Key Aspects:
- In the past, many bookings for Princess Cruises have automatically defaulted to offering refundable deposits.
- But as of October 15, 2025, the default will switch to non-refundable deposits for new bookings.
- In some circumstances, refundable deposits may still be offered through promotions or upgrades that come with an extra cost.
Something that has made Princess Cruises unique from other brands is that Princess has traditionally offered refundable deposits on new bookings.
Even if guests couldn’t access the refundable deposit option when booking their own sailings, travel professionals would be able to see multiple fare codes and the Princess software would automatically default to the refundable deposit.
But as of October 15, 2025, Princess Cruises will be making the non-refundable deposits the default on all new bookings.
This is in line with how other major cruise lines operate, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line.
“Starting October 15, 2025, most new bookings will be subject to a default non-refundable deposit policy,” Princess Cruises wrote in a policy update.
“Deposits must be paid at the time of booking and are non-refundable, unless updated to a refundable deposit at the time of booking (additional fees apply). If the booking is made inside the final payment period, the booking is due in full as standard cancellation fees apply.”
This change will only apply to future reservations made on October 15 and beyond.
Voyages that have already been booked with refundable deposits will not be altered and will remain refundable until the final payment due date, which is the norm.
Exceptions to the New Rule
While the deposit amount varies based on the cruise length and type, most Princess sailings wind up somewhere in the $100 to $500 range.
It might be bad to say, but on the lower end of that spectrum, I wouldn’t mind too much if I had to forfeit my deposit due to unexpected circumstances. I wouldn’t be happy about it, but $100 wouldn’t break me.
Plus, I almost always invest in trip insurance that will cover non-refundable deposits, so there’s that.
But as the policy states, guests who want the additional peace of mind can upgrade to a refundable deposit in some circumstances for an additional cost.
Regal Princess (Photo Credit: Karolis Kavolelis)
Occasionally, the cruise line may also offer the refundable deposits as part of another offer or promotion.
Read Also: I’ve Sailed on Princess and Carnival Cruise Ships: How Do They Compare?
This change in policy also does not appear to have impacted the popular Future Cruise Deposit Program.
Under this program, current guests can purchase a Future Cruise Deposit (FCD) while onboard a Princess ship at a rate of $100 per person without actually selecting a specific voyage.
Guests then have up to a year to select and book their cruise or the deposit will be refunded.
“You’ll have up to a year to book your cruise with your preferred Travel Advisor or Cruise Vacation Planner or directly through Princess,” Princess Cruises’ website states.
“If you don’t book during that time, we’ll automatically refund the FCD to the credit card used to purchase the deposit.”
As an added bonus, the Future Cruise Deposit program also comes with an onboard credit of up to $150 for the guest’s next voyage, making it an even better value.
But at the end of the day, the goal is really to never get your deposit back, because that means you would have had to cancel your cruise or something went very wrong with your vacation – and nobody wants that!
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
