Princess Plus worth the money?

[nursemom23]

First time cruiser on Princess. Would love to hear your thoughts on whether or not Princess Plus is worth purchasing? Thanks!

[Potstech]

For some, Yes.  For others like ourselves No. You must decide what is right for your style of cruising.  Many threads on here to help you decide.

[drwbrt]

This is how we looked at it. If you plan to use WiFi it is worth it.  It includes your daily gratuities and WiFi.  That is worth $31 per day.  Let's just pause there.  That means you need $29 of value per day to break even.  That's two coffees, two sodas, and a mocktail a day (or two coffees and six waters).  You don't even have to drink alcohol to get your monies worth.  If you do drink alcohol, it's three drinks/day to break even. 

 

In addition to the above, you will also get your Medallion shipped to you for free (otherwise $10), this lets you board smoother.  Plus also allows you to use OceanNow (now this costs $14.99 per cruise).  You will be able to visit the casual dining two times (valued at $14.99 per visit).  You also get desserts (2/day), the juice bar (unlimited), and fitness classes (2/cruise), but these didn't rank as high for us. 

[Mike07]

50 minutes ago, nursemom23 said:

First time cruiser on Princess. Would love to hear your thoughts on whether or not Princess Plus is worth purchasing? Thanks!

 

As somebody that can do the fifteen drink daily limit, IMHO, no, it's not worth it. My last cruise with princess was the LAX to Hawaii route and alcohol was disgusting by day fifteen. That being said, with so many sea days, having wifi is really nice.

 

For more typical and port intensive cruises, I'd avoid. Prepaid international SIM cards are way cheaper than what Princess offers Internet at.

[ladychater]

It really depends on how much you drink and how much time you're going to spend on the ship.  I don't drink much and will be on a 10 day Japanese cruise with only 2 sea days.  There's no way I'll drink $29 worth of beverages on most days, so I'll just buy wifi and drinks a la carte.

[JimmyVWine]

Before the recent changes, one could do the math and make a good argument either way. After the recent changes, I would say definitely yes, it is worth it. Can one come out “cheaper” by going with the Standard fare? Yes. But now, for the first time ever, in order to come out ahead, one must actively avoid features and offerings on the ship which, to me, is no way to spend a vacation, emotionally. You see other people dining in Casual restaurants and you think to yourself, “Gee, that looks like a good time.”  But if the goal is to “win” financially, you have to refrain from partaking. You see other people using Ocean Now and room service to get what they order and you think to yourself: “That seems like a neat feature.”  But if the goal is to “win” financially, you must forego that convenience. In order to come out ahead financially, you spend your vacation cutting out things that might make you feel more relaxed and luxuriated. Whereas for a few bucks more per day (on top of a vacation measured in the thousands) you can stop worrying about employing deprivation strategies. Maybe Plus comes out better financially and maybe it loses. But if it loses, it is going to be by a few bucks each day. Are those few bucks worth cutting yourself off from many of the features on the ship?  That is the question. 

Edited August 16, 2023 by JimmyVWine

[roxievegas]

2 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

Before the recent changes, one could do the math and make a good argument either way. After the recent changes, I would say definitely yes, it is worth it. Can one come out “cheaper” by going with the Standard fare? Yes. But now, for the first time ever, in order to come out ahead, one must actively avoid features and offerings on the ship which, to me, is no way to spend a vacation, emotionally. You see other people dining in Casual restaurants and you think to yourself, “Gee, that looks like a good time.”  But if the goal is to “win” financially, you have to refrain from partaking. You see other people using Ocean Now and room service to get what they order and you think to yourself: “That seems like a neat feature.”  But if the goal is to “win” financially, you must forego that convenience. In order to come out ahead financially, you spend your vacation cutting out things that might make you feel more relaxed and luxuriated. Whereas for a few bucks more per day (on top of a vacation measured in the thousands) you can stop worrying about employing deprivation strategies. Maybe Plus comes out better financially and maybe it loses. But if it loses, it is going to be by a few bucks east day. Are those few bucks worth cutting yourself off from many of the features on the ship?  That is the question. 

few bucks ?

