One of the easiest things about cruising with Princess Cruises is that you generally do not need to carry cash or a credit card around the ship every time you want a drink. Princess operates a cashless onboard purchasing system, with purchases linked to your onboard account and typically authorized through your Medallion.
Whether you want a coffee in the morning, a soft drink by the pool, a cocktail at a bar, or bottled water with dinner, the payment process is designed to be simple. Your purchases are added to your onboard account, and the payment method you have registered is used to settle the account.
There are also beverage packages, including the Plus Beverage Package and Premier Beverage Package, that can cover eligible drinks instead of charging each qualifying beverage separately. The exact package rules depend on the package and sailing.
Here is how the system works and what you should know before ordering drinks.
Princess Cruises uses an onboard account for purchases. Before or during your cruise, you can associate a payment method with that account. Once your account is active, you can use your Medallion to make eligible purchases without physically handing over your credit card.
Your Princess Medallion is more than a room key. On MedallionClass ships, it can also be used for contactless purchases.
When you order a drink, a crew member can verify your identity and charge the purchase to your onboard account. This means you normally do not have to carry your wallet with you around the ship.
For example, if you order a cocktail at the pool bar, the drink is connected to your onboard account through the Medallion. The purchase is then included in your final onboard spending.
Yes. Princess allows guests to register a credit card for onboard spending. Princess also supports major cards, although the exact accepted cards and fees can vary according to the itinerary and currency.
Princess recommends providing your card information before the cruise through the appropriate online booking or OceanReady process. Doing this can make the final settlement easier because you may qualify for Express Check-Out.
When a credit or debit card is used for onboard spending, Princess may place authorization holds against the card. These are not necessarily additional final charges. Princess states that some banks may keep these authorization amounts on the account for up to 30 days.
This is particularly important when using a debit card because temporary authorization holds can reduce the funds available in your bank account.
Yes, debit cards can be used for onboard account spending. Princess notes that debit cards can function similarly to credit cards for this purpose, using available funds in the associated bank account.
Because authorization holds may temporarily affect your available balance, travelers using debit cards should make sure they have enough extra funds available during the cruise.
For longer cruises, this is especially worth considering because authorization timing can affect available credit or funds.
Princess generally operates the ship using a cashless system for onboard purchases. However, guests who do not use a credit or debit card can establish an onboard account using cash or, where accepted, traveler’s checks by making a deposit with Guest Services.
The exact deposit requirements can vary depending on the ship, itinerary, and onboard currency, so guests planning to use cash should confirm the current requirements for their sailing.
Even when using a cash-funded onboard account, the actual drink purchase is still recorded against the onboard account rather than requiring cash to be handed to the bartender for every order.
Instead of paying separately for every drink, you can purchase a beverage package that includes qualifying drinks.
For cruises departing from January 14, 2026, Princess states that the Plus Beverage Package covers eligible beer, spirits, wine by the glass, alcoholic and zero-alcohol cocktails priced up to $15 USD or $22 AUD per drink. It also covers various nonalcoholic beverages such as fountain sodas, specialty coffees and teas, selected bottled water, Frappés at Coffee & Cones, and Red Bull energy drinks.
The Premier Beverage Package covers eligible beverages priced up to $20 USD or $30 AUD each, including beer, spirits, wine by the glass, cocktails and zero-alcohol cocktails. It also includes specified nonalcoholic beverages.
The package is connected to your onboard account, so you generally do not need to pay separately for every qualifying drink.
A beverage package does not necessarily mean every drink on the menu is completely covered.
Princess states that with Princess Plus, qualifying beverages costing above the package's $15 USD limit can result in the difference being charged to your stateroom account. The same principle applies to the Premier package for beverages above its $20 USD limit.
For example, on a U.S.-dollar sailing, if an eligible Plus beverage costs more than $15, the additional amount may be charged to the onboard account.
This is one reason it is useful to check the drink price before ordering.
For drinks purchased outside a qualifying beverage package, Princess states that a 20% nonrefundable service charge is automatically added to optional beverage purchases.
For qualifying drinks covered by the Plus or Premier Beverage Package, the bar service charge is included in the package according to Princess' current terms.
Therefore, the amount you ultimately pay can depend on whether you are purchasing a drink individually or using a beverage package.
Onboard Credit, sometimes called onboard spending money, can be used toward beverages.
Princess states that onboard credit can be applied to onboard purchases such as beverages and beverage packages. Eligible purchases are added to your stateroom folio, and available onboard credit is applied before your registered credit card is charged at the end of the cruise.
