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Understanding the Princess Cruises refund policy before booking or cancelling a cruise can help you avoid unexpected charges. Princess Cruises generally allows passengers to cancel their cruise, but the amount refunded depends on several factors, including the sailing length, how far in advance the cancellation is made, the type of booking, and whether the deposit is refundable.
Princess Cruises has different cancellation schedules for different types and lengths of cruises. The rules can also vary by market and by when the booking was made. For example, Princess updated its cancellation schedule for certain bookings made on or after September 2, 2026.
In simple terms, cancelling earlier usually means losing less money, while cancellations closer to departure can result in substantially higher cancellation charges.
This guide explains how the Princess Cruises refund policy works, when you may receive a refund, what happens to deposits, how cancellation protection can change the rules, and what happens when Princess itself cancels or significantly delays a cruise.
Important: Your booking confirmation and applicable passage contract are the final references for the cancellation terms that apply to your reservation.
The Princess Cruises refund policy determines how much money you can recover if you cancel your cruise.
The cancellation charge depends mainly on:
For current bookings covered by Princess Cruises' international passage contract, the cancellation schedule can result in a charge ranging from the deposit to 100% of the applicable cruise charges.
The policy also distinguishes between standard cancellations and situations where Princess cancels or substantially delays a cruise.
For bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, Princess Cruises' international passage contract provides different schedules based on the length of the sailing.
For cruises, cruisetours, and Cruise Plus packages of up to 44 days, final payment is generally due 120 days before departure under the current schedule.
The cancellation charges are:
| Time before departure | Cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| 120 days or more | Deposit |
| 113–119 days | 25% |
| 91–112 days | 50% |
| 61–90 days | 75% |
| 60 days or less | 100% |
This means that cancelling 120 or more days before departure may result in the loss of the applicable deposit, unless you have upgraded to a refundable deposit.
As the departure date approaches, the cancellation charge increases.
Longer cruises have a separate cancellation schedule.
For bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, the current international schedule provides:
| Time before departure | Cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| 121 days or more | Deposit |
| 113–120 days | 30% |
| 61–112 days | 50% |
| 60 days or less | 100% |
Long cruises can therefore have significant cancellation penalties, particularly after the final-payment period.
For cruises of 45 days or more, Princess also specifies a larger deposit structure, with an initial deposit and an additional deposit becoming due before final payment.
A deposit is not automatically refundable.
Princess states that the standard cancellation policy may result in the deposit being retained when a passenger cancels. However, some bookings may have a refundable-deposit option.
If you have specifically upgraded to a refundable deposit, the applicable rules can be different.
Special promotional fares can also have stricter conditions. Princess notes that some specially priced promotions can make the deposit or even the applicable cruise charges non-refundable from the time of payment.
Before cancelling, check your booking confirmation for wording such as:
These terms can materially affect how much money you receive back.
If you decide not to take your cruise, you should cancel through the appropriate booking channel as soon as possible.
If you booked directly with Princess Cruises, use Princess' customer support or reservations channels.
If you booked through a travel advisor, contact the travel advisor.
The cancellation date matters because Princess calculates cancellation charges according to the applicable schedule.
For example, if a cancellation moves from one penalty period into another, the amount you recover can change significantly.
Before submitting a cancellation request:
Keeping the cancellation confirmation is useful if you later need to follow up about a refund.
Government taxes and fees are treated differently from some cruise charges.
Under Princess' standard international policy, government taxes and fees are not subject to the same cancellation fee percentages applied to the cruise charges.
This is important because a cancellation penalty does not necessarily mean that every component of the amount originally paid is treated identically.
Your booking statement should show the applicable components of your reservation and can help determine which amounts are refundable.
Prepaid shore excursions generally have their own cancellation rules.
Princess states that prepaid shore excursions can be refunded when cancelled before the applicable closing time shown on the excursion information.
However, the deadline can vary depending on the excursion.
