Recently Princess Cruise Line announced changes to their immensely popular cruise packages. For the second time this year, the company is increasing the price on their Princess Plus and Premier packages.
While we have frequently extolled the benefits of the Plus and Premier packages, seeing Princess double dip their profit chip inside the same calendar year, doesn’t feel great. Of course, the action is chafing even the line’s most ardent customers, as price increases tend to do, to client bases, but it might actually be worse than that. This action may portend serious troubles for the travel industry as they are, like all of us, feeling the strain under rising fuel costs (see previous articles here and here).
In addition to the upcoming price increase on the Plus and Premier packages, Princess also announced a rise in what the Wi-Fi packages will cost. Which, perhaps, also reveals the increasing costs of Space X’s Starlink internet on the ships as, in the announcement, Princess referred to “changes in our operating environment” as the reason for the increase.
Both changes are set to take effect on October 13th, 2026, just one week from publication.
Pricing Increase
In May of 2025, Princess announced that their Plus and Premier packages would be getting more expensive. Back then, they gave a fair bit of heads up though. The actual price increase didn’t come into effect until January of 2026, at which time the charge for Princess Plus and Premier increased $5 and $10 per day, respectively, on non-Sphere class ships. On the Sun and Star, however, the cruise line’s Sphere Class vessels, the price for the packages increased by a further $5 per person per day for each.
In this recent announcement, made on September 28th, the company said that starting October 13th, these prices will all go up an additional $5 per person per day. What that means is that starting on October 13th, 2026, passengers on Princess will see the following pricing:
Premier Package price at $105/person/day
Plus Package price at $70/person/day
Don’t forget that Sphere class upcharge, though, because that hasn’t gone away. On Princess’ newest class of ship, which again is only the Sun Princess and Star Princess, customers will see the even higher pricing.
On Sphere Class ships the new prices are:
Premier Package is $110/person/day.
Plus Package is $75/person/day.
In fairness to Princess, it is common practice in the cruise industry to have upcharges for customers sailing on the newest ships a company has, so this isn’t out of step with their competition.
Princess Plus and Premier Benefits
With these increasing prices, you might be asking, “what do I actually get for all that money and is it still worth it?” Let’s start by reviewing what comes with each package or, at least, the broad strokes
Princess Plus ($70/Person/Day or $75 on Sphere Class):
- 15 drinks per day valued at up to $15 each, this includes cocktails, mocktails, soft drinks.
- Unlimited specialty coffee and tea.
- 12 bottles of water per day.
- 4 casual dining meals.
- Free OceanNow delivery.
- Free room service.
- Wi-Fi for one device.
- Crew tips.
Princess Premier ($105/Person/Day or $110 on Sphere Class):
- Unlimited drinks per day valued at up to $20 each.
- Unlimited specialty coffee and tea.
- 12 bottles of water per day.
- Unlimited Specialty Dining.
- Free OceanNow delivery.
- Free room service.
- Wi-Fi for four devices.
- A $300 Shore Excursion Credit
- Crew tips.
- Digital photos and up to 3 prints.
- Reserved theater seating.
Image: Princess Cruises. Both the Plus and Premiere Package Price is going up.
Regarding the worth it part of the question above, that’s not ultimately for us to decide. Yes, each of these things has value and that value changes based on how much you would use them. That means that the value of the package is up to you.
That being said, I do sail on Princess and quite like the experience they offer, so I can share my personal feelings. Despite the creeping prices, if you are going to sail on Princess, I think these packages are still worth it, especially the Plus. The benefits that come with them, like paid gratuities and Wi-Fi, add a fair amount each day if purchased a-la-carte; not to mention that it’s a pain to get anything to drink without a package. Which, of course, is by design.
Whenever I book a Princess cruise, I still get the Plus Package and, when I’m picking out a cruise, I add $70/person/day to the public price and that’s what it actually costs. Even though I opt for the Plus, Premier has grown in popularity. Many clients buy the Premier Package to get the unlimited Specialty Dining, which is often regarded as the most appealing aspect of the package, though I feel the $300 Shore Excursion Credit provides greater value.
What Else is Changing?
Unlike the announcement in 2025, which also contained changes to what the packages offered, not much beyond the price is changing this time around. That said, Princess Cruises has announced updates to the standalone Wi-Fi packages. That is to say, the Wi-Fi packages that you can buy independently from Plus or Premier.
The 1-device Wi-Fi package will now be priced at:
- Pre-cruise: $27.99 per day
- Onboard (full voyage): $33.99 per day
- Onboard (1-day only): $39.99 per day
While this isn’t a large increase from approximately $25 per day previously, it is still a noticeable jump when tallied up over longer sailings.
The Plus and Premiere Package Price is Increasing and the Wi-Fi packages are being cut in half.
The other Wi-Fi offer being impacted is the 4-Device Wi-Fi package, which is being discontinued. If you want 4-devices, the only way to get that going forward will be with the Premier package. In its place, Princess will offer a 2-device package. Pricing for this will be:
- Pre-cruise: $39.99 per day
- Onboard (full voyage): $47.99 per day
- Onboard (1-day only): $55.99 per day
This pricing is fairly in line with the previous 4-device package, which regularly cost $44.99 per day if purchased before you set sail. While a lot of people don’t generally use 4-devices at once, halving the number of devices offered by these plans in exchange for a modest decrease in price is not appealing, nor do I think it is meant to be.
It’s always been our assessment that these packages and their prices are meant to steer people toward purchasing the Plus and Premier packages. That assessment has not changed with this retooling.
What Should I Do?
While it’s hard to deny these changes are eroding the value of the two Princess packages, it’s also hard to imagine sailing on Princess without them.
As I said earlier, I like to set with the Princess Plus package. I don’t drink much alcohol, typically 1-2 drinks per day on a cruise if I have any at all. Nor do I value the specialty dining as high as others. My weakness, however, is the OceanNow delivery. Whether it’s in my cabin or somewhere by the pool, the ability to turn my brain off, press a button on my phone, and then some amazing person appears with an orange San Pellegrino is just too good to pass on. I’m not happy but, for now, I’m still sailing.
If you’re thinking about taking a cruise with Princess in the future, as you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.
