big mistake Princess!!

[martin jenkins]

You would need to have at least 5 wines or cocktails to spend that much and get the perceived money's worth. This is relatively easy each evening, but your liver would need a break. Personally a couple of wines with dinner will do me fine, although when I have a drinks package (as a perk), I may have a night cap or two as well.

 

not that hard to drink 5 mojito's not a great deal of alcohol in them, now 5 beverley hill iced teas ??? and if the ship has a vines nice to sit there in the evening having $14 or now maybe $16 glasses of wine, without the package i certainly wouldn't be paying that on a ship or at home.

[MicCanberra]

not that hard to drink 5 mojito's not a great deal of alcohol in them, now 5 beverley hill iced teas ??? and if the ship has a vines nice to sit there in the evening having $14 or now maybe $16 glasses of wine, without the package i certainly wouldn't be paying that on a ship or at home.

Exactly, not that hard to do but it is generally more than what most people would normally drink every day.

[suey]

I've experienced these on Carnival cruises but not on Princess cruises. In fact I've never seen anyone off their face on a Princess cruise but then a gain we go to bed early and rise early. Maybe it happens late at night.

 

Yes Princess is usually ok but during school holidays you seem to get a different type of cruise passenger

[Aus Traveller]

Copy of EMail sent by Princess Cruises to Moderator of Princess Cruises FB Site for Info only

 

"In regards to the price increase on the new ‘Premier Beverage Package’, during our review of our package offerings and pricing, it was discovered that the Australian price published on our website and in our materials, had not been pegged to the actual rate of exchange of the Australian currency. As such the price published had remained stagnant for several years, while the rate of exchange continued to climb. Instead of marginal increases of the price over several years as the AUD strengthened, we now have a correction that appears sharper than normal due to the proper application of the current exchange rate. The new AUD price reflects the same price as the US dollar based package, it has just been converted into Australian Dollars at the current (correct) exchange rate.

The AUD daily amount also already includes the daily service charge, whereas the US dollar amount is often published without that built in.

Lastly, it is important to note that even with the F/X correction, Princess is highly favorable in AUD pricing as compared to other Australian based lines, such as P&O Australia. P&O prices their package at $105.00 AUD, and caps their menu price at $15.00 AUD, Princess is priced at $86.99 AUD and caps the menu price at $16.00 AUD.

At this stage, we have not been officially informed about any changes to our Happy Hour and Buy one Get one for $1.00 program.

Cheers

I note that Princess says the P&O price is $105. I feel that comment is rather misleading. I have quoted the price of the P&O premium package.

 

Premium Beverage Package

 

Cruises 7 nights or more

 

Soda

Tea & Coffee

Juice blends

Mocktails

600ml bottled water

Beer and cider

Wine (per glass up to and including $12)

Spirits (per glass up to and including $12)

Cocktails up to and including $12

Energy drinks

Onboard price: AU$89.00 per person per day

 

Pre-purchase before cruising: AU$79.00 per person per day

 

 

The more expensive package (called "the lot") includes energy drinks and tea and coffee. It also includes drinks up to $15 rather than $12. This package is priced at $95 for pre-purchase and $105 if purchased on board.

[BarbarianPaul]

Do people really drink 15 drinks a day?

 

 

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[Aus Traveller]

Do people really drink 15 drinks a day?

 

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I have seen some people trying their best to do so by starting by 9 or 10 am. :)

 

A drinks package would not be cost effective for us. We enjoy a glass or two of wine at dinner. If we had a drinks package we would have two or three extra drinks each, but that would be all. I would not like to have 15 drinks any day, but certainly not every day.

[NSWP]

Do people really drink 15 drinks a day?

 

 

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Some Aussies do.:')

[linanles]

Some Aussies do.:')

 

The number of Aussies drinking 15 every day at bar prices is got to be very low and those doing that probably couldn't afford to go cruising and pay the bar bill.:D

 

Do Aussies on average drink more than other nationalities?

[Bodogbodog]

Do Aussies on average drink more than other nationalities?

 

Apparently not - #22 on this list

 

Source: http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/who-drinks-the-most-alcohol-consumption-by-country.html

 

As will all averages there's some who drink more and some who drink less

[MicCanberra]

Do people really drink 15 drinks a day?

