CruiseStar
Princess Cruises is turning its quietest corner into a members-only club. The line announced on October 21, 2026 that its Sanctuary Collection, the ship-within-a-ship experience first introduced on Sun Princess and Star Princess, is coming to five more ships. Bookings for the first ship, Royal Princess, opened on October 22.
The catch is what disappears in the process. On those five ships, the adults-only Sanctuary area becomes the Sanctuary Club, and the day pass that used to buy any guest a quiet afternoon there goes away. If you are not staying in a Sanctuary Collection stateroom, you do not get in, no matter what you are willing to pay.
What Sanctuary Collection actually is
Sanctuary Collection is Princess's version of a ship-within-a-ship. Guests staying in designated staterooms get access to private onboard spaces, exclusive dining, personalized service, and premium amenities bundled into the voyage.
It is not limited to suites. On the five Royal Class ships being converted, Sanctuary Collection will include select suites, mini-suites, balcony staterooms, and even new oceanview staterooms. On Royal Princess, 231 staterooms are designated as part of the collection, roughly 13 percent of the ship's cabins.
The centerpiece is the Sanctuary Club, a private adults-only retreat with a dedicated pool area, upgraded loungers, shaded cabanas, and food and beverage service delivered poolside. The club is restricted to guests ages 16 and older, even if younger guests are staying in Sanctuary Collection accommodations. Cabanas still cost extra, but only guests who already have club access can book them.
Guests also get the Sanctuary Restaurant, a dedicated dining room with destination-inspired menus and no reservations required, and suite guests get an additional private lounge with concierge assistance. New Sanctuary Collection bookings on eligible sailings also include Princess Premier, the line's top package, which covers premium beverages, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, and crew appreciation.
The five ships and the dates
The rollout starts with Royal Princess and runs across the Royal Class fleet over the next several months:
- Royal Princess: bookings opened October 22, 2026; first full voyage January 4, 2027, a 12-day South Pacific sailing
- Regal Princess: bookings open November 5, 2026; first full voyage April 17, 2027, a transatlantic sailing from Port Everglades
- Discovery Princess: bookings open December 4, 2026; first full voyage April 24, 2027, a seven-day Mexico sailing from Los Angeles
- Sky Princess: bookings open December 10, 2026; first full voyage May 29, 2027, a 14-day Baltic sailing from Southampton
- Enchanted Princess: bookings open December 17, 2026; first full voyage June 12, 2027, a seven-day Mediterranean sailing from Civitavecchia
Princess describes the expansion as the first phase of a multi-year fleet modernization initiative, so more ships could follow.
The day pass is gone, and that is the real story
For years, The Sanctuary was one of Princess's signature features: a quiet, adults-only retreat where any guest could buy a half-day or full-day pass for a relaxing sea day without booking an expensive suite. That was the appeal. You could sail in a regular balcony or inside cabin and still treat yourself to the quiet deck.
Once each ship's Sanctuary converts to the Sanctuary Club, that option ends. According to Princess's updated FAQ, guests will no longer be able to purchase day passes, loungers, or cabanas in the area. If you are not staying in a Sanctuary Collection stateroom, you are not getting in.
There is one piece of good news for guests who already booked. Princess confirmed that guests who reserved a Reserve Collection stateroom on Royal Princess before October 22, 2026 will receive the Sanctuary Collection experience and its amenities at no extra cost on eligible sailings, though the Princess Premier package is not included in that grandfathered deal.
Who wins, and who loses
For guests willing to book a Sanctuary Collection stateroom, this is a genuine upgrade: a private pool club, a dedicated restaurant, and a top-tier package bundled into the fare. It brings Princess's older Royal Class ships in line with what Sun Princess and Star Princess already offer, and ship-within-a-ship concepts keep proving popular across the industry.
For everyone else, it is a velvet rope where there used to be a ticket booth. The quiet deck you could buy your way into for a day now requires a cabin upgrade for the whole sailing. That trade is the whole debate: is a more exclusive Sanctuary better, or was the old day pass the smarter deal?
If you are weighing a Royal Class sailing, check whether your stateroom category is a Sanctuary Collection one before you assume you can visit the club, and check whether your sailing is one of the eligible ones for the included Princess Premier package. The room you book now decides which side of the rope you are on.
And when you are back home, rate the ship you sailed so the next sailor deciding between a quiet deck and a cabin upgrade knows what the experience is actually like.