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Princess Cruises FAQ

Contributor
Shayne Rodriguez Thompson

Last updated
Jan 15, 2020

Read time
5 min read

Cruise Critic brings you some of the most frequently asked questions about Princess Cruises.

May I bring my own alcohol onboard a Princess Cruises ship?

Princess Cruises permits passengers to bring one standard size bottle of wine or Champagne, per adult onboard on embarkation day without incurring a fee. Anyone who brings more than one bottle will incur a $15 corkage fee for each additional bottle of wine or Champagne.

Passengers are not permitted to bring any other alcoholic beverages onboard. Any alcohol purchased while in a port will be held by the ship's crew and returned to the passenger on the final day of the sailing.

What about bottled water?

Passengers are permitted to bring as much bottled water (bottles must be manufacturer sealed) as they want onboard a Princess cruise, but only on embarkation day.

What is the drinking age on a Princess cruise?

Generally speaking, the drinking age on all Princess ships is 21 years old. However, for cruises between Australia/New Zealand, China, Europe and Singapore ports, the drinking age is 18 and for cruises between Japanese ports, the drinking age is 20.

What drinks are free on a Princess cruise?

Non-bottled water, non-specialty coffee and hot tea, iced tea and lemonade are all available complimentary on Princess ships.

Check out Ways to Get Free (or Cheaper) Drinks on a Cruise.

May I bring my own food on a Princess cruise?

The only food that Princess always permits onboard is pre-packaged items, such as breakfast bars or snacks. Most fresh food is subject to customs restrictions and is highly discouraged.

Are daily gratuities mandatory on a Princess cruise?

Gratuities are not mandatory on a Princess cruise but are automatically charged to cruisers' onboard accounts. Alternatively, gratuities can be prepaid online up to two days prior to the start of a cruise. Cruisers staying in inside, oceanview and balcony cabins will be charged $14.50 per person, per day. Those in mini-suites and Club Class rooms will be charged $15.50 per person, per day, and passengers in suites will be charged $16.50 per person, per day.

Passengers do have the option to adjust the amount of gratuities any time before the end of their sailing, but this is discouraged unless there has been a service issue.

Found out more about cruise tipping and crew salaries.

My cruise details say there are two formal nights during my Princess cruise. What is a formal night?

Formal night is part of Princess' dress code, which is generally resort casual for most of the cruise. However, cruisers can generally expect two nights per weeklong Princess cruise to be designated as formal, when the evening dress code in the main dining room requires fancier dress. (The buffet and public spaces throughout the rest of the ship remain casual.)

Princess Cruises typically adheres to a firm formal night dress code with female passengers encouraged to wear evening gowns and cocktail dresses and male passengers encouraged to wear tuxedos or darks suits with a tie. However, a skirt or slacks and blouse for women, and trousers and collared shirt for men are also acceptable.

Find out more about Princess' dress code.

Will I find an iron in my Princess cruise ship room or can I bring my own travel iron?

No and no. Cabins on Princess cruise ships are not equipped with irons, however irons are available for use in each ship's self-serve laundry rooms. Passengers can also pay to have individual items pressed by the ship's crew.

Cruisers may not bring their own travel irons; these are on the list of prohibited items.

I was assigned Any Time Dining for my Princess cruise. What does this mean?

Any Time Dining is one of two choices for evening dining on a Princess Cruise. The other is traditional set time dining, which requires passengers to choose either early or late dinner in the main dining room and sit at the same table with the same tablemates and waiters every night.

With Anytime Dining, passengers have the freedom to dine in the ship's main dining room anytime between 5:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Cruisers may ask for a private table or to share with others. Same-day reservations are available onboard, but not required.

If passengers do not select Anytime Dining when they book their cruise, they will automatically be assigned a set dining time for dinners in the main dining room.

My Princess cruise ship is marked as a Medallion cruise, what does that mean?

The OceanMedallion program, available only on select Princess ships, is a system,designed to improve the cruise experience through personalization, navigational help and shorter wait times.

The Medallion itself is a free, wearable casino chip-sized disc that serves as an access point to information about you (i.e. your "digital identity") so that you can personalize your onboard experience. It can be used to unlock your cabin door before you even reach out to touch it, order food and drink to be delivered almost anywhere onboard your ship, and alert crew members to information about you, including if you're celebrating something.

Learn more about what you can do with OceanMedallion.

Are there religious services onboard Princess cruises?

Princess Cruises does not employ onboard clergy, however passengers who are members of the clergy may volunteer to lead religious services during their sailing by contacting guest services. Other passengers can check with guest services during their cruise to see if there will be religious services scheduled during their sailing. Princess does host a Seder service during Passover as well as a guest-led Hanukkah service.

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Publish date January 15, 2020
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