$120 X 7 is $840 for two people for one week

or $160 X 7 is $1,020

 

that is not a few bucks

 

[JimmyVWine]

4 minutes ago, roxievegas said:

few bucks ?

$120 X 7 is $840 for two people for one week

or $160 X 7 is $1,020

 

that is not a few bucks

 

But you are not factoring in the portion of that $120 per day that you are going to spend anyway. As post #3 above points out, you are really looking at a difference of around $25-$29 per day depending on your gratuity level. Add in a single coffee. A single drink. A single soda. Even at that level of austerity the difference is now a couple of bucks. 

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, ladychater said:

It really depends on how much you drink and how much time you're going to spend on the ship.  I don't drink much and will be on a 10 day Japanese cruise with only 2 sea days.  There's no way I'll drink $29 worth of beverages on most days, so I'll just buy wifi and drinks a la carte.

 

Don't forget to factor in the cost of gratuities. I don't know if one can remove the gratuities from within the app or not but they are definitely something to factor in when not getting a package.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, nursemom23 said:

First time cruiser on Princess. Would love to hear your thoughts on whether or not Princess Plus is worth purchasing? Thanks!

There are at least as many opinions in this Forum about the value of Plus and Premier as there are opinions on what clothing to wear to dinner. 

 

You know Crew Appreciation is at least $32/day for the cabin (2 occupants).

You know MedallionNet Internet is $30/day for two to have access with max 1-device each active at any one time.  You might decide to share one package for $15 and not both be able to be on at same time.  This would be of course not going package.

 

And perhaps you are one of the no-Internet folks.

 

So, at this point, your "fixed" costs are $32/day, or $47/day, or $62/day.

 

Princess Plus costs $120/day for 2 in the cabin.

 

All you need do is take $120, less whichever of the above three amounts applies to you, and the difference is what you have left for beverages (both alcohol and non-alcohol).

 

The equation has just changed, because Princess is now charging to use their Ocean Now app function which facilitates you ordering food items and drinks to wherever you are on the ship.  If you are planning to use that, it costs $15 for the voyage.  So, divide the number of days of your voyage into $15 and take that daily average cost off your net dollars for beverages from above.

 

Next, Princess has a number of Casual Dining locations that cost a relatively small amount, depending on how much you order.  With the Package you get two visits per person over the course of your voyage.  Would you be using any of these locations were they not included?  How much would you spend?

 

Once you have a handle on the above, you are left with a bucket of funds per day on average.  All you need do is figure out if you and cabinmate combined are going to spend that much on beverages each day.  Think about port days versus sea days and if you tend to be off the ship in ports and not drinking as much.

 

 

Some folks figure it to the dollar and others have a general idea and just want the relative freedom to consume and not worry about additional costs.

 

ETA:  Another new one is the juice bar (unlimited) and over-the-top ice cream sundaes.  Most people seem to just ignore the sundaes in their analysis.

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Steelers36

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, nursemom23 said:

First time cruiser on Princess. Would love to hear your thoughts on whether or not Princess Plus is worth purchasing? Thanks!

 

Following up, here is a math example for someone like us who don't spend much on bar and other things. 

 

Another big factor for us is that we get a free mini-bar in the cabin due to being Elite and that gives me 10 beers and 10 Perrier (after swapping items).  So, you can see this is a beverage supply at no cost.

 

Crew Appreciation (CA) = $32 x 10 = $320

Internet = $15 x 10 = $150 (this is because we get is at half price being Elite level - your cost is double)

Ocean Now = $0 (We would get our own things from bar of food venue and not wait for it to come and them to find us)

Room Service = $0 (Never used it before and wouldn't now)

Casual Dining = $34 (we would typically go to Alfredo's/Gigi's a couple of times.  I suppose I might have a special burger if it was available on my ship and I would certainly try O'Malley's once.  But we would never order a 3-course meal for lunch).  If a ship we were on had all of these, bump this up to $50 to be safe.

Juice Bar = $18 (guessing - might try it if a drink appealed)

Ice Cream Sundaes = $0

Gelato = $8

Bar Drinks = $20 max

 

Total for a 10-night voyage = ~$550.

Plus for 10-night voyage = $1,200.

 

Balance for bar tab = $1,200 - $550 = ~$650.  Per day = $65.

