Beverage Package Discount

[SPUNKEN]

Having sailed on Celebrity they have periodically put their beverage package on sale at a reduced cost. Does anyone know if Princess offers this during certain times?

[Cruise Junky]

I think it's too new to Princess to be putting on special yet. Celebrity's has been around for a couple of years now.

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes just started a few months ago, no discount.

[Working 2 Cruise]

No discount.

 

There was something offered for UK cruisers out of Southampton a few months ago but no longer. Apparently, Princess doesn't feel the need to offer free packages to fill it's ships, unlike Celebrity.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Working 2 Cruise

[Cruise Junky]

No discount.

 

Apparently, Princess doesn't feel the need to offer free packages to fill it's ships, unlike Celebrity.

 

LOL...remind me who was giving away Westcoast cruises last year?? oh yeah, Princess :eek:

[Working 2 Cruise]

LOL...remind me who was giving away Westcoast cruises last year?? oh yeah, Princess :eek:

 

We know you hate Princess and love Celebrity... It is truly amazing that you spend so much time here when, according to you, Celebrity is so much better.

[Cruise Junky]

We know you hate Princess and love Celebrity... It is truly amazing that you spend so much time here when, according to you, Celebrity is so much better.

 

Hate Princess? Never. Don't confuse disliking Royal and Regal to hating Princess. What I do hate is people making ridiculous statements

[Cruise Junky]

Having sailed on Celebrity they have periodically put their beverage package on sale at a reduced cost. Does anyone know if Princess offers this during certain times?

 

Another reason why you may not see them on Princess is they only have one level of package. Celebrity gives away the Classic package probably with the expectation that 50% of the people that receive it upgrade to the Premium Package paying an additional $12 a day. They're recouping some of their costs with that. You've got nothing to upgrade to on Princess so they would literally be giving it away.

 

Princess, Celebrity, HAL, they all have their marketing schemes, Princess allows stacking of OBC, Celebrity doesn't. So pick which perk you like on each line. They all offer perks to fill the ships.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Princess, Celebrity, HAL, they all have their marketing schemes, Princess allows stacking of OBC, Celebrity doesn't. So pick which perk you like on each line. They all offer perks to fill the ships.

 

All the cruise lines are having trouble filling their ships profitably in the Caribbean/Mexico/US west coast at certain times of year. There is an oversupply of berths at unsustainably low prices in the Caribbean/Mexico/US market, hence why the cruise lines are shifting more ships to shorter itineraries to lure more first time cruisers (who typically spend more per day). Additionally they as deploying more ships to Asia and Australia (and reducing Caribbean/Mexico/US capacity) where they can command higher per diems on the cabins and are finding the average onboard spending per passenger to be much higher. They drink more, gamble more, shop more, and buy more excursions on average than we do.

 

I can't tell you how many posts I've seen in EVERY forum on cruise critic where people are talking about how they got OBC back in cash at the end of the cruise, or how they don't drink enough for the drink package to be worth it (but yet will sit the full length of any event offering free drinks and consume as much as they can), or how low their onboard spending is. Until We start spending more, on average, I fully expect more ships to leave our home ports and go elsewhere. If we were fully utilizing and paying for all the amenities a ship offers (like passengers in other regions seem to be doing) then we wouldn't see discounting of beverage packages (heck we probably wouldn't have them), promos on specialty restaurants, OBC offers, etc, etc.

 

The cruise industry is a business, not a charity, and they follow the money!

 

P.S. Before anyone tells me to get off my "high horse", I'll freely admit that I'm guilty of not spending like the cruise lines want me to. I don't use the spa services, I don't buy the photos, I rarely buy anything in the shops, I gamble very little, I don't attend the art auctions or any for fee seminars/classes....... The only ancillary revenue I provide is by purchasing an alcoholic beverage package, specialty dining, and occasionally an excursion or two. I'm an admitted deal shopper and am always hunting for OBC or special promos to help stretch my vacation dollars. I am part of the revenue stream problem as much as anyone else.

Edited August 23, 2014 by scottamiller

[Pam in CA]

Another reason why you may not see them on Princess is they only have one level of package. Celebrity gives away the Classic package probably with the expectation that 50% of the people that receive it upgrade to the Premium Package paying an additional $12 a day. They're recouping some of their costs with that. You've got nothing to upgrade to on Princess so they would literally be giving it away.

 

Princess, Celebrity, HAL, they all have their marketing schemes, Princess allows stacking of OBC, Celebrity doesn't. So pick which perk you like on each line. They all offer perks to fill the ships.

