Purchasing packages onboard

[Beamafar]

We’re sailing Princess for the first time in December.  We haven’t added the Plus package to our booking as we’re considering purchasing it on embarkation day.  Is it a flat rate charge of (currently) $60 pppd or is there an added percentage fee for adding it when onboard?

[pedirn]

Depends on a couple of things    I think, but don’t hold me to it, that price is being raised to $65 pp/day.   So booking now would save a few dollars.   Then there is the option of purchasing it on boarding day when you have OBC you can apply.   So each situation is different depending on what works for you.

[Beamafar]

Thank you.  I’ve been following the discussions re the increase to the Premier package and anticipate that there will be an increase to the Plus package.  Unfortunately, we don’t have any OBC to offset the cost. 

[memoak]

22 minutes ago, pedirn said:

Depends on a couple of things    I think, but don’t hold me to it, that price is being raised to $65 pp/day.   So booking now would save a few dollars.   Then there is the option of purchasing it on boarding day when you have OBC you can apply.   So each situation is different depending on what works for you.

I have not seen any news that the plus package price is changing. The premier is going up to $90 per person per day but they added some things. No such news yet about plus I believe that is all speculation 

[dreaminofcruisin]

44 minutes ago, pedirn said:

Depends on a couple of things    I think, but don’t hold me to it, that price is being raised to $65 pp/day.   So booking now would save a few dollars.   Then there is the option of purchasing it on boarding day when you have OBC you can apply.   So each situation is different depending on what works for you.

 

Do you have a source for this?

Thx.

[skynight]

Same cost on board or pre-cruise. The risk of price increases are always present. 

[Beamafar]

Thank you for answering the question I posed.

 

This thread was not meant to be about whether there will, or will not, be an increase in the cost of the Plus package. 

Edited August 22 by Beamafar

[arizonaperson]

@Beamafar yes the price of the Plus cruise package is the same price pre-cruise as it is onboard … for the moment. Yes it is a flat rate, taxes & gratuity already included in the price. No added fees once onboard.

[Beamafar]

Just now, arizonaperson said:

@Beamafar yes the price of the Plus cruise package is the same price pre-cruise as it is onboard … for the moment. Yes it is a flat rate, taxes & gratuity already included in the price. No added fees once onboard.

Thank you!🙏  

[julia]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

Thank you.  I’ve been following the discussions re the increase to the Premier package and anticipate that there will be an increase to the Plus package.  Unfortunately, we don’t have any OBC to offset the cost. 

Hi:  Since you do not have any OBC, then I would recommend you add Plus to your booking now, as there's no reason to wait to do it onboard. We're sailing in early Nov and have $425 OBC, so I'm waiting until we board.

[Beamafar]

Thank you for that.
 

I’m not keen on giving a TA/cruise company any more money upfront than I need to.  Final payment for us is 15 weeks prior to sailing. If I wait til onboard, my credit card bill for onboard spending won’t be due for payment til the end of February.  I’d rather have the money earning interest in my account than in theirs. 

 

I’ll keep an eye out for any news about Plus cost being increased;  I’ll consider pre-payment if and when that happens. 

[dog]

If you have travel insurance it will increase to cover the additional price of the package if purchased pre cruise.

[Beamafar]

Just now, dog said:

If you have travel insurance it will increase to cover the additional price of the package if purchased pre cruise.

Not with the type of insurance we buy here. 

[Mara4166]

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

I’ll keep an eye out for any news about Plus cost being increased;  I’ll consider pre-payment if and when that happens. 

There was no notice on the premier increase.  One day it was $80 and the next it was $90 with no advance warning.  I would expect that if they increase plus, they will do it the same way.

[Beamafar]

Just now, Mara4166 said:

There was no notice on the premier increase.  One day it was $80 and the next it was $90 with no advance warning.  I would expect that if they increase plus, they will do it the same way.

Thank you for that.  I read back through a thread on the subject to see if that was mentioned.  The app for my booking was still showing the old price when the thread was first started.

 

If the price is increased, I’m wondering what could possibly be added on to the inclusions (should there be any). The only thing I can think of would be unlimited casual dining (which would be of no use to me as the ones on the Grand don’t appeal to me). 

[memoak]

7 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Thank you for that.  I read back through a thread on the subject to see if that was mentioned.  The app for my booking was still showing the old price when the thread was first started.

 

If the price is increased, I’m wondering what could possibly be added on to the inclusions (should there be any). The only thing I can think of would be unlimited casual dining (which would be of no use to me as the ones on the Grand don’t appeal to me). 

We love the charcuterie platter at Vines and on our last 14 days on board we went to Alfredo’s 3times

[cruisinsince75]

43 minutes ago, dog said:

If you have travel insurance it will increase to cover the additional price of the package if purchased pre cruise.

