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OceanNow is one of my favorite little Princess conveniences.
Order food or a drink in the Princess app, stay exactly where you are, and let somebody bring it to you.
I've used OceanNow for balcony lunches, pool drinks, snacks and coffee. I've also watched an order apparently wander around Sun Princess looking for me.
So yes, I like OceanNow.
But would I pay the $14.99 activation fee again? Probably not.
If I have Princess Plus or Premier, OceanNow delivery is included. Princess currently lists the delivery fee as waived with both packages.
If I'm sailing Princess Standard and have to pay the one-time $14.99 activation fee?
I'm probably keeping my $14.99.
I sail Princess several times a year, and it’s still my happy place. If you’re ready to check prices and itineraries, you can Book Your Princess Cruise here.
Already booked? Head to my Princess Cruises Guide for my real ship reviews, dining guides, Plus vs. Premier breakdowns, casino offers, spa reviews and more.
What Is OceanNow on Princess Cruises?
OceanNow lets you order available food and drinks through the Princess app and have them delivered to select locations around the ship. Princess describes OceanNow as delivery directly to your seat at selected onboard locations and times.
In other words: I don't have to get up.
One thing that's easy to misunderstand, though: OceanNow is the delivery service. That doesn't mean everything you see in the app is automatically included.
Think of it as the delivery method rather than an all-you-can-eat menu.
How Much Does Princess OceanNow Cost?
Here's the important part.
Princess Plus: OceanNow delivery fee waived.
Princess Premier: OceanNow delivery fee waived.
Without one of those packages, OceanNow has a $14.99 one-time activation fee per guest, per voyage.
If I already have Plus or Premier?
Easy. I'm using it.
If I'm sailing Standard?
That's where you've lost me a little.
I've paid the $14.99 before because I really loved OceanNow. But after experiencing smaller menus and some inconsistent delivery on my Princess cruises, I don't automatically think it's worth paying extra for anymore.
And you know my travel philosophy.
I'll happily spend money when it makes my trip better.
I just don't spend it because somebody gives me another button to push. 😂
→ Compare Princess Plus vs. Princess Premier
Want to See the Current OceanNow Menu?
I have a separate Princess OceanNow Menu guide with screenshots from the app so you can see what was actually available on my sailing, including which items had an extra charge.
👉 See the Princess OceanNow Menu + Screenshots
When I Absolutely Love OceanNow
There are times when OceanNow is fabulous.
And my Glacier Bay day might be the perfect example.
My Glacier Bay Balcony Lunch
On our Alaska cruise, I had absolutely no intention of leaving my balcony during Glacier Bay.
I had scenery. I had a blanket. I was comfortable.
I wasn't moving. 😂
So before the big lunch rush, I placed an OceanNow order.
My parents were sailing in an interior cabin, so they came over too, and suddenly we had our own little family lunch party overlooking Glacier Bay.
THAT is when I love OceanNow.
No buffet.
No hunting for a table.
No carrying plates back to the cabin.
I got to sit on my balcony, eat lunch with my family and keep watching Glacier Bay.
Peak Lazy Girl cruising.
→ Read My Glacier Bay Cruise Guide
And Then There's the Sun Princess Piazza...
OceanNow doesn't work perfectly everywhere.
I discovered that on Sun Princess.
Crew members actually encouraged me to order a drink through OceanNow rather than wait in line.
Don't threaten me with a good time.
I found a seat, placed my order, and waited.
And waited.
The app showed my drink on its way, but apparently the server couldn't find me in the huge multi-level Piazza.
Somewhere out there, perhaps my drink is still looking for me. 😂
That's why I tend to have better luck with OceanNow when I'm somewhere obvious, especially my cabin or balcony.
Is OceanNow Worth $14.99?
Here's my highly scientific OceanNow formula.
If You Have Princess Plus or Premier
YES. Use it.
You've already paid for the convenience.
I especially like OceanNow for:
Balcony days
Scenic cruising
Pool days
Drinks when I don't want to give up my chair
Snacks in the cabin
Lazy sea days
It's one of those smaller perks that helps me get more value out of Plus or Premier.
If You're Sailing Princess Standard
Probably not.
If I were sailing Alaska with a balcony and knew I'd spend hours out there watching the scenery? I could possibly talk myself into paying the $14.99.
But on a Caribbean cruise where I'm wandering around the ship, eating in restaurants, visiting bars and spending half the day in port?
Nope.
I'll walk. 😂
That's really my entire OceanNow opinion:
I love OceanNow. I just don't necessarily love it enough to pay extra for it.
Shop My Lazy Girl Princess Cruise Favorites
OceanNow works best for me when I've already found my perfect balcony chair, pool chair or cozy cabin spot and have absolutely no intention of getting up.
And apparently I can turn anything into a packing list, so I've put together some of the things I actually bring on Princess cruises to make those lazy sea days even better.
🛍️ SHOP MY PRINCESS CRUISE FAVORITES
🛍️ My Lazy Girl Cruise Pool Day Essentials
The little things I actually bring for easier pool days, balcony lounging, and plenty of doing absolutely nothing. 😂
Some links may be affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
These are the little things I actually bring that make my Princess sea days, balcony mornings and pool days easier. No 87-item cruise packing list required. 😂
→ See My Full Princess Cruise Packing List
My Bottom Line
Right now, OceanNow is Lazy Girl approved when it's included.
I've had some fantastic experiences with it. That Glacier Bay balcony lunch alone is exactly why I understand the appeal.
I've also had limited menus, slower service, and a disappearing drink.
If I have Princess Plus or Premier?
I'm using it.
If Princess wants another $14.99 from me?
I'm probably keeping my money.
At least for now.
Island Princess and Star Princess are getting the chance to change my mind.
And that's really my whole travel philosophy anyway: spend where something makes your trip better and save where it doesn't matter.
OceanNow doesn't have to be perfect.
It just has to save me enough effort to be worth the money.
Ready to Book a Princess Cruise?
Princess is my happy place, and after sailing the line over and over again, I have a pretty good idea of which extras I love, which ones I skip and which ones I'll only use when somebody else has already included them in my package. 😂
If you're ready to start looking at Princess itineraries and prices:
🚢 BOOK YOUR PRINCESS CRUISE
Already booked?
Head over to my Princess Cruises Guide next. You'll find my:
Everything is based on the ships I've actually sailed and how I actually cruise.
About the Author
Hi, I'm Julie Davis, the travel-obsessed blogger behind No Point Left Behind. I cruise multiple times a year, Princess is my happy place, and I'm a big believer in spending money on the things that actually make a trip better, not just every upgrade someone offers me.
I share what I actually book, what I actually spend, what I skip and what works for me in real life.
And apparently now I also document the occasional cocktail that disappears somewhere in the Sun Princess Piazza. 😂