 

We would not spend $65/day on wine and drinks.  If I was buying wine on board, I would purchase bottles and one bottle last us two days certainly.  This is us - not anyone else necessarily.

 

That said, I do bring on a supply of wine whenever possible for me to do so.  There is a $20 corkage fee beyond the first two bottles (1/pp) and I am aware of what Princess menu prices are compared to retail plus the corkage.  I have also found I am not always charged corkage.

 

So, this is one example and you can do your own figuring based on what you guys like to drink.

[Steelers36]

23 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Don't forget to factor in the cost of gratuities. I don't know if one can remove the gratuities from within the app or not but they are definitely something to factor in when not getting a package.

No one can remove or adjust CA, nor the 18% bar tab grats, included in the Plus/Premier packages.  And a pox on anyone who would consider it (I know YOU would never just so folks reading realize this).

Edited August 16, 2023 by Steelers36

[drwbrt]

I guess where we all should have started @nursemom23 is:

1. How long are you cruising and how many sea days do you have?
2. Do you plan on having WiFi regardless?
3. Do you have any beverage "routines" (i.e. always start the day with a latte, always have a glass of wine with dinner, etc.)

I apologize for rushing to the solution before we had a clearly articulated problem.  If you feel comfortable/want to share the above information, I'd be happy to tailor any advice to your perspective rather than my own. 

[donswife]

Ship, cabin category and shipboard credit also factor in.  It is complicated!

[Thrak]

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

No one can remove or adjust CA, nor the 18% bar tab grats, included in the Plus/Premier packages.  And a pox on anyone who would consider it (I know YOU would never just so folks reading realize this).

 

We have always left the gratuities in place. As you said, with Plus there is no choice. I've often seen long lines of folks at Customer Service the last day removing the gratuities.

[BlerkOne]

I believe bottle waters and specialty coffees are also included.

 

Personally, I think it is worth it for me not to have to over analyze. Or worry if I exceed my quota for the day. I'm on vacation (even though retired).

[Oxo]

11 hours ago, Mike07 said:

 

As somebody that can do the fifteen drink daily limit, IMHO, no, it's not worth it. My last cruise with princess was the LAX to Hawaii route and alcohol was disgusting by day fifteen. That being said, with so many sea days, having wifi is really nice.

 

For more typical and port intensive cruises, I'd avoid. Prepaid international SIM cards are way cheaper than what Princess offers Internet at.

Please explain:

alcohol was disgusting by day fifteen.

I really don't understand your comment.

TIA

[SleeStack1]

Currently, Princess lets you buy the package onboard on day 1.  This allows for use of OBC and/or gift cards you might get at 8% off.  That changes the math quite a bit.

 

My personal valuation for our upcoming cruise is as follows

 

P+  (at 8% off) is $55.20 pppd

 

Daily 'base' value:

Gratuity $17

(1) alcoholic drink $11

(2) Coffee drinks $10

(1) Smoothie or similar $5

Wifi $5

Casual Dining $2

Juice Bar $1

Desserts/Fitness/Delivery $0

 

Net Value is $51

 

So, we will be paying $4.20 pppd to cover any above and beyond.

 

Maybe we'll have an extra coffee, smoothie, bottled water, soda, whatever on some days.  Maybe we'll have an extra alcoholic beverage or two on some day.  Maybe we'll actually use the delivery thing a day or two or try to get a scoop of gelato instead of the scary looking sundaes.

 

Worst case is we overpaid $8.40 / day for the two of us.  That's acceptable to us.  Honestly, I think we'll end up coming out ahead over the course.

 

Everyone's valuation will differ.  For instance wifi matters a little to me, but not a lot, ergo my $5 per day benefit.

 

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by SleeStack1

[SleeStack1]

9 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Please explain:

alcohol was disgusting by day fifteen.

I really don't understand your comment.

TIA

I guess I presume they mean binging everyday.  That would get gross to me on day two!

 

1-2 per day everyday is just fine for me though and I would get my value as I just posted in my personal valuation above.

Edited August 16, 2023 by SleeStack1

[Oxo]

1 minute ago, SleeStack1 said:

I guess I presume they mean binging everyday.  That would get gross to me on day two!

