Packages and their relative value

[djmetz]

Hi,

We have just booked a Cruise with Princess on a trip around New Zealand. Done it many times, but we get an opportunity to catch up with family etc. As we haven’t cruised since Covid struck and are out of touch with the [increased] cost of everything, as a result of the pandemic, we are trying to decide if we should buy a package (plus/premier) along with the cost of the cruise. My question is….can anyone who has recently cruised with this cruise line either in Aus or NZ give us an idea of the cost of a standard cocktail/glass of wine? I notice that on the Plus package, the limit per drink is $22. Would that charge cover most standard drinks? Or not? Cheers 

[Hamwen3839]

We recently did the around NZ cruise on Majestic Princess and added the Princess Plus package I think for about $60 AUS per day each.MUCH cheaper to buy in advance.

It covered all drinks except top shelf spirits so $22 per drink gets you everything you could want. Even cocktails , the 24 ct Margarita was my fave.

However the package also covers the fresh juice bar( at rear of ship International Restaurant level) and we really made use of that every day, it is unlimited.Special Coffee such as cappuccino is included in the package( you only get free basic coffee with meals).

They have also included 2 “special “ desserts daily but we never had them, too rich.

We could also use specialty casual restaurants twice, we absolutely loved the Japanese lunch sushi plate, best we have ever had.I think it was at Harmony , only on the Majestic Princess.

The package also covers WiFi and gratuities so for us, all in all great value.

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

We've done several cruises with the Plus package. Even though the price has increased since it was first introduced, with the added incentives of things that we aren't interested (like diabetics nightmare desserts), and even though the wines by the glass don't suit our tastes (but we do get 25% off the price of wines by the bottle) it still works our cost effective for us over paying for everything separately. 

 

We see no real benefit to us in having the Premier package over the Plus package. If we want any drinks over the Plus limit we only pay the difference, which is usually just a couple of dollars or so per glass. We only need internet for one device at a time per person, there is no way we would want to dine in the Speciality restaurants every night, and we can get almost all the cocktails etc we want under Plus. 

[arxcards]

Lots of cocktails/spirits are in the $16 to $17 range. For us, 3 drinks per day, a latte, cabin delivery of drinks and internet covers the cost of the plus package, currently $65pp per day. Personally, we are well in front with plus. 

 

Premier pretty much covers top shelf drinks, but you can still drink expensive drinks with Plus, as you only pay the amount in excess of the cap. We have bought premier on a couple of short cruises, lived it up and made the most of specialty restaurants and the photos. Personally, I think premier is only worthwhile value if you want to dine in a specialty restaurant each night.

[Tranquility Base]

11 minutes ago, arxcards said:

We have bought premier on a couple of short cruises, lived it up and made the most of specialty restaurants and the photos. Personally, I think premier is only worthwhile value if you want to dine in a specialty restaurant each night.

Have you used the 'new premier' with the unlimited specialty restaurants yet ?

If so, how did you find the ability to book numerous reservations ?

[dizzy1948]

3 hours ago, Hamwen3839 said:

We recently did the around NZ cruise on Majestic Princess and added the Princess Plus package I think for about $60 AUS per day each.MUCH cheaper to buy in advance.

It covered all drinks except top shelf spirits so $22 per drink gets you everything you could want. Even cocktails , the 24 ct Margarita was my fave.

However the package also covers the fresh juice bar( at rear of ship International Restaurant level) and we really made use of that every day, it is unlimited.Special Coffee such as cappuccino is included in the package( you only get free basic coffee with meals).

They have also included 2 “special “ desserts daily but we never had them, too rich.

We could also use specialty casual restaurants twice, we absolutely loved the Japanese lunch sushi plate, best we have ever had.I think it was at Harmony , only on the Majestic Princess.

The package also covers WiFi and gratuities so for us, all in all great value.

 

Just looking on our booking for Oct 2025 - Premium Beverage plus drinks package is $155.45 per day saying:  Our Premier Beverage Package is the best of the best for $84.99 per day plus an 18% service charge. Then the Plus Beverage package price is $118.87 per day saying: Enjoy a wide range of drinks for $64.99 per day plus a 18% service charge. 

