The New UNLIMITED Princess Premier Package Has Arrived! Princess Cruises All Inclusive Makeover

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

UPDATE (19 August): The new terms and conditions/FAQ is live on the Princess AU website. Princess Premier includes the new unlimited Premier drinks package for AU/NZ guests, and this continues to cover drinks up to a value of $30 per beverage when sailing from Australia/NZ. Read more here: www.princess.com/en-au/cruise-deals-promotions/plus-premier-cruise-packages#princess-premier-link CLARIFICATION FOR AUSTRALIAN GUESTS (16 August): Princess’ local office has confirmed that details about the new Premier offering, specific to Australia/NZ guests in terms of maximum drink cost etc, are being finalised and will be released early next week (week commencing Monday 19 August). Stay tuned!

[@proscott33]

it looks like Princess Prizes is not available in Australia, do you know anything about this? Also Love your videos Adrian!

[@androidapps8925]

Excellent value and part of the reason I recently booked my first Princess cruise. My previous cruises have been with Royal Caribbean who typically charge around AUD 100 (or more) per day just for the drinks package.

[@danielodonoghue3529]

I think the update is sensational value. The increase in Specialty dining is a no-brainer for me.

[@AngelaKHarrell]

Hi, I'm sailing on the Sun Princess next year and had previously purchased the Premier package. I'll definitely contact my travel agent to purchase the upgraded package as I believe it's worth it (even though I'm NOT an alcoholic drinker)! My reason for upgrading is to enjoy more specialty dining! Thx for the video!

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Good idea! The value for specialty dining alone is definitely a win. Just try and get your bookings in as early as possible.

[@roberthamilton1301]

Thanks That actually seems ok priced for a change If You do actually get all as mentioned Thanks for the information See You on the next one Cheers Mate

[@sylviagovers8061]

We always stick with the standard cruise price as we don't need or use any of the extras offered with the dearer packages. Being Elite, we get the free mini-bar and as i don't drink any form of alcohol, my on board spending can sometimes be zero.

[@22NightWing]

With Princess, I rationalise the Plus Package due to the included tips (as a Brit, this just seems like a straightforward way to get it sorted). However, on most other cruise lines (especially those without surplus tips), my onboard spend is also usually zero.

[@64relle]

I love not having a bill at the end! Love Princess

[@lim2001burger]

Loving the idea of unlimited speciality dining, but I just hope they can cater for it. Not tempted to upgrade to premier this time around, but we did get some onboard credit so plan to try at least one speciality dining place (prob crown grill) and if it's good this might sway us into going premier the next time.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

It's a good concept - but I do wonder how booked out the specialty restaurants will be going forward.

[@coleenbrennen487]

I have not cruised Princess yet ( first time will be next month ). But after sailing Royal and Celebrity that have different types of packages for internet and alcohol, from a cost per day perspective, I think Princess includes more and you get more “bang for your buck “. I’m going on Royal again in March and yesterday was sorting through prices for internet , different types of drink packages and specialty dining . Having to try and factor all that in and calculate whether I need it or not is a headache. When booking the Princess cruise ( I booked Princess plus ) seeing it was only $65 per day extra , was a no brainer . If I’m honest , I’d happily pay $100 AUD a day for a longer cruise , still works out cheaper than Royal

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I think so too... Princess makes it a lot easier from a customer perspective. It's not perfect and doesn't suit everyone, but on the whole, it's a value proposition that I think beats RCI and Celebrity in particular.

[@Bertocats-f6s]

Cruised Sun Princess mid October. All of the specialty restaurants were booked for the week. Got 2 reservations after complaining at guest services. Real kick in the pants was that my folio showed cover charges for those specialty restaurants! All of this nonsense with a Premier package purchased!!!!

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Oh wow, that's not good to hear... thanks for the feedback.

[@lindareavey425]

My concern is that there will be no availability in the specialty restaurants. Otherwise, I think it is great value.

[@anneclough7064]

Perhaps they should open up the Specialty dining rooms for lunch as well as dinner to cater to all the people wanting to eat there.

[@ryanmatthew511]

60 days out and I can book most places but Tepppanyaki sold out.

[@ty250z]

We had 19 nights around Japan in July ,2 back to back journeys.We bought the plus package ,Princess give ,$600 US to the cabin.We did enjoy this package.Drinks during the day ,beers ,cocktails,nice coffees. At night a couple of cocktails and wines with dinner. Great internet connection all the time a real pleasure. One problem on casual meals at special restaurants, If you booked 9 nights journey you would get 2 causal meals. If you booked 19 night journey only 2 casual meals.Not the end of the world but a little strange.oh the premium dessert are huge ,2 per day I believe per person totally unnecessary.Great that they include crew appreciation fees. Normally $16 per day person.On Diamond Princess in US dollars $65 pre day per guest. Not worth it if you don’t drink. Really did enjoy ourselves on this cruise,would go again on Princess .cheers Peter and Christine

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for sharing your feedback and experience!

