New higher onboard drink prices coming

[sunviking90]

On 12/14/2022 at 3:01 PM, VibeGuy said:

Oh my god, no, cruise prices in the 70s are about the same as today *in 1970s dollars*.  I’ve got an ad for the 1978 Princess season out of LA, and per-night in an outside (no balconies) was more than you’d pay for a January MexRiv sailing today.   
 

 

Absolutely! We paid much more for a Mexican riviera cruise in 1998 on another cruiseline (in an outside stateroom, no balcony) than we would ever imagine paying now. Like anything, once it becomes mass market prices go down. Only the very wealthy were taking multiple cruises a year back in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Many of us do that now and think nothing of it.

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

I actually don't think that this is the reason.  PCL already did a significant price increase in 2022 when Premier was introduced.  Wines that were $11 jumped to $16 or more.  I think that there are two other factors at play here.  

 

1.  As to drink prices, Princess wants 100% of all passengers to buy Packages.  The best way to get them to do that is to have them do the math and realize that when a below average glass of wine costs $14, you might as well buy a package that includes that glass, and also causes the consumer to strongly consider levelling up to Premier to unlock the good stuff.  I know the wine industry inside and out and can tell you that wine prices have not moved nearly as much as Princess' price increases.  Even those who want to interject "the current economy" and "record inflation" into the conversation have to admit that the inflation percentage at its worst is/was in the high single digits.  That would bring a $10 glass of wine up to $11 with rounding.  You don't go from $10 to $14, and then from $14 to $16 due to "inflation".  $10 to $16 is a 60% increase in less than a year.  And again, the low-end wines that are being poured have not gone up in price and if they have, it is by pennies. (Or maybe $0.50 is more accurate.)   The customer base that buys those wines would be chased away.  The wine producers have largely kept pricing relatively steady and are simply making less money until this blows over.  I think what we are really seeing is a movement to drive customers into a different mindset--one that makes purchasing profitable packages a "no brainer."

 

2.  Aside from drink prices, the bigger picture price increases (Packages and Specialty dining) are designed to level-set with the rest of the industry.  As pointed out in this thread and in many others, Princess has been well below market on its AI Packages and SD prices for years.  Somebody finally woke up and said that there is no advantage to being the lowest price at sea.  Sure, it makes Princess attractive, but it results in leaving money on the table and that can't be tolerated right now.  The "huge" jump in SD pricing STILL leaves Princess $10-$25 below what other mass market cruise lines are charging.     

When was your most recent Princess cruise?

 

I am on a Princess cruise next month, so I will see for myself.  I will be paying close attention to Silverado’s Sauvignon Blanc.  I will see if it above $16 or higher as you suggest.  I believe it was around $12 four or five years ago.

Edited December 16, 2022 by jagoffee

[JimmyVWine]

16 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I can see that byob might work for light drinkers, but we would need around twenty bottles of wine on a 14 night cruise, plus of course beer and spirits, so for us it is a non-starter.

We were BYO only cruisers for a long time, but when our daughter turned 21, the number of bottles that we would have needed to take on board became too cumbersome.  

[JimmyVWine]

2 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

When was your most recent Princess cruise?

Got off Regal on 10/15/22.

[JimmyVWine]

8 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

I will be paying close attention to Silverado’s Sauvignon Blanc.

Didn't see Silverado.  But the quality equivalent was Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc and the price was $14.

Edited December 16, 2022 by JimmyVWine

[jagoffee]

Just now, JimmyVWine said:

Got off Regal on 10/15/22.

Thanks.  You have some very recent real life experience.  I agree with the bottom line from most of your points, but not necessarily  the reasons.  
 

We can compare notes when I return from my 15 day Emerald Panama cruise next month.  We purchase the “package when it was only $40 a person per day (not called Plus) and you are so right. It was a screaming bargain.  With the new prices, Princess is getting closer in price to her competitors.  

[jagoffee]

3 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

Didn't see Silverado.  But the quality equivalent was Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc and the price was $14.

That will be disappointing.it was served at the Vines.  
Due to my good fortune my limit is now $15.

Edited December 16, 2022 by jagoffee

[JimmyVWine]

6 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

That will be disappointing.

Yes.  When a Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc is BEYOND the upper limit of the Plus Package, the world has gone sideways.  That is exactly the level of wine that should be included in the entry level package.  

 

Edit to add:  And if they don't raise the price when Plus goes to $15, then they have "fixed" one of the problems.  (Still a problem when that wine sells for $14.)  But if there is a corresponding price hike that removes this wine from the parameters of the Plus Package, then the world is still sideways. 

Edited December 16, 2022 by JimmyVWine

[jagoffee]

1 minute ago, JimmyVWine said:

Yes.  When a Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc is BEYOND the upper limit of the Plus Package, the world has gone sideways.  That is exactly the level of wine that should be included in the entry level package.  

Since the limit is now $15, the world is now upright.  

