October 31, 2026 — Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess is back in service after a two-week dry dock in Singapore that added the line’s Sanctuary Collection and 20 new cabins, and Princess has set booking dates to bring the same package to four more ships. Separately, Emerald Princess scored 78 on a CDC sanitation inspection, below the passing mark.
Royal Princess after dry dock
Guests boarded on Friday, October 30, 2026 for an 11-night round trip from Singapore calling in Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Changes on the 3,595-guest ship:
- 20 new cabins: six mini-suites, seven oceanview, two interior and five single interior.
- A Sanctuary restaurant on Deck 6, plus a private Sanctuary Club. Until April 22, 2027 the club is open to guests 16 and over as a preview; after that it is for Sanctuary guests only.
- In the Piazza, O’Malley’s Irish Pub replaces the Vines wine bar and Bellini’s has expanded into the former photo gallery. The casino has more slot machines.
- The official Sanctuary Collection debut is the January 4, 2027 departure, a 12-day South Pacific cruise.
- Guests who booked Reserve Collection on Royal Princess before October 22, 2026 get the Sanctuary perks at no extra cost, except the Princess Premier package.
The ship sails from Brisbane and then Sydney this Australian summer, leaves the region in early April 2027 for Seattle, and returns to Australia in October 2027.
Sanctuary Collection on four more ships
| Ship | Bookings open | First Sanctuary sailing |
|---|---|---|
| Regal Princess | November 5, 2026 | April 17, 2027 transatlantic from Port Everglades |
| Discovery Princess | December 4 | April 24 (year not stated), 7-day Mexico from Los Angeles |
| Sky Princess | December 10 | May 29 (year not stated), 14-day Baltic from Southampton |
| Enchanted Princess | December 17 | June 12, 2027, 7-day Mediterranean from Civitavecchia (Rome) |
The package includes selected suites and cabins, the Sanctuary Club and restaurant, a suite lounge, concierge help and the Princess Premier package. Prices were not published (TBA).
Emerald Princess inspection
The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program inspected Emerald Princess in Los Angeles on October 16, 2026 and gave it 78 points with 39 deficiencies; 85 or below is a failing score. Cruise Fever reports the main findings were food-safety problems in the crew mess, including spoiled food, dirty dishwashing machines, 33 live flies and improper cooling. The report was posted on the CDC website on October 30. No illnesses were reported.
What it means for travelers
- Royal Princess this winter: fly into Singapore (SIN), Brisbane (BNE) or Sydney (SYD). These are long-haul trips; arrive at least a day early.
- Booking Sanctuary on another ship? Note the opening dates above. The first Sanctuary sailings start from Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Los Angeles (LAX), Southampton (closest big airport London Heathrow, LHR) and Rome (FCO).
- Regal Princess’s April 17, 2027 transatlantic is one way, so you will need a flight home from Europe.
- Emerald Princess: a failed inspection does not cancel sailings, and no illness was reported. You can read the full report on the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program site.
Sources
- Cruise Hive — Royal Princess Emerges From Singapore Dry Dock With New Sanctuary Collection
- CruiseMapper — Princess Cruises expands Sanctuary Collection to 5 additional ships
- Cruise Fever — Two Cruise Ships Fail Health Inspections on Back to Back Days
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