Cancelling a cruise can be expensive when the departure date is getting closer. Princess Cruises does not charge one fixed cancellation fee for every reservation. The amount you may lose depends mainly on when you cancel, the length of your cruise, your deposit terms, and the specific booking conditions that apply to your reservation.
For current bookings covered by Princess Cruises’ updated policy, cruises of up to 44 days generally move from a deposit-only penalty to 25%, 50%, 75%, and finally 100% of applicable charges as the sailing date approaches. Cruises of 45 days or longer use a different schedule.
This guide explains how the Princess Cruises cancellation fee works, what may be refunded, how non-refundable deposits affect your booking, and what you should check before cancelling.
No. Princess Cruises uses a tiered cancellation schedule, rather than one standard fee.
The percentage generally becomes higher as your departure date gets closer. The applicable amount also depends on the cruise length.
For bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, Princess lists one schedule for cruises of up to 44 days and another for cruises of 45 days or longer.
Your booking confirmation and applicable passage contract should always be checked before cancelling because they identify the specific terms attached to your reservation.
For bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, Princess Cruises states that final payment for cruises up to 44 days is due 120 days before departure. The cancellation schedule is:
Time before departureCancellation fee
120 days or moreDeposit
113 to 119 days25% of applicable charges
91 to 112 days50%
61 to 90 days75%
60 days or less100%
The applicable charges can include the cruise price, cruisetour or Cruise Plus package, Princess Plus or Princess Premier where applicable, and certain prepaid gifts or special services. Government taxes and fees are treated separately and are not subject to the cancellation fee under the standard policy.
Imagine your cruise is seven days long and your applicable cruise charges total $2,000.
If the current schedule applies:
These are examples of how the percentage schedule works, not a calculation of your exact refund. Your actual deposit, taxes, fees, promotional fare and other booking terms can change the final amount.
Longer voyages have a separate cancellation schedule.
For bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, Princess says the final payment is due 120 days before departure. For cruises of 45 days or longer, the schedule includes:
Time before departureCancellation fee
321 days or moreDeposit
121 to 320 daysDeposit
113 to 120 days30% of applicable charges
61 to 112 days50%
60 days or less100%
Princess also states that for cruises of 45 days or more, an initial 10% deposit is due at booking, with another 20% deposit due 320 days before departure, creating a 30% deposit at that point.
Because long cruises can involve substantial deposits and penalties, checking the cancellation schedule before making a payment is particularly important.
The deposit is one of the most important parts of the Princess Cruises cancellation policy.
Under the standard schedule, cancelling sufficiently far in advance can result in a cancellation fee equal to the deposit rather than a percentage of the entire booking. However, Princess specifically warns that some bookings use non-refundable deposits or special promotions where the deposit is non-refundable from the time of payment.
With a promotion that is designated as 100% non-refundable, Princess states that the deposit may not be eligible for a refund, payment, compensation, or future cruise credit when the passenger cancels.
This is why the word “refundable” on a fare or deposit offer matters.
A refundable deposit provides different cancellation flexibility from a non-refundable deposit.
Before making your reservation, look carefully at:
A low promotional deposit does not automatically mean the entire booking is refundable.
Under Princess Cruises’ standard policy, Government Taxes and Fees are not subject to the cancellation fee. This means they are treated differently from cruise charges when a booking is cancelled.
However, your total booking can contain several different components, including the cruise fare, packages, prepaid services, flights, and taxes. Each component can have its own terms.
For that reason, do not calculate your expected refund simply by multiplying the total amount paid by the advertised cancellation percentage.
Princess states that the applicable cancellation calculations can include Princess Plus and Princess Premier, where those packages are part of the booking.
This is useful to understand because passengers sometimes assume that cancelling the cruise only affects the basic cruise fare.
The cancellation calculation can instead apply to the applicable total charges for the booking.
Yes, a reservation can still be cancelled, but a non-refundable fare or deposit can significantly reduce the amount you receive back.
Princess specifically states that specially priced promotions designated as 100% non-refundable may not provide a refund, compensation, or cruise credit for the non-refundable cruise charges when the guest cancels.
Therefore, before booking a discounted Princess cruise, compare the advertised fare with its cancellation restrictions. A lower upfront price can come with stricter cancellation conditions.
Princess offers a separate Cancellation Protection option in eligible markets.
According to Princess, Cancellation Protection is designed to waive cancellation fees when the passenger cancels for any reason, provided Princess receives the cancellation notice within the specified deadline. The current Princess page states that notice must generally be received at least 72 hours before midnight on the scheduled departure date, subject to the terms of the plan.
