Unpopular Opinion: I'm excited about the changes to Plus and Premier

[drwbrt]

We are booked on our first Princess cruise on Discovery early next year (traveling with my brother: @New2cruise2022).  We were originally booked on a Plus fare.  We couldn't see the value in photos, prizes, specialty dining and the small upgrade in inclusive drink costs to upgrade from Plus to Premier.  The changes at casual dining, made the switch to Premier much more compelling.  I know, it's weird to be excited to spend more money, but for us it is about value.

 

While we were still Plus we weren't over the moon about Gigi's because we think Slice will deliver good pizza without the wait.  We had little interest in paying the cover for the Salty Dog Gastropub or for paying for Ocean Terrace.  We felt like we could rely on the buffet and the pool-side offerings for anything outside MDR.  We got Plus for the drinks, WiFi, and gratuity.  Once the changes were announced for casual dining, moving to Premier was a no-brainer for us.

 

We anticipate a MUCH LESS CROWDED Gigi's.  We can enjoy Ocean Terrace and the Salty Dog without any concerns about it not being worth the cover charge.  We are crossing our fingers that OceanNow will provide included access to Ocean Terrace and Salty Dog menus.

 

Overall, we feel that upgrading to Premier will provide two things: 1) more dining options to avoid waits, crowds, and improve quality of service; and 2) an true shot at an all-inclusive feeling.  This is where we see the value.

 

We know this isn't for everyone.  A reminder/tip to others though: Premier is perhaps THE WAY to travel with teens.  The parents, passengers 1 and 2 are premier, providing WiFi options for the rest of their traveling party.  This only requires a cheaper soda package and gratuities to put a minor at "Plus" level.  They can eat at the buffet while you get away for casual dining elsewhere.

[Mike45LC]

Making things that used to be included in standard fares now extra cost is very exciting all right.  Maybe Princess needs to start charging for shows and for trivia, karaoke,  etc.  That will cut down on the crowding at those events.

[Selion]

I'd be excited if these changes actually make CCL stocks go in a different direction.  After cruised on smaller ships, with the pricing of the Premier package I might as well go on Azamara, Oceania or Viking.  I prefer Viking because no kids.

[drwbrt]

@Mike45LC my upgrade to Premier includes reserved seating so while those may not be less crowded, I won't be fighting for a seat.  Thanks for pointing out additional value I'm getting!

[wcflats]

Princess in my opinion is trying to move us long time loyal princess cruisers to another cruise line.  

[drwbrt]

1 minute ago, Selion said:

I'd be excited if these changes actually make CCL stocks go in a different direction.  After cruised on smaller ships, with the pricing of the Premier package I might as well go on Azamara, Oceania or Viking.  I prefer Viking because no kids.

I'm surprised at some of these comments.  My cruise I've booked on Princess, with Premier, is CHEAPER than what I could get on NCL, CCL, or RCL with a drink package, gratuities and wifi. The value is there.  I think this only helps CCL.  Passengers that want more included casual dining will migrate to something like Carnival.  I think that plays to Princess' advantage.  Carnival (parent) is getting very strategic about segmenting their customers and directing them to the cruise line that fits the customers view of value.

[MustangGT]

2 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

@Mike45LC my upgrade to Premier includes reserved seating so while those may not be less crowded, I won't be fighting for a seat.  Thanks for pointing out additional value I'm getting!

Glad it works for you!  Just remember that the reserved seating is only for Production shows, not every event in the theatre.

[Mike45LC]

3 minutes ago, Selion said:

I'd be excited if these changes actually make CCL stocks go in a different direction.  After cruised on smaller ships, with the pricing of the Premier package I might as well go on Azamara, Oceania or Viking.  I prefer Viking because no kids.

I think the increased revenue will not offset the loss in customer loyalty.  The stock will continue to tank.

[New2cruise2022]

Cruising is a marketplace. And it appeals to lots of segments with different needs. There is nothing wrong with budget cruisers, value cruisers, luxury cruisers, or everyone in between and beyond. Cruise lines, while considerate of ALL cruisers, must decide what value proposition they offer that will sustain a profitable business model. All-inclusive amenities are at the heart of most cruisers. Some just want a convenient way to get from port to port without handling luggage and a new hotel every night. But for most, the value is stress-free vacationing. Not worrying about coming home to a big bill to be paid off. All-inclusive is that appeal. But it is a risk assessment business for cruise ships. Can you sell all of the rooms and sell them to the right people? Trying to influence an upsell to make cruising profitable is the only thing most cruise lines can do. I hope this is successful for Princess and enough value cruisers (like myself) will find the right fit with this new offering. For me that is premier. It satisfies my want to feel like I’m all inclusive and puts at bay any feelings of FOMO. 

