Well, well, well. It seems Princess Cruises has pulled a fast one on us, sneaking in a little “surprise” price increase on something as basic as bottled water. That’s right folks—bottled water! The liquid sustenance you thought you’d prepaid for at a reasonable price just became as valuable as liquid gold. If you’re one of the passengers lucky enough to have booked before this sudden price hike, congratulations—you’ve just dodged a financial iceberg.
Blink and You Missed It: Overnight Price Spike
Here’s the juicy detail that’ll really grind your gears. On September 17, 2024, if you pre-purchased your 24-pack case of bottled water, you paid a lovely $7. Fast forward to September 18, and boom—the price ballooned to $24. No announcement. No warning. Just a cruel awakening when you checked the “Manage Booking” section of the Princess Cruises website.
Canadian passengers weren’t spared either. Oh no, they saw their case price jump from 10 CAD to 32.40 CAD. A jump like that can make anyone spit out their morning coffee—or bottled water, if you can afford it.
Passengers are up in arms, and rightfully so! But let’s get one thing clear: Princess Cruises has always had it in the fine print. Their terms and conditions pretty much say, “We can raise prices whenever we feel like it. Too bad, so sad.” This is like when you sign up for an online service, don’t read the terms, and then find out your subscription has doubled. But hey, it’s all “legal.”
Why the Outrage?
In case you didn’t catch that—$7 to $24 in less than 24 hours. A nearly 250% increase. Are we talking about water or stock prices here? Naturally, passengers are hopping onto social media, questioning why they’re being asked to fork over more for something that literally falls from the sky for free. Princess Cruises hasn’t made a peep, leaving their customers to wallow in their collective confusion.
The cynical part of me—okay, maybe all of me—thinks this was a calculated move. Princess Cruises probably figured, “People need water. Let’s make them pay for it.” And with the added convenience of pre-purchasing, you might find yourself just swallowing the increase because it’s one less thing to worry about before your cruise. A pretty clever, if devious, strategy.
Princess vs. Carnival: The Price War You Didn’t Know Existed
Now let’s throw some salt (or should I say water?) on the wound. Carnival Cruise Line, Princess’ sister company, pulled a similar move back in April 2024. But Carnival—bless their slightly more budget-friendly hearts—hasn’t gone quite as mad with power. The price for a case of water on a Carnival cruise jumped to $14.95, which is about $1.25 per bottle.
Princess Cruises, on the other hand, is now charging $24 for a 12-pack, which puts the price per bottle at a painful $2. That’s practically robbery on the high seas! Carnival passengers might be mad, but at least they’re not feeling like they’ve been forced to drink champagne priced like water.
Don’t Have a Meltdown If You Have a Drink Package
Before you lose your marbles entirely, there is a glimmer of hope. If you’re one of the few passengers who wisely opted for the Plus or Premier Beverage Package, this bottled water travesty won’t affect you. In fact, you probably won’t even notice it because unlimited bottled water is included in those packages.
Let’s break down those packages real quick for anyone considering shelling out the extra cash. The Plus Beverage Package will cost you a cool $60 per day, and that doesn’t include the 18% gratuity fee. But hey, with unlimited drinks—bottled water, fountain sodas, cocktails, wine, you name it—you could easily drink your way to making up that cost. The Premier Beverage Package takes it a step further, bumping the daily cost to $90 (plus that sneaky gratuity fee) but throwing in more premium spirits, wines, and yes, unlimited bottled water.
Notably, these packages also underwent a price increase recently, because why stop at water when you can just jack up everything? But, and it’s a big but, they also now include perks like specialty dining and Wi-Fi, which sort of softens the blow. So, if you’re drowning your sorrows in overpriced cocktails, at least you’re getting your money’s worth.
Where’s the Cheapest Bottle of Water on the Planet? Not on a Cruise.
Here’s the kicker that really gets me—and it should get you too. People are acting like this $24 case of bottled water is some sort of once-in-a-lifetime highway robbery. But let’s pause and think for a second. Where exactly can you find bottled water for less than a dollar these days? Your local gas station? Nope. That theme park you visited last summer? Definitely not.
Sure, the $24 price tag is shocking compared to what it was before, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not that crazy. You’re on a cruise, for crying out loud. The drinks flow, the sun shines, and the bottled water costs about the same as a drink from a food truck at your local fair.
Let’s not pretend we haven’t all been extorted by the bottled water industry before. So what’s the real lesson here? Pack a reusable water bottle and refill it with the free tap water on board. It’s like a mini act of rebellion—and it tastes just as refreshing as the $2 stuff. Just don’t forget to pack it.
Other Cruise Lines Aren’t Any Better
In case you’re tempted to jump ship and book with another cruise line, don’t get too cocky. Royal Caribbean is charging $39 for a case of water, which works out to $3.25 per bottle. Makes that $24 from Princess Cruises look like a bargain, doesn’t it? And if you’re thinking of switching to some luxury line to avoid these “peasant problems,” think again. You’ll just end up paying more for everything, including water.
Don’t Let the Water Price Sink Your Fun
Look, I get it. Price hikes stink, especially for something as necessary as water. But before you start a mutiny over Princess Cruises’ bottled water price hike, take a step back. It’s not the end of the world. Sure, it’s a jarring increase, but there are ways around it—pack that water bottle or just spring for the drink package if you’re feeling fancy.
At the end of the day, cruise lines are businesses, and businesses love their price hikes. So whether it’s bottled water, Wi-Fi, or a drink package, expect to pay a little more than you did last year. But hey, at least you’re cruising, right?
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