If Princess had more Drink Packages?

[Pam in CA]

Say charge $100 for 15 punches, where a glass of wine, a beer, or a mixed drink would be 1 punch and a bottle of wine could range from 3 to 6 punches or more depending on the wine.

Then, you'd be paying more per-drink so there'd be no reason to buy a package. I often have a $5-6 drink, which is the price for many drink options, so if I bought a drink package for $100, I'd be paying $6.67/drink. No savings, no reason.

[bbum]

Hi Pam,

What I was trying to get across, is make the card priced at a discount vrs buying drinks separately. I'm really not up to speed on what drinks cost as I don't drink much on a cruise. Sorry I should have done my homework first.

 

Beachbum

[Pam in CA]

Hi Pam,

What I was trying to get across, is make the card priced at a discount vrs buying drinks separately. I'm really not up to speed on what drinks cost as I don't drink much on a cruise. Sorry I should have done my homework first.

Understood. At most, I might have a pre-dinner drink and maybe a glass of wine at dinner.

 

The bottom line when it comes to any drink package, no matter which and no matter the cruise line, they are not being offered out of the goodness of the cruise line's heart. They're offered to make money. Period. They might pay for some but when all is said and done, packages wind up costing passengers more than if they didn't purchase a package. It's called "slippage" in marketing terms. Enough people don't get the value of the package that it pays for the cruise line to offer it. Follow the money.

[Woobstr112G]

If Princess ever did this (fleetwide) they would neeed to offer more variety in their beer offerings; say maybe a worthy craft beer selection.....:):):)

 

Bob

Edited April 3, 2013 by Woobstr112G

[milligold]

There is nothing wrong with sharing a coffee card. They're not unlimited, they're a limited amount of punches.

 

We'd be interested in drink packages. Seeing as we pay around $40 each night for a bottle of wine in the dining room and I buy a coffee card, it wouldn't be hard to spend the rest.

 

Cappucino upon waking. $4

Fresh orange juice with breakfast $4

Bottled water x 2. $6

Glass of wine with lunch. $8

Two beer by the pool or a margarita. $ 10

Pre dinner martini $10

2 glasses of wine with dinner $ 15

After dinner Cappucino $4

 

That's over $60 and I haven't hit a show yet

 

I used to cruise a lot, but I haven't been on one for about 20 years. I'm going on Princess in August. Let me get this straight. You have to PAY for ORANGE JUICE with breakfast???????????

Edited April 3, 2013 by milligold

[Pam in CA]

Let me get this straight. You have to PAY for ORANGE JUICE with breakfast???????????

No. Absolutely not. However, there is a charge for juice after breakfast.

[Bocagirl1]

we have the unlimited soda and more package as we don't drink alcohol at all but on Celebrity their unlimited soda includes cans of diet coke as opposed to the gun

 

can't Princess do unlimited canned sodas too - they are so much better than the gun soda:)

[bhopal21]

Princess soda sticker will only cover the gun delivered sodas, canned drinks must be purchased separately.

 

Mike:)

[Cruise Junky]

I used to cruise a lot, but I haven't been on one for about 20 years. I'm going on Princess in August. Let me get this straight. You have to PAY for ORANGE JUICE with breakfast???????????

 

No, you can get juice with breakfast, but I was using Celebrity's pricing for both cocktails and booze package. On Celebrity you have the option of freshly squeezed juice rather than that concentrate stuff. That is $4 at breakfast.

[slug33ukuk]

Bring back the 1Ltr bottles of spirits to purchase and keep in your room...the 375 mltr are to small....They used to have them on Princess....why did they change....?

[Liz54]

Princess developed and tested the wine package which we loved on our Crown cruise in 2012. This winter there was no sign of it - on our Caribbean Princess 7 day. Why they bother to develop such a popular program and then screw up on implementing it is a mystery to me. I am frustrated that we cannot be confident that it will be offered as if offered, I would not carry on wine.

[IECalCruiser]

Princess developed and tested the wine package which we loved on our Crown cruise in 2012. This winter there was no sign of it - on our Caribbean Princess 7 day. Why they bother to develop such a popular program and then screw up on implementing it is a mystery to me. I am frustrated that we cannot be confident that it will be offered as if offered, I would not carry on wine.

The final implementation only included voyages of 10 days or more and the 5 bottle package was eliminated. In addition, a number of ships appear to have arbitrarily decided not to offer the package such as the Crown, Emerald and Grand :( In light of the new wine carryon policy, perhaps Princess should reconsider offering the 5 bottle package and offer them on 7 day cruises and ensure that all ships offer the packages. Edited April 5, 2013 by IECalCruiser

[Astro Flyer]

The final implementation only included voyages of 10 days or more and the 5 bottle package was eliminated. In addition, a number of ships appear to have arbitrarily decided not to offer the package such as the Crown, Emerald and Grand :( In light of the new wine carryon policy, perhaps Princess should reconsider offering the 5 bottle package and offer them on 7 day cruises and ensure that all ships offer the packages.

That would be a good option for both passengers & for Princess. They're making it more difficult to bring wine onboard yet they don't consistently offer their wine packages which would probably result in increased wine purchases.