The current listed cost is based on the total fare:
Cancellation Protection is not the same as travel insurance. Princess describes it as a cancellation-fee waiver and says it applies to cancellation fees rather than trip-interruption coverage. Availability also varies by residence and market.
Princess also offers broader protection options. Its current information says cancellation-related refunds for covered reasons may be governed by the applicable Princess Vacation Protection plan rather than only the standard cancellation table.
The important point is that protection plans have their own:
Therefore, buying a protection plan does not mean every cancellation automatically receives a full cash refund.
Read the plan documents that apply to your booking before relying on the protection.
The exact cancellation process depends on how the cruise was booked and which market's terms apply.
Princess says passengers who book directly should use Princess' available reservation/contact channels, while passengers who booked through a travel advisor may need to contact that advisor.
When cancelling, have your booking information available and ask for confirmation of:
Keeping written confirmation can be useful if there is later a question about the cancellation date or refund.
In some situations, yes.
Princess' standard cancellation information states that name changes and departure-date changes can be considered reservation cancellations and may be subject to cancellation fees.
This is important when a passenger is thinking about changing the cruise instead of cancelling it.
A simple date change should therefore not automatically be assumed to be free. The applicable fare rules and booking conditions should be checked first.
Passenger cancellation and cruise-line cancellation are different situations.
When Princess cancels a cruise, different refund provisions can apply. Princess states that if it cancels a cruise, or delays it for more than three calendar days and the guest does not accept the alternative or choose to travel on the delayed cruise, the guest may be entitled to a refund under the applicable nonperformance policy.
That should not be confused with the cancellation fees that apply when the passenger voluntarily cancels the reservation.
Failing to cancel and simply not showing up can have serious financial consequences.
Under Princess' cancellation terms, the highest cancellation penalty can reach 100% of applicable charges, depending on the booking and how close the cancellation is to departure.
For that reason, contact Princess or your travel advisor as soon as you know you cannot travel rather than assuming you can decide on the departure date.
The most important factor is timing.
As the sailing date approaches, the standard penalty generally increases. A passenger who knows early that they cannot travel should review the booking immediately instead of waiting until the final payment or departure period.
When booking a new cruise, compare the cancellation terms before focusing only on the advertised fare.
It is also worth checking whether your reservation has a refundable deposit or a non-refundable promotional deposit and whether eligible cancellation protection is available in your market.
Online cancellation tables provide useful general information, but your booking confirmation is the document you should check for your particular reservation.
Princess' UK cancellation information, for example, explicitly tells booked guests to review the booking confirmation because it contains the cancellation schedule and final-payment terms that apply to the booking.
Cancellation rules can also differ based on:
That is why copying a cancellation percentage from another passenger's reservation can produce the wrong result.
There is no single fee. For current bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, cruises up to 44 days generally have penalties ranging from the deposit to 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, depending on how far before departure the cancellation is made. Cruises of 45 days or more have a separate schedule.
It depends on the deposit and fare conditions. A refundable deposit can have different treatment from a non-refundable deposit. Some special promotions are explicitly 100% non-refundable from the time of payment.
For bookings covered by the current schedule for cruises up to 44 days, cancellation 60 days or less before departure can result in a 100% cancellation fee on applicable charges.
Princess' standard policy states that Government Taxes and Fees are not subject to the cancellation fee.
Yes. Princess offers Cancellation Protection in eligible markets. Its current terms provide a cancellation-fee waiver when the applicable requirements and notice deadline are met.
No. Princess describes Cancellation Protection as a non-insurance cancellation-fee waiver. Broader protection products may include additional benefits subject to their own terms.
Possibly, but a departure-date change can be treated as a reservation cancellation and may result in cancellation fees under the applicable terms.
Yes. Princess uses different cancellation schedules for cruises up to 44 days and cruises of 45 days or longer under its current terms for bookings made on or after September 2, 2026.
Start with your booking confirmation and the applicable passage contract or cancellation policy. Princess specifically advises booked guests to review their confirmation for the cancellation schedule and final-payment terms that apply to them.
The Princess Cruises cancellation fee is not a flat amount. It depends primarily on the timing of your cancellation, the length of your sailing, and the fare and deposit rules attached to your reservation.
For current bookings under Princess' updated terms, cruises of up to 44 days can move from a deposit penalty to 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% as departure approaches. Cruises of 45 days or longer use a separate schedule. Non-refundable promotions can create stricter conditions, while eligible cancellation protection can change how cancellation fees are handled.
Before cancelling, check your confirmation, identify whether your deposit is refundable, and confirm the exact penalty with Princess or your travel advisor. That is the safest way to determine the refund you can actually expect.
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