Drinking problem

[MacMadame]

 

8 hours ago, MountainEER74 said:

so I put together a spreadsheet showing how many drinks/day is needed to break even. 

I made a spreadsheet too! (I just didn't mention it because I figured people were getting tired of me saying "I made a spreadsheet" in every post about packages. LOL)

[Steelers36]

28 minutes ago, MacMadame said:

 

I made a spreadsheet too! (I just didn't mention it because I figured people were getting tired of me saying "I made a spreadsheet" in every post about packages. LOL)

It just goes to show that each guest has their own unique analysis and math due to varying items that are of importance.  Do you want internet?  What beverages do you drink and how many?  How much do you use Alfredo's and other for-fee casual dining?  How much SD do you do?  And so forth.

[Over from NZ]

You're totally correct. As a non-drinker.. there's absolutely no point of a package for me. Yet they're using a mix of the blow-torch theory, death by a thousand cuts and Fomo (which I don't buy into) to coerce people across. All that does is further put me off them. Already I'm questioning the value of cruising anyhow.. this helps lead me and other non-drinkers on a different pathway 🙂  

[MissP22]

14 hours ago, Torfamm said:

The point is that you don’t need to drink a lot to save money by buying the Plus package.

It makes sense even on a busy port day when a passenger may use it for the bare minimum, just grabbing a coffee and bottle of water in the morning and drinking a couple of glasses of wine with dinner.  
 

Those items would cost more purchased individually than the $35 or so that makes up the drink portion of the Plus package.

Well lets not get into that again but your numbers lean heavy in favor of Princess.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

You're totally correct. As a non-drinker.. there's absolutely no point of a package for me. Yet they're using a mix of the blow-torch theory, death by a thousand cuts and Fomo (which I don't buy into) to coerce people across. All that does is further put me off them. Already I'm questioning the value of cruising anyhow.. this helps lead me and other non-drinkers on a different pathway 🙂  

I suppose we could be classified as non-drinkers also since the only time we do drink is on a cruise & New Years eve. 😉 

Their latest decisions are clearly aimed at the occasional cruiser & newbies who spurge on everything aboard the ship.

[kywildcatfanone]

2 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

You're totally correct. As a non-drinker.. there's absolutely no point of a package for me. Yet they're using a mix of the blow-torch theory, death by a thousand cuts and Fomo (which I don't buy into) to coerce people across. All that does is further put me off them. Already I'm questioning the value of cruising anyhow.. this helps lead me and other non-drinkers on a different pathway

I could never justify a package at these prices, even the non alcoholic one.  I understand the cruise line charges $12-15 for a drink as a price without package, but that pour costs them very little to purchase themselves, so it's almost completely profit. Same as a can of soda.  .$50 at the grocery, and $3.50 on board or so?  Even if you say it costs another .$50 to get that soda on board, that is still a huge profit.  

While a bit of effort, at least for now, you can bring onboard non alcoholic drinks and water and that is what I choose to do.

I can't look at it as "this is what Princess charges, so this is my baseline".  I'm just not wired that way.  Same as restaurants that charge $4 for iced tea.  I just can't do it and know I'm throwing away all that money.  But I do understand that is a personal preference for me, and not everyone sees it that way.  The cruise line needs people buying packages, so I in no way want to discourage it.

[MissP22]

30 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

I could never justify a package at these prices, even the non alcoholic one.  I understand the cruise line charges $12-15 for a drink as a price without package, but that pour costs them very little to purchase themselves, so it's almost completely profit. Same as a can of soda.  .$50 at the grocery, and $3.50 on board or so?  Even if you say it costs another .$50 to get that soda on board, that is still a huge profit.  

While a bit of effort, at least for now, you can bring onboard non alcoholic drinks and water and that is what I choose to do.

I can't look at it as "this is what Princess charges, so this is my baseline".  I'm just not wired that way.  Same as restaurants that charge $4 for iced tea.  I just can't do it and know I'm throwing away all that money.  But I do understand that is a personal preference for me, and not everyone sees it that way.  The cruise line needs people buying packages, so I in no way want to discourage it.

We're pretty much just like you but these days we're in the minority. The clientele that Princess is aiming at are not people like ourselves but those that splurge on cruise vacations & the newbies who need everything on their first trip. 

We've become customers who fill cabins, spending little extra on board and they hope we'll be enticed to spend something extra from time to time. This way they can keep their base price attractive, knowing that the majority will spring for the extras. 

[cr8tiv1]

Got through page one.  Sorry

 

Now, if only they brought back the coffee card aka Sheldon Cooper

 

I have the plus.  My lattes are included in suite breakfast.

