- Princess has made key changes to their Princess Premier and Princess Plus packages.
- They have raised prices by 20-30%, meaning the premier package can cost about $400 more over a two week cruise.
- They have also both added and cut some of the included perks.
Princess Premier and Plus packages, the two opt-in packages on Princess sailings, have become a popular option for Princess cruisers.
However, the line announced this morning that packages will rise in price. Princess Plus will now cost $79 per day, compared to $65 before and Princess Premier will now cost $129 per day, compared to $100 before. This represents increases of about 20 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively.
The packages will come with some new benefits. Princess Premier will now have a shore excursion credit for $100 for sailings of six days to nine days, $200 for sailings of 10 to 20 days, and $300 for voyages of 21 or more days.
The plus package will feature two more casual dining meals per voyage.
However, the changes will also lead to several perks adding out. There will be no more premium desserts, juice bar access, Medallion shipping fitness classes and Princess prizes.
Fans of Princess Cruises have had a mixed reaction, many are of course upset about the rise in prices. However, some others still believe it is the best value at sea, and are understanding as to why prices had to rise.
One cruiser wrote about the new changes: “Charging more for less. Period” and another wrote: “This is getting ridiculous”.
Cruisers expressed a general sentiment of feeling ‘nickled and dimed’ by the new changes.
Another cruiser wrote: “Let the cruise lines know you are willing to pay anything…and you will.”
One cruiser reiterated the importance of running the numbers before buying a package.
“Not surprising and will continue to go higher as long as people buy them! Do the math as to what’s included and buying those things as you go. We did and buying a package would not be beneficial for us.”
However, others have written comments in support of Princess such as “It is still the best package of all the cruise lines” and “The cost of everything is going up, why are you surprised?”
Drinks package tweak has cruisers upset
The changes also included an important tweak to how the drinks package will work as part of Princess Plus. Previously Princess Plus would entitle a guest to 15 alcoholic drinks per day, however, now it will only entitle customers to 15 drinks of any kind.
This means drinks like fountain sodas, specialty coffees and teas, frappes, red bull will count towards that total of 15 drinks, which they did not count towards previously.
Furthermore, the packages no longer include access to the juice bar.
One cruiser wrote: “This sucks. My wife loves the juice bar, and including coffee and sofa in the 14 drinks limit significantly lowers the appeal of Princess Plus. We probably won’t be purchasing a package after our 2026 sailing.”
Another wrote: “Wow, so they capped the drinks to both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks to 15 total per day.
“Overall, that is a big devaluation.”
Are the new Princess Premier and Plus packages better value?
The Princess Premier and Plus packages were probably the best and cheapest options to get both a drinks package and Wi Fi across any cruise line. And, as we have seen with the Carnival Cruise Line loyalty program changes, there are new cost pressures on cruise lines.
But the price rises and removal of some perks do seem to tilt the value proposition in favour of the line. For example, someone on a two-week cruise will now pay an extra $29 per day for Princess Premier, or $406 in total, only to receive a $200 shore excursion credit. Furthermore, they will no longer have premium desserts, juice bars access, fitness classes and the other cut perks.
Someone who uses the Plus Package, will now have an extra $196 per fortnight, for just two extra meals, that generally cost about $25 each. Then they will also be missing the perks that have now been cut.
The packages now appear to have less monetary value to passengers. Until now they have been extremely reasonably priced, so perhaps it should be no surprise that things are changing. But cruisers surely won’t be thrilled at the changes.
Are the Princess packages still worth it?
As always, whether the Princess packages are worth it to you, will always depend on your own individual cruising preferences.
As far as getting a drinks package and Wifi goes, Princess Plus is still far cheaper than anything you’d find on comparable lines in Australia such as Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises.
Princess Premier also still remains a good deal, and especially stands out as a good deal to those who enjoy Princess dining, as the unlimited specialty dining is a great bonus.
And it could be argued that many won’t miss premium desserts, juice bars access and fitness classes.
The best thing you can do is to work out whether the packages would be worth it to you, is to sit down and analyse the perks, then estimate how many drinks you think you would order, how much specialty dining you would indulge in and so on, and simply do the math on whether the packages work for you.
