How Fast Is Sapphire Princess?
Princess Cruises · Grand class · Speeds last reviewed Oct 2026 · Sources
- Orca (killer whale) top speed 30.1 kn · 35 mph, 56 km/h
- Sapphire Princess top speed 23 kn · 26 mph, 43 km/h
In a sprint, an orca (killer whale) wins by about 7.1 knots over Sapphire Princess.
A burst is a short sprint; a top speed is the most a ship can make.
Cruise West Coast · https://cruisewestcoast.com/ship-speed/sapphire-princess.html?vs=orca_top
- Typical speed (service speed)
- Not confirmed The source gives a speed without saying which. See Reported speed below.
- Top speed (maximum)
- 23 kn 26 mph · 43 km/h Reference figure
Reported speed: 22.1 kn (25 mph · 41 km/h). The source does not say whether this is typical or top. mhi.com, checked Oct 24, 2026
Reported speed: 22 kn (25 mph · 41 km/h). The source does not say whether this is typical or top. en.wikipedia.org, checked Oct 24, 2026
On a real sailing you will often go slower than this. Ships ease off to save fuel and to arrive on schedule, and slow down in some waters to protect whales.
Compare Sapphire Princess To...
Cruising Speeds
Cruising is a pace that can be held for hours. The ship's bar here is its typical speed.
- Boeing 787 Dreamliner at cruise cruising 488 kn · 562 mph, 904 km/h · off the scale
- Car at the Washington rural interstate limit cruising 60.8 kn · 70 mph, 113 km/h
- SS Normandie (1935) cruising 29.5 kn · 34 mph, 55 km/h
- Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969) cruising 28.5 kn · 33 mph, 53 km/h
- RMS Queen Mary (1936) cruising 28.5 kn · 33 mph, 53 km/h
- Bald eagle carrying a fish cruising 25.9 kn · 30 mph, 48 km/h
- RMS Lusitania (1907) cruising 24 kn · 28 mph, 44 km/h
Show 8 more
- RMS Olympic (1911) cruising 22 kn · 25 mph, 41 km/h
- RMS Titanic (1912) cruising 21 kn · 24 mph, 39 km/h
- Container ship, slow steaming cruising 18 kn · 21 mph, 33 km/h
- Washington State ferry (Jumbo Mark II class) cruising 18 kn · 21 mph, 33 km/h
- Eliud Kipchoge, sub-2-hour marathon pace cruising 11.4 kn · 13 mph, 21 km/h
- Blue whale cruising 4.3 kn · 5 mph, 8 km/h
- Gray whale on migration cruising 4.3 kn · 5 mph, 8 km/h
- Chinook (king) salmon heading upriver cruising 1 kn · 1 mph, 2 km/h
No confirmed typical speed for Sapphire Princess. See Reported speed above.
Not in this view: SS United States (1952); RMS Mauretania (1906); Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier; Virginia-class attack submarine; Humpback whale; Orca (killer whale); Fin whale; Gentoo penguin underwater; Dall's porpoise; California sea lion; Cheetah; Usain Bolt, 100 m world record (only burst or top speeds are known). They are under Top and Burst Speeds.
Top and Burst Speeds
Burst is a short sprint. The ship's bar here is its top speed.
Show 9 faster
- Cheetah top speed 50.4 kn · 58 mph, 93 km/h
- SS United States (1952) top speed 38.3 kn · 44 mph, 71 km/h
- RMS Queen Mary (1936) top speed 32.8 kn · 38 mph, 61 km/h
- Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969) top speed 32.5 kn · 37 mph, 60 km/h
- SS Normandie (1935) top speed 32.2 kn · 37 mph, 60 km/h
- Orca (killer whale) top speed 30.1 kn · 35 mph, 56 km/h
- Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier top speed 30+ kn · 35+ mph, 56+ km/h
- Dall's porpoise burst 29.5 kn · 34 mph, 55 km/h
- RMS Lusitania (1907) top speed 26 kn · 30 mph, 48 km/h
- RMS Mauretania (1906) top speed 25.7 kn · 30 mph, 48 km/h
- Virginia-class attack submarine top speed 25+ kn · 29+ mph, 46+ km/h
- Usain Bolt, 100 m world record top speed 24.1 kn · 28 mph, 45 km/h
- Sapphire Princess (your ship) top speed 23 kn · 26 mph, 43 km/h
- RMS Olympic (1911) top speed 23+ kn · 26+ mph, 43+ km/h
- California sea lion burst 21.7 kn · 25 mph, 40 km/h
- Fin whale top speed 21.6 kn · 25 mph, 40 km/h
Show 4 slower
- Gentoo penguin underwater burst 19.4 kn · 22 mph, 36 km/h
- Blue whale burst 17.4+ kn · 20+ mph, 32+ km/h
- Humpback whale burst 14.6 kn · 17 mph, 27 km/h
- Chinook (king) salmon heading upriver burst 3.1 kn · 4 mph, 6 km/h
Not in this view: RMS Titanic (1912); Container ship, slow steaming; Washington State ferry (Jumbo Mark II class); Gray whale on migration; Bald eagle carrying a fish; Eliud Kipchoge, sub-2-hour marathon pace; Car at the Washington rural interstate limit; Boeing 787 Dreamliner at cruise (only cruising speeds are known). They are under Cruising Speeds.
vs Usain Bolt, 100 m world record vs Orca (killer whale) vs Dall's porpoise vs Humpback whale
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Sources
- Top speed, 23 kn: Reference figure, scheepvaartwest.be, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Reported speed, 22.1 kn: Unlabelled figure, mhi.com, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Reported speed, 22 kn: Unlabelled figure, en.wikipedia.org, checked Oct 24, 2026
Typical (service) speed is the pace a ship is built to hold for hours. Top speed is the most it can make, usually on trials or in a short burst. These are planning numbers about the ship, not a forecast for your sailing.