New Princess policy makes VV an even better value

[cantgetin]

Yesterday Princess announced some new policies.  Some thing that used to be free and now included only with a Plus or Premium package.  Some restaurants (Alfredo's for instance) are no longer part of the basic cruise fare deal.  The basic package is just that--a cabin, MDR, and buffet with very little extra.

Just for giggles, I priced a Princess translantic compared to my booking on VV.  Basic 14 night crossing BCN  to Florida was $1100 pp inside cabin, $1900 balcony before port charges.  That's almost twice what I'm paying for our Sea Terrace, before including goodies like internet, tips, specialty restaurants, etc.  The lowest package that includes those things is $60 pp per day.  In fairness, those $60-80 packages include alcohol but we have a free bar tab on VV.   Sorry, I laugh when I look at other lines.  I know VV prices will be increasing; the current cost to book the TA is almost double what we paid.  But the other lines just don't make sense unless they are going somewhere that VV won't take us.

[CineGraphic]

10 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

Yesterday Princess announced some new policies.

 

I'm so glad that my wife & I promised each other to not sail with Princess anymore after 3 of of 4 post-Covid sailings were less than sub-par...and we had just reached "elite" status with them.

The is no comparison when it comes to the food, drinks, accommodations, or entertainment. Virgin clearly is the winner.

 

I'm taking a free casino sailing on another line later this year, and even though I'm only paying port fees and grats, I'm not expecting anything more than a "meh" experience.

[cantgetin]

Agreed, my last Princess cruise was disappointing and I haven't had a reason to try them since.  Our Japan trip on Princess was lovely, but that really had more to do with Japan than with Princess.

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by cantgetin

[CineGraphic]

I just visited the Princess board for the first time since switching to VV last October and read the terms of the new program. It's a typical John Padgett cluster-%&*#, and it's creating quite the stir among loyalists. If JP thought that the new program would help increase the number of people signing up for the "plus" or "premium" programs, there's a survey on there that says otherwise.

 

Virgin makes it easy.....pay up front, great food every night, not just one or two nights of specialty dining per cruise.

[Wildcatllamas]

It is one of the most stupid moves that Princess could make. And they are touting it as the best deal out there. What you take away from those folks who don't do a drink package just to make the other packages look like a deal. And never mind they way Elites are handled any more. 

 

Virgin is the best.

[cantgetin]

I laugh when people complain about the "bar tab" and lack of "unlimited drinks" on VV.  For people who don't drink a lot, the bar tab is the best deal out there.  And I like not having people who are trying to "max out" their bar tab running around acting like idiots or worse.

[Fogcityca13]

Thanks for the heads up, planning an Alaska cruise tour in 2025. Taking my mom and aunts, they really want to sail on Princess. I really enjoy Virgin’s lack of packaging, especially with a group sailing. The flexibility on making a reservation vs MDR set time on a port intensive cruise is also going to be missed.

[1025cruise]

Princess was my second cruise (though, my first was on the then Nordic Empress when I was a teenager) for my honeymoon. I have done two additional Princess cruises since, though at this point it's been a very good number of years. I've been following along the changes with Princess over the years and can't say I like what I've seen. I'm trying to convince my other half to cruise to Alaska next year (the only way to get her to go will be a tranquilizer for the plane), but I want to make sure to go to Glacier Bay. Of the lines I sail, that pretty much limits me to Princess or NCL.

[rebeccac]

27 minutes ago, Fogcityca13 said:

Thanks for the heads up, planning an Alaska cruise tour in 2025. Taking my mom and aunts, they really want to sail on Princess. I really enjoy Virgin’s lack of packaging, especially with a group sailing. The flexibility on making a reservation vs MDR set time on a port intensive cruise is also going to be missed.

 

Princess no longer has any set dining times, it is all "anytime".  And since VV doesn't do Alaska and isn't likely to anytime in the near future, I think the Princess cruise tours are very nicely done.  

