New for 2022, Princess Cruises’ Premier Cruise Package is an all-inclusive option featuring top-shelf beverages, Wi-Fi, specialty dining, crew gratuities, and more.
Many cruisers today are looking for hassle-free options that will make their cruise a more inclusive vacation. With the addition of Princess Premier as a step up from the popular Princess Plus add-on, the cruise line is now offering its most inclusive package to date.
Launched in May 2022 for cruises starting June 25th and beyond, the Princess Premier Cruise Package is a brand-new fare type that could bring your cruise to the next level. But is Princess Premier right for you? Let’s dive in and find out if this new premium add-on package is worth the money.
What is Princess Premier?
Princess Premier is a fare type that includes a variety of amenities that cruisers used to have to pay for separately.
When you book Princess Premier, you’ll get the newly-upgraded Premier Beverage Package, unlimited internet, a photo package, specialty dining, and crew gratuities, all included in your fare.
This isn’t a limited-time-only sale. Instead, the cruise line offers passengers the option to pay a higher fare in exchange for a variety of perks that usually come with a daily charge.
Princess Premier vs. Princess Standard or Princess Plus
Although Princess used to offer just one fare type, they now have three: Princess Standard (formerly Princess Savers), Princess Plus, and Princess Premier.
Here’s what you’ll get with each fare type:
- Princess Standard: The cruise line’s fare-only product with just the basic inclusions: lodging, meals, and a (very) limited selection of drinks.
- Princess Plus: A fare type that includes the Plus Beverage Package, unlimited Wi-Fi, and crew gratuities
- Princess Premier: An even more inclusive fare with all the features of Princess Plus, and some extras like top-shelf drinks, free specialty dining, and a photo package.
You can choose Princess Standard, Plus, or Premier for any stateroom category, from a basic inside cabin to a luxurious full suite.
It’s similar to how many low-cost airlines offer a base fare without any extras, but for a slightly higher price you’ll have free checked bags, priority boarding, and seat selection.
Princess Premier isn’t like upgrading to business or first class on a plane—you’re still in the same cabin class on the ship, but with some extra amenities thrown in.
What does the Princess Premier Cruise Package include?
Premier includes a comprehensive bundle of onboard amenities, including:
- Premier Beverage Package: premium spirits and cocktails up to $18 (service charge included), a new selection of wines by the glass, specialty coffees, smoothies, and bottled water
- Unlimited Wi-Fi for up to four devices
- Two specialty dining meals per person, at restaurants including Crown Grill and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria
- Digital downloads of all photos taken by professional staff onboard, plus three prints of any size up to 8″ x 10″
- An entry into the new “Princess Prizes” on board promotion
- 25% off bottles of wine
How much does Princess Premier cost per day?
Princess Premier costs an additional $75 per person, per day, on top of the base cruise fare.
As an example, let’s say you’ve booked a seven-day cruise in an oceanview cabin that costs $1200 per person including taxes and port fees.
With Princess Standard, your cruise will cost $1200 + $14.50 per day for automatic gratuities. Your total cost would be $1301.50.
With Premier, your cruise will cost $1200 + $525 for the upgrade (equal to $75 per day). Your total cost would be $1725.
For an extra $423.50 total, you’d have a top-shelf drink package, unlimited Wi-Fi, and photos for all seven days, plus two specialty dinners and multiple entries to win prizes.
What’s included in the Premier Beverage Package?
The Princess Premier cruise fare includes the Premier Beverage Package for guests age 21 and over, or the Coffee & Soda Package for guests under 21.
The Premier Beverage Package includes:
- Spirits*
- Cocktails*
- Wine by the glass*
- Beer*
- Fountain soda
- Specialty coffees
- Fresh juices
- Bottled water (500ml only)
- Teas
- Frappés at Coffee & Cones
- Hot chocolate
- Milkshakes
- Red Bull energy drinks
- “Zero-proof” mocktails
*with a menu price of $18 USD / $22 AUD or less
Princess limits alcoholic drinks to 15 per day, per person. Non-alcoholic drinks are unlimited with this package.