Follow the money. Any of the packages are there not to save you money or be "good guys" but to make money. That includes the all-inclusive beverage package. Few people are going to break even and the cruise lines are laughing all the way to the bank.

 

FYI, you feel about the Royal/Regal the way I do about Celebrity so perhaps we cancel each other out. :)

Edited August 23, 2014 by Pam in CA

[caribill]

All the cruise lines are having trouble filling their ships profitably in the Caribbean/Mexico/US west coast at certain times of year. There is an oversupply of berths at unsustainably low prices in the Caribbean/Mexico/US market, hence why the cruise lines are shifting more ships to shorter itineraries to lure more first time cruisers (who typically spend more per day).

 

Until We start spending more, on average, I fully expect more ships to leave our home ports and go elsewhere. If we were fully utilizing and paying for all the amenities a ship offers (like passengers in other regions seem to be doing) then we wouldn't see discounting of beverage packages (heck we probably wouldn't have them), promos on specialty restaurants, OBC offers, etc, etc.

 

 

As you point out, the problem is overcapacity in the Caribbean. That is why cruise lines are moving ships to other markets where capacity is below the potential demand.

 

There has also been overcapacity in the Med market which is why some cruise lines' ships have been relocated from that area of the world.

 

RCCL is repositioning the newest ship in its fleet to Asia next spring, a move that was announced before the ship had its maiden voyage this year.

 

As far as Caribbean pricing, much has to do with the public's perception of the ships and the number of passengers needed to fill them. For whatever reason, one can book a Caribbean cruise on the Regal for less money than on older Princess ships.

 

Looking at current pricing as listed on a TA's web site. Does not factor in any past passenger discount for either cruise line. The extra taxes not included. These are for 7 nights out of Port Everglades.

 

Departing December 6, 2014

Oasis of the Seas -- Inside from $720; Balconies from $907

 

Departing December 7, 2014

Regal Princess -- Inside from $499; Balconies from $699

 

So, 5 year old Oasis has insides priced 44% higher than on the brand new Regal and balconies priced 29.7% higher than on the brand new Regal.

 

Departing December 6, 2014

Ruby Princess -- Inside from $599; Balconies from $899

The Ruby insides start at 20% higher than the Regal. The Ruby balconies start at 28.6% higher than the Regal.

 

When a six-year old Princess ship commands higher pricing than the newest ship in the fleet, there must be something about the newer ship that is not attracting passengers as much as it should.

Edited August 23, 2014 by caribill

[Cruise Junky]

 

FYI, you feel about the Royal/Regal the way I do about Celebrity so perhaps we cancel each other out. :)

 

You my friend need to try an S Class ;)

[AtlantaCruiser72]

One of the things that may be hurting the Regal's pricing is the fact that it does the same Eastern 7 night itinerary week after week after week. The Ruby does alternating Eastern/Western itineraries,(as does the Oasis). The Ships that do the alternating cruises have a better chance of having B2B cruisers which leaves less inventory available for those only wishing to do 7 nights. Princess markets their B2B sailings fairly heavily so that may be part of the higher rates on the Ruby. Princess may also have a higher percentage of first time cruisers (or new to Princess cruisers) onboard the Regal than the Ruby, which drives up the ancillary revenue. The Regal also has more additional cost items/venues that drive ancillary revenue than the Ruby. They are most likely using the "sail on the shiny new ship at a great rate" tactic to lure passengers to the Princess brand knowing that many will come back on another cruise with them.

 

RCCL has built a great brand image centered on the Oasis/Allure and those two ships are still driving a revenue premium ahead of most of their competition in the 7 night market.

[Pam in CA]

You my friend need to try an S Class ;)

I probably do but I found Celebrity so darned expensive at $2,300 for a balcony 7-day cruise vs. a balcony on my Royal 17-day for about $3,500 as a single on both. Huge difference. And I was so turned off by their onboard Customer Service. :( Maybe some day. Never say never. A friend who usually sails Cunard and swore that on her dying breath she'd never cruise Carnival or RCCL again is off on Monday on a Carnival cruise. :) Maybe we can make a pinky swear that I'll try Celebrity again if you try the Royal or Regal. :)

[Cruise Junky]

I probably do but I found Celebrity so darned expensive at $2,300 for a balcony 7-day cruise vs. a balcony on my Royal 17-day for about $3,500 as a single on both. Huge difference. And I was so turned off by their onboard Customer Service. :( Maybe some day. Never say never. A friend who usually sails Cunard and swore that on her dying breath she'd never cruise Carnival or RCCL again is off on Monday on a Carnival cruise. :) Maybe we can make a pinky swear that I'll try Celebrity again if you try the Royal or Regal. :)

