What I would actually book
A standard Balcony cabin is the sensible default — the largest category on the ship at 682 cabins. If daylight matters on a budget, this ship’s 218-cabin Oceanview category is a real, usable option. Families and anyone wanting more space should price a Mini-Suite before assuming they need a full suite.
Balcony
682 cabins, the largest category on the ship, per Princess’s current fact sheet.
Mini-Suite
178 cabins per Princess’s current fact sheet (cruisedeckplans.com states 168 instead).
Premium Suite (S5)
Directly confirmed on princess.com — the most reliably documented top-tier grade on this ship.
1,542 total
Per Princess’s current fact sheet — cruisedeckplans.com separately tallies 1,530.
31 total
Per Princess’s current fact sheet, independently matched by CruiseMapper — the highest accessible-cabin count in this class.
Connecting-cabin sound insulation, and cabins near laundry rooms or crew stairwells
The most consistently documented location patterns for this ship — see the location section below.
The category ladder, bottom to top
Ruby Princess runs Interior, a genuine Oceanview category, Balcony, Mini-Suite, and named suite grades. No Deluxe Balcony tier exists on this ship.
| Family | Category | Approx. size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior | Interior (IA–IF) | ~150–180 sq. ft. | 436 cabins, per Princess’s current fact sheet |
| Oceanview | Oceanview (plus obstructed OV/OW/OY/OZ) | ~150–180 sq. ft. | 218 cabins, per Princess’s current fact sheet |
| Balcony | Balcony (BA–BF) | ~185–217 sq. ft. + balcony | 682 cabins, the largest category on the ship |
| Mini-Suite | Mini-Suite (M1, MB, MD, ME) | ~277 sq. ft. + balcony | 178 cabins per Princess’s fact sheet (168 per cruisedeckplans.com) |
| Suite | Owner’s Suite (S2), Penthouse Suite (S3), Premium Suite (S5), Vista Suite (S6), Family Suite (S8) | S5/S6 confirmed 319–730 sq. ft. + 114–181 sq. ft. balcony range | 26 suites plus 2 family suites, per Princess’s current fact sheet |
We could not confirm this grade’s exact name directly on princess.com (the category page returned a 404). cruisedeckplans.com calls it "Penthouse," while CruiseMapper calls it "Premium." Since S5 is independently confirmed as "Premium" directly from princess.com, we lean toward cruisedeckplans.com’s "Penthouse" reading as more plausible — but we’re not presenting this as confirmed.
Princess’s own current fact sheet states 1,542 total staterooms (682 balcony, 178 mini-suites). cruisedeckplans.com independently tallies 1,530 instead (680 balcony, 168 mini-suites) — a roughly 12-cabin gap that traces mostly to the mini-suite count (10 cabins), with a smaller balcony-count discrepancy (2 cabins) making up the rest. We use Princess’s current figure and flag the gap rather than picking one.
The value baseline on this ship
Interior cabins run roughly 150–180 sq. ft. — genuinely windowless. This ship carries 436 of them, with a real Oceanview category as the next rung up.
This ship’s 218-cabin Oceanview category is a real, usable option — not a niche afterthought.
A genuinely sizable category
Oceanview on Ruby Princess runs roughly 150–180 sq. ft., a window with no private balcony — 218 cabins. Obstructed-view grades are priced lower for a lifeboat or machinery-blocked view.
Oceanview is a genuine budget option here if a balcony isn’t essential.
The default choice on this ship
Balcony is the largest category on this ship at 682 cabins, running roughly 185–217 sq. ft. plus a balcony — the most Balcony cabins of any ship in this class. No separate Deluxe Balcony tier exists here.
A sitting-area step up — count disputed between sources
Mini-Suite runs roughly 277 sq. ft. plus a balcony, adding a sitting area over a Balcony cabin. Princess’s current fact sheet states 178 cabins in this category; cruisedeckplans.com independently states 168 instead — a roughly 10-cabin gap between the two sources.
A standard Mini-Suite
The sitting-area upgrade over a Balcony cabin, at a fare below the suite tiers.
A Reserve Collection Mini-Suite specifically
Confirmed as a currently marketed category on Princess’s ship-experience page — described as offering expedited seating, additional menu options and tableside preparations. Confirm the specific cabin designation before booking.
Named grades, plus a branding-currency note worth flagging
Ruby Princess’s suite structure includes Owner’s Suite (S2), Penthouse Suite (S3), Premium Suite (S5, directly confirmed on princess.com), Vista Suite (S6), and a two-bedroom Family Suite (S8) — 26 suites plus 2 family suites total, per Princess’s current fact sheet. Reserve Collection appears as current branding on Princess’s ship-experience marketing page, but is notably absent from the official fact sheet PDF — a strong sign the fact sheet document predates Reserve Collection’s current rollout on this ship rather than any real conflict about what’s offered today.
Premium Suite (S5) specifically
The most reliably documented top-tier grade on this ship — confirmed directly from princess.com rather than a secondary source.
A Reserve Collection Mini-Suite
A dining-perk overlay applied to a subset of standard Mini-Suites, not a separate physical suite grade — confirm the specific cabin before booking if the perks are the draw.
