Princess Cruise Line

Princess Cruises is a premium contemporary cruise line, part of Carnival Corporation. From Australia it operates seasonal departures from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Fremantle for South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia coastal, Tasmania, and Asia itineraries, plus international deployments across Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and Japan. Ships include the Royal-class (Regal Princess, Royal Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess), Grand-class, and the newer Sun Princess and Star Princess. Book via princess.com (Australian portal) and activate ShopBack via the Princess Cruises merchant page on ShopBack Australia to earn cashback on eligible bookings at the current published rate.

Captain's Circle is Princess's free loyalty programme with tiers Gold (1 to 5 cruises), Ruby (6 to 15 cruises or 51 to 150 cruise days), Platinum (5+ cruises), and Elite (15+ cruises or 150+ cruise days). Higher tiers unlock benefits including priority embarkation and disembarkation, complimentary internet minutes, laundry, dinner at speciality restaurants, and lounge invitations. Progression is based on cruise credits (one credit per cruise plus additional credits for longer voyages). Verify current tier benefits on the Princess Captain's Circle page before booking, since benefits change from time to time.

Princess runs regular sale windows including Waves Sale (January to March, the big new-booking window), Black Friday on 2026-11-27, Cyber Monday on 2026-11-30, and Boxing Day on 2026-12-26 for future-cruise bookings. AU-specific promotions align with school-holiday windows (April, July, September, December) and often bundle onboard credit, Princess Plus, or free upgrades. AU departures for South Pacific and NZ itineraries frequently discount in shoulder months. Verify current sale windows on princess.com/en-au and stack ShopBack cashback via the ShopBack Princess Cruises merchant page.

Princess Plus is a bundled package priced per guest per day that typically includes Plus beverage package (alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks up to a per-drink price cap), Wi-Fi (one device), crew appreciation (gratuities), Ocean Now delivery, and two fitness classes per cruise. Princess Premier includes everything in Plus plus a higher-tier Premier beverage package (higher per-drink cap and specialty drinks), 4-device Wi-Fi, unlimited casual dining, two speciality dining meals per cruise, photo package, and reserved theatre seating. Verify current inclusions, price per day, and any exclusions on princess.com/en-au before choosing between Standard, Plus, and Premier fares.

P&O Cruises Australia focused on AU family and budget cruising from Sydney and Brisbane, though the brand shut down operations in early 2025 with Carnival Cruise Line taking over most former P&O AU deployments. Princess sits premium contemporary, above Carnival on service, dining, and cabin quality, at a higher price point. For a value AU-departure short cruise focused on family fun, Carnival (former P&O routes) usually wins on price. For a longer AU-departure NZ, South Pacific, or Asia cruise with better food and more refined service, Princess typically wins. Both are cashback-eligible via ShopBack on their respective merchant pages.

Royal Caribbean is contemporary cruising with the biggest ships (Oasis-class, Icon-class) and the most onboard activities (surf simulators, water slides, ropes courses, ice skating). Princess is premium contemporary with a more relaxed, adult-friendly vibe and better food and enrichment programme. For a family or first-time cruiser wanting Wow-factor onboard, Royal Caribbean usually wins. For couples or older travellers wanting quieter ship days and better dining, Princess usually wins. Both are cashback-eligible via ShopBack when booked through their respective merchant pages.

Princess Cruises operates seasonal AU departures from Sydney (October to April, main homeport), Melbourne (November to March), Brisbane (October to April), and Fremantle (November to March), plus roundtrip and one-way voyages including Tasmania, NZ, South Pacific, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, and PNG. Occasional one-way cruises to Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan) leave from AU ports and repositioning cruises across the Pacific. Verify the current season's deployment on princess.com/en-au. Book earlier in the sale cycle for the widest cabin selection and lower prices.

MedallionClass is Princess's onboard technology platform built around the OceanMedallion, a wearable device that acts as your room key, on-ship payment method, and location-based service enabler. Features include Ocean Now (order food or drinks to your location on the ship), touchless embarkation, cabin door unlock as you approach, and personalised journey planning via the Princess MedallionClass app. All Princess ships now run MedallionClass. There is no extra charge for the standard device and app, though enhanced features may sit inside Plus or Premier packages. Download the app before departure and complete OceanReady onboarding for faster embarkation.

Empty any pending Princess booking cart, then click through fresh from the ShopBack Princess Cruises merchant page to princess.com/en-au. Log in to your Captain's Circle account to apply member offers, complete the booking in the same browser session, and confirm the reservation email. Avoid pasting unofficial third-party promo codes at checkout since they can break cashback tracking. Cashback typically tracks on the paid cruise fare (excluding taxes, port fees, and Princess Plus/Premier package add-ons); check the merchant page for current eligibility. Rates and eligible booking types vary; see the current published rate on the ShopBack Princess Cruises merchant page.

Yes. Any cancelled or refunded portion of your Princess Cruises booking is voided from the ShopBack cashback total, since Princess only pays commission on completed voyages. If you cancel within the fare-rules window or the voyage does not sail, the pending cashback will not confirm. Partial refunds (fewer guests, cabin downgrade) reduce cashback on a pro-rata basis. Future Cruise Credit (FCC) redemptions and points-only bookings typically do not qualify for cashback.