 

Hmmmmm for you, maybe ;)

 

That is a crazy price for 7 days. As a comparison, we have a 13 day med cruise booked with a very large balcony off the hump, $200 OBC from X, free Gratuities and a free drink package for $2,600 pp which I find very reasonable

[Pam in CA]

Hmmmmm for you, maybe ;)

 

 

 

That is a crazy price for 7 days. As a comparison, we have a 13 day med cruise booked with a very large balcony off the hump, $200 OBC from X, free Gratuities and a free drink package for $2,600 pp which I find very reasonable

We'll talk but not here. :)

[OCruisers]

At this point Princess has not had any discounts on the All Inclusive Beverage Sticker.

LuLu

[pablo222]

They are most likely using the "sail on the shiny new ship at a great rate" tactic to lure passengers

 

That would be an unusual tactic, as most cruise lines use:

"newest ship commands the highest price, especially during

the first season."

[AtlantaCruiser72]

That would be an unusual tactic, as most cruise lines use:

"newest ship commands the highest price, especially during

the first season."

 

Not if you are having a tough time attracting new customers in a saturated market. Especially when the new "WOW" amenities you are trying to sell people on are rather lackluster in comparison to what NCL/RCCL are offering. While Princess builds beautiful ships with excellent food, service and entertainment offerings their competition seriously beats their pants off by luring in new cruisers with their water slides, ice rinks, rock walls, broadway shows, and so on.

 

Having worked in the travel industry many years ago when the Princess Grand Class and RCCLs Voyager class were both new I found that most consumers were lured to RCCL because of the brand image appearing to be more cutting edge. Even then RCCL commanded higher per diems than Princess for brand new ships. Whether the consumer would actually use all the features was a non factor as the RCCL ships gave the appearance of offering a better value by sheer distinction of offering more gimmicks.

 

The very fact that Princess has put the Royal on the 10 night caribbean sailings (displacing the Emerald) as soon as the Regal entered the market (Rather than the Royal replaying the Ruby) says a lot about the challenge Princess faces in the 7 night market, which has a higher percentage of new cruisers. The 10 night cruises are selling well and commanding strong fares, which underlies the fact that Princess has a strong past passenger base who are willing to pay for a new ship on the right itinerary.

 

 

All this can go back to the original question - has Princess ever discounted the Beverage packages? No, they are too new, and I expect Princess to tweak pricing/inclusions/exclusions for the next 10-12 months. After that I can see them emulating the Celebrity/HAL model of offering a "free" package (or other options) on select cruises as a way of driving up overall base cabin revenue. I don't see them offering the packages at a discount, as the general marketing proposition is that the packages are already giving passengers a "discount" on their onboard beverage purchases (whether true or not is a matter of some debate). This has worked VERY well for Celebrity, and HAL is still working out the finer points (their signature beverage package is the worst in the industry at present). "All-inclusive" beverage packages are the way of the future and I expect to see more use of them, as well as pre-paid gratuities, OBC, ETC as a tool to drive up base fares, especially on sailings/brands that have typically had lower base fares combined with lower onboard revenues than the cruise line would prefer. When passengers feel that they have gotten their drinks for free they are more likely to spend in the spa, casino, shops, art auctions, excursions, etc, etc than when they also are accruing charges for beverages. This is despite the fact that the upfront cost of the cruise may have been higher than they used to pay in the first place. That's smart marketing!

[aaerobear]

We had had the new drinks package on three cruises now and have usually come out ahead. No, I don't slurp cocktails all day, but with the specialty coffees and Fresh juices as well as soda and smoothies, along with a couple drinks before dinner and glasses of wine with dinner you are able to make it worth your while.

[janecambridge]

We had had the new drinks package on three cruises now and have usually come out ahead. No, I don't slurp cocktails all day, but with the specialty coffees and Fresh juices as well as soda and smoothies, along with a couple drinks before dinner and glasses of wine with dinner you are able to make it worth your while.

 

I agree.It isn't about being a constant alcohol consumer.We had proper tins of coke and tonic instead of fountain stuff,bottled carbonated with our dinner,lovely coffees and specialist teas and also many mocktails.We came out ahead for a week recently.

[jammen]

I'll have to look into this one. We are sailing in October on Star Princess, this will be a B2B.

[cr83687]

Where do you get the fresh juices...at the bars?