Key Aspects:
- Princess Cruises is taking the feedback to heart after introducing revamped Premier and Plus Packages earlier this week.
- Guests were upset that the Plus package would now include non-alcoholic drinks in the daily drink limit of 15 beverages, which was not previously the case.
- The cruise line has now made specialty teas and coffees unlimited in response to the complaints, but soft drinks still count toward the daily limit.
Princess Cruises just updated its famous Premier and Plus add-on packages to enhance the onboard experience, but one seemingly minor change has led to quite the uproar.
Specifically, guests were upset that the Princess Plus package would include non-alcoholic beverages in the daily drink limit of 15 beverages per person.
In the past, only alcoholic beverages counted toward that daily total.
However, the Carnival-owned cruise line has listened to feedback and emailed Cruise Hive on July 25, 2025, to share that specialty coffees and teas would now be unlimited in the Plus package.
“We wanted to share an update following the Premier and Plus Packages changes announced earlier this week,” a Princess Cruises Spokesperson wrote to Cruise Hive.
“In listening to our Princess community, we have made a change – specialty coffee and teas are now unlimited in our Plus package and will not count towards the 15-drink daily limit,” the statement continued.
However, soft drinks are still included in the daily limit, leaving many unsatisfied.
“Been on 11 Princess Cruises and already booked numbers 12 and 13…very very disappointed with Princess’ decision to have them count towards 15 a day…Princess seems to be pushing everyone towards the Premium package,” an avid cruiser reacted to the news.
Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks are unlimited in the Premier package, with a $20 price cap per beverage in place.
“That’s lovely for coffee and tea drinkers, but you are disadvantaging those of us who drink neither and prefer Diet Coke or water. Wish you could identify as a non-coffee drinker and get cans of soda not counting towards the day’s total,” one cruise fan shared.
The revamped packages also came with a price increase, and of course, the Premier package is more expensive than the Plus package because it is more inclusive.
The Premier Package has increased by $10 per person per day and will now be a $100 daily charge, while the Plus Package is only increasing $5 per person per day to $65.
Onboard the new Sphere class ships, Sun Princess and the upcoming Star Princess, the rates will be an additional $5 higher per day for each package.
Princess Cruises Cares About Guest Feedback
Unfortunately, there is just no way to please everybody and the cruise line’s choice to make specialty teas and coffees unlimited was an attempt at a compromise.
Even though many were upset that soft drinks hadn’t been made unlimited again with the cheaper package, plenty more felt heard and seen.
One quest exclaimed: “Thank you Princess! It is nice to know and appreciate that you value your customer feedback!”
Another celebrated: “As a coffee drinker, this makes me happy!”
Read Also: How Much Are Princess Cruises Gratuities?
Additionally, the whole purpose of revising the add-on packages was to improve the guest experience onboard by adding more desirable benefits and flexibility for future passengers.
For example, the Plus package has doubled the casual dining meals for each sailing, which means guests can now enjoy four meals at popular venues like Kai Sushi, Plank’s BBQ, the Salty Dog Gastropub, and Alfredo’s Pizzeria.
Meanwhile, the bigger Premier Package now includes shore excursion credits of $100 to $300, depending on the length of the sailing.
The updated packages went on sale on July 22, 2025, for voyages setting sail in 2026 and beyond.