For example:
Therefore, cancelling your cruise and cancelling a shore excursion are not necessarily governed by exactly the same deadline.
Princess' cancellation FAQ states that prepaid shore excursions and onboard purchases can be refunded when the cruise itself is cancelled, subject to the applicable terms.
This is separate from the cancellation penalty that applies to the cruise fare.
If you have purchased additional services before sailing, review each item's terms rather than assuming every purchase follows the cruise cancellation schedule.
Yes, Princess has a separate policy for situations in which it does not perform the cruise.
According to Princess' nonperformance refund policy, if Princess cancels the cruise, or delays it for more than three calendar days and you choose not to travel on the delayed cruise or accept an alternative cruise, you may be entitled to a refund of the cruise fare and specified charges paid to Princess in relation to the cruise.
The applicable policy can include amounts such as:
This is different from voluntarily cancelling your cruise.
Princess provides instructions for submitting a claim in qualifying nonperformance situations.
The claim may require documents such as:
Princess says qualifying claims should be submitted within the specified claim period after the originally scheduled embarkation date.
A delay does not automatically mean the same thing as a cancellation.
Princess' nonperformance policy states that when a cruise is delayed for more than three calendar days, a passenger who chooses not to travel on the delayed cruise may be entitled to a refund under the applicable policy.
Passengers should review the specific notice from Princess because the available options can depend on the circumstances of the delay.
Princess offers cancellation protection in certain markets.
Cancellation Protection is designed to waive applicable cancellation fees when the program's conditions are met. It is different from comprehensive travel insurance and should not automatically be treated as coverage for every travel-related loss.
For example, Princess states that its Cancellation Protection requires the company to receive cancellation notice at least 72 hours before midnight on the scheduled departure date for the applicable trip.
The program has geographic eligibility restrictions, so availability depends on where the passenger resides.
Always review the plan's current terms before purchasing it.
Princess Vacation Protection is a separate protection option that may provide benefits for covered situations.
Depending on the plan and passenger's location, coverage can include benefits relating to cancellation, interruption, medical expenses, baggage, and travel delays.
The exact benefits depend on the plan purchased and its terms, conditions, exclusions, and geographic availability.
Passengers should not assume that buying protection guarantees a full cash refund for every reason for cancellation.
A standard passenger-initiated cancellation does not automatically create a Future Cruise Credit.
Princess' standard cancellation policy states that the normal policy does not generally grant cruise credit simply because a passenger cancels.
However, specific protection plans, promotions, or special cancellation situations can provide different options.
When Princess cancels or fails to perform a qualifying cruise, the company may also offer an alternative such as Future Cruise Credit in circumstances where a refund is available.
If you are offered a choice between a refund and a Future Cruise Credit, carefully review the value, restrictions, and expiration or usage requirements before accepting it.
A booking described as non-refundable generally has significant restrictions.
For example, Princess states that certain specially priced promotions may be 100% non-refundable from the point of payment.
In such cases, cancelling the booking may result in no refund, payment, compensation, or credit for the affected cruise charges.
This is why the lowest advertised fare is not necessarily the same as the most flexible fare.
Before choosing a promotional fare, check:
Changing a cruise date is not necessarily treated as a completely separate transaction.
Princess states that sailing-date changes can be considered cancellations and may be subject to applicable cancellation fees and booking conditions.
This means you should not assume that moving your cruise to a later date will automatically avoid a cancellation penalty.
Contact Princess or your travel advisor before making a change so you understand the financial consequences.
Name changes can also have special restrictions.
Princess states that name changes require prior approval and may not always be possible.
In its cancellation policy, Princess indicates that name changes and departure-date changes can be treated as reservation cancellations and can therefore be subject to cancellation fees.
If someone can no longer travel, check with Princess before simply replacing that passenger's name.
Refund processing can depend on the type of refund, booking channel, payment method, and circumstances surrounding the cancellation.
Princess' published refund information advises passengers to check its latest refund updates when applicable.
