Is it really worth it?

[Lady Arwen]

12 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

On all our trips (with a package) we always hit the top amount of 15 drinks each day- each. You have to get your money's worth since it's already paid for. 🤪

 

Excuse me, but you have already told us on numerous occasions that you would NEVER buy the packages that are so overpriced.  You also said that the wine you bring onboard is enough for both of you and you take a glass to the dining room.  You also said that you cannot imagine anyone drinking anywhere near 15 drinks per day and you could never do that and that folks who did “have a real problem”.

 

I’m sorry, but you are constantly contradicting yourself!  I’m at a loss as to what to believe.

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

Excuse me, but you have already told us on numerous occasions that you would NEVER buy the packages that are so overpriced.  You also said that the wine you bring onboard is enough for both of you and you take a glass to the dining room.  You also said that you cannot imagine anyone drinking anywhere near 15 drinks per day and you could never do that and that folks who did “have a real problem”.

 

I’m sorry, but you are constantly contradicting yourself!  I’m at a loss as to what to believe.

First of all I don't plan on buying a "package" in the future as it's way to expensive even if you do hit the max number of 15. 

 

Yes we do bring numerous bottles of wine with us on the ship and have never paid them a cent corkage. (you have to know how to get around the charge.)

 

Lastly, I didn't say I drank all of those 15 drinks I ordered. The package is definitely not cost effective for occasional drinkers. 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

7 hours ago, Jadn13 said:

Understood.

For me  I travel often and for longer periods so the packages are not cost effective. 

I agree. On long cruises packages are not likely going to work for most people... who can keep up the pace for more than 2 weeks!

I would never cruise for more than 2 weeks but if I did I'd not take a package.

[karatemom2]

If people love the packages, more power to them. I'm sure there are many people who find it a great value and get a great benefit.

 

What I am really starting to resent as a long time Princess cruiser is the ever increasing pressure from Princess to make people, especially new cruisers, feel like they HAVE to get the package. This recent raising of the WiFi costs is  good example of trying to strong arm people into packages and I'm having none of it. I fully resent that they are further devaluing my hard earned Elite WiFi benefit - the slow chipping away of  a benefit I have really enjoyed.

 

I do still need the WiFi for work and family connection, but in the future, my DH and I will probably just share one package and trade off on the device. There is really never a need for us both to be connected at the same time anyway and beyond the cost, I'm just protesting on principle!

 

But back to the package - I think it is sad that some people like the OP feel that their cruise can't be enjoyable and fun without shelling out all that extra money up front for the package which may or may not end up being cost effective. It's all about the way it is being marketed - like you are seriously missing the boat if you don't buy in which is absolutely not the case for lots of people who just don't really fully utilize all the perceived "benefits", especially on a longer, port intensive cruise where there may be a number of days where you spend the majority of the day off the ship.

 

It all is a really personal decision, very much based on how you like to cruise, what benefits you receive for loyalty levels or even casino perks, how much you value the "specialty" dining, alcoholic or coffee beverages, etc. It's hard for people new to cruising to really know so of course they will feel pressured to partake - regardless of whether it really makes sense for them or not. But it appears Princess is going to continue to make it a priority to push these packages as hard as possible - because they are most definitely making a ton of money on them. That says a lot about the "value"!

 

Edited February 14 by karatemom2

[barb67]

I found this thread earlier and have read it with interest as I will be a 1st time cruiser with Princess later this year. We have done about 16 previous cruises with other lines. First I would say to the OP, good on you, go on your cruise and enjoy it. We have booked the Plus package for our cruise (14n) as we like to be able to have a drink whenever we like without thinking about the cost. Wifi for 1 device each is fine for us. We will definitely book 1 or 2 speciality meals as we have on previous cruises. When we first started cruising in 2007, there was only a wine package (3,5 or 7bottles) available and our bar bill at the end of the cruise....well, we were a bit surprised😳.   As I understand it, the 15 drink limit is all drinks inc coffee, water, soft drinks, so not a bad deal I think. I think for us the plus package will be cost effective.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

8 minutes ago, barb67 said:

 As I understand it, the 15 drink limit is all drinks inc coffee, water, soft drinks, so not a bad deal I think. I think for us the plus package will be cost effective.

no, the 15 count limit every 24 hours only applies to alcoholic drinks.

