To Plus or not to Plus.., our experience

[Happiest when cruising]

6 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Interesting number there.  Indicates the regular price was $45 total, or $15/day.  That is quite odd to me because prior to the last MedallionNet price increase, single day charge was $20.  It looks like they gave you the multi-day rate of $15.  Perhaps they only charge the $20 if a single day is booked, or non-consecutive days.

You are correct. If you buy it for one day, it’s 20.00. If you wait and just buy all of the last few days, you pay the 15.00 fee per day. 

[wowzz]

5 minutes ago, Happiest when cruising said:

We brought on 2 bottles of wine, which was more than enough, too.

What did you drink after the first night ?

We had more than that tonight with our Sunday roast !

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by wowzz

[Happiest when cruising]

5 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Aside from your analysis, if you tend to travel a lot, why not have a bank account in USD and a credit card in USD to avoid a lot of the costs you mention?  Also, there are credit cards that do not have the currency conversion surcharge and they are great for the world beyond the USA.

Well, you need to be able to purchase the USD at some point to pay for the purchases being made in USD. I still factor in the exchange, even if I have had the USD sitting in my account. For me…I still decide if paying about 18.00 CAD for a standard cocktail is acceptable. I have a USD bank account and a USD credit card for convenience, but I don’t pay any fees for either, as I used to work for a Canadian bank and get that as a benefit. 

[Happiest when cruising]

45 minutes ago, wowzz said:

We drink more or less the same on a cruise, as at home. Probably less on a cruise, as we have to be up early for shore excursions.  

Even so, we will still have 6 or 7 alcoholic drinks per night.

Thanks for your response. 
I did ask the bar staff last week, if the drink sales taper off towards the end and he said they did not vary too much from the beginning. 
The passengers we interacted with on the ship said they definitely had cut back on their consumption as the days went by. 

[wowzz]

Just now, Happiest when cruising said:

Thanks for your response. 
I did ask the bar staff last week, if the drink sales taper off towards the end and he said they did not vary too much from the beginning. 
The passengers we interacted with on the ship said they definitely had cut back on their consumption as the days went by. 

I can confirm that we drink the same on day 1 as on day 13 ! Why should we cut down?

[Happiest when cruising]

20 minutes ago, MTNest93 said:

I’m positive.  We booked last July and asked to have the Plus Package but our TA (daughter) was unable to add it so she called Princess.  We are her 1st Princess booking as she specializes in Disney.  Anyway, she was told it couldn’t be added because it was comped due to the volume of business the agency she works for does with Princess.  We only paid the base rate for the cruise.  I priced it out before calling her to book so I’m absolutely certain we did not pay for the package.  So it really has more to do with the agency than our individual TA but it’s free to us none the less. 

I’m glad you got a good deal. Now..had you had to pay for it, would you have purchased it? 

[Happiest when cruising]

15 minutes ago, wowzz said:

What did you drink after the first night ?

We had more than that tonight with our Sunday roast !

 

 Haha…it was actually more than enough and I was onboard for 21 nights. 
I keep trying wine, but I just don’t love it. 

[Happiest when cruising]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I can confirm that we drink the same on day 1 as on day 13 ! Why should we cut down?

You certainly don’t need to, but some people said they were just tired of drinking for the fun of it and it was not their usual pattern at home. Just trying to get their moneys worth, was the answer. Some people said they only had a couple of drinks a day and just wanted the convenience of the package and had OBC to burn, so they bought the package on the first day. 

[wowzz]

7 minutes ago, Happiest when cruising said:

 Haha…it was actually more than enough and I was onboard for 21 nights. 
I keep trying wine, but I just don’t love it. 

Keep trying! 

I just can't imagine two bottles of wine lasting 21 days !!!,

[BamaVol]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I can confirm that we drink the same on day 1 as on day 13 ! Why should we cut down?

Our alcohol consumption seemed to increase over the course of the last cruise.  On our final night, a sea day, the bartender made a mistake and prepared an old fashioned instead of the requested Manhattan. I was almost ready for bed but he replaced it and I couldn’t let the old fashioned go to waste so I drank both.  As far as drinking on the ship, I think it was an inverse bell curve.  Ship drinks drop off on port days as I try new beers in port. Started with a sea day and ended with a sea day, which would have been my heaviest consumption.

[Happiest when cruising]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

Keep trying! 

I just can't imagine two bottles of wine lasting 21 days !!!,

Thanks for advice. I have many friends who keep telling me the same thing. I guess if I was a drinker, I’d stick with vodka based drinks. 

[MTNest93]

17 minutes ago, Happiest when cruising said:

I’m glad you got a good deal. Now..had you had to pay for it, would you have purchased it? 

Yes, we were going to purchase it, so it’s a nice savings. 

[Expat Cruise]

10 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

I think everyone can decide for themselves whether it’s an advantage or not.  We carefully calculated what we would spend with and without the package.  Plus came out way ahead.  If you enjoy alcoholic drinks and specialty coffees that alone makes a big difference.  Perhaps it’s not for you, but it does work for lots of us.  We’re not “falling for” anything.  We do the math and do what’s right for us.