[@suerobinson844]

We always go with basic package. We buy internet as needed. I would rather have a room upgrade for $200 per couple extra.

[@philiprachtman1217]

The thing I have noticed is that shore tour prices seamed to have increased significantly . Is this your feeling?

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Yes, definitely. Shore tours are very costly these days - where it's available, I often look at other private providers but always with a few ground rules in place. The most important being that the scheduled end time of the tour is several hours before the ship's scheduled departure from port.

[@Mikeknz78]

As my wife doesnt drink at all , therefore I rarely do when with her - wish they would have a non alcohol version which would kill the bulk of the cost. I really like all the other inclusions but without drinking cocktails, it doesnt make sense. That would really be an innovative offering.

[@anneclough7064]

We do not drink alcohol either but we always buy the Plus Package for the Internet, the two trips to Alfredos and all the non alcoholic drinks. I do agree with you about the need for a non alcoholic Plus Package, we would love that. They could either offer it at a lower cost per day, or add something else into it like unlimited Casual dining, or one Specialty meal or the photo package and keep it at $65Au per day.

[@sonarmb]

Hear hear!

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I think so... I would recommend getting in those reservations quite quickly using the Princess app once a cruise booking has been made.

[@travelwithdebandnick]

We have the princess premier package on our 2 night cruise on crown Princess in may 2026 ❤ it's our first time with any thing like this. So we're pretty excited about it ❤ I don't think that we will pay to upgrade to the new designed package. We're not big drinkers, so 15 drinks will be way too much for us. I would be lucky if I had two alcohol beverages per 24 hour period. Plus our cruise being only 2 nights, the unlimited specialiry dining will not help us as we already get 2 meals included in our package, so we can eat both nights at a speciality dining restaurant with our current packages. And the wifi, we do not have any where near 4 devices each, i have 1 (my ph) and my fiance has 2, (his phone and laptop), so the extra perks will not be of any benefit to us. Great new perks though ❤❤

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

It definitely makes sense to stay on your original Premier plan

[@seanwhent9588]

I think the new specialty dining plan makes the package a good deal assuming I will still be able to get a reservation

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Yeah, I think reservations will be a challenge... they are already during some itineraries.

[@harveyhopper9600]

I am hearing that the drinks packages do not include alcoholic drinks on embarkation day when sailing from certain states, such as California, until you are in international waters. This kind of puts the dampers on getting the drink packages for the sail away parties. This needs to be stated a whole lot more clearly when purchasing instead of buried in the fine print.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I believe some states in the US have laws that prevent the sales or provision of “unlimited” alcoholic drinks which means cruise lines can’t provide them until they’ve left the local jurisdictions. Totally agree that cruise lines should make this abundantly clear when selling them.

[@dousan53]

Hope this doesn't turn specialty restaurants into upscale MDR's. The more premier packages sold, the higher demand for specialty reservations and perhaps a focus on quick turnaround times to get more people in and out to satisfy demand. I always looked on specialty restaurants as not only a more specialised menu but also a special night out.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Hopefully not. There's no doubt that specialty dining will be busier going forward...

[@JR-vx4rh]

WOW! with the biggest feature PRINCESS is pushing with the Premier Package increase we can now drink "more than 15 drinks a day". I am thinking if I drank 15 drinks a day, let alone more than that, I would not be remembering much of the cruise after 7 days. And the change to specialty dining is only going to likely make it harder to get reservations. NOT a positive change in my view, only another price hike by Princess disquised to be giving more benefit when in fact the benefits are not that real or practical.

[@CyeOutsider]

The premium drinks package on P&0 also includes non-alcoholic drinks - bubble teas, coffee, teas, energy drinks, select soft drinks, etc. Thats also case with Princess.. You CAN drink 15 alcoholic drinks a day, but you don't have to.😂

[@suave-rider]

​@@CyeOutsider15 drinks equates to 3.75 litres a day. Nobody drinks that much of anything

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I'm interested to see what happens onboard once the new package comes into effect...

