Just got an email outlining the "NEW" offerings

[no1racefan1]

To sum up this thread:

 

Princess made changes, some people are frustrated, and some people are trying to convince those people they shouldn't be frustrated. WHYYYYYY are you trying so hard to convince people they are wrong to be upset?

 

I'm disappointed, you're not, we're both going to go on the cruise and enjoy ourselves regardless! The end.

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, whitecap said:

But we aren't talking about the "value of the cruise".  We are talking about having made a purchase of a service that the provider agreed to, then changed.  As I said before, ensure the purchaser that the service they contracted for will be provided and advise that they can also choose to upgrade.  Their choice.

Does not fly. You contracted for a cruise with free food, not a guaranteed specific venue. Cruise lines, as hotels, and airlines, do not freeze all changes at time of booking.

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, no1racefan1 said:

To sum up this thread:

 

Princess made changes, some people are frustrated, and some people are trying to convince those people they shouldn't be frustrated. WHYYYYYY are you trying so hard to convince people they are wrong to be upset?

 

I'm disappointed, you're not, we're both going to go on the cruise and enjoy ourselves regardless! The end.

Not trying to convince them not to be upset. Do not really care if they are upset.Only that Princess is not doing anything different than other companies, nor that the  changes are inconsistent with past changes by Princess. That the cruise has not changed materially.

 

most of my post have been in response to posts that imply that this is different from past behavior or unique compared to other lines, or that Princess is violating terms of the purchase, or other hypothetical.

 

I do not care for the changes. But the behavior is not new, does not represent a fundamental change and is in reality a relatively minor price increase. 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by ldtr

[SCX22]

46 minutes ago, whitecap said:

You are absolutely correct, with this added:  at least one venue, that has in the past been offered as a free venue has been added to the drink packages, removed from a "free" venue to a pay venue; room service that has been a free service has been added to the drink packages, removed from free and is now a pay service.  So it isn't just all about the number of drinks or the cost of a drink, it is all the changes in their entirety and most importantly, at least for me, how they went about implementation.  

 

As far as I know, how Princess implemented this is standard practice in the industry--choose an arbitrary date and blanket implementation across the fleet.  If a passenger's cruise was no longer 100% refundable, tough luck.

 

Perhaps consider booking after final payment of sailing so that it will be less likely for a Princess to make a change to the experience.  If the change irks you so much that you've lost all trust in Princess, let your wallet do the talking.  Dollars and cents, or the lack there of, makes companies change their ways.

 

5 minutes ago, whitecap said:

But we aren't talking about the "value of the cruise".  We are talking about having made a purchase of a service that the provider agreed to, then changed.  As I said before, ensure the purchaser that the service they contracted for will be provided and advise that they can also choose to upgrade.  Their choice.

 

Princess is ensuring Room Service/Ocean Now/Casual Dining with the change.  None of these were taken away from the Princess cruise experience.  All are still available.  Passengers can upgrade by paying the RS/OceanNow fee and/or pay the cover charge or order a la carte at Alfredo's/Gigi's. 

 

 

[whitecap]

3 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

As far as I know, how Princess implemented this is standard practice in the industry--choose an arbitrary date and blanket implementation across the fleet.  If a passenger's cruise was no longer 100% refundable, tough luck.

 

Perhaps consider booking after final payment of sailing so that it will be less likely for a Princess to make a change to the experience.  If the change irks you so much that you've lost all trust in Princess, let your wallet do the talking.  Dollars and cents, or the lack there of, makes companies change their ways.

 

 

Princess is ensuring Room Service/Ocean Now/Casual Dining with the change.  None of these were taken away from the Princess cruise experience.  All are still available.  Passengers can upgrade by paying the RS/OceanNow fee and/or pay the cover charge or order a la carte at Alfredo's/Gigi's. 

 

 

As no1racefan1 stated above, there are those that are upset and have a perfect right to be and those that are trying hard to convenience them not to be.  As my grandson once told me, Grandpa, you do you and I do me!  Of course he said it with a smile, and I do too!!!  😃

[SCX22]

10 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

To sum up this thread:

 

Princess made changes, some people are frustrated, and some people are trying to convince those people they shouldn't be frustrated. WHYYYYYY are you trying so hard to convince people they are wrong to be upset?

 

I'm disappointed, you're not, we're both going to go on the cruise and enjoy ourselves regardless! The end.

