Is messaging free on the Princess app?

Yes. In-app messaging between guests on the same cruise is included at no charge and works over the ship's internal network, so you do not need to buy a MedallionNet package to use it.

Do you need MedallionNet to message other passengers?

No. The app's own messaging runs on the ship's network. MedallionNet is for reaching the internet — WhatsApp, email, anything off the ship — and that is the part you pay for.

Can you message people at home from the Princess app?

No. The in-app chat only reaches people on the same sailing who are signed into the app. Messaging anyone on land needs MedallionNet or mobile roaming.

Is Princess app chat better than the other lines?

On price and access, yes. Royal Caribbean and Disney also include theirs; Carnival and Norwegian charge per person. Princess's works without an internet package, which is the part that matters most.

Princess MedallionClass app chat

Free, and free in the way that actually counts: in-app messaging between guests on the same sailing is included at no charge and runs over the ship's own network, so you do not need to buy MedallionNet to use it. Of the major lines, this is the most generous arrangement.

Why "free" needs checking on every line

Lines use the word differently, and the difference costs money. Carnival's HUB chat is a paid unlock per person. Royal Caribbean's is included. Princess includes it and does not require an internet package on top — three distinct positions that all get described as free in one place or another.

The comparison across lines is here, and it is worth reading before you buy anything.

What it reaches, and what it does not

People on your sailing who are signed into the app. Not just your own party — useful if you are meeting another family onboard.
Not anyone on land. For that you need MedallionNet or mobile roaming, both paid.
Not anyone who has not set the app up. Which, on a ship, is a decent proportion of people over seventy.

The catch that applies to all of them

App chat on any line relies on your phone being awake and connected to the ship's network. A sleeping phone drops it, and messages arrive in a batch when you next unlock. For arranging dinner that is fine. For "we're leaving now, meet at the gangway" it is less so.

This is the single most common complaint about every cruise line's chat, Princess included, and it is a property of how the apps work rather than a fault anyone has introduced.

Do you still need anything else?

Honestly, on Princess, less than on most lines. If your whole party is comfortable setting up the app and keeping it open, the built-in chat covers a lot.

CruiseLink is worth having alongside for three reasons: it does not depend on the ship's network at all, it behaves the same on every line so it is not something to relearn next cruise, and it does not need anyone to create an account.

Its limits, as everywhere on this site: it reaches only the group you set up, everyone needs it installed before you sail, and a message travels when phones come near enough rather than instantly across a whole ship.

Get CruiseLink

Free, no account, nothing to set up beyond your group. On iPhone and Android, and the two work together.

QR code that opens cruiselink.app, where both store links are — Point your phone’s camera here — iPhone or Android

Get CruiseLink — free

Not affiliated with Princess Cruises. Checked October 2026; lines change what they include, so confirm in the app.