Price for Crown Grill

[bonox55]

Just noticed that cost of eating in the Crown Grill is now A$63 per person. Last time I cruised with Princess I paid A$42. If my maths is correct, that is a 50 percent increase in about 12 months.

With the additional charges now to eat at Alfredo's, it looks like my love affair with Princess is looking a little shaky.

Am I being unfair to Princess?

Paul 

 

[downtheback]

Princess wants you to buy plus or premier. Sounds like they keep making it more enticing to do so....

[leck57]

2 hours ago, bonox55 said:

Just noticed that cost of eating in the Crown Grill is now A$63 per person. Last time I cruised with Princess I paid A$42. If my maths is correct, that is a 50 percent increase in about 12 months.

With the additional charges now to eat at Alfredo's, it looks like my love affair with Princess is looking a little shaky.

Am I being unfair to Princess?

Paul 

 

 

Not long before it jumped to $42 it was $A29. I used to visit Crown Grill and other Speciality Restaurants at least once per every 7 days of a cruise. These price increases have now put them beyond what I consider good value, so I have cut back. My upcoming 22 day cruise I'll go Specialty Restaurants twice. We get the Plus package but these restaurants are not included and the Premier package isn't worth it in my opinion. 

[leck57]

1 hour ago, downtheback said:

Princess wants you to buy plus or premier. Sounds like they keep making it more enticing to do so....

Not included with Plus, only Premier.

[downtheback]

15 hours ago, leck57 said:

Not included with Plus, only Premier

Casual dining with Plus

Speciality dining with Premier

 

Different price points for different customers, but the aim is the same. Upselling the packages before people get on board. 

[wallyj]

@bonox55, I think you are being a little unfair. When was the last time you sailed with Princess? I think the Crown grill was $29 (USD) a long while ago , then was increased to $39 and used to have the gratuity included in that prince, but believe as of Dec 1, 2023, 18% is now added so the total cost is now about $46 USD if you are paying out of pocket. Assume since you are quoting Aussie dollars where prices have gratuity included assume $A63 is comparable with current exchange rates of $USD46.

 

If you compare steakhouse specialty dining on other cruiselines, specifically, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, Princess Crown Grill at $39 USD is quite competitive and considerably lower.

[Aexboeingdriver]

We recently did a Christmas cruise on the Discovery and had a fantastic meal at the Crown Grill. I thought the $42 per person was a steal. We regularly have dinner at Kreg’s chophouse or Charley’s in Orlando and I consider myself fortunate if we can get out for $100 pp. 

With everything going up $63 is still a steal for a good steak.

[wallyj]

@Aexboeingdriver, the OP is quoting Aussie dollars so $A63 is about $USD46, which as you have stated is a decent fare for a steak dinner.

[coo359a2]

In Oct/Nov 2023 it was AU$53 and it was very good

Edited March 12 by coo359a2

[memoak]

Please confirm if prices are US or AU 

[leck57]

2 hours ago, wallyj said:

@Aexboeingdriver, the OP is quoting Aussie dollars so $A63 is about $USD46, which as you have stated is a decent fare for a steak dinner.

 

I agree at face value, however the cost of Specialty Dining should really be the difference between the average main Dining Room cost which you have already paid for and the uncharged for Specialty.

[HikaruTsuki]

I'm Canadian and my Princess app has Crown Grill priced at $63 per person. It doesn't specify the currency, but I've only ever seen USD on Princess apps. 

[wallyj]

6 hours ago, HikaruTsuki said:

I'm Canadian and my Princess app has Crown Grill priced at $63 per person. It doesn't specify the currency, but I've only ever seen USD on Princess apps. 

I just checked the APP for my upcoming Ruby sailing LA to YVR on April 7, 2024 and Crown Grill was showing priced at $39. As of Dec 1, 2023 an additional 18% service charge will be added unless you are being comped for the meal from Premier package or other means.
 

What sailing and ship are you checking? If the ship is ‘down under’ then pricing will most likely reflect Aussie $ which would explain the $63 price.

Edited March 12 by wallyj

[HikaruTsuki]

7 minutes ago, wallyj said:

I just checked the APP for my upcoming Ruby sailing LA to YVR on April 7, 2024 and Crown Grill was showing priced at $39. 
 

What sailing and ship are you checking? If the ship is ‘down under’ then pricing will most likely reflect Aussie $ which would explain the $63 price.

 

California Coastal cruise in September. I wonder if there's a plan to increase rates soon? 

[wallyj]

1 minute ago, HikaruTsuki said:

 

California Coastal cruise in September. I wonder if there's a plan to increase rates soon? 

Is it possible the ship you are sailing on in September is currently ‘down under’? So the APP is pricing based on it’s current location? 

