Small Cutbacks Noticed

[Kmkub]

24 minutes ago, Coral said:

I find it interesting on this thread - some of the individuals who are saying nothing is wrong, pricing is low or things haven't changed that much haven't been cruising with Princess long. A few I recognize as bragging about their casino rates. So they are not paying normal rates. Also some limit their cruises to Caribbean, Mexico or West Coast cruises which generally have lower fares.

My first cruise was Ruby in 2008. I don’t know if that qualifies me.

 

I have pictures somewhere of mom and dad’s cabin after turndown in the 70s. The steward had taken her nightgown and folded it into the pillows so it was laid out, but lumpy. Seriously creepy, and I thought so at age 10.

 

Change is good! Having my night prepped by a stranger is not my cup of tea.

Edited March 18, 2022 by Kmkub

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

My first cruise was Ruby in 2008. I don’t know if that qualifies me.

 

I was referring to those who have started cruising in the past 4-5 years.

 

I agree about the nightgown stuff is creepy. Princess never did that for me but Carnival did.

[Dunk]

I've sailed with Princess 39 times, and not once did I get a towel animal. On carnival, I always ask the steward to not do them, and they always seem relieved. I know people love them, and that's great, but I think they're creepy and a space waster. 

 

I do wish they'd bring pen and paper and turndown chocolates back. I miss those. 

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, Dunk said:

I've sailed with Princess 39 times, and not once did I get a towel animal. On carnival, I always ask the steward to not do them, and they always seem relieved. I know people love them, and that's great, but I think they're creepy and a space waster. 

 

I do wish they'd bring pen and paper and turndown chocolates back. I miss those. 

How do you feel about barrel chairs?

[Kmkub]

5 minutes ago, Coral said:

I was referring to those who have started cruising in the past 4-5 years.

 

I agree about the nightgown stuff is creepy. Princess never did that for me but Carnival did.

How cool that someone knows what I’m talking about. I’m having their Super 8 from that cruise converted to digital. I haven’t seen them since the 70s. It will be cool to see what it was like for them.

[1965]

Just now, d9704011 said:

How do you feel about barrel chairs?

No! Don't get that started! Lol.🤣

[Dunk]

Just now, 1965 said:

No! Don't get that started! Lol.🤣

I haven't seen that discussion in ages! 

[caribill]

2 hours ago, billco said:

And some people might spend a little more and book deluxe balconies on the newer class Princess ships or even upgrade to mini suites. That’s what we have been doing until the FCCs expire, then we plan to move on to NCL. Price, itinerary, ship - loyalty is pretty far down the list.

 

On the next cruise I have booked, the price difference between the unobstructed balcony we have booked and the lowest price deluxe balcony is $595 per person. For the $1190 extra for two people, I can purchase one heck of a nice chair.

[caribill]

2 hours ago, Billish said:

Also, think of the amount of water and electricity used !

 

That is why Princess has a sign in the bathroom saying if you want a towel replaced, put it on the floor. If you want to keep the towel, hang it up.

 

(Although in our experience many cabin stewards ignore that and simply replace any hanging towel that has been used.)

[highloyo]

Somewhere I saw you can request turn down service for each night.

[suzyed]

1 hour ago, Dunk said:

I've sailed with Prinurncess 39 times, and not once did I get a towel animal. On carnival, I always ask the steward to not do them, and they always seem relieved. I know people love them, and that's great, but I think they're creepy and a space waster. 

 

I do wish they'd bring pen and paper and turndown chocolates back. I miss those. 

You can get the turndown service but no chocolates!

[Kmkub]

If a piece of marginal chocolate is going to make or break your cruise, buy yourself your favorite chocolate bites and ask your steward to put them on your pillow each night.

 

This has always been so confusing to me, and that includes fortune cookies. 
 

Yes, I am weird.

[TBfrPH]

15 hours ago, dickinson said:

 

...  Food is very subjective...

Couldn't agree more, because...

15 hours ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

...The Ruby in November was the best food experience of my five overall cruises which includes two on a Royal class ship.

 

...we were on Ruby at end of November and thought the food to be very subpar.  I recall a plantain appetizer that was borderline inedible.