 

 

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Easily done. A couple of coffees, half a dozen waters, 2 beers with lunch, a cocktail in the afternoon, 2 wines with dinner and then a couple of night caps.

 

Although 15 alcoholic drinks a day may be a challenge, would have start early, finish late and doing it every day would have severe consequences.

[MicCanberra]

The number of Aussies drinking 15 every day at bar prices is got to be very low and those doing that probably couldn't afford to go cruising and pay the bar bill.:D

 

Do Aussies on average drink more than other nationalities?

The ones drinking 15 alcoholic drinks per day would have a package for sure but I agree there wouldn't be many.

[BarbarianPaul]

Mixing in non alcoholic, of course it’s possible. And I guess 15 with alcohol is possible, at least for me, if I wanted to try a bunch of drinks without finishing them.

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Mixing in non alcoholic, of course it’s possible. And I guess 15 with alcohol is possible, at least for me, if I wanted to try a bunch of drinks without finishing them.

 

 

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Yeah, I think most peoples bodies wouldn't cope for long drinking that much.

[Aus Traveller]

Yeah, I think most peoples bodies wouldn't cope for long drinking that much.

I know someone who drank that heavily for many years. The result was pancreatitis. Very unpleasant.

[GUT2407]

Many many years ago, 15 a day for three days would have been light drinking for me.

[NSWP]

Many many years ago, 15 a day for three days would have been light drinking for me.

 

Indeed, I would have put away that many too, 30 - 50 years ago. I still know blokes who spill that much....15 schooners per diem. :mad:

 

Back in the 70's after night shift, we hit the early openers at the 'Loo, KX and Darlo, I won't explain further...statute barred Mr Gut? :mad::(

[GUT2407]

Indeed, I would have put away that many too, 30 - 50 years ago. I still know blokes who spill that much....15 schooners per diem. :mad:

 

Back in the 70's after night shift, we hit the early openers at the 'Loo, KX and Darlo, I won't explain further...statute barred Mr Gut? :mad::(

 

 

Understood Uncle Les nudge nudge wink wink

[MicCanberra]

I know someone who drank that heavily for many years. The result was pancreatitis. Very unpleasant.

Yeah, it wouldn't do anyone around any good as well.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We're just back from a 21 night Med cruise on Royal Princess. We had a great cruise, naturally, but we also experimented with not having a drinks package after three cruises where we'd had the AIBP, and we certainly saved heaps.

 

Initially I booked this cruise through Princess Australia. Then the Sip and Sail promotion came out in the US and I was able to cancel my Aussie booking and rebook with the Sip and Sail through a US TA, saving around AU $2,500. Just after Christmas I noticed a big price drop for this cruise and my TA was able to refare it for me. I lost the Sip and Sail but even after making allowances for the potential cost of purchasing the drinks package we saved at least another AU$2,500.

 

In the end we decided not to buy a drinks package at US $57.45 pp per day, but chose to buy a 12 bottle gold wine package and pay for all other drinks separately including coffees, speciality teas, fresh OJ and bottled water. Note - we only drink espresso so buying a coffee card doesn't work as espresso is cheaper than the per coffee rate of the card.

 

Even allowing for the fact that sometimes we had to choose wines that were dearer than the US $45 maximum of the wine package, due to Royal running out of at least 25% of the wines on the wine list during our cruise, our average daily spend for drinks was US $38.02pp. Even without the wine package discount on 12 bottles of wine we would have come in under the US AIBP price.

 

We had bought the AIBP on previous Aussie-based cruises and, at the time, felt we got value for money from it but the calculations for that were based on buying wines by the glass. Admittedly we drank a little less on this port-intensive cruise as a) we were usually so tired at night we didn't have an after dinner drink and b) the large number of port days meant we weren't having lunch with wine/beer onboard.