I don't understand this at all. If I press the "add to cart" it shows up the amount $1709.?? for one person for 11 days. The cruise didn't cost much more than that. 😏!!!!!! I was only test driving the drinks package out of curiosity because I couldn't make the numbers add up. (Perhaps I need a drink 🍹)

[Mycruiseobsession]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

Personally, I think premier is only worthwhile value if you want to dine in a specialty restaurant each night.

 

I partially agree, but also the other extras included too - having teenagers the extra wifi devices was perfect. And the photos. things like this all add up for a family. And hubby really enjoyed the Hennessey included in the Premier package!

 

(The premium desserts are gross and not a pro for me.)

 

When I travel on Princess again, if I purchase a package it will be Premier.

 

I did a basic review of our NZ cruise last year, I will find the link.

 

I can't remember if I posted menus. Hopefully I did!

 

Edit:

 

Here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/3008094-coral-princess-brisbane-to-nz-review/

Edited 13 hours ago by Mycruiseobsession
Add link

[djmetz]

Thanks everyone for the prompt replies and helpful advice. We’re not first time cruisers by any stretch, but haven’t even considered a drinks or any other package in the past. Like you all, we’ve no interest in deserts, photo packages, or even specialty restaurants really. But the cost of interenet is just ridiculous theses days and add that to a reasonable drinks bill at the end of a cruise, and it seems to make the plus package (at least) look pretty appealing. I’m assuming that gratuities are NOT included in these packages. I know they are in the States, but not in Aus & NZ. Not a fan of allowing them to charge gratuities to our account on a daily basis. Would prefer to pay these as we go. Thanks again. 

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, dizzy1948 said:

Just looking on our booking for Oct 2025 - Premium Beverage plus drinks package is $155.45 per day saying:  Our Premier Beverage Package is the best of the best for $84.99 per day plus an 18% service charge. Then the Plus Beverage package price is $118.87 per day saying: Enjoy a wide range of drinks for $64.99 per day plus a 18% service charge. 

I don't understand this at all. If I press the "add to cart" it shows up the amount $1709.?? for one person for 11 days. The cruise didn't cost much more than that. 😏!!!!!! I was only test driving the drinks package out of curiosity because I couldn't make the numbers add up. (Perhaps I need a drink 🍹)

There are 2 glitches in this.

#1, It is $US pricing (hence the added service charge).

#2 These are add on packages. 

 

Book Premier or plus with your cruise fare for $AU100(premier)/$AU65 per day with no added service charge. The drinks package is also standalone. Premier and plus packages also come with internet, access to casual and/or specialty restaurants and more. The drink packages do not include these.

 

Compare the packages via this link:

https://www.princess.com/en-au/cruise-deals-promotions/plus-premier-cruise-packages

Edited 12 hours ago by arxcards
new price

[Mycruiseobsession]

3 minutes ago, djmetz said:

I’m assuming that gratuities are NOT included in these packages. I know they are in the States, but not in Aus & NZ. Not a fan of allowing them to charge gratuities to our account on a daily basis. Would prefer to pay these as we go. Thanks again. 

 

We are not required to be tippers. You can if you wish.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2944934-gratuities-included-in-fare-on-princess/

 

[arxcards]

2 minutes ago, djmetz said:

Thanks everyone for the prompt replies and helpful advice. We’re not first time cruisers by any stretch, but haven’t even considered a drinks or any other package in the past. Like you all, we’ve no interest in deserts, photo packages, or even specialty restaurants really. But the cost of interenet is just ridiculous theses days and add that to a reasonable drinks bill at the end of a cruise, and it seems to make the plus package (at least) look pretty appealing. I’m assuming that gratuities are NOT included in these packages. I know they are in the States, but not in Aus & NZ. Not a fan of allowing them to charge gratuities to our account on a daily basis. Would prefer to pay these as we go. Thanks again. 

There are no additional daily gratuities or service charges payable on Australian based cruises. The daily gratuities are included in your standard fare when cruising from Australia, hence they are not part of the Aussie version of Plus or Premier. The pricing reflects this.

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Have you used the 'new premier' with the unlimited specialty restaurants yet ?

If so, how did you find the ability to book numerous reservations ?

No, just the $85 and $95 versions. It is still of interest to us for short cruises, but we only have plus packages for our upcoming bookings. We like a treat or two, but are more than happy with the dining room for the majority of nights. We also have 360 and balcony dining booked for upcoming cruises, and there is no credit for those experiences via the premier package.