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

[villauk]

1 hour ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

It was reported earlier in the thread that about 75% of the passengers purchase either the plus or the premier package.  So, that means that only 25% are standard cruisers that would have the option of paying the $15.00 for Ocean now.  If there are 4000 passengers on the ship, only 1000 would have the option to buy the Ocean now activation.  Not everyone needs to get room service or have a drink delivered to them and the purchase is 100% optional, so basically it's less than a 1000 people that may have to pay the 15.00.  Maybe 600 and that estimate could be high.  If people are frugal and don't want to purchase a package that 75% of the cruisers buy, what makes you think they'll fork over another 15.00.  Many are going to remove 112 in tips to make their overall cost cheaper.

 

That percentage probably won’t be so high on the first cruises under the new system as I suspect many more will have the old packages and will not be entitled to anything more of the new ‘perks’ than Standard Fares. The only pax to be getting the same as they purchased will be those on the new Premier Package. All other pax will be getting a reduction in the amenities provided on board for what they have paid.

[gah_cruise]

48 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

That was true pre-Covid shutdown.

 

After the restart, with Princess expecting about 75% of passengers to have Plus/Premier package which include gratuities that cannot be removed

I did not realise until a few days ago that gratuities were not able to be removed/reduced if you have purchased a package.  Does anyone how much of the package cost is apportioned as "crew appreciation" and supposedly passed over to the fleetwide tipping pool.  
 

 

 

[L454S]

4 hours ago, villauk said:

 

That is incorrect. If they booked Plus/Premier prior to Dec 22 on the ‘old’ Plus 50, then they will have to pay for Ocean Now and R/S; they also won’t get any free visit to Alfredo’s.

 

We paid $50 long before Dec. '22. I just checked my cruise Personalizer and here is a screenshot. Looks like these things you mention ARE included. Or, have I missed something?

 

 

[villauk]

8 minutes ago, L454S said:

 

We paid $50 long before Dec. '22. I just checked my cruise Personalizer and here is a screenshot. Looks like these things you mention ARE included. Or, have I missed something?

 

 

 

There is a line under the box you have posted which states that not all perks are included and you have you press the link on to your travel summary as to what you actually have included on your package. I have posted the wording on a previous post. I’ll look back and try to update this post.

This is the wording:

 

Select items may not be included in your current package. You can review your travel summary for a full list of included items. Please contact us or your travel agent to make changes to your package.

 

They have also included a list of FAQ under the box. This is point 6

1. 6. Will I receive the new perks if I purchased Princess Plus or Premier at the old rate of £40/£60 per day?
   You can absolutely upgrade to the new perks at the new price! If you do not wish to upgrade, you can enjoy the package with the original perks as you initially purchased them.

Obviously, mine is in GBP as my booking is in the U.K.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by villauk

[Wanderers2]

5 minutes ago, L454S said:

 

We paid $50 long before Dec. '22. I just checked my cruise Personalizer and here is a screenshot. Looks like these things you mention ARE included. Or, have I missed something?

 

 

You need to log into your booking on Princess.com & look at your travel summary for the cruise. That will tell you what is included in your booking. 

[peajay]

I have a 24 day cruise departing in September, so I am one of the customers receiving less than what was stated when I paid. Princess can implement whatever pricing that they want, however, intentionally not providing what customers paid for is poor judgement and disrespectful to customers who have paid. I have already had an online chat to request they reinstate my benefits and I plan to keep doing this just in case the management haven't guessed we are not happy. I urge others to do the same to try to persuade them of their mistake. My first Princess cruise may be my last ?

 

Does anyone have a customer support email address ?

[chamima]

32 minutes ago, Wanderers2 said:

You need to log into your booking on Princess.com & look at your travel summary for the cruise. That will tell you what is included in your booking. 

 

36 minutes ago, villauk said:

 

There is a line under the box you have posted which states that not all perks are included and you have you press the link on to your travel summary as to what you actually have included on your package. I have posted the wording on a previous post. I’ll look back and try to update this post.

This is the wording:

 

Select items may not be included in your current package. You can review your travel summary for a full list of included items. Please contact us or your travel agent to make changes to your package.

 

They have also included a list of FAQ under the box. This is point 6

1. 6. Will I receive the new perks if I purchased Princess Plus or Premier at the old rate of £40/£60 per day?
   You can absolutely upgrade to the new perks at the new price! If you do not wish to upgrade, you can enjoy the package with the original perks as you initially purchased them.

Obviously, mine is in GBP as my booking is in the U.K.

 

 

 

 

I still find this confusing.

If, under my travel summary Onboard Services it says the following, is that Plus 50 or Plus 60?

There is no mention of casual restaurants, room service or Ocean Now.

Cruise is in November.