 

We certainly won't be buying the Aussie drinks package at the new price on our next cruise, we'll be saving heaps and Princess will be losing out on that extra revenue. Oh dear, how sad, never mind! ;p

[alstravels]

All you hear now is about cut backs and price rises. The only way these greedy cruise lines are going to get the message is if we, as their customers, start voting with our feet and our wallets

 

 

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[Pushka]

We're just back from a 21 night Med cruise on Royal Princess. We had a great cruise, naturally, but we also experimented with not having a drinks package after three cruises where we'd had the AIBP, and we certainly saved heaps.

 

 

 

Initially I booked this cruise through Princess Australia. Then the Sip and Sail promotion came out in the US and I was able to cancel my Aussie booking and rebook with the Sip and Sail through a US TA, saving around AU $2,500. Just after Christmas I noticed a big price drop for this cruise and my TA was able to refare it for me. I lost the Sip and Sail but even after making allowances for the potential cost of purchasing the drinks package we saved at least another AU$2,500.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was this the cruise you purchased ages ago? Sounds like things turned out exceptionally well. [emoji4]

[mr walker]

All you hear now is about cut backs and price rises. The only way these greedy cruise lines are going to get the message is if we, as their customers, start voting with our feet and our wallets

 

And yet more and more people are cruising every year, so they clearly are voting with their feet and wallets. People will choose to buy drinks, either as-you-go or in packages, or not, & people will bitch & moan & post on cc and FB, but the ships keep filling up.

[NSWP]

We're just back from a 21 night Med cruise on Royal Princess. We had a great cruise, naturally, but we also experimented with not having a drinks package after three cruises where we'd had the AIBP, and we certainly saved heaps.

 

Initially I booked this cruise through Princess Australia. Then the Sip and Sail promotion came out in the US and I was able to cancel my Aussie booking and rebook with the Sip and Sail through a US TA, saving around AU $2,500. Just after Christmas I noticed a big price drop for this cruise and my TA was able to refare it for me. I lost the Sip and Sail but even after making allowances for the potential cost of purchasing the drinks package we saved at least another AU$2,500.

 

In the end we decided not to buy a drinks package at US $57.45 pp per day, but chose to buy a 12 bottle gold wine package and pay for all other drinks separately including coffees, speciality teas, fresh OJ and bottled water. Note - we only drink espresso so buying a coffee card doesn't work as espresso is cheaper than the per coffee rate of the card.

 

Even allowing for the fact that sometimes we had to choose wines that were dearer than the US $45 maximum of the wine package, due to Royal running out of at least 25% of the wines on the wine list during our cruise, our average daily spend for drinks was US $38.02pp. Even without the wine package discount on 12 bottles of wine we would have come in under the US AIBP price.

 

We had bought the AIBP on previous Aussie-based cruises and, at the time, felt we got value for money from it but the calculations for that were based on buying wines by the glass. Admittedly we drank a little less on this port-intensive cruise as a) we were usually so tired at night we didn't have an after dinner drink and b) the large number of port days meant we weren't having lunch with wine/beer onboard.

 

We certainly won't be buying the Aussie drinks package at the new price on our next cruise, we'll be saving heaps and Princess will be losing out on that extra revenue. Oh dear, how sad, never mind! ;p

 

Makes sense mate, that is what we do, pay as we go, little bit of wine, cheapest wine on MDR list, just drink half and leave half for next night and a pre dinners drink does not add up to US$58 each per day. Glad you enjoyed Royal, we are on her next June.:*

[OzKiwiJJ]

Was this the cruise you purchased ages ago? Sounds like things turned out exceptionally well. [emoji4]

 

It was and it did, apart from a couple of health issues.

[cheznandy]

Us too, if there is no wine package available we take our own . I can get a Shiraz or Sav Blanc that we like for $10, plus the $15 corkage.

We change the mini bar out for beers so Andy ends up with 10......and the softies and water for soda water for me. I get some limes from the bar and we have drinks for the afternoon.

An $8.50 drink in Skywalkers before dinner and wine with dinner, even if we drink the whole bottle between us we are still only averaging under $50 per day for two of us.

Sometimes we even lash out with a cocktail after dinnerr haha or Lemoncello on Italian night!!! but we are usually having cup of tea, love the free pot of tea with the coffee card.

 

We dont drink fruit juices, soft drinks or creamy cocktails, so the Package is a waste for us, although I know many who get great value!!!

 

 

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