Princess Cruise Line is great for:
- If you want an intimate and romantic vacation
- If you want some peace and quiet
- If you are planning a trip to Alaska
- Guests that are 50yo+
Princess Cruise Line might not be good for:
- Children
- Young adults looking to party
- If you want the mega-resort experience
Here is something that you should know upfront: Princess Cruises is a very classy cruise line that attracts an older audience. It’s very similar to Celebrity Cruises, as guests are usually in their 50s, involving mostly people that want a peaceful vacation without chaotic parties and crowded swimming pools. The main difference between the two companies is that Celebrity tries to be a bit “edgy” with all their new modern touches and innovations to their ships, while Princess sticks to the traditional cruise experience that has existed for ages.
Celebrity Cruise Line is more like David Guetta, while Princess Cruises is more like Dire Straits. Both serve their purpose well, but there are a few more differences that go well beyond what their ships offer (and, well, bands as well). Princess Cruise Line is also well regarded as being one of the first ever cruise lines to establish the idea of a marriage on the sea. From that moment onwards, they started increasing their options for you to celebrate a special occasion on the high seas, be it your anniversary, a milestone at work or just gathering your old friends for the first time in a decade.
Princess Cruises, much like Celebrity Cruises, isn’t about the mega-resort experience. You won’t find crazy attractions or water slides on the top deck of their ships. Nope, no roller coasters, bumper cars or drop towers that you’d also find on Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Princess Cruises is all about giving you a chill and nice time, so their ships are full of lounges and places for you to relax and be serenaded by that beautiful thing we call the ocean.
Remember, you can always contact us for more information about Princess Cruises, so make sure to click that Request a Quote button! Reaching out is completely free, and even better, you won’t pay anything extra when one of our travel advisors books your trip. In fact, we might even have access to exclusive offers that can save you money in the end!
Reviews of Princess Cruise Line
The Good Stuff
Great for older guests: Princess Cruise Line attracts a lot of guests in their 50s, 60s and 70s. This is probably the primary cruise line for guests that want nothing more than to chill and relax, and don’t care about crazy entertainment options that we’ve been seeing on new cruise ships like roller coasters and bumper cars. If you are in that age range and you are planning a romantic vacation with the love of your life, you can’t go wrong with Princess Cruises.
Alaska: Princess Cruises is one of the main players when it comes to cruises in Alaska. Seriously, just Google it, and you will see that Reddit and most forums tell people to book a trip with Princess if they want to visit that beautiful destination. They offer awesome itineraries, lots of excursions and a great classy atmosphere to visit the north, which is a pretty good combo.
Peaceful: ahhh how good it is to go on a cruise and be able to listen to the waves hitting the side of the ship! Princess Cruises offer a very, very peaceful vacation. There are hardly any kids onboard, everyone tends to be super polite and you can just concentrate on recovering your energies and reducing every bit of stress in your body. It’s almost like yoga-time all the time on Princess Cruises.
Special occasions: Princess Cruises is awesome to celebrate a special occasion. I’m talking about a marriage, a specific holiday, an anniversary or the ten year birthday of your Chihuahua. This company is so big on those special cruises that they even have a special tab on their official website just for guests that are looking to celebrate a special moment.
Romantic: Princess Cruises is a very, very romantic cruise line. The atmosphere helps a lot, since this is a classy, elegant cruise line that also attracts an older audience. In fact, romance is such a big part of the cruise line that they also feature romantic cruises on their websites, and proudly say that Cruise Critics awarded them the badge “Best Cruise Line for Romance” back in 2016.
The Bad Stuff
Not designed for Children and Young Adults: Princess Cruises isn’t an adults-only cruise line, but they are definitely geared towards an older, more mature audience. I probably wouldn't plan a vacation with them if I have children, or if I was in my 20s. Those passengers would probably have a better time with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian or Virgin Voyages.
Limited entertainment options: Don’t go to Princess Cruises expecting to ride a roller coaster, jump from a bungee platform, or fly a rocket. This is a cruise line focused on offering a classy, old-time vacation experience, so you’ll find plenty of fun shows, relaxing chairs, bars, and lounges. If you’re looking for the mega-resort experience, you might want to consider Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, or Carnival Cruise Line instead.