Edited July 29, 2023 by rebeccac

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, Fogcityca13 said:

Thanks for the heads up, planning an Alaska cruise tour in 2025. Taking my mom and aunts, they really want to sail on Princess. I really enjoy Virgin’s lack of packaging, especially with a group sailing. The flexibility on making a reservation vs MDR set time on a port intensive cruise is also going to be missed.

We've done Alaska on Celebrity and Princess.  Each had something to recommend it.  Reality is that you go to Alaska for the wildlife and scenery.  The food and the entertainment were better on Celebrity.  I've never figured out why most sites list Princess as a premium brand.  However, when I see the changes Princess is making, I appreciate Virgin all the more.

[Fogcityca13]

31 minutes ago, rebeccac said:

 

Princess no longer has any set dining times, it is all "anytime".  And since VV doesn't do Alaska and isn't likely to anytime in the near future, I think the Princess cruise tours are very nicely done.  

I really need to start doing some research for the trip, good to hear they’ve done away with the set times. Not a big fan of a buffet and when we had this trip planned for 2020, it looked like might be having dinner there a few nights.

 

I’ve seen some people speculate that Virgin may offer Alaska itineraries. Seems like an odd fit to me. I’d be happy for a west coast ship though.

[cantgetin]

1 minute ago, Fogcityca13 said:

I’ve seen some people speculate that Virgin may offer Alaska itineraries. Seems like an odd fit to me. I’d be happy for a west coast ship though.

I've heard the rumors about VV and Alaska as well.  On our second Alaska trip, we did a North and then a South B2B.  This worked REALLY well, highly recommended. Since we started and ended at Vancouver, we could get round trip plane tickets and avoid the more expensive fights from Anchorage (this was quite a savings!).  Even though we visited all the same ports, we never felt rushed and had a lot more time to do the excursions we wanted to.  In most ports, there would be several offered by the ship and often a few private that looked good...this gave us time to do what we liked.  We also realized that it was probably going to be our last Alaska cruise, so the longer trip was wonderful.

The Princess stuff like "Puppies in the Piazza" is just a publicity thing.  You stand in line for a long time in order to have 30 seconds to pet a pup  who will grow up to be a sled dog. and maybe get a photo.  I guess if you are really missing your pets at home, it might make you feel better.  Bottom line, don't choose the cruise line based on stuff like this!

[CineGraphic]

17 minutes ago, Fogcityca13 said:

I really need to start doing some research for the trip,

 

Our only Alaskan outing was with Celebrity. It was OK, but we weren't impressed enough to put a deposit down on another sailing. It may have been that it was an older ship, I honestly don't remember.

 

I've heard good things about Holland America in Alaska. I believe it's the only route of theirs that doesn't seem like you're in a floating nursing home due to the large number of families.

[aqlollipop]

I've done HAL to Alaska twice, I thought it was really well done. For sure glacier Bay is not to be missed. In Alaska in the summer it's a lot of multigenerational families, which is exactly what I was part of both times!

[Freelancer3]

Our last Princess was an Alaska in 2022. The food was not very good and buffet was really a pre-portioned serving line. And unfortunately, the ship was also old.  In November of 2022 we went on our first VV and have never looked back....

 

[CineGraphic]

1 hour ago, Freelancer3 said:

Our last Princess was an Alaska in 2022. The food was not very good and buffet was really a pre-portioned serving line. And unfortunately, the ship was also old.  In November of 2022 we went on our first VV and have never looked back....

 

 

 

After our first VV, I sent an email to John Padgett of Princess, thanking him for forcing us to look elsewhere, and finding Virgin.

[rebeccac]

I saw a live stream with a vlogger and a VV rep and while the rep did say "never say never" about Alaska, she seemed fairly skeptical that it was going to happen any time in the near future if at all.  

