Percentage of passengers with a 'Package'

[cclvr]

Another package question...so where is the "juice bar" or where can you get the juice throughout the day/evening and what kind of juice is included???

[rj59]

I haven't gotten so far, since as a solo cheapskate with a low alcohol tolerance, I don't feel the worth. As Elite, I get a minibar setup and half-price Internet also, and now that shareholder and military credits are combinable again, those usually cover gratuities and some drinks. If somebody cuts out a privilege in an effort to push me towards paying more, then I also rebel, so I'm not doing it just to get a few Alfredo's pizzas, and definitely not to get those caloric monstrosities they call premium desserts. II also find that unlimited internet for an entire cruise keeps me from unplugging and enjoying the seas and sunsets and books, so I actually don't want wifi for an entire cruise. Likewise, unlimited drinks encourages me to overindulge, so I don't enjoy the cruise or my food as much. I read an article today about how airlines use 'calculated misery' to create enough pain to get people to pay more, and I just don't like cruise lines doing the same and degrading the basic product, so that Plus becomes not just a bargain or convenience, but a way to get access to what has always been a free restaurant, and one that I always used as a reason for new cruisers to choose Princess. Taking away free room service and Ocean Now delivery also is removing a former benefit for all cruisers as a Plus privilege, and on principle I'm not going to reward Princess for taking away basic cruise privileges, since it only encourages them to remove more things to add to Plus or Premier. 

[1965]

On 10/17/2023 at 10:38 AM, voljeep said:

the non 'package'😄 posters on CC are way more likely to respond ...

Agree! DH & I are non pkg. 

[MissP22]

3 hours ago, rj59 said:

I haven't gotten so far, since as a solo cheapskate with a low alcohol tolerance, I don't feel the worth. As Elite, I get a minibar setup and half-price Internet also, and now that shareholder and military credits are combinable again, those usually cover gratuities and some drinks. If somebody cuts out a privilege in an effort to push me towards paying more, then I also rebel, so I'm not doing it just to get a few Alfredo's pizzas, and definitely not to get those caloric monstrosities they call premium desserts. II also find that unlimited internet for an entire cruise keeps me from unplugging and enjoying the seas and sunsets and books, so I actually don't want wifi for an entire cruise. Likewise, unlimited drinks encourages me to overindulge, so I don't enjoy the cruise or my food as much. I read an article today about how airlines use 'calculated misery' to create enough pain to get people to pay more, and I just don't like cruise lines doing the same and degrading the basic product, so that Plus becomes not just a bargain or convenience, but a way to get access to what has always been a free restaurant, and one that I always used as a reason for new cruisers to choose Princess. Taking away free room service and Ocean Now delivery also is removing a former benefit for all cruisers as a Plus privilege, and on principle I'm not going to reward Princess for taking away basic cruise privileges, since it only encourages them to remove more things to add to Plus or Premier. 

You and I are in the same boat, so to speak. 😁

I'm not rewarding them because they're forcing me to pay extra for what was once included. 

[Torfamm]

11 hours ago, cclvr said:

Another package question...so where is the "juice bar" or where can you get the juice throughout the day/evening and what kind of juice is included???

On the last couple of ships I was on it was at a pool bar only in the morning and they had a variety of fruit and vegetable combinations.

[cclvr]

9 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

On the last couple of ships I was on it was at a pool bar only in the morning and they had a variety of fruit and vegetable combinations.

Thank you...do you know if you can still get orange juice or cranberry juice served to you at the buffet for breakfast without the plus package?

[Torfamm]

7 minutes ago, cclvr said:

Thank you...do you know if you can still get orange juice or cranberry juice served to you at the buffet for breakfast without the plus package?

They definitely have orange juice in the buffet. I’m not sure what other varieties are available.

[MissP22]

14 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

They definitely have orange juice in the buffet. I’m not sure what other varieties are available.

I know they have a few other juices besides orange but the only thing we order is cranberry.

[Its the journey]

On 10/20/2023 at 1:34 AM, Cruisintimer said:

We just sailed on Discovery Princess and the customer service with the app was stellar.  We waited no more then ten minutes for drink service and even room service food and drink deliveries were timely, I think the longest we waited was maybe fifteen minutes.  Ocean Now is such a great asset to have preparing for the cruise and while onboard as well.

This has also been my experience on Discovery Princess.  My orders were timely and perfect in every way.  I had zero problems using the app on the ship.

 

I have had issues with the app prior to my trip, but never onboard.  And the food delivery is awesome!  Having had it, I can never go back to not having it, so I am a princess only person now 

[Cruisintimer]

55 minutes ago, Its the journey said:

This has also been my experience on Discovery Princess.  My orders were timely and perfect in every way.  I had zero problems using the app on the ship.