Princess Cruise Line Fleet
It may come as a surprise to many that Princess Cruise Line is actually the fifth biggest cruise line in the world, with almost twenty ships under their umbrella. They do offer big ships, sure, but those aren’t as huge as the newest offerings from Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises. They don’t need to be, by the way, since you won’t find the crazy entertainment options like roller coasters and giant water slides onboard Princess.
Here are the most recent Princess Cruises ships, with their debut year:
- Majestic Princess (2017)
- Sky Princess (2019)
- Enchanted Princess (2020)
- Discovery Princess (2022)
- Sun Princess (2024)
- Star Princess (2025, yet to debut)
As you can see, Princess Cruises has launched many new ships in the last few years. Sun Princess is definitely the line’s sweetheart for now, offering more venues and amenities than any other vessel. That’s probably the ship you should aim for if you want to plan an amazing vacation. Sun Princess offers a lot of itineraries in Europe but also offers a good number of Caribbean trips from Fort Lauderdale from November to March.
Setting Sail with Princess Cruise Line
Princess Cruise Line Destinations
Being one of the biggest cruise lines in the world, it’s no surprise that Princess has a global presence, with cruises setting sail in Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and Australia. Much like MSC, they also offer short 3-day cruises and also huge, 116 night cruises that travel all around the world. Now imagine doing a full lap around the planet with the love of your life. Now that is romantic.
These are the main destinations when it comes to Princess Cruises:
- Alaska (very popular)
- Caribbean & Bahamas (popular)
- Europe (popular)
- Japan (popular)
- Australia & New Zealand
- Asia
- Hawaii
- California Coast
Princess Cruise Line Departure Ports
Princess Cruises offers a good number of ports in North America, located on the East Coast, in the Central USA, and on the West Coast. In fact, there are many ports on the West Coast that are usually not part of other cruise lines’ itineraries, making it even easier to plan a trip to the California coast or Alaska.
Here are the main ports of departure in North America:
- Fort Lauderdale
- Port Canaveral
- Boston
- New York City
- Galveston
- Honolulu
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Whittier
- Quebec City
- Vancouver
Is Princess Cruise Line for you?
Hey, that’s an easy question to answer, honestly! Princess Cruises is definitely geared towards an older audience, so I’d say you could consider it if you are at least in your 50s. Princess Cruises is also perfect for those that want to enjoy a chill time with a big group of friends or the love of their lives, so if you are planning a (very) romantic vacation, you should definitely consider these guys.
Lastly, Princess is also perfect if you don’t care much about crazy entertainment options onboard a cruise ship. Are you not a big fan of waterslides, surf simulators and what is basically a theme park attraction on top of a ship? Then you will probably have a great time with Princess.
Now, are you someone in your 20s or 30s planning a fun trip with your group of friends? You will have a better time with Carnival, Royal Caribbean or Virgin Voyages. You also won’t be a fan of Princess Cruises if you are looking for a mega-resort experience. Just look at Royal’s Icon of the Seas and see if the idea of a huge ship with several waterslides, water parks and pools appeal to you. If yes, then you should probably skip Princess. If you don’t care much about it and prefer a place to relax and lay down by the pool, then Princess might be a good option.
There you have it. Princess is for those who are likely past their 40s and looking to relax above all else. Sure, you could bring your children, but I’d probably advise you to travel with Royal Caribbean or Disney Cruise Line instead, as they have excellent Kids Clubs.
Princess Plus & Princess Premier
Remember I told you that Princess is very similar to Celebrity Cruises?
Well, much like Celebrity, Princess also offers the chance for you to upgrade your cruise fare at the moment of booking. Princess Plus and Princess Premier are basically two upgrades to your cruise experience that come with a few perks, like included Wi-Fi, a Beverage package and so on. Princess promises that you save up to 50% with the Princess Plus package, and up to 65% with the Princess Premier package. Is that true? I couldn’t tell, I’m bad at math.
What I can tell you is that for a 7-Night night cruise in March 2025, you’d pay about $800 more if you selected the Princess Plus package compared to the standard fare.
