Princess Plus vs Princess Premier: Which Should You Pick?

Princess Plus is the smaller bundle of drinks, internet, crew appreciation and casual dining. Premier adds specialty dining, more device connections, a higher drink limit and other benefits. Compare the additional cost with what you would actually use; neither package is automatically better for light drinkers or families.

Current US dollar prices

For the current 2026 packages, checked in September 2026, Princess lists Plus at $65 per person per day and Premier at $100 when bought in advance. Sun Princess and Star Princess cost $70 and $105 respectively. Buy at least a full 96 hours before departure to receive those prices; the published onboard increase is $5 per person per day.

Older package purchases can have different benefits. Check when the package was added, the sailing date and booking market. In particular, do not count crew appreciation as an extra saving if it is already included in your fare.

What changes between the packages

• Plus covers eligible drinks up to $15; Premier raises that to $20. Both include specialty coffee and tea, with bottled water limits.
• Plus provides one wifi device per guest; Premier provides four. Both use MedallionNet Max, so Premier's extra devices do not establish a faster or more dependable connection.
• Plus includes four casual dining meals per guest per voyage, not four specialty dinners. Premier includes unlimited qualifying casual and specialty dining, subject to venue availability, menu restrictions and meal limits.
• Premier adds eligible photos, reserved production show seating and excursion credit on qualifying cruise lengths. These benefits have restrictions and are not cash equivalents.

Both cover crew appreciation and specified delivery fees. Paid menu items and other excluded purchases can still produce charges. Compare the restaurant list on your ship with the meals you would actually pay for.

The 15 drink limit is not only alcohol

Princess's current detailed FAQ says Plus counts eligible cocktails, wine, beer, spirits, fountain soda and drinks without alcohol toward its 15 beverage limit. Specialty coffees and teas are excluded from that count. Bottled water of 500 ml or less has its own limit of 12 per day.

Older descriptions calling it simply a 15 alcoholic drink limit are incomplete. Premier removes that daily general beverage limit, but not responsible service rules or every product restriction. Passenger reports about how soda was charged are mixed; plan from the published rule.

The upgrade math

The current price difference is $35 per person per day. Two guests upgrading for seven nights pay $490 more. On a qualifying seven night voyage, Premier's $100 excursion credit per guest could offset $200 if both guests would otherwise buy eligible Princess tours.

That would leave $290 to justify through specialty meals, photos, additional drink coverage and any extra connections you genuinely need. If you would book independent tours, the credit may replace none of your spending. Unused credit is not refundable.

To compare Plus with buying separately, add your actual crew appreciation, desired wifi and likely drinks, including service charges. Then include the casual meals you would buy. Our drink package calculation helps account for port days instead of assuming every day is a sea day.

Check access before valuing benefits

Recent Reddit discussions disagree about the value of specialty dining and report difficulty obtaining some reservations. Those experiences do not establish availability on your cruise, but they make the practical question clear: check the restaurants and reserve preferred meals early.

Use the package total for the guests who will actually purchase it in your household budget. Ask Princess to confirm linked purchase requirements and the treatment of children rather than assuming all four guests must buy or that two packages cover everyone.