Princess Plus or Princess Premier Worth It for 10-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise for Family of 3?

[ZildjianCat]

My wife and I went on a cruise in 2000.  Haven't been on another one since then.  Going via Princess on a Southern Caribbean cruise this summer... 10 days to 6 ports in the Caribbean.

 

Trying to determine if either of the Princess Plus or Princess Premier packages would be advantageous for us to get or not.

 

None of us drink alcohol, so that benefit associated with the packages is automatically a non-issue for us.

 

My daughter will definitely need an Internet connection as she's taking a summer course in college and will need to jump on from time to time to work on material for the course at her own leisure throughout the cruise, so at minimum, we'd get an Internet package for her throughout the cruise.

 

Here is the breakdown between the 2 available packages:  https://www.princess.com/en-us/cruise-deals-promotions/plus-premier-cruise-packages

 

Internet for 1 device for the entire 10-day cruise would run $249.90.  Internet for up to 4 connected devices for the entire 10-day cruise would run $449.90.

 

Looks to me that we could just get the Princess Premier package for just 1 of us for $80/day and at least have the benefit of connecting 4 devices to WiFi and just have the other benefits associated with the Princess Premier package for 1 of us.

 

Any thoughts/recommendations as to whether or not either of these packages (or just a WiFi-only package) might be beneficial to us are greatly appreciated.  Just trying to think through the options and make the best decision for the upcoming cruise.

[memoak]

You cannot get a plus or premier package it must be taken for at least the first 2 in a cabin. If you don’t drink I would just get the standalone 4device internet and pay tips

[Itchy&Scratchy]

43 minutes ago, ZildjianCat said:

Internet for 1 device for the entire 10-day cruise would run $249.90.

I would get this and call it a day. That's what we did when DH needed it for his work (although it was before the price hike and cost us a lot less).

If neither of you drinks alcohold, than it's a no brainer - $60 pppd for the first 2 people in the cabin isn't worth it.

 

45 minutes ago, ZildjianCat said:

My daughter will definitely need an Internet connection as she's taking a summer course in college and will need to jump on from time to time to work on material for the course at her own leisure throughout the cruise

 

perhaps, she could just use free wifi at ports? or pay $10 per day for ATT or whatever plan you have on port days?

 

[ZildjianCat]

We'll be doing various activities at the various port stops, so the at-port-only Internet connections may not suffice for her to get her online college classwork completed.  She'll prob. do a lot of that aboard ship while hanging out by the pool and/or during some other off-time going in-between the various ports.  Good suggestion though if we could make that work to just use connections at ports only.

[Gatrcruzer]

I would get Plus if anything. The big draw for Premier is the higher cost alcohol, and since you will be skipping that, why pay extra? It also includes a couple of restaurant visits but you may or may not want those. So doing the math, for the 60/day you get:

gratuities - $16/day (you will pay these anyway)

wifi - $25/day (sounds as though you at least need this for your child at least)

beverage package and other extras cost: $19/day - even without drinking alcohol, you get unlimited bottled water, sodas, fresh juices, smoothies, mocktails, and fancy coffees. Not sure if you think you would partake of these. There are some other extras that you may or may not use such as exercise classes, fancy desserts, and a couple of casual restaurant visits; however, it also includes the delivery fee (if you ever want food or drink delivered) and pre-shipping of your medallions. You can do the math and see if it makes sense for you to get the package. 

[BamaVol]

The one device plan can be shared.  As long as more than one don’t need to use it at the same time. I might have a hard time justifying Plus if we didn’t drink alcohol. We do consume a lot of coffee and bottled water, but maybe not $20 a day for each of us.

Edited May 13 by BamaVol

[memoak]

1 minute ago, Gatrcruzer said:

I would get Plus if anything. The big draw for Premier is the higher cost alcohol, and since you will be skipping that, why pay extra? It also includes a couple of restaurant visits but you may or may not want those. So doing the math, for the 60/day you get:

gratuities - $16/day (you will pay these anyway)

wifi - $25/day (sounds as though you at least need this for your child at least)

beverage package and other extras cost: $19/day - even without drinking alcohol, you get unlimited bottled water, sodas, fresh juices, smoothies, mocktails, and fancy coffees. Not sure if you think you would partake of these. There are some other extras that you may or may not use such as exercise classes, fancy desserts, and a couple of casual restaurant visits; however, it also includes the delivery fee (if you ever want food or drink delivered) and pre-shipping of your medallions. You can do the math and see if it makes sense for you to get the package. 

It would be $120 per day since the first two must take it. Pretty hard to justify without alcohol unless you are going to drink specialty coffees, sodas or mocktails a lot. 

[Gatrcruzer]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

It would be $120 per day since the first two must take it. Pretty hard to justify without alcohol unless you are going to drink specialty coffees, sodas or mocktails a lot. 

That's why I think everyone needs to do their own math to decide whether it is worth it or not. Some folks are big soda drinkers and/or like their specialty coffees and bottled water, or would otherwise make use of the beverage package, so it could work out for some folks to get the package, even without the alcohol, whereas for others it is a better deal to just buy what you want separately.

