My Plus//Premier Decision Making Process

[XBGuy]

We have not cruised since January 2020.  Obviously, the pandemic pause created problems, but then a family situation prevented resumption.  We are still living with that situation, but there may be a path to the resumption of cruising in our lives,  So, I am looking at cruises and checking prices.  I have to say, the kerfuffle  that has arisen, the last few days on the Princess Board has been humorous.  However, it did encourage me to focus on some sort of decision making process.  

 

As a rule of thumb, I generally am suspicious of "package deals.  Many times I have posted here on Cruise Critic that the best thing about cruising is that each person gets to customize his experience to suit his wishes.  The way that I choose to enjoy my cruise has no effed on somebody else's cruise.  Similarly, their customized cruise has no effect on me.  With that in mind, I was curious how packaged pricing works for the individual like me.  

 

Then it dawned on me.  Let's get analytical.  I built a quick and dirty spread sheet that consisted of four columns   The column listed items or activities that we enjoy on the ship.  Then, there were columns showing the three pricing columns--Standard Pricing, Plus Pricing and Premier Pricing.  Then to flesh out the data in my spreadsheet, I went to the final statement of our last cruise (15-day Los Angeles-Hawaii roundtrip) to get a good idea of what kinds of activities did we engage in that actually cost money and what effect would these packages have on our total costs.  

 

Here is my spreadsheet.    I'm not too sure about the numbers I am using for gratuities or for WiFi.  So, iI would appreciate it if somebody could give me better numbers.

 

 

 

You might gather that I don't think that using the packages pencils our for me..  The problem in my case is that it is difficult to make the numbers work for people who do mot drink cocktails and who almost always order their wine by the bottle,  It is apparent that for those who order wine by the bottle, there is no (not any) benefit to opt for the Premier Package--it only allows the same 26% discount.

 

Fairly often we will nosh at Vines.  From what I have been reading it looks like they are going to start charging $15 pp for casual meal service  service in Vines, occasionally.  So, I guesstimated five casual meals at Vines (5 X2 X $15).  

 

Similarly, we will call Room Service for a light bite.  So, I guesstimated five Room Service calls for our 15-day cruise.

 

The way I see it, I am happy to "order a la carte."  However, I would not be surprised if the numbers did pencil out for others,  Everybody gets to customize their cruise to fit their needs and desires.

 

😃

 

 

[voljeep]

4 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

We have not cruised since January 2020.  Obviously, the pandemic pause created problems, but then a family situation prevented resumption.  We are still living with that situation, but there may be a path to the resumption of cruising in our lives,  So, I am looking at cruises and checking prices.  I have to say, the kerfuffle  that has arisen, the last few days on the Princess Board has been humorous.  However, it did encourage me to focus on some sort of decision making process.  

 

As a rule of thumb, I generally am suspicious of "package deals.  Many times I have posted here on Cruise Critic that the best thing about cruising is that each person gets to customize his experience to suit his wishes.  The way that I choose to enjoy my cruise has no effed on somebody else's cruise.  Similarly, their customized cruise has no effect on me.  With that in mind, I was curious how packaged pricing works for the individual like me.  

 

Then it dawned on me.  Let's get analytical.  I built a quick and dirty spread sheet that consisted of four columns   The column listed items or activities that we enjoy on the ship.  Then, there were columns showing the three pricing columns--Standard Pricing, Plus Pricing and Premier Pricing.  Then to flesh out the data in my spreadsheet, I went to the final statement of our last cruise (15-day Los Angeles-Hawaii roundtrip) to get a good idea of what kinds of activities did we engage in that actually cost money and what effect would these packages have on our total costs.  

 

Here is my spreadsheet.    I'm not too sure about the numbers I am using for gratuities or for WiFi.  So, iI would appreciate it if somebody could give me better numbers.

 

 

 

You might gather that I don't think that using the packages pencils our for me..  The problem in my case is that it is difficult to make the numbers work for people who do mot drink cocktails and who almost always order their wine by the bottle,  It is apparent that for those who order wine by the bottle, there is no (not any) benefit to opt for the Premier Package--it only allows the same 26% discount.

 

Fairly often we will nosh at Vines.  From what I have been reading it looks like they are going to start charging $15 pp for casual meal service  service in Vines, occasionally.  So, I guesstimated five casual meals at Vines (5 X2 X $15).  

