Princess Plus vs. Beverage Package

[iamaqt2]

Hi guys, hoping you can help.  

I currently have a solo cruise booked with Princess Plus.  But I have a friend who wants to join me who drinks very little and is happy enough with the included cruise beverage offerings.  But she also wants wi-fi.  I want the beverage package because I do enjoy multiple adult beverages throughout the day.
So,  math wise, I'm hoping you can help me out.  
Am I better off to drop my Princess Plus so she doesn't have to pay for it and book a beverage package for myself and pay wifi and gratuities separately,  and let her cover her gratuities and wi-fi?  Or would it make more sense to price out her gratuities and wifi, and offer to cover the cost difference on the cost of her having to pay for Princess Plus?  This would be a 7 night cruise.

[Shelly97060]

Ok I will take a stab at it 😄 this is based on the current $50 per person per day Plus fare  since you booked before the price bump and the assumption that you are paying double as solo supplement ($100 per person per day)

 

A stand alone beverage package is $70.79 per day. For 7 days that’s $495.53. Tips (unknown what cabin type you have so I will use $16 per person per day x 7 days = $112, Internet $10 x 7 = $70 ( if you pre-pay before 12/14 or $15 after 12/14) so your total if you buy everything separately is $677.  Your current cost for Plus as a solo paying single supplement is $100 per day = $700. In essence you are already paying almost what you would pay buying everything but buying separately you could save $23.

 

Without Plus your cruise companion is going to have to pay the gratuities $112 and internet $70 (unless you decide to split a multi plan device) and they will pay for whatever beverages they purchase. 
 

Since you plan on having a drink package either through the PLUS fare or purchased as a stand alone, it seems like you would be better off keeping the Plus fare for both of you  and having her pay you for her portion of the gratuities, internet and a small amount for beverages ( perhaps the $23 you would save if you booked everything separately?). Her contribution could be $112 tips + $70 internet+ $23 beverages= $205.

 

This should give you a good starting point for your decision even if the math is a little off.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Shelly97060

[geoherb]

Did you invite her along? Will you now be sharing a cabin? Were you paying double for your cabin or was there a reduced single supplement? 

Shelly did the math wrong. Solos don't usually pay double for Plus, just for the cabins. 

 

If you did get a reduced single supplement, perhaps you should have her book a separate cabin. That way she wouldn't have to have Plus.

[VibeGuy]

The Plus upcharge isn’t charged at $100 for solo travellers.   It’s just the $50. 
 

So if your travel companion doesn’t get the Plus package, the math works out as follows. 
 

$71/day for your beverage package

$10/day for your internet

$16/day for your gratuities:

———-

$97/day

 

so your fare goes up $47/day.   For $3, she could get $16-26 in value (grats for $16, internet for $10) and she won’t have to pay for a la carte beverages or a different beverage plan. 

It’s a no brainier.  

 

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, iamaqt2 said:

Hi guys, hoping you can help.  

I currently have a solo cruise booked with Princess Plus.  But I have a friend who wants to join me who drinks very little and is happy enough with the included cruise beverage offerings.  But she also wants wi-fi.  I want the beverage package because I do enjoy multiple adult beverages throughout the day.
So,  math wise, I'm hoping you can help me out.  
Am I better off to drop my Princess Plus so she doesn't have to pay for it and book a beverage package for myself and pay wifi and gratuities separately,  and let her cover her gratuities and wi-fi?  Or would it make more sense to price out her gratuities and wifi, and offer to cover the cost difference on the cost of her having to pay for Princess Plus?  This would be a 7 night cruise.

VibeGuy below is bang on with the "no brainer".

 

PCL's beverage packages including alcohol/wine that are still sold separately via Cruise Personalizer under Onboard Services are a waste of time and money.  Just don't make sense at all.  It would never make sense for one person in a cabin to buy the package just because the cabinmate doesn't drink.  These are inflated packages for marketing purposes, IMO, to help justify/sell the fare packages.

 

Here's another angle on the numbers.  I am thinking you are at least Platinum CC Member and will get 50% off MedallionNet. 