 

I planned to use a wine package for the MDR during a month long Crown cruise at the end of last year. Unfortunately it wasn't available without any explanation why & post-cruise I was informed it was because of limited inventory. I understand the logistics of supplying a ship vs. a land-based location but when reduced sales created by a lack of inventory results in lost profits then it's being mismanaged.

 

Although I'm beginning to wonder if Princess actually prefers the pure profit of a corkage fee for more than 1 bottle/person/cruise than to stock & sell wine onboard.

[dmwnc1959]

Interesting results so far. More people have voted for 'Would Not Buy' and 'Don't Like The Idea' than I would have thought. And a greater percentage 'Would Buy' some sort of combination package that included a full array of beverages other than just soda.

[Cruise Junky]

Interesting results so far. More people have voted for 'Would Not Buy' and 'Don't Like The Idea' than I would have thought. And a greater percentage 'Would Buy' some sort of combination package that included a full array of beverages other than just soda.

 

I'm really surprised at the amount that said they would buy a drink package. I wasn't sure it would fly on Princess, but that's a very large percentage that said yes.

[ridgerunner51]

If the program was similar to Celebrity's it would not work for us if both people in the cabin had to have the same package. DH likes to have his bucket of beers, which you cannot get under a Celebrity package. I do not like the idea of having a drink package and not being able to use it for room service.

[Pamster]

If the program was similar to Celebrity's it would not work for us if both people in the cabin had to have the same package. DH likes to have his bucket of beers, which you cannot get under a Celebrity package. I do not like the idea of having a drink package and not being able to use it for room service.

 

Celebrity's doesn't require that both people in the cabin purchase one (except under their 123 special), that wouldn't work for us either. I would miss the bucket of beers, haven't seen that Celebrity has that, do they? Since we don't use much room service, that wouldn't bother us. The main factor would be requiring both people in the cabin to buy a package, that would definitely prevent me from using it, as there is no way that it would be cost effective if we had to pay for two.

[Iamcruzin]

DH likes to have his bucket of beers, which you cannot get under a Celebrity package.

 

I would miss the bucket of beers, haven't seen that Celebrity has that, do they?

Why would you need buckets of beer with a drink package? You can have unlimited beer with the package. On Princess the purpose of the bucket of beer is to offer 5 for the price of 4.

[Pamster]

Why would you need buckets of beer with a drink package? You can have unlimited beer with the package. On Princess the purpose of the bucket of beer is to offer 5 for the price of 4.

 

For me, I just like the convenience of being able to get a bucket of beers and take it wherever I want to be, without having to hang by a bar or go back to a bar to get another beer when I'm ready.

[deladela]

I like the idea of the drink packages, but it wouldn't be cost effective for my hubby and I if we both have to buy it. He would drink enough to make it worth the cost, but I wouldn't. So if they require all adults in the same cabin to purchase one then we wouldn't purchase anyway.:(

[fnk1]

Just got back from Ruby Princess and wholeheartedly agree that drink packages should be included. Put a number per day limit if you want, but coffee and bottled water should also be included. It would actually make more money (and isn't that what they want) if deducted from the total as it costs less than alcohol ... major factor in decision making. One of the two main reasons our next cruise on Princess may be our last. The other reason is the entertainment, but that's a different story!

[Pam in CA]

Just got back from Ruby Princess and wholeheartedly agree that drink packages should be included.

Do you mean included in the cruise fare? I sure hope not. Why should I pay for or subsidize someone else's coffee, soda and/or booze? Drinks are, and should remain, optional.

[fnk1]

but I don't understand how anyone could think I was suggesting it should be included in the cruise fare. What I meant was offered as a option (as it is on other ships) for those who want to pay for it. I would never dream of asking anyone to subsidize this for myself or anyone else. I guess it's real easy to jump to conclusions and post first without asking the poster what they meant. However, as previously stated, I apologize for any misunderstanding.

[Pam in CA]

but I don't understand how anyone could think I was suggesting it should be included in the cruise fare. What I meant was offered as a option (as it is on other ships) for those who want to pay for it. I would never dream of asking anyone to subsidize this for myself or anyone else. I guess it's real easy to jump to conclusions and post first without asking the poster what they meant. However, as previously stated, I apologize for any misunderstanding.

This is an old thread with out-of-date information. I was going by the most recent information on the package currently being tested on the Star and Sapphire and assumed you wanted it included in the cruise fare since it already includes pretty much everything. That was the only logical next step.

[Colo Cruiser]

Just got back from Ruby Princess and wholeheartedly agree that drink packages should be included. Put a number per day limit if you want, but coffee and bottled water should also be included. It would actually make more money (and isn't that what they want) if deducted from the total as it costs less than alcohol ... major factor in decision making. One of the two main reasons our next cruise on Princess may be our last. The other reason is the entertainment, but that's a different story!

 

but I don't understand how anyone could think I was suggesting it should be included in the cruise fare. What I meant was offered as a option (as it is on other ships) for those who want to pay for it. I would never dream of asking anyone to subsidize this for myself or anyone else. I guess it's real easy to jump to conclusions and post first without asking the poster what they meant. However, as previously stated, I apologize for any misunderstanding.

 

 

Why would anyone need to jump to conclusions?? :confused:

Maybe because you were pretty clear about it being included in you first post.