Bundled packages on cruise ships can be a definite money saver for passengers, but starting May 1, 2025, those who wait to book one on a Princess Cruises sailing will save less than those who purchase them before the cruise.

The cruise line’s Princess Premier and Princess Plus bundles will be $5 more per day, per person for guests who purchase after boarding, and is effective fleetwide.

Under the new pricing structure, Princess Plus will cost $65 per day, while Princess Premier will jump to $95 per day, if added onboard.

The price increase won’t affect anyone purchasing the packages ahead of embarkation; Princess Plus will remain $60 per day per guest, and Princess Premier will still be $90 per day per guest.

“Guests who purchase a cruise bundle onboard will now pay $5 more per day,” Princess Cruises shared in a notice to travel advisors.

While passengers can book both options on the ship through the second day of a voyage, this is the first time Princess Cruises is raising the price for those who wait. 

For a guest sailing a two-week cruise, the penalty alone could mean a potential cost difference of $70 per person.

“If you wait to get it, like me, on embarkation day to use the [on board credit], you will be out of luck,” shared one guest. 

The change adds another incentive for cruisers to lock in their bundles before sailing. Passengers who book the packages in advance will avoid the new pricing altogether and still receive the same amenities.

The packages bundle Wi-Fi, beverages, dining, and room service, fitness classes, photos, and theater seating, with the cheaper Princess Plus touted as a $93 per-day savings and Princess Premier saving passengers $220 per day.

Princess Packages

Princess Cruises’ bundled packages – Princess Plus and Princess Premier – offer guests the option to save on their onboard experience by combining popular amenities into a flat-rate daily charge.

While the price of the Premier package silently increased from $80 per day on August 15, 2024, the new hike doesn’t affect what either package includes today.

Princess Plus includes the Plus Beverage Package, covering drinks up to $15 each, a single-device Wi-Fi plan, daily crew appreciation (gratuities), and two premium desserts per day.

It also provides two fitness classes per voyage and unlimited use of the ship’s juice bar.

Guests opting for Princess Premier receive everything in the Plus package, along with a range of upgrades. This option raises the drink limit to $20 per beverage and adds on additional top-shelf spirits, wine, and cocktails. 

Read Also: Should You Get a Cruise Line Drinks Package?

Wi-Fi access is also expanded to four devices per guest, and passengers receive two specialty dining meals per sailing.

Photo credits – up to three prints or digital downloads – are included, along with unlimited premium desserts and fitness classes.

The package also has reserved seating in the Princess Theater and a Medallion accessory to complement the line’s wearable technology system.

Premier guests also get entry into Princess Prizes, a program offering the chance to win onboard credits, shore excursions, and even free cruises.

Both packages can be added until 11:59 p.m. the day of departure to lock in the lower pre-cruise rates, but after embarkation, they must be purchased by the second day of the voyage.

Even if passengers wait to buy the packages, they only apply for the remainder of the cruise, and they, as well as earlier onboard purchases, cannot be refunded.

There’s nothing quite like celebrating New Year’s Eve on a cruise ship, with hundreds or thousands of guests gathered on the deck to count down at midnight as the ship sounds its horn at the stroke of 12.

But what if your highly-anticipated New Year’s cruise had its itinerary completely swapped? Guests booked to ring in 2026 aboard Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess are facing exactly that.

Originally, the ship’s December 28, 2025 departure from Port Canaveral was to have been an 8-night Western Caribbean itinerary visiting Cozumel (December 30) and Costa Maya (December 31) in Mexico, Belize City in Belize (January 1), and Roatan Island (January 2) in Honduras.

Now, however, guests have been informed that due to “changes in our deployment program” the ship will instead be sailing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary.

Sky Princess will now be visiting Grand Turk on Tuesday, December 30; San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday, January 1; Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic on Friday, January 2; and Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, on Sunday, January 4 before returning to Port Canaveral on Monday, January 5.

There is no change to the overall cruise fare, and all promotions and reservations for specialty dining and spa appointments remain the same. If for some reason such reservations cannot be preserved, they will be automatically cancelled and fully refunded.

All guests onboard are also being given a $25 per person onboard credit as acknowledgement of the change.

Some guests will understandably be disappointed in the extensive itinerary swap. I personally prefer Western Caribbean itineraries instead of Eastern Caribbean, though Amber Cove is a lovely destination (try the Sky Bar for the best views to toast your cruise vacation!).

Many guests, however, do prefer Eastern Caribbean destinations as somewhat less crowded, with greater natural beauty. This can certainly lead to a more positive cruise experience.

What may be more upsetting, however, is that since port days have changed, some carefully chosen dining reservations and other onboard appointments may no longer be possible.

Fortunately, since the sailing is still eight months away, guests do have time to rearrange their onboard plans as well as book new excursions to enjoy the Eastern Caribbean ports of call now on their itinerary.

Can Cruise Lines Completely Change Itineraries?