 

ITEM                                       YOU                FRIEND                      YOU            FRIEND 

PLUS (pd to PCL)                  $50                 $50                              N/A             N/A

 

CREW INCENT                       $  0                 $  0                              $16             $16

MED NET SINGLE DEV          $ 0                 $  0                               N/A            N/A

MED NET UPGRD 4 DEV       N/A                N/A                              $10             $  0

BEVERAGES                           $  0                 $  0                               $71             $  0        

SUB-TOTAL PAID                   $50                 $50                              $97              $16  

 

FRIEND OWES for MED-NET                                                                                 $  5                         

PAYMENT TO FRIEND          $29                                                       $0 - $5

 

TOTAL OUTLAY                     $79       +        $21                            $92      +       $21          

 

With both of you on PLUS, combined cost is $100/day.

With both of you buying what you want separately, combined cost is $113/day. 

 

The above assumes a single 4-device internet plan shared between you and friend. And I assume you get 50% off list price pre-cruise.  If you don't have a discount, assess Friend $10/day. 

 

You could assess that much anyway if you so choose since that is what she would have to pay anyway.  You could justify paying Friend as little as $24/day if her share is $26.

 

If I was your Friend, I'd be paying you back for any bar drink I did happen to purchase.  Technically, any charges for coffee, etc, up to $29/day should rebate back to you as I would be getting a free-ride for something I said I didn't want and would pay-as-I-go.

 

 

 

47 minutes ago, VibeGuy said:

The Plus upcharge isn’t charged at $100 for solo travellers.   It’s just the $50. 
 

So if your travel companion doesn’t get the Plus package, the math works out as follows. 
 

$71/day for your beverage package

$10/day for your internet

$16/day for your gratuities:

———-

$97/day

 

so your fare goes up $47/day.   For $3, she could get $16-26 in value (grats for $16, internet for $10) and she won’t have to pay for a la carte beverages or a different beverage plan. 

It’s a no brainier.  

 

 

[justafem]

4 hours ago, iamaqt2 said:

Hi guys, hoping you can help.  

I currently have a solo cruise booked with Princess Plus.  But I have a friend who wants to join me who drinks very little and is happy enough with the included cruise beverage offerings.  But she also wants wi-fi.  I want the beverage package because I do enjoy multiple adult beverages throughout the day.
So,  math wise, I'm hoping you can help me out.  
Am I better off to drop my Princess Plus so she doesn't have to pay for it and book a beverage package for myself and pay wifi and gratuities separately,  and let her cover her gratuities and wi-fi?  Or would it make more sense to price out her gratuities and wifi, and offer to cover the cost difference on the cost of her having to pay for Princess Plus?  This would be a 7 night cruise.

I've done the math.  If one person utilizes the booze part of the cruise, it's worth both people upgrading to plus.  Actually cheaper as Steelers36 mathed out. 

 

And the second person, even if they never touch an alcoholic beverage, might just enjoy the unlimited specialty coffees, bottles of water and juice.  Either way, plus is currently cheaper.  But don't wait, because the price goes up to $60 on Dec 14. 

[kywildcatfanone]

If you do the math, and we are only talk about alcoholic drinks, then it's cheaper to just pay for what you want or get the non plus package.  For example, our upcoming 7 day cruise, they wanted $350 (current rate) for the plus package.  If I pay for wifi, tips, and just get the non alcoholic drink package, my cost is around $207.    Now, that includes the elite discount on wifi, but I think the price would still be about $250 vs $350.

[Shelly97060]

@geoherbis correct, my math was off on the cost of plus for a solo.  Apologies, that’s what I get for trying to do math while brain is in vacation mode.

 

[iamaqt2]

Thank you all for your excellent mathing skills and advice.  I hate to have my friend buy a beverage package that will get little use, but the math really is sound here.  Appreciate you all taking the time to lay it out.

[memoak]

It all depends on how much you drink. For me it is a no brainer. I woo usually have 2 beers with lunch, 2 pre dinner cocktails, a glass of wine with dinner and several in the casino late night. Without the Plus package I would be lost

[ChutChut]

If you're a heavy drinker, it's worth it. If you're not, not worth it. I had the Plus at a greatly reduced price on a recent Sky cruise. I ordered lots of specialty coffee drinks (about three) and about one alcoholic bev per day (lightweight). I get discounted wifi anyway so not much benefit there. With the great deal, it was worth it, but at $50 or $60 per day - no way. 

[davekathy]

23 hours ago, memoak said:

It all depends on how much you drink. For me it is a no brainer. I woo usually have 2 beers with lunch, 2 pre dinner cocktails, a glass of wine with dinner and several in the casino late night. Without the Plus package I would be lost

And sober. 😂🍻