beverage packages

[Pam in CA]

How much are the Bellini's on the Royal? Maybe there are wines that run $10 a glass. I laugh when people complain about the drink prices on Princess. Cocktails at Applebee's cost more.

Never had a Bellini... maybe Dave knows. Heck, drink prices are almost always higher at home than on Princess. I pay $5/diet coke at our regular Saturday lunch.

[Astro Flyer]

How much are the Bellini's on the Royal? Maybe there are wines that run $10 a glass. I laugh when people complain about the drink prices on Princess. Cocktails at Applebee's cost more.

Bellini Menu

 

$7.95: Classic Bellini, Sweet Annie, Sweet Maggie, Sweet Emy, Raspberry Romance, Fruits of the Loom, The Ipanema (all with prosecco)

 

$15.00: Royal Bellini (Ciroc Vodka, Galliano, white peach puree, Champagne)

[caribill]

Traveling on the Star Princess Aug 8, 2014 to Alaska. New packages don't seem to fit us. I hope that they remember that not everyone drinks alcohol.

 

Old non-alcoholic drink package options (coffee card, soda sticker, soda and more sticker) continue to exist.

 

By the way, Alaska cruises often have free hot chocolate available all day in the main pool area.

[SadieN]

................

 

One cruise line's onboard computers keep track of the timing when drinks are obtained and will not allow a 2nd drink within x amount of time. Of course that leads to its own set of problems.

 

That's on Carnival.

Their program requires all adults in the cabin to purchase the Cheers program

Cheers does not include mocktails, speciality coffees or sodas.

Those under 21 are not required to purchase the soda package.

Drinks over $10 are reduced 25% of the purchase price.

5 minute waiting period between drinks, 15 drink maximum.

Of course, pax have already found ways around parts of the rules.

 

FWIW Carnival's hot chocolate is available 24/7 in the buffet. The machines produce the best hot chocolate.

Edited December 21, 2013 by SadieN

[caribill]

That's on Carnival.

Their program requires all adults in the cabin to purchase the Cheers program

Cheers does not include mocktails, speciality coffees or sodas.

Those under 21 are not required to purchase the soda package.

 

Since sodas are not included in the Cheers program, there is no need to require those under 21 to get a soda package in order to prevent cheating.

[dread_pirate]

Some clarification - the various packages are for groups, the information below (one package) is only on Sapphire and Star and may become available on all ships in sping of 2014.

 

 

Princess Cruises has begun testing their “All Inclusive Beverage Package” on a ship wide basis aboard the Star Princess and the Sapphire Princess.

The newly available beverage package will cost guests $49 a day with gratuities not included.

Does this mean that you have to sign for each drink in order to pay the gratuity? One of the things that I loved about the Unlimited Soda & More package was not having to sign a slip for each drink I ordered.

 

Or is it $49/day + 15% of the $49, or $56.35 per day?

[Cruise Junky]

Does this mean that you have to sign for each drink in order to pay the gratuity? One of the things that I loved about the Unlimited Soda & More package was not having to sign a slip for each drink I ordered.

 

Or is it $49/day + 15% of the $49, or $56.35 per day?

 

I'm not sure if we've heard from anyone yet about how Princess handles it, but most other lines just charge the 15% when you purchase the package

[Pam in CA]

Or is it $49/day + 15% of the $49, or $56.35 per day?

Yes. You buy the package the first day for the whole cruise, whether it's three or thirty days at $49/day plus the 15%.

[Cruise Junky]

Yes. You buy the package the first day for the whole cruise, whether it's three or thirty days at $49/day plus the 15%.

 

It'll be interesting to see how they handle this when/if it goes fleetwide. On Celebrity you can buy it with 4 days left in the cruise for the remainder of the days, you don't have to buy it for the whole sailing. Nice option if the sailing is port heavy in the beginning.

[Kartgv]

Does Princess have anything similar to the Royal/Celebrity wine purchase options where you buy a package of wine (usually 5, 9 bottles, etc.) in a specified category (classic, premium, etc.)? A sticker is put on your seapass card and the wine can then be ordered as needed in all dining rooms and bars, and they'll keep any unused portion for you for the next day. There's usually a discount of about 10-15% buying this way.

[Cruise Junky]

Does Princess have anything similar to the Royal/Celebrity wine purchase options where you buy a package of wine (usually 5, 9 bottles, etc.) in a specified category (classic, premium, etc.)? A sticker is put on your seapass card and the wine can then be ordered as needed in all dining rooms and bars, and they'll keep any unused portion for you for the next day. There's usually a discount of about 10-15% buying this way.

 

 

Apparently they do on sailing of 10+ days but it's a bit like spotting a unicorn to find a ship that offers it. And I think even then it's only available from the dining room, not the bars.

[jagoffee]

The catch to that is they raise the price of the cruise when they run the free drink package offer and you must book an ocean view or higher category. On the 8 day cruise I took they raised the price of an ocean view $200 pp. With the increase in price you are paying for one drink package in the fare.

 

Go over to the Celebrity page and you will find many examples were this is absolutely not true. Now if you said on all of your cruises this has been true, then you might be correct. It certainly was not correct on my cruises, but I know it happens sometimes especially at the end or start of various promotions. In your example they raised the price and thus you netted one free package.

 

IMO it would be correct to say that they sometimes raise the price of the cruise when they run the program.

 

Princess is trying to keep up with their competitors that are offering a more inclusive type experience. It is nice that it is optional.

[Pam in CA]

Princess is trying to keep up with their competitors that are offering a more inclusive type experience. It is nice that it is optional.