Princess Plus Perks
These are the perks included with Princess Plus:
- Wi-Fi (1 device per guest)
- Gratuities
- Plus Beverage Package (drinks up to $15 each)
- Unlimited juice bar
- Premium desserts (2 per day)
- Fitness classes (2 per cruise)
- 2 casual dining meals per guest
- OceanNow delivery (orders placed through the app that are delivered to wherever you are, including your stateroom)
- Room service
Princess Premier Perks
These are the perks included with Princess Premier:
- Wi-Fi (up to 4 devices per guest)
- Gratuities
- Premier Beverage Package (drinks up to $20 each)
- Unlimited juice bar
- Premium desserts (unlimited)
- Fitness classes (unlimited)
- Photo package (unlimited digital + 3 prints)
- Princess Prizes
- 2 specialty dining meals per guest
- Reserved theater seating (for production shows only)
- Unlimited casual dining meals (enjoy top-quality culinary options at no additional charge)
- OceanNow delivery (orders placed through the app that are delivered to wherever you are, including your stateroom)
- Room service
Princess Cruise Line and The Medallion
Nope, that isn’t the name of the next blockbuster coming to a theater near you, nor is The Medallion some sort of Mayan artifact. Princess calls the “MedallionClass” their most recent ships that accept the use of the Medallion, which is basically a small, well… medallion… that you can link to your Princess app and do a bunch of fun things with it.
The Medallion can be linked to your account and used…
- …as your stateroom keycard
- …to order stuff and have it delivered directly to you
- …to browse the ship map and find your friends/family members
- …to know more about events starting soon
- …as a new fashion accessory!
Celebrate With Princess
Just so you know, Princess Cruise Line excels at celebrating special occasions onboard. Whether you're planning to get married, celebrating an anniversary, a birthday or simply want to mark an event with a large group of friends, they offer special packages for all of life’s great moments.
Their wedding packages are particularly popular, with three different tiers available depending on the number of guests you wish to invite. Of course, the prices for an ocean wedding can vary widely, but you can expect a starting price of around $3,500 for a legal ceremony with two guests.
If you're planning to celebrate a special occasion, feel free to send us a message, and we can go over all the options available to you.
Why book Princess Cruises with us?
Let’s just say we know cruise lines inside and out. We have in-depth guides on just about every major cruise brand out there, from Princess and Royal Caribbean to Disney Cruise Line and even ultra-luxury names like Explora Journeys and Silversea. With years of experience sailing on some of the most unique itineraries, we understand these cruise lines like the back of our hand.
Contacting us is completely free, and even better, you never pay more by booking through a travel agent like us. In fact, you may save money because our agents have access to exclusive deals and promotions available only to them.
We can assist you with expert tips, recommendations on the best dining, staterooms, activities, and much more. By clicking the Request a Quote button, you can ask questions and receive advice without spending a dime.
Princess Cruise Line Info & Packing List
The key requirement is your ID. Don’t forget to bring it! For U.S. citizens embarking on a cruise that departs and returns to a U.S. port, you must have a valid passport or an official copy of your birth certificate along with a driver's license or another government-issued photo ID.
Passports should have at least six months of validity remaining. For cruises departing from international ports, a passport is mandatory. It's essential that the name on your reservation matches exactly with what appears on your passport or other official proof of nationality. My recommendation is to always bring your passport to avoid any kind of headaches, and it doesn’t matter the destination.
Gratuities
An automatic service gratuity of $16 to $18 per guest, per day, is added to your final bill, depending on your cabin category. Additionally, an 18% gratuity is added to bills at bars, for dining room wine accounts, and at spas. If you book a package with Princess Plus or Princess Premiere, gratuities are included in your cruise fare.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi aboard Princess Cruise Line is among the fastest available and good enough to stream almost anything you want. The main issue is that it’s quite expensive. MedallionNet Wi-Fi starts at $24.99 per day for a single device, with an option to pay a bit more for four devices. Princess Plus and Princess Premier also include Wi-Fi.
Carry-on Drinks Policy
Princess Cruises allows you to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne per person aboard at no charge for consumption in your room. However, a $20 corkage fee applies if you want to bring it to an onboard restaurant or bar. They don’t specify the size of the bottle.
