Premier Beverage Plan - Rehashed

[memoak]

33 minutes ago, pris993 said:

lol, personal taste, enjoy your Tito's.

 

Likewise. For many Goose tops Tito’s. But each to their own

[latebloomer56]

7 hours ago, memoak said:

As far as I know there is no such thing as a “platinum” specialty dining. Full suites get a specialty dining on embarkation night and some sales included a specialty dining but there is no special dining based on loyalty status

Really ? We have always had 2 in specialty dining each for years. Where do these come from?

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, latebloomer56 said:

Really ? We have always had 2 in specialty dining each for years. Where do these come from?

 

Must be from your TA or from whatever promotion you booked under. Platinum status doesn't come with free specialty dining.

[latebloomer56]

10 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Must be from your TA or from whatever promotion you booked under. Platinum status doesn't come with free specialty dining.

Well hope that doesn't change will look at the tags when we get on board to see who gives these to us. I know she sends us chocolate strawberries it shows on the card.

Thanks

[rhblake]

Does anyone know if you can still get the historical "Chairman of the Board" martini with the "Plus Plan" or is going to cost extra?

[BettyCruiser]

15 hours ago, pris993 said:

lol, personal taste, enjoy your Tito's.

 

The point was I don't particularly like Tito's or Grey Goose, Ketel One, Chopin and Absolut Elyx  and would prefer Belvedere or Stoli Elite. Hoping by upgrading I can enjoy better martinis on my vacation. 

[tonit964]

1 hour ago, rhblake said:

Does anyone know if you can still get the historical "Chairman of the Board" martini with the "Plus Plan" or is going to cost extra?

No one knows at this point. We'll hear something I'm sure after the first cruise in June, I think it's the 26th when this goes into effect.

[pris993]

2 hours ago, BettyCruiser said:

The point was I don't particularly like Tito's or Grey Goose, Ketel One, Chopin and Absolut Elyx  and would prefer Belvedere or Stoli Elite. Hoping by upgrading I can enjoy better martinis on my vacation. 

hope you get what you want!!

 

[voljeep]

11 minutes ago, pris993 said:

hope you get what you want!!

 

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find that's just
You get what you need

[Steelers36]

We keep seeing posts where folks are assuming Princess is going to raise all the bar prices next month.  They have said this is not their intention.  But I think we all realize that at SOME point in the future, the prices will go up.  Look at the inflation all around us and prices do rise over time in any case.

[dsawyer]

I’m thinking the charge to eat in the specialty restaurants will soon increase in order to make the Premier package more appealing.  

[prmssk]

12 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

We keep seeing posts where folks are assuming Princess is going to raise all the bar prices next month.  They have said this is not their intention.  But I think we all realize that at SOME point in the future, the prices will go up.  Look at the inflation all around us and prices do rise over time in any case.

The lack of many drinks on current menus between $12 and $18 and the lack of Princess providing any concrete lists of what this new package will include makes a lot of us question Princess's claim that they won't raise prices.  On Celebrity, which has two drink packages, their website clearly defines which brands are covered in each drink package.   You would think Princess would want to be upfront with us about specifics about any new drink offerings as a way to encourage people to purchase this higher level drink package, unless they just plan to raise prices (which they may not want to advertise).

 

Only time will tell though.

[cruzin4us]

Most of the drinks I've ever purchased are around the $7-9 range.   If they increase them a dollar or two it won't be that big of a deal.   If on a rare occasion I need/want to order a top shelf drink, I'll order and pay the difference.....no big deal.

[voljeep]

17 minutes ago, dsawyer said:

I’m thinking the charge to eat in the specialty restaurants will soon increase in order to make the Premier package more appealing.  

Princess needs to re-think the number of specialty dinners from 2 per booking - and somehow adjust it to number of formal nights on 7+ day cruises - ex 10 day has 3 formal nights, 14 has 4, etc to make the SD a worthwhile 'benefit' on the Premier package

[cruzin4us]

9 minutes ago, voljeep said:

Princess needs to re-think the number of specialty dinners from 2 per booking - and somehow adjust it to number of formal nights on 7+ day cruises - ex 10 day has 3 formal nights, 14 has 4, etc to make the SD a worthwhile 'benefit' on the Premier package

 

I agree.....Who on earth would book a 28 day or longer cruise and only get 2 Specialty Dining?

[Potstech]

What do they get now with any package?

