Princess Plus vs Princess Premier: Let's Do the Math Before You Book
Okay. We need to have a talk about that upgrade button.
Every single week, someone tells me they upgraded to Princess Premier because "it seemed like the better deal." Then they get home, and I find out they never ate at a specialty restaurant, never booked a shore excursion through Princess, and never used more than one device on the Wi-Fi.
That's about $490 per couple on a seven-day cruise, spent on perks that were never going to match the way they travel. Premier is a genuinely strong package. It just wasn't their package.
Here's the thing nobody tells you: neither package is a scam, and neither one is automatically the smart pick. The right answer depends entirely on how you cruise — and the 2026 changes moved the goalposts on both of them.
So let's do the actual math together. No brochure language. No "unparalleled luxury." Just the numbers, the fine print, and my honest opinion at the end.
The Short Answer, Because I Know You're Skimming and Not Reading Every Word
Book Princess Plus if: you drink a few drinks, like soda & specialty coffee, you're happy in the main dining room, and one device on the Wi-Fi is plenty.
Book Princess Premier if: you plan to eat at specialty restaurants three or more nights, you order the good wine, or you're a family that needs multiple devices connected.
Book Princess Standard if: you barely drink, you don't care about Wi-Fi, and you'd rather put that money toward a balcony.
Now here's how I got there, after sailing on all of the above 3 packages!
What Princess Plus Actually Includes in 2026
Princess Plus is the middle option and the one most people land on. It is what I choose most of the time for my own personal Princess cruises. For 2026 sailings and beyond, it runs $65 per person, per day when you book it before your cruise on most of the fleet — or $70 per person, per day on Sun Princess and Star Princess, the newer Sphere Class ships.
What you get:
15 drinks per day, up to $15 each — cocktails, wine, beer, spirits, fountain sodas, and zero-proof cocktails
Unlimited specialty coffees and teas (these do not count against your 15)
Up to 12 bottles of water per day (500mL or smaller, also doesn't count against your 15)
4 casual dining meals per guest for the whole voyage
Wi-Fi for 1 device per guest on MedallionNet Max
Crew appreciation (your required daily gratuities, prepaid)
OceanNow delivery and room service delivery fees waived
Fifteen drinks a day is not a limit. Fifteen drinks a day is a warning label. After that you will be charged to your onboard account. Have I ever exceeded that number even on a sea day? Not even close - even in Diet Coke. When you stop to think about your consumption, 15 is a very accommodating number. My theory is that number was put in place to stop people who were traveling in multi-cabins groups from sharing one package with each other. This is an easier way for them to monitor it than trying to have crew members “watch out” for people.
A handcrafted Sandia En Fuego spicy watermelon margarita cocktail made with Pantalones Tequila from the Good Spirits specialty drink menu on Princess Cruises, included in the Princess Plus Package.
What Princess Premier Actually Includes
Premier is the top tier and the closest Princess gets to true all-inclusive. It runs $100 per person, per day pre-cruise on most ships, or $105 per person, per day on Sun and Star Princess.
Everything in Plus, upgraded, plus:
Unlimited drinks, with the ceiling raised to $20 each
Unlimited casual dining instead of four meals
Unlimited specialty dining — Crown Grill, Sabatini's, The Catch by Rudi (one per mealtime)
Wi-Fi for 4 devices per guest
Shore excursion credit, new for 2026
Unlimited digital photos plus 3 prints
Reserved theater seating for production shows
That shore excursion credit is the newest piece, and it scales with how long you're sailing: $100 per guest on 6–9 day cruises, $200 on 10–20 day cruises, and $300 on 21+ day voyages. It is a one time credit and is not a per port credit like Norwegian.
Use it or lose it, by the way. It's non-refundable and doesn't convert to cash.
The Price Difference Nobody Does the Math On
Premier costs $35 more per person, per day than Plus. That's true on every ship in the fleet, Sphere Class included.
That number sounds small. It is not small. Adding Princess Plus or Princess Premier will also change the cost of any travel protection you have on your cruise through Princess or a 3rd party. I don’t think drink and wifi packages should affect the pricing of travel protection but I don’t make the rules.
The other math that you need to remember is if you don’t have Princess Plus or Princess Premier and decide to pay a la carte for soda, coffee, bottled water - you will pay the price for each of those plus a service charge on each transaction. A diet coke is $3 but there will be a 20% service charge added on the transaction if you do not have Princess Plus or Premier.
On a 7-Day Cruise
Princess Plus: $455 per person. Princess Premier: $700 per person. Difference: $245 per person, or $490 per couple.
Now subtract the $100 shore excursion credit each of you gets. Your real gap is about $145 per person.
So the question becomes: will you get $145 of value out of unlimited specialty dining, three extra Wi-Fi devices, a photo package, and a higher drink ceiling?
If you're eating at Crown Grill three or four nights, yes. Comfortably. Specialty dining generally starts around $39 per person and climbs from there, so three dinners can close that gap on its own.
