Prepaying onboard items vs buying onboard?

[gottagocit]

I should know this but I just haven’t given much thought to any potential price differences for preordering items such as 5 for 4 beer ($25.30) and coffee cards ($35.65).

 

These prices are as they appear on our cruise personalizer. How do they compare to onboard prices? Seems like I recall there is a small difference given the gratuity but I’m not sure.

[ltcal94]

I should know this but I just haven’t given much thought to any potential price differences for preordering items such as 5 for 4 beer ($25.30) and coffee cards ($35.65).

 

 

 

These prices are as they appear on our cruise personalizer. How do they compare to onboard prices? Seems like I recall there is a small difference given the gratuity but I’m not sure.

 

 

 

I am not sure that there is a significant difference if any. Certainly not enough to stress over it IMHO. I do prepurchase things like beer or flowers etc . Mostly because I don’t want to touch the OBC for things I already know I will purchase , but that’s just me . Where I have seen differences in the price before a cruise is with certain excursions and the occasional photo offers . With excursions I noticed 5-10 dollar difference on board , but this may vary based on the ship/itinerary.

 

 

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[knittinggirl]

Sometimes we prepay them, but setup delivery for the first sea day to avoid the sales tax.

 

 

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[reedprincess]

I should know this but I just haven’t given much thought to any potential price differences for preordering items such as 5 for 4 beer ($25.30) and coffee cards ($35.65).

 

These prices are as they appear on our cruise personalizer. How do they compare to onboard prices? Seems like I recall there is a small difference given the gratuity but I’m not sure.

Same prices onboard as in cruise personalizer.

 

The only time there may be a difference is if you're dealing with currency conversions where it may be a little better in advance or a little better onboard.

 

Or in Australia, where - in spite of recent updates and such, there's still a bit of a pricing glitch giving rhe drink package or such a higher advance price than onboard - in which cases, the difference is refunded onboard.

[moki'smommy]

Internet packages include "bonus minutes" when purchased in advance.

There are ports where any in port sales are supposed to charge sales tax. Princess and most other lines get around this by writing down your card information but not placing it into their system until the ship is in international waters. This would apply to things like beverage packages. Again, I've never been charged the tax even when I know I was in one of those ports.

 

Photo packages sometimes are a little less if purchased in advance and sometimes have package sizes that are not available after boarding.

 

The only place it becomes worthwhile is if you are doing a currency exchange; in that case it may be less costly to book from home and get a better rate....sometimes.

[yags]

We like to purchase things ahead of time. The costs are basically the same but when you go on your cruise 6 months from now the money spent on the excursion or product is 6 months old and you do not feel like you are paying for something every 5 minutes. Adds to the enjoyment of the cruise.

[voljeep]

depends on how quick you want to start using the buy4get5 on board. the last time we did that, we had to wait for a card to be delivered to the cabin, then call room service to have it delivered...no clue if it's still the same policy

[Cobraman]

We choose to prepay our gratuities so they don't clutter up our folio, since they add them on a daily basis.

 

But, that's just us.

[Beach710]

I the OP doesn't mind if I add on a question.

Does anyone know what happens if you prepay items before the cruise and end up having to cancel during the penalty period? I was looking that the passage contract and the cancellation chart footnote has me concerned

item(s)* Assessed

Items: Cruise, Cruisetour, Cruise Plus Package, pre-purchased gift(s)/special services.

 

Are this items considered pre-purchased gifts(s)? Since I didn't cover them on my trip insurance amount I'm hesitate to prepay for anything.

[AZ Ocean Lover]

On our last cruise we learned that if you want to purchase a case of water you have to do this pre-cruise. You can't order one once you are on the ship.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Pre-purchasing water is the best deal ever IMO. 24 bottles for $13.80? That's only .575 cents per bottle vs. something like $3 once you're onboard. I pre-order water all the time because of this.

 

If you cancel your cruise, you get your money back for any pre-purchased items. I think this is true right up until the sail date.

[sandij]

I have pre ordered water to our cabin. I wanted to pre order rum but it is not showing on the order page, I called and they said to wait until we are on board and order from room service. Anybody have luck doing this.

[Thrak]

I have pre ordered water to our cabin. I wanted to pre order rum but it is not showing on the order page, I called and they said to wait until we are on board and order from room service. Anybody have luck doing this.

