When booking a Princess cruise, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is whether to sail with the Standard fare, upgrade to Princess Plus, or go all-in with Princess Premier.
So, what’s the right choice? The honest answer is: That is entirely up to you.
There isn’t a single “best” option for every cruiser. The right package depends on how you like to travel, which onboard extras you’ll actually use, and the type of vacation you’re planning. Depending on your cruising style, Princess Premier can be an excellent value, even if the package costs more than your base cruise fare. On the other hand, some travelers may find that the Standard fare or Princess Plus is a better fit for their needs and budget.
In this guide, we’ll compare all three options, explain what’s included, highlight the differences, and walk through several real-life examples to help you decide which package is the best fit for your vacation.
At-a-Glance Comparison (2026)
The table below provides a side-by-side comparison of the Standard fare, Princess Plus, and Princess Premier. It gives you a quick overview of what’s included with each option. Then, we’ll take a closer look at each package and explore real-life examples so you can decide which one is the best fit for your vacation.
| Feature | Standard Fare | Princess Plus | Princess Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinks | Purchase separately | 15 drinks/day (up to $15 each) | Unlimited drinks (up to $20 each) |
| Specialty Coffee & Tea | Purchase separately | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Bottled Water (500 mL) | Purchase separately | Up to 12/day | Up to 12/day |
| Casual Dining | Purchase separately | 4 meals | Unlimited |
| Specialty Dining | Purchase separately | Purchase separately | Unlimited |
| OceanNow® Delivery | One-time $14.99 USD fee | Included | Included |
| Room Service Delivery | $5 USD fee per order | Included | Included |
| Wi-Fi | Purchase separately | 1 device (MedallionNet® Max) | 4 devices (MedallionNet® Max) |
| Shore Excursion Credit | Purchase separately | Purchase separately | Included on eligible sailings* |
| Crew Appreciation | Purchase separately | Included | Included |
| Professional Photos | Purchase separately | Purchase separately | Unlimited digital downloads + 3 printed photos |
| Reserved Theater Seating | Not included | Not included | Included |
* Shore Excursion Credit: Available only on eligible sailings. Receive up to $300 USD in shore excursion credit based on cruise length: $100 for 6-9 day cruises, $200 for 10-20 day cruises, and $300 for cruises of 21 days or longer.
The Three Options at a Glance
Standard Fare
The Standard fare is exactly what most people think of when they book a cruise. It includes your stateroom, meals in the Main Dining Room and buffet, entertainment, pools, and most onboard activities. Anything beyond those basics, such as soda, alcoholic beverages, specialty coffee, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, or specialty dining, is purchased separately.
It’s important to remember that even without a package, a Princess cruise is still an incredible value. Everything you need for a memorable vacation is already included. Whether you’re relaxing by the pool, enjoying a Broadway-style show, watching Movies Under the Stars, or dining in the Main Dining Room, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your cruise without spending another dollar.
The Standard fare is a great option for travelers who simply want to kick back, relax, and enjoy the high seas. If you prefer to pay only for the extras you actually use, or don’t plan to take advantage of many of the package benefits, the Standard fare offers the most flexibility and the lowest upfront cost.
Princess Plus
Princess Plus bundles many of the most useful onboard extras into one package, making it easy to enjoy your vacation without constantly thinking about additional charges. Instead of paying separately for items like Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, beverages, room service delivery, and casual dining, they’re all included for one daily price.
One of the biggest advantages of Princess Plus isn’t just what’s included, it’s the carefree feeling it adds to your vacation. Want to grab a specialty coffee on your way to breakfast? Order cocktails on the lido deck, at dinner, or while watching the sunset? Feel like having breakfast or a late-night snack delivered to your cabin through room service instead of getting dressed? With Princess Plus, those little decisions become much easier because many of the extras are already covered.
Princess Plus strikes a nice balance between value and convenience. It includes many of the onboard perks that cruisers use most often while keeping the experience simple and stress-free. Rather than keeping track of every purchase throughout your cruise, you can focus on relaxing, making memories, and enjoying everything your vacation has to offer.