The Premier Beverage Package normally costs $79.99 USD per person, per day. A service charge of 18% is included when booking, bringing the cost to $94.39 per day.
The Coffee & Soda Package includes:
- Premium and specialty coffees and teas
- Fountain sodas
- Fresh fruit juices
- Hot chocolate
- “Zero-proof” mocktails
- Frappes at Coffee & Cones
- Smoothies
- Red Bull energy drinks
- Milkshakes
The Coffee & Soda Package is usually $19.99 USD per person, per day. An 18% service charge is included when booking, bringing the daily cost to $23.59.
For more info on Princess beverage packages, be sure to read my Princess Cruises Drink Packages: The Ultimate Guide for all the details.
What you need to know about the included internet package
With Princess Premier, unlimited MedallionNet Wi-Fi is included in the fare. You’ll get their unlimited internet package for up to four devices, which is fast enough to let you video chat and stream programs.
All Princess ships now have the MedallionNet technology, which they claim is the best Wi-Fi at sea!
The four-device MedallionNet Wi-Fi is normally priced at $19.99 per person per day when you purchase before your cruise. (Platinum and Elite guests receive a 50% discount on individually-purchased internet packages, reimbursed as onboard credit.)
With the included Wi-Fi package, you can use messaging apps like WeChat, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp to keep in touch with friends and family back home. However, the Wi-Fi won’t work to send or receive SMS text messages.
Learn more about this in my post How to Text on a Cruise Ship for Free
Specialty dining options included in the Princess Premier Cruise Package
Princess Premier is the only fare type that includes specialty dining restaurants, which is a pretty nice perk! Cruisers can enjoy two specialty dining meals during their sailing, included in the fare.
Specialty restaurants include*:
- Crown Grill (steaks and specialty seafood): normally $29 per person
- Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria: normally $25 per person
- Sterling Steakhouse: normally $29 per person
- Bistro Sur La Mer (French bistro dishes): normally $29 per person
- Harmony (upscale Chinese cuisine): normally $29 per person
*Not all specialty restaurants are available on every ship.
Availability may be limited, so cruisers should make reservations soon after boarding by going to the Dine My Way section of the MedallionClass app.
The free specialty dining doesn’t include menu items with extra charges, or premium dining experiences like Chef’s Table or Ultimate Balcony Dining.
How does the included photo package work?
If you’ve ever been on a Princess cruise, you’ll know that there are roving photographers on hand to capture your shipboard memories on film. Having your picture taken is free, but purchasing the photo prints (or a digital download) can be pricey!
With Premier, you’ll get a free digital download of all your pics, plus three prints of your choice, in any size up to 8″ x 10″.
The most recent pricing for a similar photo package on Princess is $249 (if booked pre-cruise).
What are the crew gratuities included with Princess Premier?
On Princess cruises, a daily gratuity is charged to your onboard account. These gratuities go to housekeeping staff as well as to other behind-the-scenes workers.
The daily charge varies, based on the category of stateroom you’re sailing in:
- $14.50 per person, per day for inside, oceanview, and balcony staterooms
- $15.50 per person, per day for mini-suite or club class staterooms
- $16.50 per person, per day for full suites
On a seven-day cruise, you’d pay $101.50 per person in gratuities for inside, oceanview, and balcony staterooms, $108.50 per person for mini-suites, and $115.50 per person for suites.
But with Premier, these daily charges are included in the package.
Learn more: Tipping on a Cruise Ship: What You Need to Know About Cruise Gratuities
What’s the new Princess Prizes promotion?
Each time an adult guest accesses their stateroom with their Ocean Medallion, the wearable RFID device each cruiser receives, they’ll have the chance to win some pretty sweet prizes! You’ll be entered to win cruise vacations, cash prizes, exclusive onboard experiences and more in this new onboard promotion.
Guests could win grand prizes including $100,000 in cash and a cruise for two every year for the next decade. Princess will also draw prize winners on each voyage, ranging from a cruise for two in a balcony stateroom, onboard cruise credits from $25 up to $250, wine tastings, and Chef’s Table dinners.
Guests can also win entries for an end-of-cruise drawing—someone will win at least $5,000 every voyage!