I get water in the suite.

I “drink” mostly virgin drinks (not counted against Plus)

I have an occasional glass of wine with dinner or a nice after dinner drink.  
 

Plus worked at $40.  A push at $50.  A no go at $60.

 

Princess needs to discount the packages for Elites.

Edited July 31, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

 

imo Package inclusions & exclusions seem to get more complex

 

As I like things simple I do like the idea of an ‘all inclusive’ cruise with basics included. Perhaps all Non alcoholic drinks, 1 device internet, and CA as standard. these are things most will pay for regardless. And yes, thinking selfishly, it’ll improve value for those of us who are t-total too

 

You can still pay more if you want more than what’s on offer with standard. Better internet, certain restaurants, alcohol etc. I’d pay for 2 out of the 3 of those. 

 

but in my not at all professional thinking wouldn’t marketing Princess as a cruise line where more is included as standard attract people to Princess specifically?

 

really… how many holidays do you go on, other than cruises, where spreadsheets are shared so frequently on forums?! 😏 

 

As I said, I like simple. my husbands the one happy doing the spreadsheets, not me! 😂

 

 

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

 

imo Package inclusions & exclusions seem to get more complex

 

As I like things simple I do like the idea of an ‘all inclusive’ cruise with basics included. Perhaps all Non alcoholic drinks, 1 device internet, and CA as standard. these are things most will pay for regardless. And yes, thinking selfishly, it’ll improve value for those of us who are t-total too

 

You can still pay more if you want more than what’s on offer with standard. Better internet, certain restaurants, alcohol etc. I’d pay for 2 out of the 3 of those. 

 

but in my not at all professional thinking wouldn’t marketing Princess as a cruise line where more is included as standard attract people to Princess specifically?

 

really… how many holidays do you go on, other than cruises, where spreadsheets are shared so frequently on forums?! 😏 

 

As I said, I like simple. my husbands the one happy doing the spreadsheets, not me! 😂

 

 

Best. Sale. Ever. - back in the day before PLUS or Premier

Best2DG - included drinks and grats - no wifi - but I think that was when minutes were still included at Platinum level and above

[SargassoPirate]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

We're pretty much just like you but these days we're in the minority. The clientele that Princess is aiming at are not people like ourselves but those that splurge on cruise vacations & the newbies who need everything on their first trip. 

We've become customers who fill cabins, spending little extra on board and they hope we'll be enticed to spend something extra from time to time. This way they can keep their base price attractive, knowing that the majority will spring for the extras. 

By being cost conscious standard cruisers, we can afford multiple cruises each year instead of one big blowout, have it all, shop and drink 'til you drop, cruise.

 

We are probably considered "deadbeats" by the cruise lines.  I watched a show about money on Netflix and it revealed the games credit card companies go to to get you to charge more, but only pay the minimum amount due.  Those of us who pay the credit card bill in it's entirety each month are called "deadbeats" within the industry because they we are not paying them usurious interest rates and are building bonus points with each purchase.

 

Signed,

Standard a la carte Cruiser

 

 

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Got through page one.  Sorry

 

Now, if only they brought back the coffee card aka Sheldon Cooper

 

I have the plus.  My lattes are included in suite breakfast.

I get water in the suite.

I “drink” mostly virgin drinks (not counted against Plus)

I have an occasional glass of wine with dinner or a nice after dinner drink.  
 

Plus worked at $40.  A push at $50.  A no go at $60.

 

Princess needs to discount the packages for Elites.

Brain is a little foggy and disjointed (that’s my norm lol).

 

I’d rather allocate the funds that would be spend on a beverage package to upgrade a cabin category. What a novel idea.  I don’t think I’ve ever read that option before.  

[brynmelyndavid]

We've cruised with P&O several times. They have a variety of drinks packages including a simple 'soft drinks and juice ' package at £10.95 per person per day and a non-alcoholic drinks package at £24.95pppd, so manifestly they find that it works for them. They also have 'Classic' and 'Deluxe' drinks packages which include alcohol. We have never purchased a drinks package from them, however their on-board drinks prices are considerably cheaper than those of Princess and they don't bundle other benefits with the drinks in the way that Princess does with Plus and Premier. It was never worth us buying a package on P&O as we never drunk anywhere near enough to justify the cost, given the cheap pay-as-you go pricing. For our Princess cruise next year however it was a no-brainer for us to purchase a Premier package, given the many additional benefits that come with it (some of which we will definitely take advantage of), and the (to us) relatively high cost of drinks on board, (plus gratuities). We only need to drink a handful of drinks a day for the package to save us money and having it will simply mean that we can totally relax and not worry about what anything is costing.

