AIBP changes survey

[martin jenkins]

from Australia at $59 yes we always bought it but now at an increase of 45% no way wont buy it anymore, on a 12 dayer that's an increase of $630.

[Lucky TGO]

For me it’s a NO.

Tony

[lovevacadays]

Nope. Way too rich for our blood. We are fortunate to be able to cruise. Spending that kind of cash every day for drinks is not in the budget. We love it as a perk but otherwise will simply purchase drinks as we go.

 

My thoughts too.

[Funkat]

No. Found it hard to justify at the old price, but with the increase in price, there is no way - except, of course, as a perk.

[senior lady]

When you add the exchange rate for us Canadians........... definately..... NO......... $86 per day is way to rich for me....:(

[Steelers36]

When you add the exchange rate for us Canadians........... definately..... NO......... $86 per day is way to rich for me....:(

 

Doesn't make sense as a reason on it's own. :confused: Everything on the cruise is priced in USD - water, coffee, soda, beer, drinks, wine, etc. So all those individual drinks also convert to CAD. Maybe you meant there just isn't the value in it for your level of consumption?

[senior lady]

Doesn't make sense as a reason on it's own. :confused: Everything on the cruise is priced in USD - water, coffee, soda, beer, drinks, wine, etc. So all those individual drinks also convert to CAD. Maybe you meant there just isn't the value in it for your level of consumption?

 

My upcoming cruise is 10 days. So for around $850 for drink pkg, I can go on a 7 day Mexican.

Between the wine I take on, and maybe 4 drinks a day........... just doesn't work. This cruise has 6 ports of call so will be off the ship most of the time...

I got one a few yrs ago on a Mexican cruise, as I had a huge OBC and it was nice, but I drank way more than I normally would.

[Steelers36]

We never saw value in AIBP. (I'd never want to go to an all-inclusive resort as I would be subsidizing the other guests!) So an increase in its cost, coupled with increases in individual drink prices (and no doubt wine list as well), won't change the math. When I have looked at cruises with S&S offer, I still would not want it and would take the substitute OBC. Maybe you think I am crazy, but here is why:

 

1) Don't drink coffee and my wife doesn't have it as much any more (we use coffee card for those occasions and I can get hot chocolate with a punch on an old card and free as a coffee sub on a new card).

2) We are not soda drinkers. I've been known to enjoy a dark rum & coke, but usually not buying at a bar.

3) We will have a beer from time to time during the cruise.

4) We will have a tropical drink from time to time (rum and juice or a colada, but sometimes just a virgin colada.

5) I start with some bottled water and then refill using ship's filtered water.

6) I do buy bottles of wine for dinner, but try to bring my own supply on board when I can. We consume on average about a 1/2 of one bottle per day.

7) I can't imagine trying to drink up enough on the @Sea days to make up for the port days.

 

That profile just doesn't fit an AIBP and one S&S cruise I was contemplating, I didn't think we would spend over the OBC on beverages, so why take the package? Now that they have an actual drink limit, maybe they should offer an "AIBP Lite" package for those of us who don't drink as much and we would have a lower daily limit. :cool: ;)

 

Your results may vary.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Nope; it wasn't even a value at the previous price so certainly won't be now!

 

 

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[Steelers36]

My upcoming cruise is 10 days. So for around $850 for drink pkg, I can go on a 7 day Mexican.

Between the wine I take on, and maybe 4 drinks a day........... just doesn't work. This cruise has 6 ports of call so will be off the ship most of the time...

I got one a few yrs ago on a Mexican cruise, as I had a huge OBC and it was nice, but I drank way more than I normally would.

 

Now that makes sense ... we don't drink much either and I do bring wine on. Currency doesn't matter in the equation.

Would have been appealing if they waived the corkage fee in the package as an alternate to 25% off wine. Never happen.

[Presto2]

At £1450 British pounds for a 2 week cruise .... when we'd be off the ship loads as well ..... not a chance.

 

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[adcondon68]

Im cancelling my 2018 22 night cruise on Majestic Princess Our drink package would have cost $86.99 AUD per day x 2 people = $3,653 AUD, and then telling me that I'm limited to 15 drinks a day. I want to relax, and not count drinks.

 

We are booked with 4 other couples all with suites and we're all cancelling this cruise.

[jennyg2610]

We are not buying for our 22 night in November from Japan to Sydney. From $59 a day to an increase of 45%, it's the principle that we have paid full payment. We were told to buy onboard because of the glitch in the online system, then Princess put the price up without any notification. Why is the increase not on new bookings? You book in good faith that you will get the advertised price that you booked under and it's changed without any notice.

