Changes to Princess Plus, room service fees, Alfredo's and others. Fee changes. Etc

[Ladyshopper23]

14 minutes ago, mthomp5 said:

Same here.  We would frequent Alfredo’s often.  And they can accommodate my husband’s request for no sauce on the pizza (due to dietary restrictions).  I doubt they will make him a special pizza on Lido deck.  
 

We also paid for Plus when our cruise first came out.  And it’s annoying  that they move the goal post….Plus 50, Plus 60.  Those who bought Plus 60, may soon need to pay Plus 70 to get other items that were once included. 
 

We had sailed NCL, then Royal Caribbean before becoming Princess loyalist.   Not saying we won’t be cruising Princess anymore but we’ll be exploring other lines now.  

They definitely do make special pizzas for dietary restrictions at the pizza place on the Lido deck. Certainly for us they make gluten-free pizzas, and they're made out the back to avoid cross contamination.

[JGmf]

Don't like the these changes?  Don't sail with Princess anymore. 

 

It sounds like a lot of you are saying you won't, but I don't believe it.  If $5 or $15 here or there drives you to another cruise line, I'm assuming you have the most advanced cost and value analytical model on the planet to be so price sensitive at such a granular level on your comparison spreadsheet.  

 

Moreover, if that extra amount dissuades you from Princess, then Princess probably does indeed need to pivot to more profitable customers, even for just $5 or $15 here or there.

 

 

 

 

[Steelers36]

7 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

1. Surely, you’ll be able to use “locate” shipmates on the kiosks around the elevators?  
 

2. Surely, Suite guests will not be charged $5 RS?  They can order off the MDR menu to their cabin.  Surely, they won’t charge for that RS?

 

Still many things to clarify.  Hopefully, we will find out next month from guests OB.

 

 

 

 

I think your #2 makes sense.  They weren't into the weeds much and not addressing Suites yesterday.

 

[Steelers36]

3 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Now I’m confused too. You say there is clarity from PCL?

If you Pay or initiate the $15 APP ocean now fee for delivery…there will not be a separate $5 RS fee?

 

If I want RS and order using the APP (after I paid the $15 fee) I won’t have to pay additional $5?  
 

 

Yes.  See post #576.

[roxievegas]

1 minute ago, JGmf said:

Don't like the these changes?  Don't sail with Princess anymore. 

 

It sounds like a lot of you are saying you won't, but I don't believe it.  If $5 or $15 here or there drives you to another cruise line, I'm assuming you have the most advanced cost and value analytical model on the planet to be so price sensitive at such a granular level on your comparison spreadsheet.  

 

Moreover, if that extra amount dissuades you from Princess, then Princess probably does indeed need to pivot to more profitable customers, even for just $5 or $15 here or there.

 

 

 

 

We used to fly places.  We don't anymore - why? - because of the charges for the luggage, the selecting your seat, the food, the drinks, parking your car at the airport, the security lines, etc. - it is not fun

 

cruising is turning into the airlines - not fun

[UT-Volsfan]

Appears the August 12 Rollout date is not fleetwide.  On the Princess website there is a FAQ and it gives implementation date for each ship.  

[roxievegas]

cost to have a life preserver jacket in your cabin ?

 

cost to use the shuttle at the tender ports ?

 

cost to use the elevators ?

 

cost to ?????

 

Cruising was advertised as an all inclusive vacation - not anymore.

[UT-Volsfan]

Also from the Princess FAQ:

 

1. Will I still be able to order breakfast for delivery through the doorknob card I find in my stateroom? Can I continue to order housekeeping items like ice buckets or bathrobes with no charge?
   Breakfast ordered for stateroom delivery by placing the card outside your door will continue to be complimentary and no additional fees will be charged, regardless of whether or not you have Princess Plus or Princess Premier package. The same is true for housekeeping items ordered either by telephone or through your stateroom steward. For guests on a standard Princess Package, housekeeping items ordered using OceanNow will incur the one-time $14.99 OceanNow delivery access fee.

[amajaa]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Don't jump to no-basis conclusions.

I wasn't jumping to conclusions that's why I asked to see if anyone else knew

[ebeluga]

Hey Princess, another idea to make more profit...how about charge for priority to get on a life boat for emergency?