 

I have had issues with the app prior to my trip, but never onboard.  And the food delivery is awesome!  Having had it, I can never go back to not having it, so I am a princess only person now 

A happy, satisfied Princess customer...love it!  Happy cruising! 🚢

[hllwdcruiser]

Am I the only one who got tired of shlepping soda, bottled water and wine to the port? Unless I really wanted to bring an expensive bottle of vino onboard for a special celebration, I no longer feel the need to carry on bottles anymore.
We never got the alcohol package before when it was just that, but the Plus is a no brainer for us. We like the unlimited internet, take advantage of the coffees, indulge in a few drinks a day and grab bottles of water for our cabin.
Prior to Plus we used to get the coffee card and always paid for the gratuities up front. We used our free internet minutes, watching them carefully so we wouldn't go over. We also used most of our OBC to pay for whatever alcohol drinks were consumed, carefully watching our daily statements to avoid sticker shock at the end of the cruise. Now we use our OBC to indulge in things like the WMD or specialty dining. In the past, we didn't have enough OBC to cover any specialty dinners and had to pay at the end of the cruise. Now we often have credit left over and by our last day are looking for ways to spend it! 
We are not big drinkers, but with Plus I feel we either end up even or a little bit ahead.
That being said, in answer to the OP's original question. Doing the math, I think even moderate drinkers end up being ahead, so I would think a high percentage would choose Plus. Now Premier is a different question....

Edited October 23, 2023 by hllwdcruiser

[kywildcatfanone]

I saw on Celebrity forums they were estimating 75-80% had packages, which to me would seem to be pretty close, so I imagine it's the same with Princess.

[kywildcatfanone]

9 minutes ago, hllwdcruiser said:

Am I the only one who got tired of shlepping soda, bottled water and wine to the port?

I did this last week.  I took an extra bag and put my stuff in and put it on top of my carry on bag and attached it, and it wasn't bad.  That will be my norm with these drink prices. I can bring everything I want for a week for about $30 instead of buying a package, but I get why people want the convenience of paying for packages.

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, hllwdcruiser said:

We are not big drinkers, but with Plus I feel we either end up even or a little bit ahead.

The important thing is that you feel as though you got a deal & are happy with the package.

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, kywildcatfanone said:

I did this last week.  I took an extra bag and put my stuff in and put it on top of my carry on bag and attached it, and it wasn't bad.  That will be my norm with these drink prices. I can bring everything I want for a week for about $30 instead of buying a package, but I get why people want the convenience of paying for packages.

Same with us. We drink inexpensive wine and would hate to have to pay a corkage charge that's more than the wine costs off the shelf. We just get refills at all the distant ports. 

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

The important thing is that you feel as though you got a deal & are happy with the package.

we don't "feel" we got a deal - we know we did

[MissP22]

Just now, voljeep said:

we don't "feel" we got a deal - we know we did

It's all in the eyes of the beholder. 

[voljeep]

Just now, MissP22 said:

It's all in the eyes of the beholder. 

yes - the beholder - noone else - not me for sure

[Cruisintimer]

1 hour ago, hllwdcruiser said:

Am I the only one who got tired of shlepping soda, bottled water and wine to the port? Unless I really wanted to bring an expensive bottle of vino onboard for a special celebration, I no longer feel the need to carry on bottles anymore.
We never got the alcohol package before when it was just that, but the Plus is a no brainer for us. We like the unlimited internet, take advantage of the coffees, indulge in a few drinks a day and grab bottles of water for our cabin.
Prior to Plus we used to get the coffee card and always paid for the gratuities up front. We used our free internet minutes, watching them carefully so we wouldn't go over. We also used most of our OBC to pay for whatever alcohol drinks were consumed, carefully watching our daily statements to avoid sticker shock at the end of the cruise. Now we use our OBC to indulge in things like the WMD or specialty dining. In the past, we didn't have enough OBC to cover any specialty dinners and had to pay at the end of the cruise. Now we often have credit left over and by our last day are looking for ways to spend it! 
We are not big drinkers, but with Plus I feel we either end up even or a little bit ahead.
That being said, in answer to the OP's original question. Doing the math, I think even moderate drinkers end up being ahead, so I would think a high percentage would choose Plus. Now Premier is a different question....

Nope you are not alone.  We just started purchasing the plus package and it is great boarding and not having to worry about a thing, everything is included and paid for.  We watched a couple do a mathematical breakdown of the costs and value on YouTube (both engineers) and decided right then to not hassle with trying to do all the things you listed above as well.  Happy sailing!