Princess Premier
Princess Premier is designed for cruisers who want the ultimate carefree Princess vacation. It includes everything in Princess Plus while adding premium touches that can make your cruise feel even more special. From unlimited specialty dining and additional Wi-Fi devices to higher beverage limits, professional photos, reserved theater seating, and shore excursion credit on eligible sailings, Premier is all about enhancing your experience from embarkation to disembarkation.
One of the biggest advantages of Princess Premier is the freedom to fully experience everything the ship has to offer. Instead of deciding whether a specialty dinner is worth the extra cost, you can make reservations throughout your cruise and enjoy a different restaurant every evening. That can be especially valuable on the newer Sphere Class ships, where Princess has expanded its specialty dining options and culinary experiences.
Princess Premier isn’t just about adding more benefits. It’s about creating the ultimate vacation experience. Whether you’re enjoying unlimited premium cocktails, capturing memories with professional photos, taking advantage of reserved theater seating, or ending another perfect day with an incredible specialty dinner, Premier is designed for travelers who want to experience as much of Princess Cruises as possible.
It All Comes Down to Value
The value of any cruise package depends on your vacation style and the choices you make once you’re onboard.
Are you a drinker, or will you mostly stick with the complimentary beverages? Do you need your Diet Coke fix every day? Do you need to stay connected with Wi-Fi, or are you looking forward to unplugging for a week? Would you rather enjoy the included Main Dining Room every evening, or are you excited to try specialty restaurants? Is grabbing a specialty coffee every morning part of your routine?
There are no wrong answers. The package that’s a fantastic value for one cruiser may not make financial sense for another. That’s why it’s important to think about how you cruise instead of focusing on what someone else recommends.
Let’s take a look at the cost of each package and then explore a few real-life examples to see how your vacation style can make the Standard Fare, Princess Plus, or Princess Premier the best value for your vacation.
How Much Do the Packages Cost?
For most Princess ships sailing in 2026 and beyond, Princess Plus costs $65 per person, per day, while Princess Premier costs $100 per person, per day when purchased before your cruise. On Sphere Class ships (Sun Princess and Star Princess), Princess Plus costs $70 per person, per day and Princess Premier costs $105 per person, per day. If you wait until you’re onboard to purchase a package, you’ll generally pay an additional $5 per person, per day.
At first glance, those prices may seem expensive, especially when you’re looking at the total cost for two people over a week-long cruise. However, it’s important to remember that these packages bundle together several onboard purchases that many cruisers would otherwise pay for separately, including drinks, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, dining, and other perks.
The real question isn’t whether the package costs more. It’s whether the items you plan to use would cost more if you purchased them individually.
Next, we’ll look at a few examples to see how the numbers can work out depending on your cruising style.
Example 1: The Relaxed Vacationer
You aren’t much of a drinker. A cocktail with dinner is enough, and maybe you’ll grab a specialty coffee in the morning. You can wait until port days to check your email or social media because this is your vacation, and you’re happy leaving the shoreline drama behind for a week.
The Main Dining Room and buffet have plenty of great food, but you decide to celebrate a special occasion with one specialty dinner during your cruise. And when it comes to photos, your phone takes plenty of selfies to capture the memories.
Estimated onboard spending for a 7-day cruise:
Crew Appreciation (7 × $18): $126
7 cocktails: ~$120
7 specialty coffees: ~$35
1 specialty dinner: ~$55
Wi-Fi: $0
Professional photos: $0
Estimated total: ~$336
Princess Plus: $455
Princess Premier: $700
Even after including crew appreciation, a cocktail every evening, a specialty coffee each morning, and one specialty dinner to celebrate, you’d still spend less paying as you go than purchasing either package. For this type of cruiser, the Standard Fare offers the best overall value.
Example 2: The Connected Cruiser
You like to start each morning with a specialty coffee and need your Diet Coke fix throughout the day. While you’re not a heavy drinker, you enjoy a couple of cocktails every evening, and staying connected with family and friends is important, so you’ll purchase Wi-Fi for your cruise. You also appreciate the convenience of having crew appreciation taken care of before you even step onboard.
