Steelers36

That is pricy. CAD was better last week and I would say I could buy USD today for a shade over 1.36.

I kind of doubt those FLL shuttle services that run around the hotels, or the hotel-branded ones, do anything but go back and forth to the piers. We don't book suites, but I too am curious to know if this off-site check-in location is still in operation. When they launched it, we had a couple of reports and then crickets. One would think some suite guests would mention it. OTOH, this is a very quiet time of year for Princess out of Port Everglades. There are no current cruises. I'd look for this service to start up again later in the Fall.

You do realize you have responded to something posted almost SIX years ago? A lot can change in six years. I thought I had read recently this was gone, but I do see it as part of the Mini-Suite stateroom features. You can go to Princess.com and see details on stateroom types and features under the ships section of the website.

I thought maybe you had built in the 18% and rounded up. Of course it all depends on how expensive a drink you order and how expensive a bottle of wine you order. Recently the 1.35 rate was not good as CAD was more like 1.30/1.31, but the CAD has slid yet again. Sadly, we have poor economic situation right now.

I do see both sides of the coin here. However, I believe it is false logic to claim that purchasing Standard, Plus, or Premier specifically included free access to Alfredo's/Gigi's. Dining locations come and go. Princess can make changes. They can change something like TV channels. They can change what's included in UBD offering. Princess was fully within their rights to implement a RS charge. The debate is over how and when to implement it. I do think Princess has egg on their faces for having to implement a fee for Ocean Now since it had been a marketing differential with other lines. Again, they are within their rights to do so and the same debate occurs - how and when to make the change. The majority of cruisers - according to Princess marketing expectations, are on Plus or Premier, so those folks are pretty whole - for the most part (the biggest exception I see is those on longer voyages being restricted in number of free visits to Alfredo's/Gigi's if on the Plus - a majority of guests supposedly). Setting aside the number of free visits issue, regardless of voyage length (this also affects the SD benefit), because I think that is a different issue altogether that could be discussed with Princess or seek an explanation as to perceived unfairness. Princess could have gained a lot of good karma and publicity if they grandfathered in existing fully-paid bookings. I hope they factored that into the equation of how many would accept versus be upset with an immediate change affecting all guests. Perhaps they decided they would let the ships handle front-line complaints and provide guests who do complain and qualify with the changed items at no charge. But that is a cost as well - bad publicity, occupying GS or other crew with these complaints, taking away from ability to handle the normal day-to-day inquiries and passenger needs at GS desk. My guess is that either the technology to track and allow just wasn't possible in a reasonable time-frame (nor would it be likely trusted at first to work), or they just decided to take heat for a short period and it would not affect bookings or repeat business. Judging by CC posts, they miscalculated. We don't know how it is impacting 3000 - 4000 passengers each week. Bottom line for me is that Princess was within their right to make the changes they did and we either suck it up or move on. But I do think they fumbled the ball on both communication and implementation. Better handling of both those would have less upset guests and less "bad press". My message to those posting over and over about how wronged they are and how upset is to write Princess HQ and let them know. And politely inquire on their cruise about some relief or compensation for the things they are missing out on for free. A polite discussion about why you think some relief is appropriate might result in a good thing. I would hope this group asking for relief only consists of those who were past FP Date when the changes were announced.

This is a key statement.

I have read this, but would love to read more after myself and others were posting that guest can have surf & turf included. So, why cannot guest have 2nd lobster tail free if not having the steak? I'd be asking that of a Head Waiter or DR Mgr.

They don't have glitches. They have bugs.

Yes, you do need to factor in the cost of the wine you are buying. IDK your voyage itinerary, but bringing a couple of bottles back on per port is not a big deal - as long you you didn't have to lug them around all day. I don't normally count on adding much more wine at ports. Depends. Your math was fine - we just don't drink the 6 drinks per day and don't do through a bottle of wine per day. I also don't need to spend $50/btl if acquiring it off the ship. Another factor is if your dining habit is to get the same table and waiters for each night, you may find you are not charged corkage all the time. Two bottles are free for the cabin, but once opened can also go to dinner. All that said, you are well within making the PLUS work for you. Okay. Enjoy! Don't forget, you can buy it on board if having Medallions picked up at port works for you. You will get a $10 rebate. If you buy insurance, you save the insurance on the Plus cost. OBC will cover at least some of the Plus cost.

It has been well documented here that the Travel Summary has not yet got the changes to the packages updated.

And neither did Princess.

PCL does offer free pizza on the ships. And from what I have read here, it is better than what RCCL offers and so we have not even addressed Alfredo's/Gigi's.

Here is what Princess has to say on the matter. It does confirm that both the CA and the 18% Service Charges are pooled. They have not updated anything to address the $15 fee for Ocean Now nor the $5 RS service fee (at least some of that is very likely going into the pool). https://www.princess.com/html/global/disclaimers/crew-appreciation/ Key message: All of the Crew Appreciation and Service Charge payments made by all guests on all ships in our fleet are pooled, net of credit card transaction fees. The pooled funds are distributed throughout the year in the form of compensation, including bonuses, to crewmembers fleetwide who interact directly with guests and/or behind the scenes throughout every cruise, including those in the Bar, Dining, Entertainment, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Galley and Onboard Revenue areas.

My understanding - and it has historically been that way at least - is that food service means MDR, SD, Casual Dining, Buffet. Not bars and drink locations where 18% is added. I am not sure where RS fits in since they deliver both food and drink. I don't use RS, but I think the answer would like in if a RS items gets 18% added.

IDK. Ask Carnac (oops - he's dead). Ask the Magic 8-Ball (do they still exist?). In one post, I was speculating that if PCL backed out the CA and the 18% from what they claim the beverage package is worth, there'd be no money left for profit.

The so-called auto gratuities - now Crew Appreciation - does not cover bar staff.

NTH.

Worldwide AFAIK. But I never tried Australia zone. The one time we went to Oz and cruised, I was using points to fly Business and we had stopped in Hawaii first. After the cruise to NZ, we had an extended air & land trip around Australia.

I have a dentist appt. I will check it out after.

True, but the 18% is baked into those menu prices.

Bar staff tip pool. I don't think we mere guests know anymore whether it is combined in one large pool with the CA dollars, or whether they are administered separately. Princess always described it as going to the bar staff.

@DaisyRose. Hope you have read post 196 as that is bang on to your issue.

Login to Cruise Personalizer and download the Travel Summary PDF. I download Onboard Services (print to PDF). I download Credits (print to PDF) - which is under Payments & Credits tab. I download Travel Summary (prepared as a PDF). I download my EZ-Air reservations (print to PDF). I do this every time there is a change.

Cruise Personalizer under Payments section. There is a Credits section if you scroll down and it shows there. Also, download the Travel Summary PDF (also Cruise Personalizer) and it shows there.

Most of us believe they have always held back some table space from the pre-cruise booking ability. They certainly did so when booking SD was in the Cruise Personalizer.