Princess Plus Program

[geoherb]

I've seen people who had reached the 15 alcoholic drinks on two different cruises. One was trying to get his wife to order one for him on her account. I felt sorry for her.

[deliver42]

We sailed with the Princess Plus once, and while we don't use the wifi, I thought it was a pleasure not having to keep tabs on the drinks and having the pre paid grats are a big plus. The OBC doesn't hurt either. I don't drink anywhere near the 15 max.

[skynight]

On 10/28/2021 at 10:40 AM, marne-c said:

Thanks, Skynight, for a great explanation.  I followed your link (thanks again!) to learn how bottles of wine at dinner are handled in PrincessPlus.  Sadly, bottled wine is expressly excluded.

 

And yes, I know that on board I will be offered packages of bottled wine.   I'll consider those as presented.

 

 

--Marne

Wine

Bottles of wine are discounted at 25% with the plus package. But, there are other options.

Any glass of wine menu priced $12 and under is included and there are lots of choices. Some wines are higher priced per glass. For these you are charged the difference between $12 and the price + 18%. Example, for a $20 menu priced glass you would be charged $8 + 18% = $9.44. You can also carry on 1 x 750ml bottle of wine per person at no cost. These bottles are for cabin use. However, many pour the glass in the cabin and carry it to the DR or other areas of the ship. No charge carry on bottles are subject to a $20/bot if used in any public area including the DR. You can also carry on additional bottles of wine and are charged the $20 corkage fee when boarding. These bottles are marked. They can be brought into the DR and used there. Unused amounts can be stored in the DR for the next time usage.

If your ship has Vines. Many get their wine at Vines and carry it to the DR. Mention to the bartender that you will take it to the DR. You will get a different wine glass.  

[marne-c]

39 minutes ago, skynight said:

Bottles of wine are discounted at 25% with the plus package. ...If your ship has Vines. Many get their wine at Vines and carry it to the DR. Mention to the bartender that you will take it to the DR. You will get a different wine glass.  

Wow, Skynight, more excellent info.  MANY thanks!!!  

 

DW and I will know from many pre-COVID cruises how carry-on wine has worked.  The Princess policy there seems to be unchanged (although I remember corkage last being $18).  Our next upcoming cruise is on the Regal, so we will have a Vines available.  Not, though, this summer on the Coral.  

 

I recently saw on some thread (I can't remember which, I'm following too many) a posting of the wine list .  Plenty of good choices there, some of which we're very familiar with as once Sonoma County near-neighbors, wine club members and/or vineyard&winery association friends.  Most bottles on the list seem to be priced fairly, with a reasonable markup.  But we did see one wine -- Crios Torrontes -- that we buy for under $9/bottle here in Panama priced at $9/glass, and $37/bottle.  For sure we'll be drinking it by the glass on board!

 

And as wine educator, I have to say that little-known, only-from-Argentina Torrontes is a sensational wine.  Bursting with fruit and flowers, it's wonderful to sip on a sunny patio (or balcony) or to accompany meals.  Crios is an exceptionally fine producer.  (And no, I'm not being paid to say any of this.  I'm just a fan.)

 

 

--Marne

 

 

[Merly]

Definitely worth it in my view. You don’t have to think about what you want, it’s not just alcoholic drinks ( and we have never got close to 15) but coffee, soft drinks and water.  Use the WiFi when you want and don’t have to think about gratuities. All done. Simple. 

[JanetGofWI]

18 hours ago, trbarton said:

You don’t have to do anything. They know what you have when they use their computer. 
 

Tom😀

Thanks Tom, appreciate the info.

[shay1]

Can anyone tell me the type of specialty coffees that are served on Caribbean Princess? We just got off the Celebrity Edge and really enjoyed their Cafe al Bacio where we could get double expresso, americano and our favorite iced caramel macchiatos. Does the Caribbean Princess offer anything like this? Thanks

[Denmal]

We are elite and we find it worth the cost.  We both drink,  not alot, maybe 3 alcoholic ones a day PP, but find the specialty coffee and bottled water inclusions help the cost offset.

It is really a personal decision depending on what and how much you drink..not just alcohol 

[Moondogy]

21 minutes ago, shay1 said:

Can anyone tell me the type of specialty coffees that are served on Caribbean Princess? We just got off the Celebrity Edge and really enjoyed their Cafe al Bacio where we could get double expresso, americano and our favorite iced caramel macchiatos. Does the Caribbean Princess offer anything like this? Thanks

This photo was from 2017, don't know how much it's changed

 

[shay1]

17 minutes ago, Moondogy said:

This photo was from 2017, don't know how much it's changed

 

Fantastic! Thank you. I hope Caribbean Princess has these offers when we sail end of May.

[Moondogy]

1 hour ago, shay1 said:

Fantastic! Thank you. I hope Caribbean Princess has these offers when we sail end of May.

I read this on another thread and this is what I'll be looking to replace my morning coffee hot chocolate with a shot of Baileys 🤣

[shay1]

26 minutes ago, Moondogy said:

I read this on another thread and this is what I'll be looking to replace my morning coffee hot chocolate with a shot of Baileys 🤣

Thank you for your service my husband was Airborne Army Ranger, he said Airborne all the way!

 Like this tip, I may have to try it, after all if it is chocolate it has to be good! 🙂

 

[Moondogy]

6 minutes ago, shay1 said:

Thank you for your service my husband was Airborne Army Ranger, he said Airborne all the way!

