How Old Are Cruise Ships and What Do Cruises Cost? Fleet Age of Princess and Eight Other Cruise Lines, Company Revenue per Guest Day, Advertised Fares and Onboard Charges from Company Filings and Fact Sheets, 2003–2026

Cruise ship ages and cruise prices are published by each company on its own basis, which makes comparison across lines difficult. We compile fleet lists from company fact sheets and SEC filings, capacity and revenue series from annual reports, a commercial sample of advertised fares and published onboard charges. Princess Cruises' 17 ships average 14.8 years in 2026 (median 18), from the 28-year-old Grand Princess to the 1-year-old Star Princess; weighted by berths the average is 13.3 years, because the eight ships of 140,000 gross tons or more, all from 2013 on, hold 55% of its 54,890 lower berths. Princess capacity rose 2.76 times from fiscal 2003, mainly through larger ships (1,807 to 3,229 berths per ship), while Holland America ended fiscal 2025 below its 2010 level. Mean fleet ages ranged from 18.1 years (Holland America) to 6.1 years (Viking Ocean). Advertised 7-night fares averaged USD 149 to USD 574 per person per night by line, USD 178 for Princess and USD 204 for Norwegian, and varied by 44% between January and July. Company revenue per guest per day in 2025 was USD 935 for Viking's river cruises, 3.57 times Carnival Corporation's USD 262. Ticket revenue per guest day rose 21% (NCLH) and 22% (Royal Caribbean Group) from 2019 to 2025 in current dollars, against a 26% rise in consumer prices. Daily gratuities ranged from USD 17 to USD 20 per guest. All figures are descriptive.