Written by Olivia Powling, Digital Communications & PR Manager, ROL Cruise
A couple of months ago, I was lucky enough to spend seven nights on board Enchanted Princess sailing the Mediterranean and Adriatic on my own holiday.
Before I travelled, I upgraded to Princess Premier. At first, I wasn’t sure whether the extra cost over Princess Plus would be worth it, but by the end of the cruise, I felt I’d made the right decision. If you’re currently weighing up Princess Plus versus Princess Premier, here’s why I’d recommend making the upgrade based on my own experience.
Unlimited speciality dining is a game changer
One of my favourite Princess Premier perks was the unlimited casual and speciality dining. We ended up dining in speciality restaurants five nights out of seven, which is something we probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. We visited Sabatini’s twice, Rudi’s twice and Crown Grill once on our last night.
Looking back, I wish we’d tried Crown Grill sooner because it turned out to be our favourite restaurant of the whole cruise. If we’d visited earlier in the week, we probably would have gone back for a second meal.
One thing I’d definitely recommend is booking your speciality dining reservations as early as possible. We left ours until the weeks leading up to departure and found that some of the most popular times had already gone. The good news is that booking and managing reservations was really straightforward. We made all of our speciality dining bookings through the Princess app and could easily make changes whenever we needed to.
You can enjoy premium drinks without the second-guessing
Another Princess Premier perk we got plenty of value from was the upgraded drinks package.
It included a wide range of premium drinks, from beer, spirits and wine by the glass to cocktails and alcohol-free options. What I enjoyed most wasn’t necessarily access to more expensive drinks, but the freedom to order whatever I felt like without first checking whether it was included.
If you’ve ever found yourself standing at a bar working your way through the menu and trying to work out what’s covered by your package, you’ll know what I mean. With Princess Premier, I could order the drink I wanted without a second thought, which made the whole experience feel much more relaxed.
It’s a small thing, but over the course of our cruise it made a noticeable difference and was one of those benefits that we ended up using every day.
You’ll have access to super-fast Wi-Fi for staying connected
Another useful Princess Premier benefit was the MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi package, which allows each guest to connect up to four devices at the same time.
In reality, I didn’t come close to using all four connections. I mainly used Wi-Fi on my phone and Kindle, which was more than enough for what I needed during the cruise. That said, it’s good to know the extra device allowance is there, especially if you’re travelling with a tablet, laptop or other devices.
While I didn’t make full use of the four-device limit, having Wi-Fi included meant I could stay connected without having to buy a separate package. Whether I was checking messages, browsing online or downloading a new book to read by the pool, it was one less thing to worry about during our cruise.
Shore excursion credit helped offset costs
Another benefit we made use of was the shore excursion credit included with Princess Premier.
On our sailing, we received $100 shore excursion credit per person. We decided to put that towards an excursion to Pompeii from Naples and only needed to pay an extra $50 each on top.
What surprised me most was just how many excursions were available for around the value of the credit. Before looking, I’d assumed there would only be a limited choice at that price point, but there were far more options than I expected.
Even if the credit doesn’t cover the full cost of your chosen excursion, it can make a noticeable difference, especially if there’s a tour or experience you’ve already got your eye on.
Crew appreciation is included
Princess Premier also includes daily crew appreciation, which is one of those perks that’s easy to overlook when you’re comparing package benefits.
The crew work incredibly hard throughout the cruise, so it was nice knowing that our gratuities were already taken care of and that we were showing our appreciation for the service we received.
What really stood out to me was just how much the crew do behind the scenes. It wasn’t unusual to see the same crew member serving breakfast in the buffet and then spot them again much later in the evening elsewhere on the ship. Seeing that first-hand gave me an even greater appreciation for the people who help make the onboard experience so enjoyable.
You’ll have unlimited digital photos
You’ll often spot photographers around the ship, whether it’s on formal nights, around the atrium or at various photo locations throughout the cruise. They’re always happy to take your photo, and I found they were great at helping people feel comfortable in front of the camera.
As someone who is usually much happier behind the camera than in front of it, I wasn’t sure how many photos we’d actually take. However, the photographers were friendly, put us at ease and even suggested different poses, which made the whole experience feel much more natural.
All of the photos were available to view in the app the following day, making it easy to look back through them and download our favourites. By the end of the cruise, it was nice to have a collection of professional photos that we probably wouldn’t have taken otherwise.
OceanNow and room service delivery give you access to food and drink
Princess Premier also includes complimentary OceanNow and room service delivery.
We didn’t make huge use of OceanNow during our cruise, mainly because we were quite happy heading to the nearest bar ourselves. The few times we did use it, it was usually to order bottled water, and it was convenient being able to request it through the Princess app without having to leave our spot.
Even though we didn’t use it often, I can definitely see the appeal. Whether you’re settled by the pool, enjoying a quiet spot on deck, or just don’t want to interrupt what you’re doing, having food and drinks delivered straight to you is a useful option to have.
We got more use out of the complimentary room service. It was particularly handy on slower mornings when we fancied a coffee but weren’t quite ready to get up and start the day. Being able to order from the comfort of our cabin made those relaxed sea days feel even more leisurely.
You can reserve seats for theatre shows
Princess Premier also includes access to a dedicated reserved seating area for the main production shows in the theatre.
While it’s a nice perk to have, it’s worth noting that reserved seating only applies to the ship’s in-house production shows featuring the singers and dancers. It doesn’t extend to guest entertainers such as comedians, magicians or other visiting acts.
If you’re planning to watch the production shows, having reserved seating can take some of the pressure off finding a good seat, particularly on busier sailings.
What is the difference between Princess Plus and Princess Premier?
When I booked my cruise, Princess Plus was £50 per person, per day, while Princess Premier was £75 per person, per day.
Princess Plus includes many essentials, such as drinks, Wi-Fi, and casual dining, making it a popular choice for many cruisers. However, after looking at what was included in Princess Premier, I felt the extra £25 per day was worth it for the way we like to cruise.
The biggest difference for us was the addition of unlimited speciality dining, premium drinks and a range of extra perks, including shore excursion credit, unlimited digital photos, complimentary room service and reserved seating for production shows.
Looking back at how much we used the package throughout the week, particularly the speciality dining and premium drinks, I’d choose Princess Premier again without hesitation. While it won’t be the right choice for everyone, I felt we got good value from the upgrade and used many of the benefits that aren’t included with Princess Plus.