 

Similarly, we will call Room Service for a light bite.  So, I guesstimated five Room Service calls for our 15-day cruise.

 

The way I see it, I am happy to "order a la carte."  However, I would not be surprised if the numbers did pencil out for others,  Everybody gets to customize their cruise to fit their needs and desires.

 

😃

 

 

I don't understand your 'Wines' pricing, sorry

[PacnGoNow]

2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

We have not cruised since January 2020.  Obviously, the pandemic pause created problems, but then a family situation prevented resumption.  We are still living with that situation, but there may be a path to the resumption of cruising in our lives,  So, I am looking at cruises and checking prices.  I have to say, the kerfuffle  that has arisen, the last few days on the Princess Board has been humorous.  However, it did encourage me to focus on some sort of decision making process.  

 

As a rule of thumb, I generally am suspicious of "package deals.  Many times I have posted here on Cruise Critic that the best thing about cruising is that each person gets to customize his experience to suit his wishes.  The way that I choose to enjoy my cruise has no effed on somebody else's cruise.  Similarly, their customized cruise has no effect on me.  With that in mind, I was curious how packaged pricing works for the individual like me.  

 

Then it dawned on me.  Let's get analytical.  I built a quick and dirty spread sheet that consisted of four columns   The column listed items or activities that we enjoy on the ship.  Then, there were columns showing the three pricing columns--Standard Pricing, Plus Pricing and Premier Pricing.  Then to flesh out the data in my spreadsheet, I went to the final statement of our last cruise (15-day Los Angeles-Hawaii roundtrip) to get a good idea of what kinds of activities did we engage in that actually cost money and what effect would these packages have on our total costs.  

 

Here is my spreadsheet.    I'm not too sure about the numbers I am using for gratuities or for WiFi.  So, iI would appreciate it if somebody could give me better numbers.

 

 

 

You might gather that I don't think that using the packages pencils our for me..  The problem in my case is that it is difficult to make the numbers work for people who do mot drink cocktails and who almost always order their wine by the bottle,  It is apparent that for those who order wine by the bottle, there is no (not any) benefit to opt for the Premier Package--it only allows the same 26% discount.

 

Fairly often we will nosh at Vines.  From what I have been reading it looks like they are going to start charging $15 pp for casual meal service  service in Vines, occasionally.  So, I guesstimated five casual meals at Vines (5 X2 X $15).  

 

Similarly, we will call Room Service for a light bite.  So, I guesstimated five Room Service calls for our 15-day cruise.

 

The way I see it, I am happy to "order a la carte."  However, I would not be surprised if the numbers did pencil out for others,  Everybody gets to customize their cruise to fit their needs and desires.

 

😃

 

 

For wines, is that the amount you spent on wine in the standard column?

The wine in the packages plus and premier…is that the extra for wine over the limit?  Those would be different prices then.

 

AFA the RS, just activate the App $15 and order unlimited RS via your personal phone App or TV.

[WAvoyager]

2 hours ago, voljeep said:

I don't understand your 'Wines' pricing, sorry

 

10 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

For wines, is that the amount you spent on wine in the standard column?

The wine in the packages plus and premier…is that the extra for wine over the limit?  Those would be different prices then.

 

AFA the RS, just activate the App $15 and order unlimited RS via your personal phone App or TV.

Based on the OPs post, I think they’re making the assumption that they’ll only order wines which are only sold by the bottle - per glass wines don’t interest them much.  So the $1200 they spent on bottles will be reduced to $1000 with the plus/premier discount.

 

not sure I understand the math there though, since a 25% discount on bottles wold bring $1200 down to $900. 
 

To the OP I would ask - do you only drink wine?  No bottled water, sodas, fresh juices, mocktails?  I drink very little alcohol but the plus package makes sense for me.  When you add in those other drinks, and then add some value for “never having to think about what everything will add up to when you are thinking about a glass of wine, or a mocktail”, it evens things out for me.  😁

Edited July 31, 2023 by WAvoyager

[PacnGoNow]

12 minutes ago, WAvoyager said:

 

Based on the OPs post, I think they’re making the assumption that they’ll only order wines which are only sold by the bottle - per glass wines don’t interest them much.  So the $1200 they spent on bottles will be reduced to $1000 with the plus/premier discount.

