adcondon68

I agree Dan Murphy's, place your order online, name the store you would like to pick up from, (Dan Murphy's South Melbourne, 3.5km from wharf). walk into the front counter show your drivers licence or ID and your out the door back into the Taxi.

https://www.danmurphys.com.au

I understand it is only for Australia-based voyages. Is the price also applicable to non-Australia based voyage as long as booked with Australia travel agent?

 

 

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I think you answered your question in your first sentence

"cruise departing from and returning to Australia and New Zealand.."

I received the following email today from Princess. Seems to me a some Aussies have been, or might be thinking about cancelling their up and coming cruises due to the changes, and this might be a way of getting them to stay.

I still don't understand why when they offer a Sip and Sale promotion that it's not a global promotion and not just for US passengers who happen to be sailing in the same parts of the world as others without the package. It means that as a couple who likes to relax and drink that I'm paying AUD$3354 more for a cruise than a couple from the US. I find this extremely unfair just because of where you live. I feel as though it should be classed as Geographical Discrimination.

Anyway here is a copy of the email.

We are excited and looking forward to hosting you on your upcoming cruise!

Prior to sailing we wanted to update you that we've recently made some adjustments to our Beverage Package Options. The All-inclusive Beverage Package has been discontinued and it has been replaced with the new Premier Beverage Package which will be available on your upcoming voyage.

The new Premier Beverage Package will retail for $86.99 AUD per person per day. However, to celebrate the launch of the new Premier Beverage Package, we have an exclusive deal available to guests who are already booked on a cruise departing from and returning to Australia and New Zealand. Purchase your Premier Beverage Package before the 31st of October 2017 and pay a discount rate of $77 AUD* per person per day.

The new Premier Beverage Package, offers several new benefits. For instance, all beer, wine by the glass, and cocktails up to $16 AUD are included, compared to the previous limit of $14 AUD.

In addition we will continue to serve unlimited non-alcoholic beverages, including bottled water (500ml), fountain sodas, fresh juices (when available), specialty coffees and teas and Red Bull energy drinks. Conveniently the beverage package can be used at all food and beverage venues that offer beverage service.

The new package also includes a 25% discount on ALL bottles of wine (regardless of the price), as well as one-liter bottles of water and bottled juices. Plus, if you are dining at one of our specialty dining venues, you can enjoy a large one-liter bottle of water, either still or sparkling at no charge.

If you already purchased the discontinued All-Inclusive Beverage Package, prior to the 21st of September 2017, this will be automatically replaced with the new Premier Beverage Package at no additional charge.

To see the full terms and conditions, visit princess.com

To take advantage of the limited time offer, visit the Cruise Personalizer on princess.com or call our customer service line at 1300 550 748.

Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.

Great hotel!

https://www.hoteljen.com/singapore/orchardgateway/stay/rooms/deluxe-family-room/

Travelling with 2 adults and more than 1 child?

Note: If there are 2 adults and more than 1 child in your group, please indicate the actual number of children and their ages under Special Requests. Our hotels will still try their best to accommodate your family and will inform you if we are not able to.

This would be considered sharing and would likely get you busted. They will take away the packages and charge you full price for every drink.

Its not like I've only bought 1 drinks package and giving my partner free drinks. I've paid for 30 drinks per 24 hour period and as long as Im not drunk and if bar staff are willing to sell me alcohol, I cant see why I shouldn't be entitled to those other 5 drinks.

Why dont they just say here are your 15 drinks for the day for $86.99 AUD. Sure share them among your family and friends but once they're gone that's bad luck until the next day. 2 packages gets you 30 drinks and so on.

What would happen in this situation do you think.

I buy 2 drinks packages one for my wife and one for myself

Each package is entitled to 15 drinks per 24 hours, 30 in total.

If she drinks 10, am within my rights to drink the other 5 she didn't drink, especially if they are willing to let me buy drinks over the bar at full price?