 

FWIW, we were back on Ruby again in February and experienced a noticeable improvement.  The menus were essentially recycled from the earlier to the later cruise, but we did make note of items to avoid.  And maybe that improved our perception???

[brisalta]

22 minutes ago, TBfrPH said:

Couldn't agree more, because...

...we were on Ruby at end of November and thought the food to be very subpar.  I recall a plantain appetizer that was borderline inedible.

 

FWIW, we were back on Ruby again in February and experienced a noticeable improvement.  The menus were essentially recycled from the earlier to the later cruise, but we did make note of items to avoid.  And maybe that improved our perception???

 

Maybe the logistics chain had improved by February?

[WAvoyager]

3 hours ago, Kmkub said:

If a piece of marginal chocolate is going to make or break your cruise, buy yourself your favorite chocolate bites and ask your steward to put them on your pillow each night.

 

This has always been so confusing to me, and that includes fortune cookies. 
 

Yes, I am weird.

I didn’t read anywhere where someone said the chocolate would “break” their vacation.  Nice suggestion though…. So helpful!

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, suzyed said:

You can get the turndown service but no chocolates!

Not even on a Valentines Day cruise? 😢

 

I guess you can still buy flowers. (On our very first Princess cruise, I did buy a rose for my DW on our anniversary. 😊

[dickinson]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

Not even on a Valentines Day cruise? 😢

 

I guess you can still buy flowers. (On our very first Princess cruise, I did buy a rose for my DW on our anniversary. 😊

We were on a Valentine's Day cruise in February.  There was a display of pretty Valentine's Day cakes.  Maybe you could order them?  Not sure.  Nothing else though.  Could have been formal night but don't remember.

[JF - retired RRT]

20 hours ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

For a lot of people where money is a concern, the Plus isn't even a consideration.  And even paying for any drinks isn't a consideration and they largely stick with what's free and available.  

 

That's us. We rarely drink booze (well, DH is rarely & I'm a never). We usually trade our mini-bar for coffee pkg. Haven't done that a couple of times, due to the old coffee cards...didn't need new ones 😆. We have a shelf in our den that is full of those little bottles (I need a recipe that uses alcohol). Water from the tap, coffee/tea/juice from the buffet, and our coffee pkg. at the IC.

[JF - retired RRT]

20 hours ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

But for my part, I fully expect this program to be deleted, changed, compromised, expanded or whatever with the next few years if not much sooner.

I would like to see options: wifi, grats, drink pkg., X # excursions, X # specialty dining, EZ Air discount, etc. Choose 3.

[JF - retired RRT]

20 hours ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

Double post.

Edited March 18, 2022 by JF - retired RRT

[HaveDogWillTravel]

13 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

 (I need a recipe that uses alcohol). 

Google pie crust with vodka. NYT and cooks illustrated have the recipe for it. The vodka let’s you have a bit wetter dough making it easier to handle but the vodka cooks out leaving the dough nice and flaky. 

[JF - retired RRT]

12 hours ago, Kmkub said:

How cool that someone knows what I’m talking about. I’m having their Super 8 from that cruise converted to digital. I haven’t seen them since the 70s. It will be cool to see what it was like for them.

You could put them on YouTube & share the link here! Pretty sure there'd be lots of interest.

[startedwithamouse]

On 3/15/2022 at 8:03 PM, tawlaw1526 said:

