Princess Cruises has quietly bumped up the service charge on onboard extras from 18% to 20%, which means passengers will now pay a little more for things like drinks, specialty dining, private group functions, and other optional purchases not included in the cruise fare.
And no, this is not the daily gratuity charge. That remains unchanged at a daily rate between $18 and $20 depending on stateroom category. This is a separate automatic service charge added to certain onboard purchases, which is exactly the kind of thing that tends to fly under the radar until people start looking a little closer at their folio.
If this sounds familiar, it should. In December 2025, Carnival Cruise Line raised its own service charge from 18% to 20%, so this is starting to look like another Carnival Corporation-wide push to quietly raise service charges without making a big announcement about it.
On paper, 2% does not sound like much. In reality, it adds up fast. A few drinks here, a specialty dinner there, maybe a couple extra-fee purchases during the week, and suddenly your onboard bill is a little fatter than it used to be.
So while this is not some massive earth-shattering increase, it is still one more reminder that the cost of cruising keeps creeping up, even when the base fare looks the same.
And while we’re speaking about gratuity, check out our Daily Gratuity Calculator to see the current rates cruise lines charge and calculate what your charges will be based on stateroom class.