[nini]

@ZildjianCat As mentioned, two of you would need to purchase the Plus or Premium. Forget the alcohol... are you an espresso aficionado and enjoy at least two of those a day? How about bottled water to take onshore in the hot weather? Virgin cocktails by the pool? And remember to add in the cost of gratuities and desired WiFi capabilities. Then the Plus may make sense for you.

[robbinsca]

DW doesn’t drink alcohol, but Diet Coke is another story altogether. I will have, at most, two drinks a day. That being said Plus works for us. Free water bottles on your way out for the day in the Caribbean would otherwise be $4 each, Internet and gratuities being included takes 2/3rds of the sting of the $60 p/d cost alone.

 

On NCL I decline the “free” drink package because of the 18% gratuity added still costing me hundreds of dollars. My wife gets the soda package on other lines but I simply drink the lemonade and tea because I am a dedicated cheapskate….but I still get Plus on Princess….🤓

[1025cruise]

I just went through this decision myself and decided to just go a la carte. For as much as we drink, it's not worth the cost. I'll probably end up getting the 4 device wifi (I could go without, but my wife can't). However, I will be getting a soda package for my wife.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

I'll probably end up getting the 4 device wifi (I could go without, but my wife can't).

if you don't need it, why the 4 device plan? Get one and use interchangeably. 

[NavyVeteran]

You need to do the calculation for the two people in the stateroom who would use it the most. If you get the Plus fare, you need to get it for the first two people in the booking. You may want to see if you can change the booking so that the first two are the two who would get the most benefit from the package.

 

If the two people in the cabin would otherwise get single device wi-fi and the zero-alcohol drink package

• Crew Appreciation: $16, $17, or $18 depending on stateroom category
• Single Device Wi-Fi: $24.99 (half price for Platinum or Elite)
• Zero-Alcohol Drink Package: $35.39

• Classic Soda Package: $17.69

 

If the first two people in the stateroom would both get Zero-Alcohol Drink Package and Single Device Wi-Fi, if you are in a balcony or below, and if you are not Platinum or Elite, then the total daily cost per person would be $76.38, so you would definitely be better off with the Plus fare. If you are Platinum or Elite, then the cost would be $63.88, so you would still be better off with the Plus fare.

 

If you drink sodas and mocktails but not specialty coffees, and you would both get the Classic Soda Package, then the total cost (in balcony or below and not Platinum or Elite) would be $58.68. Add OceanNow activation and you are better off with the Plus fare. If you are Platinum or Elite, then the cost would be $46.18. If you would not use OceanNow, then you are probably better off without the Plus fare.

 

No one else can do the calculations for you. The Plus fare works for some but not for others.

 

Premier is generally easier to decide. Unless you like to drink the more expensive alcoholic drinks (wines, single-malt Scotch, etc.), it's probably not a good buy.

 

One more thing to consider. The wi-fi (either from the Plus fare or from a wi-fi package) is one benefit that can be shared. If one of you has single-device or four-device wi-fi, then another one of you can sign on to that connection. The only constraint is that not more than one (or four) devices can be signed on at the same time. If your daughter is the heavy user and the rest of you would only use it occasionally, then one single-device wi-fi (either standalone or part ot the Plus package) may be all you would need and two single-device or one four-device would definitely be more than enough.

[1025cruise]

2 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

I just went through this decision myself and decided to just go a la carte. For as much as we drink, it's not worth the cost. I'll probably end up getting the 4 device wifi (I could go without, but my wife can't). However, I will be getting a soda package for my wife.

Because getting my wife to sign out of the WiFi to let me on for a minute or two will be impossible 🙂

[gilboman]

4 hours ago, BamaVol said:

The one device plan can be shared.  As long as more than one don’t need to use it at the same time. I might have a hard time justifying Plus if we didn’t drink alcohol. We do consume a lot of coffee and bottled water, but maybe not $20 a day for each of us.

you can just create a wifi hotspot with the one device as well! i used my phone to create hotspot from the wifi on a phone and used it across multiple devices

 

of course the hotspot device needs to be in proximity of others using it for access

[gilboman]

26 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Because getting my wife to sign out of the WiFi to let me on for a minute or two will be impossible 🙂

just have her hotspot the wifi on her phone 😁

 

worked for me on my last princess cruise.  

[Torfamm]

If you buy the Plus fare package, you will need to purchase it for at least the first two passengers on the reservation (assuming the three of you are sharing one cabin) at $60 per person per day for a total of $120 per day. 

 

If you paid individually for crew appreciation for both of you ($16 each per day), wi-fi for just 1of you ($25 per day), the zero alcohol package for both of you ($35.39 per person per day) you would pay over $128 per day.
 

Only you can say whether it makes sense. Coffee, bottled water, sodas etc can add up.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

18 hours ago, gilboman said:

just have her hotspot the wifi on her phone 😁

 

worked for me on my last princess cruise.  

did not work for us on our last Princess cruise.

[Torfamm]

On 5/13/2024 at 5:12 PM, gilboman said:

just have her hotspot the wifi on her phone 😁

 

worked for me on my last princess cruise.  

iPhone users have to be connected to their cellular data plan to share a hot spot. It can’t be done using wi-fi