Drink Packages
Princess Cruises offer two non-alcoholic drink packages and two alcoholic drink packages. The drink packages are the Classic Soda Package ($14.99), the Zero-Alcohol Package ($29.99), the Princess Plus Beverage Package ($60) and the Princess Premier Beverage Package ($80). These prices are an estimate, since they vary by season and demand. The downside here is that you can only obtain the Princess Plus Beverage Package and the Princess Premier Beverage Package IF you buy Princess Plus or Princess Premier.
Dress Code
Princes Cruises follows a standard dress code. During the day, there is no dress code, so you can wear casual attire like shorts and t-shirts. In the evening, men can opt for pants or jeans with a short-sleeve sport shirt, while women can choose a skirt or jeans with a casual top.
Laundry
Princess vessels have self-service launderettes where washers, dryers, and laundry products are available for a small fee of $3 each. You can conveniently purchase tokens with your Medallion. You can also contact laundry services for a small fee. Shirts/blouses typically cost $3.50, formal shirts/blouses are $4.25, and colored/white T-shirts are $2.75.
Princess Cruise Line Loyalty Program
Princess Cruises’ loyalty program is called the Princess Captain’s Circle. It has four different tiers, and you can advance from one group to another based on the number of cruises or nights completed. The good thing about the Captain’s Circle is that it’s fairly easy to reach the ultimate tier. The bad thing is that there isn’t what I’d call a mindblowing perk. No free cruise for reaching the top rank and no free wi-fi, for example.
Your points never expire and you can earn double points (well, nights) if you book a full suite.
These are the existing tiers:
- Gold (after your first completed cruise)
- Ruby (after completing 3 cruises or 30 cruise days)
- Platinum (after completing 5 cruises or 50 cruise days)
- Elite (after completing 15 cruises or 150 cruise days)
There’s not much to see in the first two tiers. You basically don’t get any kind of discount, which is a bit of a bummer.
At the Platinum level, you gain access to the Platinum & Elite Lounge, an area on the ship that is open for a limited time and offers drinks at a discount along with some snacks. You also receive a 50% discount on Wi-Fi at this tier, which is great, especially since internet access is quite expensive aboard Princess. The Platinum level also provides priority boarding - at least according to one of their recent blog posts, as this benefit isn’t listed in the official perks table.
The Elite level gives you everything from the Platinum tier, plus free laundry, which is a rather underrated perk.
You can check the full list of perks by following this link.
Packing list for Princess Cruise Line
Packing for a cruise isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. While you’ll need several swimsuits, don’t forget to pack at least a few nice outfits for romantic evenings, formal events, or special dinners that require you to dress sharp in the evening.
Also, bring essentials like sunscreen from home, as these items are usually much more expensive once you're on board. It’s always wise to come prepared and pack all the essentials instead of buying them at the last minute. Your wallet will thank you later.
Let’s see some of the things that you should bring to your cruise vacation:
Passport: You will need some form of ID to enter the ship. Most companies ask for a birth certificate and any form of ID (like a driver’s license) OR your Passport. It’s easier to just bring your passport, to be honest.
At least 3-4 swimsuits: Since you're going to a cruise (and probably to a private island), swimsuits are essential. Think of it like going to Alaska without a warm coat. For a week-long trip, bring at least three swimsuits so you can change styles daily and have an extra in case one gets lost. They also will not dry hung up overnight, so make sure to bring more than two.
3-4 swim cover-ups: For the ladies, swim cover-ups are incredibly useful inside a cruise ship. They are great for transitioning from the pool to a nearby restaurant and provide warmth against the chilly wind after a swim.
Rash guard: It protects from the sun. It doesn’t let you burn. You do the simple math and quickly realize it’s a very good item to bring to a sunny vacation.
Shorts & t-shirts/skirts & casual dresses: Especially for the guys, shorts and t-shirts are essential. You'll wear them frequently, even pairing khaki shorts with a cozy shirt for lunch. This combo ensures comfort and relaxation during your beach stay.
Flip flops/comfortable sandals: you want to dress casual, especially when near the swimming pools on the top decks.
Nice outfits and jeans: Guys should pack jeans and polo shirts, and girls should bring dresses for the evening. Some restaurants will not allow entry if you're dressed as if you're heading to the beach. Additionally, bring at least two to three elegant outfits, such as trousers paired with a dress shirt and dress shoes, or an elegant dress. This will also give you a great reason to dress up and enjoy the night parties.
