# How to pay for drinks on a Princess Cruises?

If you’re getting ready to sail with Princess, you might be wondering exactly **how to pay for drinks on Princess cruise ship** bars, call us **<a href="tel:[phone]">[phone]</a>** lounges and pool decks. The process is quite simple once you understand how the **onboard account Princess** system works. Instead of pulling out your wallet every time you order a cocktail or cappuccino, most purchases are linked to your cruise card and settled at the end of the voyage.

**Princess charges** appear on your folio, what happens if you don’t have a drink package, and how **cruise gratuities** work for beverages. By the end, paying for drinks on board will feel straightforward and stress-free.

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## The basics: your onboard account on Princess

On a Princess ship, nearly all purchases—including drinks—are handled through your **onboard account Princess** system.

Here’s how it works:

* At check-in, you provide a **credit card, debit card, or in some cases cash** to secure your onboard account.
* You receive a cruise card (or medallion-style device on some ships) that acts as your shipboard ID and charge card.
* When you order a drink at any bar, lounge, restaurant or poolside location, the server simply **scans or taps your card/medallion**, and the charge goes to your account.

You don’t need to carry cash around the ship for each drink. Instead, everything is accumulated on your folio, and you review and settle it at the end of the cruise.

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## Paying for drinks without a package on Princess

If you don’t have a beverage package, you’ll be **paying for drinks without package on Princess** each time you order. The process looks like this:

1. **Order your drink**
Tell the bartender or server what you’d like—cocktail, beer, wine, soda, bottled water, mocktail, or specialty coffee.

2. **Present your cruise card or medallion**
The staff member will tap or scan it to record the purchase.

3. **Check the receipt if you wish**
Many bars can provide a slip or digital confirmation, showing:

* Drink price
* Automatic service charge (gratuity)
* Total charged to your account

4. **See it on your folio later**
The transaction will appear on your onboard statement, so you can track your **Princess charges** during the cruise.

This system applies whether you’re at an indoor lounge, the pool bar, the theater bar, or enjoying a drink with dinner in the main dining room.

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## Using an onboard account for Princess bar purchases

**Using onboard account for Princess bar purchases** is designed to be convenient and cashless. A few practical notes:

* **Linking payment methods**
Before or at embarkation, you connect a payment method (card or sometimes cash deposit) to your cabin. All guests in the cabin can charge to this same account, unless you set specific restrictions.

* **Separate cards for different travelers**
Each guest gets their own cruise card or medallion, but all their **cruise bar payment** activity may feed into the same folio for the stateroom, depending on how you set it up.

* **Spending limits for minors**
If you’re sailing with teens or children, you can usually control whether they can make charges at all, including non-alcoholic drinks and sodas.

* **Daily review**
You can check your statement on the cabin TV, at guest services kiosks, or in the app/portal (where available) to monitor **Princess charges** and avoid surprises.

Think of the onboard account as your temporary “shipboard wallet” that you settle once at the end rather than at every bar visit.

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## Do you tip for drinks on Princess Cruises?

One of the most common questions is: **do you tip for drinks on Princess Cruises?**

Typically, Princess automatically adds a **service charge (gratuity)** to bar purchases:

* A set percentage is added to the base price of each drink.
* This charge is usually clearly indicated on menus or receipts.
* Because of this, additional tipping is **not required**, but you can always leave extra cash if you feel you received exceptional service.

So, when you think about **cruise gratuities** for drinks, remember:

* The price you see on your folio usually includes that automatic tip.
* If you buy a drink package or have bundled perks, gratuities for included drinks are often factored into the package price—but always check the details for your specific fare.

This automatic system makes it easy to say yes to that next poolside cocktail without calculating extra tips each time.

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## How drink charges appear on your Princess folio

Your shipboard statement, also called a **folio**, is where you’ll see **how drink charges appear on Princess folio**.

Typical features include:

* **Date and time**
Each drink transaction is stamped with when it was ordered.

* **Location**
The bar, lounge, or restaurant where the purchase took place is usually listed.

* **Description**
A line item might say something like “BAR – COCKTAIL” or “LOUNGE – BEER” or similar.