[wallyj]

@HikaruTsuki, I also just checked my Sapphire August/September 14 day Alaska sailing 2024, for reserving Sterling Steakhouse for a date in September and the price shown was $39. So since the OP posted $A63, I am thinking you are getting Aussie $ pricing for some reason.

[F355c5]

11 minutes ago, wallyj said:

@HikaruTsuki, I also just checked my Sapphire August/September 14 day Alaska sailing 2024, for reserving Sterling Steakhouse for a date in September and the price shown was $39. So since the OP posted $A63, I am thinking you are getting Aussie $ pricing for some reason.

I just booked crown grill for 6 people.

at $39 per person 

 

[Thrak]

8 hours ago, HikaruTsuki said:

I'm Canadian and my Princess app has Crown Grill priced at $63 per person. It doesn't specify the currency, but I've only ever seen USD on Princess apps. 

 

If the cruise is out of Australia/New Zealand then all charges are in AUD. Additionally, any "free" OBC you may qualify for such as Shareholder OBC will be automagically converted at a ration of 1:1 to AUD. In other words your OBC will be devalued to approximately 65¢ on the dollar.

[aussiecruiser275]

I think the OP it trying to justify the huge increase in such a short space of time much higher than inflation. Just prior to COVID it was only 25AUD so we are talking a 252% increase in 5 years  in AU pricing or a 460% increase on USD comparison over a 13 year period when it was only 10USD for specialty dining -  so the posters point is valid irrespective of what other changes are going on with Princess.

[LN1Casey]

I was initially going to book a Crown Grill for DH and I on our upcoming cruise, but then I saw it was $63 per person.  I live in Hawaii, I don't pay $63USD for a steak meal here, let alone on a cruise where I'm already paying per day to be there.

 

In my opinion, that is just far too much for a corn-fed steak.

[wallyj]

2 hours ago, LN1Casey said:

I was initially going to book a Crown Grill for DH and I on our upcoming cruise, but then I saw it was $63 per person.  I live in Hawaii, I don't pay $63USD for a steak meal here, let alone on a cruise where I'm already paying per day to be there.

 

In my opinion, that is just far too much for a corn-fed steak.

The $63 price is Aussie $. Crown grill sailing everywhere else where the on board currency is USD is currently priced at $39 plus 18% service charge per person.

[LN1Casey]

6 minutes ago, wallyj said:

The $63 price is Aussie $. Crown grill sailing everywhere else where the on board currency is USD is currently priced at $39 plus 18% service charge per person.

 

I'm looking at my phone application, which is showing $63. The other $ amounts in the app are appropriate USD cost, such as the Plus package valid for up to $15 in drinks.

 

Very strange for it just to show AUS $ for the specialty meals when everything else is USD. 

[leck57]

1 hour ago, LN1Casey said:

 

I'm looking at my phone application, which is showing $63. The other $ amounts in the app are appropriate USD cost, such as the Plus package valid for up to $15 in drinks.

 

Very strange for it just to show AUS $ for the specialty meals when everything else is USD. 

 

Strange. I just booked one of the Specialty restaurants on the App for a cruise on Sky in July and it showed $39 which I assumed was $US and it was. My credit card was charged $US78 which converted to $AUD118. (so the good news is that with conversion, as at today, the cost in Aussie $ is about $59pp not $63 as mentioned a few times above. Bargain🙄

[Torfamm]

15 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

If the cruise is out of Australia/New Zealand then all charges are in AUD. Additionally, any "free" OBC you may qualify for such as Shareholder OBC will be automagically converted at a ration of 1:1 to AUD. In other words your OBC will be devalued to approximately 65¢ on the dollar.

Not all OBC is converted to USD 1:1. OBC due on casino bookings is converted at the current rate of the sailing date, it was 2:6 on our last cruise.
 

OBC due from Shareholder credit is granted in AUD per the shareholder benefit document, not converted from USD.

 

My biggest concern was that they offered an exchange rate of 1:1 when using USD gift cards to pay charges made in AUD.

Edited March 13 by Torfamm

[coo359a2]

4 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

Not all OBC is converted to USD 1:1. OBC due on casino bookings is converted at the current rate of the sailing date, it was 2:6 on our last cruise.
 

OBC due from Shareholder credit is granted in AUD per the shareholder benefit document, not converted from USD.

 

My biggest concern was that they offered an exchange rate of 1:1 when using USD gift cards to pay charges made in AUD.

For our Australian cruise last Oct/Nov, however you look at it, when our OBCs (promo, military, FCC, Shareholder, TA) were all posted to our Folio, the amounts posted were exactly what we would have received if we had been on any non AU cruise.  I did pass Math classes so not sure why all our OBCs would not be considered 1for 1.  .