If Princess Cruises did not make a great profit on this package, they would not offer it. The majority of the guests purchasing the package will lose money.  Maybe in your case, that is not true, always outliers when you look at a group.

 

With the amount of alcohol many seem to be drinking with this package, maybe they have bigger problems than just the math. Both the American & Australian Medical Associations recommend no more than ten alcoholic drinks per week. That seems to per a daily number for some here.

[Ellipooh]

Judge much?

btw, I just *love* your signature line
/s

[InTheDrink]

I’m on my first Princess cruise in June. I have seen the drink menus but there are no prices for waters or fountain sodas. Can someone let me know what these cost? Also, what brands of sparking and still water are available?

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

What did you drink after the first night ?

We had more than that tonight with our Sunday roast !

 

I would sure hate to be your liver.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, Happiest when cruising said:

Well, you need to be able to purchase the USD at some point to pay for the purchases being made in USD. I still factor in the exchange, even if I have had the USD sitting in my account. For me…I still decide if paying about 18.00 CAD for a standard cocktail is acceptable. I have a USD bank account and a USD credit card for convenience, but I don’t pay any fees for either, as I used to work for a Canadian bank and get that as a benefit. 

But you can decide when to purchase the USD and supplement your stash based on USD-CAD rate which has been fluctuating a lot in recent times and went big in favor or CAD towards end of last week (not that I was buying mind you).

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Keep trying! 

I just can't imagine two bottles of wine lasting 21 days !!!,

Neither can I, but I can equally not imagine downing 2 in one meal!!

[BamaVol]

39 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

If Princess Cruises did not make a great profit on this package, they would not offer it. The majority of the guests purchasing the package will lose money.  Maybe in your case, that is not true, always outliers when you look at a group.

I know I shouldn’t respond, but sometimes I can’t help myself.

 

1. How did you come by information about what the majority of guests consumed?  Were you sitting at the bar counting their drinks and keeping notes?

 

2. As my math teachers used to say “ please show your work”.  What is your calculation showing that the majority of guests lose money?

 

3. Do you believe that it is possible for a company to make a profit without its customers “losing money”?  If not, how do you buy anything without feeling like someone has screwed you over?

 

4. Where did you get your BS degree in economics, marketing, accounting?  Your MBA?
 

5. Do you pay gratuities to those people who worked their tails off to make your cruise a success?  Your signature implies you do not.  Is that the reason you think the majority of guests are losing money on packages?

Most of posts that I’ve read here indicate that guests are doing the calculations and making an informed purchase.  Yes, some admit they are overpaying. And some are clueless.  Not the majority. 
 

 

 

 

[BamaVol]

2 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Neither can I, but I can equally not imagine downing 2 in one meal!!

Two glasses with dinner is enough for me, but in his defense he did not indicate he was drinking two bottles all by himself.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Expat Cruise said:

If Princess Cruises did not make a great profit on this package, they would not offer it. The majority of the guests purchasing the package will lose money.  Maybe in your case, that is not true, always outliers when you look at a group.

 

With the amount of alcohol many seem to be drinking with this package, maybe they have bigger problems than just the math. Both the American & Australian Medical Associations recommend no more than ten alcoholic drinks per week. That seems to per a daily number for some here.

Everything Princess sells from the cabin and voyage to the shops on board is priced to make a profit.

 

[Steelers36]

1 minute ago, BamaVol said:

Two glasses with dinner is enough for me, but in his defense he did not indicate he was drinking two bottles all by himself.

I should have said "we" as "we" don't even finish a full bottle at dinner, let alone two.  Ha, ha.

[BamaVol]

4 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Everything Princess sells from the cabin and voyage to the shops on board is priced to make a profit.

 

Of course.  Just like every other business I purchase from.  Businesses that lose money don’t stay in business. Yes, there are loss leaders.  I’m not aware of any that Princess sells, although there are some things provided to guests free of charge that Princess pays for such as in cabin entertainment.

 

You know what’s probably most profitable?  WiFi.  My 1200 home community is an ISP.  The margin is about 80%.  That’s $80 of profit out of every $100 we take in. Princess raised the price but hopefully there is a corresponding improvement in performance (to a level that will satisfy most guests - those who don’t try and compare it to what they get at home).

[startedwithamouse]

32 minutes ago, InTheDrink said:

I’m on my first Princess cruise in June. I have seen the drink menus but there are no prices for waters or fountain sodas. Can someone let me know what these cost? Also, what brands of sparking and still water are available?

 

 

$1.50 for fountain sodas, plus 18% gratuity

 

San Pellegrio and Perrier are sparkling waters, and the still will vary, whatever is available locally.

[that]

10 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

 

 

$1.50 for fountain sodas, plus 18% gratuity

 

San Pellegrio and Perrier are sparkling waters, and the still will vary, whatever is available locally.can you share which ship was this

10 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Edited May 8, 2023 by that
Oops