6 weeks into new PLUS/PREMIER- Reviews Please

[hawk/hornfan]

On 4/9/2023 at 1:31 PM, Buckeye10640 said:

Now thats ridiculous. Just order the fancy premium gelato 'dessert'  with the topping, sauce, lolipops, and candy on the side!

There is a scene from the movie "Five Easy Pieces" with Jack Nicholson that shows this in real life, however very over the top.  

 

[cruisecrazyct]

On 4/13/2023 at 1:25 PM, Crookshanks said:

Yes, I saw the option on my cruise on Ruby last month to upgrade on board.

Can you tell me how/where you can upgrade your plus to a premium package once on board? thanks

[FrankieJayIII]

There is a desk; not joking. Next to a sign that says- upgrades or upgrade here... ETC.   Or the Reception desk too. 

[minniegidget]

Silly question I know. If you get the premier package and there are two of you in the room would each of you get the 3 free photos and the free downloads. Or is it just 3  photos for the cabin?

[suzyed]

On 4/8/2023 at 3:00 AM, kaseyoz said:

I have seen a few say gratuities are included in the plus fare.

however I cannot see any mention of it on the Princess site.

are they included as that is quite a large amount.

Grats are included.

Edited April 17, 2023 by suzyed

[kaseyoz]

32 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Grats are included.

They do not list them on our Australian site as any cruise booked in Australia automatically includes gratuities.

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, kaseyoz said:

They do not list them on our Australian site as any cruise booked in Australia automatically includes gratuities.

 

However if you make an Australian booking for an overseas cruise (USD onboard currency) with the Plus package the gratuities are not included. But then again you only pay AU $65 for the Plus package, not US $65 so even after paying the gratuities onboard, or prepaying them, it works out a bit cheaper. 😊

[caribill]

On 4/13/2023 at 9:13 AM, xamsx said:

Does Princess offer a way to upgrade to faster internet?
 

 

Princess only has one speed to offer.

 

And they call it "the best WI-FI at sea."

[billco]

3 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Princess only has one speed to offer.

 

And they call it "the best WI-FI at sea."

Princess is wrong. Just completed five days on the NCL Bliss with their best streaming WiFi package, which was almost twice as fast as what I had on the Discovery Princess. That's like saying one grade of molasses flows faster than another.

[jwattle]

10 hours ago, minniegidget said:

Silly question I know. If you get the premier package and there are two of you in the room would each of you get the 3 free photos and the free downloads. Or is it just 3  photos for the cabin?

You each get three, so if you have two people, you get six pictures :)

[wowzz]

On 4/14/2023 at 1:00 AM, cavecreekguy said:

Really loved the OBC that came with the Plus package

Normally you do not get any extra OBC with either of the packages. Perhaps you were given extra obc by your TA ?

[cavecreekguy]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Normally you do not get any extra OBC with either of the packages. Perhaps you were given extra obc by your TA ?

Guess it was part of another promotion and wasn't due to Plus. Here's what it said on my booking confirmation:

 

Guests who book this promotion are subject to standard cancellation terms and receive the following: *ONBOARD CREDIT (All gsts): Int & O/V- $50 pp; Balcony- $100pp; M/S+-
$150 pp

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, cavecreekguy said:

Guess it was part of another promotion and wasn't due to Plus. Here's what it said on my booking confirmation:

 

Guests who book this promotion are subject to standard cancellation terms and receive the following: *ONBOARD CREDIT (All gsts): Int & O/V- $50 pp; Balcony- $100pp; M/S+-
$150 pp

So, it looks like you struck lucky on a promotional deal.

[wrongwaywatson]

We received OBC when we booked the Plus package for our April 1 cruise.  We booked it in November.

[warren buffet]

6 hours ago, wrongwaywatson said:

We received OBC when we booked the Plus package for our April 1 cruise.  We booked it in November.

That was a standard promo for 50 and up obc depending on the cabin. Been running for months since black fri. May or may not still be running.  I got 92.5O for the 1st and 2nd guest in the cabin .3rd person had 50 

[warren buffet]

On 4/13/2023 at 5:00 PM, cavecreekguy said:

I was on Sky Princess 2/25-3/11. Had the "new" Plus including the deserts, etc. Didn't use any of the "new" features.

 

First week everything seemed o.k. The app showed I had the package and bar charges were showing up properly. Second week the app either said I had no package, or said I should confirm my package with GS. Things showed up on my account that shouldn't have. I went to the GS to have those removed. Then, later in the cruise, other charges that should have been on my account were also removed. I informed GS of that error but the charges never reappeared.

 

Never had wi-fi/Internet on any prior cruise so I have nothing to compare it to. It was incredibly slow at times, especially mid-day when at sea. If it were the olden days and I was paying by the minute I would have gone crazy. Instead, I ordered room service and put movie on while uploading pics to FB.

