Princess Plus Frustration!

[nini]

50 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Here's a thought.  Everyone should cancel their medallion order and ask for pick up at the port.  Considering this only impacts those in the United States...It will only put a small dent in their system.

 

BUT...From my understanding, it is the ship that is cranking them out for day of Embarkation.  Maybe Princess will have a small revelation that their charging for shipment (and maybe reimbursement from Customer Service onboard), they will rethink this AWFUL decision to charge for shipping.  

 

GO FOR IT!

 

I LOVE it!

[CruizinSusan70]

12 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

We have our last cruise with the old Plus pricing coming up this month, and there was no charge to ship our medallions. 

Desserts and Fitness Classes aren't included, but Juice Bar is. And drinks up to $15. 

Was your old Plus pricing 40 or 50?

[nini]

32 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Was your old Plus pricing 40 or 50?

I do not remember as it was TWO FREAKING years ago. They have had our deposit that whole time and I am sure made more than $10.00 from.the interest alone.

[caribill]

1 hour ago, nini said:

I do not remember as it was TWO FREAKING years ago. They have had our deposit that whole time and I am sure made more than $10.00 from.the interest alone.

 

Two years ago it would have been $40/person/day.

[startedwithamouse]

8 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Was your old Plus pricing 40 or 50?

$50

[CruizinSusan70]

13 hours ago, nini said:

I do not remember as it was TWO FREAKING years ago. They have had our deposit that whole time and I am sure made more than $10.00 from.the interest alone.

I was asking startedwithamouse, but thanks for your input.

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

$50

I was asking since you said the juice bar was included.  We're going to Alaska in 9 days for two weeks and paid 40, so I don't know if the juice bar will be included or not.

[memoak]

18 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

I was asking since you said the juice bar was included.  We're going to Alaska in 9 days for two weeks and paid 40, so I don't know if the juice bar will be included or not.

You should have the juice bar or fitness classes but you will have Wi-Fi, gratuity and $15 limit on alcohol drinks

[BamaVol]

13 hours ago, nini said:

I do not remember as it was TWO FREAKING years ago. They have had our deposit that whole time and I am sure made more than $10.00 from.the interest alone.

Not if they bought CCL stock.

[CruizinSusan70]

8 minutes ago, memoak said:

You should have the juice bar or fitness classes but you will have Wi-Fi, gratuity and $15 limit on alcohol drinks

I assumed the fitness classes and overblown desserts would not be included and the 15.00 limit would be, but wasn't convinced one way or another about the juice bar, which I don't even know where it's located on the Majestic.  Am looking forward to the noodle bar though.

[memoak]

31 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

I assumed the fitness classes and overblown desserts would not be included and the 15.00 limit would be, but wasn't convinced one way or another about the juice bar, which I don't even know where it's located on the Majestic.  Am looking forward to the noodle bar though.

Sorry I miss typed you will not have the juice bar on 

[CruizinSusan70]

11 minutes ago, memoak said:

Sorry I miss typed you will not have the juice bar on 

I assumed that.  We'll have it on our Enchanted cruise in 2024 since we paid 60 for the plus.

[nini]

6 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

I was asking startedwithamouse, but thanks for your input.

Sorry to have wasted your time.

[nini]

5 hours ago, BamaVol said:

Not if they bought CCL stock.

 

Your comment does not make any sense to me. Sorry.

[BamaVol]

9 minutes ago, nini said:

 

Your comment does not make any sense to me. Sorry.

If they had taken your $10 and invested it in their own stock. It would be worth $4 today.  The truth is, they didn’t invest it in anything.  They used it for expenses.

[nini]

4 hours ago, BamaVol said:

If they had taken your $10 and invested it in their own stock. It would be worth $4 today.  The truth is, they didn’t invest it in anything.  They used it for expenses.

I have no doubt.

[bmc alabama]

FYI, on Regal currently and asked at GS about the Plus50 (old Plus). We were told we could only order drinks up to $12.  Have not tested this yet to see if it is just the “policy” or what actually occurs in practice as everything I’ve ordered has been $12 or under…

[nini]

23 minutes ago, bmc alabama said:

FYI, on Regal currently and asked at GS about the Plus50 (old Plus). We were told we could only order drinks up to $12.  Have not tested this yet to see if it is just the “policy” or what actually occurs in practice as everything I’ve ordered has been $12 or under…

That is hilarious because @JimmyVWine did a lovely thread for his recent cruise on the Regal. The limit on the "Old Plus" which transformed into the "New Plus" became $15.00.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, bmc alabama said:

FYI, on Regal currently and asked at GS about the Plus50 (old Plus). We were told we could only order drinks up to $12.  Have not tested this yet to see if it is just the “policy” or what actually occurs in practice as everything I’ve ordered has been $12 or under…

I asked a bartender on the Emerald in March and they told me it was $15 regardless of when you got the Plus and mine was a year old. I ordered an $18 glass of wine and was billed &3 plus grat. The servers are going to know more than guest services 