 

1-2 per day everyday is just fine for me though and I would get my value as I just posted in my personal valuation above.

Thank you! I assumed he was implying the drinks were watered down or poor quality.

 

We don't drink 15 per day. However, most drinks are $10.

A glass of wine at lunch, before dinner, at dinner and after dinner is 4 drinks. $40 just for that. Cappo at breakfast no more card. 

 

The Elite set up is Ok, but I would rather see it based on 7 day cruises vs 1 setup for a cruise. We are on a 21 day Cruise. 

 

At $60 a day for the Plus is very reasonable compare to the other cruise lines we cruise on each year.

RCI beverage packages start off at $60 and that only includes drinks.

Happy Cruising! 

[JimmyVWine]

 

11 hours ago, roxievegas said:

few bucks ?

$120 X 7 is $840 for two people for one week

or $160 X 7 is $1,020

 

that is not a few bucks

 

See below.  Yes, it really is only a few bucks after a realistic evaluation is made of what one will spend on board.  And the calculation that got to the number below used $5 per day for wifi.  I didn't know that that was an achievable number.  I think it is typically $15/$7.50 based on loyalty status.  The OP is a first-time cruiser so it will be the higher number.  

 

25 minutes ago, SleeStack1 said:

So, we will be paying $4.20 pppd to cover any above and beyond.

[JimmyVWine]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

That said, I do bring on a supply of wine whenever possible for me to do so.  There is a $20 corkage fee beyond the first two bottles (1/pp) and I am aware of what Princess menu prices are compared to retail plus the corkage.  I have also found I am not always charged corkage

To be fair, you still need to add in the purchase price of the wine that you plan to bring on, especially if you buy it at the port of departure.  I often bring on wines from my cellar that I have owned for years, and lie to myself and consider them "free".  But if I go to Total in FLL the day before my cruise and spend $300 on wine, I can't lie to myself and pretend that this was not part of the cost of the cruise.  

Edited August 16, 2023 by JimmyVWine

[tonit964]

12 hours ago, Mike07 said:

 

As somebody that can do the fifteen drink daily limit, IMHO, no, it's not worth it. My last cruise with princess was the LAX to Hawaii route and alcohol was disgusting by day fifteen. That being said, with so many sea days, having wifi is really nice.

 

For more typical and port intensive cruises, I'd avoid. Prepaid international SIM cards are way cheaper than what Princess offers Internet at.

Well, yeah, drinking 15 alcoholic drinks everyday for two weeks would get disgusting but you don't have to drink 15 drinks to get your "monies" worth, that's just the limit.

 

Three alcoholic drinks per day will put you at break even. I did that easily on my LA to Hawaii cruise. 

[roxievegas]

We just got off the Emerald for a 7 night cruise.  We had no package.

 

over the 7 days,

$35 in charges from the international cafe for coffee

$214 in charges for gratuities

$105 paid in advance for internet for one - reimbursed $52.50 once on board

$14 paid in advance for two cases of water delivered to cabin

 

$315.50

 

We do not have drinks, food delivered to us.  Emerald does not have Alfreds's/Gigi's and we don't eat at the places that cost extra.  We do not carry our phones around with us - they are locked in the safe.

 

If you are not a drinker, it does not make sense to get the package.  

 

Consider what you are going to be doing, where you are going to eat, how much you are going to drink and then do the math.

[PMGS247]

12 hours ago, Mike07 said:

 

As somebody that can do the fifteen drink daily limit, IMHO, no, it's not worth it. My last cruise with princess was the LAX to Hawaii route and alcohol was disgusting by day fifteen. That being said, with so many sea days, having wifi is really nice.

 

For more typical and port intensive cruises, I'd avoid. Prepaid international SIM cards are way cheaper than what Princess offers Internet at.

 

This is an interesting non-math based take seemingly entirely on subjective feel of what's nice to have rather than looking at the economics.

 

As for the cost/benefit in dollars, you don't need anywhere near the 15 limit to get your money's worth.  Heck, if you got even near the 15 limit in the first half of your cruise it wouldn't matter if you stopped halfway through - you already got alcohol enough to cover the entire cost of the package.