Princess Plus and Premier Price Increase: Is Either Package Still Worth It in 2026?
Princess Plus and Princess Premier have gotten more expensive. But does the price increase mean these packages are no longer worth buying?
That’s the question I wanted to answer in this week’s Wake Report from Grab Your Bags Travel.
Rather than simply repeating the new prices, I decided to do something a little more useful: break down the individual benefits, put a dollar value on them, and compare that with what you’re actually paying for the package.
And the answer isn’t quite as simple as “yes” or “no.”
It depends heavily on how you cruise and which benefits you would actually purchase separately.
🎥 Watch the Wake Report:
What Changed With Princess Plus and Premier?
For sailings departing October 13, 2026 and later, Princess Plus and Princess Premier have increased in price.
The new pre-cruise prices are:
| Package | New Price Per Person/Day | 7-Night Cruise |
|---|---|---|
| Princess Plus | $70 | $490 |
| Princess Premier | $105 | $735 |
For two guests on a seven-night cruise, that means:
- Princess Plus: $980 total
- Princess Premier: $1,470 total
Those are significant vacation expenses.
So before adding one of these packages to your reservation, it’s worth asking:
What would I actually spend if I didn’t buy the package?
That’s the question I used for my calculations.
Princess Plus: What Are You Actually Paying For?
(Disclaimer: Everything in this video is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Your own usage of drinks, Wi-Fi, dining, and excursions may be very different, and that can change whether a package is worth it for you.)
At $70 per person, per day, a seven-night Princess Plus package costs:
$490 per person
That package includes several benefits that can otherwise cost extra, including crew appreciation, Wi-Fi, casual dining, OceanNow delivery and a beverage package with qualifying drinks.
Instead of looking at the package as one $490 purchase, I broke those benefits apart and priced them individually.
For this example, I used:
- One guest
- Seven-night cruise
- Pre-cruise pricing
- Standard stateroom
- A standard Princess ship such as Discovery Princess
Here is where the numbers get interesting.
Crew Appreciation
Using $18 per guest, per day, seven days of crew appreciation comes to:
$126
Wi-Fi
The current pre-cruise price for one-device Wi-Fi is $27.99 per day.
Over seven days:
$195.93
Casual Dining
Four casual dining meals at $14.99 each:
$59.96
OceanNow
The standard OceanNow fee is $14.99 per person, per voyage.
Total Before Drinks
That gives us approximately:
$396.88 in non-drink benefits.
Remember, the Plus package costs $490.
So we’re already fairly close—but we’re still about $93 short.
And that’s where the beverage package becomes an important part of the calculation.
What If You Would Buy the Drink Package Anyway?
This is where the math changes considerably.
The standalone Plus beverage package has been reported at $64.99 per day, before the 20% service charge.
Over seven days, that works out to approximately:
$545.92
Add that to the other individual benefits and the total comes to approximately:
$942.80
Compared with the $490 Plus package.
That’s a difference of approximately:
$452.80
But there’s an important catch.
That calculation assumes you actually want and would purchase those benefits separately.
If you don’t drink, the calculation looks very different.
That’s why I don’t think the question should simply be:
“Is Princess Plus worth it?”
A better question is:
“Would I have purchased these things anyway?”
That’s the calculation that matters.
What About Princess Premier?
Princess Premier is now:
$105 per person, per day
For seven nights:
$735 per person
For two guests:
$1,470
Premier includes additional benefits compared with Plus, including a higher beverage allowance, additional Wi-Fi, specialty dining, a shore excursion credit and other benefits.
Using the same seven-night example, I calculated the individual value of several of those benefits.
Here’s where we landed before the beverage package:
- Crew appreciation: $126
- Wi-Fi: approximately $279.93
- Shore excursion credit: $50 using a conservative per-person value
- OceanNow: $14.99
- Three specialty dining meals: approximately $198
That puts the calculated value of these benefits at approximately:
$668.92
And that’s before adding the Premier beverage package.
The standalone Premier beverage package has been reported at $84.99 per day before the 20% service charge.
For seven days:
Approximately $713.92
So if you’re someone who would purchase the beverage package and specialty dining anyway, Premier can look very different from someone who doesn’t use those benefits.
Plus vs. Premier: Is the Extra $35 Worth It?
The difference between the two packages is:
$35 per person, per day
Over seven days:
$245 more per person
So the question becomes:
What are you getting for that additional $245?