[Freelancer3]

I was on a live Q&A with management and investors. During the discussion they said Alaska was an interesting possibility but LA based was not. It was not coming soon. It may have been the same discussion.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Freelancer3

[CineGraphic]

23 minutes ago, rebeccac said:

I saw a live stream with a vlogger and a VV rep and while the rep did say "never say never" about Alaska, she seemed fairly skeptical that it was going to happen any time in the near future if at all.

 

Well, you don't make a ship capable of fitting through the Panama Canal just for the helluva it.

[rebeccac]

2 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Well, you don't make a ship capable of fitting through the Panama Canal just for the helluva it.

 

There are other places besides Alaska that they could go to once through the Panama Canal.  

 

Bottom line, whatever they end up doing has 1. Not been decided  and 2. Isn't going to happen in the near future.  

[Fogcityca13]

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think Virgin could make the Mexican Riviera an appealing itinerary. We’ve done the trip on Grand Princess and would have enjoyed it more if the ship was more lively. Royal was a bit better on their 3 day. Princess was just way to mellow for us.

[CruisingWalter]

On 7/28/2023 at 6:30 PM, cantgetin said:

The basic package is just that--a cabin, MDR, and buffet with very little extra.

 

Honestly the Princess Plus package is one of the best in the mainstream cruise lines. It's $60/day pp for WiFi / Gratuities / Drinks up to $15 / Free Room Service Delivery / Free Desserts / Free OceanNow Delivery and a few more items. 

 

Most folks are going to get WiFi. You're going to pay for the Gratuities. When you add those two items together that leaves about $28/day for all drinks up to $15 plus the other items.  You're not going to find another mainstream cruise line that includes a Drinks Package plus everything else for $28/day. When you do the math that's $196/pp for a 7 day cruise or $392 for the entire cruise. Or $100 more than paying for a $300 Bar Tab on VV. 

 

Holland America. The Princess Plus package at $60/day that includes Gratuities is cheaper than the HAL Have It All Plus package that also includes gratuities. Their standard Have It All package skips the gratuities so while that package might only be $50/day you have to add $16/day pp gratuities which makes that package $66/day. And Have It All / Plus don't include the add-ons Princess has rolled into Plus. 

 

Then you look at cruise lines like Carnival around $60/day pp just for a drinks package, Royal Caribbean can be upwards of $90/day pp just for a drinks package,

 

Celebrity is $75/day pp for the "All Included" for fewer things than Princess charges $60/day.

 

NCL is a bargain with their "Free At Sea" package running about $160/pp for a 7 day cruise that includes the drinks package, shore excursion discount, 1 specialty meal and WiFi, but their WiFi is limited to 150 minutes in that deal unless you upgrade, and you'll have to add another $16/day pp for the gratuities.

 

Disney doesn't have a drinks package but includes soft drinks in the cruise fare and you can purchase a wine package onboard.

 

MSC has a confusing litany of drinks packages (5 in all) but they're not a bad value for what they are and if you go Yacht Club the WiFi and drinks package is included. You can go YC for the same price as a balcony on many cruise lines. 

 

So when you really compare everyone else to Princess, the Plus package is easily one of the best values on the market today for what it offers the guest. You're going to pay for gratuities on board. The vast majority of guests are going to purchase WiFi for their cruise. That just leaves an additional $28/day pp that covers your all of your drinks up to $15 / Ocean Now delivery / room service fee / Alfredo's & Gigi's / desserts / Ocean Medallion delivery and a few more items. 

 

Every single time a cruise line rolls out a new concept, adds fees, or moves previously free services into a paid tier, Cruise Critic lights up with the negative posts. And all the other forums light up with "see how much better OUR cruise line is than THAT one!"

 

Then the cruise line goes on to post record bookings almost month after month. Cruising is evolving and guests today, myself included, would prefer to pay a reasonable price for items to be rolled into a package so I don't have to be nickeled and dimed to death on a ship. Rolling in Gratuities / WiFi / All drinks up to $15 is reasonable for me. 