 

not sure I understand the math there though, since a 25% discount on bottles wold bring $1200 down to $900. 
 

To the OP I would ask - do you only drink wine?  No bottled water, sodas, fresh juices, mocktails?  I drink very little alcohol but the plus package makes sense for me.  When you add in those other drinks, and then add some value for “never having to think about what everything will add up to when you are thinking about a glass of wine, or a mocktail”, it evens things out for me.  😁

Okay, that makes sense.

 

I would be interested in a wine beverage package.  We don’t do cocktails really, but do enjoy wine. 

[Wandawithdogs]

We just ordered a double glass of wine at dinner since its free. Didnt order bottles because they cost.

[WAvoyager]

9 minutes ago, Wandawithdogs said:

We just ordered a double glass of wine at dinner since its free. Didnt order bottles because they cost.

That works if you’re okay with the selection of wines available by the glass.  But that’s a much more limiting option.

[XBGuy]

Thank you @WAvoyager, my arithmetic in calculating the cost for the bottles of wine in the Plus/Premier scenarios was, as you detected, faulty,  I think it has been fixed.

 

@voljeep, from the final statement of our last cruise I found the total for all the bottles of wine that we purchased in a dining room. Crown Grill, Sabatini's or Vines.  That number was entered in the "Wines" row of the "Standard Pricing" column.  The "Wines" row entry for the "Plus" and "Premier" columns is calculated as 75% of the corresponding "Standard Pricing" entry.  I hope I have it right, now,  The mistake that @WAvoyager found was pretty embarrassing.

 

I did find another mistake, and I have corrected that.  On the final bill there was a charge from Vines for $75.  A whole number dollar amount seemed unusual, but I did not give it a lot of thought.  In looking at the bill a few minutes ago, I realized that $75 was the corkage amount that we paid at the pier for the wines that we carried on at embarkation.  I have deleted that $75 from my calculation because the corkage charge is not affected by the package prices.

 

@PacnGoNow, yes, that number is the sum of the amounts of all the bottles of wine that I bought on our last cruise.  I do not understand your comment that there should be different amounts entered in the "Plus" or "Premier" columns.  Both packages give the same 25% discount,

 

We don't order by the glass.  I might reconsider that policy in in Vines.  If I order BTG in Vines I can see the bartender pouring from the bottle.  So, I know that he is pouring what I ordered.  Also, I imagine that they turnover their wine fairly quickly.  So, it is reasonable to assume that the wine that is being poured into my glass has not sat in that uncorked bottle for several days--or weeks--as might be the case in a less popular wine that is rarely requested.  In a restaurant or dining room, I want to see the label on the bottle from which I am drinking, I want to see the server remove the closure, and, when my glass is empty, I want to reach over for the bottle and fill my glass.

 

@WAvoyager. As I indicated in my original post, we do not, as a rule, drink cocktails.  Very rarely Mrs. XBGuy will order a digestif after dinner.  (I can report that there were no such charges on the last statement that I was using as input.)  So, I guess I should never say "never."  If we stay in a suite, which has been the case the last four or five cruises, bottled water is delivered to the room,  However, we are both fine with the water that comes out of the cabin faucet   Mrs. XBGuy will often make sun tea out on our cabin balcony.  Otherwise we both drink the iced tea that is served in the buffet.  i might stop by and grab a cup or two a couple times a day.  I  usually ask for a glass or two of orange juice with breakfast.  I do drink coffee, but, as fussy as I am about wine, I am nonchalant about coffee.  My only requirements for coffee are that it be hot and black, I am am often ready to let it slide if it is not terribly hot. 

 

 

I am not trying to convince people that these packages are wrong or right for them.  This was a mechanism that I used to help me out.  There are many Cruise Critic posters who find these packages to be confusing and are looking for a simple way for them to make a decision,  My point is that anybody can do this using their own experience on what onboard services they typically use,  You don't have to be "technical" and use a software program.  You can draw four columns on a sheet of paper and fill it out in pencil   I'll let you decide of this mechanism is "simple,"

 

[voljeep]

7 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

Thank you @WAvoyager, my arithmetic in calculating the cost for the bottles of wine in the Plus/Premier scenarios was, as you detected, faulty,  I think it has been fixed.

