Princess Beverage Package Evaluator

[Crowsie]

Love this thread and the spreadsheet! Can't wait to show it to my DH during cocktail hour tonight ;)

 

One question (and I totally apologize if I missed it in an earlier post):

 

Are you charged the daily rate for the day you disembark?

[IECalCruiser]

Love this thread and the spreadsheet! Can't wait to show it to my DH during cocktail hour tonight ;)

 

One question (and I totally apologize if I missed it in an earlier post):

 

Are you charged the daily rate for the day you disembark?

You are charged for the day you embark, day 1, but not the day you disembark. If you are on a 7 day cruise you are charged for 7 days even though you disembark the morning of day 8.

 

 

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[Crowsie]

You are charged for the day you embark, day 1, but not the day you disembark. If you are on a 7 day cruise you are charged for 7 days even though you disembark the morning of day 8.

 

 

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Thank You IECalCruiser....that was the answer I was hoping for!

[AmberCascades]

Thank you so much, Kelly. I appreciate how much work was involved in this and it was very generous of you to give so much of your time to it.

 

We are used to getting the Celebrity package as a perk so we are not used to actually paying for drinks (horrors! :D) Last time we didn't get the perk so we paid for bottles for our room. But we don't want to spend all our time in our cabin drinking and it was a hassle sneaking our (paid for) booze around, feeling guilty if we ever did drink it outside our cabin.

 

So for our upcoming Princess cruise, DH says let's get the package. I'm not sure we'll truly break even, but it's close enough and the convenience of not signing for things is well worth it.

 

Anyway, thanks again for doing this. It was very helpful (especially to us Princess newbies).

[DragonflyCruiser]

Amazing work on this spreadsheet! Thanks! We are going to sit down and plug in the numbers using your info to see where we stand on cost!

 

Again, thank you very much!!!

[jagoffee]

Thank you so much, Kelly. I appreciate how much work was involved in this and it was very generous of you to give so much of your time to it.

 

We are used to getting the Celebrity package as a perk so we are not used to actually paying for drinks (horrors! :D) Last time we didn't get the perk so we paid for bottles for our room. But we don't want to spend all our time in our cabin drinking and it was a hassle sneaking our (paid for) booze around, feeling guilty if we ever did drink it outside our cabin.

 

So for our upcoming Princess cruise, DH says let's get the package. I'm not sure we'll truly break even, but it's close enough and the convenience of not signing for things is well worth it.

 

Anyway, thanks again for doing this. It was very helpful (especially to us Princess newbies).

 

Some bad news for you. I have had the package on both Princess and Celebrity, so I understand the convenience of not signing on Celebrity. However on Princess it is not as convenient as you have to sign for each drink. So it is just a matter of which approach is more cost effort as you sign either way. You may wish to review the spreadsheet closely as the drinks on Princess are significantly less expensive than on Celebrity. IMO the lower cost for the coffee drinks, wines, and cocktails make the package less of an advantage for us.

[wishfulone]

I think you can order a bottle in most bars and then take it anywhere you want. You definitely can take glasses of wine off to the cabin; I do this every night (gotta have red wine to go with my pillow chocolates -- it's that heart-healthy diet thing).

 

Love your way of thinking!

Many thanks for your comments. If we can take our drinks to the cabin (like on Celebrity) it will make the drinks package seem more reasonable.

[msmoger]

Love your way of thinking!

Many thanks for your comments. If we can take our drinks to the cabin (like on Celebrity) it will make the drinks package seem more reasonable.

 

Just curious, are there cruise lines that prevent you from taking a drink purchased at one of their bars to your cabin?

 

Thanks,

[crochetcruise]

Thank you. This gives me a good pricing foundation to calculate costs for my Tester Cruise in Australia-04/17/2016 sailing Melbourne-Sydney. I will budget a 20% increase on those prices, unless I find current ones. to make the calculation whether I buy a Soda and More Package. I don't remember if the cocktails Pina Colada and Fluffy Duck were mentioned, but I can just price the most expensive cocktail as a guideline.

 

I also found a most helpful review on a Disabled Accessible Stateroom, well 2 reviews of different cabins actually, so decisions, decisions!

 

Grateful for everyone's help.

Crochet Cruise:cool:

[crochetcruise]

Thank you for the updated information! I had a good read, and it might be a Pina Colada on Embarkation night, then stick to Mocktails, with 5 choices and Coke I should have plenty of choice.

 

I had already guesstimated $10 a cocktail, I was a bit generous. Those Mocktails look very interesting! I shall enjoy sampling!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Crochetcruise:cool:

[jg51]

You are charged for the day you embark, day 1, but not the day you disembark. If you are on a 7 day cruise you are charged for 7 days even though you disembark the morning of day 8.

 

Although it is no big deal, "IECalCruiser," you are not really correct about that.

1. One is charged for the six full days that pass between Embarkation Day (ED) and Disembarkation Day (DD).

2. One is charged for the other quasi-full day that consists of (a) the afternoon and evening of ED and (b) the morning of DD.

 

That is why one can use the package to get drinks on both ED and DD.

 

We always have to laugh when we see DD referred to as "Day 8" of a "week-long cruise" ... because, in reality, an allegedly week-long cruise isn't even seven full days in length (much less eight). It is rare for anyone to be able to board earlier than 11:00 (on ED), and yet almost no one ever comes close to remaining on board until 11:00 (on DD).

