Skip or splurge on Princess?

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

It's a good thing Princess doesn't depend on people like me for their revenue.

If it's not for free, it's not for me. :D

[dorisis]

Those are all personal choices and only the individual involded can choose what is skip or splurge. For me it could also depend on the ship and the itinerary.

[OCruisers]

It's a good thing Princess doesn't depend on people like me for their revenue.

If it's not for free, it's not for me. :D

Just wondering what you do in your ports of call?

Seems it would be a shame to be in Europe, Alaska, etc. and not take a tour to see something. :confused:

LuLu

[Anubi]

1. Splurge: Alternative Dining, especially Chef's Table

2. Skip: Internet - that's free for us.

3. Skip: Treatments and Salon Services

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings

5. Skip: Corkage Fees

6. Skip: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops, unless there is something very unique

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas

8. Skip: Professional Photos unless its an awesome shot

9. Splurge: Gambling and Bingo

10. Skip: Beverage Packages

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions, usually private

 

As many have said, its a personal preference. :)

[Nebr.cruiser]

Just wondering what you do in your ports of call?

Seems it would be a shame to be in Europe, Alaska, etc. and not take a tour to see something. :confused:

LuLu

 

Maybe they took this list as I did, as being things on the ship that cost money that you can choose to do, or not. So, I read it as being ship sponsored shore excursions.

 

We don't do excursions in every port, since some are very doable on our own, but when we do a tour it is almost never with the ship, except in some unusual circumstance where only the ship tour makes sense.

 

We've had much better quality tours, and usually a lot cheaper too, by using private tour operators. So, we do excursions, just not the crowded and over-priced ship tours.

[Mikeyto]

1. Splurge: Alternative Dining

2. Skip: Internet - I'm Platinum so its free

3. Skip: Spa Treatments and Salon Services - I did however win a $50 credit on my last cruise.

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings

5. Skip: Corkage Fees

6. Splurge: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops - I love the ship models

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas

8. Skip: Professional Photos

9. Splurge: Gambling and Bingo - if you consider $10 the entire cruise splurging. LOL

10. Splurge: Beverage Packages - I generally get the $5 package

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions

[golfb4cruzing]

SKIP 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10

SPLURGE 4,9,11

 

To each his own.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

Just wondering what you do in your ports of call?

Seems it would be a shame to be in Europe, Alaska, etc. and not take a tour to see something. :confused:

LuLu

 

Oh, we do tours but not through Princess UNLESS there is no other option like in the Panama canal. (but it's been years since we've seen it numerous times). Princess has priced themselves out of the tour market in most locations. The only thing about Princess tours is that they're convenient but shop around, just a little, and you'll find deals from reputable operators at a fraction of their price.

[BrandiGreg]

Very much depends on the individual, but here goes ours:

1. A wash: Alternative Dining We have only done this once. Sterling Steakhouse was very good. But we enjoy the MDR as well.

2. A wash: Internet We get more than enough as an elite perk, but mainly used for Facebook post or email....very slow to upload photos though.

3. A wash: Spa Treatments and Salon Services.....she gets an "in port" special offered with 3 different treatments for $99.....good price.

4. Splurge: Wine and Beer Tastings We get the wine tasting free, but will not pay $25 for the better wine tasting. We always have a good time. Beer tastings, if they have them, are free as are vodka and tequila tastings. The amount they give you is not much and kind of boring slide show.

5. Skip: Corkage Fees We drink $28 bottles, so for only $13 more I get the wine. Not worth dragging my own bottle on board for this.

6. Skip: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops Same future garage-sale items are much cheaper in ports

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas We don't hang out at pool anyway, so this is of no value to us.

8. A wash: Professional Photos Free unless you purchase. No harm in posing and if you really like it the price is reasonable. Our best portraits have been on Princess.

9. A wash: Gambling and Bingo Slot odds are terrible compared to Vegas. We try to avoid gambling.

10. A wash: Beverage Packages Depends entirely on how much you normally drink

11. Skip: Shore Excursions In general, you pay about 25% more for a Princess sponsored tour than one you arrange on your own. Only do if it is important to get to the ship on time. Join your Roll Call to see what others are doing and search the web for alternatives when you can.

[BrandiGreg]

Oh, we do tours but not through Princess UNLESS there is no other option like in the Panama canal. (but it's been years since we've seen it numerous times). Princess has priced themselves out of the tour market in most locations. The only thing about Princess tours is that they're convenient but shop around, just a little, and you'll find deals from reputable operators at a fraction of their price.

We agree, plus most tours you arrange on your own are not only cheaper but you don't have to be on some big bus and feel like cattle. RESEARCH THIS for each port. Read cruise critic, tripadvisor, etc. Don't do too many tours in a row or you will be exhausted, and sometimes a port can best be enjoyed by just walking around and checking things out without looking through a bus window.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

We agree, plus most tours you arrange on your own are not only cheaper but you don't have to be on some big bus and feel like cattle. RESEARCH THIS for each port. Read cruise critic, tripadvisor, etc. Don't do too many tours in a row or you will be exhausted, and sometimes a port can best be enjoyed by just walking around and checking things out without looking through a bus window.

