Princess Cruises introduces all-inclusive Premier Package

[suzyed]

19 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

 

 

Yes it's speculation but, as Joseph Heller once said, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you".

 

The older and more experienced we get and the more times we've been around the block gives these posters some credibility. A student of the past would expect a high probability that there are drink price increases going to occur in the near future. Yeah, go ahead and call us curmudgeons, it doesn't mean we are wrong (yet).

Is it me?  I was thinking that if they increased the price of the drinks in the plus package, that would decrease the difference in the two packages? There would be less reason to purchase the Premier package...they would be too similar.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, suzyed said:

Agree!  I only drink Grey Goose in my Dirty Martinis.   I don't remember it being over $12 on the Sky but even if it was...that was ok and I paid the difference....that works!  Hope it stays that way!

 

As of 2 weeks ago Goose was covered under the Plus plan

[abqmommyof4]

10 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Low resolution or high resolution?

midline,  good for  sharing,  havent  tried printing because  we always got all the pictures as well

 

[Tedferg]

3 hours ago, suzyed said:

I was thinking that if they increased the price of the drinks in the plus package, that would decrease the difference in the two packages? There would be less reason to purchase the Premier package...they would be too similar.

Please explain further, I don't follow your logic.

[smilesonfaces]

4 hours ago, suzyed said:

Is it me?  I was thinking that if they increased the price of the drinks in the plus package, that would decrease the difference in the two packages? There would be less reason to purchase the Premier package...they would be too similar.

They are already too similar. Looking through the menus I cannot see enough drinks priced between $12 and $18 to justify upgrading to the Premium. I certainly wouldn’t be going for the Premium for photographs I wouldn’t want, 2 dinners that would only cost about $120 for 2 people anyway or the chance to win a prize. For most people the drinks are the reason they would choose a package. With the Plus it is only minimal cost to pay the difference in the price of a drink over $12. I can’t see any reason (at present) to purchase the Premier package. 
 

[caribill]

1 hour ago, smilesonfaces said:

They are already too similar. Looking through the menus I cannot see enough drinks priced between $12 and $18 to justify upgrading to the Premium.

 

Which is the reason many think that Princess will be increasing some prices to move them higher than $12 and into the Premium package list.

 

 

[smilesonfaces]

11 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Which is the reason many think that Princess will be increasing some prices to move them higher than $12 and into the Premium package list.

 

 

Exactly ! 

[voljeep]

9 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Which is the reason many think that Princess will be increasing some prices to move them higher than $12 and into the Premium package list.

 

 

Maff sucks - given that ... OK ... $25 pp pd increase over Plus

 

$6 max drink increase 'covered' in Premier = $25 / $6 = 4 drinks pp pd at the max increased price

 

will you drink 4 maxed premier package drinks per day?

[voljeep]

and say my Cab goes from $12 covered to $15 covered by premier - with plus it will add $3 +18% = $3.54 "extra" to drink the "good Cab ... $ 25 increase / $3.54 = 7 glasses of $15 per day before the Premier pays off ... per person

 

this is totally disregarding the "PRIZES" for opening and closing your cabin door, the 4 device wifi ( who really needs that unless you are sharing with others outside your cabin ) and the "photos" that go into 

"that abyss at home"

 

posted while drinking a $18 per BOTTLE buy one get one free (Publix) of King Stag Cab

[rheathslc]

18 minutes ago, voljeep said:

and say my Cab goes from $12 covered to $15 covered by premier - with plus it will add $3 +18% = $3.54 "extra" to drink the "good Cab ... $ 25 increase / $3.54 = 7 glasses of $15 per day before the Premier pays off ... per person

 

this is totally disregarding the "PRIZES" for opening and closing your cabin door, the 4 device wifi ( who really needs that unless you are sharing with others outside your cabin ) and the "photos" that go into 

"that abyss at home"

 

posted while drinking a $18 per BOTTLE buy one get one free (Publix) of King Stag Cab

Except it also includes 2 specialty dining reservations per person ($58 value pp). When I did the math and counted only the things I would buy anyway (Specialty dining, ONE 4 device upgrade, and photo package) I valued the package NOT INCLUDING the drinks at $231 for two people. The extra cost for two people for 5 days is $250  for premier vs. plus ($25pp/day). So the remaining difference for my 5-day cruise for two people was only $19. That's only $9.50 per person TOTAL to make up in drink overages over the whole five days - NOT per day. So for me, who likes some of the higher end wine - especially at Sabatini's and Crown Grill, and champagne at Vines - Princess Premier is a good deal for me for a 5-day cruise. Anything over 5 days it becomes less so because that $25 per day beyond 5 would all have to be spent on the premier tier drinks to make it worth it. That would be AT LEAST 5 drinks a day at the full $18, or more drinks if they were between $12 and $18. 

Edited May 16, 2022 by rheathslc
typo

[voljeep]

10 minutes ago, rheathslc said:

Except it also includes 2 specialty dining reservations per person ($58 value pp). When I did the math and counted only the things I would buy anyway (Specialty dining, ONE 4 device upgrade, and photo package) I valued the package NOT INCLUDING the drinks at $231 for two people. The extra cost for two people for 5 days is $250  for premier vs. plus ($25pp/day). So the remaining difference for my 5-day cruise for two people was only $19. That's only $9.50 per person TOTAL to make up in drink overages over the whole five days - NOT per day. So for me, who likes some of the higher end wine - especially at Sabatini's and Crown Grill, and champagne at Vines - Princess Premier is a good deal for me for a 5-day cruise. Anything over 5 days it becomes less so because that $25 per day beyond 5 would all have to be spent on the premier tier drinks to make it worth it. That would be AT LEAST 5 drinks a day at the full $18, or more drinks if they were between $12 and $18. 

yep, forgot about the 2 specialty dinners ... $ 58 pp / 5 day leaves $67 for increased drink prices over the 5 days at $3.54 increase per = 19 'premier drinks' ...