 

View Options

Reservations & Purchases

Beverage Packages

Package Type	Quantity	Price	Package Purchased By	Cancel
Plus Bev Pkg + Juice Bar	1
Premium Desserts (2 Per Day)	1
Plus Bev Pkg + Juice Bar	1
Premium Desserts (2 Per Day)	1

Cancellation Policy: You may cancel 72 hours before your cruise for full refund. Complimentary gifts are non-transferable and do not follow guests who change promotions prior to cruising. The gift is not redeemable for cash and expires at the end of the voyage.

Communications

Item Type	Quantity	Price	Package Purchased By	Cancel
Crew Appreciation Included(mini Suites And Below)	1
Medallionnet 1-Device Wifi	1
Crew Appreciation Included(mini Suites And Below)	1
Medallionnet 1-Device Wifi	1

Cancellation Policy: You may cancel 72 hours before your cruise for full refund. Complimentary gifts are non-transferable and do not follow guests who change promotions prior to cruising. The gift is not redeemable for cash and expires at the end of the voyage.

Gifts

Item Type	Delivery Date	Price	Package Purchased By	Cancel
Fitness Classes (2 classes) "
Fitness Classes (2 classes)

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by chamima

[whitecap]

6 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Well Jon, more than one poster on this thread have said that they will now be removing their gratuities and if they go to Alfredo's they will share one 14.99 meal.  This would constitute two different examples of "screwing down the price."

I can accept you example regarding Alfredo's but we certainly disagree about the gratuities.

[dides]

6 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

 

 

I still find this confusing.

If, under my travel summary Onboard Services it says the following, is that Plus 50 or Plus 60?

There is no mention of casual restaurants, room service or Ocean Now.

Cruise is in November.

 

View Options

Reservations & Purchases

Beverage Packages

Package Type	Quantity	Price	Package Purchased By	Cancel
Plus Bev Pkg + Juice Bar	1
Premium Desserts (2 Per Day)	1
Plus Bev Pkg + Juice Bar	1
Premium Desserts (2 Per Day)	1

Cancellation Policy: You may cancel 72 hours before your cruise for full refund. Complimentary gifts are non-transferable and do not follow guests who change promotions prior to cruising. The gift is not redeemable for cash and expires at the end of the voyage.

Communications

Item Type	Quantity	Price	Package Purchased By	Cancel
Crew Appreciation Included(mini Suites And Below)	1
Medallionnet 1-Device Wifi	1
Crew Appreciation Included(mini Suites And Below)	1
Medallionnet 1-Device Wifi	1

Cancellation Policy: You may cancel 72 hours before your cruise for full refund. Complimentary gifts are non-transferable and do not follow guests who change promotions prior to cruising. The gift is not redeemable for cash and expires at the end of the voyage.

Gifts

Item Type	Delivery Date	Price	Package Purchased By	Cancel
Fitness Classes (2 classes) "
Fitness Classes (2 classes)

 

Premium Desserts and Fitness Classes only came in with Plus 60 so that's what you have. Presuming you booked after 14th December 2022 which is when this came in.

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by dides

[chamima]

2 minutes ago, dides said:

Premium Desserts and Fitness Classes only came in with Plus 60 so that's what you have. Presuming you booked after 14th December 2022 which is when this came in.

 

 

 

Thanks.

We actually booked in August of 2022 but just before final payment TA informed us that the price had gone down so we re-fared.

It looks like we must have gotten an upgrade in the Plus along with the discount on the cruise. 😁

[MissP22]

19 hours ago, pompeii said:

But the price of eggs will go back down.  The increase is temporary.  Can't say that about Princess and its unwelcome changes.  

When's the last time you saw Princess reduce the price of even one thing on their ships when their cost was reduced? (like eggs)

 

 

 

19 hours ago, memoak said:

I believe we are referring to passengers removing gratuities, smuggling booze on board and sharing drink packages 

Don't tell me that there are people sharing the packages or smuggling liquor from home ! 😲

I though those days were over. 

[PacnGoNow]

7 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

(IMO, booking separate physicals when doing B2B travel is the way to go anyway because the potential $50 loss in SOBC or MOBC is out-weighed by other things - including EZ-Air - and pricing is not much different and can be better in parts)

I would have to agree, however, seems PCL may be making it higher to book b2b’s instead of a logical trip, just recently on a 2024/5 booking.  I hope this is not a new thing.

 

Don’t want to get into another off topic discussion.  But, will save this for later.😳

[PacnGoNow]

5 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

I'm also peeved about the fact that free medallion shipping is included in the packages yet, as a Canadian, I'm not eligible to get that shipping. If you can't make it available to everyone that participates in the package then don't add it as a perk (I know it's not just Canadians that can't have it shipped). Princess is touting the ease of embarking with your freely shipped medallion as one of the reasons to upgrade to a package, but those of us who pay for the package and can't get that aspect are SOL.

