Princess Cruises has been accused of “nickel and diming” passengers after raising its onboard gratuities and service charges.
The service charge on onboard extras — including drinks and specialty dining — has recently risen from 18 to 20 percent across the cruise line’s 17-ship fleet, and the daily “crew appreciation” gratuity has also increased across all stateroom categories.
The daily fee per person for suites has risen from $18 to $20, from $17 to $19 for mini suites, cabanas and reserve collections, and from $16 to $18 for all other staterooms.
Cruise-goers took to an online forum to discuss the hikes, with many disapproving.
One said of the food and beverage charge: “So long as they continue nickel and diming us, cruises will more and more become less of a value where folks who are considering it for a vacation ultimately decide, ‘Meh… maybe not.’”
Another argued that the 18 percent charge was “already a lot” and that passengers “are just dollar signs to Princess.”
The crew appreciation increase also came in for criticism, with one traveler saying that “it all adds up on longer cruises.”
On a seven-night cruise, a guest in a standard room would pay $126 in gratuities. For a couple, that would total $252.
Others were disgruntled at a perceived lack of communication about the increases.
Princess didn’t make a public announcement, but delivered explanatory letters to onboard staterooms and published a bulletin on its website.
One commenter said that “silently making increases” is “becoming a pattern with Princess,” while another said: “Interesting how Princess… leaves it to the ship’s staff to explain the sudden change to disgruntled passengers.”
However, that cruise-goer added: “If the increase is going entirely to those actually providing the services and not corporate, I’m all for it.”
.jpeg)
Others pointed out that the food and beverage increase is relatively small. For example, the hike is just 30 cents on a $15 drink.
Crew appreciation is rolled into the upfront fare for all-inclusive/bundled packages and is non-refundable.
For standard bookings, Princess Cruises pointed out on its website that while automatically added, the charge is “subject to adjustment.”
It explained: “In the unlikely event you remain dissatisfied for any reason, the Crew Appreciation is subject to adjustment, at your discretion, at any time during the cruise up to the time you settle your onboard account prior to disembarkation.
“If you do not choose to adjust this daily charge while on board, your payment becomes final and nonrefundable.”
It explained that the charges are to “recognize the efforts of a wide variety of crewmembers who contribute to the experiences of all our guests.”
The move by Princess brings it into line with Carnival, which increased its onboard service charge to 20 percent in 2025.
Princess Cruises told The Independent: “We regularly review our pricing structure to ensure we can continue delivering the high-quality service and experience our guests expect, while supporting the crew members who make that experience possible.
“These changes help us keep pace with rising operational costs while ensuring we continue recognizing the exceptional service our crew provide worldwide. We distribute 100 percent of collected gratuities directly back to our crew in support of their dedication and hard work. We remain committed to delivering outstanding value and memorable vacations for our guests.”