 

Our point is that, for the expression, "week" (or "seven days"), to be used truthfully/accurately, the "seventh day" of a cruise, in justice, ought to be 24 hours long (instead of the usual 18 or 20). If the "seventh day" cannot be 24 hours (due to logistics), then it is not accurate to speak of a "week" or "seven days" of cruising (much less "Day 8"). Unfortunately, this is a little deception perpetrated by ALL cruise lines, and it will never change.

.

Edited September 5, 2014 by jg51

[IECalCruiser]

Although it is no big deal, "IECalCruiser," you are not really correct about that.

1. One is charged for the six full days that pass between Embarkation Day (ED) and Disembarkation Day (DD).

2. One is charged for the other quasi-full day that consists of (a) the afternoon and evening of ED and (b) the morning of DD.

 

That is why one can use the package to get drinks on both ED and DD.

 

We always have to laugh when we see DD referred to as "Day 8" of a "week-long cruise" ... because, in reality, an allegedly week-long cruise isn't even seven full days in length (much less eight). It is rare for anyone to be able to board earlier than 11:00 (on ED), and yet almost no one ever comes close to remaining on board until 11:00 (on DD).

 

Our point is that, for the expression, "week" (or "seven days"), to be used truthfully/accurately, the "seventh day" of a cruise, in justice, ought to be 24 hours long (instead of the usual 18 or 20). If the "seventh day" cannot be 24 hours (due to logistics), then it is not accurate to speak of a "week" or "seven days" of cruising (much less "Day 8"). Unfortunately, this is a little deception perpetrated by ALL cruise lines, and it will never change.

.

It's not just cruise lines but is the same for hotels. Check-in is often around 3:00pm and check-out is often noon or earlier. Time is required to get a room or cabin ready for another occupant. It is better to think about the number of nights you will be on board and that is the number of days your package costs. The AIBP should be available for the duration of the cruise and the same for the soft drink packages.

 

 

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[Mackenzie1]

With wine being $7-$9 a glass, does anyone know about how large the Princess wine glasses are? Some wine glasses are very small, and serve around 5 ounces, while others can accommodate an 8 ounce serving. It may make a difference in whether the drink package works for those of us who drink wine. Thanks.

[lou2461]

This is such a useful tool - I have calculated that my friend and I must be total lushes as we will save greatly by purchasing the all inclusive package! :D

[TheCj's]

Yes, we must be lushes too as the package would work for us on our Asian cruise in April 2015. However cannot find anyway to purchase it. Am I too early or is there somewhere on the Princess site I haven't found yet? Tried 'My Booking' with no success. Do we have to wait until we are on board? Never sailed Princess before.

[sweetsleep]

Does this package allow you to get more than 1 beverage at a time? Specifically, more than 1 bottle of water as I disembark for a long excursion day, or more than 1 specialty coffee/brewed coffee on a ship with the IC?

And does this apply for those of us who go to the Elite/Suite/Platinum lounge that have discounted drink specials already?

Can I order more than 1 glass of wine at a time?

If the answer to this is yes, than it may be worth it.

[janetz]

Does this package allow you to get more than 1 beverage at a time? Specifically, more than 1 bottle of water as I disembark for a long excursion day, or more than 1 specialty coffee/brewed coffee on a ship with the IC?

And does this apply for those of us who go to the Elite/Suite/Platinum lounge that have discounted drink specials already?

Can I order more than 1 glass of wine at a time?

If the answer to this is yes, than it may be worth it.

 

Sorry, no

[sweetsleep]

Does the package also include milkshakes,sodas and juice?

[IECalCruiser]

Does the package also include milkshakes,sodas and juice?

Yes, any beverage under $10.

 

 

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[Crzn-Life]

With wine being $7-$9 a glass, does anyone know about how large the Princess wine glasses are? Some wine glasses are very small, and serve around 5 ounces, while others can accommodate an 8 ounce serving. It may make a difference in whether the drink package works for those of us who drink wine. Thanks.

They use the small wine glasses like those typically on dining room tables. And they do not fill the glass to the top!

[Mackenzie1]

Thanks so much, Avid! You're the best!

[myleanne]

This is an absolutely awesome spreadsheet!

Thanks for taking the time to create it!

[luvseaside]

Does this package allow you to get more than 1 beverage at a time? Specifically, more than 1 bottle of water as I disembark for a long excursion day, or more than 1 specialty coffee/brewed coffee on a ship with the IC?

And does this apply for those of us who go to the Elite/Suite/Platinum lounge that have discounted drink specials already?

Can I order more than 1 glass of wine at a time?

If the answer to this is yes, than it may be worth it.

 

This brings up a question I had....if both my husband & I get the pkg, can he take both cruise cards up to bar and order both of our drinks? Often, by the pool, we don't feel like waiting for a server to come by and one of us runs to the bar to buy drinks. Or do we both have to go or go one at a time? In other words, does the bartender/server have to run two separate tickets? Just curious, we'll still probably get the package.

[AZmike480]

Thanks for posting this. This makes calculating easy!!:D

[Roadrunnerelephant]

This thread has been so informative and helpful. Thank you so much. We think we will probably order the AIDP on our Diamond Princess Japan cruise next month.

 

Two questions please.

 

1.) Is it possible to order glasses of wine at dinner with the package, or do you have to order a bottle ?

 

2.) Is it possible to pre book the package on line? I can't see anything on the Princess website that would allow me to do this.

 

Thanks for any information.

 

Bob