[@CharlesAchord]

Does the Premier Package include Gratuities for each drink? From what I have "read on the internet," the Specialty Dining Gratuities are included. When you look at the website explaining the packages, it says, "Crew appreciation: Included Pre-paid tips for the crew who takes care of you." That would apply to everything offered in the package, where a gratuity would be part of the transaction. Does the package also cover specialty dining? I'm just a nerd trying to build a spreadsheet to help other family members understand the value.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Yes, it covers all bases. Passengers can choose to leave an extra tip if they want to, but otherwise Plus and Premier includes crew appreciation/gratuities.

[@khardy1801]

Love the concept but again wish there was a non alcoholic option

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

The desire for an alcohol-free option has definitely been consistently noted. I'll be passing that info on to Princess.

[@Retiredtraveler1961]

The updates to princesses premiere packages or a joke! All they do is charge more now! I just recently concluded at 16 night cruise on Caribbean Princess, with onboard credits, and credits for my travel agency. I walked away with $150 cash. They're updated price is $90 a day per person, $180 per cabin! You gotta be out of your mind to spend that. If you save that $180 per day, you could buy yourself a whole Other cruise.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I suppose value means different things to different people. While I wouldn't really choose Princess Premier, I find Plus to be the sweet spot with value. I'm going to buy drinks either way, and I need internet connectivity for my work, so Plus takes away the guesswork and provides a more inclusive cruise experience/cost. But YMMV.

[@bimiup1]

Does the premiere package include a free mini bar in your cabin?

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

No. A free mini bar is provided for Elite members of Captain's Circle. However, room service beverages are included in Plus and Premier. You just order via the Princess app on your phone or device.

[@jenniferkuzman2451]

Thank you for your video! I just added Princess Premier to our Alaska booking for June 2026. Since this is a brand a new program, I have a sneaking suspicion that the price is too good to be true and the program might be eliminated or increased in price at some point prior to our sailing in 2026. Wondering what kind of protections there are after we book and pay for it? What do you think will happen if the princess premiere package goes away or changes? Do you have any experience with this sort of thing? I suspect we’ll just be out of luck but wondering if anyone has any insight?

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Premier has been around for years. As is the case right now, for people that booked on the "old" Premier, they still receive what they were promised at that time. Those that book the new Premier will receive the new inclusions. So if it changed between now and 2026, you should still receive what you've purchased now, at the price you've paid. Apart from that though, there are no assurances of anything but I personally wouldn't even give it a second thought.

[@verascandles]

we're on the Emerald Princess Sept 17 2024, will the rollout be on this ship?

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Emerald kicks off the new package on September 7

[@kathyhayes5578]

I have a cruise booked for next spring and got the Premier package with it. I've seen that it's best to try to get your dining reservations made as early as possible. I've tried that and am a bit confused about why they are charging me 90.00 per reservation for the 2 of us even though I have the Premier package. Anyone know how this is works?

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Unfortunately the Princess app charges for dining reservations, even when a passenger has the package. It's still the best way to lock in your dining time, but the last I checked, the amount you paid will be credited to your onboard account as a refundable onboard credit when you're onboard.

[@interflugOz2]

We bought Princess Plus for a cruise from the USA next year and discovered that gratuities are not included if booking from Australia.

[@dousan53]

But your package costs less than the US version

[@interflugOz2]

@@dousan53 That makes sense, thanks for the info.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

That's correct - tips are not included for Australian Plus/Premier packages when the currency onboard is USD. More information here under Stateroom Services: www.princess.com/en-au/faq/onboard-experience

[@victorkhalil1050]

Hi Adrian is there any extras for basic fare just wonder

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Unfortunately not - the basic Standard fare provides accommodation, dining at included venues (inclusive food is available 24x7) and entertainment. Everything over and above needs to be paid for, either individually or with Plus or Premier packages. There is a zero alcohol packages for $45AUD per day, but at that price, Princess Plus seems more appealing.

[@victorkhalil1050]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy thanks Adrian

[@blackelmo69]

It actually appears they have dropped the inclusive price of the premier drinks from up to $30 per drink to up to $20 per drink in Australia.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I thought that might have been the case too, but the advertised T&Cs still say $30AUD for Princess Premier - but they still say 15 drinks max too. Hmm. Interesting - www.princess.com/en-au/cruise-deals-promotions/plus-premier-cruise-packages/terms-and-conditions

[@blackelmo69]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuyyea there is conflicting information on their site. Some parts say $20 AUD and others say $30 AUD

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Just spoke with Princess locally - the details for Australia/NZ are still being finalised and that information will be released early next week.

[@philiprachtman1217]

I just want a non alcoholic / coffee package . But this is almost 3/4 price of alcoholic price

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I think the Zero Alcohol package is $45AUD per day or so, which as you say, is almost the price of Princess Plus and for that extra money, you get to enjoy internet, premium desserts, fitness classes and some form of casual dining... it's almost not worth not going with Plus.