Other people may have a different equation and only they can decided if a package is worth having. 

[kywildcatfanone]

56 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

By being cost conscious standard cruisers, we can afford multiple cruises each year instead of one

This is sort of us.  By not purchasing plus, because we wouldn't get the benefit of it, I can pay for most of one of us to go on a second cruise.  It's simple math/economics that each has to decide for themselves.  

[cruisequeen4ever]

Some have balked at my $35 per day for a nonalcoholic package idea; well think back to when the Plus package including alcohol cost $40. $35 for no alcohol is barely less than that, and alcohol costs a lot more than nonalcoholic drinks. I was not factoring in the new additions of dining and desserts though, so let’s say $40 per day for nonalcoholic. Only $20 less per day for no alcohol would be a win for Princess IMO. 

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

Some have balked at my $35 per day for a nonalcoholic package idea; well think back to when the Plus package including alcohol cost $40. $35 for no alcohol is barely less than that, and alcohol costs a lot more than nonalcoholic drinks. I was not factoring in the new additions of dining and desserts though, so let’s say $40 per day for nonalcoholic. Only $20 less per day for no alcohol would be a win for Princess IMO. 

Plus at $40 was the chum ... at $50 the hook was baited ... at $60 caught - but for some it may be catch and release ...

[SargassoPirate]

One thing you can take to the bank, literally and figuratively, is than when a company offers you a multi-faceted package of goods or services, it's not for your benefit but for theirs.  

 

If everyone who purchased the Plus or Premiere package drank up their entire allotment of alcohol every day, you can bet the terms would be changing quickly.

 

Case in point. Years ago there was a General Motors affiliated credit card that accumulated points that could be used toward buying a car.  They forgot to cap the number of points one could accumulate and use for a car purchase.  A neighbor with a small business racked up enough points that he walked out of the dealership with a new car for free. The dealer was steamed but there was nothing he could do.

 

The terms changed not long after, so I suspect it wasn't the only free car to roll out the door.

 

 

 

[Guest ldtr]

On 7/29/2023 at 4:12 AM, SargassoPirate said:

Once you get to Elite, there's nothing wrong with going a la carte, unless you need to drink a lot of alcohol to enjoy the cruise.

 

Elite = free mini bar setup, half price wifi, discounted drinks in the P&E lounge.

 

I couple the Elite benefits with some OBC and a post-cruise cash back gift card  from my TA, and it makes more sense for me to go a la cate - especially since She Who Must Be Obeyed is a teetotaler and both people in a cabin must purchase the packages.

We do the same. Don't forget the free wine tasting.

Edited July 31, 2023 by ldtr

[memoak]

25 minutes ago, ldtr said:

We do the same. Don't forget the free wine tasting.

So where are my 6-10 drinks a day going to come from ?

[Thrak]

On 7/29/2023 at 10:39 AM, Catchum said:

Ok as a not American I'll stick to my wine with dinner and a night cap and risk the judgemental looks. Enjoy your hot dogs.

 

I'm trying to remember the last time I ate an actual hot dog. We do have specialty sausages once in a while - usually once while camping - but the "regular" hot dog doesn't interest me.

[Thrak]

4 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

If everyone who purchased the Plus or Premiere package drank up their entire allotment of alcohol every day, you can bet the terms would be changing quickly.

 

If everyone who purchased a package drank their "full allotment" of alcoholic drinks every day it wouldn't take long for there to be a bunch of wasted or possibly dead seniors on the ship. Most folks don't even try to drink that much and certainly not every day. Some folks can handle that much every day but I'm not one of them and most folks aren't able to do that either.

[New2cruise2022]

I think this post presents a false dichotomy based on the presumption zero alcohol drinkers will necessarily present a lower risk to overall cost that the cruise line must carry. 
 

In other words, OP asserts that zero alcohol should pay less because they cost less than alcohol users. With mocktails (take just as much labor to produce as cocktails), and zero alcohol beer (the margins aren’t better than alcoholic beers) — the savings aren’t obvious or clear cut. The alcoholic drinks are capped at 15 drinks per day and some users may chase 15 alcoholic drinks to get their moneys worth. As they chase their 15 limit, they may be skimping on coffees and juices, sodas and energy drinks that a zero alcohol passenger may be filling up on. 
 

Also, sharing is an unavoidable reality of all inclusive offerings on cruise ships. It’s why most lines require both adults in a cabin to carry the same plan. Sharing in the MDR can be difficult, but anywhere else it is easy to order and hand a drink to your travel companion. So, to save money but still enjoy the gluttony of prepaid drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic) you have people planning to share and save. So many people are not up to task to drink 15 alcoholic beverages a day … but cut that number in half and you will find a lot of people that think 7-8 drinks per day sounds right. 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

17 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Got through page one.  Sorry

 

Now, if only they brought back the coffee card aka Sheldon Cooper

 

I have the plus.  My lattes are included in suite breakfast.