It is coming though.  They will be mailing them to Canada and other International points it was announced.

[villauk]

3 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

It is coming though.  They will be mailing them to Canada and other International points it was announced.

 

Too late if you’ve already sailed though (and paid for the package).

[3Green3]

6 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

It is coming though.  They will be mailing them to Canada and other International points it was announced.

I saw that although not to my country so you’d think the system would automatically grant a $10 spending credit but …. I doubt very much they will do that! Though it would be a little thing that would have a big impact - for me certainly 

[vjmatty]

34 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

I would have to agree, however, seems PCL may be making it higher to book b2b’s instead of a logical trip, just recently on a 2024/5 booking.  I hope this is not a new thing.

 

Don’t want to get into another off topic discussion.  But, will save this for later.😳

I’ve booked a lot of sailings both ways and there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to which costs more this way or that. Which is a pain when you’re trying to factor in OBCs and other benefits. Sometimes a particular cabin is only available either as a B2B or logical but not both, which further complicates the analysis if you care about location. These pris fixe and Ocean Ready charges, along with the number of included meals for Plus being per sailing rather than per week, makes the value difference even more complicated. 

[MissP22]

15 hours ago, SeaCBear said:

This article doesn't specifically mention Princess (unless I missed it), but I think it's relevant to this thread.  Apologies if someone has already posted it here.

 

Cruises are increasingly adopting the strategy of budget airlines: Get ready to pay more for all the extras.

 

 

Yes that article spelled it out very clearly. 

So far, we've managed (with some reductions of our own) to continue cruising and still enjoy ourselves 

[vjmatty]

29 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Your obsession with defending the benefits cuts by Princess to elite passengers is well noted.  Can we just move on from your attempts to justify the reduction in loyalty programs?  Everyone understands that Princess is no longer interested in loyal passengers

And it is possible with the new system to still give free perks, just not by minutes. RC which uses the same systems gives Diamond Plus members two days per sailing. Not as convenient as spreading minutes across the length of your cruise but still useful to check in for flights or book outside excursions. 

[MissP22]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

 

No !

 

They are no longer getting free pizza at Alfredos, but whenever they booked their cruise, it was included for free.

 

 

And we all know that the charge could be adjusted automatically in their accounts depending on when they booked the trip. 😏

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Many are going to remove 112 in tips to make their overall cost cheaper.

Yeah.. they're going to stick it to the crew instead of sticking it to JP!

[kamelia]

4 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Yeah.. they're going to stick it to the crew instead of sticking it to JP!

  - Thank you as in, "thank you for stating the obvious" NOT "thank you for sticking it to the crew" 🥴

[trafaelwyr]

10 hours ago, Tiggerontheseas said:

 

To be fair though, Sorrento's is really Royal Caribbean's equivalent of Princess' lido deck pizza (which is actually better than Sorrento's, IMO).  Alfredo's pizzeria is a little higher level than either and is an actual restaurant, rather than counter service with seating.  I was amazed it was free so it's not that surprising to me that they are implementing a charge.  Although it's disappointing, these type of changes happen a lot.  Johnny Rockets on Royal Caribbean also used to be no charge at one time.

In discussing this with my mother yesterday, we came to the conclusion - based on places to eat on Princess - that it looks like there are far more free eating options on Princess than there are on RC.  As far as I can recall, RC only has Sorrento's and that little cafe shop where you can get sandwiches and dessert items. 

[gah_cruise]

If Princess had announced that wef Aug 01 that all new bookings would incur these additional fees, then I believe there would have been far fewer "comments".
But they didn't ... they are charging a group of passengers for services that, at the time of booking, were included....which frankly stinks.  

As it stands (at the moment....)  our next cruise with Princess is unaffected (unless we have 3 or more Alfredo pizzas)....we like Princess but it appears they cannot be trusted and that will definitely be a major factor when we book our next cruise.

Edited July 31, 2023 by gah_cruise

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, chamima said:

There is no mention of casual restaurants, room service or Ocean Now.

Cruise is in November.

@dides gave you correct info in Post #1800.  Just adding that PCL IT has not updated system as yet, so the Travel Summary has not changed.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Steelers36

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, chamima said:

 

 

Thanks.

We actually booked in August of 2022 but just before final payment TA informed us that the price had gone down so we re-fared.

It looks like we must have gotten an upgrade in the Plus along with the discount on the cruise. 😁

Well a cruise fare discount, plus $10 off the discount to pay for the new Plus.  If cruise fare went down $100/day you would have saved net $90/day.  You might not have noticed without closer look at numbers and probably saw saving $90.  It's all good anyway.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Steelers36