The highest figure in this class, and it’s corroborated
Princess’s own current fact sheet lists 31 wheelchair-accessible staterooms on Ruby Princess (1 suite, 4 mini-suite, 16 balcony, 4 oceanview, 6 interior), independently matched by CruiseMapper — the highest accessible-cabin count of any ship in this class, and a clean, corroborated figure.
Confirm the exact accessible cabin number, category and door width directly with Princess or a travel advisor well ahead of your sailing.
Single-source guidance — treat cabin numbers as illustrative
Location research for this ship comes from a single third-party cabin-selection blog we could not independently cross-verify against a second source in the time available.
Cabins under the Lido/pool deck (cited range roughly R311–R525)
Deck-chair dragging and late-night/early-morning cleaning noise.
Cabins near laundromats (cited: A628, C312, D720, P212)
Machine noise, vibration and elevator foot traffic.
Cabins near crew stairwells (cited: E101-104, D103-104, C101-102, B201-204, A201-204, R201-204)
Early-morning crew movement noise.
Connecting cabins
Reportedly poorer sound insulation through the connecting door than a solid wall.
Deck 8 oceanview cabins (OV/OW/OY/OZ) and forward Deck 14 (L101-104)
Obstructed by lifeboats or bridge structure.
Some aft cabins
Reported risk of soot from the funnel stacks under certain wind conditions.
These specific cabin numbers come from a single third-party cabin-selection blog rather than Princess’s own documentation, and we could not corroborate them against a second independent source. Treat them as plausible and worth checking against the current deck plan, not as confirmed.
What does the next dollar actually buy?
A window with no balcony, at real scale on this ship.
Private outdoor space — the upgrade most travelers say is worth paying for. This ship has the most Balcony cabins in the class (682).
A genuine sitting-area upgrade, and — if it carries the Reserve Collection designation — priority dining perks as well.
Full Reserve Collection perks and priority dining. Premium Suite (S5) is the most reliably documented top-tier grade on this ship.
A two-bedroom layout for families — a real structural step up rather than just more square footage in the same layout.
Compare the ship, not just the class
Ruby Princess cabin questions
What is the best cabin on Ruby Princess?
A standard Balcony cabin is the easiest right answer for most travelers — the largest category on the ship at 682 cabins, the most of any ship in this class. This ship’s 218-cabin Oceanview category is also a genuinely usable budget option if a balcony isn’t essential.
How many staterooms does Ruby Princess have?
1,542 total, per Princess’s current fact sheet — 436 interior, 218 oceanview, 682 balcony, 178 mini-suite, 26 suites plus 2 family suites. cruisedeckplans.com separately tallies 1,530 with a lower mini-suite count (168); we use Princess’s current figure and flag the gap.
Is Ruby Princess a "Crown class" or "Grand class" ship?
Princess’s own current fact sheet labels this specific ship "Class: Crown" — a direct, ship-specific confirmation of the Crown-class sub-designation (shared with sisters Crown and Emerald Princess) within the broader Grand-class family.
How many wheelchair-accessible cabins does Ruby Princess have?
31, per Princess’s current fact sheet, independently matched by CruiseMapper — the highest figure of any ship in this class.
Did anything significant happen on Ruby Princess?
Yes. In March 2020, Ruby Princess was linked to a widely reported COVID-19 outbreak after disembarking passengers in Sydney, Australia, which contributed significantly to Australia’s early case count and led to a criminal investigation and a formal New South Wales inquiry. This is documented history, not a current concern.
Where can I find the official Ruby Princess deck plan?
Princess publishes the current deck plan for this ship at princess.com/deckPlans.do?shipCode=RU — use it to confirm the exact cabin number, deck and any obstruction before booking. A direct link is included above.
Original research — verify specifics before booking
This page is Seabound’s own research into Princess’s published stateroom data, cross-checked against third-party cruise sources current as of August 2026 — it isn’t a locked or pre-audited document.
Total stateroom count: Princess’s current fact sheet (1,542 total, 682 balcony, 178 mini-suites) versus cruisedeckplans.com (1,530 total, 680 balcony, 168 mini-suites) — a roughly 12-cabin gap that traces mostly to the mini-suite count, with a smaller balcony-count discrepancy also contributing.
The S4 suite grade’s exact name could not be confirmed directly on princess.com (404 on that category page); secondary sources conflict between "Penthouse" and "Premium" — we lean toward "Penthouse" as more plausible but don’t present it as confirmed.
Reserve Collection branding appears on Princess’s current marketing pages but not on the official fact sheet PDF (last updated October 2023) — we treat this as the fact sheet predating current marketing, not a real conflict about what’s offered.
A 2018 refurbishment’s SHARE by Curtis Stone addition and a 2023 drydock’s specifics are each sourced from secondary aggregators or passenger/crew forum posts rather than an official Princess release.
Location detail comes from a single third-party cabin-selection blog we could not corroborate against a second source.
The named-tier category structure, the genuine Oceanview category, this ship’s specific "Class: Crown" fact-sheet designation, the accessible-cabin count, and the Premium Suite (S5) grade confirmed directly from princess.com are each confirmed on Princess’s own current published materials.
The accessible-cabin count and the general stateroom category structure are each corroborated by more than one independent source. The March 2020 COVID-19 outbreak is extensively documented across multiple independent sources.
Which category is the better buy for a given traveler type, and what each rung of the upgrade ladder is actually purchasing.