Cruising as an adult on Princess Discovery Princess is a fundamentally different financial experience than sailing as a kid — budget $150–$250/person/day in onboard spending beyond your fare, depending on whether you add Princess Plus or Premier packages, drinks, Wi-Fi, and specialty dining.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
You remember the ship being fun. You don't remember your parents quietly absorbing a $1,200 end-of-cruise bill for drinks, gratuities, and shore excursions while you were at the kids' club. Welcome to the adult side of cruising — where you are now the one paying.
What Your First Adult Cruise on Discovery Princess Will Actually Cost
The cruise fare is just the entry ticket. Princess structures onboard costs around their Plus and Premier packages, which bundle the biggest expenses. Here's the realistic daily spend picture beyond your base fare:
Dave's take: Discovery Princess is a big ship, which means you'll have way more dining venues and activities than you could actually do in a week—but also way more people to navigate around. The real money sink isn't the ship itself; it's the drink package math. I track this across all the lines, and packages only pencil out if you're genuinely drinking 5-6 drinks daily, every single day, even port days when you're off the ship. Run your actual numbers against that before you book.
— Dave Giovacchini, Travel Mutiny
| Cost Category | Budget (à la carte, dry) | Mid-Range (Princess Plus) | Splurge (Princess Premier) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crew Appreciation (gratuities) | ~$18/day | Included in Plus | Included in Premier |
| Drinks (non-alcoholic) | $10–$20/day | Included in Plus | Included in Premier |
| Drinks (alcoholic, moderate) | $60–$90/day | Included (up to $20/drink) | Included (up to $20/drink) |
| MedallionNet Wi-Fi | $20–$30/day | 1 device included | 4 devices included |
| Specialty Dining | $0 (skip it) | 2 dinners/cruise included | Unlimited specialty dining |
| Shore Excursions | $50–$150/port | $50–$150/port | $50–$150/port |
| Princess Plus Package itself | — | ~$60/person/day | ~$80/person/day |
| Princess Premier Package itself | — | — | ~$80/person/day |
| Estimated daily spend beyond fare | $90–$130/day | $60–$80/day (packaged) | $80–$120/day (packaged) |
The honest verdict: Princess Plus at $60/person/day is the sweet spot for most adult cruisers. It covers gratuities ($18/day value), a drink package, and one device of Wi-Fi — the three things that silently destroy a cruise budget.
Photo: Celebrity Cruises
The Key Costs That Will Catch You Off Guard
Crew Appreciation (Gratuities)
Princess calls these "Crew Appreciation" — don't let the soft name fool you. This is a mandatory-in-practice daily charge applied to your folio. Industry standard runs $17–$20/person/day for standard cabins. If it's not bundled in a package, it stacks up fast: a 7-night cruise for two = ~$250+ just in gratuities. Every drink and spa service adds an 18% surcharge on top of the listed price.
Beverages
This is where first-timers get ambushed. Individual drink prices run:
- Beer: $7–$9 (before 18% gratuity)
- Cocktails: $11–$15 (before 18% gratuity)
- Wine by the glass: $9–$18 (before 18% gratuity)
- Specialty coffee: $5–$7 (before 18% gratuity)
Two drinks at dinner, a cocktail at sailaway, a coffee in the morning — you've spent $50+ per day before you've tried. Princess's drink package cap is $20/drink, which covers nearly everything on their menu.
MedallionNet Wi-Fi
Discovery Princess uses Princess's MedallionNet Wi-Fi system. One-device plans run roughly $20–$30/day pre-cruise (check your Cruise Personalizer for your exact sailing rate — prices are dynamic and cheaper pre-cruise than onboard). If you need to work, stream, or just not go dark for a week, budget this in.
Specialty Dining
The main dining room and buffet (World Fresh Marketplace) are included in your fare. Specialty restaurants — Crown Grill steakhouse, Sabatini's Italian, and others — charge cover fees typically ranging $30–$55/person. They're worth it once. Princess Plus includes two specialty dining meals; Premier includes unlimited.
Shore Excursions
Book through Princess for convenience and the ship-won't-leave-without-you guarantee, but independent operators are often 30–50% cheaper for the same tours. Budget $75–$150/person per port as a realistic figure.
Photo: Celebrity Cruises
Practical Tips for First-Time Adult Cruisers on Princess
1. Do the Princess Plus math before dismissing it. Add up: gratuities ($18/day) + drink package ($40–$60/day value) + Wi-Fi ($20–$25/day) = $78–$103/day in value. Plus costs ~$60/day. It's one of the few cruise upsells that actually pencils out for most travelers.
2. Complete the OceanReady® check-in process before you board. Princess's MedallionClass system lets you pre-set dining preferences, link payment methods, upload your photo, and more through the Princess app. Skipping this means longer embarkation lines and a slower first day.
3. Pre-book specialty dining before you sail. Use the Cruise Personalizer (Princess's pre-cruise booking portal) to lock in specialty restaurant reservations. The best times fill up fast, especially on sea days. If you have Plus, your two included dinners cost nothing extra — grab them.
4. Set a daily spending limit in the app. Princess's app lets you track your folio in real time. Set a mental budget per day and check it. The bar tab you don't track is the one that hits $400 by day 4.
5. Understand what's actually free. Included at no extra charge: main dining room meals, buffet, room service (small delivery fee may apply for some items), pools, most entertainment, fitness center, and the ship's basic activities. You don't need to spend a dollar on extras if you don't want to.
6. Don't book excursions through Princess in every port. In tender ports or unfamiliar destinations, Princess excursions offer peace of mind. In easy walk-off ports with a clear town center (many Caribbean stops), walking out the gate and exploring independently saves real money.
7. Formal nights are real but not rigid. Princess still does formal nights — Discovery Princess typically has 1–2 per 7-night sailing. "Smart casual" is the floor; a blazer or nice dress works. Nobody gets turned away from dinner for not wearing a tuxedo, but the MDR does enforce the dress code.
What's Different About Cruising as an Adult vs. a Kid
As a kid, the ship was the destination. As an adult, here's what changes:
- You control your own schedule. No parents herding you to dinner at 6pm. Princess's Personalised Dining (their version of anytime dining, previously called "Your Time") lets you eat when you want. Reserve a time in the app or walk up — though peak hours (7–8:30pm) fill fast.
- The casino is now accessible. Discovery Princess has a full casino. You have to be 21+ (or 18+ on sailings from certain non-US ports). It's genuinely fun for an evening — set a hard loss limit before you walk in.
- Alcohol is yours to navigate. Princess enforces the 21+ drinking age on US-departing sailings. If you're bringing a partner or friends, note that all adults in the same cabin must purchase the same beverage package if either person wants one.
- The kids' clubs you loved are now for other people's children. Princess runs age-appropriate programs for kids. The adult equivalent is the Sanctuary (an adults-only retreat area with an upcharge — typically $20–$40/half day) or simply the adult pool areas.
Your First-Cruise Budget Reality Check
For a 7-night sailing on Discovery Princess, here's a realistic total onboard spend for one person (beyond the cruise fare):
| Scenario | Estimated 7-Night Onboard Spend (per person) |
|---|---|
| Bare bones (no package, minimal drinks, no extras) | $400–$600 |
| Princess Plus package + 2 shore excursions | $700–$950 |
| Princess Premier + excursions + casino budget | $1,100–$1,500+ |
These numbers are in addition to your cruise fare. Plan accordingly.
Want to see exactly how different add-on combinations affect your total cruise cost before you commit to anything? Run the numbers with CruiseMutiny — it'll show you the true all-in cost so you board that ship with zero financial surprises.