Princess Makes Further Changes to Premier and Plus Packages

Princess Makes Further Changes to Premier and Plus Packages

Princess Cruises is making further changes to its Premier and Plus Packages after announcing updates to the products earlier this week.

According to a statement, speciality coffee and teas are now unlimited in the Plus package and will not count towards the 15-drink daily limit.

The additional change was made after feedback from its Princess guests’ community, the company explained.

Princess initially announced changes to its packages on July 21, revealing new refreshed product additions, such as extra casual dining options and shore excursion credits.

The premium brand also raised pricing for the add-ons, with the Princess Premier Package costing $100 per person per day and the Princess Plus Package costing $65 per person per day. Prices are based on guests booking pre-cruise.

When booked before the cruise, these packages were previously priced, respectively, at $90 and $60 per person per day.

Guests sailing on the company’s new Sphere class ships, the Sun Princess and the Star Princess, will pay an additional $5 per person per day, regardless of the package chosen.

According to Princess, these packages offer savings of between 50 and 70 per cent compared to purchasing their components separately.

In addition to a new shore excursion credit varying by voyage length, the Premier Package includes unlimited casual and speciality dining, a four-device Wi-Fi package and unlimited digital professional photos.

Other benefits include the unlimited premier beverage package, as well as reserved seating for theatrical shows and the inclusion of daily crew appreciation fees.

The Plus Package features four casual meals per voyage, in addition to the Plus beverage package, Wi-Fi for a single device and the inclusion of daily crew appreciation fees.

When purchasing any of the packages, guests will also take advantage of waived fees for Princess’s OceanNow, as well as room service deliveries.

The changes will be in effect for all voyages starting in 2026.

Princess Cruises Introduces All-Inclusive Premier Package

Princess Cruises Introduces All-Inclusive Premier Package

Princess Cruises today announced Princess Premier, a new premium add-on package that offers guests unlimited WiFi for up to four devices, premium/top-shelf beverages, photos, speciality dining, and crew gratuities/appreciation.

According to a press release from Princess, for just $75 per person per day, the inclusive package builds off the Princess Plus add-on to offer a more comprehensive bundle and savings of more than 50 per cent when the amenities of Princess Premier are purchased separately.

Princess Premier guests also will be automatically entered into a new onboard promotion for a chance to win a cruise for two every year for a decade and up to $100,000 in cash prizes.

“Guests have overwhelmingly embraced the convenience and value offered in Princess Plus, so we are adding Princess Premier to take our inclusivity options to the next level,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “Princess Premier is our most inclusive package, offering guests sought-after onboard amenities at an incredible value. Whether a guest prefers a standalone cruise purchase or a fully inclusive vacation, Princess has hassle-free options for everyone. Every option is intended to provide great value.”

Princess Premier goes on sale May 25, for voyages starting June 25 and beyond. The package is available for just $75 per person, per day, and includes:

• Unlimited MedallionNet WiFi - the best WiFi at sea - for up to four-devices
• New “Premier” Beverage Package – top-shelf spirits and cocktails up to $18 with bar service charge included, a new selection of wines by the glass, 25 per cent bottles of wine, speciality coffees, smoothies, and bottled water
• Two speciality dining meals per person including popular restaurants like 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
• Entry into new Princess Prizes onboard promotion
• Daily Crew Appreciation

Princess Premier also includes entry into Princess Prizes, a new experience that transforms guests’ stateroom entry into an exciting experience for chances to win cruise vacations, cash, exclusive onboard experiences and more. The new game is a first-of-its-kind stateroom gaming experience exclusively with MedallionClass capabilities, the company said. 

For a one-time entry fee per stateroom of $20 per day, when purchased separately, every time an adult guest accesses their stateroom with their Medallion, they will have the chance to win grand prizes that include $100,000 in cash and a cruise for two every year for the next decade, along with prizes won on every voyage that ranges from a cruise for two in a balcony stateroom, onboard cruise credits from $25 up to $250, wine tastings, and chef’s table dinners, Princess said, in a prepared statement.

Guests can also win entries for an end-of-cruise drawing in which someone will win at least $5,000 every voyage.

The addition of Princess Premier gives guests three package options when booking a Princess cruise vacation:

• Princess Standard cruise package, including the standard cruise fare
• Princess Plus ($40 per person, per day until May 25; $50 per person, per day, starting May 25) – including unlimited WiFi for a single device; Plus Beverage package (covering drinks up to $12, 25 per cent off bottles of wine, speciality coffees, smoothies and bottled water); and daily crew appreciation
• Princess Premier ($75 per person, per day), on sale, beginning May 25

Guests on voyages departing June 25 and beyond who previously purchased Princess Plus can upgrade to Princess Premier for an additional $25 per person, per day.

Norwegian Cruise Line vies for more OTA business

Norwegian Escape

Norwegian Cruise Line’s introduction of a bare-bones “Sailaway” fare in March was a bid to improve business with OTAs, company CEO Frank Del Rio said in a conference call.

The Sailaway fares do not come with the standard value-add options, such as the choice of a free beverage package, and cannot be combined with any such offers. They provide only a guarantee of a category, not a specific cabin, and are about $200 less than other Norwegian fares for a seven-day cruise.

Del Rio said prices for cruises that had bundled value-add features were showing up on OTAs as uncompetitive because of the extra value built into the fares.

He said OTAs are one of the main distribution channels for selling close-in inventory.

“One of the drawbacks of this channel is the difficulty of effectively communicating non price-dependent offers to consumers,” Del Rio said. 

The Sailaway offers were intended to give OTAs a fare that would not be priced above offers from competitors for similar itineraries, he said.

“Sailaway rates are cruise-only rates, with no value-adds, that will allow us to capture business that we were temporarily not capturing,” Del Rio said. They represent less than 10% of Norwegian’s inventory, he said.

Carnival Cruise Lines has resumed charging a single price for its beverage package, after experimenting with a variable price system.

Starting Oct. 25, the price for the "Cheers!" package became $49.95 per person, per day, for cruises of all lengths.

In August, Carnival began testing a system in which Cheers! cost more on short cruises. Earlier this year, Carnival expanded the package to three-day cruises, for which it hadn’t previously been available.

Under that concept, Cheers! cost $55 per person, per day on a three-day cruise, $45 on a four-day cruise, $42.50 on a five- or six-day cruise and $37.50 on a seven or eight-day cruises.

The package provides flat-rate daily pricing for alcoholic drinks, nonalcoholic frozen drinks, wine by the glass and soda. Drinks $10 or less are covered and there is a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per day.

Carnival resumes single price for Beverage package

By Tom Stieghorst