Royal Princess is bound for Sydney with a new pub, more cabins and a touch of luxury. Two weeks in a Singapore drydock have left the 3,595-guest ship ready to show off. New places to eat and drink, a bigger casino, and more ways to sail in style await.
The work took place from 16 to 30 October 2026. Its main prize is the launch of Princess Cruises’ Sanctuary Collection on Royal Princess. It also includes an O’Malley’s Irish Pub, a larger Bellini’s bar, and a new look for the ship’s shops.
It is a timely refit. Royal Princess is on her way to Australia for a summer of cruises from Sydney. New Zealand, the South Pacific and ports closer to home are on the menu. So, it seems, it’s a decent pint.
A premium cruise, but check the dates
Sanctuary Collection is a premium, resort-style way to sail. Princess plans to bring it to five Royal-Class ships. On Royal Princess, guests can book select suites, mini-suites, balcony rooms and new ocean-view cabins in this tier.
The package brings extra perks and service. It also offers access to the Sanctuary Restaurant on Deck 6, next to the Concerto Dining Room. The ship’s former Retreat Pool and The Sanctuary now come under the Sanctuary Club name.
The fine print matters, though. The new tier has a phased launch, and not all perks start on the same day.
Preview cruises began on 30 October 2026. The full Sanctuary Collection programme starts on 4 January 2027. Yet the Sanctuary Club will stay open to all guests aged 16 and over through 21 April 2027. From 22 April, it becomes a private space for Sanctuary Collection guests.
There is a second catch worth noting. The Princess Premier package is not part of preview sailings. It also isn’t added by default to some cabins booked before the new tier went on sale on 22 October. Check the exact fare and its perks with a travel advisor. A premium name does not mean every extra is free.
From Left to Right: Royal Princess’ newly enhanced guest spaces, O’Malley’s Irish Pub, Suite Lounge, and Bellini’s
More cabins, and a pub with a purpose
The refit has added 20 cabins to Royal Princess. It now has six mini-suites, seven ocean-view rooms, two interior rooms, and five single interior cabins. That last group gives solo travellers more choice, even as Princess seeks more guests at the top end of the market.
The big change in the Piazza is harder to miss. O’Malley’s Irish Pub has moved into the old Vines site on Deck 5. It brings Irish-style food, drinks and the easy chat of a pub at sea. There may be no village green outside, but there should be no lack of company within.
Nearby, Bellini’s now occupies the space once used by the Photo Gallery. The larger bar serves cocktails, bubbly and wine, with views across the Piazza. It gives guests more room to gather before dinner or to end the night at their own pace.
There is some sound logic behind the work. The Piazza is the ship’s social heart. Two busy bars give guests more reasons to stay, spend and return. The aim is not just a new look. It is a better use of space where people already want to be.
A bigger casino and a fresh retail look
The casino has also been rethought. Princess has taken out the stairway between Decks 6 and 7. That has freed up floor space for more slot machines and a more open gaming area.
At sea, the urge to shop has not been left out of the plan. The Effy jewellery store has been refitted. The Shops of Princess also have a new retail partner, Starboard. Neither change is as bold as opening a pub, but both expand what guests can do between ports.
Princess Cruises chief operating officer Rodrigo Llaguno said the work would bring new ways to dine, relax and meet people, while keeping the ship’s appeal. In the line’s statement, he said: “These updates build on the ship’s enduring appeal”.
That is the neat trick with an old favourite. Change enough to tempt guests back, but not so much that they wonder where their ship has gone.
Australian summer will be the real test
Royal Princess will sail from Sydney on trips that range from short breaks near home to longer cruises to New Zealand and the South Pacific. The refit gives the ship something new to sell in a market where the fare is only part of the pitch. The ship itself must earn its place in the holiday.
Princess says its wider 2026–27 Australian cruise season has 62 departures across 42 distinct routes. Those figures cover the cruise line’s regional programme, not Royal Princess alone.
For travel advisors, the new offer creates a clear way to match the right cruise to the right guest. Those who have sailed on Royal Princess before will find fresh venues. Solo guests have more cabin choices. Couples can weigh the cost of the new premium tier against the perks they will use.
And for those who don’t want to pay for a private club? The Piazza still has a new pub and a bigger bar. Not every fine holiday needs a velvet rope.
For dates, fares and what each package includes, speak with a professional travel advisor. You can also consult the official Royal Princess ship page and Sanctuary Collection guide.
By: Sandra Jones – © 2026.
Read Time: 5 minutes.
Author Bio:
Sandra has spent a working lifetime quietly rescuing journeys, one itinerary, one anxious caller, one impossible connection at a time. Years in Australia’s finest travel agencies taught her the art of calm, how to find a flight in a fog of cancellations, how to soothe a traveller when luggage wanders, how to turn nine frantic days in Europe into something resembling sense. Qualified, seasoned, endlessly patient, she learned that good travel advice is part logistics, part listening.
But the storyteller in her was always waiting its turn. Writing offered a new map, a way to turn experience into reflection, detail into delight. At EGT Media, Sandra now writes the truths only insiders know: the mishaps, the laughter, the grace found between gates and goodbyes. She reminds us that travel, for all its fuss, is still one of life’s better ideas.
