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

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, mikjr said:

The value is there, only for those who drink alcohol.  For those of us who don't drink (health issues, AA, etc), those packages are worthless, and have lessened our experience AND value! 

 However, the way I see it, they just made them more appealing to those that don’t drink alcohol by adding the complimentary casual dining.  Plus, you can still get specialty coffees, mocktails, waters and sodas.  
Life is better when you view the glass as half full!  
 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Cruise Raider

[Z0nker]

On 8/3/2023 at 8:49 AM, 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.

 

On 8/3/2023 at 10:09 AM, drwbrt said:

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. 

We recently did 5 day cruises on Carnival and Princess out of SF since they both homeport there now. Relatively cheap way to try out the ships (Miracle and Ruby), service, and gauge the real price. Both ships were nice with good service, good food and good drinks. Entertainment was also fine. Princess was the better deal overall because the Plus package comped drinks and gratuities.  Even though the upfront price was more. 
 

side note: if you’re a wine connoisseur, Princess is the winner.  If you prefer craft beer, Carnival is better. Cocktails: they’ll both take great care of you. 

[Cruise Raider]

7 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

I understand what you are saying. I can choose to not get room service, not use Ocean now and not use casual dining options.

 

however these are all items that were free at the point of booking and items I would take advantage of. Cost wasn’t a consideration because there wasn’t one

 

Personally I think there is a big difference between increasing the price of items you have listed such as massage, and drinks, and reducing the number of free amenities.

 

I would have hoped that Princess would have saved the new package for new bookings and not added charges to current bookings. And because the number of free amenities is less than when I booked, that feels like a fair time to expect communication & notice.

 

 

The casual dining, with the exception of Alfredo’s, has never been a free amenity.  
Now, the pricing of these places is actually cheaper than before.  

[mikjr]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 However, the way I see it, they just made them more appealing to those that don’t drink alcohol by adding the complimentary casual dining.  Plus, you can still get specialty coffees, mocktails, waters and sodas.  
lufe is better when you view the glass as half full!

I'm sure you are correct...  for some people it's a great deal.  I just wish they would have some packages that didn't include "beverages".   they could do specialty meals, Wifi, Tips, Desserts, Sanctuary, etc...  that's a package I might consider.  

 
 

 

 

 

[Z0nker]

4 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 However, the way I see it, they just made them more appealing to those that don’t drink alcohol by adding the complimentary casual dining.  Plus, you can still get specialty coffees, mocktails, waters and sodas.  
lufe is better when you view the glass as half full!  
 

 

 

The changes do make the Plus package more appealing for non drinkers, but is there $60/day of value here?  

[Z0nker]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

The casual dining, with the exception of Alfredo’s, has never been a free amenity.  
Now, the pricing of these places is actually cheaper than before.  

This might improve Alfredo’s. When we were on the Royal this spring, the wait was close to an hour. They’re crazy not to charge for it. As a habitual Plus Package cruiser, Alfredos will still be free to me and hopefully with shorter lines. 

 

Do we know if the Salty Dog Grill will still include two entrees?
 

 

[New2cruise2022]

2 hours ago, mikjr said:

The value is there, only for those who drink alcohol.  For those of us who don't drink (health issues, AA, etc), those packages are worthless, and have lessened our experience AND value! 

If you get value out of paying the standard fare, that’s great (and cheaper) for you!

[Cruise Raider]

8 minutes ago, Z0nker said:

The changes do make the Plus package more appealing for non drinkers, but is there $60/day of value here?  

 Only if you enjoy the free mocktails, sodas, specialty coffees, juice bar and WiFi .. 

 

 

[New2cruise2022]

13 minutes ago, Z0nker said:

 

We recently did 5 day cruises on Carnival and Princess out of SF since they both homeport there now. Relatively cheap way to try out the ships (Miracle and Ruby), service, and gauge the real price. Both ships were nice with good service, good food and good drinks. Entertainment was also fine. Princess was the better deal overall because the Plus package comped drinks and gratuities.  Even though the upfront price was more. 
 

side note: if you’re a wine connoisseur, Princess is the winner.  If you prefer craft beer, Carnival is better. Cocktails: they’ll both take great care of you. 

How would you compare entertainment between Carnival and Princess?

[New2cruise2022]

1 minute ago, Cruise Raider said:

 Only if you enjoy the free mocktails, sodas, specialty coffees, juice bar and WiFi .. 

 

 

You forgot those delicious premium desserts twice a day … 😂

[Cruise Raider]

5 minutes ago, Z0nker said:

This might improve Alfredo’s. When we were on the Royal this spring, the wait was close to an hour. They’re crazy not to charge for it. As a habitual Plus Package cruiser, Alfredos will still be free to me and hopefully with shorter lines. 

 

Do we know if the Salty Dog Grill will still include two entrees?
 

 

 Based on the menus I’ve seen, the $14.99 will cover the complimentary breadsticks with fondue sauce, two small plates and dessert.  The menu looks the same.  
I can only ever finish one small plate so, I’m actually happy about the changes.  
 

So, for those that haven’t been, the small plates are anything but small.  They are a meal in themselves.  

[Cruise Raider]

2 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

You forgot those delicious premium desserts twice a day … 😂

 I omitted them on purpose .. along with the fitness classes. 😂 

[New2cruise2022]

1 minute ago, Cruise Raider said:

 I omitted them on purpose .. along with the fitness classes. 😂 

I’m waiting for Princess to convert those to a simple scoop of gelato each day. I have until the end of February for them to make this change 🤞🏽 

[New2cruise2022]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 Based on the menus I’ve seen, the $14.99 will cover the complimentary breadsticks with fondue sauce, two small plates and dessert.  The menu looks the same.  
I can only ever finish one small plate so, I’m actually happy about the changes.  
 