Estimated onboard spending for a 7-day cruise:
- Crew appreciation: $126
- Wi-Fi (1 device): ~$175
- 14 cocktails: ~$240
- 7 specialty coffees: ~$35
- 14 Diet Cokes: ~$50
Estimated total: ~$626
Princess Plus: $455
Princess Premier: $700
In this example, Princess Plus costs less than purchasing everything separately while also making your vacation a little more carefree. Instead of thinking about every coffee, cocktail, soda, or Wi-Fi charge, it’s already included. For this type of cruiser, Princess Plus offers the best overall value.
Example 3: The Ultimate Vacationer
You want to experience everything Princess has to offer. You enjoy premium beverages throughout the day, stay connected with multiple devices, make reservations at specialty restaurants whenever possible, and never pass up the chance to have professional photos taken. You also appreciate the convenience of reserved theater seating and plan to book a shore excursion on an eligible sailing.
Estimated onboard spending for a 7-day cruise:
- Crew appreciation: $126
- Wi-Fi (4 devices): ~$315
- Premium beverages: ~$600+
- 4 specialty dinners: ~$220
- Professional photo package: ~$249+
- Shore excursion credit: Up to $100 (eligible sailings)
Estimated total: ~$1,510+
Princess Plus: $455
Princess Premier: $700
For this type of cruiser, Princess Premier can provide exceptional value. Even before factoring in benefits like unlimited casual dining, reserved theater seating, and the shore excursion credit on eligible sailings, purchasing these items individually would cost significantly more than the package itself. If your goal is to enjoy everything Princess has to offer, Princess Premier is likely to provide the best overall value for your vacation.
My Personal Preference
As one final real-life personal example, here’s how my wife and I like to cruise. For my wife and me, Princess Premier is, by far, the best value on the high seas. But that’s based entirely on how we like to cruise.
When we’re on vacation, we like to enjoy ourselves. I enjoy my cocktails (probably more than she does 😊), and we never think twice about ordering another drink, grabbing a Coke Zero, or starting the morning with a specialty coffee (maybe with a little Bailey’s).
My wife also likes to stay connected. She’s an author and loves spending sea days writing, so having both her phone and laptop connected to Wi-Fi is important to her.
We both love the premium experience that specialty dining provides and rarely eat anywhere else for dinner. The Catch by Rudi has become one of our favorite restaurants on Princess.
Another one of our favorite Premier perks is reserved theater seating. Instead of rushing over early hoping to get a good seat, we can show up about 10 minutes before the show starts knowing seats have been reserved for Premier guests. That’s more time spent enjoying our vacation instead of waiting in line.
And then there are the photos. My wife absolutely loves them. One of our favorite traditions is stopping at the different photo stations around the ship, from the elegant portraits to the goofy poses that usually make us laugh more than anything else. Those pictures have become some of our favorite cruise souvenirs.
One thing I really like about Princess Premier is that I never think about what I’m ordering. I don’t count drinks or wonder if I’ve gotten my money’s worth. Ironically, I actually drink less because I don’t feel the need to maximize the package. If I feel like ordering another cocktail, I do. If I want a Coke Zero instead, that’s fine too. Not having to think about the cost while I’m on vacation is part of what makes the package so enjoyable for me.
What would all of that cost if I paid separately on a 7-day cruise?
Crew appreciation: $126
Wi-Fi (4 devices): ~$315
Drinks (Coke Zero, specialty coffees, and cocktails): $1,000+
7 nights of specialty dining: ~$385
Professional photo package: ~$249
Shore excursion credit: $100
Estimated value: $2,175+
Princess Premier: $700
For us, the math isn’t even close. Princess Premier provides well over three times the value of what we pay for it, and that’s before considering extras like unlimited casual dining and the convenience of having everything bundled into one package.
That said, this is simply our cruising style. It isn’t the right answer for everyone, and that’s the point of this article. The best package isn’t the one that works for me—it’s the one that matches how you like to cruise.