Royal Princess returned to service October 30 after a two-week drydock in Singapore, carrying a set of food, beverage, and accommodation upgrades that signal Princess Cruises' continued investment in onboard hospitality as competition among cruise lines intensifies.
New F&B Venues
The most consequential changes for the guest dining and drinking experience center on the ship's Piazza, the multi-deck social hub that anchors Royal Princess. O'Malley's Irish Pub now occupies the former Vines wine bar space on deck 5, pairing Irish-inspired food and beverage offerings with a neighborhood pub atmosphere the line has already proven popular on other vessels. Adjacent to it, Bellini's cocktail bar expanded into the former Photo Gallery footprint, giving the Piazza's signature prosecco-and-champagne lounge a larger floor plan with views overlooking the atrium. The two venues together reframe the Piazza as a day-to-night food and beverage destination — a design approach increasingly common in cruise hospitality programming as lines compete with land-based resort experiences.
Sanctuary Collection Rolls Out
Beyond the bar and dining additions, the drydock introduced the Sanctuary Collection to Royal Princess — an all-inclusive premium tier that bundles elevated amenities, personalized service, and access to the Sanctuary Club. The rollout is part of a broader expansion across five Royal-Class ships. Newly constructed ocean-view staterooms join suites, mini-suites, deluxe balcony, and balcony staterooms in the tier. A dedicated Sanctuary Restaurant, exclusive to Collection guests, opened on deck 6 adjacent to the existing Concerto Dining Room. The drydock also added 20 net-new guest cabins — six mini-suites, seven oceanview, two interiors, and five single interiors — expanding total capacity on the 3,595-guest ship.
"The enhancements aboard Royal Princess introduce new accommodations, distinctive venues for entertaining, dining and socializing, and thoughtfully refreshed spaces designed to elevate every aspect of the guest experience," said Rodrigo Llaguno, Princess Cruises Chief Operating Officer.
What Comes Next
The Princess Casino was reconfigured for a more open gaming floor by removing the staircase connecting decks 6 and 7, freeing space for additional slot machines. The onboard retail footprint also shifted, with the Effy jewelry boutique refreshed and The Shops of Princess transitioning to new retail partner Starboard. Following the Singapore work, Royal Princess repositioned to Sydney for the 2026-27 Australian summer season, operating 62 departures across 42 itineraries covering Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific — giving the newly upgraded food and beverage program an immediate audience. The broader trend of drydock-driven F&B investment reflects what beverage and dining operators across the hospitality sector are observing: guests increasingly evaluate cruise itineraries on the quality of onboard dining and drinking options, not just destination ports of call.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two main F&B additions to Royal Princess after its October drydock?
O'Malley's Irish Pub replaced Vines wine bar on deck 5, offering Irish-inspired food and beverage in a neighborhood pub format that's already proven successful on other Princess vessels. Bellini's cocktail bar expanded into the former Photo Gallery space, giving the prosecco-and-champagne lounge a larger footprint with atrium views.
How many new cabins were added during the Royal Princess drydock?
Princess added 20 net-new guest cabins: six mini-suites, seven oceanview, two interiors, and five single interiors. These complement the new stateroom categories now available within the Sanctuary Collection tier.
What is the Sanctuary Collection and which ships are getting it?
The Sanctuary Collection is an all-inclusive premium tier bundling elevated amenities, personalized service, and Sanctuary Club access, rolling out across five Royal-Class ships starting with Royal Princess. It includes a dedicated Sanctuary Restaurant on deck 6 exclusively for Collection guests.
Why are cruise lines emphasizing multi-venue F&B hubs like the Piazza redesign?
Lines are positioning day-to-night food and beverage destinations as direct competition with land-based resort experiences as cruise industry competition intensifies. The Piazza's redesign with O'Malley's and expanded Bellini's exemplifies this strategy to capture more onboard spending and guest engagement.
When did Royal Princess return to service with these upgrades?
Royal Princess returned to service October 30 after completing a two-week drydock in Singapore. All F&B venues and Sanctuary Collection amenities were operational at that restart date.
