Princess Cruises Lawsuit: The “Instant Savings” Email Case
Active Litigation
The Princess Cruises class action in the news is about email, not about a voyage. A Washington plaintiff says subject lines like “Last call for up to $1,000 instant savings” misstated how long deals lasted and how big they were. The case is in federal court in Seattle, a motion to dismiss has been briefed, and as of October 22, 2026 there is no ruling, no settlement and no claim form.
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What the Lawsuit Says
The complaint was filed on June 9, 2026 in Washington state court by a Washington resident. It targets the subject lines of Princess's promotional emails, quoting examples such as “Don't miss up to $700 instant savings” and “Last call for up to $1,000 instant savings.”
The lawsuit alleges three things. First, that “last call” and “ending soon” messages created false urgency, because similar discounts were offered after the sale supposedly ended. Second, that the discounts are so frequent that the list prices they are measured from look inflated. Third, that recipients therefore did not get real savings off a true regular price. Princess has not conceded any of this.
The legal hook is Washington's Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA), which bars commercial email to a Washington resident whose subject line “contains false or misleading information,” plus the Washington Consumer Protection Act. The suit seeks class certification, damages, fees, costs and a permanent injunction.
Case details
Princess removed the case to federal court on July 10, 2026. It is now Martinson v. Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., No. 2:26-cv-02433, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, before Judge Tana Lin.
The background matters. In Brown v. Old Navy, 4 Wn. 3d 580 (2025), the Washington Supreme Court held that CEMA reaches any inaccurate subject-line claim, including routine phrases like “ends tonight.” Nearly 200 subject-line class actions followed, per a June 2026 Morgan Lewis client note. The legislature responded with HB 2274, signed March 23, 2026, which cut statutory damages from $500 to $100 and added a knowledge requirement for causes of action commenced on or after June 11, 2026 — two days after this suit was filed. A similar Washington email case is covered on our Crate & Barrel lawsuit page.
Status: Motion to Dismiss Briefed, No Ruling
As of October 22, 2026 the docket shows no ruling on the motion, no class certification, no settlement, no administrator, no claim form and no deadline. Princess's passage contract contains a class action waiver, but this case is brought on behalf of email recipients, and no court has said whether that clause matters here.
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Latest From the Court Docket
Recent entries in the federal case behind this page, taken from the court's own docket. We check it at least once a day; this list is as of Oct 22, 2026.
Case: Martinson v. Princess Cruise Lines Ltd, No. 2:26-cv-02433 (W.D. Wash.)
Oct 19, 2026
2 - Minute Order
A docket entry is a step in the case, not a decision on who wins. Sources: the courts' PACER feeds and CourtListener (Free Law Project). Not legal advice.
Who Is in the Proposed Class
The plaintiff seeks to represent anyone in Washington state who received promotional emails from Princess advertising sales or discounts. You do not need to have booked a cruise to fall within that proposed definition — the claim is about the email itself.
No class has been certified. If you live outside Washington, this case does not cover you; CEMA protects Washington residents. If you are in Washington, there is nothing to sign up for. Keep the Princess promotional emails in your inbox — they show which subject lines reached you and when.
What Could Be Paid — and Why the Number Is Disputed
The amendment applies to causes of action commenced on or after June 11, 2026. This suit was filed in state court on June 9, 2026. Which damages figure governs it is a question for the court, and the case may also be dismissed or settled for a different amount. Treat any per-email figure as the statute's number, not a forecast of a check.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 25,309 other fraud casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2026, 27.6% of them filed as class actions:
- 17.1% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 22.9% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 17.1% and 39.9%.
- 10.2% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 112 reached a trial (0.9%), after a median of 29.9 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 7 months.
- Only 761 of them (3%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $663,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other fraud cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Princess Cruises Email Lawsuit Timeline
April 2025 — Brown v. Old Navy
The Washington Supreme Court reads CEMA to cover any false or misleading subject line, including sale-deadline claims. Class actions against retailers multiply.
June 9, 2026 — Suit Filed in State Court
A Washington resident sues Princess Cruise Lines, alleging its “instant savings” subject lines misstated sale deadlines and discount size.
June 11, 2026 — CEMA Amendments Take Effect
HB 2274 cuts statutory damages from $500 to $100 and adds a knowledge requirement for cases commenced on or after this date.
July 10, 2026 — Removed to Federal Court
Princess moves the case to the Western District of Washington as No. 2:26-cv-02433. Judge Tana Lin is assigned.
July 29, 2026 — Motion to Dismiss
Princess asks the court to dismiss. Briefing closes with Princess's reply on August 26, 2026.
October 2026 — Pending, No Settlement
A protective order is entered on October 1 and supplemental authority filed on October 21. As of October 22, 2026 there is no ruling and no settlement.
Three Things to Watch For
This case is about marketing emails, so expect imposters to use marketing emails:
“Claim your Princess settlement credit” emails
There is no settlement and no claim form. A message styled like a Princess promotion that asks you to log in or enter a card number to “receive your class action credit” is phishing.
Fake “final call” cruise deals
Copycat booking sites borrow the same urgency language this suit challenges. Book through princess.com or a travel agent you already know, not a link in an unsolicited email.
Pay-to-join offers for out-of-state recipients
The proposed class covers Washington residents only, and joining a class never costs money. Anyone charging a fee to “add you” to this case is selling nothing.
Princess Cruises Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
What is the Princess Cruises class action about?
Email subject lines. The lawsuit alleges that Princess's promotional emails to Washington residents misstated when sales ended and how large the discounts were, in violation of Washington's Commercial Electronic Mail Act and Consumer Protection Act. It is not about an incident on a ship.
Is there a Princess Cruises settlement or claim form?
No. As of October 22, 2026 the case, No. 2:26-cv-02433, has a pending motion to dismiss and no settlement, fund, administrator, claim form or deadline. If that changes, class members are notified by a court-approved notice.
Do I have to have taken a cruise to be included?
Not under the proposed definition, which covers anyone in Washington state who received Princess promotional emails advertising sales or discounts. Whether a class is certified, and on what terms, is up to Judge Tana Lin.
How much could each email be worth?
The current statute sets $100 per violation or actual damages, whichever is greater; before June 11, 2026 it was $500. The suit was filed June 9, 2026, so which figure applies is disputed territory. No amount has been awarded.
Doesn't the Princess ticket contract ban class actions?
The passage contract contains a class action waiver for disputes with the carrier. This suit concerns emails sent to Washington residents, and as of October 22, 2026 the court has not ruled on whether that waiver applies.
Who took over Princess Cruises?
Princess Cruise Lines is part of Carnival; the U.S. Department of Justice describes Carnival Corporation & plc as its parent. A separate data-breach case against Carnival is covered on our Carnival data breach lawsuit page.
What was the Justice Department case against Princess?
A different, criminal matter. Princess was convicted in April 2017 for dumping oil-contaminated waste and paid $40 million, which the DOJ calls the largest-ever criminal fine for intentional pollution from ships. Probation violations added a $20 million penalty in June 2019 and a $1 million fine in January 2022.
Has anyone ever sued Royal Caribbean over emails like this?
Yes. Royal Caribbean faces class action accusations that it sent Maryland consumers promotional emails with misleading information about how long cruise promotions lasted. That is a separate case; this page covers only the Princess suit in Washington.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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