LittleFish1976

I think I recall reading that if you get a suite as a bid-for upgrade, you don't get the normal inclusions of that cabin category such as bar set up or complimentary specialty dining on first night of cruise etc. Is that correct?

And yet they were very happy, and able, to differentiate between passengers having bought the old or new packages up to July 2023 when it comes to who can have desserts, fitness classes, juices etc etc. The information is embedded in the medallion and as such the system differentiates automatically - not an imposition on them at all.

No email in Australia (for me anyway). edit to add: but they did email me yesterday to ask me if I wanted to bid to upgrade my cabin

I agree about having a preferred line which seems like better value as well as what you said about grandfathering. To me part of the 'cost' of a holiday is the fuss and bother the company you're booking and/or travelling with puts you to. I've got my first Princess cruise coming up in a couple of months and I doubt very much I would book with them again (I have one very expensive and long cruise booked with them for next year but I plan to now cancel that). What a fuss! They've changed the inclusions in my package twice since I booked as well as altering the basics of service. My own go-to line is not more expensive and still has free room service including an extensive hot breakfast (not just cereals and pastries; imo an egg mc muffin is not a cooked breakfast!). I'm disappointed as I wanted to like Princess but this level of complication, fuss and disregard for the passenger is not worth bothering with. There are better and easier options out there.

I look forward to having my email in my inbox soon too then for my October cruise.

I was trying to keep it acceptable for this audience!

Thanks Julie. I've followed with interest your comments on the wines offerred on board. The wine lists look interesting but I've modified my expectations based on what has been reported as actually being available. Thanks also for confirming your experience with the old plus fare.

Thanks. That's good to know.

Thanks very much for that Geoff. I assume we have a different arrangement for our market then. On the Princess board people are discussing the different drink price limit for the old and new plus packages so I assumed it would be different for premier as well, and also in our market (they are discussing the limit in USD - $12 v $15 being the limit, old v new, for plus). Unless I've totally misunderstood which is very possible. Thanks for clarifying the 'packages' on the app thing. Insurance - the necessarly evil. Princess may not be quite ipso facto yet but they're almost as complex as. This cruise had better be good to live up to all the faff surrounding it.

One of the other subsets of cruisers will be those who are unaware of the changes until they board their ship over the next few weeks and months and think 'WTH?' when they come up against an unexpected and unwanted charge on their account for something they had already paid for.

Are these the old or new $ limits (by old I mean pre 14th December, 2022)? I'm starting to get confused again about what my possible drinks package price limit will be in AUD for a Premier package purchased pre-Dec 2022. My app says I have 'no package purchased' which is not correct. Should I chase this up woth the big box TA I purchased through or just assume it will all be okay on the day? My travel summary says I have the old premier. This mess makes buying health insurance seem straightforward.

That's interesting that you can see that, preseumably on the US site. It's nowhere to be found on the Australian Princess site any more. I can't see it listed under Plus nor Premier inclusions. It's still on my 'Travel Summary' but seems that means nothing in terms of service delivery once on board. On the famous app it says I haven't purchased any package at all! Call me weird but it ends up not being a relaxing holiday for me if I have to spend the whole time negotiating and proving what I have already paid for. I doubt I'd book with Princess again; this company is Hard Work.

Am I correct in thinking that the Princess Prizes previous Premier perk has vanished???? Thereby rendering the 'old' Premier package even less value that it was when purchased.

Just asking - what's considered a fair amount of time to leave your chair unattended and expect to have it back when you return?

I got the renderings downloaded via the CCL shareholder email that came a number of hours ago. I'll make a valiant attempt at posting them here, or the link. Whichever works. The epitome of a high-end steakhouse, Sir Samuels will showcase the very best of British and Australian beef and seafood, complemented by an exceptional wine program. Selected for their provenance, steaks will be of the highest quality and seared to perfection. Alongside a vast array of beef options, there will also be a wide range of fish and seafood dishes. All the produce has been sourced responsibly to bring the freshest ingredients to the table. wetransfer_queen-anne-dining-venue-renders_2023-08-02_1439.zip

Next in the marketing: new in deck games! 'Substitution Racket'. new in crafts! Sewing circle; 'The Stitch Up'.

I must say I don't think the reviewer originally mentioned is incorrect in her assessment of the downfall of the buffet. On one of the other queens since the re-start, I have also found a massive decline in the choice and quality of the food being offerred there, from early morning right through to dinner time. Prior to the shutdown the buffet food, on QE in any case, was more than acceptable but my most recent experience was hugely disappointing. It's quite useful for the ships to have a buffet at which one can have a proper meal or a light snack - whatever is needed and for whatever reason. By the way, the soft serve in the buffet on the QE was really unpalatable. It must be much better on QM2 if people are concerned about the machine being out of order.

Here we go. Fortunately it was easy to find. They quote the figure of 97% having the package, so I was incorrect when I said 98. My point of highlighting this is that Princess need to be able to service the demand if they are encouraging people to spend up big on purchasing packages. The important parts are from the 9'30" mark until about 11'30".

I'm happy to try to find the mentions on the videos I'm referring to. I can't personally vouch for the figure of course because I wasn't there, but the chaos was well reported.

Can the ships cope with the demand when a higher % of passengers have packages? I've seen youtube vloggers on board Princess sailings where 98% of the passengers had packages and you couldn't get a drink in a bar! Waiters wouldn't accept orders; the app wouldn't work. Bedlam. To have package perks such as desserts most people won't eat is not the answer. If they want people to take a package, they must have the capacity to service the consequent demand.

It probably depends what you actually end up getting for the cost of the package though; my go-to line charges more for a drinks package but provides really good wines to go with that cost. From what I've heard (shortly to have my first on-board experience with Princess) the wine list on Princess ships is so-so, and what's actually on board when you go to order a drink is even less of a choice. I don't think sailing with Princess is particularly cheap in any case. Personally, I don't have a holiday every month or every second month like many people seem to; when I book a cruise I want a quality experience that I'm happy to pay for but I don't want to be treated like a chump.

May I add to this plea to Cunard that they include every region in which they sail in this recommencement of regular ballroom services.

They'll deliver for $14.99. Or $5 per go... ...or whatever the charge is at the time.

Particularly since Princess haven't even had the decency to email despite full payment having been made and an 'old' Premier package paid for, to advise that the changes have taken place. Gives me the impression that they don't GAS whether any of us sail with them again or not.

Surely the product, as described in their advertising material at the time of booking, is what one has contracted with Princess to purchase. They don't have to mention each individual pizza or each delivery of room service or use of the medallion app in their Contract of Passage; when one purchases a passage it incorporates the product as presented by Princess. Free use of the app to order items and free room service would be fundamental to the product as offerred at time of booking prior to the recent changes and should be honoured by the company.