Recently, I decided to put Princess Cruises' Princess Plus package to the test. For just $60/day, the thought of alcoholic beverages, internet access, gratuities, and more was hard to resist!
As someone who frequently cruises, I'm always hunting for a bargain. While I've found plenty of enticing base fares, the real costs often come from various add-ons, such as Wi-Fi, drink packages, and specialty dining.
Many cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Carnival, charge upwards of $60+ per day for their drink package. Sometimes, Royal's Deluxe Beverage Package can cost as much as $75 per person, per day. Once you add gratuities, you're looking at paying over $90 per day on drinks and tips alone.
Given these costs, Princess Plus felt like a steal, especially considering the added perks of Wi-Fi, included gratuities, premium desserts, and two casual specialty meals.
However, did Princess Plus actually save me money? For my 5-night sailing onboard Sun Princess, Princess Plus came out to be $300. To break it down, I calculated my potential expenses if I purchased cocktails, specialty meals, etc. individually.
What does Princess Plus include?
Princess Plus aims to help cruisers save money on things they'll "probably do anyway." In addition to MedallionNet for one device and gratuities, it also includes 15 alcoholic drinks valued up to $15 per day, two casual specialty meals per sailing, two premium desserts per day, unlimited room service delivery, two fitness classes per sailing, and a waived OceanNow activation fee.
Those who purchase Princess Plus also receive the same amenities as Princess Standard, the base fare. These include:
- MedallionClass experience
- Dining in complimentary venues like the Main Dining Room & buffet
- Select non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., water, tea, lemonade)
- Entertainment
- Transportation between ports of call
- Accommodation
Read more: I spent 8 days on Princess Cruises’ newest mega-ship
Gratuities for my Cabana Mini-Suite would have been $18/day, making the daily price to upgrade just $42
If you don't pay for one of Princess' two packages, Plus or Premier, your onboard account will be charged the daily rate for crew appreciation (AKA gratuities)—if you don't prepay them ahead of your sailing.
Currently, the daily gratuity rate for Princess Cruises is as follows:
- $19/day for Suites
- $18/day for Mini-Suites, Cabanas, and Reserve Collection
- $17/day for all other standard staterooms
Read more: 15 Tipping Mistakes NOT to Make on a Cruise
Knowing that, paying the $42 extra for alcoholic drinks and Wi-Fi alone felt worth the price. In other words, after subtracting gratuities, I'd only have to spend $210 to justify the package.
On embarkation day, I headed straight for Coffee Currents to enjoy a cold brew latte, which cost $6 before the added service charge. Over the next two days, I spent over $50 on alcoholic drinks, ranging from the Umai Pink Cocktail at Umai Teppanyaki to a Crooner's Signature at the cozy yet upscale Crooner's Bar.
Already, I was down to needing to spend around $160 to break even. Enter MedallaionNet Wi-Fi. Unlike Carnival, Princess Cruises has just one internet package that starts at $24.99. However, the price increases if you want to bundle and have Wi-Fi on four devices.
Read more: Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages
Wi-Fi is a necessity on all my cruises, so I would have spent around $125 on a package for 5 nights. However, with Princess Plus, the cost of Wi-Fi was already covered, meaning I could check in with friends and family and stay up-to-date with my coworkers.
With internet and drinks alone, I found Princess Plus worth the cost. The other inclusions, namely the casual meals at O'Malley's Irish Pub and Alfredo's Pizzeria, were a major bonus that helped make my cruise vacation feel more inclusive, eliminating some of the nickel and diming still prevalent on other mainstream lines.
Both casual meals cost $14.99 and included an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Though I much preferred Alfredo's to O'Malley's (I'm still dreaming about the Hot Honey Pie), I appreciated the convenience of having the casual dining options included. Otherwise, I likely would have stuck with the included options, such as The Eatery, Main Dining Room, and food stalls on the lido deck.
Moreover, with two premium desserts per day, I tried Princess' infamous gelato for no extra cost! Did you know Princess is the only cruise line that offers authentic gelato outside of Italy? The Ospitalità Italiana designation was issued by the Italian Chamber of Commerce who ensured every step of Princess' gelato-making process met the strict standards set by official Italian auditors and experts.
While on the topic of food, it would be impossible to talk about Princess Plus' value without discussing OceanNow! Since Princess Plus waives the OceanNow activation fee ($14.99), I took advantage of the convenience of ordering food and drinks straight to my location for no extra charge. Fries during karaoke in Princess Live? Yep! Afternoon coffee delivered to my cabin? Absolutely. Late-night turkey sandwiches on the balcony? Yes!
Read more: How 25,000 meals a day are made on Princess' largest cruise ship
Was Princess Plus worth it?
Absolutely! In fact, I loved the value that Princess Plus added to my cruise fare so much that I'd consider upgrading to Princess Premier on future cruises.
For $90/day, Premier includes everything from unlimited specialty dining to professional photos, reserved theater seating, premium cocktails, and more. With restaurants like the Crown Grill and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria costing $45 per visit, the potential savings could really add up if you enjoy specialty restaurants like I do! If you're debating booking a Sanctuary Collection cabin on Sun Princess, you might be swayed to splurge knowing that Princess Premier is included!
Without Princess Plus, I would have spent around $125 on Wi-Fi alone. Once the two meals at O'Malley's and Alfredo's are added in, as well as the waived OceanNow fee, the total savings started to pile up. These add-ons alone would have cost around $220, and that's just including two days' worth of drinking!
Overall, Princess Plus enhanced my cruising experience by providing a level of comfort and convenience for a reasonable price. The same amenities, from casual meals at restaurants like Playmakers to handcrafted martinis, would have cost far more on other lines, such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Celebrity.
Read more: 5 things I liked better about Princess than Carnival, after my first Princess cruise
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
