Princess Plus and Princess Premier can make onboard spending more predictable. Whether either saves money depends on the drinks, internet, dining, and other benefits you would actually use.
Start by pricing the cruise without a package, then compare Plus and Premier for the same sailing and guests. A longer inclusion list is useful only when those inclusions improve your vacation.
Compare Standard, Plus, and Premier
| Choice | Useful starting point for | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Guests who want to buy selected extras individually. | Main dining and buffet remain included; a bundle is optional. |
| Princess Plus | Guests who expect to use drinks, Wi-Fi, and covered everyday benefits. | One connected device and four eligible casual dining meals under the current package. |
| Princess Premier | Guests planning more specialty dining and other premium extras. | Expanded drinks, up to four devices, eligible specialty dining, photos, and excursion credit. |
The table summarizes the current offer. Purchase date, departure date, ship, and market can affect the terms. An older reservation may hold a different package version.
Compare the Price for Your Sailing
For current qualifying 2026-and-beyond packages, published U.S. advance rates start at $65 per person per day for Plus and $100 for Premier. Sun and Star Princess are listed at $70 and $105 respectively. Confirm the quote before purchasing.
The lower price requires purchase at least four full days, or 96 hours, before scheduled departure. Princess says purchases inside that window must be made onboard at a higher rate. Do not plan around an assumed last-minute online purchase.
Compare the total for all participating guests and the full cruise. Ask whether adding the package changes any other quoted costs, including travel protection.
Give Standard a Fair Comparison
A guest who enjoys the main dining room, wants little internet access, and buys only occasional drinks may prefer paying separately. Standard can also make sense when a port-heavy itinerary leaves fewer hours onboard.
Build a realistic spending estimate. Include the applicable crew appreciation, internet, drinks, paid meals, and delivery you expect to purchase. Use your own habits rather than the maximum value advertised for a bundle.
Consider Plus for the Everyday Benefits
Plus combines a beverage package, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation where applicable, eligible casual dining, and delivery benefits. For someone already planning to buy several of these, it is worth comparing with separate purchases.
Review the beverage terms for your preferred drinks and the dining list for your ship. A beverage package is not every bottle or menu item, and casual dining is distinct from specialty dining.
Four casual meals are an allowance for the voyage, not four per day. Give them value only if the eligible venues and available meal times appeal to you.
Decide Whether Premier Fits Your Plans
At the rates above, Premier costs $35 more per person per day than Plus. For two package holders on a seven-night cruise, the difference is $490. That is the amount the additional benefits need to justify for that example.
List the specialty meals you would book, the extra device access you need, and whether you want the photo benefits. Then consider any excursion credit you can use on tours you would choose anyway. Do not count a benefit twice or assign a retail value to something you would not otherwise buy.
Check Dining Availability and Limits
Premier’s specialty dining benefit is limited to one meal per mealtime per day and covers eligible restaurant charges, not every supplement. Reservations remain subject to availability.
Before upgrading for dining, check the ship’s restaurants and the evenings that work around your ports and shows. A benefit can be generous without guaranteeing your preferred venue and time.
Use the Excursion Credit Carefully
The current terms list Premier excursion credit of $100 for voyages of six to nine days, $200 for ten to twenty days, and $300 for twenty-one days or more. It applies to eligible Princess excursions; unused credit is forfeited.
Choose the tour for its fit first. If you prefer independent arrangements or do not find a suitable Princess excursion, reduce the credit’s value in your comparison. A credit that goes unused does not offset the upgrade.
Check Benefits Guest by Guest
Ask for the package choice, price, and inclusions for each person in the room. Do not assume an adult’s dining benefit covers children or that all benefits can be shared across a stateroom.
For children and other guests below the applicable drinking age, confirm the nonalcoholic substitution and remaining inclusions. For adults who do not drink alcohol, compare the whole bundle against the extras they want without treating alcohol consumption as a requirement.
Budget Land Travel Separately
Plus and Premier do not extend to the land portion of a cruisetour. Use the cruise length for the package comparison, then account for meals, drinks, and other land expenses separately.
The same care applies to other extras. Shopping, spa visits, premium supplements, and purchases outside the package terms still need a budget.
Our Recommendation
Choose the option that fits an ordinary day of your vacation. Your Wayfinder can compare the current package version, actual guest costs, dining plans, and excursion choices before recommending Standard, Plus, or Premier.