 

@voljeep, from the final statement of our last cruise I found the total for all the bottles of wine that we purchased in a dining room. Crown Grill, Sabatini's or Vines.  That number was entered in the "Wines" row of the "Standard Pricing" column.  The "Wines" row entry for the "Plus" and "Premier" columns is calculated as 75% of the corresponding "Standard Pricing" entry.  I hope I have it right, now,  The mistake that @WAvoyager found was pretty embarrassing.

 

I did find another mistake, and I have corrected that.  On the final bill there was a charge from Vines for $75.  A whole number dollar amount seemed unusual, but I did not give it a lot of thought.  In looking at the bill a few minutes ago, I realized that $75 was the corkage amount that we paid at the pier for the wines that we carried on at embarkation.  I have deleted that $75 from my calculation because the corkage charge is not affected by the package prices.

 

@PacnGoNow, yes, that number is the sum of the amounts of all the bottles of wine that I bought on our last cruise.  I do not understand your comment that there should be different amounts entered in the "Plus" or "Premier" columns.  Both packages give the same 25% discount,

 

We don't order by the glass.  I might reconsider that policy in in Vines.  If I order BTG in Vines I can see the bartender pouring from the bottle.  So, I know that he is pouring what I ordered.  Also, I imagine that they turnover their wine fairly quickly.  So, it is reasonable to assume that the wine that is being poured into my glass has not sat in that uncorked bottle for several days--or weeks--as might be the case in a less popular wine that is rarely requested.  In a restaurant or dining room, I want to see the label on the bottle from which I am drinking, I want to see the server remove the closure, and, when my glass is empty, I want to reach over for the bottle and fill my glass.

 

@WAvoyager. As I indicated in my original post, we do not, as a rule, drink cocktails.  Very rarely Mrs. XBGuy will order a digestif after dinner.  (I can report that there were no such charges on the last statement that I was using as input.)  So, I guess I should never say "never."  If we stay in a suite, which has been the case the last four or five cruises, bottled water is delivered to the room,  However, we are both fine with the water that comes out of the cabin faucet   Mrs. XBGuy will often make sun tea out on our cabin balcony.  Otherwise we both drink the iced tea that is served in the buffet.  i might stop by and grab a cup or two a couple times a day.  I  usually ask for a glass or two of orange juice with breakfast.  I do drink coffee, but, as fussy as I am about wine, I am nonchalant about coffee.  My only requirements for coffee are that it be hot and black, I am am often ready to let it slide if it is not terribly hot. 

 

 

I am not trying to convince people that these packages are wrong or right for them.  This was a mechanism that I used to help me out.  There are many Cruise Critic posters who find these packages to be confusing and are looking for a simple way for them to make a decision,  My point is that anybody can do this using their own experience on what onboard services they typically use,  You don't have to be "technical" and use a software program.  You can draw four columns on a sheet of paper and fill it out in pencil   I'll let you decide of this mechanism is "simple,"

 

no need for PLUS or Premier if you are buying bottle wines, of course - as you sheet showed

[Steelers36]

2 minutes ago, voljeep said:

no need for PLUS or Premier if you are buying bottle wines, of course - as you sheet showed

Or BYOW with corkage.

[New2cruise2022]

This is unique posturing because it is so specific with the wine. The wine by the bottle issue lends itself to a different kind of spend. 
 

Spreadsheets are great for identifiable costs and illustrate where the money goes and the services it stretches across. 
 

The intangible value — if your vacation budget can afford it — is to travel more carefree. This is the king for a day (or a week) feeling. Ordering more freely and trying new things without feeling the worry of a mounting tab. 
 

Just like tipping, this is a prime example of different needs and desires for different passengers. 

[newcruzer2]

Whether you spend on board exactly like the op or NOT, I don't believe is the op's point. A lot of companies are doing this nowadays, they assume customers are too lazy or too busy to actually do the math for themselves. Something has no valve if included in a package, that I won't use or buy anyways (internet).

Companies make a fortune on these gimmicks; we don't really drink alcohol and could never justify adding the plus to 'just try new drinks'.

We are die hard 'pay as you go'.... no stress, if we think about every purchase then the total bill at the end of my cruise ...is what it is.