 

anyway ... still doesn't work for us, even at a 5 day - and no way for any days beyond that ...

[caribill]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

Maff sucks - given that ... OK ... $25 pp pd increase over Plus

 

$6 max drink increase 'covered' in Premier = $25 / $6 = 4 drinks pp pd at the max increased price

 

will you drink 4 maxed premier package drinks per day?

 

That would be $6 + 18% gratuity which would total $28.32 for four $18 drinks.

 

[RDJ]

As of today, the verbiage on my reservation officially switched from Premier to Plus, so it’s no longer unclear which one we are getting

[HBCcruiser]

2 hours ago, smilesonfaces said:

Exactly ! 

Wine prices are up in CA - with the water shortage I expect they will go higher. 

[cruzin4us]

13 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Wine prices are up in CA - with the water shortage I expect they will go higher. 

 

That's why I drink tequila.....agave can grow in a desert 😆

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, RDJ said:

As of today, the verbiage on my reservation officially switched from Premier to Plus, so it’s no longer unclear which one we are getting

The IT Team just needed extra time to update everything (but wouldn't surprise me if some piece of text somewhere was over-looked).  I also notice that the beverage package has been renamed to PLUS from PREMIER in the Cruise Personalizer Onboard Services section.  So, it seems all the major changes are done in preparation for next week's launch.

[Phantom of the Seas]

Ditto.....changed to Plus in Personalizer......still shows drinks over $12, you pay the difference with 18% tax.....bartenders will lose their $1-$2 tips if Princess increases the drink prices over $12.... just saying

[rheathslc]

3 hours ago, voljeep said:

yep, forgot about the 2 specialty dinners ... $ 58 pp / 5 day leaves $67 for increased drink prices over the 5 days at $3.54 increase per = 19 'premier drinks' ...

 

anyway ... still doesn't work for us, even at a 5 day - and no way for any days beyond that ...

Yeah, if you don't want the photos or 4 device wifi it's really not a value in terms of $$. For me, I like to pay for as much stuff in advance as possible (that I know for sure I'm going to use) and end with as small an onboard folio balance as possible (unless I have OBC) so maybe in those situations, someone who really wanted to splurge and planned on drinking a TON of high end drinks it might be a nice convenience. After all time is money. So if someone wanted to be able to pay fully upfront with the peace of mind that they wouldn't have any extra charges or need to spend any time paying attention to their folio balance maybe there is value in that aspect. 

[rheathslc]

57 minutes ago, Phantom of the Seas said:

Ditto.....changed to Plus in Personalizer......still shows drinks over $12, you pay the difference with 18% tax.....bartenders will lose their $1-$2 tips if Princess increases the drink prices over $12.... just saying

When you say $1-$2 tips are you referring to tipping in cash or something else? I want to make sure I'm taking good care of my favorite bartender on my cruise that leaves Saturday and on my last two cruises I had a really hard time figuring out how to do that. Because of having he drinks package and the medallion I wasn't ever presented a receipt except at the spa which is how I used to add an extra tip. I ended up giving an envelope of cash to our favorite people at the end but I didn't love that. I'm just wondering if anyone has found that you COULD ask for a receipt to add a tip. Or do I just need to plan on taking a bunch of singles with me?

[Phantom of the Seas]

Cash.......also tip at the end of cruise (waitstaff, cabin attendant)...I always tip $1-$2 for delivery of drinks for the 2 of us......

[rheathslc]

5 minutes ago, Phantom of the Seas said:

Cash.......also tip at the end of cruise (waitstaff, cabin attendant)...I always tip $1-$2 for delivery of drinks for the 2 of us......

Thank you! I've always left cash and a thank you note for our steward and just didn't even think about it for the bar staff because in the past I always used the receipt to add extra. I'll make sure to have cash this time. 🙂

[Phantom of the Seas]

To each their own..... I even tip after boarding when being seated in MDR lunch......you'll be pleasantly surprised for the remainder of the cruise....

[smilesonfaces]

7 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Wine prices are up in CA - with the water shortage I expect they will go higher. 

Drinks prices will certainly rise. I think people are being a little naive if they think they won’t despite what Princess might be saying. 
 

The Princess Plus will become a basic drinks package, a few of each  house wines,  a few basic cocktails and non branded spirits. This is similar to what P & O offer in their drinks package.  It won’t happen overnight on June 25 but I’m sure it will. 

 

To be honest with tips and wifi it would probably still be a reasonable deal but not quite what I and others thought we were paying for. 

[Thrak]

Princess Plus was great. This new package holds no value for us. I firmly believe John Padgett is "the Devil" and will be the destruction of loyalty for may Princess cruisers.

[hawkeyetlse]

5 hours ago, smilesonfaces said:

The Princess Plus will become a basic drinks package, a few of each  house wines,  a few basic cocktails and non branded spirits. This is similar to what P & O offer in their drinks package.  It won’t happen overnight on June 25 but I’m sure it will.

I can't see into the future, but I can remember what happened on some other cruise lines. NCL introduced a higher tier package a couple of years ago, but their original package is still pretty similar to what it always has been. Yes, some brands have been priced out of the lower tier package, but it's hardly a "basic" package with only no-name alcohol. As you may know, most people are not paying full price for this package, so NCL has every reason to devalue it, and they have had years to do it. But they haven't.

 

So I don't think Princess is insidiously planning to do that to their Plus package (while lying to our faces about it).