[New2cruise2022]

6 minutes ago, wcflats said:

Princess in my opinion is trying to move us long time loyal princess cruisers to another cruise line.  

If they aren’t getting enough revenue from loyal members, loyal members become anchors to a business that needs to move forward and it’s time to find new customers. 

[cruising.mark.uk]

1 minute ago, New2cruise2022 said:

If they aren’t getting enough revenue from loyal members, loyal members become anchors to a business that needs to move forward and it’s time to find new customers. 

Exactly.  And if the much quoted claim that 75% of passengers now buy packages is true and continues to be true, I think it's almost certain that the increased revenue will more than offset any loss in customer loyalty.

[rosevew]

13 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

@Mike45LC my upgrade to Premier includes reserved seating so while those may not be less crowded, I won't be fighting for a seat.  Thanks for pointing out additional value I'm getting!

Only for productions shows and they don't seem to have many of those.

[cruising.mark.uk]

34 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

We know this isn't for everyone.  A reminder/tip to others though: Premier is perhaps THE WAY to travel with teens.  The parents, passengers 1 and 2 are premier, providing WiFi options for the rest of their traveling party.  This only requires a cheaper soda package and gratuities to put a minor at "Plus" level.  They can eat at the buffet while you get away for casual dining elsewhere.

Your opinion might be unpopular with posters on here, but they form only a tiny fraction of a % of those who cruise with Princess and I sense that the reaction to these changes over time from the majority of the current and future customer base will be much more positive than one might assume from reading these boards.

 

It is very heartening to hear your glass half full attitude (which I share).

[drwbrt]

6 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

Your opinion might be unpopular with posters on here, but they form only a tiny fraction of a % of those who cruise with Princess and I sense that the reaction to these changes over time from the majority of the current and future customer base will be much more positive than one might assume from reading these boards.

 

It is very heartening to hear your glass half full attitude (which I share).

It’s hard to not have a glass half full when they keep refilling it. Cheers.

Edited August 3, 2023 by drwbrt

[PrincessLuver]

9 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

I think the increased revenue will not offset the loss in customer loyalty.  The stock will continue to tank.

 

I agree.  They are throwing in a couple free pizzas, two workout classes, and some DQ deserts and people are just going gaga.  I doubt these are the cruisers who sail on Princesses 20+ day cruises or World Cruises.  Probably 7 day cruisers.  And nobody knows for sure that 75% of these packages are being bought on cruisers.  Speculation run rampant on CC as usual.  Princess should start selling timeshares next onboard because it sound like they may have a built in customer base.

[drwbrt]

2 minutes ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

They are throwing in a couple free pizzas

I’m confused. Which side are you arguing? It’s just a couple free pizzas; why are people upset about the change?

[villauk]

47 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

We are booked on our first Princess cruise on Discovery early next year (traveling with my brother: @New2cruise2022).  We were originally booked on a Plus fare.  We couldn't see the value in photos, prizes, specialty dining and the small upgrade in inclusive drink costs to upgrade from Plus to Premier.  The changes at casual dining, made the switch to Premier much more compelling.  I know, it's weird to be excited to spend more money, but for us it is about value.

 

While we were still Plus we weren't over the moon about Gigi's because we think Slice will deliver good pizza without the wait.  We had little interest in paying the cover for the Salty Dog Gastropub or for paying for Ocean Terrace.  We felt like we could rely on the buffet and the pool-side offerings for anything outside MDR.  We got Plus for the drinks, WiFi, and gratuity.  Once the changes were announced for casual dining, moving to Premier was a no-brainer for us.

 

We anticipate a MUCH LESS CROWDED Gigi's.  We can enjoy Ocean Terrace and the Salty Dog without any concerns about it not being worth the cover charge.  We are crossing our fingers that OceanNow will provide included access to Ocean Terrace and Salty Dog menus.

 

Overall, we feel that upgrading to Premier will provide two things: 1) more dining options to avoid waits, crowds, and improve quality of service; and 2) an true shot at an all-inclusive feeling.  This is where we see the value.

 

We know this isn't for everyone.  A reminder/tip to others though: Premier is perhaps THE WAY to travel with teens.  The parents, passengers 1 and 2 are premier, providing WiFi options for the rest of their traveling party.  This only requires a cheaper soda package and gratuities to put a minor at "Plus" level.  They can eat at the buffet while you get away for casual dining elsewhere.