 

Because I don't want to hear about the complaining about the changes on the cruise that we're going to on.  It kills the vacation vibe.  Not only that, I feel sorry for Guest Services/Alfredo's/Gigi's/Room Service.  They are only the messenger but will no doubt be the front lines of the complaints.

[memoak]

10 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Not always that easy.

 

Was on a Princess cruise in a very crowded Explorers Lounge. A waiter would come around and take drink orders, but the time from wanting a waiter to appear and when the waiter could actually deliver the beverage was close to an hour.

 

Yes, you could walk up to the bar, but they were servicing all of the multiple waiters' orders before a walk up customer could order, so walking to the bar was not an option.

 

But, if you ordered with the app, the drink came from a different area of the ship and arrived much faster than using a waiter in that lounge or walking up to the bar yourself.

Gee somehow I have been on 3 Princess cruises totally 44 days and on every day of every cruise I have found a barstool and a drink in hand within minutes

[B_A_H]

2 hours ago, whitecap said:

In my opinion I believe "wear your grievance as a badge of honor" would be a signal to Princess to do whatever they want, and I'll sit down and shut up.  So, no honor there.  "Accept what happened and move on" only signals that you're ok with getting the short end of the stick and will accept anything they do.  Option 3 is obviously a good option.  But there is a 4th: Once they have accepted payment in full for a service, they are obligated to provide that service.  They can change the service for others but by accepting your payment, it becomes a contract, and the contract can only be changed if both parties agree to it.  Now with that said, is someone going to sue Princess for changing the contract without their permission?  I would say, probably not but then who ever thought that someone would sue Texas Pete Hot Sauce for being manufactured in North Carolina and not Texas?  🤔

Princess is going to do whatever they want with or without your and my feedback.  Since you're determined not to let go, here are your choices:

 

1. Send a letter or letters to various decision makers at Princess sharing your displeasure.  You'll receive a placating letter or phone call from a customer service rep in return but they aren't going to do anything for you.  If they did something for you they'd have to do it for everybody and by not grandfathering everyone in to the new program Princess has already spoken.  
    
2. Hire an attorney and either singularly or as part of a class sue Princess for misrepresentation.  No self-respecting attorney would take this on contingency as an individual case and the amount you'd have to front makes the very idea preposterous vs. your claimed harm.  If somehow this ended up a class action and Princess settled the attorneys would get millions and each of the class would receive enough for a DiGiorno frozen pizza.
    
3. Ask Princess to cancel your reservation without penalty due to you feeling they changed the value equation of what you purchased.  Has anyone actually tried this?  I'd be curious as to Princess's position.  Them refusing could add support for item #2 for those that want to go that way.
    
4. Suck it up and move on.  Enjoy whatever cruise or cruises you have already have booked and don't let the marginal cost of the changes affect your vacation.  Then, vote with your wallet moving forward and don't book Princess again.  If more people follow that course then Princess's ability to replace them with new blood that more than anything would get Princess's attention.
    
5. Continue ranting and raving amongst yourselves here for another 23 pages which won't change anything.  

[memoak]

6 hours ago, EDVM96 said:

I'm sorry, but you are totally wrong. 

Then what do the words “may be changed at any time” mean to you?

[memoak]

4 hours ago, gah_cruise said:

so...at the moment I have a cruise booked for Sep 2034... I have a Plus package which provides 15 alco drinks per 24-hour period....if in 11 mths' time, after I have paid in full, Princess changes the Plus package to 10 alco drinks per 24 hrs...do you think I have the right to be aggrieved....over to you @ldtr

I assume you mean 2024 not 2034. History show that before plus packages existed there was a stand alone drink package that was unlimited that was changed to 15 drinks with little notice and I do not remember any huge uproar at that time

Edited August 18, 2023 by memoak

[caribill]

1 hour ago, SCX22 said:

 

That's what Princess is doing.  Everyone that purchased Plus at $50, still gets everything they paid for or can upgrade to Plus 60 and get the extras that were added after the fact.  Same applies to those to purchased Premier at $75.  

 

But everyone that did not get a package does not get everything that they paid for if room service delivery is not free and sit down pizza is no longer free.

[whitecap]

15 minutes ago, B_A_H said:

Princess is going to do whatever they want with or without your and my feedback.  Since you're determined not to let go, here are your choices:

 

1. Send a letter or letters to various decision makers at Princess sharing your displeasure.  You'll receive a placating letter or phone call from a customer service rep in return but they aren't going to do anything for you.  If they did something for you they'd have to do it for everybody and by not grandfathering everyone in to the new program Princess has already spoken.  
    