[cruise_critical]

If you can do without internet, on-demand lobster, alcohol, mocktails, soft drinks and barista coffees for 14 days, then everything else is included. No need to spend more, no bottomless money pit. 

If you think you will want internet and buy a lot of drinks while onboard, get the Plus or Premium package as it's a no brainer and is a better deal than any other cruise line period.

[cruise_critical]

4 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

no, the 15 count limit every 24 hours only applies to alcoholic drinks.

correct.

 

and the app even tell you how many got charged to your account and how many you have left for the day as a result. Just need to be careful as, if you and your partner go to a bar or restaurant, and order a few drinks over a period of time, they might be putting them all on your account, and not yor partner's and you might go over the limit without realizing. So it's defintely good to keep an eye on it.

[Lady Arwen]

10 minutes ago, cruise_critical said:

If you can do without internet, on-demand lobster, alcohol, mocktails, soft drinks and barista coffees for 14 days, then everything else is included. No need to spend more, no bottomless money pit. 

If you think you will want internet and buy a lot of drinks while onboard, get the Plus or Premium package as it's a no brainer and is a better deal than any other cruise line period.

Please, where do we find the “on demand lobster”?  What have I been missing?  Thank you for the info.

[insidecabin]

13 minutes ago, cruise_critical said:

If you can do without internet, on-demand lobster, alcohol, mocktails, soft drinks and barista coffees for 14 days, then everything else is included. No need to spend more, no bottomless money pit. 

If you think you will want internet and buy a lot of drinks while onboard, get the Plus or Premium package as it's a no brainer and is a better deal than any other cruise line period.

We find NCL free at sea package better value than the princess option.

Costs around £36-£40 against £50 for plus

That covers service drinks and enough internet they have other bits 

 

What matters is the total for the bits you need, extra spending on top of the base cruise fare.

 

Sometimes NCL wins sometimes Princess

 

It gets competitive when they are offering discounts and there are cruise gaps to fill and the timing is right

 

[notadesertgirl]

32 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Please, where do we find the “on demand lobster”?  What have I been missing?  Thank you for the info.

Lobster is included on one of the Formal nights in MDR, but it is on the menu also on all the rest of the nights for approx $19 additional. 

[notadesertgirl]

9 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

This!

not necessarily 10 drinks: $60 daily charge - $16 hotel gratuity - $10 streaming wifi = $34 for three alcohic drinks only, since they are $10+18% tips. 

[New2cruise2022]

39 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

We find NCL free at sea package better value than the princess option.

Costs around £36-£40 against £50 for plus

That covers service drinks and enough internet they have other bits 

 

What matters is the total for the bits you need, extra spending on top of the base cruise fare.

 

Sometimes NCL wins sometimes Princess

 

It gets competitive when they are offering discounts and there are cruise gaps to fill and the timing is right

 

In the US, Plus and Premier include gratuities/crew appreciation. Free At Sea does not include this. It may differ in the UK, but it is very hard to find an NCL fare and package that beats Princess, at least in the last year. 

[Lady Arwen]

16 minutes ago, notadesertgirl said:

Lobster is included on one of the Formal nights in MDR, but it is on the menu also on all the rest of the nights for approx $19 additional. 

Yes, I know that, but I thought you meant that it was complimentary.  Sorry, I misunderstood you post,  My bad.

[New2cruise2022]

@karatemom2 I really appreciated your take on the packages. You remain open minded that it carries value for some cruisers, but your point is not lost that it is difficult to ease into cruising without advice from somewhat seasoned, trustworthy friends or family. 
The plain reality is that cruising leads the way with vacation budgets. It’s cheaper and better than most plan your own vacations that included transportation, lodging and all meals. It is cheaper and comparable or better than most all-inclusive resorts. If you aren’t cooking your own meals, there is not a cheaper way to have a comfortable place to sleep every night and never want for food or drink that is cooked for you. And, you never have to do dishes either. At least with Princess, traveling without a package will provide better eating, relaxation, and entertainment than you can find anywhere. But, unless you have been on a cruise before, it is a very foreign concept. 
 