Yes.  We have Princess Platinum insurance.  Upgraded yesterday from Premier to the new Unlimited Premier package and couldn't figure out why the amount was different than the $140 total that it should have been.  Then looked at the new invoice and saw that the insurance cost had also gone up, due to the change.

[grimace95120]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

Thank you for that.
 

I’m not keen on giving a TA/cruise company any more money upfront than I need to.  Final payment for us is 15 weeks prior to sailing. If I wait til onboard, my credit card bill for onboard spending won’t be due for payment til the end of February.  I’d rather have the money earning interest in my account than in theirs. 

 

I’ll keep an eye out for any news about Plus cost being increased;  I’ll consider pre-payment if and when that happens. 

That's my strategy as well, i typically wait until the very start of a new CC cycle for any major purchases to max out the grace period. Having said maybe a compromise in that you could purchase the package a day or two ahead of the actual sailing rather than trying to do it on board. Comfort of your own home vs the potential first day chaos on the ship . And you can grab your first bevvie without having to find someone to take your money 🙂 

[Beamafar]

5 minutes ago, grimace95120 said:

That's my strategy as well, i typically wait until the very start of a new CC cycle for any major purchases to max out the grace period. Having said maybe a compromise in that you could purchase the package a day or two ahead of the actual sailing rather than trying to do it on board. Comfort of your own home vs the potential first day chaos on the ship . And you can grab your first bevvie without having to find someone to take your money 🙂 

👍👌👊

[arizonaperson]

I have definitely heard that it’s extremely easy once you’re onboard ( have to use the credit card that you have secured as your onboard charges to your folio )the ship to add the plus or premier cruise package and it’s pretty instantaneously and you can grab your first beverage if you so desire as soon as that is done or get on the Internet right away, etc. etc.

I have heard from other passengers that it’s super easy to do once onboard ,no real delay. I do believe you can do it right on your app all  by yourself or you can enlist the help one of the crew members stationed about the ship that is offering this.

There might be some sort of online items that are not available up to let’s just say three days prior to your cruise. I’m not sure on the timing, but some items are not able to be done within a 1 to 5 day window prior to your cruise?? ( not sure on this,others chime in)

Edited August 22 by arizonaperson

[Iamcruzin]

If the price is the same on board where are they discounting the original price from?  Are they taking a page from Royal Caribbean'a and Celebrity's made up prices. Princess is more creative as the most I ever saved on either of those lines was 40% off of the fake price.

 

Princess Premier        Princess Plus

$310 now $90.            $153 now $60

save 71%                    Save 61%

 

[Beamafar]

22 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

I have definitely heard that it’s extremely easy once you’re onboard ( have to use the credit card that you have secured as your onboard charges to your folio )the ship to add the plus or premier cruise package and it’s pretty instantaneously and you can grab your first beverage if you so desire as soon as that is done or get on the Internet right away, etc. etc.

I have heard from other passengers that it’s super easy to do once onboard ,no real delay. I do believe you can do it right on your app all  by yourself or you can enlist the help one of the crew members stationed about the ship

That’s been my experience on other lines.  I’ve read on here that they have crew around the ship pushing packages (just like other companies); it’s usually pretty straightforward.  On MSC, if you wait til onboard to purchase a package, you incur a 15% service charge, which you avoid when purchased beforehand.  I understand that the Plus package differs as it’s not solely a drinks package. 

[Scottdalfonso]

Can I add a question to this: we have about $400 OBC (I've been adding it myself in $25 and $50 increments through the website every week or so for the past few months- so it's still all my money being used, but it will feel a lot less painful doing it this way, lol),  BUT I was required to pay the crew appreciation when I booked.  They already told me I will get that refunded if I buy the Plus package, but not sure how it works on board. Will they just charge us in full for the package then refund the 224,00 to our credit card or will they give it to us in OBC that we can also apply to the package, OR will they use my OBC, charge us in full THEN refund the gratuities in OBC after the purchase, in sense, giving us 224.00 to use on the cruise that we probably won't use up.  I do apologize that I may have asked this previously, but never got a clear, definite answer. 

Edited August 22 by Scottdalfonso

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, Scottdalfonso said:

BUT I was required to pay the crew appreciation when I booked. 

huh?

[arizonaperson]

37 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

If the price is the same on board where are they discounting the original price from?  Are they taking a page from Royal Caribbean'a and Celebrity's made up prices. Princess is more creative as the most I ever saved on either of those lines was 40% off of the fake price.

 

Princess Premier        Princess Plus

$310 now $90.            $153 now $60

save 71%                    Save 61%

 

I think  what Princess is advertising is if you were to purchase all of the things included separately and add it up -that would be what their discounting is based on. My opinion. I haven’t actually added it up per se.