[kywildcatfanone]

20 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Same with us. We drink inexpensive wine and would hate to have to pay a corkage charge that's more than the wine costs off the shelf. We just get refills at all the distant ports. 

You would have to drink quite a bit to make these packages worth it, but like I said, there is a convenience factor that a lot of people enjoy and that is certainly fine.  

[hllwdcruiser]

36 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

The important thing is that you feel as though you got a deal & are happy with the package.

@MissP22 Haha - I haven't been on this site for quite a while due to personal reasons. In the past you and I have agreed on more topics than not, but I guess I should have chosen my wording more carefully. 
When I went on this site and saw all the changes, and then went on Princess to book a cruise, I have to admit I was a tad dismayed. Wait, what? They are starting to charge for things that were originally free? The Plus is now $20 more pp, pd than it was before? I know I don't have to go into the details.
Still, I did the math and realized that we were within $5-$10 dollars a day for both of us on Plus as opposed to Standard. Seriously? A difference of, at most, $100 total for the both of us for a 10 day cruise??
For us it's a no brainer. A glass of wine with every dinner, maybe splurge with some Harveys in my morning coffee from the IC....the freedom to make choices without having to worry about that credit card bill at the end of the month.
Instead of "feel", I should have said "know".
I know that you choose Standard and are happy with your choice. To that I say, "Good For You!" Isn't it great that Princess offers us so many choices on how we cruise with them?
Excuse me while I get my sea legs back as I navigate this site once again. I forgot how literal some on here can be! The latter said with absolutely no ill will.😉

[MissP22]

22 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

You would have to drink quite a bit to make these packages worth it, but like I said, there is a convenience factor that a lot of people enjoy and that is certainly fine.  

It's not only that point but including things that many people don't really need, like unlimited internet, those ridiculous desserts, exercise lessons, having medallions mailed and even including not having to pay to use their medallion. 😄

All totally unnecessary. 

[MissP22]

2 minutes ago, hllwdcruiser said:

@MissP22 Haha - I haven't been on this site for quite a while due to personal reasons. In the past you and I have agreed on more topics than not, but I guess I should have chosen my wording more carefully. 
When I went on this site and saw all the changes, and then went on Princess to book a cruise, I have to admit I was a tad dismayed. Wait, what? They are starting to charge for things that were originally free? The Plus is now $20 more pp, pd than it was before? I know I don't have to go into the details.
Still, I did the math and realized that we were within $5-$10 dollars a day for both of us on Plus as opposed to Standard. Seriously? A difference of, at most, $100 total for the both of us for a 10 day cruise??
For us it's a no brainer. A glass of wine with every dinner, maybe splurge with some Harveys in my morning coffee from the IC....the freedom to make choices without having to worry about that credit card bill at the end of the month.
Instead of "feel", I should have said "know".
I know that you choose Standard and are happy with your choice. To that I say, "Good For You!" Isn't it great that Princess offers us so many choices on how we cruise with them?
Excuse me while I get my sea legs back as I navigate this site once again. I forgot how literal some on here can be! The latter said with absolutely no ill will.😉

Agreed. Choices are great, no doubt about it. 

[hllwdcruiser]

2 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

It's not only that point but including things that many people don't really need, like unlimited internet, those ridiculous desserts, exercise lessons, having medallions mailed and even including not having to pay to use their medallion. 😄

All totally unnecessary. 

I, for one won't be taking part in the exercise classes, the ridiculous desserts (well, I might just try one) and I don't care about the medallion being sent to me. 
None of those factored in to us deciding that it made more financial sense for us to go with the Plus than the Standard. It is annoying that Princess is marketing them as a benefit, but that's a discussion on a different thread.

[Its the journey]

4 hours ago, hllwdcruiser said:

I, for one won't be taking part in the exercise classes, the ridiculous desserts (well, I might just try one) and I don't care about the medallion being sent to me. 
None of those factored in to us deciding that it made more financial sense for us to go with the Plus than the Standard. It is annoying that Princess is marketing them as a benefit, but that's a discussion on a different thread.

For some of us, those things are useful 

 

The exercise courses they are offering on board are the same ones I do at home.  Stretchlab, pure barre, yogasix.  And for me knowing I can go to exercise class and keep my daily routine is worth an extra 20 per day (to get premier over plus).

 

I also love gelato and usually spent at least ten dollars a day on gelato creations before it was included 

 

So I think I'm the one they had in mind with the new packages.

 

Sorry everyone 

 

I hate the mailing medallion thing though.  My mail often gets misdelivered and I prefer to pick my medallion up at the port.  They do not encourage that though 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Its the journey
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