Princess Cruises cruise policies
Princess Cruises Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Crew Appreciation, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, the daily crew appreciation, how many formal nights to pack for and who can sail. Figures are Princess's own, for bookings made in the United States and Canada.
Deposit
The deposit is per guest (first and second guest in the stateroom) and depends on the length of the cruise and whether you book a suite. Since October 15, 2025 the standard Princess deposit is nonrefundable; a refundable deposit can be added for a fee when you book.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| 5 days or shorter | $125 per guest (suites $250) |
| 6 to 9 days | $300 per guest (suites $600) |
| 10 to 44 days | $500 per guest (suites $1,000) |
| 45 days or longer and World Cruises | 10% of the fare at booking, a further 20% 320 days before sailing |
Good to know
- These amounts apply to bookings made on or after September 2, 2026. Bookings made before that date were $100, $250 and $400 per guest ($200, $500 and $800 in suites) for the same three bands.
- The deposit is nonrefundable unless you bought the refundable-deposit upgrade at booking; cancel before final payment and Princess keeps the deposit but refunds anything else you have paid.
- Reduced-deposit promotions: the first cancellation charge never exceeds the deposit you actually paid.
- Future Cruise Deposits bought on board ($100 per person) are refundable if you do not book within a year and come with onboard credit on the next cruise.
- Your booking confirmation shows the exact deposit and the date the balance is due.
Final payment
The balance must reach Princess by the deadline below or the booking cancels automatically; Princess gives no grace period and emails reminders 14 and 7 days before the date. Book inside the window and the full fare is due at booking.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Every cruise, 1 day to World Cruise | 120 days before sailing |
Bookings made before September 2, 2026
Reservations created before September 2, 2026 keep the deadlines they were booked under.
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| 1 to 13 days | 90 days before sailing |
| 14 days or longer | 120 days before sailing |
Good to know
- The 120-day rule applies to bookings made on or after September 2, 2026 for sailings departing January 1, 2027 or later; shorter cruises used to be due at 90 days.
- Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages are paid with the cruise fare and follow the same deadline.
- You can pay instalments toward the balance in Manage Booking any time before the due date, or ask SmartCruiser to set them up.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the total charges (cruise fare, Princess Plus or Premier, cruisetour or Cruise Plus package and any pre-purchased gifts or services) and depend on when Princess receives the cancellation. Government taxes and fees are refunded in full.
Bookings made on or after September 2, 2026
Sailings departing January 1, 2027 or later. Name changes and sail-date changes count as a cancellation.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 44 days | 120 days or more | Deposit only (refunded if you bought the refundable-deposit upgrade) |
| 1 to 44 days | 113 to 119 days | 25% |
| 1 to 44 days | 91 to 112 days | 50% |
| 1 to 44 days | 61 to 90 days | 75% |
| 1 to 44 days | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
| 45 days or longer and World Cruises | 320 days or more | Deposit only (refunded with the refundable-deposit upgrade) |
| 45 days or longer and World Cruises | 113 to 319 days | 30% |
| 45 days or longer and World Cruises | 61 to 112 days | 50% |
| 45 days or longer and World Cruises | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Bookings made before September 2, 2026
World Cruise and Circle Pacific segments follow the band for their length.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 13 days | 90 days or more | Deposit only (refunded with the refundable-deposit upgrade) |
| 1 to 13 days | 75 to 89 days | 25% |
| 1 to 13 days | 61 to 74 days | 50% |
| 1 to 13 days | 31 to 60 days | 75% |
| 1 to 13 days | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
| 14 to 24 days | 120 days or more | Deposit only (refunded with the refundable-deposit upgrade) |
| 14 to 24 days | 113 to 119 days | 25% |
| 14 to 24 days | 91 to 112 days | 50% |
| 14 to 24 days | 61 to 90 days | 75% |
| 14 to 24 days | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
| 25 to 44 days | 120 days or more | Deposit only (refunded with the refundable-deposit upgrade) |
| 25 to 44 days | 113 to 119 days | 25% |
| 25 to 44 days | 61 to 112 days | 50% |
| 25 to 44 days | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
| 45 days or longer | 320 days or more | Deposit only (refunded with the refundable-deposit upgrade) |
| 45 days or longer | 120 to 319 days | 15% (waived with the refundable-deposit upgrade) |
| 45 days or longer | 113 to 119 days | 30% |
| 45 days or longer | 61 to 112 days | 50% |
| 45 days or longer | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Good to know
- A cancellation counts from the day Princess receives it, and the charge applies even if Princess resells the stateroom.
- Refunds go back to the original credit card, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- No refund once the cruise has started, for an early disembarkation or for a no-show.
- Pre-paid shore excursions and onboard purchases are refunded in full when you cancel the cruise; flights, hotels and Princess Vacation Protection follow their own terms.
- Princess Vacation Protection, bought with the booking, can waive the charges for covered reasons and its Platinum level refunds them as a future cruise credit for any reason.