[@arokh72]

I still wish they had a Plus or Premier option for those who don't drink booze. Feels like a waste for those who don't drink alcohol...or use the fitness centre.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

That's fair. There is a Zero Alcohol package for $45AUD but at that price, Plus seems better value with internet and a few extras like casual dining, premium desserts and ocean medallion ordering. www.princess.com/html/global/personalizer/ssv/beverages/zero-alcohol-package-disclaimer/#:~:text=The%20Zero%2DAlcohol%20Package%20is,for%20all%20itineraries%20except%20Australia.

[@fly_neil]

Two issues…. 1) Who’s ever going to have >-5 drinks per day? 2) Speciality restaurants already often full. They’ll never cope with unlimited bookings. It’s all just ‘spin’, isn’t it?

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I mean, I often enjoy more than 5 drinks. Especially during a day at sea. Although I certainly wouldn't *need* an "unlimited" package.

[@howitreallyiz]

How many Aperol Spritz to make it worth it? 🤔

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

22 🤣

[@howitreallyiz]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy A reasonable amount

[@travelwithdebandnick]

Does any one know if in Australia we get access to prince's prizes when having the premier packagr???

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I think we do, but wait until Monday when the updated Premier terms and conditions should be released specific to Australian cruises. You can find these online at Princess' website, but wait until early next week.

[@travelwithdebandnick]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy awesome will do, thank you

[@JR-vx4rh]

Thumbs Down on Princess Premier Package pricing change. My thoughts: the only real changes are unlimited drinks and unlimited specialty dining. This cost is $10 USD/person or $140 average per couple on a 7 day cruise. So, the drinks went from a 15 limit per day to unlimmited, who would want to or can drink 15 drinks a day, let alone more than that. It is more of presenting a challenge to a select few who would want to overdrink everyday just to maxmize their benefit. This aspect is not a real added benefit for the typical fair minded cruiser. And you already have two (2) specialty dining included in Premier. If you wanted more than that in a 7 day cruise the additional cost would very well offset the cost of doing so. I think this is more of a hidden price hike for Princess and not a "real added benefit" for their guests. To Princess, if you have the audacity to once again hike prices without real added benefit you could have at least let those of us who are already booked in the coming months and have already paid for the Premier package to have the "nothing burger" benefits of the overpriced new package. Shame on you Princess. I am booked to sail on Princess in October this further hike in prices is more of a deterrent to not rebook in future than it is for an attraction. Priincess, you lost the opportunity to gain favor with present and potential future guests.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I still find Plus the sweet spot for me, I don't think I'd pay for Premier.

[@JR-vx4rh]

Addition to my comment below regarding PRINCESS CRUISES increase in Premier Package. The cost I noted of $10 pp/per day is in addition to the already charge bringing the daily cost to $90 pp/per day.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

For Australians/NZ it's only $5 per day extra, so it's a no brainer on most voyages if people from this part of the world have already stumped up for Premier. Value begins to become questionable depending on personal use cases, definitely.

[@rondelemckennery5340]

I think the upgrade to the Premier package is a good move especially when you sailing long haul cruise’s like Sydney to Vancouver.

[@t4N9410oR]

The new package tiers are useless for cruisers who do not drink alcohol. There needs to be versions of these new package tiers, for cruisers who don't drink alcohol. If Princess will not create non-alcoholic versions of these tiers, then what Princess are saying to non-alcoholic cruisers is: Alcohol drinking cruisers are more valuable to us than sober cruisers.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Yeah, that seems to be the feedback from lots of people. I'll be passing the info on to Princess.

[@glendacallaghan1679]

$100 AUD!!! A day . Are you kidding.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

A comparative bargain. Drinks packages alone (i.e. no other inclusions) with Royal Caribbean and Carnival are more expensive than this, and Princess includes drinks, specialty dining, internet and even more.

[@suave-rider]

Princess has gradually lowered itself from Qantas to Jetstar.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Oooh I don't totally agree. They've packaged things that were typically already an extra cost into bundles that offer better value than what you'll find on RCI or Carnival for example, but they still offer a good amount of base inclusions. Comparing P&O Aus to Jetstar though...now that's one I wouldn't argue with 🤣

[@coleenbrennen487]

Yay ! I’m First to comment ! 😂

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Haha! 😂 You should celebrate with a boozey beverage this weekend 🍸

[@coleenbrennen487]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy that sounds like a plan ! 😂