 

What I find hilarious is when were on a tour (non Princess) you see the people from the ship doing the same trip paying at least twice the price.

It took us a while to learn that when we first started cruising.

[Times Prince]

Variety is the spice of life, and we are glad Princess offers something for almost everybody.

 

1. Splurge: Alternative Dining Skip - MDR and Café Caribe food is fine by us. And we seldom miss the English Pub food.

2. Skip: Internet. Free for Platinum and above

3. Splurge: Spa Treatments and Salon Services Skip Spa treatments, but occasionally use Salon

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings Skip

5. Splurge: Corkage Fees Skip Corkage, Splurge on buying bottle of wine onboard

6. Skip: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops Splurge

7. Splurge: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas Skip - we let others indulge

8. Skip: Professional Photos Splurge if photo good enough

9. Splurge: Gambling and Bingo Skip, not our thing

10. Skip: Beverage Packages Skip, but Splurge on buying drinks not offered on package

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions Definitely Splurge!

12 Art Auctions: Skip since Princess outsourced to Park West

And for us

13. Cabin: Splurge on balcony

 

 

[capriccio]

1. Splurge: Alternative Dining (especially on formal nights since we don't 'do' formal)

2. Skip: Internet (have it as elite but back in the day, we would purchase a small package to check email)

3. Skip: Spa Treatments and Salon Services (tried the massages twice, too expensive and the pushing of other products made me feel uncomfortable even when I said no)

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings

5. Skip: Corkage Fees (see Beverage Packages)

6. Skip: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops

7. Splurge: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas (The Sanctuary on Caribbean cruises - especially when we've visited many of the islands before)

8. Skip: Professional Photos

9. Skip: Gambling and Bingo

10. Splurge: Beverage Packages (only the wine packages)

11. Toss Up: Shore Excursions (will use Princess if I can't find an equivalent private excursion)

[geoherb]

My list:

1. Skip: Alternative Dining (except UBD and Chef's Table at least once)

2. Splurge: Internet (since it's free for us)

3. Skip: Spa Treatments and Salon Services

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings (we did the free wine tasting last month and were glad we did not have to pay for it)

5. Splurge: Corkage Fees

6. Skip: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas since there are plenty of free quiet areas away from children

8. Skip: Professional Photos

9. Skip: Gambling and Bingo (although I will play $10 in slots per cruise)

10. Skip: Beverage Packages

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions (usually booked independently instead of through the cruise line)

[cdngrl]

My list:

1. Skip: Alternative Dining

2. Splurge: Internet (free, so its not really a splurge)

3. Skip: Spa Treatments and Salon Services (I used to and if there is a really good special, I may again but normally its exceeded my budget)

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings (I've never done even the free one, perhaps I should?)

5. Skip: Corkage Fees

6. Skip: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas (also priced out of the sanctuary now)

8. Skip: Professional Photos

9. Skip: Gambling and Bingo

10. Skip: Beverage Packages

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions (a definite non-negotiable splurge)

 

It sure doesn't look like I do much!

[Skai]

1. Splurge: Alternative Dining -- We usually do these on formal nights.

 

2. (mostly) Skip: Internet -- Have used only once or twice to confirm private tour reservations (SEE BELOW), otherwise no need to splurge to be 'connected' while "escaping completely". Or is it "come back new" now?

 

3. Skip: Spa Treatments and Salon Services -- Overpriced for services offered. IMHO

 

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings -- Plenty of opportunity to do this at home.

 

5. Skip: Corkage Fees (sort of) -- With our allotment of two bottles of wine to consume in our cabin, we'll usually buy a bottle or two in the restaurants as well to be consumed w/ dinner service over consecutive nights. The prices aren't that cost prohibitive compared to bringing our own and paying corkage fees.

 

6. Splurge: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops -- We usually only take advantage of the discounted port T-shirt sales. Who can have enough of those? And does purchasing duty-free 1L bottles of alcohol count as souvenirs?

 

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas -- Isn't this what one's cabin is for? The only interest on deck would be the adult-only pools aft and forward on some ships. Since we always sail times other than school holiday dates, we haven't found too many kids on our chosen sailings, and it's usually not too difficult to find areas on board where there are only adults present.

 

8. Skip: Professional Photos -- Not our thing. In fact, we try to avoid the ship's photographers as much as possible.

 

9. Splurge: Gambling and Bingo -- Having won the rolling blackout jackpot once as well as both having won a few sessions on other occasions, playing Bingo a few times during a sailing is compulsory:D and we like to donate back to the ship playing their tight slots too.

 

10. Skip (sort of): Beverage Packages -- DW likes the Soda card and we share a coffee card, but I don't do Soda, and the Alcohol package doesn't seem worth it as we don''t feel the need to get wasted every evening to feel like were getting a value.