So, for those that haven’t been, the small plates are anything but small.  They are a meal in themselves.  

I looked at the menu. Probably would not have paid to go, but now that it’s included with Premier? I’ll give it a whirl. 

[memoak]

5 hours ago, jangor said:

I agree with most of your post.  Although, we do get a larger cabin, that is our choice.  We bring one bottle of wine each.  We use OBC, pay the crew appreciation fee and get discounted wi-fi as Elites and rarely spend beyond our budget, except for special excursions that appeal to us.  We have enjoyed Alfredo's which is more than just pizza.  However, our next cruise is on the Emerald, so no Alfredo's and will definitely not pay for it on future cruises.  We have done specialty dining on previous cruises, so no need to go again.  MDR is excellent.  On our last cruise (Caribbean Princess), the reserved section was mostly empty and five minutes before showtime, they sent the SRO cruisers to that section. We don't need special desserts and I can practice TaiChi in my cabin, so no interest in fitness classes.   My fear is that they will slowly charge or increase charges for things we do enjoy: bingo, trivia, use of the gym or who knows what!

They have increased prices for bingo many times over the years

[memoak]

2 hours ago, mikjr said:

The value is there, only for those who drink alcohol.  For those of us who don't drink (health issues, AA, etc), those packages are worthless, and have lessened our experience AND value! 

Then why buy them just go standard fare and pay for what you want

[New2cruise2022]

4 minutes ago, memoak said:

Then why buy them just go standard fare and pay for what you want

Exactly. If the packages don’t appeal, save money. It isn’t sticking it to the man or beating the system. It’s just cruising differently than others. 

[mikjr]

13 minutes ago, memoak said:

Then why buy them just go standard fare and pay for what you want

I don't buy them...  but it would be nice if they offered packages that would be good for those not wanting beverages...  TIPS,  WiFi, Specialty Dining, Photos, Sanctuary, etc, would be a few options to include.   With the new packages, you can now buy your way into "Priority Embarkation".   As an Elite for many years, what does that do to our embarkation status??    

Edited August 6, 2023 by mikjr

[Cruise Raider]

40 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I’m waiting for Princess to convert those to a simple scoop of gelato each day. I have until the end of February for them to make this change 🤞🏽 

 My DH has been getting a single (maybe even a double) scoop of gelato very successfully through the package.  

[memoak]

1 minute ago, mikjr said:

I don't buy them...  but it would be nice if they offered packages that would be good for those not wanting beverages...  TIPS,  WiFi, Specialty Dining, Photos, Sanctuary, etc, would be a few options to include.   With the new packages, you can now buy your way into "Priority Embarkation".   As an Elite for many years, what does that do to our embarkation status??    

Embarkation times only mean anything unless you want to show up at like 10 am and wait in a lounge. We show up about 11 get on board without a wait. So called Priority Embarkation is not really a big deal

[ExploringTheGlobe]

3 hours ago, mikjr said:

The value is there, only for those who drink alcohol.  For those of us who don't drink (health issues, AA, etc), those packages are worthless, and have lessened our experience AND value! 

There have been several non-drinkers who have stated otherwise.  They said with the specialty coffees, bottled water, mocktails, in addition to the gratuities and wifi, it has definitely been of value to them even though they don't drink alcohol. So maybe hold the blanket statement.  The Plus or Premier FARE might not be good for you but it is for many other people, whether they drink alcohol or not.  Remember it is a FARE that includes several items, not just adult beverage. 

[c-boy]

4 minutes ago, mikjr said:

I don't buy them...  but it would be nice if they offered packages that would be good for those not wanting beverages...  TIPS,  WiFi, Specialty Dining, Photos, Sanctuary, etc, would be a few options to include.   With the new packages, you can now buy your way into "Priority Embarkation".   As an Elite for many years, what does that do to our embarkation status??    

my quess is they're  (princess ) still  going to tinker with the packges in the future, and it will depend on their bottom line future cash flow. Could go, add more or delete some.

[mikjr]

1 minute ago, ExploringTheGlobe said:

There have been several non-drinkers who have stated otherwise.  They said with the specialty coffees, bottled water, mocktails, in addition to the gratuities and wifi, it has definitely been of value to them even though they don't drink alcohol. So maybe hold the blanket statement.  The Plus or Premier FARE might not be good for you but it is for many other people, whether they drink alcohol or not.  Remember it is a FARE that includes several items, not just adult beverage. 

I realize the profit is in the beverage packages, and they are not going away... but it would be nice if NON beverage packages could be offered.  We all like to save money...  

[mikjr]

2 minutes ago, c-boy said:

my quess is they're  (princess ) still  going to tinker with the packges in the future, and it will depend on their bottom line future cash flow. Could go, add more or delete some.

And as a Shareholder, I'm also interested in their bottom line!!  

[dlh015]

4 hours ago, HBDave said:

Thanks, I hope so and guess we'll find out soon enough. 🙂

 

Just to chime in with Ken, we booked our 21-day cruise in the Med last year as a single cruise...however, each week we got a new minibar setup , 1 specialty dining, etc. So I also think you will get 2 each leg even though you didn't book it that way. Fingers crossed for you!