 

 

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[HaveDogWillTravel]

I am pretty peeved that they did not send an email regarding this. When the auto gratuities increased we got an email with an opportunity to prepay before the increase and they should have done the same here. I will be complaining loudly.

But back to the OP's question.

 

I've always purchased AIBP for DH and will continue to do so. He enjoys trying new drinks that he wouldn't normally pay for as sometimes he doesn't care for them and throws them out.

I have bought the package for me on a 7 day and on a 15 day cruise. I almost exclusively drink white wines (dry and NOT Chardonnay) and the pickings are slim. I decided I'd rather pay the $15 corkage (thankfully they haven't changed that) and bring my own wine on board. It's a bit of an inconvenience but once we settle in it's just so wonderful to have my great wine instead of mediocre at best wines.

I preorder cases of water for me (which are still reasonably priced) and a coffee card.

They've stopped offering the 1-liter waters on the package which I just don't understand. It's going to create so much waste! And I agree the reduced discount on bottles is a real loser policy change.

So as long as they keep the policy where DH can have the package without forcing me to have it as well, we will keep buying it.

 

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[antsp]

Well all I can say Princess is well done, you've dropped the ball there.

[Maverick911]

We are Brits doing a Cruise from Melbourne to Singapore on the Golden in March 2018. The drinks package on my personaliser is £55.19 $74.48 AUD 94.47 each per day so for the 15 night cruise thats £827.85 $ 1,117.25 AUD 1417.05. Each. For the two us thats the price of a cruise. So Princess no way are you getting that from us !! Going to bring the permitted drinks on board and enjoy the offers on port days. As said previously Princess have dropped the Ball here.

[socmft]

Nope - priced us right out it. Sad!

[EMS8]

No. Won't purchase it, especially with the price increase. Not a value anymore.

[floridalover5623]

Well all I can say Princess is well done, you've dropped the ball there.

Someone at Princess headquarters is getting an award for suggesting the price increase.

Wait for another year when sales drop to zero & they reinstate the old pricing. ;)

[antsp]

I'm wondering if they will intriroduce a budget AIBP next

[NavyVeteran]

We are not buying for our 22 night in November from Japan to Sydney. From $59 a day to an increase of 45%, it's the principle that we have paid full payment. We were told to buy onboard because of the glitch in the online system, then Princess put the price up without any notification. Why is the increase not on new bookings? You book in good faith that you will get the advertised price that you booked under and it's changed without any notice.

 

 

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Did a Princess representative tell you to book onboard because she or he could not handle the booking in advance? If so, contact Princess with that information. If you have a documented case of a Princess representative telling you to wait, then you may be able to get them to sell you the package at the old price. You would need to contact Customer Service - not the normal telephone representatives - for the exception. If you were told by CC posters or anyone else - not by Princess - to wait, then you probably don't have a case.

[2pbears]

We tried the AIBP once on a three day cruise (yes, I know it's only supposed to be available on 7 or more days, but it was available) just to see if it made sense for us. There were no port stops so it was 3 days at sea---we thought the perfect way to get our money's worth. Well, the bottom line was we did not get our money's worth even though we drank quite a bit more than we normally would have. So, for our next two cruises we do have the AIBP only because we booked on the Sip and Sail promo. But if not included as a perk we would not purchase the package---either before or after the price increase. Just doesn't make sense for us.

[sailing_scot]

Have purchased for every cruise i have been on to date since it became available but will no longer.

 

Reasons

 

1 - Canned soft drinks - what are they playing at not including these!! I far prefer a canned drink over a fountain option. Would get 2-3 per day - total cost to Princess - maybe $1-2 per day!!

2 - No large bottles of water - what is that about? We would get a litre of sparking water between us each night - if no longer allowed - that is a mystery to me who thought that was acceptable.

3 - Lack of Seawitch or an acceptable alternative beer.

 

I am not so "upset" (i know 1st world problem - feel silly even typing it) about the price rise - it is more the top 2 reasons above which makes me think Princess are taking the p1ss.

[Thrak]

Does Princess offer Pellegrino in smaller bottles or is this simply not an option any longer?

[fishywood]

2 - No large bottles of water - what is that about? We would get a litre of sparking water between us each night - if no longer allowed - that is a mystery to me who thought that was acceptable.

 

The new T&C does state:

 

if dining at a specialty venue, a large one-liter bottle of water, still or sparkling, is covered by the package

 

What a "specialty venue" consists of remains to be seen.

 

But should I ever get the package I will order bottle after small bottle of San Pellegrino at every lunch and dinner until they get the message. Thinking the large bottle will be restored at least in the MDR once they figure out how cost-ineffective the small ones are.