Key Aspects:

Cruise travelers are always looking for great benefits, deals, and values when shopping in ports of call. Unfortunately, one of the best benefits offered by Princess Cruises is about to be reduced by more than 70%.

The cruise line’s MedallionPay Shoreside Shop and Sail program, an incentive for cruisers to use participating onshore retailers, is reducing its cash back benefit.

Cruisers have been receiving a 7% cash back rebate bonus for purchases through MedallionPay. Beginning with purchases from October 16, 2025 and forward, however, that rebate will be reduced to 2%.

“Rest assured that MedallionPay Shoreside remains the most convenient method for shopping at our ports of call,” the cruise line reassured guests.

Furthermore, even though the rebate is being dramatically reduced, the program is still being expanded overall.

“We are expanding the program to include additional stores,” Princess Cruises confirmed. “Thereby providing you with even more opportunities to earn cash back while enjoying your shopping experiences ashore.”

A full list of retailers and restaurants that are part of the MedallionPay program is available on the official website.

Included are popular port merchants such as the Pirates Treasure Shipwreck Museum in St. Thomas, the Mayan Flea Market in Cozumel, the Alaska King Crab Company in Ketchikan, Sea Shell City in Mazatlan, and many more.

Popular jewelers Effy, Diamonds International, and Milano Diamond Gallery are also included in different ports of call, along with other top jewelers in many destinations.

Guest reactions to the incentive reduction aren’t exactly positive. On a Reddit thread discussing the change, guests note that they don’t typically use the program or find it potentially damaging to local merchants.

“When we cruised with Princess no one in port took it,” one guest noted, though they did not specify which port. “We had people tell us it was too expensive for them to do it.”

“In 2022 I was thinking about using it at a small store in Juneau. Out of curiosity I asked the store owner what he was charged for my using it,” one guest shared. “MedallionPay charged a whooping 17% at the time. True, I would get 7% rebated to me but a small business could lose 17%! Outrageous.”

Credit cards also charge fees to retailers, but those rates are typically 2-4%. Many retailers now pass those fees along to customers depending on the size of the credit card transaction.

How Does the MedallionPay Program Work?

The MedallionPay Shoreside program is an onboard credit cash back program for cruise guests who shop at participating retailers.

“Simply use your complimentary Medallion Wearable to make secure, contactless purchases in shops, attractions, restaurants, bars, and more,” the program’s website describes.

This allows cruise guests to leave their credit cards onboard the ship, not risking theft or loss in ports of call. Participating merchants display signs so guests know where they can use their Medallion for easy, convenient payment.

Read Also: How to Save Money on a Cruise – Cash-Savvy Spending Tips

Travelers concerned with payment security and identity theft will be relieved to know that no credit card numbers, security verification codes, or personal information is stored on the Medallion.

“The MedallionPay ecosystem exceeds the security levels used in financial institutions and passports by using the latest methods of tokenization, abstraction and encryption,” the website explains.

Guests set up their Shoreside accounts when checking in for their sailing either on the Princess Cruises’ website or through the cruise line’s mobile app.

For every purchase, guests receive the rebate as onboard credit during their cruise, a great incentive to participate. While that incentive will now be significantly less, it can still be a bonus for guests who might make significant purchases ashore.

Key Aspects:

• Princess Cruises will begin requiring crew members to cover all visible tattoos while on duty.
• The new policy, which starts September 10, 2025, replaces earlier rules that allowed tattoos on arms and legs as long as they were not offensive.
• The cruise line says the policy brings it more in line with Carnival Corporation’s standards.

When Princess Cruises’ ships set sail this fall, a familiar sight will be disappearing: Visible tattoos will no longer be allowed for crew members.

The cruise line made the announcement in a memo stating that, beginning September 10, 2025, all visible tattoos must be hidden while staff are on duty.

Princess Cruises explained the change is part of its broader effort to align its brand standards and maintain a consistent onboard vibe.

“Effective September 10, all visible tattoos must be covered while on duty,” the memo reads. “This includes sleeve tattoos, which may now be covered using neutral or skin-tone sleeve covers.”

The company also said the change is meant to support a “respectful and inclusive environment for our diverse guest demographic” and maintain a “clean, cohesive look across the fleet.”

While tattoos are common among crew members across the cruise industry, their visibility has often been subject to evolving standards.

With this dress code update, which extends to about 30,000 crew members across Princess Cruises’ 17-ship fleet, supervisors and managers will be responsible for monitoring compliance.

However, the cruise line did not specify what disciplinary measures would be implemented for violations.

“We know this may be a difficult adjustment for some,” Princess Cruises said, referring crew members to Human Resources with any questions or concerns.

A Stricter Stance on Princess

The new dress code update marks a significant shift from Princess Cruises’ earlier tattoo policy, which was far less restrictive.

Although the cruise line has always banned face and neck tattoos, it did allow visible tattoos as long as they did not include profanity, nudity, inflammatory political or cultural references, or offensive imagery.

In fact, the company described tattoos as “reasonable self-expression,” which appears to no longer be appropriate for its team.

Read Also: Which Crew Members Will You Meet on Your Next Cruise?

Earlier guidelines also allowed tattoos to be covered by makeup or small bandages – as long as the cover up did not exceed 5 centimeters – although large bandages or wraps were considered inconsistent with uniform standards and not allowed.

Princess Cruises says the change is also part of aligning its standards more closely with Carnival Corporation, which has been its parent company for more than 20 years (since 2003). 

Just last November, Carnival Cruise Line, also owned by Carnival Corporation, reaffirmed its crew members could have tattoos visible onboard.

Besides the no-tattoo rule, Princess Cruises does not allow crew members to wear facial piercings while on duty and must restrict jewelry to small, simple pieces that do not distract from the uniform.

The official crew dress code focuses mainly on maintaining a polished image with clean and pressed company-issued uniforms worn with visible name tags.

Companies like cruise lines are allowed to set appearance standards, as long as they don’t discriminate and that the tattoos are do not have religious or cultural significance.

Princess Cruises’ Shoreside Head of Entertainment will be responsible for case-by-case reviews of any crew member tattoos considered religious or culturally significant.