[JimmyVWine]

4 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Since the limit is now $15, the world is now upright.  

...unless there is another price hike raising it above the limit. 

 

Also, this reinforces my earlier point about forcing people into packages.  If they don't raise the price and the wine is inside the Plus limit, we are left to say "Whew. Glad that I can still get that wine in my Package."  But we are overlooking the fact that under no circumstances is this wine a $14 glass selection.  But they now having us feeling "good" about it.  It's a $17 bottle that Carnival Corp pays around $10-$11 for.

Edited December 16, 2022 by JimmyVWine

[c-boy]

41 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I can see that byob might work for light drinkers, but we would need around twenty bottles of wine on a 14 night cruise, plus of course beer and spirits, so for us it is a non-starter.

 

 Priorities 😁

[2 cruises a year]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

That's a very optimistic viewpoint. 

We aren't what you would consider big drinkers, but to justify the cost of a Plus package I feel that you would need more than 2 and any cost.

We'll be returning to using our RumRunners after our booked trips don't include their package any longer. 

I will say that the internet was a definite advantage at times. 

Even at two drinks a day, I find the package convenient, and yes, I get "played" by Princess, and do get adventurous and try different drinks.  Why not, they are "free".

Add a water, a coffee here and there, and the package gets even better.

Rum Runners used to be fun, now, to me, convenience is more fun.  Of course who am I to say.  I have probably never had (only) two drinks a day on a cruise. 😁

At the end of the day, it is all good.  Life would be boring if everyone had the same likes and dislikes.

[jagoffee]

23 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

...unless there is another price hike raising it above the limit. 

 

Also, this reinforces my earlier point about forcing people into packages.  If they don't raise the price and the wine is inside the Plus limit, we are left to say "Whew. Glad that I can still get that wine in my Package."  But we are overlooking the fact that under no circumstances is this wine a $14 glass selection.  But they now having us feeling "good" about it.  It's a $17 bottle that Carnival Corp pays around $10-$11 for.

I suspect that Princess is going away from the Generic list of unnamed wines available on the Plus package.  They must have received a lot of complaints and puts them in an inferior position compared to the competition.  
I live in the Chicago suburbs and I see wines by the glass at those prices all the time. Most are even more.

[Steelers36]

40 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

We were BYO only cruisers for a long time, but when our daughter turned 21, the number of bottles that we would have needed to take on board became too cumbersome.  

 

14 minutes ago, c-boy said:

 

 Priorities 😁

 

The most I have carried on for a cruise is two cases and that was for our longest voyage to-date - 60 nights around South America.  Don't recall if I bought any additional in ports, but perhaps a small amount.  If we were a bottle-a-day folks, IDK how I would manage 5 cases.  LOL.  Anyway, it is often possible to supplement the initial haul with additional bottles at port stops. 

 

But it can be a burden to get a significant amount onto the ship.  And with 5 cases, I'd need to bring a wine cooler as well.  😉

 

[JimmyVWine]

13 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

 

 

The most I have carried on for a cruise is two cases and that was for our longest voyage to-date - 60 nights around South America.  Don't recall if I bought any additional in ports, but perhaps a small amount.  If we were a bottle-a-day folks, IDK how I would manage 5 cases.  LOL.  Anyway, it is often possible to supplement the initial haul with additional bottles at port stops. 

 

But it can be a burden to get a significant amount onto the ship.  And with 5 cases, I'd need to bring a wine cooler as well.  😉

 

My "under the plane" carrier holds 8 bottles.  Used to be enough (barely) for a 7 day cruise.  But not since my daughter turned 21.

 

[JimmyVWine]

1 hour ago, jagoffee said:

I suspect that Princess is going away from the Generic list of unnamed wines available on the Plus package.  They must have received a lot of complaints and puts them in an inferior position compared to the competition.

From my small sample set, I can tell you that in response to EVERY question in the post-cruise survey, regardless of the question's focus, I managed to slip in a comment about how embarrassing and unacceptable it was to serve people paying for a beverage package generically marketed wine. I hope that your prediction is true.   

[VibeGuy]

What’s super-annoying is that a couple of my faves that have disappeared from Princess have magically popped up at HAL at the same or lower prices.  Looking at you in particular, Chamisal inox Chardonnay. 

[pppatpc2]

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

 

The most I have carried on for a cruise is two cases and that was for our longest voyage to-date - 60 nights around South America.  Don't recall if I bought any additional in ports, but perhaps a small amount.  If we were a bottle-a-day folks, IDK how I would manage 5 cases.  LOL.  Anyway, it is often possible to supplement the initial haul with additional bottles at port stops. 

 

But it can be a burden to get a significant amount onto the ship.  And with 5 cases, I'd need to bring a wine cooler as well.  😉

 

I remember the “good old days” when you could slap a luggage tag on a box from Total Wine in Fort Lauderdale. 😏. Hopefully they don’t eliminate the ability to bring on wine from the ports.