For me living in Australia we can fly from the Gold Coast to Phuket - Thailand on Airasia for less US$600 Rtn. We could live like Kings in a 5 star resort for under US$150pn. Breakfast is included, lunch and dinner along with drinks would be US$150pd if eating at a upmarket restaurant, but you can eat local food, green curries, sate's, BBQ Seafood, Pad Thai and so forth for under US$50pd. There is so much to see and do or just laze around the resort pool or beach.

When I worked out my up and coming 22 day cruise with Princess it worked out at US$536pd (Including 2 new beverage packages) so to me it just doesn't add up. That's not to say I don't like cruising, I do but when the price starts hitting the pricing I mentioned above you have to sit back and be realistic.

Cheaper price in Australia?

 

UK website is quoting USD 65

 

Annie

Mine could be wrong as I just googled the price. But there is no limit on the amount of drinks in a 24 hour period.

Out of interest, how much is their Drinks Package?

US$55

Toast to all-inclusive options*• Cocktails / Spirits / Liqueurs / Beer• Bottled still and sparkling water• Wines by the glass• Fresh squeezed juices / Non-alcoholic cocktails• Premium coffees and teas• Fountain sodas / Coca-Cola Freestyle® beverages• Coca-Cola® souvenir cup included*Package includes any single beverage item witha value up to $12. Plus, receive a 40% discount onbottled wines priced up to $100, and 20% discounton wines priced above $100.

Royal Caribbean will be rubbing their hands together here in Australia. Two similar size ships for the 2018 Summer with Sydney as their home port. "Ovation of the Seas" and "Majestic Princess". Royal Caribbean would be silly to change anything considering the backlash Princess is receiving.

Ovation of the Seas is better for families with all the activities on board plus they have the Unlimited drinks package too keep the parents happy. I guarantee Ovation will be more popular.

I think what most Aussies are missing on this price increase is that in fact they were getting a hack of a deal with their old price! We are from Canada and our CDN dollar is worth about the same as AUS dollar but both are much less the US dollar. We sailed this past February in Australia and if we had bought the Drink package on board it was 59.00 AUS which would have been the same in CDN funds. But if we were sailing in the Caribbean at the same time the package would have been 59.00 USD which would have been 76.70 CDN. Princess is an American company and sets their prices in US dollars and then converts to the countries currency. It is not Princess's fault that CDN dollar or AUS dollar is less than the American dollar and us Canadians or Aussies have to pay more than the American price. I'm not saying that Aussies drink more than American or Canadians but what we did see on our February cruise was that a lot more passengers on the Australia cruise had purchased the drink package than we had ever seen on our Caribbean cruises. I thought this was due to the great price it was on the Aussie ship. If I look to purchase the drink package today on either a Caribbean cruise or Australian cruise the price is the same to me in Canadian funds. This was not the case last February. The Australia price was much cheaper. Princess has not penalized the Aussies they have just aligned the price for everyone.

I think I'll just stick to Royal Caribbean, problem solved!

They might have to start offering Sip & Sale to Aussies, otherwise there could be some pretty empty ships leaving port.

Im cancelling my 2018 22 night cruise on Majestic Princess Our drink package would have cost $86.99 AUD per day x 2 people = $3,653 AUD, and then telling me that I'm limited to 15 drinks a day. I want to relax, and not count drinks.

We are booked with 4 other couples all with suites and we're all cancelling this cruise.

I was speaking to one of the barman on "Ovation of the Seas" last year and he told me that they have competitions amongst the RCCL ships crew to see who could sell the most drinks package. It seems the winning ship was working in Australian waters.

Last year cruising on Ovation of the Seas through Asia it was 35 dec C and very humid. It was easy to drink 15 light beers, Ciders or Cocktails which seemed to be mainly ice but they were cool and refreshing. If you started at 11am and had 1 say every half an hour you would have used up your 15 drinks by 6:30pm. So no drinks for dinner or before and after a show and especially none if you wished to visit the Casino till late. Its bad enough sitting in the Casino with all the smokers let alone not being ably to enjoy a drink while playing Blackjack.