If it is a complete given that you will get a drinks package and a Wi Fi package on whatever cruise you do, then the packages will still definitely be worth it for you.
However, if you’re not a big drinker, it’s probably worth some more thoughtful consideration as to whether you’ll get enough value from the packages, particularly after the increases.
What do the packages contain now?
Princess Premier Package $129 per day
- A new shore excursion credit, varying by voyage length: $100 (6–9 days), $200 (10–20 days), and up to $300 for voyages of 21+ days.
- Premier Beverage Package
- Unlimited casual and specialty dining,
- Four-device Wi Fi
- Fees waived for OceanNow®
- Room service delivery
- Unlimited digital professional photos
- Reserved seating for theatre shows
Plus package $79 per day
- Four casual dining meals (up from two)
- Plus Beverage Package
- Single device wi-fi
- Fees waived for OceanNow®
- Room service delivery
What do you think of the changes? Tell us in the comments below.
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Cruise ship loyalty maybe not anymore. It works both ways. The packages at the new rates are not doing it for me and will look at alternative cruise lines.
To raise prices and remove items is a low move. I read that Princess claims people weren’t interested in the premium desserts or fitness classes, but if that was the case, why not leave those items in? It would be a win/win for Princess, making the deal appear better but saving money because few passengers would be using these perks. Either Princess have no common sense or this was a blatant lie. Who is going to use 4 casual dinning meals? I haven’t used one yet on any of my cruises, especially when the choice for casual dinning on Crown Princess is very poor. I did, however use the premium desserts perk. These desserts are priced at more than double what they are worth, so who in their right mind would pay for one. I will definitely think twice before buying a package now
I never book excursions through the cruise line. So increasing the price for the Premier package and losing the juice bar, premium desserts, fitness classes, princess prizes, free shipping of Medallion and the 3 photo prints is clearly paying more for getting less. I love the juice bar and specially desserts. I can understand having to increase prices. But increasing prices and offering less is not going to go well with consumers regardless of whether or not is a good deal. I personally would not opt for the drink package for my future trips.
We have cruise Princess for years,raising the price for packages, and getting less service is definitely not a good move.We have cruise booked in November and with your increase in cruise prices and now this increase it may be our last.
We have booked our Princess cruise for 2027, paid our deposit on the Plus fare. I sure hope they will honour the fare price given.
Yep, same as most of the other comments. You would think that the princess bean counters were wanting a pay rise ,from the travellers. Lost my business, similar to the airlines point systems, complete abuse of there power.
I have never cared for Princess drink packages because you need to purchase two (2) packages, one for yourself, and one for your partner. My wife rarely drinks alcohol or coffee, so the dual package cost is simply not worth it.
I am super mad with Princess. I travel solo and needed 1 cruise to be Elite. My “Personal Princess Cruise Planner” booked me on 2 cruises. A short 2 day to reach Elite and an overseas one after it. He told me I was on stand by for both. I packed my bag and waited. No news so I waited. The day came, still no contact. So, I figured out I must not be on it. Then a few days later I got an email from him asking how my cruise went. WHAT!!!!! I replied to his email What cruise? When he finally spoke to me on the phone I told him what he could do with the international cruise which I would have needed to book return overseas flights for. I cancelled and have booked 2 weeks overseas instead. I loved Princess until now. Princess, you need to look after your loyal customers and also stop ripping off solo with huge pricing on the cabins.
I find the price of the drinks packages quite ridiculous. We are not big drinkers we purchase our drinks as we want. I also find the wifi charges excessive even though as an elite customer, I get the package half price. I note that other cruise lines sometimes offer drinks and wifi packages as part of special offers. That is very tempting!
I have done quite a few cruises with Princess but as I probably will have to cruise on my own from now on it will be far to expensive .
Have cruises with plus booked through to 2027 , Princess have stated they will honour the deals booked pre 25th July 25 .