 

Really loved the OBC that came with the Plus package. Between that and the shareholder OBC I took all the Princess shore excursions I was interested in, booked transfer back to FLL, used the luggage service, bought Stanley Bear and flowers for my cabin, and still didn't use all the credit! Somehow the unused credit was refunded to me via check even though it was supposed to be non-refundable.

 

Then there's the crew surcharge, that is also covered by Plus. $14.50 per day that didn't hit my account. Loved that too.

 

Even at $60/day, it's a bargain for me.

 

But, as I said on my survey, I've never been on a cruise ship before where it was so difficult to get a beverage. Not just a couple times or in certain places, but pretty much everywhere all the time. There were constantly people either in line or walking up standing behind bar stools trying to get the over-worked bartender's attention to get a beverage. Even sitting at a table in an area where waiters are circulating would take quite a while before someone came over or even surveyed the space to be flagged down. Not sure if they're overwhelmed because of everyone having Plus or what. But they really need to fix that.

Yes. That is the drawback with having such a package be affordable.  Most people get it and want to use it.  Perhaps beer and wine machines need to be installed like the freestyle soft drink machines. Some pizza,places and also carnival has self serve ones for craft beer.  Just to have one self serve option 

[GetGlowing]

On 4/13/2023 at 12:04 PM, world_traveler_et said:

For those of you who have returned and had the package Plus or Premier.  Prior to sailing did the packages show up in your Medallion area under Ocean Ready than the area that says Folio, Packages and prizes?  I booked the premier package and when I click on packages my app says I do not have any packages listed.  This is where I thought my premier package would be listed.  For prizes I thought the premier package lists princess prizes with your door unlocking?

 

Just wondering if I need to call Princess or my travel agent.  I would rather settle an issue before my cruise.

 

Thanks for starting this thread and the comments are great!

Contact your TA. They can send you the Princess "Special Services Summary" direct from Polar showing any packages, inclusions, gifts, celebrations, special needs requests that have been added to your booking. 

Mine are also showing up in the app under "Folio, Packages, and Prizes" for our sailing in a couple weeks and for our sailing in September. 

Maybe check to see if you have latest app version also. 

[rbtan]

On 4/7/2023 at 11:29 PM, FrankieJayIII said:

It's been 6 weeks since the new plus and premier packages have been released and there are cruisers who have had experiences with Plus VS. Premier...

 

Including differences.   Account charges at the end... etc.

 

What are your thoughts now that you have had a chance to EXPERIENCE the levels of service?

I thought it was over priced. We drink very little & have no problem paying the auto tip as usual. I don't know whether we can book this while on board. We do have a Sky 14 day trip next Jan. We'll see the reviews, but still doubt we'll go for it. I mean the desserts are not a strong point except the Norman Love desserts, which I hear are no longer offered. I'm a professional pastry chef, so I doubt I will be impressed.The Norman Love deserts were the only ones I thought were pretty good. We normally do Oceania & their desserts are like nothing you'll see on Princess or most any other line.

[Shawn5]

2 hours ago, rbtan said:

We normally do Oceania & their desserts are like nothing you'll see on Princess or most any other line.

Could you be more specific, as we've never sailed with Oceania.

[rheathslc]

On 4/16/2023 at 10:25 PM, minniegidget said:

Silly question I know. If you get the premier package and there are two of you in the room would each of you get the 3 free photos and the free downloads. Or is it just 3  photos for the cabin?

We upgraded to Premier last September (before the new additions) and we each got 3 8x10 prints, so 6 total.

[Boiler Cruiser]

 

My wife and I bought the Princess Premier Package on our recent 15-day cruise to Hawaii.  Before and during our cruise we heard much about the Premier Package, and I wanted to share my experiences and thoughts about it.

 

Overall, it had many benefits for my wife and I, and, in the end, we saved a lot more money than the added cost of the Package.

 

Medallion Class Experience

 

When we first got on the ship, the Medallion app had issues on each of phones.  Not the same issues, however.  We went to the Internet Café, and the personnel there were very helpful, and got the app on each of our phones running like clockwork. 

 

We were advised that the tech’s in the Internet Café, were finding that many of the issues guests were having with their Medallion app when they first got on the ship happened because they did not update their app after their last cruise.  Running the update on my wife’s phone was all she needed.

 

So, before our next cruise, we will run an update of our app’s and I expect all will be well.

 

Premier Beverage Package

 

This is the part of the Premier Package that everyone is interested in and seems to talk about most.

 

My wife and I appreciated having the Premier Beverage Package very much.  She and I each drink 4-5 cups of coffee a day, not including the Café Mocha or Cappuccino we enjoy from time to time.  We also drink a couple of beers with lunch, or a soda.

 

Where the Premier Beverage Package really paid off for us was for liquor and wine.  We enjoy a couple of drinks before dinner, and usually, we had a glass of wine with dinner.  We also had a drink of two during the evening, as well.

The Premier Beverage Package allowed us to get premium brands of bourbon, scotch and gin that we would not be able to get, even at home, otherwise.  The $20 and under allowance per drink helped with this very much.