I'm seriously thinking of cancelling my 22 night cruise (Majestic Princess) next year and re booking a similar cruise on Ovation. This will hugely affect the Aussie market as we are all big drinkers. I think Princess will find that Aussies will will chase value for money and putting a limit on drinks affects that value.

I was thinking Chef’s Table Lumiere, Surly a lot of people would wish to attend and with a minimum number of seats available over the length of the cruise it would be good to book early. e.g. Majestic Princess and 3560 guests, some people are going to miss out?

How far out from your cruise will Princess let you make Specialty Dining Reservations, through the online reservations section?

I transferred to a TA with a $300 credit incentive. When I went to cancel and rebook through a US TA, I read in the small print there was a $300 pp cancellation fee :( 3 of us would have been $900. I would have been better off leaving the booking with Princess.

Wasn't aware of this promotion? :mad: Was it posted on the website through the cruise personalizer...or where? I am in Ireland and booked through Princess UK office...maybe we were not included in that. I received no alert about that and have been on the cruise personalizer on a weekly basis since April when we originally booked.

It was only available to residents of the United States,

Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Bermuda.

Or if you booked through a US TA.

We missed out in Australia as well :(

I could have cancelled and rebooked through a US TA but would have cost me A$900 cancellation fee and would have lost club suite.

We are using China Highlights

I agree with Floridafolks on China Highlights. We toured Beijing for 5 days with China highlights last trip, they were fantastic. 5 people in an modern 13 seat minibus. Great English speaking guide, early start each day, lunch at a different restaurant after our tours and then back to our hotel usually by 3pm for swim and relaxation. this included being picked up from the ship in Tianjin and dropped off at Beijing Airport for 11pm flight on the last day. Total was US$1255 everything was included, lunch, drinks, admission fees so I thought that it was a great deal split between 5 people over 5 days.

Are you able to walk to the port gate in Nha Trang?

As far as I know the ship wont be docking at the port (To Large), and tenders will be the only way off the ship.

Do you think any tenders would go directly to Nha Trang Vinpearl Amusement Park? I see that boats are one of the ways you can get to the resort (It would be nice and handy). I promised my young daughter we would go for the day.

Booked a CC mini suite on the Majestic Princess Aug 2018 for 3 people AUD$11,027.00. A Standard Mini Suite is now selling for AUD$11,047.00. So I've probably got a good deal. I do remember when I made the booking that at the time it was $1000 more to upgrade to CC. Not sure if AUD$45 per day was worth it but grabbed it anyway.

I have the opportunity to book with a US TA including getting the Sip and Sail package which would have saved me AU$2,478 (2 x $59 x 21Nights) but after reading my Australian TA's small print on the contract I'd have AU$300 cancellation fee per person = AU$900. (3 of Us)

Now you probably thinking that AU$2,478 - AU$900 = is still AU$1,578 in savings, and you probably right. But they were unable to Transfer my booking from Australia to the US which means We would loose our Club Mini Suite as they are currently wait listed.

I probably would have changed from a Club Mini Suite to a Mini Suite but we have 4 other couples all with Club Mini Suites and I would hate to see them raising their glasses and smiling at us in the MDR from The Club section :(

So I'm just going to suck it up, pay for the beverage package (Now that its only AU$59pd )and enjoy my holiday :)

I appreciate everyone's input. It looks like my holiday budget is now about AU$800 better off.

Its also probably true that Princess knows us Aussies are going to buy the drinks package no matter what so no point giving it away for free ;p

When we were on Royal Caribbeans "Ovation of the Seas" last year on a similar cruise the bar staff told us the Aussie cruises sell more drinks packages than anywhere else in the world, and they have competitions amongst the ships to see which ship can sell the most AIBP for the month. The ships that come to Australia were the winners.

I think you will need to call Princess or, if you have a good TA, contact that person. See what can be done.

Sent an email to my TA before I posted :)