Edited July 28, 2023 by ebeluga

[Bedruthen]

1 hour ago, CanadianCruiser21 said:

saw it a few places (screenshots).

what gets me is that this isn’t just about food. You order towels through ocean now as well, which you can no longer use unless you pay the $15. I suppose you can just ask your stateroom attendant when you see them though. 

 

That doesn’t seem to be the general consensus here though. Does this say that if, as a standard package guest, I pay the $14.95 access fee, and order room service via the app, then deliveries to my room are free? Other posts have said that your stateroom is excluded as a location. Now I am totally confused. Edited to say that replies posted as I was typing this appear to confirm free RS if $14.95 paid. Can just one person in the cabin pay this, then order for both I wonder

Edited July 28, 2023 by Bedruthen

[PacnGoNow]

40 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

And yet they don't mention about room service through the TV inquiring that $5 fee. Honestly I feel real bad what's to come get services way with all these changes. I can only imagine the amount of people who will be arguing with them.

Yes, agree.  The crew usually takes the brunt of changes.  Changes are a big deal for the crew to try to learn and implement.  Just look since the restart, all the changes really affected the crew.

 

Now, new ones!

 

 

[ebeluga]

2 minutes ago, UT-Volsfan said:

Also from the Princess FAQ:

 

1. Will I still be able to order breakfast for delivery through the doorknob card I find in my stateroom? Can I continue to order housekeeping items like ice buckets or bathrobes with no charge?
   Breakfast ordered for stateroom delivery by placing the card outside your door will continue to be complimentary and no additional fees will be charged, regardless of whether or not you have Princess Plus or Princess Premier package. The same is true for housekeeping items ordered either by telephone or through your stateroom steward. For guests on a standard Princess Package, housekeeping items ordered using OceanNow will incur the one-time $14.99 OceanNow delivery access fee.

How about issuing a key card to me and I will charge Princess for using the Oceanready app?

[Anubi]

Ok, can someone tell me if I have this right.  All of the casual dining remains available at no cost to anyone but the new prix fix is what will cost extra to Basic or is included with Plus or Premium.  There is no way that they are going to charge $14.99 for a hot dog or slice of pizza at the pool.  

[sunviking90]

4 hours ago, kentishfred said:

Hi Neil That is strange, on our recent Sky cruise we had Green lane and also already allocated Green lane for our Regal cruise in September. For information both times with have had the premium package. We picked up our medallion when we checked in.

I’m currently in green lane for my August 21 cruise (still green today) Being in Canada we also can’t get medallions shipped and get them at the port.

[PacnGoNow]

6 minutes ago, UT-Volsfan said:

Also from the Princess FAQ:

 

1. Will I still be able to order breakfast for delivery through the doorknob card I find in my stateroom? Can I continue to order housekeeping items like ice buckets or bathrobes with no charge?
   Breakfast ordered for stateroom delivery by placing the card outside your door will continue to be complimentary and no additional fees will be charged, regardless of whether or not you have Princess Plus or Princess Premier package. The same is true for housekeeping items ordered either by telephone or through your stateroom steward. For guests on a standard Princess Package, housekeeping items ordered using OceanNow will incur the one-time $14.99 OceanNow delivery access fee.

So don’t use the APP on your TV or phone to order these items.  Use the phone in your cabin or just tell the steward.

[ebeluga]

2 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

So don’t use the APP on your TV or phone to order these items.  Use the phone in your cabin or just tell the steward.

Such BS, Princess!!!

[Musky Ike]

1 hour ago, CanadianCruiser21 said:

saw it a few places (screenshots).

what gets me is that this isn’t just about food. You order towels through ocean now as well, which you can no longer use unless you pay the $15. I suppose you can just ask your stateroom attendant when you see them though. 

 

Thank goodness just put the phone down. I imagined the people standing in the hall outside their cabin waiting for delivery so they could save $5.😁

[sunviking90]

3 hours ago, villauk said:

I wonder if Princess is going to notify those cruisers who are sailing in the next few weeks that they now do not have any free access to Alfredo’s or any of the additional charges they will encounter? I’m on the first Sky sailing after the changes are implemented, with an ‘old’ Plus package, and I have a feeling that pax are going to make their voices heard onboard once they are denied access to something they believe they have already paid for!

I would expect to see a marketing email coming touting the benefits of upgrading the upcoming cruise to Plus or Premier with the new “inclusions”, making it clear that standard bookings don’t have these inclusions.