 

That seems weird. Two types of rum are plainly listed in the Gifts & Services beverage offerings. I checked both logged in and not logged in and see the same thing.

 

I would call back and tell them you want to purchase one of the following:

Bacardi White 375ml bottle Item #2359 $17.25

Cruzan Coconut Rum 375ml bottle Item #2360 $17.25

[yags]

Pre-purchasing water is the best deal ever IMO. 24 bottles for $13.80? That's only .575 cents per bottle vs. something like $3 once you're onboard. I pre-order water all the time because of this.

 

If you cancel your cruise, you get your money back for any pre-purchased items. I think this is true right up until the sail date.

I am under the Impression that you have until 72 hours prior to cancel for a full refund. I could be wrong . Won't be the first time.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I am under the Impression that you have until 72 hours prior to cancel for a full refund. I could be wrong . Won't be the first time.

Yeah, I'm not positive either as I thought that was the cut-off but I've had friends who cancelled on the day of the cruise and got everything they had pre-ordered back. Guess it's one of those many "grey areas". ;)

[gottagocit]

I don’t understand the need to buy water bottles onboard Princess ships. Water treatment systems on the ships use reverse osmosis filtration processes that make water of a quality far better than you will find in bottled water. It also taste far better than most bottles to me. I’ve worked on industrial systems of this type in my career and know this to be true.

 

Take a ship tour someday and talk directly with the engineers who run the water treatment and other systems to learn more about it as we did.

 

We carry a reusable and plastic safe water bottle that we fill each day before going ashore.

[Happy2cruise]

I don’t understand the need to buy water bottles onboard Princess ships.

 

Probably for the same reasons they bottled water at the grocery stores for their homes......a personal preference;)

[DrivesLikeMario]

I don’t understand the need to buy water bottles onboard Princess ships. Water treatment systems on the ships use reverse osmosis filtration processes that make water of a quality far better than you will find in bottled water. It also taste far better than most bottles to me. I’ve worked on industrial systems of this type in my career and know this to be true.

 

Take a ship tour someday and talk directly with the engineers who run the water treatment and other systems to learn more about it as we did.

 

We carry a reusable and plastic safe water bottle that we fill each day before going ashore.

 

Because there is no way to properly clean the reusable bottle under hot enough temperatures to sterilize it. Other people never clean them the entire week, yet put them right up to the spigot in the buffet. YUCK. :o

[satxdiver]

It has been my understanding that you could purchase items or cancel paid for items up to 72 hours before the cruise. If you cancel the amount is suppose to go back on your credit card. I have not tried either to purchase or cancel so late in the lead up to the cruise.

 

We always buy enough water to take one bottle each on shore excursions. It is so easy and we don't have to worry about the container. They also are lighter than a heavier container. On board of course we drink the water from the taps and even put the container in the refrigerator to get it nice and cold or use the provided ice.

 

We buy a bottle of wine to be delivered the first day hopefully before sailaway depending on how soon we board. We call room service to get the wine however since we have to prove we are old enough to receive it. They bring the wine with glasses, opener (we always use ours) and ice bucket if needed.

[Sue Do-Over]

The sales tax applied depends on whether you are at port (and which one) or at sea. We bought one soda package at the port, and the other that night after sailing, and saw the difference. The casino bartender explained it to us.

 

He went on to sat that the sales tax issue is why the onboard shops are closed on port days, as the travel/tourism tax can be very high, and the cruise line has to sort out each purchase based on day and time-stamp to correctly pay taxes.

[gottagocit]

Because there is no way to properly clean the reusable bottle under hot enough temperatures to sterilize it. Other people never clean them the entire week, yet put them right up to the spigot in the buffet. YUCK. :o

 

This isn’t the case at all. Lmao. Our bottles have wide mouths that are easily cleaned. My wife’s hand fits into the bottle so she uses dish soap and cleans the them.

 

Why would you say people never clean theirs and somehow yuck up a spigot by simply placing them beneath it? The last thing I or most anyone would want to do is to take my clean bottle and rub it al over a public faucet or spigot as you called it. EWE!!! Lol. #ridiculous

Edited March 1, 2018 by gottagocit