Princess Plus vs. Premier: Which Package Is Worth the Upgrade?

Compare three choices, not just two

The real options are the base fare with individual purchases, Plus, and Premier. Use the current package comparison to identify the benefits, then the full terms to match your purchase and departure dates. Old screenshots can show different prices and meal allowances.

Start by valuing crew appreciation, the internet access you need and realistic eligible drinks. If those purchases nearly equal Plus, the other included benefits may make it attractive. If you rarely buy drinks and intend to disconnect, paying individually can remain sensible. The package’s advertised retail saving is not your personal saving unless you would buy those components.

The cited advance price requires purchase at least four full days, or 96 hours, before departure. Buying later under the current terms adds $5 US per person per day; Australian-dollar conditions differ. Confirm the booking channel’s deadline rather than waiting until the last evening before sailing.

Understand the dining difference

Under the updated offer, Plus includes four qualifying casual dining meals per guest per voyage. Premier includes unlimited qualifying casual and specialty dining, subject to the package terms and availability. Princess’s dining page helps distinguish included main dining from the casual and specialty venues that create package value.

A meal allowance does not create a restaurant reservation. Check your ship’s actual restaurants and reserve the evenings you want. A couple who prefers the main dining room most nights should not value Premier as though they will eat at a specialty restaurant every evening. Conversely, several planned specialty meals can make the upgrade more attractive.

Consider the itinerary. On a port-heavy Mediterranean cruise, a late lunch ashore may reduce your appetite for an elaborate paid dinner. On a sea-day-heavy voyage, restaurants may play a larger role. Our dining reservations guide helps turn a meal allowance into a realistic schedule.

Price the incremental Premier benefits

At the standard cited prices, Premier costs $35 more per person per day than Plus. For two adults over seven days, the upgrade is $490. That is the hurdle the extra benefits must clear; crew appreciation and benefits already in Plus do not count again.

For an illustrative decision, suppose you would willingly spend $180 on additional eligible dining, $80 on connectivity beyond Plus and $40 on photos. Those personal values total $300. If eligible shore credits replace another $200 of tours you were already buying, the total becomes $500, slightly above the $490 upgrade. If the tours or photos are unwanted, remove them. These are assumed personal values, not menu or Wi-Fi price quotes.

The 2026 package announcement describes the updated Premier benefits, including four-device Wi-Fi, photography and theater seating. Four-device access has little extra value if one connection per person already meets your needs. The Wi-Fi guide explains why devices and reliable work access are different questions.

Treat shore credit as restricted spending

The current Premier terms provide shore credit according to voyage length, with $100 for six-to-nine-day voyages, $200 for ten-to-twenty days and $300 for twenty-one or more, subject to the qualifying package conditions. Check the amount awarded per eligible guest on your booking and the currency in which it is issued.

The credit applies to eligible Princess shore excursions, expires with the voyage and is not cash if unused. Compare the tour you want before assigning full value. A $100 credit against a $180 tour you would otherwise skip does not save $100 against staying aboard; it creates an $80 purchase.

If you prefer independent tours, price those separately. The ship versus independent excursion guide can help compare logistics and cancellation conditions. Do not buy a package merely to avoid leaving a promotional credit unused.

Check the booking before committing

Princess’s terms specify the required guests and the whole-voyage nature of the package. Review the treatment of additional cabin guests, minors and any already included benefits. Package benefits do not generally extend to a cruisetour’s land portion; check the specific exceptions rather than pricing land days as shipboard package days.

Save the final quote and benefit list. Our recommendation is Plus when the core drinks, internet and crew-appreciation bundle matches your existing plans, and Premier when the incremental dining and other usable benefits exceed the upgrade. Revisit the calculation after choosing excursions and restaurants, not after making assumptions about an idealized week.