Some of the additional Premier benefits include:
- Four-device Wi-Fi instead of one-device Wi-Fi
- Shore excursion credit
- Additional specialty dining
- Higher beverage allowance
- Unlimited casual dining
- Professional photos
- Reserved theater seating
For my seven-night example, the additional Wi-Fi value accounts for approximately $84 of that $245 difference.
The conservative shore excursion credit adds another $50.
That leaves approximately $111 to make up.
Two specialty dining meals at the $66 calculation I used would already put you over that amount.
And that doesn’t even put a dollar value on several of the other Premier benefits.
But again, this doesn’t automatically make Premier the right choice for everyone.
If you don’t use the additional benefits, you’re paying for things you don’t need.
So… Are Princess Plus and Premier Still Worth It?
This is where I think cruise package comparisons can get misleading.
There isn’t one answer that applies to every cruiser.
Someone who:
- Drinks regularly
- Wants Wi-Fi
- Uses casual dining
- Plans to use OceanNow
- Enjoys specialty dining
- Takes advantage of the shore excursion credit
is going to look at these packages very differently from someone who:
- Doesn’t drink
- Doesn’t need Wi-Fi
- Rarely eats outside the included dining
- Doesn’t use specialty restaurants
- Purchases excursions independently
The package price is the same.
The value you get from it isn’t.
That’s why I recommend making your own list before purchasing.
Ask yourself:
Would I buy Wi-Fi anyway?
Would I buy the beverage package anyway?
How much specialty dining would I actually use?
Will I use casual dining?
Am I likely to use the shore excursion credit?
Would I use the additional Premier benefits?
Once you answer those questions, you can compare your expected à la carte spending with the package price.
I Did the Full Math in This Week’s Wake Report
There are a lot of numbers involved here—and rather than make you stare at a spreadsheet in a blog post, I walk through the calculation in the video.
I also look at what happens to the break-even point if you are a light drinker, a regular drinker, or don’t drink at all.
That’s where this comparison gets really interesting.
Watch the full Wake Report
Princess Plus & Premier: Is It Still Worth the Money?
If you’re considering adding Plus or Premier to an upcoming Princess cruise, watch the full breakdown before making your decision.
The Bottom Line
The Princess Plus and Premier price increases definitely make it more important to look at the numbers.
But I wouldn’t make the decision based on the package price alone.
The better way to think about these packages is:
What would I realistically spend on these things if they weren’t bundled together?
That’s your personal break-even point.
And that’s also why two people can look at the exact same Princess package and come to completely different conclusions.
The package doesn’t have to be valuable to everyone. It just has to provide enough value for the way you cruise.
What do you think?
Are you planning to buy Princess Plus or Premier at the new prices?
Or are you going to pay for individual items as you go?
Tell me in the comments—and after you’ve watched the video, let me know whether the math changed your mind.
Frequently Asked Questions About Princess Plus and Premier
How much is Princess Plus in 2026?
For sailings departing October 13, 2026 and later, Princess Plus is priced at $70 per person, per day when purchased before the cruise, subject to the applicable terms and conditions.
How much is Princess Premier in 2026?
For sailings departing October 13, 2026 and later, Princess Premier is priced at $105 per person, per day when purchased before the cruise.
How much is Princess Plus for a 7-night cruise?
At $70 per person, per day, a seven-night Princess Plus package is $490 per person, or $980 for two guests.
How much is Princess Premier for a 7-night cruise?
At $105 per person, per day, a seven-night Princess Premier package is $735 per person, or $1,470 for two guests.
Is Princess Plus worth it?
That depends on how many of the included benefits you would purchase separately. Cruisers who use Wi-Fi, beverages, casual dining, OceanNow and other included benefits may receive substantially more value than someone who uses only a few of them.
Is Princess Premier worth it?
The same principle applies to Premier. Its higher price can make sense for cruisers who would use its additional benefits, including specialty dining, enhanced Wi-Fi, the beverage package and shore excursion credit. If you wouldn’t use those benefits, paying for them may not make financial sense.
Should I buy Princess Plus or Premier before my cruise?
Compare the package price with what you realistically expect to spend on the included benefits. Also check the current Princess terms and pricing for your specific sailing because package benefits, pricing and availability can change.
Planning a Princess cruise? Grab Your Bags Travel can help you compare the cruise, cabin, package options and overall vacation cost so you’re looking at the entire trip—not just the advertised cruise fare.
Until Next Time… Grab Your Bags and Happy Cruising!