* **Amount and service charge**
The total includes the drink price plus the automatic gratuity.

At any point during your cruise, you can review your folio to:

* Confirm that all **Princess charges** look correct.
* Get a sense of how much you’re spending at the bars.
* Prevent a big surprise at the end by catching any discrepancies early.

If something doesn’t look right, you can go to Guest Services to ask about a specific line item.

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## How payment works at the end of the cruise

At the end of your cruise:

* All your **cruise bar payment** transactions, along with other onboard purchases, are summed up.
* If you registered a credit or debit card, the total is automatically charged to that card.
* If you placed a cash deposit, any difference will be settled—either refunded to you or paid by you.

You’ll usually receive a final folio statement (paper, digital, or both) showing exactly what’s been billed. This includes drinks from every bar, lounge, and restaurant, unless they were part of an included package.

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## Paying for drinks when you have a package

If you’ve purchased a beverage package or have a fare that includes drinks:

* **Included drinks**
Qualifying beverages (under the package’s per-drink price limit) are recorded as covered by the package. Instead of a full price showing on the folio, you may see a notation indicating that they’re included or discounted.

* **Drinks over the price cap**
If you order a drink above the price limit of your package, your **onboard account Princess** may show a **surcharge** (the difference) or the full price, depending on how the package is structured.

* **Non-alcoholic extras**
Bottled water, soft drinks and specialty coffees might be fully included, partly discounted, or charged separately if they are not part of your package.

Even with a package, it’s smart to quickly glance at receipts and your folio so you understand which **Princess charges** are included and which are extra.

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## Tips for managing drink costs on your Princess cruise

To keep your bar bill comfortable and under control, consider these practical strategies:

1. **Set a mental (or actual) daily budget**
Decide how much you want to spend per day on drinks, and use your folio to stay close to that number.

2. **Use packages strategically**
If your expected daily spending comes close to the package price, a drink package or bundled fare can simplify your **cruise bar payment** and may save you money.

3. **Watch for specials**
Some sailings feature happy hours, drink-of-the-day specials, or discounted wine tastings that can offer extra value.

4. **Hydrate with free options, too**
Water, basic coffee and tea in certain venues are typically included at no extra cost. Mixing these with purchased drinks can balance your budget and your wellbeing.

5. **Review your folio mid-cruise**
Don’t wait until the last night to see your statement. Checking halfway through the voyage lets you adjust if your **Princess charges** are climbing faster than expected.

If you want to compare drink policies, packages and money-saving strategies across different cruise lines, you can find planning tools and guides on sites like **portjourney.com** to help you fine-tune your approach.

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## FAQs about paying for drinks on Princess Cruises

**1. How do you pay for drinks on Princess cruise ship bars and lounges?**
You typically use your cruise card or medallion to charge drinks directly to your **onboard account Princess**. Each time you order at a bar, restaurant or lounge, the server taps your card, and the **cruise bar payment** shows up as a line item on your folio, which you settle at the end of your cruise.

**2. Can I use cash or a credit card directly at the bar?**
Onboard, most drink transactions go through your onboard account rather than direct cash or card payments at each bar. You link a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit to your account at the start of the cruise, and all **Princess charges** for drinks are billed to that card or deposit at the end.

**3. Do you tip for drinks on Princess Cruises or are gratuities included?**
Generally, an automatic **cruise gratuities** service charge is added to each drink purchase, so you don’t have to add a tip every time. If you feel that service was exceptional, you can always tip extra in cash, but it’s not required for every order since the automatic gratuity is already part of the **cruise bar payment**.

**4. How do drink charges appear on Princess folio statements?**
Your folio will show each drink transaction with the date, time, venue, and total amount, including any automatic service charge. This is **how drink charges appear on Princess folio**, allowing you to see your running total and verify that all charges are accurate before the final settlement.

**5. Who can help me if I have questions about Princess charges for drinks?**
If you see something on your folio that you don’t understand, visit Guest Services onboard to review it with a crew member. For pre-cruise questions about packages, payment methods or budgeting for drinks, you can talk to a travel advisor or contact Princess support at **<a href="tel:[phone]">[phone]</a>** for personalized guidance on managing your bar costs and onboard account.