 

Yes I love the fact that when I board VV I know I won't be spending another dime, but honestly when I board Princess with the Plus Package it's rare that I spend another dime. To each their own. Sailing one cruise line over and over and over would be truly boring for me. With any luck we'll be up to 11 cruise lines sailed by 2024. Princess isn't perfect but all this howling about the Plus and Premier package really is much ado about nothing. Even the poll running in the Princess forums shows that the vast majority in that forum aren't going anywhere.

 

If VV floats your boat stick with it, if you don't like someone else's product, don't sail on them. It's that easy. 

 

[CruisingWalter]

On 7/28/2023 at 6:30 PM, cantgetin said:

Just for giggles, I priced a Princess translantic compared to my booking on VV.  Basic 14 night crossing BCN  to Florida was $1100 pp inside cabin, $1900 balcony before port charges.  That's almost twice what I'm paying for our Sea Terrace, before including goodies like internet, tips, specialty restaurants, etc. 

 

No offense, but you can play those games all day long and make one cruise line come out ahead of the other depending on the time of year and the itinerary.

 

May 10, 24: Dominican Daze. 5 Days in a Sea Terrace: $3244

May 11, 24: Eastern Caribbean on Enchanted Princess, one of their newest ships: 7 Days in a Balcony $3061 with Princess Plus. 

 

I'll take the 2 extra days on a ship any day and I still have almost $200 on VV if I want to add a dinner at Sabatini's or Crown Grill. But with the outstanding quality of the MDR, I may not have to. Princess has one of the best MDRs at sea across the 5 Princess ships we've sailed so we usually only do one specialty meal per cruise on Princess. And that gelato is ridiculously good on Princess.

 

I'm really hoping VV will up their Florida itineraries because those 4/5 having gotten old and tired very quickly. Celebrity and Princess especially have much better itineraries out of Florida right now. I'm excited for our 8-Night Valiant sailing in November but really don't plan to do any more 4/5 on Scarlet. 

Edited July 30, 2023 by CruisingWalter

[cantgetin]

26 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

 

No offense, but you can play those games all day long and make one cruise line come out ahead of the other depending on the time of year and the itinerary.

 

Fair comment, but I wasn't trying to play games.  I did this initially when I was considering VV to see what the closest cruise I could find on lines I knew would cost.  Yes, I did one just for the post, and I've also look at fall 2024 options on other lines as VV hasn't released yet.  It it totally impossible to compare "apples to apples," but I tried the best I could find in terms of departure/arrival ports, number of days, basic location of the cruise and then looked for what the other lines offered either as a package or individual items for gratuities, wifi, and at least some specialty dining.  If the other line's package included drinks, I went with that IF VV was offering a bar tab at no cost.

 

Bottom line, I agree, I'd always prefer a longer cruise....but for my purposes, I wouldn't compare a 7 night vs. a 5 night.

 

You are right, it is somewhat a game....but it is also a worthwhile comparison before jumping in, particularly on a new line.

Quite the post about the Princess add on packages and those on other lines.  Yes, it bothers me to see things that used to be free now require an add on purchase....and we have cruised Princess several times without an add on.  We are at 6 different lines, almost 50 cruises, and there is always something that is "best" about each line.  The real question is which best fits our situation for "this" vacation.  And since we always choose long cruises, I don't want to be "stuck" on a ship that doesn't suit us (logic, if paying to get to and from a port, may as well cruise for a while!)

Edited July 30, 2023 by cantgetin

[CruisingWalter]

9 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

The real question is which best fits our situation for "this" vacation.

1000%. My long term goal is to sail on all 300+ cruise ships at some point. I don't have enough years left in me to accomplish that, but it would be awesome if we could do it. I want to sail them all except one. 🙂 

 

And in Florida right now with VV, you can only compare the 4/5 Night with 7 Nights for most of the year. I have asked repeatedly why can't they mix in a few 7 and 10 nighters from time to time like Celebrity, Princess and all the rest do.

Edited July 30, 2023 by CruisingWalter