Princess Plus and Princess Premier cost more on qualifying departures, and the line’s own package page now confirms the trade-reported rates. The Wi-Fi change is narrower than the first reports suggested.
Sources and facts checked: October 21, 2026 (America/New_York). Package prices, inclusions and promotions change without notice. Check and verify with the cruise line before you pay.
The reported increase adds up across a voyage
Princess Plus and Princess Premier are priced per guest, per day, so a daily change compounds over the length of a cruise. For a standard Princess ship, the official Plus and Premier package page now lists pre-cruise rates of $70 for Plus and $105 for Premier, with onboard rates of $75 and $110. On Sun Princess and Star Princess the rates are $75 pre-cruise / $80 onboard for Plus, and $110 / $115 for Premier.
That is a flat $5-per-person-per-day increase, confirmed by Princess’s own page. Cruise Hive and other trade outlets reported that it applies to sailings departing on or after October 13, 2026, citing a letter to travel advisors from Carmen Roig, Senior Vice President for North America Sales and Trade Marketing. Princess’s page adds that guests sailing in 2026 who bought Plus or Premier before October 13 keep the package as purchased.
For a seven-night sailing on a standard ship, the pre-cruise change moves Plus from $455 to $490 per guest and Premier from $700 to $735 — an increase of $35 per guest for either package, or $70 for two guests buying the same package.
Practical upside: the bundles combine benefits that some guests would otherwise pay for separately. Tradeoff: a per-day package charge can add up, and the value depends on which included benefits you will actually use.
The inclusions matter as much as the sticker price
According to Princess’s package page, Plus includes crew appreciation, MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi for one device per guest, room-service and OceanNow delivery fee waivers, four casual dining meals, and up to 15 drinks per day priced up to $15 each. Premier adds unlimited specialty and casual dining, a shore-excursion credit of up to $300 per guest (scaled by voyage length; Princess lists $100 for a six- to nine-day cruise), unlimited digital photos plus three prints, reserved theater seating, and drinks priced up to $20 each; its listed Wi-Fi allowance is four devices per guest.
Some early reports overstated the Wi-Fi change. Premier keeps its four-device MedallionNet Max allowance, and Princess’s page still lists it. What is actually changing is the standalone Wi-Fi-only lineup: trade reports say the standalone four-device plan is being dropped in favor of a new two-device standalone plan at $39.99 per day pre-cruise, and the one-device plan is being repriced. Check and verify with the cruise line. If you planned to buy Wi-Fi alone rather than as part of a package, that is the change that affects you.
The line’s page says the packages apply to guests one and two on a reservation. It also says the lower price requires purchase at least four days, or 96 hours, before departure; purchases onboard or within that window cost an additional $5 per person per day.
This season’s headlines point in different directions
Award claim: A Princess announcement dated October 6 says the line was named the number-one mega cruise ship in the 2026 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, recognizing Sun Princess and Star Princess. It says Sun Princess won for a third consecutive year and Star Princess in her first year of eligibility. Check and verify with the cruise line.
Alaska: Cruise Industry News reported on October 11 that Star Princess wrapped up her first Alaska season in late September, after 20 sailings. Princess has confirmed the ship’s return to Seattle in 2027 for seven-day Inside Passage round trips. See the trade report and Princess’s Alaska announcement.
Japan: Princess describes its 2027 program for Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess as its biggest Japan season yet. Princess’s page lists 50 itineraries visiting 45 destinations in six countries, with voyages from seven to 28 days. Earlier announcements cited 78 departures, and later updates reportedly revised the totals, so check and verify the current figures with the cruise line. See the Princess Japan program.
South America: Princess announced a 2027–28 Majestic Princess season featuring Antarctica, 19 destinations and access to 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Princess announcement describes the planned itinerary mix.
Victoria: trade reporting says Crown Princess opened the 2026/27 cruise season in Victoria and that Princess will homeport a ship in Melbourne for 2028/29. That is the Australian state of Victoria, with calls at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, not Victoria in British Columbia. Published details on 2028/29 departures and pricing are still thin, so confirm the itinerary and dates with Princess. See Cruise Industry News.