If you eat in the main dining room most nights because the food is genuinely good and it's already paid for? Then no. Book Plus and put the difference toward an excursion you actually chose. Note: I am team Main Dining Room on Princess Cruises.
On a 12-Day Cruise
This is where it gets interesting.
Princess Plus: $780 per person. Princess Premier: $1,200 per person. Difference: $420 per person, or $840 per couple.
But the shore excursion credit jumps to $200 per person on sailings of 10 to 20 days. Net gap: about $220 per person.
Longer sailings tilt toward Premier, because the credit grows while your daily habits stay about the same. Twelve days is also plenty of time to eat your way through the specialty restaurants but that also depends on the ship. Some ships may only have two specialty dining restaurants. Their menus do not change. The Main Dining Room menu does change. Which option would you prefer to dine at multiple times?
Who Should Book Princess Plus
You're my Plus person if you're a moderate drinker who likes a cocktail by the pool and wine with dinner, but has no interest in chasing a $20 drink ceiling.
You're my Plus person if you're perfectly content in the main dining room and the buffet, and four casual dining meals across the week feels like plenty.
You're my Plus person if one device on the Wi-Fi covers you, because you're on vacation and your phone is the only thing you're checking.
For most couples on a 7-day Caribbean, Alaska, or Mexico sailing, Plus is the better value. I say that as someone who books both packages every single week.
Who Should Book Princess Premier
You're my Premier person if food is a genuine part of your vacation. Unlimited specialty dining is the single strongest thing in this package, full stop.
You're my Premier person if you're traveling with kids or working remotely and one device per person is going to cause a family incident on day two.
You're my Premier person if you drink premium — the higher-end wines by the glass, the top-shelf pours, the cocktails that quietly cross $15.
And you're my Premier person if you're sailing 10+ days, because the shore excursion credit doubles and the math gets a lot friendlier.
Who Should Skip Both
Somebody has to say it: Princess Standard is not a punishment.
If you don't drink alcohol, don't need Wi-Fi, and don't care about specialty dining, you're paying $65 a day for gratuities and a Diet Coke. Crew appreciation on its own generally runs about $18-20 per person per day depending on your stateroom, and you can add a soda or coffee package à la carte. You can also add a wifi package on its own once you are onboard if you are only interested in wifi.
Take the savings and book the balcony instead. That's the upgrade you'll actually feel every morning.
The Fine Print I Don't Want You Learning the Hard Way
Packages apply to guests 1 and 2 only. Third and fourth guests in the stateroom aren't automatically covered. A package can be added for the third and fourth guest.
Buy at least 4 days out. Purchase within 96 hours of departure or once you're onboard, and you'll pay an extra $5 per person, per day. On a 10-day cruise for two, that's $100 you set on fire for no reason.
You can upgrade after you book. Already have Plus on a 2026 reservation? You can move up to Premier. Booked a package before July 22, 2025? Your original benefits are honored, and you can still upgrade to the new version if the new perks are worth it to you.
Shore excursion credit is Princess-only. It's redeemable pre-cruise online or at the onboard Shore Excursion desk, and it's tied to that one voyage.
What Changed in the 2026 Packages
Let's cover this part honestly. Along with the price increase, several perks came out of both packages: premium desserts, juice bar access, fitness classes, Princess Prizes, and free Medallion shipping.
Princess says these were under-used and the changes came from guest feedback. Fair enough — I never once had a client rebook because of a dessert.
But Plus did get better in one real way: it went from two casual dining meals to four, and specialty coffees became truly unlimited instead of counting against your drink total. That last one matters more than people realize if you're a two-lattes-before-noon person. And I say that with love, because I am a Diet-Coke-before-noon person.
So Which One Should You Book?
Here's my honest take after booking hundreds of these: most people should book Plus, and the people who should book Premier usually already know it.
If you're standing there genuinely torn, that hesitation is your answer. Premier pays off for a specific kind of cruiser — the one who eats out most nights and drinks the good stuff. If that's not obviously you, Plus is the smarter use of your money.
And this is exactly the kind of decision that shouldn't take you four evenings, seventeen browser tabs, and a mild spiral at 11pm.
Let Me Run the Numbers for You
This is literally my job. Tell me your ship, your sailing length, and roughly how you like to spend your days onboard, and I'll tell you which package makes sense for your cruise — not the average cruiser's.
It costs you nothing to work with me. I get you the same Princess pricing, plus group rates and promotions you won't find yourself, and I'm the person tracking your final payment date, your excursion window, and your upgrade opportunities while you go live your life.
Let's talk about your Princess cruise. I answer questions. Real ones. Before and after you book.
Amanda is The Traveling Sidekick, affiliated with Cedar Travel and the Travel Leaders Network. She is an Accredited Cruise Counselor with the Cruise Line Industry Association and a member of the American Society of Travel Advisors. She plans the cruises she'd put her own family on — because usually, she already has. And, she is a Platinum member of the Princess Captains Circle Club.
*Package pricing and inclusions are current as of publication and are set by Princess Cruises, which adjusts them periodically. Always confirm details for your specific sailing.