We will not be making any new bookings !!! ( 500+days on Princess )
I don’t think adding soft drinks and coffee to the package of 15 drinks is fair our boys usually have 3/4 coffees before alcohol and the girls will have water in bottles or soft drinks in cans before alcohol so this would reduce our package to probably half of the amount in alcohol,not value for us
Every since covid Princess have been in catch up mode…we are Elite and have lost some of our privileges including free wifi…drink packages we will not buy..they suit drunks and alcoholics…,
(Understandably some will endulge on vacation) who buys 15 drinks a day? So disappointed in Princess. Their coffee card was good but it’s gone…the coffee was crap most of the time anyway. We have 1 booked cruise in 2027 and it will be our last on Princess..you would expect them to appreciate their loyal cruisers but the don’t. Only 2 ships now in Australia, so we don’t rate as well as their American customers..Time to move to another line….
A sad shadow of what Princess used to be. More a case now of US and THEM. You move , we charge. No longer a nice feeling of sailing with Princess Cruises. Forget the packages. For the average cruiser, they are a rip off. Pay as you go is the only answer. Trouble is they are continually putting up their prices so you can’t win.
For princess plus Americans get a $5.00 increase while Aussies get a $14.00 increase, which is nearly double what the yanks increase is, in exchange rate!!!!! Sounds far doesn’t it! It’s not long ago they dropped canned sodas off, now this, a price adjustment is fair, but counting machine sodas which costs a few cents, and crappie coffee is hardly an enhancement! Who do they talk to? oh yes the bean counters! The casual dining used to be free, a couple of extras of those is not probably going to be used, especially say on a 7 day cruise.
Sorry, but I won’t bother reading anymore your Post because me and my Wife have already Promised ourselves to NEVER, NEVER, EVER Cruise again with Princess or Any of the Cruise Ships that belong to the Carnival Group like Carnival, Holland America Lines etc. We got So Pissed Off with Princess Cruises in our Last Cruise with them!! We were Regular Cruisers with them, and yet We received SHABBY Treatment in that Last time!! Thanks So Much Anyway for your INFO!!
I don’t care about the 15 drink limit, but removing access to the juice bar is unforgivable.
We love cruising and Princess is our favourite.We understand that prices are going up in almost everything we purchase these days but will continue to purchase the drinks package (likely Princess Plus).We do suggest that if you are an Elite level or Platinum with Princess Cruises then some of the benefits should include free soft drinks and or coffee.We have spent alot of money with Princess and like many others we love their service and cruise style and hope they listen to the feedback before making too many permanent changes.
Thank you.
As a reasonably big drinker, and a solo cruiser, who would get double the shore excursion credits, with the Premier package, it probably still is good value for me, but i can also understand a lot of people being very angry about these price rises as well
This really sucks. I only ever had one or two desserts the whole cruise, never used the fitness, had plenty of hot chocolate and soft drink and a few alcohol beverages. Why would I waste a voucher on fountain soda instead of a cocktail? And the casual dining is crap. Not many choices when you don’t eat sushi and buffet pizzas taste better than Alfred’s.
Never gotten their packages as no value for us, now even less value. It’s only incentive for those who drink alcohol.
The cuts are greater than the adds, and of course both are having massive price rises.
So it’s a straightforward case of pay more, get less.
Ilogical to include soft drinks in the 15 drinks, up to USD15, but then exclude soft drink cans from the soft drinks that can be purchased within the Princess Plus Package.
Especially when Coke Zero, my soft drink of choice, is not available at all “soda fountains” and costs a lot less than USD15.
Why?
I have done 42 Princess Cruise
And I have made a lot of friends on board. I keep in touch with a few of them sometimes it’s only reason I go to Princess, but I don’t think it’s worth it anymore. Especially as a solo cruiser they are charging too much.
Try to tell us that’s enhanced package that’s insulting you do the math I have always done plus package. I just booked loyal Caribbean for trans Pacific and come home to pack to go Crystal Cruise for 27 days. I usually cruise 5 to 6 months out of the year, but I think Princess lost my business enough is enough like I say only reason to go on a PrincessCruises to see my old friends on the ship. last one I did was Azamara and they were great but people tell me that once I do Crystal Cruise I probably won’t go back to any other line.
Bring Elite ,have lost privileges also Princess goes to same places in Australia over and over.I do not drink enough to buy a package.
How about a cruise from Sydney to Western Australia return Sydney.Thank you.
The removal of juice, limiting soda , dropping the total drinks to 15, eliminating specialty deserts, upping the price ,and replacing these with two casual dining meals is a big insult to me. I must consider my future cruise trips.