[JimmyVWine]

2 hours ago, bmc alabama said:

FYI, on Regal currently and asked at GS about the Plus50 (old Plus). We were told we could only order drinks up to $12.  Have not tested this yet to see if it is just the “policy” or what actually occurs in practice as everything I’ve ordered has been $12 or under…

We ordered drinks from every single venue on the ship (purposefully filling out our hypothetical BINGO card to see if we could make it to every bar and lounge) and we were never limited to a $12 cap. 
Not at Good Spirits

Not at Sabatini’s 

Not at Bellini’s

Not in the Concerto Dining Room

Not at Crooners

Not at the Wheelhouse 

Not at the Princess Live Bar

Not at the Vista Lounge

Not at the Mermaids Tail

Not at the Sea View Bar

Not at the Retreat Bar

Not at Outriggers

Not at the Casino Bar

Not at Club Six

Not at Alfredo’s 

Not at Vines. 

 

Now, we never actually ordered a drink at the Guest Services Station, so maybe they would have held us to a $12 cap. But since that is not a place that serves drinks, I wouldn’t care one wit what they say. The bartenders and servers know the rules. 

If you read my thread you will see that at the end of each day I provide a summary of what we ordered and what we were charged. I would imagine that the staff on board the ship now has a 95% overlap with the staff that served us two weeks ago. I don’t think that in the intervening two weeks they forgot the way it works. 

[4cats4me]

It seems to be more nickel and diming. 
I realize they’ve lost a lot of money. 
I wish they would just add the $5 pp onto the cruise fare and at least we could pretend the Medallions are being shipped for free. 
 

[nini]

4 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

We ordered drinks from every single venue on the ship (purposefully filling out our hypothetical BINGO card to see if we could make it to every bar and lounge) and we were never limited to a $12 cap. 
Not at Good Spirits

Not at Sabatini’s 

Not at Bellini’s

Not in the Concerto Dining Room

Not at Crooners

Not at the Wheelhouse 

Not at the Princess Live Bar

Not at the Vista Lounge

Not at the Mermaids Tail

Not at the Sea View Bar

Not at the Retreat Bar

Not at Outriggers

Not at the Casino Bar

Not at Club Six

Not at Alfredo’s 

Not at Vines. 

 

Now, we never actually ordered a drink at the Guest Services Station, so maybe they would have held us to a $12 cap. But since that is not a place that serves drinks, I wouldn’t care one wit what they say. The bartenders and servers know the rules. 

If you read my thread you will see that at the end of each day I provide a summary of what we ordered and what we were charged. I would imagine that the staff on board the ship now has a 95% overlap with the staff that served us two weeks ago. I don’t think that in the intervening two weeks they forgot the way it works. 

 

I loved your "Bingo Card"! Your end of the day summary and breakdown was brilliant. Thank heaven, we will not be visiting Guest Services for any beverages.

[MissP22]

7 hours ago, 4cats4me said:

It seems to be more nickel and diming. 
I realize they’ve lost a lot of money. 
I wish they would just add the $5 pp onto the cruise fare and at least we could pretend the Medallions are being shipped for free. 
 

But if they did that, it would be one less item they could point to and have people spend extra for the Plus program. 

[capriccio]

Similar to @JimmyVWine's list, we were a group of 6 sailing on the Coral Princess for 28 days last month.  Among us we hit every bar and dining establishment plus room service multiple times.  Since our bookings were made 25 months earlier our Plus Package cost $40 per day.  We received all the  Plus benefits at the current levels except those added in the last round of price increases (which I've already forgotten because I have absolutely no interest in them).

[JimmyVWine]

10 hours ago, 4cats4me said:

It seems to be more nickel and diming. 

I'm on the fence.  The medallions come is slick packaging that cannot be cheap to produce or ship.  We are used to getting free shipping from Amazon, but is it really free? Not when you pay a hefty annual fee for Prime.  15 ships leaving each week, each with an average of 3,000 people is 45,000 people per week.  Assuming two medallions per package, (we receive two in one box and one all by itself when we travel as three) and that is 22,500 boxes a week, times 45 weeks (to account for the fact that many cruises are more than 7 days), and you get to over one million shipments per year.  (But I assume it is less than that if they are not shipping them internationally.).  So cut that number in half.  500,000 shipments per year at a cost of probably $10 per package. $5M per year in shipping costs is not nickels and dimes, especially when there is no inconvenience to the passenger if they pick the Medallion up at the port.  I see no problem in having the customer pay for the shipping if they really want the Medallion to arrive early.  I don't see that I am "entitled" to free shipping."  While they could add the cost into the price of Plus or the cruise itself, that would be unfair to people who cannot get the Medallions shipped, or who prefer to pick them up at the port.  Better to just ask:  "Do you want it shipped?  If so, check this box and we will charge your card on file."  I prefer transparent and  honest charges when it comes to shipping.