Key Aspects:
- Princess Cruises has raised the price for shipping Medallions to guests’ homes in advance of their sailings.
- As of February 27, guests will need to pay an extra $10 to have their order shipped to residences in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
- If guests do not want to pay, they can still pick up their Medallions for free during embarkation.
Certain guests of Princess Cruises have the option to ship their Medallion, which functions as a cruise card, to their homes in advance of their sailing. This service is available to guests in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
But if cruisers would like to take advantage of the shipping option, which can save time at the cruise port, they need to be prepared to shell out some extra cash.
As of February 27, 2026, Medallion shipping for eligible guests in the US and Puerto Rico has risen from $10 to $20 USD and from $15 to $25 USD for passengers who reside in Canada.
Shipping used to be included for free for guests who purchased the Plus or Premier packages, but this practice has also been discontinued and all passengers will be required to pay the full shipping cost.
“While we have made every effort to maintain affordable shipping rates for our guests, this adjustment is necessary to align pricing and ensure continued high-quality, reliable shipping services,” Princess Cruises said in a communication, which was obtained by Cruise Hive.
For context, a typical order consists of one to four Medallions shipped under the same order number to a single home address. If guests do need to ship Medallions to multiple addresses, or if orders are placed separately, shipping fees will apply each time.
Orders must be placed at least 13 to 15 days ahead of departure at the latest to ensure the Medallions will arrive on time.
A Free Alternative
Of course, guests are not required to have the Medallions shipped to their home address. They can also pick them up at the cruise port on embarkation day for free, which is what international passengers are already required to do.
“Please note, guests are still able to pick up their Medallion once they are at the pier on day of embarkation,” Princess Cruises confirmed.
As passengers reacted to the news, most said that free cruise port pickup is the route they would take.
“I will be picking up at the port. $15 was enough but $25 for that little box is not worth it. Plus exchange rates. Ridiculous,” a Canadian guest said.
“I wait months for my sail date to get here. I can wait in line a bit to pick up my medallion,” another cruiser chimed in.
The biggest difference on embarkation day is that passengers will have to go to the “blue lane” instead of the faster “green lane” while checking in at the cruise terminal.
Read Also: I’ve Sailed on Princess and Carnival Cruise Ships: How Do They Compare?
Green Lane guests have completed all pre-check-in steps on the Princess Cruises app, including adding payment methods, security photos, and receiving their medallion at home. These passengers essentially get to head straight to the ship.
Blue Lane guests also must complete the check-in process on their app, but must stop at a designated station in the cruise terminal to pick up their Medallion prior to boarding.
As long as you are on time for your designated terminal arrival appointment, you will make it onboard regardless of how you receive your Medallion.
What is a Princess Medallion?
The Medallions, which are typically distributed as circular, quarter-sized pendants on a lanyard, are Princess Cruises’ unique take on cruise cards. They are used for boarding and exiting the cruise ship, provide stateroom access, and to make onboard purchases.
Using an encrypted guest ID, the Medallions can also be used by crew members to locate guests in the event of an emergency or to provide services like delivering drinks and snacks wherever the passenger is onboard the ship.
Systems are in place using a combination of anonymization and encryption to keep data from the Medallion secure, and no personal information is stored on the device.