[mthomp5]

20 minutes ago, Ladyshopper23 said:

They definitely do make special pizzas for dietary restrictions at the pizza place on the Lido deck. Certainly for us they make gluten-free pizzas, and they're made out the back to avoid cross contamination.

Thank you for this! A looomg time ago, we asked at the Lido deck and the person there was so accommodating and made my husband a personal pizza without sauce. But on different cruise, we asked if they could do the special pizza for him on Lido deck and the staff refused!  I submitted a comment card at guest services and received a written apology and said they would make him the pizza.  After that, my husband didn’t want to ask for special pizza on the Lido deck anymore because we weren’t sure if the first situation was the norm or the second.  And we didn’t have to want to raise an issue, if making special pizzas were not the norm.  So thank you for telling me this.  We will not feel bad for asking for a special pizza.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cauzneffct]

I'm more irked about the $15 activation charge than I am about the change in free to fee restaurants.  I at least "get" the latter even if i disagree with the change.  But the $15 activation charge seems almost designed to annoy and could easily have been absorbed (assuming it had to be) into a minor increase in the base fare that many (most?) cruisers would not even notice given the degree to which fares fluctuate with sales, ability to rebook at a lower rate, etc. 

 

Its also not much of an inducement to purchase Plus if i wasn't already strongly considering it, as an additional $30 in value doesn't offset much of the $840 for a 7-day cruise.  

 

 

[Steelers36]

13 minutes ago, Bedruthen said:

That doesn’t seem to be the general consensus here though. Does this say that if, as a standard package guest, I pay the $14.95 access fee, and order room service via the app, then deliveries to my room are free? Other posts have said that your stateroom is excluded as a location. Now I am totally confused. Edited to say that replies posted as I was typing this appear to confirm free RS if $14.95 paid. Can just one person in the cabin pay this, then order for both I wonder

The older posts have since been corrected/retracted.  What you posted is correct.  It did seem at first that cabin would not be an Ocean Now location due to the separate fees, but not true.  Okay.  This should be clear now since Post #576 and several clarifications and retractions.

[UT-Volsfan]

2 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

So don’t use the APP on your TV or phone to order these items.  Use the phone in your cabin or just tell the steward.

Agree.  How you order an item determines if you get charged or not.  Guest Services will have plenty of Irate passengers.

 

Have not seen anything about getting wine glasses, but since those come thru Room Service I guess we will order plenty of them for a single $5 RS charge.

 

We are booked on the Grand sailing Aug 12 for a 14 night cruise.  Appears the changes go into effect on Aug 19, halfway thru the cruise.  Curious to see how they handle that, since other posts indicate services/fees are good for length of cruise.  Since we sail with free Alfredos on Aug. 12, I wonder if they will keep it free on the 2nd week for passengers with Standard fare?

[cr8tiv1]

No more breakfast tag cards left in the room (per current steward). Everything g is paperless.  Suggested I pick up the phone and call room service for menu items and suite canapés. 
 

Hmmmm….did he not the the “message”.

17 minutes ago, UT-Volsfan said:

Also from the Princess FAQ:

 

1. Will I still be able to order breakfast for delivery through the doorknob card I find in my stateroom? Can I continue to order housekeeping items like ice buckets or bathrobes with no charge?
   Breakfast ordered for stateroom delivery by placing the card outside your door will continue to be complimentary and no additional fees will be charged, regardless of whether or not you have Princess Plus or Princess Premier package. The same is true for housekeeping items ordered either by telephone or through your stateroom steward. For guests on a standard Princess Package, housekeeping items ordered using OceanNow will incur the one-time $14.99 OceanNow delivery access fee.

 

[Steelers36]

12 minutes ago, Anubi said:

Ok, can someone tell me if I have this right.  All of the casual dining remains available at no cost to anyone but the new prix fix is what will cost extra to Basic or is included with Plus or Premium.  There is no way that they are going to charge $14.99 for a hot dog or slice of pizza at the pool.  

Huh???  NO!!  Casual Dining locales include both free and for-fee food.  This has been the case for a long time now.  Slices and the Grill on Lido were free and remain free.  O'Malley's and Salty Dog have fees for food.  The change is that Alfredo's/Gigi's used to be free and will now incur fees for food. 

 

Plus/Premier guests will have casual dining fees waived.  2X per voyage for Plus and unlimited for Premier.