Sun hat: you know those big hats that almost make you look like a Samurai? Yeah, you are probably going to need one of those. They look stylish and they really protect from the sun. Remember, at a beach resort, the sun will be like a new member of your party for the duration of your vacation.
Beach bag: remember to pack a beach bag for the swimming pools. They're simple, lightweight, and perfect for carrying everything you need without any hassle. Just pack your essentials inside, and you're good to go!
Sunglasses: they protect your eyes from the sun. You only have two eyes, and you should love them, so keep them safe since you will be under the sun for a long time.
Sunscreen: Don't forget to pack your sunscreen! Bring your favorite one, and consider bringing more than one since you'll be using it a lot. While sunscreen is available inside every cruise, it's much more expensive than what you're used to.
Lip balm: sunscreen and lip balm are a perfect pair. Unfortunately you can’t slather sunscreen on your mouth (or maybe you can, I don't know) so it’s a good idea to pack a Lip balm to protect against cracked lips. They’re not expensive, they are very small and won’t occupy a lot of space, so let’s put them into the essential list.
After-sun lotion: Since you'll be spending days under the sun, it's important to take care of your skin. These lotions are perfect for moisturizing your skin after sun exposure and soothing any redness or inflammation.
Some cash: Remember, you might need some cash now and then. Cash is particularly useful for exploring land activities and excursions, and it's also necessary for tipping staff members at the ports.
Portable charger: this one is optional, but we all know that some of us will spend 25 hours a day on our cellphones, snapping Instagram-worthy pictures in front of the world's most beautiful vistas. Packing a portable charger might be a good idea if you plan to use your cellphone extensively while walking around the ship or during land excursions.
Embarkation & Debarkation Process
Embarkation with Princess Cruise Line
Before anything else, you should definitely download the Princess Cruises app and update your information there. If you are traveling from the USA on a MedallionClass ship, you should also receive your Medallion in the mail before your vacation starts. Make sure to link your Medallion to your account and complete the “OceanReady” process, which are the steps you need to fill before you are ready for boarding.
You don’t need to select an arrival/check-in time anymore with Princess Cruises. You do get a time for when check-in starts when you book with Princess, so make sure to get to the port before that.
Once you get to the port, make sure to leave your tagged luggages with the porters and tip them around $5 per bag.
There will be three different check-in lanes with Princess Cruises: the green lane, the blue lane and the accessibility lane. The main important thing here is that the green lane is for those that have their medallion in hand, have already linked their medallion to their Princess accounts and finished the checklists inside the app. The blue lane is for those without the medallion in hand, or those that haven’t completed the checklist. The accessibility lane is for those with mobility or accessibility needs.
If you are Elite, Platinum, or staying in a suite, you still get priority boarding after going through the green/blue/accessibility lane.
Disembarkation with Princess Cruise Line
You have two options for disembarkation with Princess Cruise Line: the standard method and self-disembarkation. You usually get a form in your cabin a few days before disembarkation for you to select which method you want, and if you have any flights to take after your cruise.
The main difference is that with the standard method, you will receive a colored tag to place on your luggage. Make sure to leave your tagged luggage outside your stateroom by 10pm the night before disembarkation. You can check the TV, the app, or multiple LCD screens aboard the ship to see your disembarkation time and where you should wait until your colored tag is called for disembarkation.
Self-disembarkation means you will be one of the first people off the ship, and you will need to carry all your luggage. You don’t need to tag it, but you will need to wake up early, as you must be out of your room by 7:30-8am and then head to the gangway.
Princess Elite, Platinum and those staying in a suite also have priority disembarkation.
Book your dream vacation with Princess Cruise Line!
Now that you know a lot about Princess Cruises… why not learn even more!? Yeah, our guides do not end here. We have guides about almost anything you can think of. How about the room options at Princess Cruises? Or the list of restaurants you can find there? We have those too. You want to know more about the activities offered? We got you covered. Wait, now you want to know about the specific pH levels of the swimming pools during June on a rainy night? We don't have that guide yet, but don't tempt us!
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