If your travel plans change, understanding the Princess Cruises cancellation policy can help you determine how much you may lose, what portion of your cruise fare may be refundable, and when you need to cancel.
Princess Cruises generally applies cancellation charges based on two important factors: how long your cruise is and how far in advance you cancel. The applicable rules can also depend on when the reservation was made, the country or region where you booked, the type of fare, and whether you purchased additional travel protection.
For U.S. and Canadian bookings covered by Princess's standard cancellation policy, cancellation charges increase as the departure date approaches. For example, some shorter cruises can reach a 100% cancellation charge when canceled 30 days or less before departure.
This guide explains the main rules in simple terms and highlights the points you should check before canceling your Princess cruise.
The Princess Cruises cancellation policy determines the charges that can apply when a guest cancels a cruise, cruisetour, or qualifying Cruise Plus package.
The cancellation fee generally depends on:
Princess states that guests should review their booking confirmation because it contains the cancellation schedule and final-payment terms applicable to their reservation.
This is important because there is not one cancellation deadline that applies to every Princess Cruises reservation.
For bookings governed by the current standard policy, cancellation charges increase as the departure date gets closer.
For cruises of 1 to 13 days, Princess currently lists the following schedule:
Time Before DepartureCancellation Fee
90 days or moreDeposit
75–89 days25%
61–74 days50%
31–60 days75%
30 days or less100%
For 14-to-24-day cruises, the schedule is different:
Time Before DepartureCancellation Fee
120 days or moreDeposit
113–119 days25%
91–112 days50%
61–90 days75%
60 days or less100%
For 25-to-44-day cruises, Princess currently lists:
Time Before DepartureCancellation Fee
120 days or moreDeposit
113–119 days25%
61–112 days50%
60 days or less100%
For cruises of 45 days or longer, the standard schedule includes additional deposit and cancellation stages:
Time Before DepartureCancellation Fee
320 days or moreDeposit
120–319 days15%
113–119 days30%
61–112 days50%
60 days or less100%
These schedules are from Princess's published standard cancellation policy. Princess notes that the exact terms applicable to a booking should be confirmed in the booking confirmation and passage contract.
Princess's passage contract contains updated schedules for bookings made on or after September 2, 2026. For cruises up to 44 days, the updated terms use a 120-day final-payment deadline and specify deposit or cancellation percentages at different intervals before departure.
For example, under the updated terms for cruises up to 44 days:
For cruises of 45 days or more, the updated passage contract has a separate schedule, including deposit requirements and 30%, 50%, and 100% cancellation stages.
Because Princess has different schedules depending on the booking date and applicable contract, travelers should not rely on a generic cancellation chart without checking their own reservation.
A deposit is not automatically refundable in every situation.
Princess states that some bookings allow a refundable deposit option, while certain promotions or specially priced fares can have deposits that are non-refundable from the time of payment.
If you booked a promotion with a non-refundable deposit, canceling early does not necessarily mean that your deposit will be returned.
Your booking confirmation should identify the applicable fare conditions.
Two passengers sailing on the same ship could potentially have different cancellation terms if they booked under different fare conditions.
Before canceling, check:
Canceling before final payment does not necessarily mean you receive your entire deposit back.
For example, under the standard schedule, a deposit can be the applicable cancellation amount during the earliest cancellation period. Some specially priced promotions can also make the deposit non-refundable.
Therefore, "before final payment" and "fully refundable" are not always the same thing.
The specific cancellation terms on your reservation control.
Once you are closer to departure, cancellation charges generally become higher.
For many standard Princess itineraries, the cancellation fee progresses from the deposit to percentages of the applicable charges and eventually reaches 100% when cancellation occurs within the final cancellation period.
This is why it is useful to review your cancellation deadline as soon as you know that you may not be able to travel.
Waiting can significantly change the amount that may be refunded.
Princess explains that cancellation fees are generally calculated against applicable cruise-related charges, with certain items excluded according to the applicable contract.
Depending on the applicable terms, excluded amounts can include government taxes and fees, transfers, shore excursions, and certain other items.
This means the amount you paid and the amount used to calculate the cancellation fee may not always be identical.
Your booking documents should be used to determine the exact calculation for your reservation.
The cancellation process depends on how you originally booked the cruise.
If you booked directly with Princess Cruises, Princess's published FAQ directs guests to its Customer Support and Information resources for cancellation assistance.
If you booked through a travel advisor, Princess says you should contact that travel advisor to cancel the reservation.
When requesting a cancellation, have your booking information available so the reservation can be identified correctly.
Cancellation can be handled through the appropriate Princess booking or customer-support channel.
Princess's passage contract states that a guest may cancel by telephone or through an approved electronic reservation system, provided the required written confirmation is received.
If your reservation was made through a travel advisor, contacting the advisor is generally the appropriate route.
Travel protection can change how a covered cancellation is handled.
Princess explains that guests who purchased Princess Vacation Protection may have coverage for eligible cancellation reasons under the plan's terms, conditions, exclusions, and restrictions.
Coverage is not the same as an unrestricted refund.
A claim may depend on:
For this reason, travelers should review the actual protection-plan documents instead of assuming every cancellation qualifies.
Princess offers protection options that can affect the financial consequences of a covered cancellation.
According to Princess, certain cancellation-protection options may waive applicable cancellation fees for qualifying cancellations. Princess also describes Platinum Protection as potentially providing refunds in cash or future cruise credit depending on the reason for cancellation and the terms of the plan.
The coverage is subject to the specific plan terms, so the name of the protection product alone should not be treated as a guarantee of a refund.
