kywildcatfanone

We did our first Celebrity cruise last fall. Personally I did not find the food any better or worse than Princess, but I was on the oldest ship they have, Infinity. We are on the Equinox in October, so looking forward to another comparison.

Yep. Also could trade minibar for coffee. Now you can't and that same coffee would cost an Elite cruiser $75 per person. Not something I consider inconsequential to me and my loyalty. Loyalty in today's world with Princess is single sided.

This is us. We used to eat at CG when it was $29 on formal nights. Not anymore. Everyone has their own breaking point on all the Individual changes. Not to mention the decline in food quality.

I wouldn't say that based upon the fact that these change now seems to be happening at an accelerated rate. Benefits to loyal passengers being removed and regular increases in price and changes to packages. If it were only one, then maybe, but this is obviously a pattern. Each change might be inconsequential viewed individually, but not so much as a whole. Depends on how you view them.

Yep. Such a huge benefit cut to your most loyal customers, and cost them very little to provide.

There is tremendous profit in alcohol sales. Especially if you can get people to buy it for the convenience and not use it. It's like printing money.

There are many apologists on here whiners happy to support these regular price increase and benefit cuts. It is what it is. Princess is not loyal to their past passengers. Every decision made is about increasing profits and discouraging loyal passengers from future bookings. They want to exchange black Medallions for blue because their research shows it will cost them less, and they in turn will spend more. Again, it is what it is. We are still cruising our remaining FCC's, but will monitor when the next cut in benefits and price increase occurs. Given past history, early 2024.

Yep, this is exactly us. Which is probably why we will avoid the new ships, since it looks like the adults only area is moving to the sanctuary from what I have been able to see, so no separate retreat area for adults only that I can tell. I've asked that question in the thread on the Sun, but never gotten a response, and at least looking at the deck plans a couple of weeks ago, saw nothing about a separate retreat area and pool. If anyone can comment, please.

Yep. This is us. From the current increases, I see nothing that impacts us. But, with the twice a year increases they now seem to be doing, I do expect IC, buffet, slice and trident to pick up charges in the near future.

The entire thread says all casual dining are now getting upcharges, and Alfredos is one of them. Agree with your comment about MDR.

100% agree. Well said.

My point was, it was previously free, and now a charge. And yes, up to $15 might be a better way to say it, but that wasn't the point I was making.

Agree. That's he reasons packages are being pushed so hard, and increasing in price. The cost to the cruise line is minimal and the profits are 10x on every pour.

This will be most cruisers, and the cruise lines know it. That's why prices go up twice a year regularly now. The vast majority don't care, and it won't change their cruise or package habits.

There is a discussion about that as one of the items in the big thread. Wouldn't surprise me given all the other fees they are now charging.

Someone commented in another thread that they now had the option to get Coke zero and sprite zero. Can anyone confirm this? I would trade the mini bar out for coke zero and sprite zero and not have to bring onboard if that were true. Would lessen the sting of having to pay for coffee now, but not much.

Make sure there isn't a charge for the swap now. Might be.

No. They don't read them, and they don't care about them. As I mentioned pages ago, they don't need loyal customers, because for every elite that is mad about the benefits reductions, there is a blue medallion cruiser ready to take that cabin. They will also likely buy packages, and pay for casual dining, etc. Princess does not care about your loyalty, or mine.

What in my comment was about a standard fare customer? If you want to eat at Alfredo's, previously free, you now have to pay $15. I consider that pretty significant. Room service charges, ordering form the app. Seems to me it all costs quite a bit more unless you buy their most expensive AI package. Edit: I believe you were mentioning that a standard fare customer wasn't seeing any increase as a default, and yes, I think that is true, unless you take advantage of any other services such as casual dining, then you will now be paying a fee.

While I agree with your sentiment, none of this is nickel and diming. It's significant increases in costs to cruise. Also, while your idea of ordering the max drinks might make you feel better, I hope everyone knows that those drinks cost Princess a very minimal cost to provide you. It won't hurt their bottom line at all.

In the brave new world of "charge fees for everything, it wouldn't surprise me. We are one who swaps out, and I will have to go to PS if I get charged, especially now that the benefit of getting 15 coffees is long gone. It's really a joke what they have done to loyalty benefits. They truly do not care about retention anymore, and it's obvious. But as someone else said, and I commented on myself, for every elite that stops cruising there is a blue medallion to take their place, buy the packages, and spend more money, so it's good overall for the cruise line to weed out people trying to cruise on a budget.

Agree 100%. We are in the same situation. Currently we can cruise 2-3 times a year because we do not book higher end rooms or buy expensive packages. We could afford it if we wanted to, but don't see the value in it at all, but that is personal preference. If we see those booking a standard fare start being further nickel and dimed, we will look elsewhere for vacation options. I mentioned this earlier, but will mention it again. When will they start charging for a slice of pizza on the pool deck or a regular hamburger. When will the medallion start charging $5 every time I walk into the buffet. When will water fountains have a $1 slot for a drink? It's coming. Look at all the changes in just the last year alone.

Agree. This has nothing to do with the pandemic or the possibility of going out of business. That has to do with making higher profits on every passenger that boards the ship. Make everything you can cost a bit more, see how it goes, and if the uptake is still good, do it again in 6 months, and keep doing that. I'm pretty shocked that these ongoing price increases, and benefit cuts are being received so well by so many. I think it's the world we live in now. The costs of the packages to me are wildly outrageous, as well as an 18% (will be 20% soon I'm sure) gratuity being added to a bartender handing you a bott of water. I get it though, they have done their research and I'm sure 80% will do what they currently do, and the other 20% will be filled by new cruisers who didn't know what the good old days were like, and the cycle will continue. I suspect when we finish out our current bookings, we might be done and looking for new vacation types. Cruising used to be a good value. That has changed a lot over the last year.

That is what marketing itself is. Look at the packages prior. Lots of debate on here whether they are a good value or not, but in the end, most people are buying them, which is what matters to the accounting people at Carnival. They try to determine what people will view as a convenience, then charge as much as they possibly can for it hoping people just buy it anyway.

Waiting for this now: Burger at the trident grill (or whatever it's called now)- $8 Slice of Pizza - $6 Entrance to the buffet - $9