I get water in the suite.

I “drink” mostly virgin drinks (not counted against Plus)

I have an occasional glass of wine with dinner or a nice after dinner drink.  
 

Plus worked at $40.  A push at $50.  A no go at $60.

 

Princess needs to discount the packages for Elites.

A discount for elites is a great idea. But hand to heart Plus needs to be included in S7-s4 suites and premier included in S3-S0. I’ve got the Sky suite booked for 10 days standard fare at $2000 a day for 2 people.  I have been told by my CVP that the new rules are irrespective of cabin level.  Seriously?  I HAVE to use the phone to order my “included“ MDR room service. And I suppose there will be a $5 RS charge. *****?  I should run the World. It would be a much better place. 

[sandancer]

17 hours ago, brynmelyndavid said:

We've cruised with P&O several times. They have a variety of drinks packages including a simple 'soft drinks and juice ' package at £10.95 per person per day and a non-alcoholic drinks package at £24.95pppd, so manifestly they find that it works for them. They also have 'Classic' and 'Deluxe' drinks packages which include alcohol. We have never purchased a drinks package from them, however their on-board drinks prices are considerably cheaper than those of Princess and they don't bundle other benefits with the drinks in the way that Princess does with Plus and Premier. It was never worth us buying a package on P&O as we never drunk anywhere near enough to justify the cost, given the cheap pay-as-you go pricing. For our Princess cruise next year however it was a no-brainer for us to purchase a Premier package, given the many additional benefits that come with it (some of which we will definitely take advantage of), and the (to us) relatively high cost of drinks on board, (plus gratuities). We only need to drink a handful of drinks a day for the package to save us money and having it will simply mean that we can totally relax and not worry about what anything is costing.

Other people may have a different equation and only they can decided if a package is worth having. 

Ditto. I could have written this post. Never purchased a drinks package on P&O but always go for Plus with Princess. Go with what you are comfortable with. It’s immaterial to me what other people choose to do.  

[cr8tiv1]

14 hours ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

Some have balked at my $35 per day for a nonalcoholic package idea; well think back to when the Plus package including alcohol cost $40. $35 for no alcohol is barely less than that, and alcohol costs a lot more than nonalcoholic drinks. I was not factoring in the new additions of dining and desserts though, so let’s say $40 per day for nonalcoholic. Only $20 less per day for no alcohol would be a win for Princess IMO. 

You can leave out the exercise classes and desserts too for an additional savings and gain my purchase for $40.  Hey, I’d even spring for $50.  Or let’s split the difference and just refund my $7.50 for my reduced Medallion Net.  So many things Princess could have done.  YouTubers are all over this.  These changes were a huge blunder for Princess and really a big black eye.

 

Princess…we are not ….I Love This….

Edited August 1, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[justafem]

We get value from the plus package.  We also don't cruise less than 10 days at a time. 

 

I'll typically drink at least 3 boozes per day, multiple bottles of water and at least 4 specialty coffees.  There are days when I won't drink a single booze, but there are days when I'll drink 13.  It evens out.  Hubs rarely boozes.  He'll MAYBE have 3 drinks for the entirety of a 10 day cruise, but he does love his mocktails, bottles of water and coffees.  

 

We order room service.  Sometimes 3 times a day, but always at least once a day.  So let's say that's $10 per day.  And we also order through the medallion for drinks or food.  

 

We love alfredo's. We're going to eat there frequently.  Salty dog has been disappointing every time we've gone, so no go.  We also love specialty dining.  We're going to go at least 3 times in a 10 day cruise.  

 

I can't justify the $20 per person per day to upgrade to the premium package.  Specialty dining is $40 per person, so that would be every other day savings if we purchased plus and paid for it.  And I'm no kind of wine person.  I like sweet wine that tastes like fruit, add bubbles and I'm thrilled.  Boones it is!  

 

I want internet.  Heck, I just paid for it at almost $20 per day on carnival.  Hubs can take it or leave it, but he needs to be able to check his email daily for work.  So he has to have it.  

 

And we'll have a couple of premium desserts.  Not necessarily the monster sundaes, but a couple scoops of gelato or a piece of cake. Not every day, but some. 

 

We pay grats.  

 

For us, it's worth the price of $60 per day.  Probably even at $80 per day.  But don't tell princess!!

Edited August 1, 2023 by justafem