The rules are different when Princess cancels the cruise rather than the passenger canceling it.
Princess's nonperformance policy states that if Princess cancels a cruise, or delays it for more than three calendar days and the guest does not accept an alternative cruise or choose to travel on the delayed cruise, the guest may be entitled to a refund of applicable cruise fare and certain related charges.
The precise remedy depends on the circumstances and applicable terms.
Passengers should follow the instructions in the cancellation or delay notice they receive from Princess.
Failing to embark is not generally treated as a situation where the passenger receives a normal full refund.
Princess's published cancellation schedules include failure to embark within the final cancellation category for certain contracts, resulting in a 100% cancellation charge.
If an unexpected problem could cause you to miss embarkation, contact Princess or your travel advisor as soon as possible rather than simply failing to appear.
Changing a sailing is not necessarily a way to avoid cancellation charges.
Princess's terms can treat certain changes, such as departure-date changes, as cancellations followed by new bookings, with the applicable cancellation fees potentially applying.
Before changing your cruise date, ask Princess or your travel advisor how the proposed change will affect:
Name changes can have their own rules and are not always treated the same way as ordinary corrections.
Princess notes that name changes require prior approval and may not always be possible. Its standard cancellation policy also states that name changes and departure-date changes can be considered reservation cancellations and may therefore be subject to cancellation fees.
If a name needs to be corrected, contact Princess or your travel advisor before making changes yourself.
Cruise cancellation and shore-excursion cancellation are not necessarily governed by the same terms.
Princess directs guests to its separate excursion terms and conditions for complete details regarding shore-excursion cancellations.
If you are canceling your entire cruise, check separately whether prepaid excursions, transfers, specialty services, or other purchases require individual cancellation requests.
Princess specifically advises booked guests to review their booking confirmation because it contains the cancellation schedule and final-payment terms applicable to their reservation.
This is especially important if:
The booking confirmation and applicable passage contract are more reliable for your specific reservation than a general online summary.
Travelers should be careful when applying U.S. cancellation information to bookings made in another country.
Princess publishes different regional terms. For example, its UK passage contract contains separate cancellation schedules based on booking date and scheduled departure date. For certain UK bookings made on or after March 10, 2026 for cruises departing on or after December 1, 2026, the standard cancellation schedule includes 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100% stages at different periods before departure.
Therefore, passengers should use the cancellation terms for the market where their reservation was made rather than automatically applying another country's policy.
If you have decided not to travel, use this checklist.
Locate your Princess confirmation email or travel documents.
Look for:
If you purchased Princess Vacation Protection or another eligible travel-insurance product, review the plan before canceling.
If you booked directly with Princess, use Princess's customer-support resources.
If a travel advisor made the reservation, contact that advisor.
After submitting the cancellation, keep written confirmation of the cancellation and any refund or credit information.
Refunds, when applicable, are generally returned through the original payment method or through the travel advisor according to the applicable terms.
There is no single refund amount for every Princess cruise.
The amount depends on the applicable cancellation schedule and the booking's terms.
For example, a cancellation made well before departure may be subject to only the deposit, while a cancellation close to departure can result in a 100% cancellation charge under many standard schedules.
Taxes and certain other charges may be treated differently from the cruise fare under the applicable terms.
The safest approach is to ask Princess or your travel advisor for the exact refund calculation for your reservation before canceling.
Princess Cruises generally bases cancellation charges on the length of the cruise and how many days remain before departure. The applicable booking date, fare conditions, region, and protection plan can also affect the outcome.
You may receive a full or partial refund depending on when you cancel and the terms of your reservation. Some fares have non-refundable deposits, while certain protection plans can provide additional benefits for covered cancellations.
You can request cancellation at different points before departure, but the applicable cancellation charge generally increases as departure approaches. Under many standard schedules, cancellations during the final period can result in a 100% charge.
Not always. Some reservations permit a refundable deposit, while certain promotions and specially priced fares can make the deposit non-refundable.
For many standard cruises of 1 to 13 days, Princess lists a 100% cancellation fee for cancellations made 30 days or less before departure. Your specific booking terms should be checked because policies can differ by itinerary and booking conditions.
If Princess cancels a cruise, separate nonperformance and refund provisions may apply. Princess states that certain passengers can be entitled to a refund when Princess cancels or delays a cruise for more than three calendar days and the passenger does not accept an alternative arrangement.
Travel protection may cover certain cancellation reasons, but coverage depends on the plan's terms, conditions, exclusions, and required documentation. Princess Vacation Protection is one option described by Princess for eligible U.S. and Canadian residents.
A sailing-date change can have cancellation and rebooking consequences. Princess states that departure-date changes may be considered reservation cancellations and can be subject to cancellation fees.
Contact the travel advisor who made the reservation. Princess specifically directs guests with travel-advisor bookings to contact their advisor for cancellation requests.
Start with your Princess booking confirmation. Princess says the confirmation contains the cancellation schedule and final-payment terms applicable to your reservation. You can also review the applicable passage contract.
The Princess Cruises cancellation policy is based primarily on your itinerary, the time remaining before departure, and the specific terms attached to your reservation. Cancellation charges can increase substantially as the sailing date approaches, and some promotional fares have non-refundable deposits.
Before canceling, check your booking confirmation, identify the applicable cancellation schedule, and review any travel protection you purchased. If you booked through a travel advisor, contact the advisor; if you booked directly with Princess, use Princess's customer-support channels.
Most importantly, do not assume that another passenger's cancellation terms will apply to your reservation. Your booking confirmation and applicable passage contract should be treated as the controlling sources for your specific cruise.
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