Princess Cruises: Luxury Feel Without the Luxury Price Tag
For travelers who have never sailed with Princess Cruises, the easiest way to describe the experience is this: Princess sits in a sweet spot between mainstream cruising and premium cruising. It delivers many of the touches travelers associate with luxury travel, but often at pricing that remains surprisingly approachable.
For travelers who have never sailed with Princess Cruises, the easiest way to describe the experience is this: Princess sits in a sweet spot between mainstream cruising and premium cruising. It delivers many of the touches travelers associate with luxury travel, but often at pricing that remains surprisingly approachable.
While some cruise lines focus on giant ships with endless attractions, Princess takes a different approach — creating a more relaxed, refined experience where the ship itself becomes part of the destination.
Why Travelers Keep Coming Back to Princess
Princess isn't trying to be the loudest cruise line at sea. It focuses on comfort, quality, and destination immersion.
Some standout features include:
Spacious and elegant public areas
A more relaxed onboard atmosphere
High-quality dining options
Strong entertainment and enrichment programs
Excellent service without feeling overly formal
Extensive balcony cabin choices
Technology designed to simplify the vacation experience
One of the biggest things first-time guests notice is that Princess feels upscale without requiring an upscale budget.
You can enjoy:
✔ Multiple dining venues
✔ Broadway-style entertainment
✔ Comfortable staterooms
✔ Adult relaxation spaces
✔ Strong destination-focused experiences
...without stepping into luxury cruise pricing territory.
Smaller Ship Design = Less "People Traffic"
One of Princess's biggest advantages often gets overlooked.
Many Princess ships were designed before the industry moved toward the "floating theme park" model.
Instead of towering mega-ships packed with attractions, much of the fleet offers:
Wider promenades
More open atriums
Better passenger flow
Multiple gathering spaces
Less bottleneck congestion
Many guests describe Princess ships as feeling calmer and less crowded even when carrying thousands of passengers.
You don't constantly feel like you're competing for space around every corner.
For travelers who dislike crowded elevators, packed pool decks, and long traffic jams moving around a ship, this can be a major benefit.
Family Friendly — But Not a Water Park
Families often ask:
"Is Princess good for kids?"
The answer is yes — with an important distinction.
Princess has very strong youth programs with activities separated by age groups and supervised programming for younger cruisers.
Kids can enjoy:
Arts and crafts
Games
Movies
Science and discovery activities
Teen lounges
Family events
What Princess generally does not focus on:
Giant water slides
Surf simulators
roller coasters
onboard amusement-park attractions
For some families this is actually a positive.
Parents who want family experiences without constant sensory overload often appreciate Princess's balance between entertainment and relaxation.
Why Princess Is Considered One of the Best Cruise Lines for Alaska
When people talk about Alaska cruising, Princess almost always enters the conversation.
There's a reason.
Princess has spent decades building its Alaska program and has developed infrastructure that many cruise lines simply don't have. Princess is among the select cruise lines that regularly access Glacier Bay National Park — one of Alaska's most sought-after scenic experiences.
Princess also operates wilderness lodges near places like Denali National Park, allowing travelers to combine a cruise with a land tour experience.
Why Alaska travelers love Princess:
Long history in Alaska
Glacier-focused itineraries
Cruise + land tour options
Wildlife and destination enrichment programs
Strong shore excursion offerings
Extensive Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska options
Alaska isn't just treated like another itinerary — it's one of Princess's signature experiences.
One Feature New Cruisers Love: The Medallion Experience
Princess introduced wearable technology called the Medallion experience, designed to remove many common vacation frustrations.
Guests can use it for:
Keyless stateroom entry
Faster embarkation
Finding family members onboard
Food and drink delivery almost anywhere on the ship
Simplified purchases
Personalized experiences throughout the cruise
Many first-time guests don't realize how much small conveniences matter until they experience them.
Who Is Princess Perfect For?
Princess often fits travelers who want:
Couples
Romantic vacations
Relaxation
Better dining experiences
Families
Strong kids programs without the "theme park at sea" feel
Multi-generational groups
Activities for everyone without overwhelming grandparents or younger travelers
Alaska travelers
One of the strongest cruise products available
First-time cruisers
A balanced experience that feels elevated without being intimidating
Princess Plus & Premier: Some of the Best Values at Sea
One of the biggest reasons experienced Princess cruisers stay loyal to the brand is the value found in the Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages. Instead of paying separately for Wi-Fi, gratuities, drinks, dining upgrades, and onboard extras, Princess bundles many of the most commonly purchased items into easy packages that can create significant savings for travelers. Princess updated both packages for current sailings and continues to position them as one of the strongest bundled values in cruising.
For many guests, these packages can completely change the onboard experience because once you board, much of your vacation feels prepaid.
Princess Plus
Princess Plus is designed for travelers who want the essentials covered without moving into premium-level extras.
Included benefits currently include:
✔ Daily crew appreciation (prepaid gratuities)
✔ Plus Beverage Package
✔ Drinks up to approximately $15 each including:
Cocktails
Wine by the glass
Beer
Specialty coffees
Fountain sodas
Bottled water
Mocktails and specialty beverages
✔ MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi for one device per guest
✔ Four casual dining meals per voyage
✔ OceanNow delivery fees waived
✔ Room service delivery fees waived
For many travelers, gratuities + Wi-Fi + drinks alone can quickly approach or exceed the package cost. Add in dining and delivery perks and the value becomes even stronger.
Princess Premier
Princess Premier is designed for guests who want an upgraded experience with fewer limitations and more included perks.
Included benefits currently include:
✔ Daily crew appreciation (prepaid gratuities)
✔ Premier Beverage Package
✔ Drinks up to approximately $20 each including premium cocktails, wine, beer, specialty coffees, bottled water, and specialty beverages
✔ MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi for up to four devices per guest
✔ Unlimited casual dining
✔ Unlimited specialty dining experiences
✔ Unlimited digital professional photo downloads
✔ Reserved seating for theater productions and entertainment venues
✔ Shore excursion credit:
$100 on 6–9 day cruises
$200 on 10–20 day cruises
Up to $300 on longer voyages
✔ OceanNow delivery fees waived
✔ Room service delivery fees waived
For families, couples, and multi-generational groups, the unlimited digital photo package alone can add tremendous value. Cruise photos often become expensive when purchased individually, especially when capturing formal nights, sail-away moments, Alaska glacier views, or family portraits throughout the voyage. Having every professional photo available to download removes the need to decide which memories are worth keeping — you simply enjoy the vacation and keep them all.
For travelers who enjoy specialty dining, cocktails, multiple connected devices, excursions, and capturing every vacation moment, Princess Premier often creates one of the most complete "nearly all-inclusive" experiences available on a mainstream cruise line.
Why Many Guests Call It "Vacation Math"
Many cruise lines advertise lower base fares and then add costs throughout the vacation:
Drinks
Gratuities
Internet
Specialty dining
Photos
Delivery fees
Princess approaches things differently.
Many guests discover that after adding these items individually, Princess Plus or Premier can actually reduce their total vacation cost while creating a much more "all-inclusive" feeling onboard.
That simplicity is one of the biggest reasons Princess guests often say these packages are among the best values at sea.
Final Thoughts
Princess isn't built around giant slides, race tracks, or flashy attractions.
Instead, it focuses on something many travelers discover they value more:
Comfort. Space. Service. Destinations.
For travelers looking for a cruise that feels a little more refined without paying luxury-level prices, Princess often becomes one of those cruise lines people try once... and then find themselves booking again and again.