Royal Princess Adds Sanctuary Collection; Club Joins April 22, 2027

Royal Princess has a new premium accommodation offering, but there’s a date worth checking before you book. Following its Oct. 16-30 drydock in Singapore, the ship has introduced Princess Cruises’ Sanctuary Collection, including a dedicated restaurant. The Sanctuary Club, however, won’t become part of that collection until April 22, 2027; until then, guests age 16 and older may preview the space, according to Cruise Industry News.

The work goes beyond premium perks. The 3,595-guest ship also gained 20 cabins, an O’Malley’s Irish Pub, a larger Bellini’s cocktail bar and changes to its casino and shops, Cruise Industry News reported. Royal Princess now heads toward a Sydney-based season, putting those updates in front of travelers sailing Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Sanctuary Collection arrives in stages

The distinction between Sanctuary Collection and Sanctuary Club matters here. One is the premium accommodation offering; the other is a specific onboard space whose access arrangements are changing later.

In its Oct. 30 announcement distributed through PR Newswire, Princess Cruises described the collection as a premium, all-inclusive experience with elevated amenities and personalized service. Its arrival on Royal Princess is part of an expansion to five Royal-class ships.

Princess says travelers can reserve newly constructed ocean-view staterooms as part of the collection, alongside suites, mini-suites, deluxe balcony and balcony staterooms. That gives passengers several accommodation categories to consider rather than limiting the offering to suites. The important booking distinction is whether a reservation is specifically for Sanctuary Collection accommodations; a list of eligible categories isn’t a promise that every cabin in those categories carries the benefits.

The Sanctuary Restaurant is already open on deck 6, next to the Concerto Dining Room, and is available only to Sanctuary Collection guests, Princess said. That’s a dedicated dining benefit from the outset, separate from the club’s later transition.

The Sanctuary Club occupies the space formerly known as the Retreat Pool and The Sanctuary. Cruise Industry News describes it as a private top-deck retreat with its own pool. Before April 22, 2027, Princess says all guests age 16 and older may preview it. On that date, it becomes part of the Sanctuary Collection.

So, for a sailing before the change, don’t confuse the dedicated restaurant with exclusive club access. The restaurant is reserved for collection guests, while the club has the broader preview arrangement. Princess’s announcement doesn’t provide collection pricing or a complete itemized list of inclusions; ask for those terms for the specific sailing before deciding what the upgrade is worth.

Twenty new cabins, including five single interiors

The drydock also expanded the ship’s accommodations. According to Princess’s announcement, the 20 additions comprise six mini-suites, seven ocean-view cabins, two interior cabins and five single interior cabins.

The single interiors are a useful detail for solo travelers comparing cabin options. They’re a separate part of the accommodation update, not simply another name for the new premium collection. Likewise, Princess lists the newly constructed ocean-view staterooms among the categories available to reserve with Sanctuary Collection benefits, but it doesn’t identify the new interior or single interior cabins as collection accommodations.

That distinction keeps two changes from getting tangled together: Royal Princess has more cabins, and it has introduced a premium accommodation offering. Those developments overlap in some categories, but the announcement doesn’t treat them as interchangeable.

O’Malley’s replaces Vines, while Bellini’s gets more room

For returning passengers, the most noticeable social-space changes may be around the Piazza. O’Malley’s Irish Pub has taken over the former Vines location on deck 5, according to Cruise Industry News. This is a replacement, not an additional venue tucked somewhere else aboard.

Princess describes O’Malley’s as a neighborhood-style pub serving Irish-inspired food and favorite beverages. It brings the line’s pub concept to Royal Princess and gives the former Vines space a different dining and drinking identity.

Nearby, Bellini’s has expanded into the former Photo Gallery space. Princess says the larger venue overlooks the Piazza and serves Bellini-inspired cocktails, champagne, sparkling wines and other specialty beverages. For passengers who already know the ship, that’s a change in both the bar’s footprint and the use of a familiar space.

These updates aren’t presented as Sanctuary Collection benefits. They’re part of the wider refurbishment, giving passengers outside the premium accommodation offering changes to explore, too.

A larger casino floor and refreshed shops

The casino work involved more than new finishes. Princess removed the staircase connecting decks 6 and 7 within the Princess Casino, opening up the gaming floor and creating additional room for slot machines, according to its announcement.

Cruise Industry News also reported a refreshed Effy jewelry boutique and upgrades to other onboard shops as Princess transitioned to retail partner Starboard. Together, the casino and retail work broaden the refurbishment beyond cabins and restaurants, though the most consequential booking changes remain the accommodation choices and Sanctuary access rules.

Where Royal Princess sails next

After Singapore, Royal Princess heads to Sydney for the 2026-27 season. Princess says its voyages will explore Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, with shorter coastal getaways also in the mix.

The ship is one of three Princess vessels sailing in the region that season. Cruise Industry News reports 42 itineraries and 62 departures across the regional program; those totals aren’t Royal Princess’s schedule alone.

For travelers considering the refreshed ship, the key decision isn’t just which cabin to choose. It’s which Sanctuary benefits apply on their departure date. The restaurant is open, the new accommodation options are available, and the club’s transition is still ahead. Check the sailing against April 22, 2027, before putting a value on the upgrade.