Has Princess just increased drink prices?

[IECalCruiser]

I just saw this post on another thread.

Just got off the 5 day Caribbean Princess yesterday and four of us purchased the Unlimited package. There are not many drinks that only cost $7. $6.95 will buy you just a regular drink, i.e. rum & coke, gin & tonic. Margarita's, daiquiris, and other mixed drinks cost $7.95 each and many of Princess's speciality drinks, i.e. Caribbean Cooler, Bahama Bay Breeze, cost $8.95 each. A glass of wine costs $7.25 and up. Almost all the martini-type drinks in Crooners are $8.95 each. It really isn't hard to drink enough to reach the $49 mark. Plus we got speciality coffees each day and it even included the large bottles of water they sell. The only day two of didn't reach the $49 mark was on the day we were in Cozumel, probably because we did the Cozomel Bar Hop!

 

Our only complaint is that so many people are getting the package that the bartenders at the pools are overwhelmed and service there was very lacking.

pklein9747 confirmed that the above were prices before the 15% gratuity. It looks like Princess just raised the price of drinks about $1 each on the CB. Have they rolled out this price increased to all Princess ships?

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Guess there wasn't enough ruckus last weekend so they are getting the $$$ elsewhere :(

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Oy, excuse the auto correct ;)

[Loonbeam]

When they rolled out the drinks package, I expected it for two reasons. One, to increase perceived value of package and 2 to offset some revenue losses from package from heavy users.

[Pam in CA]

I just saw this post on another thread.pklein9747 confirmed that the above were prices before the 15% gratuity. It looks like Princess just raised the price of drinks about $1 each on the CB. Have they rolled out this price increased to all Princess ships?

Here are the prices on the Sapphire from March. Prices ranged from $5.50-7.95:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Cruisegirl6]

I haven't been on Princess in awhile, but been on other cruise lines, multiple times, after looking at that menu, I have to say no other cruise line has prices that low for any of those drinks. I understand that Princess just wants to update their prices and raises the cost as somebody said here a $1.00, its totally reasonable on Princess part. I don't blame Princess, odd, that they didn't do it a year ago or more.

[IECalCruiser]

Here are the prices on the Sapphire from March. Prices ranged from $5.50-7.95:

 

 

 

 

 

According to pklein7974, Signature drinks have increased from $7.95 on your drink menu to $8.95 and other drink prices have also increased $1.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

Edited June 2, 2014 by IECalCruiser

[azbirdmom]

I was on the same cruise on the CB and can confirm that the "signature" margaritas are now $8.95 before gratuity. We had plain old house margaritas at sailaway and those were $8.25, plus they added a "FLL Location Tax" of roughly 8.25%.

[Cruisegirl6]

Thats exactly around the price on other cruise lines, I say its fair.

[4cats4me]

I say it's ridiculous for ALL cruise lines to charge this much for drinks

 

When I first cruised Princess In 2003, the cocktails were $3.50 or $3.75

:eek:

[Whoo]

We stopped buying mixed drinks a few years ago. There didn't seem to be any alcohol in the drinks. Didn't feel like paying $7.95 for a watered-down fruit juice.:mad:

[PescadoAmarillo]

We stopped buying mixed drinks a few years ago. There didn't seem to be any alcohol in the drinks. Didn't feel like paying $7.95 for a watered-down fruit juice.:mad:

We did the same. Princess definitely has had light pours for a couple of years.

[Cruisegirl6]

So get the best alcohol package then, we get that on all our cruises now but we never experienced "watered down drinks", if the is the case, wait 10 minutes then order a shot of whatever alcohol is in the drink and add it to your drink.

[lljost]

25 cruises and counting with Princess and we have never experienced watered down drinks...

We have found that if you are friendly and courteous you may in fact wish they would water down the drinks once in a while...

[Cruisegirl6]

I been on Princess years ago and back then also the drinks were great!

[tjwa]

Here are the prices on the Sapphire from March. Prices ranged from $5.50-7.95:

 

 

Same as the prices on Emerald last week.

[mytime53]

Just got off the Island Princess...yes drinks are higher priced than a few months ago, but I found the pours to be quite generous...more than I needed! I suppose a heavy drinker might be disappointed, but then a heavy drinker would probably have the package. And I don't go for all the sweet fruity stuff that could be watered down, I guess. But asking for a shot of liquor in my coffee and getting a shot and a half seems generous to me.

[gcvt]

Had some Long Island Ice Teas on Grand last month. They're certainly not shorting you on that particular drink :eek:

Edited June 2, 2014 by gcvt

[pablo222]

We stopped buying mixed drinks a few years ago. There didn't seem to be any alcohol in the drinks. Didn't feel like paying $7.95 for a watered-down fruit juice.:mad:

 

Last week, I sat at the exporers bar on carribbean for a while.

The folks next to me had the drink package, and every few

minutes said 'I'd like to try..."

 

The girl complained that the drink she just had wasn't strong

enough. As she was deciding on her next choice, the bartender

was describing how much alcohol was in each drink. And,

offering tips about which had more alcohol.

 

She made the drinks using a regular bar measure.

 

I don't think the drinks were light, but I think that people are

used to heavy pours at home, and on land.

 

With the drink card, it hardly matters. Just get scotch, neat,

and your sure it's not watered down.

[pklein9747]

Here are the prices on the Sapphire from March. Prices ranged from $5.50-7.95:

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the CB last week:

 

The wine prices were the same.

Liquor with mixers, i.e. Rum & Coke, Gin & tonic are still $6.95

Signature drinks are all now $8.95

Classic drinks are all now $7.95

All martinis in Crooners were $8.95

 

Pat

[elkay68]

What about the price for beer. Did that go up or stay the same?

[pklein9747]

What about the price for beer. Did that go up or stay the same?

 

To be honest, we don't drink beer, so didn't take notice of the price.

[DannO61]

What about the price for beer. Did that go up or stay the same?

 

We just got off the Coral Princess and beer was $4.95.

[lovevacadays]

25 cruises and counting with Princess and we have never experienced watered down drinks...

We have found that if you are friendly and courteous you may in fact wish they would water down the drinks once in a while...

 

I have never experienced watered down drinks either. I've been happy with the "strength" of alcohol in the drinks I've had.

 

I'm not surprised that Princess has increased drink prices. I have always thought their prices were fair. Even with the $1.00 increase their prices are still better than what I get here in Orange County, California, unless I'm at a happy hour.

[HMSDingy]

I say it's ridiculous for ALL cruise lines to charge this much for drinks

 

When I first cruised Princess In 2003, the cocktails were $3.50 or $3.75

:eek:

 

No disrespect but that was like..uh...9 years ago?? Surely the cost of living has gone up a tad since then. I don't know about bar prices in the US but most bars in Montreal, Canada charge $10 for a mixed drinks and the gratuity is rarely added to that. Premium liquors are also in that range.

[CCFC]

I'm currently on the Emerald princess typing this from Tradewinds bar, the prices are now $8.95 and the price list looks newly printed. I did take a screenshot of the new tarriff but will wait until landfall tomorrow to upload them.