 

Well, let’s hope that they don’t start removing your paid-for amenities/facilities a couple of weeks before your cruise as you may feel slightly different. Have a great cruise.

[Sunwanabe]

I am not impressed with PC with their latest change. Does give pause that what you might book and pay for is not necessarily the final product when it's time to cruise. Is it enough to take note and entertain the switch to other cruise lines?  Yes!

[PMGS247]

25 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

I'm surprised at some of these comments.  My cruise I've booked on Princess, with Premier, is CHEAPER than what I could get on NCL, CCL, or RCL with a drink package, gratuities and wifi. The value is there.

 

I've thought this too.  I'm primarily a princess cruiser but I've branched out a couple times and priced out other cruise lines a hundred times. Princess is very competitive in terms of price/value, before and after the recent changes.   The grass really isn't greener.

 

This change was a huge hit to anyone going with base fare and cruising entirely on included items but not much of a change for anyone who was already a plus or premier customer. You can argue about the stats but they wouldn't do this if the population of people on at least Plus wasn't already relatively high.

[CanuckCurlers]

26 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

 Carnival (parent) is getting very strategic about segmenting their customers and directing them to the cruise line that fits the customers view of value.

I agree with this and I think they realized their loyalty customers were ageing and not purchasing the expensive drink packages. The older Millennials who were maturing and having children were leaving Carnival and choosing Royal Caribbean. In my opinion Carnival is now using the Princess ships and their new packages with a cheaper drink package and more WIFI options to attract this clientele group. Look at the plans for the new Sun. Up until now multigenerational groups were pretty much the only children you saw on board and my guess is that Grandpa and Grandma were footing the bill. I can see why the poster is liking the new packages, they are the clientele that Princess marketing is trying to attract. They won't mind if the previous loyal Princess cruisers switch to Celebrity, the money still goes in their pocket.  

[eaflorida]

3 minutes ago, Sunwanabe said:

I am not impressed with PC with their latest change. Does give pause that what you might book and pay for is not necessarily the final product when it's time to cruise. Is it enough to take note and entertain the switch to other cruise lines?  Yes!

Ditto. I am not impressed either. Have been a diamond plus cruiser on Royal Caribbean and primarily sailed with them over the last several years. Before RCL, most of my cruises were on Carnival where we have been diamond for 15 years. But earlier this year I took my first cruise on Princess. Really enjoyed the fact that there were many free items you could order through room service. It was a nice touch. My wife and I are not big drinkers, so paying for a drink package is not something that we would use. So we book the standard package. Its just unfortunate that the bean counters at Carnival took away a nice benefit that separated Princess from the other cruise lines. Will this in itself cause us to no longer cruise Princess? No it wont. As always, itinerary and price are important. But I do believe this will cause others to look at other cruiselines. 

[JGmf]

I was an NCL devotee.  I didn't like the PC changes, but even factoring them in, Princess offers a competitive value compared to NCL.

 

I have a 10-day cruise booked with PC this winter with Princess Plus.  Can't wait!

[memoak]

As a proud boomer with over 50 Princess cruises and cruise on 10-20 day cruises We always take the plus package since we do like cocktails which is the main reason to get a package. We often take B2B crises and are seeing more blue cards and families who need to learn how to cruise and not haul there backpacks everywhere including the MDR and elevators 

[drwbrt]

4 minutes ago, PMGS247 said:

…priced out other cruise lines a hundred times. Princess is very competitive in terms of price/value, before and after the recent changes.   The grass really isn't greener.

This has been us for almost 8 weeks now. We paid our deposits and looked at everything else. We’ve been on DCL, RCL, and NCL. We really tried hard to make NCL work, we tried to see if Carnival would work, but once the drinks and gratuities are added in, Princess Premier was similar value for equal money (Carnival) or better value for less money (NCL). 
 

We honestly probably would have done Carnival were it not for room availability and minor passenger policies conflicting. We couldn’t get the rooms close enough to one another. The price on Carnival was within $200 and did not include specialty dining for the five of us. 

[New2cruise2022]

20 minutes ago, Sunwanabe said:

I am not impressed with PC with their latest change. Does give pause that what you might book and pay for is not necessarily the final product when it's time to cruise. Is it enough to take note and entertain the switch to other cruise lines?  Yes!

If you read the T&Cs, cruise lines have always been able to change and have often done it. It’s the nature of this product. For those too risk averse to accept this model, they can be last minute cruisers and wait and see what is left weeks before.