Even novice cruisers understand that itineraries planned out more than a year in advance might need to change due to poor weather, civil disturbances, or other unforeseen factors.

It can be startling, however, when a cruise line changes a complete itinerary to all new destinations with no explanation other than deployment changes. Shouldn’t such deployments be known at the time itineraries are advertised?

Princess Cruises’ Passage Contract is the agreement all guests enter into when they book a cruise with the line, and all terms and conditions apply at all times.

This includes section 8, which outlines the cruise line’s right to deviate from the planned itinerary for a wide range of reasons.

Read Also: Can You Take a Cruise to Nowhere?

“Carrier may, for any reason, without prior notice … deviate from the scheduled ports of call, route, and timetable,” the contract reads.

It should also be noted that Section 2(ii) of the contract, Guest’s Obligations, specially states that guests must “familiarize [themselves] with the terms of the Passage Contract.”

Whether guests actually do read the contract or not, they are still bound by its guidelines.

These are standard clauses in the contracts of many different cruise lines. While keeping the originally planned itineraries is always preferable, changes are sometimes necessary to ensure safe, comfortable cruising for everyone aboard, as well as a smooth, profitable sailing for the cruise line.

New cruise itineraries, land-side cultural events, and onboard experiences will frame Princess Cruises’ 2025 Alaska season, which kicks off in just two weeks.

Beginning in May, the cruise line will have a big presence of seven ships sailing in the destination, which has grown in popularity since the end of the pandemic era.

Along with sea voyages from five homeports, Princess Cruises also tempts guests with stays at five wilderness lodges, all part of the line’s cruise-tour program.

The ships, Grand Princess, Ruby Princess, Sapphire Princess, Caribbean Princess, Coral Princess, Discovery Princess, and Royal Princess offer guests departures from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Anchorage (Whittier). All told, the line will offer 150-plus departures through the season.

Its North to Alaska cultural experiences bring the Alaskan spirit to life, with onboard and on-shore activities tied to the destination’s history and traditions. The experiences include educational events, entertainment, and local cuisine.

“Our 2025 season is packed with incredible offerings to ensure they leave having had amazing experiences, big adventures and lasting memories to cherish forever,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Princess Cruises.

“This summer, as we start into our 56th season, we’re continuing to operate to the highly desired national parks of Alaska through our long-standing partnerships. From Glacier Bay to the Kenai Fjords, Denali and beyond, we give our guests the experiences they want when visiting Alaska,” added Antorcha.

Let’s start with some new itineraries, both focused on glaciers and smaller ports of call. Grand Princess’s 17-night “Ultimate Alaska” voyage, sailing on May 6, 2025 roundtrip from Seattle, calls at familiar destinations such as Juneau and Ketchikan, but also visits Haines, Wrangell, and Seward.

Glaciers are a big part of this itinerary, which offers scenic cruising at Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay.

Ruby Princess will operate the new “Ultimate Alaska Solstice” cruise, a 22-day sailing roundtrip from San Francisco.

Departing on June 6, 2025, it coincides with the Summer Solstice and features calls at 11 ports, including Ketchikan, Haines, Sitka, and Valdez, among others. 

Guests will see four glaciers — Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord, and Glacier Bay National Park.

Some voyages will feature special guests. Discovery Princess, for instance, will operate the “Jeff Corwin’s Nature & Adventure Voyage,” a 7-day roundtrip voyage from Seattle. 

Departing on August 17, 2025, the cruise will welcome wildlife biologist and Princess Nature & Adventure Ambassador Jeff Corwin, who will lead excursions in each port, and offer onboard talks and presentations.

Princess Cruises has expanded its cruise-tour program, too, offering 9- to 15-day itineraries that combine the 7-day “Voyage of the Glaciers” cruise with stays at the line’s lodges.

Guests travel by rail between the ship and the lodges, and itineraries offer choices of visits to up to five national parks.

Local Food, Culture Featured Onboard and Onshore

New for the 2025 season, the ships will host a pop-up experience each night, called Northern Lights Lounge. Designed to be reminiscent of an Alaskan pub, it features live music by a folk singer, and guests can try out local beers and other goodies.

Fresh Alaskan foods also will be a big part of the cruise experience on Princess Cruises’ ships. Guests can look forward to locally caught salmon, halibut, crab, and rockfish at the ships’ main dining rooms, specialty restaurants and World Fresh Marketplace buffets.

Guests who book a “Cook My Catch” fishing excursion can dine on their own fresh-caught fish in the specialty restaurant The Catch by Rudi, overseen by Rudi Sodamin, the cruise line’s master chef and head of culinary arts.

Onboard the ships, guests can enjoy stargazing activities, when deck lights are dimmed and cruisers can participate in a guided presentation about the night sky.

Read Also: Are Extras Really Necessary on Alaska-Bound Princess Cruises?

For adventurers, the Princess ships offer an interactive trivia game called The Great Big Adventure – Alaska Edition. In each game, nine guests compete to “navigate the rugged Alaska wilderness” as they search for food, shelter, and water.