[Thrak]

I think a major "benefit" of the new package will be with those who enjoy the higher priced wines. There were quite a few on our last cruise that were outside the limits of Princess Plus.

[memoak]

35 minutes ago, Thrak said:

I think a major "benefit" of the new package will be with those who enjoy the higher priced wines. There were quite a few on our last cruise that were outside the limits of Princess Plus.

In my opinion there are very few wines by the glass within the plus program and agree that those who want the better wines by the glass and photo packages would be the ones who would benefit from the new package. For those who just read the menus are ignoring those who want to upgrade from the well liquor described on the menu to a better liquor. I always ask before my first Manhattan what bourbons will fit in the package and go from there.  

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

I think a major "benefit" of the new package will be with those who enjoy the higher priced wines. There were quite a few on our last cruise that were outside the limits of Princess Plus.

single malts, blue (still won't be covered), pappy van winkle(uh, no) and whatever it is they do in Good Spirits

Edited May 27, 2022 by voljeep

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

single malts, blue (still won't be covered), pappy van winkle(uh, no) and whatever it is they do in Good Spirits

 

I drink single malts (Blue is a blend but I do like it a lot...) and they have generally fit within the package. When we sailed on Emerald Princess in 2017 Wheelhouse had an expanded liquor menu with numerous items outside the limit of the beverage package. One thing they did have that I haven't seen on other Princess ships was Bulleit Rye. It was nice to find as I like it a lot and it did fit within the boundaries of the beverage package. Other things - Lagavulin for instance - were well outside the limit.

Edited May 27, 2022 by Thrak

[memoak]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

 

I drink single malts (Blue is a blend but I do like it a lot...) and they have generally fit within the package. When we sailed on Emerald Princess in 2017 Wheelhouse had an expanded liquor menu with numerous items outside the limit of the beverage package. One thing they did have that I haven't seen on other Princess ships was Bulleit Rye. It was nice to find as I like it a lot and it did fit within the boundaries of the beverage package. Other things - Lagavulin for instance - were well outside the limit.

Both Bulleit Bourbon and Rye have always been in the plus package. I prefer Buffalo Trace Bourbon but can live with either

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, memoak said:

Both Bulleit Bourbon and Rye have always been in the plus package. I prefer Buffalo Trace Bourbon but can live with either

 

I don't normally see Bulleit Rye onboard. They have one brand of rye and that is normally all they carry. Bulleit Bourbon is, of course, a very high rye content bourbon and I like it a lot - I prefer it to Buffalo Trace - but I don't normally see Bulleit Rye on Princess ships. Like I said in my post above, I did see it in Wheelhouse on Emerald Princess in 2017 but they had an expanded liquor menu. At that time they were pushing their "Whiskey Adventure" offerings. Perhaps I "might" have found Bulleit Rye in Wheelhouse on Royal on our recent sailing but I failed to sit at the bar in that venue and the menu that came up from the QR Code on the tables didn't list things of that sort. If it was available and I didn't know it I am disappointed --- in myself for not finding out. It certainly wasn't available at the Princess Live Cafe. (Why do they call it a care when it's just a small bar that also serves snazzy coffee drinks?)

[Eno]

Noticed that Princess changed their Plus program again for 3rd/4th passenger.  I booked last year for May 2023 Alaska cruise - picked Plus and all three of us received the WIFI, Drink Pkg, Crew Appreciation and $50 OBC.  When they added Premier on the 25th wanted to see what the price difference was and for Plus the 3rd guest received -  WIFI, Drink Pkg, $50 OBC but no Crew Appreciation.  With Premium 3rd guest received - nothing.  Tried today to see if it was still the same and now for the 3rd guest for both Plus and Premium they receive nothing.  Price basically the same but makes a big difference that the 3rd guest does not receive a drink pkg.  Wonder what will happen for those who booked the 25th vs today.  I have all my summaries that the 3rd person receives everything but again that was booked Nov last year.  Usually cruise Celebrity this will be the first Princess cruise and am now getting worried about their policies.  And with all the Alaska itinerary changes for the Crown.  

[Doug R.]

20 hours ago, dsawyer said:

I’m thinking the charge to eat in the specialty restaurants will soon increase in order to make the Premier package more appealing.  

Quite the leap in logic. For me it would take a meteoric leap in price to make me switch to the higher price package. More likely I would simply stick to the MDR and buffet.

[cruzin4us]

Just curious, does anyone know the prices of Good Spirit Cocktails?