long been an option for Princess guests who want to pay for a quieter, adults-only retreat during their cruise, without needing to book a premium stateroom.

However, Princess has confirmed that where these spaces are converted into the new Sanctuary Club, day passes, loungers, and cabanas will no longer be available for general purchase.

Aerial view of the Princess Cruises Sanctuary Club pool deck, featuring a swimming pool, white loungers, shaded cabanas, and ocean views.

Instead, access will be restricted to guests staying in designated Sanctuary Collection accommodations.

This means passengers who previously enjoyed paying for an occasional afternoon at The Sanctuary may no longer have that option on the affected ships once the conversion takes place.

To use the new Sanctuary Club, they’ll need to book an eligible Sanctuary Collection cabin rather than simply purchasing a day pass.

Other places to relax will remain available around the ships, including the Lotus Spa and quieter outdoor deck areas, although these won’t necessarily offer the same facilities or services.

More Changes Could Be Coming to the Princess Fleet

The expansion to five Royal Class ships is only the first stage of Princess Cruises’ wider modernization plans.

While the cruise line hasn’t announced specific ships or dates for future phases, the decision shows it’s looking to bring more features from its newest vessels to existing ships.

Princess isn’t alone in offering exclusive experiences within larger cruise ships. Norwegian Cruise Line has The Haven, while MSC Cruises offers its Yacht Club, both combining premium accommodations with private venues and additional services.

For Princess, the Sanctuary Collection takes a similar approach, although the inclusion of selected balcony and oceanview cabins gives passengers more accommodation choices beyond traditional suites.

The changes also mean passengers sailing on some of Princess Cruises’ older Royal Class vessels will soon have access to amenities previously reserved for guests on Sun Princess and Star Princess.

For anyone considering a Princess cruise in 2027, it’s worth checking whether their sailing is included in the rollout and comparing Sanctuary Collection fares with standard cabin prices before booking.