Edited July 31, 2023 by newcruzer2

[WAvoyager]

13 minutes ago, newcruzer2 said:

 

We are die hard 'pay as you go'.... no stress, if we think about every purchase then the total bill at the end of my cruise ...is what it is.

I’m of the same mindset, but my wife definitely always thinks about what she’s spending, when she spends it.  On a cruise, when certain drinks are an incremental cost, she automatically asks herself if she really wants to spend the money.  It’s an admirable trait in normal life, but when we’re on vacation, she can’t really let go of that habit.

 

when we go on a cruise with drinks pre-paid, she always consumes more alcohol than she would otherwise.  So I always get the package - anything to help her enjoy herself while on vacation! 😁

 

[newcruzer2]

7 minutes ago, WAvoyager said:

 

when we go on a cruise with drinks pre-paid, she always consumes more alcohol than she would otherwise.  So I always get the package - anything to help her enjoy herself while on vacation! 😁

 

😁

[WAvoyager]

2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

We don't order by the glass.  I might reconsider that policy in in Vines.  If I order BTG in Vines I can see the bartender pouring from the bottle.  So, I know that he is pouring what I ordered.  Also, I imagine that they turnover their wine fairly quickly.  So, it is reasonable to assume that the wine that is being poured into my glass has not sat in that uncorked bottle for several days--or weeks--as might be the case in a less popular wine that is rarely requested.  In a restaurant or dining room, I want to see the label on the bottle from which I am drinking, I want to see the server remove the closure, and, when my glass is empty, I want to reach over for the bottle and fill my glass.

 

@WAvoyager. As I indicated in my original post, we do not, as a rule, drink cocktails.  Very rarely Mrs. XBGuy will order a digestif after dinner.  (I can report that there were no such charges on the last statement that I was using as input.)  So, I guess I should never say "never."  If we stay in a suite, which has been the case the last four or five cruises, bottled water is delivered to the room,  However, we are both fine with the water that comes out of the cabin faucet   Mrs. XBGuy will often make sun tea out on our cabin balcony.  Otherwise we both drink the iced tea that is served in the buffet.  i might stop by and grab a cup or two a couple times a day.  I  usually ask for a glass or two of orange juice with breakfast.  I do drink coffee, but, as fussy as I am about wine, I am nonchalant about coffee.  My only requirements for coffee are that it be hot and black, I am am often ready to let it slide if it is not terribly hot. 

 

 

I am not trying to convince people that these packages are wrong or right for them.  This was a mechanism that I used to help me out.  There are many Cruise Critic posters who find these packages to be confusing and are looking for a simple way for them to make a decision,  My point is that anybody can do this using their own experience on what onboard services they typically use,  You don't have to be "technical" and use a software program.  You can draw four columns on a sheet of paper and fill it out in pencil   I'll let you decide of this mechanism is "simple,"

 

Glad to help with the math!  😁

 

I understand the hesitation with ordering wines from unknown bottles.  On a cruise ship though, my assumption is that they probably go through a lot of the by the glass options.  So it’s likely that each glass is a relatively fresh pour.  
 

I’m pretty picky with my drinks as well - but I usually can find some “by the glass” options which I enjoy.  So moving even 50% of your wines from bottle to glass service really tips the equations.

 

But I’m also picky about my other drinks.  The taste of decent bottled water vs tap is pretty big to me.  And no comparison between fresh juices vs concentrates.  So I make good use of the non-alcoholic drink value. 

[New2cruise2022]

The companies are well aware. Princess’ new announcements have nuanced this by adding more value (or perceived value) by packing so more into the packages with food, fitness, internet. 

[jwattle]

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

no need for PLUS or Premier if you are buying bottle wines, of course - as you sheet showed

Unless you're also buying cocktails, coffee, juice and water, enough to make it pay, whilst including the internet and crew appreciation.💕

Edited July 31, 2023 by jwattle
Chiming in for a friend 😂😂😂💕💕💕

[memoak]

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

no need for PLUS or Premier if you are buying bottle wines, of course - as you sheet showed

Yes but you will get a 25% discount on bottles if you have a plan. We are cocktail drinkers but like wine with dinner many of the ones we like are not available by the glass