ROFL! Princess sees an opportunity to make money. They make more money selling the package because they get the $$& up front and most people won't use the full value. Follow the money.

[jagoffee]

ROFL! Princess sees an opportunity to make money. They make more money selling the package because they get the $$& up front and most people won't use the full value. Follow the money.

They certainly will make money on average. I think the trial is really more about how to properly implement the program on Princess then evaluating whether they will make money.

[helenb]

The requirement for other passengers to buy the package is ridiculous. I always get a soda card, which is enough for me, since I do not drink alcohol. My children get no package. My husband often gets a soda card, but might be interested in this one, as he also usually buys a few bottles of wine. But if my husband wants this package, then I have to pay for it too (even though I don't drink alcohol) and both of my kids have to buy the unlimited soda & more package. That's hideously expensive for only one person who drinks alcohol!

 

I think we'll be sticking to soda cards for the adults and my husband buying a couple of bottles of wine in the dining room.

[paul929207]

Yes, Princess has a wine card available on cruises longer than 10 days. You buy 7, 10 or 12 bottles.

[Pam in CA]

The requirement for other passengers to buy the package is ridiculous.

Actually, it isn't ridiculous because people cheat and justify it because either no one said anything or they weren't caught. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter whether it's a soda card shared between two people or someone with a coffee card getting brewed coffee on another cruise. And they post, brag about it and tell others to do the same on CC. Almost every single thread about a package/card, someone posts how they cheated and got away with it. :( Same thing would happen with an unlimited all-beverage package, which is optional, not required. If it doesn't make financial sense, don't get it. Edited December 22, 2013 by Pam in CA

[helenb]

I agree with your last point: if it doesn't make financial sense, don't get it. With this policy, for sure it does not make sense for my husband.

 

I agree, there are cheaters out there, but clearly their activities are not financially significant, as this policy does not exist with soda cards, nor does it exist on other cruise lines that offer beverage packages (such as Celebrity). RCCL tried this policy and reversed it. That tells me that it doesn't make financial sense for them, so why should it for Princess?

 

I still maintain that the policy is ridiculous, particularly for our family of 4, which often shares a single cabin. Princess is losing a potential sale from us because of thus policy.

[Cruise Junky]

Actually, it isn't ridiculous because people cheat and justify it because either no one said anything or they weren't caught. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter whether it's a soda card shared between two people or someone with a coffee card getting brewed coffee on another cruise. And they post, brag about it and tell others to do the same on CC. Almost every single thread about a package/card, someone posts how they cheated and got away with it. :( Same thing would happen with an unlimited all-beverage package, which is optional, not required. If it doesn't make financial sense, don't get it.

 

While I do agree with you that it's ridiculous that people cheat...it would appear that from cruise lines that are experienced in the drink packages, making all parties in the cabin buy it, doesn't work. Princess's drink package smacks of Carnival mentality and shows that they haven't really looked into what their competition is offering. I'm very happy that Princess is offering the packages, but Celebrity's runs rings around theirs and that, I'm disappointed in.

[coops]

Since sodas are not included in the Cheers program, there is no need to require those under 21 to get a soda package in order to prevent cheating.

 

That is not true. On Carnival , sodas are included with the Cheers program. We did this in May and I could have as much as I liked.

[tgmtgm]

Actually, it isn't ridiculous because people cheat and justify it because either no one said anything or they weren't caught. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter whether it's a soda card shared between two people or someone with a coffee card getting brewed coffee on another cruise. And they post, brag about it and tell others to do the same on CC. Almost every single thread about a package/card, someone posts how they cheated and got away with it. :( Same thing would happen with an unlimited all-beverage package, which is optional, not required. If it doesn't make financial sense, don't get it.

 

 

Requiring all passengers in a cabin to book a package when only one may desire it is flawed financial thinking. Those who do book it will be the type who tend to drink substantially anyways, so they will tend to get thier money's worth off of Princess. Someone who may have tried the package but drinks much less therefore generating profit for the cruiseline, won't bother due to the draconian requirements for all in the cabin.

 

Tony

[caribill]

That is not true. On Carnival , sodas are included with the Cheers program. We did this in May and I could have as much as I liked.

 

I was going by the following post

 

That's on Carnival.

Their program requires all adults in the cabin to purchase the Cheers program

Cheers does not include mocktails, speciality coffees or sodas.

Those under 21 are not required to purchase the soda package.

Drinks over $10 are reduced 25% of the purchase price.

5 minute waiting period between drinks, 15 drink maximum.

Of course, pax have already found ways around parts of the rules.

 

FWIW Carnival's hot chocolate is available 24/7 in the buffet. The machines produce the best hot chocolate.

[pablo222]

Requiring all passengers in a cabin to book a package when only one may desire it is flawed financial thinking. Those who do book it will be the type who tend to drink substantially anyways, so they will tend to get thier money's worth off of Princess.

 

I am absolutely certain that Princess will set the price-point

to ensure that the program is profitable.

[coops]

I was going by the following post

 

Sorry, I was just trying to clarify that it is included in the cheers. I should have posted to the other person.

[dread_pirate]

It'll be interesting to see how they handle this when/if it goes fleetwide. On Celebrity you can buy it with 4 days left in the cruise for the remainder of the days, you don't have to buy it for the whole sailing. Nice option if the sailing is port heavy in the beginning.

 

Princess doesn't prorate their soda packages (you pay for the entire cruise, whether you buy it on the first day or the fifth), so there's no reason to believe that they would prorate their alcohol packages.