This can be useful if your booking includes promotional onboard credit or you received credit through another qualifying offer.
On MedallionClass ships, Princess' OceanNow service allows guests to order selected food and drinks through the Princess Cruises App and have them delivered to eligible locations around the ship. Princess notes that additional charges can apply for OceanNow delivery, depending on the booking and package benefits.
The payment itself remains connected to your onboard account. You do not generally need to provide a separate card to the crew member delivering the order.
It depends on what you purchase and whether you have a beverage package.
The current Plus and Premier packages include qualifying bottled water in specified sizes. Both packages also provide a 25% discount on certain excluded products, including one-liter bottles of water.
Guests without a beverage package can purchase bottled water separately, with the applicable onboard pricing and service charges.
Princess has restrictions on bringing beverages onboard.
According to Princess' current passage contract, guests cannot generally bring bottled water, soda, or other bottled nonalcoholic beverages onboard. A small quantity of certain nonalcoholic beverages in cans or cartons may be brought on embarkation day in hand luggage, subject to Princess' stated limits.
For alcohol, guests of legal drinking age may generally bring one bottle of wine or champagne of up to 750 mL per guest per voyage. A corkage fee applies if the bottle is consumed in public areas, and additional bottles are subject to Princess' stated rules and fees.
Because beverage policies can change, check the rules attached to your specific sailing before packing drinks.
Princess generally uses U.S. dollars for onboard transactions, although certain Australian-based itineraries use Australian dollars instead.
This matters when estimating the cost of individual beverages, package limits, and your final onboard bill.
For guests sailing on an Australian-dollar itinerary, Princess currently states that a credit-card surcharge may apply to onboard account settlement, while debit cards do not incur that particular surcharge.
Individual drink purchases are accumulated on your onboard account throughout the voyage.
If you have a registered credit card, Princess can settle the account automatically through Express Check-Out. Princess says an itemized statement is emailed after the cruise.
Guests who use cash deposits follow the onboard account settlement procedure provided by Guest Services.
It is a good idea to review your spending during the cruise so that unexpected charges can be identified before the voyage ends.
If you are paying individually, look at the listed price before ordering. A 20% service charge may apply to qualifying purchases that are not covered by a package.
Do not assume that every beverage is included simply because you have Princess Plus or Princess Premier. Check the package price ceiling, exclusions, and any applicable limits.
For 2026 sailings, Plus generally covers qualifying beverages up to $15 USD, while Premier generally covers qualifying beverages up to $20 USD.
Credit and debit card authorizations can temporarily affect the available balance on your card or bank account. Princess notes that some banks may retain these holds for up to 30 days.
If your booking includes onboard credit, remember that it can be used toward eligible beverage purchases and other onboard expenses before your card is charged for the remaining balance.
No. Princess uses a cashless onboard system, so drinks can generally be charged to your onboard account using your Medallion. A registered credit or debit card can be used to settle the account.
Yes. On MedallionClass ships, your Medallion can be used for contactless onboard purchases, including drinks.
Yes. A beverage package is optional. Individual beverage purchases can be charged to your onboard account, with applicable charges and service fees.
Yes. For eligible 2026 sailings, Princess Plus includes the Plus Beverage Package, covering qualifying beverages up to $15 USD or $22 AUD per drink, subject to the package's terms and limits.
Yes. For eligible 2026 sailings, Princess Premier includes qualifying beer, spirits, wine by the glass and cocktails up to $20 USD or $30 AUD per beverage, along with specified nonalcoholic drinks.
Princess states that the bar service charge is included for qualifying beverages covered by the Plus and Premier Beverage Packages. Individual optional beverage purchases outside a qualifying package are subject to the applicable service charge.
Yes. Princess lists beverages among the purchases for which onboard credit may be used. The credit is applied to eligible charges before the registered payment card is charged for the remaining balance.
Princess allows guests without a credit or debit card to establish an onboard account using cash or traveler’s checks, subject to its applicable deposit requirements and procedures.
Paying for drinks on a Princess Cruise is generally straightforward because purchases are handled through your onboard account rather than by cash payment at the bar. With a registered payment method, you can use your Medallion for contactless purchases and have individual drink charges added to your account.
For travelers who expect to order several beverages during the voyage, Princess' beverage packages provide another payment option. The current 2026 Plus and Premier packages have different beverage price limits and inclusions, so checking the package terms before sailing can help you understand what is covered and what may generate an additional charge.
The most practical approach is to set up your onboard payment method before departure, understand your beverage package if you have one, and review the prices and applicable charges before ordering.
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