Princess Plus vs. Princess Premier: Which Package Is Actually Worth It?

It is designed for people who want to include the big basics upfront:

• Drinks up to the Princess Plus limit
• Wi-Fi for one device per guest
• Crew appreciation
• OceanNow delivery access
• Room service delivery
• Four casual dining meals per guest per voyage

For a lot of people, this is probably the sweet spot.

You are not necessarily trying to make the cruise feel “all-inclusive,” but you are trying to avoid constantly pulling out your card or worrying about every coffee, drink, soda, bottle of water, Wi-Fi login, or daily gratuity charge.

That is where Princess Plus can make sense.

The biggest thing to understand is that Princess Plus is not just a drink package. It is more of a bundled convenience package. The value depends on how much you would have paid for those items separately.

If you drink alcohol, use Wi-Fi, and would pay crew appreciation anyway, Princess Plus can become easier to justify.

If you do not drink much, plan to disconnect, and are comfortable paying for things individually, it may not be worth it.

Princess Premier includes the same general categories as Princess Plus, but with bigger benefits:

• Drinks up to the Premier limit
• Wi-Fi for four devices per guest
• Crew appreciation
• OceanNow delivery access
• Room service delivery
• Unlimited casual dining
• Unlimited specialty dining
• Unlimited digital professional photos
• Three printed photos per guest
• Reserved theater seating for production shows
• Shore excursion credit on eligible sailings

This is the package for someone who wants to lean into the ship experience.

If you want specialty dining several nights, use multiple devices, take advantage of photos, care about reserved show seating, and would use the excursion credit, Premier can make sense.

But it is also the package where the “included value” can look huge on paper while being less valuable in real life if you do not actually use the extras.

Unlimited specialty dining sounds great.

But will you want specialty dining every night?

Unlimited photos sound great.

But do you usually stop for ship photos?

Reserved theater seating sounds great.

But are you willing to show up early enough to use it?

Those details matter.

Princess Plus helps cover the things many cruisers are likely to use every day: drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, and delivery.

Princess Premier goes further by adding unlimited specialty dining, unlimited casual dining, better drink coverage, four-device Wi-Fi, photos, reserved show seating, and shore excursion credit.

That does not automatically make Premier better.

It makes Premier more complete.

There is a difference.

For some travelers, that extra coverage may be perfect. For others, Plus may cover everything they actually care about.

The package with the most benefits is not always the package with the most value.

A realistic day might include:

• Specialty coffee in the morning
• Bottled water during the day
• Soda or a mocktail
• Beer or wine before dinner
• A cocktail at a show
• A drink with dinner

That adds up faster than people expect.

But if you mostly drink regular coffee, water, and maybe one drink per day, the package math gets weaker.

This is where we always recommend being realistic.

Do not price the package based on the version of yourself who is suddenly going to drink cocktails all day because they are “included.”

Price it based on how you actually travel.

Princess Plus includes Wi-Fi for one device per guest. Princess Premier includes Wi-Fi for four devices per guest.

That difference matters.

For some people, one device is plenty. You can use your phone, check messages, upload a few photos, and call it good.

But if you want your phone, laptop, tablet, or multiple devices connected without swapping back and forth, Premier becomes more attractive.

This is especially true for people who work remotely, post content while traveling, manage travel plans from the ship, or simply do not want to think about device limits.

For us, this is one of those benefits that can sound boring but matter in real life.

Premier includes unlimited specialty dining, while Plus does not include specialty dining.

If you are the type of traveler who wants to try specialty dining multiple times, Premier can start making sense quickly.

But there is a catch.

Unlimited does not mean unlimited availability.

If you buy Premier because you picture specialty dining every night, you should make reservations early and have a plan.

If you are happy eating mostly included food, casual dining, buffet, pizza, burgers, and main dining room meals, Premier may be more package than you need.

Princess Plus includes four casual dining meals per guest per voyage under the current package rules.

That makes Plus stronger than it used to be.

Casual dining venues vary by ship, but this can be a useful middle ground between included dining and full specialty dining.

This is exactly the kind of benefit that can be useful without turning the whole cruise into a specialty-dining strategy.

Four casual dining meals gives you some flexibility.

You can break up the main dining room routine, try a few extra venues, and still avoid paying for the full Premier package.

For many travelers, that may be enough.

For eligible sailings, Princess Premier includes a shore excursion credit that varies based on cruise length.

This is useful if you were already planning to book Princess excursions.

But it is less valuable if you usually explore ports on your own, book independent tours, or prefer lower-cost DIY port days.

That is an important distinction.

A shore excursion credit is not the same as cash in your pocket.

It only matters if you use it for something you actually would have booked.

If you love cruise photos, dress up often, travel with family, or want formal night pictures, the photo package may be valuable.

If you usually walk past the photographers, it may be close to worthless.

Same with reserved theater seating.

If you care about shows and like having a better shot at good seats, it is a nice benefit.

But again, the real question is not whether the benefit exists.

The question is whether you will use it.

Princess Plus is probably worth considering if you:

• Drink alcohol, specialty coffee, soda, bottled water, or mocktails regularly
• Want Wi-Fi for one device
• Would pay crew appreciation anyway
• Like having some casual dining included
• Want fewer surprise charges onboard
• Prefer convenience but do not need every premium upgrade

For many cruisers, Plus may be the best balance.

It covers the practical stuff without forcing you into the highest daily package price.

We especially like Plus for people who want a more predictable onboard bill but are not trying to turn every night into a specialty dining night.

Princess Premier is probably worth considering if you:

• Want specialty dining multiple times
• Want a higher drink limit
• Need Wi-Fi for multiple devices
• Plan to use Princess shore excursions
• Care about professional photos
• Like reserved theater seating
• Want the most inclusive version of the cruise experience

Premier is not just “Plus with better drinks.”

It is more of a ship-experience upgrade.

The value is strongest when you use several of the big-ticket benefits together: specialty dining, excursions, Wi-Fi, photos, and drinks.

If you only care about one of those things, the math may not work.

You may not need Plus or Premier if you:

• Do not drink much
• Do not need Wi-Fi
• Prefer included dining
• Rarely order room service or delivery
• Like DIY port days
• Do not care about photos
• Want the lowest upfront fare
• Are comfortable paying as you go

This is the part cruise lines do not always emphasize.

Sometimes the best package is no package.

If you are a light spender onboard, the standard fare may still be the best deal.

That does not mean you are cruising “wrong.”

It means you are not paying for things you do not need.

Princess Plus covers the everyday onboard costs that many people actually use.

Princess Premier can be a great value, but only if you have a plan to use the bigger benefits.

Premier makes the most sense when you are excited about specialty dining, shore excursions, multi-device Wi-Fi, photos, and the higher drink package.

The mistake is choosing Premier just because the retail value looks impressive.

Cruise packages are only valuable when they match the way you actually travel.