2. Hire an attorney and either singularly or as part of a class sue Princess for misrepresentation.  No self-respecting attorney would take this on contingency as an individual case and the amount you'd have to front makes the very idea preposterous vs. your claimed harm.  If somehow this ended up a class action and Princess settled the attorneys would get millions and each of the class would receive enough for a DiGiorno frozen pizza.
    
3. Ask Princess to cancel your reservation without penalty due to you feeling they changed the value equation of what you purchased.  Has anyone actually tried this?  I'd be curious as to Princess's position.  Them refusing could add support for item #2 for those that want to go that way.
    
4. Suck it up and move on.  Enjoy whatever cruise or cruises you have already have booked and don't let the marginal cost of the changes affect your vacation.  Then, vote with your wallet moving forward and don't book Princess again.  If more people follow that course then Princess's ability to replace them with new blood that more than anything would get Princess's attention.
    
5. Continue ranting and raving amongst yourselves here for another 23 pages which won't change anything.  

I'm sorry, but you said, "since you're determined not to let go, here are your choices", were you speaking to me?  I didn't start this thread, I like the 20 or 30 or so others have simply added an opinion.  If you don't like the opinions being stated, don't read the damn thread.

[caribill]

OK, many posts saying that if you do not want to pay for room service or Alfredo's Pizza, you still have other free options.

 

But what would be your reaction if Princess instituted a nominal $9.99/person charge each time someone ate dinner in a main dining room?

 

Would your reaction be "that is OK since you can still get a free dinner at the buffet and free food at stands near the pool on the Lido deck?"

[memoak]

2 hours ago, ldtr said:

How about if they decided to eliminate the venue entirely and replace it with something different like another specialty restaraunt? Cruise lines make changes incidental to the main conditions of a booking all of the time same as airlines and hotels. Such changes are not frozen when a cruise booking is made any more than when a hotel reservation or an airline reservation.

 

Also this is one venue. With all kinds of included food still available including the major ones and even another pizza option. You might have a case if all include became extra charge or if even one of the main once such as the mdr or the buffet did.

 

These changes are more about changing behavior then the specific revenue.

 

Pretty clear that Princess wants

 

1 increase package sales

2 reduce room service orders by phone

with a potential for 

3. reduce of number of very low on board spend bookings that take up cabins thst might be booked by those with higher on board spending.

 

As far as I am concerned the changes may impact in a minor way some of my choices on board, but I will continue to be a customer with little on board spend except excursions often paid by OBC, because Princess still offers a far better value than the competition.

And to note on some ships they took out one pay to eat restaurant (leBistro) for another pay to eat (O’Malleys) and Bo one screamed “but I was promised that restaurant “

[SCX22]

8 minutes ago, caribill said:

OK, many posts saying that if you do not want to pay for room service or Alfredo's Pizza, you still have other free options.

 

But what would be your reaction if Princess instituted a nominal $9.99/person charge each time someone ate dinner in a main dining room?

 

Would your reaction be "that is OK since you can still get a free dinner at the buffet and free food at stands near the pool on the Lido deck?"

 

That's not a cruise vacation.  That's a ferry ride.

 

In all seriousness, EasyCruise, related to Europe's EasyJet, tried this concept.  They didn't last very long.

[B_A_H]

10 minutes ago, whitecap said:

I'm sorry, but you said, "since you're determined not to let go, here are your choices", were you speaking to me?  I didn't start this thread, I like the 20 or 30 or so others have simply added an opinion.  If you don't like the opinions being stated, don't read the damn thread.

So you're opting for option 5 I see.  My comments were meant to be general and just highlighting the futility of a bunch of people in a forum beating each other and Princess up by restating the same grievances over and over for 25 pages when the outcome is already foregone.  Carry on. 

[voljeep]

27 minutes ago, memoak said:

I assume you mean 2024 not 2034. History show that before plus packages existed there was a stand alone drink package that was unlimited that was changed to 15 drinks with little notice and I do not remember any huge uproar at that time

I didn't complain - I just told my wife we 'may' have to start paying for some of her drinks 😉

 

j/k - but the 1%'ers who drank their 15 plus - ok, I'll give them that - but anyone else who complained was sharing - simple as that.  And that package could be bought by one person in the cabin - actually, I 'guess' they can still do that?