On October 12, 2026, Princess’s Weekend Waves page advertised up to $500 in instant savings, up to 40% off, free third and fourth guests, and $99 deposits. Weekend offers turn over quickly, so treat that as a fare snapshot, not a promise of a price or eligibility. Check and verify with the cruise line.
Devil's advocate: a bundle is not automatically a bargain
If you rarely order drinks, use little Wi-Fi, and are content with the dining included in your cruise fare, a package may cost more than paying for selected extras individually. The higher reported rates make that calculation more important, not less.
But the reverse is true too: guests who expect to use several package benefits may prefer one predictable per-day charge to tracking individual onboard expenses. The sensible comparison is not “package or no package” in the abstract. It is the package’s verified cost for your sailing against the specific benefits you expect to use.
Verify before you pay
What does the package cost for your sailing?
Confirm the package price shown for your ship and departure date directly with Princess, including the Sun Princess and Star Princess premium.
Buying Wi-Fi on its own? What is the rate?
If you plan to buy Wi-Fi on its own rather than through a package, confirm the two-device standalone plan and its daily rate before you buy.
Have you confirmed package eligibility for each guest on the booking?
Check which guests on the reservation are eligible for the package.
When is the purchase deadline?
Verify the purchase deadline and any additional charge for buying onboard or close to departure.
Will the package pay off for each buyer?
Compare the package total for every guest who will buy it with the extras you realistically expect to use.
Have you saved the terms for your sailing?
Review the package terms and your booking confirmation together; save the version that applies to your sailing.
Considering a promotion? Do you qualify?
If considering a promotion, verify the eligible sailings, cabin categories, deposit terms, and offer end date directly with Princess.
Apply the numbers to your sailing
If you are deciding between Plus, Premier, or paying for extras separately, start with the exact departure, ship, guest count and package terms shown for your reservation. Princess’s page now confirms the increase, so the question is not whether it happened but what it costs on your sailing, and whether the bundle still fits what you will actually use.
Frequently asked
Does the increase apply to every Princess sailing?
Trade reports of the letter to travel advisors say it applies to sailings departing on or after October 13, 2026, and Princess’s own package page shows the higher rates. Guests sailing in 2026 who bought a package before October 13 keep it as purchased. Sun Princess and Star Princess carry a further daily premium. Confirm the exact amount for your reservation.
What does Plus cost for a seven-night cruise?
At the confirmed standard-ship pre-cruise rate of $70 per day, the total is $490 per guest, up from $455. Verify the rate attached to your own reservation.
Is Premier’s four-device Wi-Fi still included?
Yes. Princess’s page still lists four-device MedallionNet Max for Premier, so any early reading that the allowance was being removed is contradicted by the page itself. What changed is the standalone Wi-Fi lineup, which trade reports say now includes a two-device plan at $39.99 per day pre-cruise.
Can I add a package onboard?
Princess’s page says onboard purchases, and purchases within four days of departure, cost an additional $5 per person per day. Check your booking for the applicable terms.
Who can buy the packages on a reservation?
The package page says they apply to guests one and two. Confirm eligibility for your party and reservation before purchasing.
Does the Weekend Waves offer lock in a saving?
No. What the page advertised on October 12, 2026, was a fare snapshot. Eligibility, pricing and deposit terms depend on the offer’s conditions and the specific sailing. Check and verify with the cruise line.
Sources and facts checked: October 21, 2026 (America/New_York). Princess’s Plus and Premier package page and news releases, and trade coverage of the letter to travel advisors, were reviewed on the date shown.
Sources
Photographs. A red cocktail with ice and mint beside a swimming pool — piyanat, Pexels Cropped and resized for the web; not otherwise altered. Neither the photographers nor the licensors endorse this article.
This article is general information, not financial advice. OTGG is an independent travel advisor; this article contains no affiliate links. Cruise line and supplier policies, rates, promotions, inclusions, accessibility procedures and deposit schedules change — verify all details with the operator or an accredited travel advisor before booking or payment.
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