 

This all worked for us, but if you are not a person who is looking to drink high-end cocktails, more than the average amount of coffee each day, specialty drinks from Good Spirits at Sea, the Premier Beverage Package may deserve a second thought.

 

By the way, the bar waiters and those at the International Cage and in the restaurants, all knew were had the Premier Package, just from “reading” our medallions.

 

Wifi

 

The Wifi allowance with the Premier Package was well worth it.  While we did not have 4 devices each, we did have 4 between us.  Having Wifi available 24 hours a day, was a convenience that paid for itself handsomely.

 

If you have more than 1 device each, or if you are a family traveling with kids, the Wifi portion will pay for itself.

 

Crew Appreciation

 

It goes without says, I think, that not having to pay the per diem gratuity out of pocket is a definite plus.

 

2 Specialty Meals

 

We really enjoyed this feature.  My wife and I enjoy going to the Crown Grill or Sabatini’s (especially now with the new menu), so having 2 included was very nice.

 

By the way, on this last cruise (March, 2023), we learned that Sabatini’s had just rolled out it’s new menu.  It was a very nice improvement over the prior menu…a nice variety of entrees and choices for salads, sides and desserts.

 

The Photo Package

 

To be honest, the Photo Package was not anything to get excited about.  True, you were able to get 3 prints (we got 3 8x10’s), but the only plus was that we were able to download all the portrait photos of us taken on the cruise, which we will get printed ourselves (no need to wait for the photo staff to get around to doing it for us).

 

Princess Prizes

 

Princess Prizes was a bit of fun, but seemed gimmicky.  For me, it was like someone bought a number of lottery tickets for me, with the same long odds of winning anything.

 

Premium Desserts

 

It was nice to be able to get a dish of ice cream, or an ice cream sundae at Gelato’s, but the so-called Premium desserts where oversized, over decorated (with sugary décor), and over the top.  I saw one or two people get the big elaborate sundaes, but other than that, regular dishes of ice cream seemed most popular.

 

Reserved Theater Seating

 

In the “fine print”, they note that Reserved Theater Seating in the Princess Theater is only available for what they call production shows.  Since on our 15 day cruise, there were only 3 shows that fell into this category, Reserved Theater Seating was not the perk that Princess makes it out to be, IMHO.

 

Unlimited Juice Bar

 

I felt taken in by this item on the Princess Premier Package.  The juices offered were veggie juices and fruit/ grasses juices, which I would have only had an interest in if it were a dietary necessity.  I was expecting some premium juices, such as papaya, guava, or some special fruit blends, but no such luck.  I was very disappointed.

 

Fitness Classes

 

My wife and I did not participate in the fitness classes.

 

Final Thought

 

I do a spreadsheet budget for each cruise we go on.  So, knowing what we usually would spend on liquor, beer, coffee and other drinks, as well as knowing what we would have spent on the crew gratuity and Wifi, this plan was ideal for us.  On this cruise, we saved easily a few thousand dollars.

 

Do your own calculations, and see if it is right for you.

Edited April 21, 2023 by Boiler Cruiser
Paragraphing was off

[butabeach]

On 4/13/2023 at 12:04 PM, world_traveler_et said:

For those of you who have returned and had the package Plus or Premier.  Prior to sailing did the packages show up in your Medallion area under Ocean Ready than the area that says Folio, Packages and prizes?  I booked the premier package and when I click on packages my app says I do not have any packages listed.  This is where I thought my premier package would be listed.  For prizes I thought the premier package lists princess prizes with your door unlocking?

 

Just wondering if I need to call Princess or my travel agent.  I would rather settle an issue before my cruise.

 

Thanks for starting this thread and the comments are great!

Yes, I purchased Premier but Plus is showing up under “Packages and Prizes”. I contacted Princess on line (chat) and was told that they can see I have Premier and don’t know why it’s not showing & would try to rectify the problem. Almost three weeks later still shows Plus. Contacted my travel agent and she acknowledged Premier also. I was hoping it would be corrected before boarding. 

[amet beach]

I also have only the Plus package showing up rather than Premier on the medallion app.  I have had numerous calls and online chat to resolve the issue but I still wait although they all acknowledge I have it confirmed.  I would like to be able to book my included speciality dining by using the credit vs. my credit card.  I can only wait and call again next week.

 

[world_traveler_et]

What exactly are the premium desserts?  I saw a picture of heavily decorated ice cream sundaes are those the only premium desserts?   If there are other deserts are can you tell me what they are and where they might be offered on the ship?

[Colorado Coasty]

2 hours ago, amet beach said:

I also have only the Plus package showing up rather than Premier on the medallion app.  I have had numerous calls and online chat to resolve the issue but I still wait although they all acknowledge I have it confirmed.  I would like to be able to book my included speciality dining by using the credit vs. my credit card.  I can only wait and call again next week.

 

We have the same situation but I was able to book specialty dining on both cruises without any problem. So apparently the app knows we have Premier but just isn't showing it.