If you booked through a travel advisor, the refund may be processed through that booking channel rather than directly through Princess.
For this reason, passengers should keep:
If a refund appears to be missing after the expected processing period, contact the company or travel advisor that processed the original payment.
Princess' passage contract states that refunds are made directly to the payment method used for the booking or through the travel advisor, depending on how the reservation was made.
Therefore, if you booked through a travel agency, you should normally coordinate the refund with that agency.
If you paid Princess directly, the applicable refund is generally returned through the original payment method.
Travel insurance can change how you recover money after cancelling.
A standard cruise cancellation may leave you responsible for a cancellation charge. Travel insurance may reimburse certain covered losses, depending on the policy.
Coverage varies considerably between policies.
For example, an insurance policy may have specific requirements concerning:
Always read the policy wording rather than assuming that "travel insurance" means every cancellation is covered.
Yes.
Princess Cruises operates in multiple markets, and cancellation rules can differ by region.
For example, Princess' UK passage contract contains specific consumer and package-travel provisions. Its UK cancellation schedule also differs from the international schedule in some circumstances.
Therefore, passengers should use the Princess website and booking terms applicable to their country or market.
This is particularly important if you booked through an international travel agency or are travelling on a cruise sold under a different regional contract.
Before cancelling a Princess cruise, remember these key points:
If you are considering cancelling, timing is one of the most important factors.
Waiting until closer to departure can move your booking into a higher cancellation-fee category.
If you already know that you cannot travel, review the applicable cancellation schedule immediately.
Determine whether your deposit is refundable before assuming you will receive it back.
If you purchased Princess Vacation Protection or Cancellation Protection, check whether your reason for cancelling qualifies and whether you have met the required notification deadline.
Cruise fare, shore excursions, hotels, flights, transfers, and other services can have different cancellation rules.
If you booked directly, contact Princess.
If you booked through a travel advisor, contact the advisor because the advisor may need to process the cancellation and refund.
No. A Princess cruise is not automatically fully refundable. The amount you receive depends on the applicable cancellation schedule, booking terms, deposit type, and timing of cancellation.
The cancellation fee varies. Under the current international schedule for bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, cruises up to 44 days can have charges ranging from the deposit to 100%, depending on how close the cancellation is to departure.
Yes, you can generally cancel after final payment, but cancellation charges may apply. The amount depends on the applicable schedule and your booking conditions.
It depends on the deposit terms. A refundable-deposit option may allow a different refund treatment, while certain non-refundable promotions may provide no refund of the deposit.
Under the current international schedule for bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, cancellations 60 days or less before departure for cruises up to 44 days are subject to a 100% cancellation charge.
Prepaid shore excursions may be refundable when cancelled before the applicable excursion cancellation deadline. The deadline varies by excursion type.
If Princess cancels a cruise, separate nonperformance rules apply. In qualifying circumstances, passengers may be entitled to a refund of the cruise fare and certain related charges.
Yes. Princess offers cancellation protection in eligible markets. Its terms and availability depend on the passenger's residence and booking circumstances.
A standard passenger-initiated cancellation does not automatically provide a Future Cruise Credit. Certain protection plans or special circumstances may provide credit instead of, or in connection with, a refund.
If you booked directly with Princess, contact Princess. If you booked through a travel advisor, contact the advisor so the cancellation can be handled through the appropriate booking channel.
The Princess Cruises refund policy is based primarily on the type of booking, cruise length, cancellation date, deposit conditions, and any protection purchased.
The most important step is to check your booking-specific cancellation schedule before cancelling. Current international rules for bookings made from September 2, 2026 can impose cancellation charges ranging from the deposit to 100% of applicable charges, depending on how close the cancellation is to departure.
Passengers should also distinguish between cancelling their own cruise and a cruise being cancelled by Princess. These situations can have very different refund rights.
For the most accurate result, review your booking confirmation, the applicable Princess passage contract, and any protection or insurance documents before making a cancellation request.
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