[JimmyVWine]

13 minutes ago, pppatpc2 said:

Hopefully they don’t eliminate the ability to bring on wine from the ports.

This is probably something that will be driven by the metrics of Package buying.  If 90% of passengers start buying Packages, I doubt that there will ever be any prohibition of carrying on wine at ports.  Why should Princess care, since it already has your alcohol consumption revenue in its pocket?  If you have done the math and are paying Princess for 3 or so glasses of wine a day in advance, why should they care if you do not consume Princess' wine and drink your own instead? If you drink it in your cabin, then there is no loss of revenue, and if you drink it in a dining venue and they charge corkage, even better as they rake in even more revenue.  So in the end, if Packages sell well, there is absolutely no reason for them to discourage bringing on your own wine, and perhaps even an incentive for you to do so. (Less work for servers and bartenders but with the same revenue generated.)   Yes, there will be people who don't have Packages who bring on wines at ports who drink it in their cabins resulting in no revenue to Princess, but that won't matter if the bigger picture view is that 90% of the passengers have Packages.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, JimmyVWine said:

This is probably something that will be driven by the metrics of Package buying.  If 90% of passengers start buying Packages, I doubt that there will ever be any prohibition of carrying on wine at ports.  Why should Princess care, since it already has your alcohol consumption revenue in its pocket?  If you have done the math and are paying Princess for 3 or so glasses of wine a day in advance, why should they care if you do not consume Princess' wine and drink your own instead? If you drink it in your cabin, then there is no loss of revenue, and if you drink it in a dining venue and they charge corkage, even better as they rake in even more revenue.  So in the end, if Packages sell well, there is absolutely no reason for them to discourage bringing on your own wine, and perhaps even an incentive for you to do so. (Less work for servers and bartenders but with the same revenue generated.)   Yes, there will be people who don't have Packages who bring on wines at ports who drink it in their cabins resulting in no revenue to Princess, but that won't matter if the bigger picture view is that 90% of the passengers have Packages.

Interesting point.

We are sailing out of Southampton on Sky on April 1st. As a Brit, I will be driving to the port. Security staff could not care less how nany bottles I bring aboard, so in theory, say 10 bottles,  plus top ups from port stops.

But, we like to socialise,  drink in the bars and chat to fellow cruisers. If I take a nice bottle of Rioja into Vines, will I get given an empty glass,  no questions asked,  or will the corkage police descend upon me? 

[pris993]

On 12/14/2022 at 3:01 PM, VibeGuy said:

Oh my god, no, cruise prices in the 70s are about the same as today *in 1970s dollars*.  I’ve got an ad for the 1978 Princess season out of LA, and per-night in an outside (no balconies) was more than you’d pay for a January MexRiv sailing today.   
 

Drinks were definitely cheaper.  I distinctly remember a Manhattan made with Canadian blended rye being like 75 cents because one of them and a Shirley Temple for the lad, with tip, was $1.  Being a five year old that could sign for drinks was some heady stuff.  

Agree, we always booked the best quality cabin we could afford.  I recall we went on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise, in late l980s, we paid $3500 pp for a limited view cabin, no balcony.  Now days I can book a mini suite for that price.   I buy the plus drink package, covers what we want to drink relative to alcohol, coffee, water on board.  Really can't complain. 

[DallasGuy75219]

32 minutes ago, wowzz said:

IIf I take a nice bottle of Rioja into Vines, will I get given an empty glass,  no questions asked,  or will the corkage police descend upon me? 

You're probably much more likely to be charged corkage at Vines vs. the MDR.

[PacnGoNow]

28 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Interesting point.

We are sailing out of Southampton on Sky on April 1st. As a Brit, I will be driving to the port. Security staff could not care less how nany bottles I bring aboard, so in theory, say 10 bottles,  plus top ups from port stops.

But, we like to socialise,  drink in the bars and chat to fellow cruisers. If I take a nice bottle of Rioja into Vines, will I get given an empty glass,  no questions asked,  or will the corkage police descend upon me? 

The ships I’ve been on with a Vines bar, seem to be very picky with their special wine glasses. 😮  I would just pick up a couple of wine glasses from any “other”bar and take them with you.

 

Now, whether the corkage police come out, because they see a foreign bottle (😮) on the table at Vines…IDK.  I have never tried that.  

[suzyed]

11 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

The ships I’ve been on with a Vines bar, seem to be very picky with their special wine glasses. 😮  I would just pick up a couple of wine glasses from any “other”bar and take them with you.

 

Now, whether the corkage police come out, because they see a foreign bottle (😮) on the table at Vines…IDK.  I have never tried that.  

Yes, you will have to pay corkage just as when you take it to the dining rooms and specialty restaurants

 

[PacnGoNow]

15 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Yes, you will have to pay corkage just as when you take it to the dining rooms and specialty restaurants

 

That post was by @wowzz.  I have never taken my bottle out of the cabin.

🙁