Princess Cruises Premium Package / Premier Package
What Is the Princess Cruises Premium Package/Premier Package?
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Thinking about upgrading your Princess Cruises experience? The Premier Package (often called the Premium Package) offers a bundle of perks—from unlimited drinks and specialty dining to reserved theater seating that can elevate your cruise from great to unforgettable. In this post, I share my personal experience using the Premier Package aboard the Sun Princess, and help you decide which option fits your travel style and budget.
Whether you're a wine lover, a foodie, or want to skip the buffet and dine in style every night, this guide will help you understand the value of Princess Cruises’ upgraded packages—especially with changes coming in January 2026. I’ve cruised with both plans and learned a few things along the way (like how my son doesn’t drink anything on a 7-day cruise). So if you're wondering whether the Plus Package is worth it, or what’s new in the 2026 updates, you’re in the right place.
Ready to cruise for less? Check out my Princess Cruises Casino Guide—packed with insider tips on scoring cheap sailings using points, miles, and casino offers. Click the button to learn more:
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Premier Package
The chart below shows what is included in the Premier plan in 2026. You can see it is an additional $5 a day on the Sun and Star. These ships has way more restaurants than the other ships. On our recent sailing of the Sun we never even walked into the buffet. We ate at Speciality dining every night. It was so much fun! We tried all but one of the specialty dining on the Sun. Not only that but the food was amazing. I had only done speciality dining on another crusie line a few years ago. It was nice but I didn’t feel like it was worth the additional cost. I hate wasting money, but we both agreed that as soon as we got home, we need to book the Premier package for our next Sun Princess Cruise next year, the Solar Eclipse cruise.
Premier and Plus Package 2026
Drink Package Breakdown
I never came close to 15 drinks on my past cruise. The unlimited drinks does not offer me much but the nicer wines available made two wine lovers very happy. I did try some of the specialty cocktails on the premier menu and they were hit or miss if I would purchase the plan for that. Although I will say the Tiramisu drink at Alfredo’s was amazing!
I will also mention that when I was on the Sky in February, the 24kt margarita was on the Premier Menu at $20 but on the Sun this time it was under the Plus plan. So your mileage may vary on this. Also, the 24kt Margarita is my favorite drink. I recommend you try it!
Casual Dining
This depends on the ship. I really enjoy Alfredo’s I have tried it on all the ships I have been on the past 2 years. We ended up eating there 3x’s this past cruise. Some ships have a sushi casual dining, and others have O’Malley’s. I have tried the sushi casual dining on Sky and really enjoyed it. I have never eaten at O’Malley’s, but I do enjoy their beer. It was only open after 5 on the Sun. Since we had specialty dining each night , we didn’t skip that for wings. Although I heard they were great!
Specialty Dining on Sun Princess
This is the main reason we upgraded our package. At this point, I will only pay for the Premier package on a sphere-class ship. I totally have the right to change my mind on this. It’s just where I am right now. They have way more dining options. If you have the Premier package, I highly advise you to make reservations in advance. I have heard they hold back reservations for when you board the ship. So if you don’t get what you want before you board, you can try on the ship. Want to know more about dining reservations? Check this post out!
On the Sun Princess, you can dine at the following for free with the Premier Package:
Princess Cruises Sushi - Makoto
Butcher’s Block
Love by Britto Review - Premier
Umai Hot Pot Sun Princess dining
Sun Princess Teppanyaki Review
All the food was amazing! It was like eating at a fancy restaurant each night. We really looked forward to trying a new restaurant each night. It was a real treat!
OceanNow, MedallionNet & Other Perks
I purchase Ocean Now Delivery even if I do not purchase the Plus or Premier package. I love having my coffee delivered to me each morning. I even ordered a margarita lying in bed one evening. I was so excited about this, I texted my sister to brag about my awesome idea! She was, of course, jealous! We didn’t have food delivered this trip, but I did have burgers, salad, and chicken fingers delivered on my Alaska cruise as we explored Glacier Bay National Park. I had an impromptu party on our balcony, and we needed food.
Cruise Life
I cruise a lot. My family likes to hear from me. I only used one device during the past cruise, but my husband enjoyed not having to log on and off his different electronics over the week.
Shore Excursion Credit
This is new for my next cruise. I am excited about having a $100 Shore Excursion credit. I know that with my casino deals, I cannot use my onboard credit until I board the ship. I looked at my future cruise, and it looks like I can use my credit now. I will not have to wait till I board. This is great since I would hate to miss out on a dream activity because it is booked up in advance. This is definitely something we will use. I want to go to Cinque Terre on this cruise, and it is far enough away that I won’t worry as much about going through the cruise line.
Photo Package & Reserved Seating
Finally—photos with me in them! We didn’t do a ton of formal photography, and I had planned to capture more, but I’m so grateful for the few snapshots of me and my husband that aren’t just selfies. Most of them came from our specialty dining nights, and they’re some of my favorite memories from the cruise.
Princess Theater Reserved Seating
We did not do one show on our last cruise, however, if you do this would be a great benefit.
