Cruise fee changes log: gratuities, service charges and drink packages
Dated changes to cruise gratuities, service charges and drink-package prices and rules that we found while re-reading our sources, newest first. Each entry links to the page it came from. Last updated 2026-10-20. Entries marked "not re-verified 2026-10-20" were not re-checked in the latest update.
This is not a complete history of every cruise line price change, only changes we could confirm from a source. Prices change without notice; confirm on your own booking. Current figures are on the fees by line page and in the calculator.
Carnival says drink and Wi-Fi package prices will become dynamic on Dec 1
Announced 2026-10-14, effective 2026-12-01 · Carnival Cruise Line · sources last read 2026-10-18 · not re-verified 2026-10-20
USA Today reports that Carnival said in a news release that, starting Dec 1 2026, the cost of its drink and Wi-Fi packages will vary by sailing length, itinerary and season. It also reports that Carnival's three main drink packages currently start between US$6.95 and US$69.95 per person per day, and that Carnival announced four FunPacks (US$25 to US$99 per person per day, bookable until Oct 30 for sailings departing Oct 31 2026 to Dec 31 2027), one of which includes a new CHEERS! Social package covering three alcoholic drinks a day. The CHEERS! price on our fees page is the figure on Carnival's page as read on 2026-10-18; Carnival has not published the new price ranges.
Sources: USA Today, Oct 14 2026 (updated Oct 15) Carnival CHEERS! page (official)
Princess Plus and Premier packages up US$5 per person per day
Effective 2026-10-13 · Princess Cruises · sources last read 2026-10-17 · The Independent re-read 2026-10-20; Princess pages not re-read
Princess Plus is now US$70 per person per day pre-cruise and US$75 onboard; Princess Premier is US$105 pre-cruise and US$110 onboard. On Sun Princess and Star Princess, Plus is US$75/US$80 and Premier US$110/US$115. Princess says packages bought before Oct 13 2026 are honored as purchased. Its FAQ also lists fees for guests without a package: a US$14.99 cover charge for multi-course prix fixe meals at select casual dining venues, a one-time US$14.99 per person per voyage OceanNow delivery fee, and US$5 per room service order placed by stateroom phone.
Sources: Princess Plus & Premier packages (official page and FAQ) Princess Plus & Premier terms (official) Fox News, Oct 13 2026 The Independent, Oct 12 2026
Celebrity daily gratuities up US$1.50 per guest per day
Effective 2026-07-29 · Celebrity Cruises · sources last read 2026-10-18 · not re-verified 2026-10-20
Celebrity's gratuity page now lists US$19.50 per guest per day for Inside, Oceanview and Veranda staterooms, US$20.50 for Concierge Class and AquaClass and US$24.50 for The Retreat. Cruise Hive reports the rates rose by US$1.50 per guest per day on Jul 29 2026, that the new amounts apply to reservations booked on or after Jul 29, and that guests who booked earlier can prepay at the prior rate if they pay at least 48 hours before sailing.
Sources: Celebrity FAQ: gratuity program (official) Cruise Hive: Celebrity clarifies new gratuity price hike USA Today, Jul 30 2026
NCL Free at Sea drink package charge rises on 2-5 night sailings
Effective 2026-05-01 · Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) · sources last read 2026-10-17 · not re-verified 2026-10-20
NCL's promotion terms now list Free at Sea beverage package pricing of US$32.00 per person per day for 2-5 night sailings and US$28.50 for 6+ nights. Cruise Hive reports the 2-5 night rate rose from US$28.50 on May 1 2026, with longer sailings unchanged.
Sources: NCL promotional terms and conditions (official) Cruise Hive, May 1 2026
Carnival daily gratuities up US$1
Effective 2026-04-02 · Carnival Cruise Line · sources last read 2026-10-17 · not re-verified 2026-10-20
Recommended gratuities rose from US$16 to US$17 per guest per day for standard staterooms and from US$18 to US$19 for suites, for sailings on or after Apr 2 2026. The Bottomless Bubbles soda package rose to US$11.99 per day. Guests who prepaid before Apr 2 kept the old rate (Cruise Hive).
Princess crew appreciation prepay discount ended
Effective 2026-03-08 · Princess Cruises · sources last read 2026-10-17 · not re-verified 2026-10-20
Princess's FAQ says guests who prepaid crew appreciation before Mar 8 2026 paid US$1 less per person per day. Current rates: US$18 most staterooms, US$19 Mini-Suites/Cabanas/Club Class, US$20 Suites.
Sources: Princess FAQ: onboard experience (Crew Appreciation)
Carnival add-on service charge 18% to 20%
Effective 2025-12 · Carnival Cruise Line · sources last read 2026-10-17 · not re-verified 2026-10-20
Cruise Hive reports the service charge on Carnival add-on packages (beverage packages, specialty dining and more) moved from 18% to 20% in December 2025. Carnival's CHEERS! page now lists the package price plus a 20% service charge.
Sources: Cruise Hive, Apr 3 2026 Carnival CHEERS! page (official)
Royal Caribbean ends exceptions to the Deluxe Beverage Package all-adults rule
Effective 2025-08-01 · Royal Caribbean International · sources last read 2026-10-17 · not re-verified 2026-10-20
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Royal Caribbean Blog that from Aug 1 2025 the line no longer grants exceptions to the rule that all adults in the stateroom must buy the Deluxe Beverage Package. The official FAQ states the all-adults rule.
Sources: Royal Caribbean Blog, Aug 2 2025 (third-party report) Royal Caribbean FAQ: does everyone in my stateroom need the Deluxe package (official)
Corrections to this site
- 2026-10-20: Carnival gratuity: removed a Cruise Critic link from the sources because we could never load that page to confirm it. The figure is still sourced to USA Today and Cruise Hive.
- 2026-10-20: Short quoted phrases taken from cruise-line pages (Carnival, Princess) were rewritten in our own words. The figures did not change.
- 2026-10-20: The footer on every page showed a fixed "last read" date that did not match each page. It now points to the date shown next to each figure.
- 2026-10-18: Celebrity: added the Jul 29 2026 gratuity increase date, which we could not source on Oct 17 (the first article we tried was blocked); it is now sourced from Cruise Hive and USA Today.
- 2026-10-18: Calculator: Princess Plus and Premier already include crew appreciation (the daily gratuity) and bar service charges, so entering their price could count gratuities twice. A new checkbox removes them for the adults who buy the bundle, and it is ticked automatically when you pick Princess.
- 2026-10-18: Princess: we had written that Princess requires guests 1 and 2 to buy the same package and that guests 3 and 4 are not required to. Princess's page only says the packages apply to guests 1 and 2 on the reservation, so the statement about guests 3 and 4 was removed.
- 2026-10-17: NCL: package name corrected to 'Free at Sea Unlimited Open Bar Package' (the name 'Premium Beverage Package' does not appear on NCL's current pages). Added Free at Sea package pricing and the Hawaii GET tax on the service charge.
- 2026-10-17: Princess: added the Oct 13 2026 Plus/Premier prices and non-package fees; removed a note about an older Princess policy page and a 'terms updated' date that we could not re-find on Princess's pages today.
- 2026-10-17: Royal Caribbean: added that alcohol-inclusive Deluxe packages are not sold on 2-4 night sailings departing Australia (official FAQ).