[Lady Arwen]

47 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

We find NCL free at sea package better value than the princess option.

Costs around £36-£40 against £50 for plus

That covers service drinks and enough internet they have other bits 

 

What matters is the total for the bits you need, extra spending on top of the base cruise fare.

 

Sometimes NCL wins sometimes Princess

 

It gets competitive when they are offering discounts and there are cruise gaps to fill and the timing is right

 

Does it include crew appreciation (gratuities)?  On Princess it’s approximately $16.00 per person per day, depending on your cabin type and it’s included in the packages.

[notadesertgirl]

in US it does include gratuities. Next time we might consider Plus, but this past voyage we had $100 onboard credits, which covered 7 days of gratuities. Kinda...

Edited February 14 by notadesertgirl

[Lady Arwen]

24 minutes ago, notadesertgirl said:

not necessarily 10 drinks: $60 daily charge - $16 hotel gratuity - $10 streaming wifi = $34 for three alcohic drinks only, since they are $10+18% tips. 

So that’s break even.  Add specialty coffees with or without alcohol, water, mocktails, soda and you are way ahead with the package.  And, many cocktails, especially wine, are much more expensive than $10.00 each.  The wine we drink is $16.00-$18.00 each.  

[MacMadame]

22 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

What is your evidence that it is 20% or is that number just made up?

 

 

13 hours ago, MissP22 said:

That number was based upon a quote here on CC of how many people buy into the packages. 

For people who think that number was pulled out of someone's butt, Princess has said publicly that 75-80% of cruisers buy a package. So 20% is a conservative estimate. It could be as much as 25%.

[New2cruise2022]

5 minutes ago, MacMadame said:

 

For people who think that number was pulled out of someone's butt, Princess has said publicly that 75-80% of cruisers buy a package. So 20% is a conservative estimate. It could be as much as 25%.

But Princess doesn’t have to divulge all of the details of that representation. If they say 80% of cruisers buy one, then people think that you should. It’s just kind of a convenient statement that teenagers make to their parents … “But everyone is doing it …” 😂 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

We find NCL free at sea package better value than the princess option.

Costs around £36-£40 against £50 for plus

That covers service drinks and enough internet they have other bits 

you can add Princess Plus to the lowest fare, but you cannot get NCL's Free at Sea added to the guarantee rate. And, as mentioned, Free at Sea don't cover gratuities, and the internet is not exactly unlimited/streaming.

Edited February 15 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Alaska Lily]

Wow!  I have really enjoyed reading this thread.  I don’t have much to add..but we came off The Sky on 2/3 (with a package 😉) and had a wonderful time.  The OP had concerns about customer service. I just wanted to share that our experience is that the customer service ON the ship is far superior to any customer service when you contact Princess prior to cruising. Bon voyage you will have a wonderful time!

[BamaVol]

2 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Yes, I know that, but I thought you meant that it was complimentary.  Sorry, I misunderstood you post,  My bad.

I was wondering if I had missed it at the IC, since that’s the only 24/7 venue where I might be able to demand my daily lobster regardless of time of day.

[BamaVol]

1 hour ago, New2cruise2022 said:

But Princess doesn’t have to divulge all of the details of that representation. If they say 80% of cruisers buy one, then people think that you should. It’s just kind of a convenient statement that teenagers make to their parents … “But everyone is doing it …” 😂 

That was usually followed by me asking “ If Jimmy Smith jumped off a bridge, would you feel you had to.”

 

It’s such a simple calculation to estimate whether the package saves you money.  And all the facts are here for the asking on CC. 

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, MacMadame said:

 

For people who think that number was pulled out of someone's butt, Princess has said publicly that 75-80% of cruisers buy a package. So 20% is a conservative estimate. It could be as much as 25%.

I am not surprised, especially since Princess’ packages are very competitive.  I would never cruise without a package or some type of all inclusive included in my rate.