The Sanctuary was the first serious adults-only deck retreat in mainstream cruising and remains one of the best-value onboard upgrades in the market when bought by the day.
On Royal- and Grand-class ships the Sanctuary is a forward top-deck enclosure with padded loungers, half- and full-day passes, dedicated Serenity Stewards, a light menu, and outdoor massage cabanas.
On Sun Princess and Star Princess it has grown into the Sanctuary Collection — a keycard-access neighbourhood of suites and mini-suites with a private restaurant, dedicated sun deck and concierge, which puts Princess in the same enclave category as The Retreat and The Haven.
Booking behaviour matters: day passes on port-intensive itineraries are easy to get, sea-day passes on Caribbean sailings sell out within hours of embarkation and should be reserved as you board.
What's included
- Adults-only reserved deck space
- Padded loungers and shaded cabanas
- Dedicated Serenity Steward service
- Light dining and beverage menu
- Sanctuary Collection: private restaurant and concierge on Sphere-class ships
Available on
Ships offering this experience
Launched 2024
Sun Princess
The largest ship Princess has built — a glass-domed Piazza, an arena-format theatre and the debut of the Sanctuary Collection enclave.
Launched 2025
Star Princess
The second Sphere-class Princess ship — the Sun Princess layout with a refined Sanctuary Collection and a stronger speciality dining line-up.
Launched 2013
Royal Princess
The lead ship of the Royal class — the SeaWalk glass walkway, a multi-storey Piazza and the template for six Princess ships.
Launched 2014
Regal Princess
The second Royal-class ship — SeaWalk, a full MedallionClass fit-out and a Caribbean and Baltic deployment pattern.
Launched 2017
Majestic Princess
Built for the Chinese market and now based in Australia — the strongest Asian dining line-up in the Princess fleet.
Launched 2019
Sky Princess
The most refined Royal-class ship — an enlarged Sanctuary, Sky Suites with panoramic terraces and a strong Southampton programme.
Launched 2020
Enchanted Princess
The fifth Royal-class ship — Sky Suites, the Salty Dog Gastropub and a year-round Caribbean and Mediterranean rotation.
Launched 2022
Discovery Princess
The final Royal-class ship — the most polished version of the design, based on the US West Coast for Alaska and the Mexican Riviera.
Launched 2004
Caribbean Princess
A Grand-class workhorse refitted for the modern fleet — Medallion technology, Crown Grill and short Caribbean itineraries year-round.
Launched 2006
Crown Princess
A refurbished Grand-class ship on Gulf and Panama Canal deployment — a proven hull for port-intensive, longer itineraries.
Launched 2007
Emerald Princess
A Grand-class ship kept current through refurbishment — Medallion service, Crown Grill and a broad Caribbean and Alaska rotation.
Launched 2008
Ruby Princess
The last Grand-class Princess ship — a West Coast regular on Mexican Riviera, California Coast and Alaska itineraries.
Also from this line
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