 Like this tip, I may have to try it, after all if it is chocolate it has to be good! 🙂

 

And thank your husband for his service as well, and thank you for your sacrifice as an army wife 🙂

[dazlight]

We are looking at booking for July 23. Our family  would be in a mini suite, it’s me , my wife and girls 17 & 15. 
 

would I have to pay the princess plus for all 4 of us ? That would be another £830. 
 

me and my wife would drink at least 8 drinks a day plus a coffee. My girls only drink water. 

Edited April 24, 2022 by dazlight

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, Moondogy said:

I read this on another thread and this is what I'll be looking to replace my morning coffee hot chocolate with a shot of Baileys 🤣

 

I tend toward a Vanilla Latte with a shot of Jameson.

[capriccio]

9 minutes ago, dazlight said:

We are looking at booking for July 23. Our family  would be in a mini suite, it’s me , my wife and girls 17 & 15. 
 

would I have to pay the princess plus for all 4 of us ? That would be another £830. 
 

me and my wife would drink at least 8 drinks a day plus a coffee. My girls only drink water. 

Yes, that is the way it works. Remember that the fare for 3rd and 4th passengers is cheaper.  It will also cover the girls' wi-fi and gratuities.  Is that difference in price you quoted the difference between the Princess Savers fare and the Princess Plus fare?

[dazlight]

15 minutes ago, capriccio said:

Yes, that is the way it works. Remember that the fare for 3rd and 4th passengers is cheaper.  It will also cover the girls' wi-fi and gratuities.  Is that difference in price you quoted the difference between the Princess Savers fare and the Princess Plus fare?

I’ll do a test booking and see the difference… 

[dazlight]

Yes £840 difference. Not worth paying that. 
 

just got off Iona and got the drinks package for £480 and got wi fi one day and used our data in ports. 
 

might be worth asking my travel agent to see the cost  of 2 cabins which we have done before. I can get one with my daughter and my wife with the other daughter then I’ll get the plus on our room. 

Edited April 24, 2022 by dazlight

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, dazlight said:

Yes £840 difference. Not worth paying that. 

You haven't factored in the autotips,  plus the fact that the drinks on Princess are much more expensive than on P&O. 

[mbglib]

On 10/27/2021 at 6:33 AM, skynight said:

Normally the additional fare has been $40/day/pp. This includes the $14.50 to $16.50/day/pp gratuity that you would pay anyway. Net additional charge is around $25/pp/day. Assuming you would use some sort of wi-fi that charge could range if purchased separately from $5/pp/day to $10/pp/day. Therefore the additional charge for beverages is around $20/pp/day.

Two alcoholic beverages a day you break even and you also receive the benefit of unlimited specialty coffee drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages. If you drink at all it would be difficult not to break even.

On board you order whatever beverage you enjoy. Any beverage menu priced $12 and under is covered. This is about 90 to 95% of all beverages sold. If a drink is menu priced higher than $12 you will be charged the difference plus 18% of the difference. Beverages must be ordered one at a time.

There are no special lines, locations, times, selections for the beverage package. Order any where on the ship. Anything on the menus anytime of day is included within the generous terms and conditions. There is no additional per drink gratuity added. Alcoholic beverages are limited to 15/pp/day, 6am to 6am. 

https://www.princess.com/html/global/personalizer/ssv/beverages/disclaimer/

 

delete

Edited April 24, 2022 by mbglib

[Thrak]

7 minutes ago, mbglib said:

I was disappointed on the Emerald that I had to pay extra for canned soda, especially since the fountain soda was not good.  It it says any drink less than $12, that is what it should cover, even a $3 can of soda.

 

Unfortunately the terms of the package clearly state that it doesn't cover soda in cans.

[mbglib]

11 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Unfortunately the terms of the package clearly state that it doesn't cover soda in cans.

I discovered that, so that is why I deleted my post.  Still unfortunate that the fountain soda was so bad.

[jagoffee]

1 hour ago, mbglib said:

I discovered that, so that is why I deleted my post.  Still unfortunate that the fountain soda was so bad.

Did you try the fountain soda in several different locations?  I sometimes notice a different. (Perhaps the system is misadjusted.  I am more concerned about the brands/types that are only available in cans.  

[Moondogy]

3 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

I tend toward a Vanilla Latte with a shot of Jameson.

The only thing I like in my Jameson is ice 😊

[Mil758]

11 hours ago, dazlight said:

We are looking at booking for July 23. Our family  would be in a mini suite, it’s me , my wife and girls 17 & 15. 
 

would I have to pay the princess plus for all 4 of us ? That would be another £830. 
 

me and my wife would drink at least 8 drinks a day plus a coffee. My girls only drink water. 

It is possible to pay the Princess Plus fare for the first 2 pax and not 3rd and 4th but you might need to phone your TA to do this. We have recently booked a mini suite for a cruise in May and I had the same concerns - our children are only 4 and 2 and wouldn't benefit at all from the soft drink/coffee package. I called our TA and they were able to book us all on the normal fare and manually added the Princess Plus package for myself and husband. 

 

You would of course need to pay their gratuities separately as they won't be covered but still works out much better for us.

 

I believe the general rule is that the first two pax in the cabin would both need to have the same package (so not possible for just 1 to have PP fare) but 3rd and 4th is optional. I tried numerous TA websites but couldn't find an option online to select PP just for us hence why I called them. 

 

Hope this helps.