[memoak]

8 minutes ago, voljeep said:

I didn't complain - I just told my wife we 'may' have to start paying for some of her drinks 😉

 

j/k - but the 1%'ers who drank their 15 plus - ok, I'll give them that - but anyone else who complained was sharing - simple as that.  And that package could be bought by one person in the cabin - actually, I 'guess' they can still do that?

Yes they can but if they share the could lose it and it costs more than the Plus fare. Only really useful if there is only 1 drinker in the stateroom and the other does Bo use coffee drinks or sodas 

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

OK, many posts saying that if you do not want to pay for room service or Alfredo's Pizza, you still have other free options.

 

But what would be your reaction if Princess instituted a nominal $9.99/person charge each time someone ate dinner in a main dining room?

 

Would your reaction be "that is OK since you can still get a free dinner at the buffet and free food at stands near the pool on the Lido deck?"

Ah another hypothetical.   Let's go to the absurd hypothetical level since they obviously have not made the MDR or the buffet charge for. Nor has any of their competition.  

 

Though back when they launched the first specialty dining venue you did have people raise the question of how long until all food was at a charge.

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, whitecap said:

Your post said "hot items" then you received a muffin.  That is a pretty big difference in my book.

but it's allowed. 😉  

 

it's still breakfast.

Edited August 18, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[whitecap]

47 minutes ago, B_A_H said:

So you're opting for option 5 I see.  My comments were meant to be general and just highlighting the futility of a bunch of people in a forum beating each other and Princess up by restating the same grievances over and over for 25 pages when the outcome is already foregone.  Carry on. 

If it were a general statement, you shouldn't have singled me out.  As for the "futility of a bunch of people", how do you think change comes about?  Should everyone just sit down and shut up?  Not my way of addressing issues.  Again, if this thread is bothering you so much and causing you just grief, stop reading it.  Have a nice rest of your day.

[cruising.mark.uk]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

But everyone that did not get a package does not get everything that they paid for if room service delivery is not free and sit down pizza is no longer free.

Yes they do get exactly what they paid for.  Where on their invoice does it say they've paid for free pizza at Alfredos and free room service?  What they paid for was access to a certain amount of free food and for the option to have room service. That is exactly what they're getting.  Entirely their choice if they want to pay for Alfredos rather than eat the huge variety of free food (including pizza) available to them.  And, entirely their choice if they want to pay for the convenience of room service.

[roadster08]

For those annoyed with others complaining about the changes, consider this.

 

The cost of cruising is going up for everyone and some people are being priced out of the ability to cruise. Some of them could barely afford their cruise before the changes and with the changes they are now in a situation where taking a cruise is a poor financial decision.  They could  even be stuck because they've already paid non-refundable money.

 

If you have no empathy for their predicament, maybe you should ask why are you engaging  in social media? The whole point is to help others. 

 

 

[SCX22]

4 minutes ago, roadster08 said:

For those annoyed with others complaining about the changes, consider this.

 

The cost of cruising is going up for everyone and some people are being priced out of the ability to cruise. Some of them could barely afford their cruise before the changes and with the changes they are now in a situation where taking a cruise is a poor financial decision.  They could  even be stuck because they've already paid non-refundable money.

 

If you have no empathy for their predicament, maybe you should ask why are you engaging  in social media? The whole point is to help others. 

 

 

 

First world problems.  Oh woe is me, can't afford a cruise!  Cruising, or going on a vacation for that matter, is a luxury.  Don't see how any one is stuck with with the Room Service/OceanNow/Alfredo's/Gigi's charge; if you can't afford the charge, don't use that amenity.  Plenty of other places to eat on the ship.  Oh woe is me, no one will bring my food to my exact location! 

[cruising.mark.uk]

43 minutes ago, roadster08 said:

If you have no empathy for their predicament, maybe you should ask why are you engaging  in social media? The whole point is to help others. 

 

 

It is easier to help people who wish to help themselves.  What many on here seem not to appreciate is that no-one is being forced by these changes to pay anything additional.  They will be able to enjoy a fantastic cruise experience for the cost they planned / budgeted.  All the changes have done is introduce some discretionary additional charges for one venue and some amenities.  Each and every cruiser can make an individual choice as to whether they wish to pay extra for that venue and those amenities or not.