Princess Cruises has quietly increased two key onboard fees, raising both its automatic service charge on purchases and the daily crew appreciation gratuities charged to passengers.
The changes took effect on 8th March 2026 and apply across the cruise line’s fleet.
The service charge added to many onboard purchases has risen from 18% to 20%, while the daily crew appreciation gratuity has also increased by $1 per person across all accommodation categories.
Together, the adjustments mean guests may notice slightly higher charges both for everyday onboard purchases and for the daily gratuity applied to their onboard account.
Service Charge On Drinks And Dining Now 20%
The updated service charge applies to a range of optional purchases including drinks, dining room orders, specialty restaurants, private group functions and other onboard products or services not included in the cruise fare.
According to the Princess Cruises website, the 20% fee is “automatically added to optional purchases of drinks, dining room and specialty dining, private group functions, and other elected products, services or amenities provided to guests that are not included in the cruise fare.”
The charge is limited to food and beverage related purchases and does not apply to retail items bought in onboard shops. It also remains unclear whether bottles of alcohol purchased onboard for collection at the end of a voyage are subject to the fee.
Passengers sailing recently have received onboard letters advising them of the change. The increase is being rolled out as ships complete their current voyages and begin new sailings, meaning the higher fee is not being applied mid-cruise for guests already at sea.
Travellers who have prepaid packages that include service charges will not be required to pay the difference following the increase.
“No additional amount will be added to your onboard account for the Crew Appreciation or for those Service Charges covered by such package,” the cruise line notes on its website.
Crew Appreciation Gratuities Also Increased
Alongside the service charge adjustment, Princess Cruises has also raised its daily crew appreciation gratuities for all stateroom categories.
From 8th March 2026, passengers staying in suites will now pay $20 per person, per day, up from the previous $19 rate.
Guests in Mini Suites, Cabanas and Club Class staterooms will now be charged $19 per person, per day, an increase from $18.
For all other stateroom categories, the daily gratuity has risen to $18 per person, per day, compared with the previous $17 charge.
Unlike the automatic service charge applied to purchases, crew appreciation gratuities can still be adjusted at a guest’s discretion through guest services onboard.
The fee increases come at the same time Princess Cruises has also raised the shipping cost for its Medallion wearable devices by $10 per address.
Part Of A Wider Trend Across Cruise Lines
Princess Cruises is not the only cruise line increasing onboard service fees. Its sister brand Carnival Cruise Line raised its own service charge from 18% to 20% in December 2025.
Both cruise lines are owned by Carnival Corporation & plc, which also operates several other brands in the global cruise market. Currently, Holland America Line continues to apply an 18% service charge on onboard purchases, while Cunard maintains a lower rate of 15%, though these figures can change at any time.
Elsewhere in the industry, cruise lines have introduced a variety of new or increased charges in recent months.
Norwegian Cruise Line has added a $45 per person fee for an exclusive show aboard the upcoming Norwegian Luna. Royal Caribbean has also begun charging $5 for a Coca-Cola Freestyle cup for guests with certain drink packages, although the cup remains included with the standard soda package.
While the percentage increase may appear small, the additional cost can quickly build across multiple drinks, meals and onboard purchases during a cruise holiday. Combined with gratuities and other optional extras, some travellers say the growing list of fees is making cruise costs less predictable.
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