I just recently completed my first 2 cruises since the pandemic and I noticed a few cutbacks.   I know these are all small but it adds up and takes away from what I call extra special touches by Princess.   First, they stopped putting chocolates on the pillows, I know this is small but I always found this to be a level above the towel animals that the other cruise lines do.   These other cruise lines are still doing towel animals and Princess is doing nothing so in my opinion, now that puts Princess below in this category.   Second, I wanted to write a note to my cabin steward to ask for ice.   The usual pad of paper and pen that was in each cabin was missing.   I asked my cabin steward if he could give me the pad and pen and he said he is no longer allowed to give out paper and pen but I could buy a pen in the gift shop.   So I ended up spending $4.50 on a pen and writing notes on napkins.    REALLY PRINCESS!!!!!   Lastly, Princess use to put in your cabin upon arrival a cruise passport stamp.  Many years ago they stopped putting the stamp in your cabin but you could always get one at Captains Circle desk.    I have collected these cruise stamps for all of my past 23 cruises with Princess and have faithfully kept up with my Princess Cruise Passport Stamp Book all these years.    I went to Captains Circle this past cruise to ask for my stamp and she said, oh I am sorry, we’ve stopped doing the stamps.    I couldn’t believe my ears, these stamps don’t even cost them a cent.   Princess Cruise Passports were started by Princess and I have made sure all these years to track down that stamp so I could follow a Princess tradition and they just decide to STOP IT!!    Makes me feel like I’ve wasted so much time.   I would always be sure to track down a stamp, then when I got home, I pasted it in the Princess Cruise Passport and would write a few notes to summarize my cruise/vacation.   It was such a great way to view all past cruise and reminisce while keeping up with a Princess Cruise tradition.   Sad to see it end.  None of these things are deal breakers but it breaks my heart to see Princess cutting the smallest of corners.    

Thousands of pounds of waste are being kept out of landfills. Very happy with this. 🙂

[Drews_Cruise]

Some of the cut backs will be missed but I also agree that they are not deal breakers.   Thanks for mentioning it though as I will bring my Celebrity Cruises pencil and pad for something to write on. 😁

[JimmyVWine]

A question and a comment.

Question:  If you book a cabin for more than 2 people such that additional bedding needs to be set up, (drop down bunks; loveseat bed on Deluxe Balcony; sofa bed in Mini-Suite), do you still have to request turndown service, or will the steward understand that these set-ups are not intended to be self-service?

 

Comment:  I think it is pretty clear that the Plus Package is somewhat of a loss leader intended to get bodies on board so that the REAL spending can take place, (excursions, jewelry, gambling, etc.)  And I say "somewhat of a loss leader" because traditionally, a loss leader is something that actually does not generate profit on its own.  Here, the drinks portion of the Plus Package certainly does generate income, because as pointed out, the sunk cost of the raw ingredients to make your day's worth of drinks is almost assuredly less than the $20 per day you are paying for the package.  But it is somewhat of a loss leader because Princess is not making as much money from most customers as they would have made had the package not been offered, or if they pushed people back to the $70 per day Beverage Package.  I'll use my family as an example. 

 

Our drinking habits are rather static.  We don't make decisions based on cost or package. We aren't going to drink more if we have a package, or less if we don't.  We drink what we drink.  So in this give-and-take transaction, Princess is always going to hand us the exact same thing, at the exact same overhead.  The variable is what WE are going to hand Princess in return.  Let's take a look.  Typically, over the length of a 7 day cruise, we buy 2 Coffee Cards, or New Grounds Packages for a total cost of $70 give or take.)  Per diem for a 7 day cruise that comes to $10.  We bring a bottle of wine to dinner and pay the $15 corkage fee. If we are on a cruise where bringing our own wine isn't practical, we will purchase a bottle at an average cost of around $45. Each person will have two after-dinner drinks for a total of 6 drinks. Cost with service charge for those will run around $50.  So our grand total per day for three people will either be (Corkage Model: $10 + $15 +$50 = $75) or (Wine Bottle Model: $10 + $45 + $50 = $105).  So at the end of the day, we are either going to hand Princess $60 if we buy Plus; $75 if we skip Plus and BYOW, or $105 if we skip Plus and buy a bottle at dinner.  Under all three Models, Princess shows a profit, as the sunk cost of the raw materials they are handing to us is probably between $10 (Corkage Model, so only overhead is ingredients of coffee and cocktails) or $22 (Wine Bottle Model where the overhead is coffee, cocktails and a $12 bottle of wine).  So under either the $60, $75 or $105 Models, Princess comes out ahead.  But it comes out the LEAST ahead under the Plus Model. And the difference is actually stark when comparing Plus to the Wine Bottle Model.  ($60 revenue - $22 in overhead x 7 days) versus ($105 revenue - $22 overhead x 7 days). So why do it?  Because it incentivizes us to get our bodies on the ship.  I just paid for a Specialty Dinner and $300 for an Excursion, which is revenue it would not have earned had I stayed home or vacationed elsewhere.