Gratuities
Princess calls its daily gratuity Crew Appreciation. It is added to each guest's folio, pooled and shared with crew across the fleet. Prepay it in Manage Booking to lock the rate and keep it off your onboard bill; Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages include it.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Interior, Oceanview and Balcony staterooms | $18 per guest, per day |
| Mini-Suites, Cabanas and Reserve Collection | $19 per guest, per day |
| Suites | $20 per guest, per day |
Good to know
- A nonrefundable 20% service charge is added to drinks, dining, spa and other optional purchases on board.
- You can adjust Crew Appreciation at Guest Services any time before you settle your onboard account; it is final once you disembark.
- Ask SmartCruiser to prepay it when you book and the amount appears on your invoice, not on your folio.
Dress code
Days are casual almost everywhere on board. Evenings in the main dining rooms are smart casual, and the number of formal nights, which Princess calls Dress to Impress, depends on the length of the cruise.
Daytime
Shorts, T-shirts, sundresses and swimwear with a cover-up are welcome throughout most of the ship.
Smart casual (most evenings)
Slacks or jeans in good repair with a collared shirt or sweater, skirts, dresses or pantsuits. The standard for the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants.
Formal, Dress to Impress
Evening gown, cocktail dress or elegant pantsuit; tuxedo, dark suit, or dinner jacket with slacks. The buffet and casual venues stay relaxed on formal nights if you would rather skip it.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 days | 0 |
| 5 to 6 days | 1 |
| 7 to 13 days | 2 |
| 14 to 20 days | 3 |
| 21 to 28 days | 4 |
| 29 days or longer | 5 or more |
House rules
- Pool or beach attire, gym shorts, ball caps and frayed or ripped jeans are not welcome in the dining rooms.
- Shoes must be worn in all dining venues.
- The schedule above is Princess's published example; the Princess Patter daily program confirms each formal night on board.
Age rules
Princess counts age on the first day of the cruise. The rules below are for Princess's U.S.-based ships; a few itineraries change the drinking and gambling ages.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| All sailings: minimum age to book and travel without a guest of 21 or older in the stateroom | 21 |
| Family groups travelling with a parent or legal guardian in the party: minimum age per stateroom | 16 |
| Japan sailings: minimum age to book | 20 |
Stateroom assignment
A guest under 21 must share a stateroom with a guest of 21 or older who takes responsibility for them during the cruise. Families booking more than one stateroom can put guests of 16 or older in their own room as long as a parent or legal guardian is sailing with them. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult when they leave the ship in port and must be back in their stateroom by 1:00 a.m. unless with a parent.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Alaska, Canada and New England, Caribbean, Europe, Mexico and Panama Canal cruises | 6 months on the first day of the cruise |
| All other cruises, including ocean crossings and remote itineraries with more than two consecutive sea days | 12 months |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Sailings from U.S. and most other ports | 21 |
| Cruises between Australia and New Zealand, China, Europe, Singapore and South America ports | 18 |
| Cruises between Japan ports | 20 |
Good to know
- Casino, bingo and other gambling: 18 and older (20 on Japan sailings). Guests under 18 may not stay in the casino or night club after 11:00 p.m.
- Pregnant guests who will reach the 24th week of pregnancy by the last day of the cruise cannot sail.
- Kids and teen clubs take ages 3 to 17 (Treehouse 3 to 7, The Lodge 8 to 12, The Beach House 13 to 17); Sun Princess and Star Princess add Firefly Park for ages 6 months to 7 years.
- The Sanctuary is adults only, 18 and older; the spa is 18 and older with teen treatments for 13 to 17 year olds with parental consent.
- An infant who does not meet the age rule is denied boarding with no refund, so check the first sailing day against the birthday before you book.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident; Princess gives no grace period.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Princess price drops and promotions and reprice the booking when the line allows it.
- We handle cancellations, date changes and stateroom moves with Princess directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Prepaid Crew Appreciation, Princess Plus or Premier and Princess Vacation Protection go on your invoice if you want them, and your Captain's Circle number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Princess's own offers on every sailing. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 12, 2026 against Princess Cruises's own pages: Cancellation and refund policy, Crew Appreciation and service charge policy, Onboard experience FAQ (dress code), Age requirements, Pre-cruise FAQ, September 2, 2026 deposit and final payment changes (Cruise Hive). These deposit, payment and cancellation terms are the ones Princess applies to bookings made in the United States and Canada. Princess changed them for bookings made on or after September 2, 2026 (sailings from January 1, 2027); the earlier schedule is shown for bookings made before that date. The United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand have their own booking conditions. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Princess Cruises policy FAQ
How much is the deposit on a Princess cruise?
Is the Princess deposit refundable?
When is final payment due?
What does it cost to cancel?
How much is Crew Appreciation?
How many formal nights does Princess have?
Can my 20-year-old sail alone?
What is the drinking age on a Princess ship?
Ask a Princess Cruises specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.