Non-Premier cruisers have to pay a one-time entry fee equal to $20 per day per stateroom to play Princess Prizes, making this added perk a great value.
What’s the total value of Princess Premier?
Princess claims that the Premier package is valued at $156 per person, per day. However, it depends on how many days your itinerary includes.
In the chart below, I’ve broken down how much you’d pay for the perks on the average seven-day cruise, compared to the cost for Premier on the same sailing.
| Included Perks | Individual Cost (7 days) | With Princess Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Beverage Package | $660.73 | included |
| Unlimited Wi-Fi (4 devices) | $139.93 | included |
| 2 specialty dinners | $58.00 | included |
| Photo package | $249.00 | included |
| Crew gratuities | $101.50 | included |
| Princess Prizes (per person) | $70.00 | included |
| Total cost: | $1279.16 | $525.00 |
In this example, the daily value of the Premier package is $182.73, and you’d save $754.16 compared to purchasing each amenity separately. That’s an overall 59% savings!
Do you have to buy the Princess Premier package when you cruise on Princess?
Princess Premier is completely optional. Guests on Princess still have the option to buy a basic fare that doesn’t include any of the extra perks.
Princess Standard is the best way to cruise with Princess on a budget. You’ll still have all your meals and snacks included in the complimentary dining rooms, plus a basic selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
Is Princess Premier worth the money?
For many cruisers, upgrading to a Princess Premier fare just makes sense. If you’re planning on buying the Premier Beverage Package anyway, you’ll actually pay less per day by upgrading to Premier, and you’ll get all the other perks as a bonus!
If you wouldn’t normally buy a drink package because you wouldn’t drink enough to justify the expense, you probably shouldn’t consider this upgrade.
I’d recommend considering Princess Plus instead—you could break even with that package if you ordered 4-6 alcoholic drinks per day. Or even fewer if you also take advantage of the included specialty coffees and bottled water!
Of course, if you’re looking to cut costs and don’t need a drinks package or any extra amenities on your cruise, you have the option to book the lowest fare with Princess Standard.
Princess Premier Cruise Package FAQ
How do you book a Princess Premier fare?
Guests can book through a travel agent or directly through the cruise line. The Princess Premier fare is available to residents of the 50 United States and DC, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
Can you upgrade to Princess Premier if you’ve already booked Princess Plus?
Yes, you’ll just need to pay the $25 per day difference to upgrade to Princess Premier before your cruise. You can upgrade by contacting Princess or your travel agent.
Can you upgrade to Princess Premier from Princess Standard after you book your cruise?
As Princess Premier is a fare type and not an add-on, you can re-fare your cruise at the current Princess Premier rate before final payment. However, you may lose any promos or perks from your original booking.
Does everyone in a stateroom have to buy Princess Premier?
When booking Princess Premier, the fare defaults to everyone in the stateroom. However, third and fourth guests in the same cabin can opt out by calling Princess or their travel agent.
Can you use Future Cruise Credit or a Future Cruise Deposit toward a Princess Premier fare?
Yes, you can use an FCC or FCD as payment toward a Princess Premier fare.
What if a guest purchases Princess Premier and is underage?
Guests under 21 on a Princess Premier fare will receive the Premier Coffee & Soda Package instead of the Premier Beverage Package.
What if a guest doesn’t drink alcohol but purchases Princess Premier?
If a guest age 21 or over doesn’t drink alcohol, Princess doesn’t offer substitutions. However, the drink package does include a wide variety of non-alcoholic drinks.
Is Princess Premier available for all stateroom types?
Princess Premier fares are available for all stateroom types.
More Princess cruise posts you’ll love
Want to learn more about Princess cruises? Here are my top Princess cruise posts you’ll want to read:
- 21 Princess Cruise Tips You Need to Know
- Princess Plus on Princess Cruises: Can it Save You Money?
- Princess Cruises Drink Packages: The Ultimate Guide
- Ultimate Guide to Princess Cays
- Ultimate Balcony Dining on Princess Cruises
Are you considering upgrading to Princess Premier for an upcoming cruise? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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