 

11. Splurge (sort of): Shore Excursions -- We always take privately organized shore excursions at every port....often researched and set up by myself and sometimes also shared with other CC members. We are itinerary focused cruisers so this is where a good share of our budget is allocated.

[Thrak]

I mostly agree with everything on this list except #8 & #10!

 

1. Splurge: Alternative Dining

2. Skip: Internet.

3. Splurge: Spa Treatments and Salon Services

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings

5. Splurge: Corkage Fees

6. Skip: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops

7. Splurge: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas

8. Skip: Professional Photos

9. Splurge: Gambling and Bingo

10. Skip: Beverage Packages

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1584

 

I don't think I have ever agreed with one of these articles.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I find many of the cruise critic articles to be a miss. But I guess some items we all seem to have different opinions on.

 

1. Skip: Alternative Dining

2. Splurge: Internet.

3. Skip: Spa Treatments and Salon Services

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings

5. Skip: Corkage Fees

6. Splurge: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas

8. Splurge: Professional Photos

9. Skip: Gambling and Bingo

10. Skip: Beverage Packages

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions

[satxdiver]

This list is dependent on personal choices and one's sexual persuasion, so here are my choices:

1. Alternative dining - usually skip but have gone on special occasions (birthday)

2. Internet - I get free minutes and don't go over the amount.

3. Spa treatments and salon services - for a male? definitely not my thing

4. Wine and beer tastngs - love the tastings if the cost is semi-reasonable

5. Corkage fees - love wine and bring the ones I like usually one per day on the ship so don't mind the fees

6. Souvenirs from ship stores - not really into this

7. Private cabanas and adults-only areas - never have paid for this

8. Professional photos - I don't even let them take my picture

9. Gambling and bingo - not into any of this

10. Beverage packages - always buy the soda package

11. Shore excursions - I do both ship sponsored and private tours depending on the port and what is offered. Ship tours are more expensive but they offer certain benefits. If the ship is leaving anywhere close to the end of the tour then ship tour is a must.

[Illyria]

1. Alternative Dining - skip

2. Internet - skip

3. Spa Treatments and Salon Services - skip

4. Wine and Beer Tastings - usually skip (unless I'm really in the mood and it's under $10 - so far only did it once)

5. Corkage Fees - skip

6. Souvenirs from Onboard Shops - sometimes splurge (depending on what it is - usually under $20)

7. Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas - skip

8. Professional Photos - splurge (but only if there's one photo that turned out really well - then I'll buy it)

9. Gambling and Bingo - skip

10. Beverage Packages - will splurge on a soda package for the 1st time on upcoming cruise; kinda looking forward to it :)

11. Shore Excursions - splurge (usually I do private tours but sometimes I'll do it through the ship)

[Gallivanting Souls]

I mostly agree with everything on this list except #8 & #10!

 

1. Splurge: Alternative Dining

2. Skip: Internet.

3. Splurge: Spa Treatments and Salon Services

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings

5. Splurge: Corkage Fees

6. Skip: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops

7. Splurge: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas

8. Skip: Professional Photos

9. Splurge: Gambling and Bingo

10. Skip: Beverage Packages

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1584

1. Skip: Alternative Dining. ->> Enough great food to go around

2. Skip: Internet.->> Free WiFi in many places.

3. Skip: Spa Treatments and Salon Services

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings

5. Skip: Corkage Fees

6. Consider: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas

8. Splurge: Professional Photos

9. Skip: Gambling and Bingo

10. Skip: Beverage Packages. ->>Did soda package last cruise. Wasn't worth it to us.

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions

[Vexorg]

My list would look something like this:

 

1. Skip: Alternative Dining (actually I'd be fine with it, but none of the people I end up cruising with seem to be interested.)

2. Skip: Internet (I will use the Platinum minutes sparingly, don't need anything beyond that.)

3. Splurge: Spa Treatments and Salon Services (I'll do one occasionally, not on every cruise.)

4. Skip: Wine and Beer Tastings (I don't drink.)

5. Skip: Corkage Fees (See above)

6. Splurge: Souvenirs from Onboard Shops (Occasional cheap trinkety things, nothing too expensive. I have something of a travelogue on my refrigerator, so I'll get fridge magnets for each ship I've been on. I've even bought art on the ship a couple of times, but that's rare.)

7. Skip: Private Cabanas and Adults-Only Areas (Did the Sanctuary one day on the last trip. Liked it at $20 a day, but probably won't spend the $40 a day.)

8. Skip: Professional Photos (Not really interested.)

9. Splurge: Gambling and Bingo (A little bit here and there, low stakes. Set a hard limit and don't exceed it.)

10. Splurge: Beverage Packages (I usually do the UKP.)

11. Splurge: Shore Excursions (I'll generally do 1 or 2 good shore excursions a trip. I also think the Ultimate Ship Tour is worth doing at least once.)

Edited September 7, 2014 by Vexorg