Is it worth it to upgrade from Plus to Premier?

[KEG306]

We are booked on the Island Princess 14 day Panama Canal cruise for January 4th.  We currently have the Plus Package, but every time I go on the online chat to get questions answered the Princess reps are constantly pushing an upgrade to the Premier Package.  For $20 per person per day to upgrade, it doesn't sound like a bad deal.  Seems I remember the price difference being significantly more when we booked.  Has anyone upgraded?  Was it worth it?  The additional dining options sound interesting, but being that this is an older/smaller ship are there many additional options available.  Thanks.

 

[memoak]

2 minutes ago, KEG306 said:

We are booked on the Island Princess 14 day Panama Canal cruise for January 4th.  We currently have the Plus Package, but every time I go on the online chat to get questions answered the Princess reps are constantly pushing an upgrade to the Premier Package.  For $20 per person per day to upgrade, it doesn't sound like a bad deal.  Seems I remember the price difference being significantly more when we booked.  Has anyone upgraded?  Was it worth it?  The additional dining options sound interesting, but being that this is an older/smaller ship are there many additional options available.  Thanks.

 

It all depends on what you are going to use. On the Island there will not be a lot of casual dining options. If you drink a lot of upscale wines or like to have a lot of pictures taken then you may want to consider it. For us it does not work but the plus does since most of the drinks we like are included in the plus package. We may eat a casual meal or 2 but only if we don’t care for that nights menu. We sail in suites so one specialty dinner is included. also after 50 plus cruises we do not need any more pictures at all The price difference of $20 per day per person is what it has been for quite awhile 

[Auntiejo]

It totally depends on how you cruise. Some people get no package at all, others get Plus, others get Premiere. In our case, we had Plus and Upgraded to Premiere because we do Specialty Dining for at least half of our cruise, we always order premium wines, we need a multi device internet package because we run a business, we get lattes every day and we utilize the casual dining venues quite a bit. So for us it makes sense. 

 

You have to decide if it makes sense for you taking into account if the added items that come w/ Premiere are things you care about and will utilize enough to justify the added expense. Many here will weigh in on why it's a rip off, or why it's a great package - but it's really an individual decision based on what you care about when you cruise.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Auntiejo

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, Auntiejo said:

It totally depends on how you cruise. Some people get no package at all, others get Plus, others get Premiere. In our case, we had Plus and Upgraded to Premiere because we do Specialty Dining for at least half of our cruise, we always order premium wines, we need a solid internet package because we run a business, we get lattes every day and we utilize the casual dining venues quite a bit. So for us it makes sense. 

 

You have to decide if it makes sense for you taking into account if the added items that come w/ Premiere are things you care about and will utilize enough to justify the added expense. Many here will weigh in on why it's a rip off, or why it's a great package - but it's really an individual decision based on what you care about when you cruise.

Just curious the premier package gives you a 4 device internet connect rather than the one on plus but as far as I know it is the same internet 

[Auntiejo]

3 minutes ago, memoak said:

Just curious the premier package gives you a 4 device internet connect rather than the one on plus but as far as I know it is the same internet 

Yes you're correct! I didn't mean to indicate Premiere comes w/ better internet speeds. I was referring to # of devices due to our having to do some work while away. But I see why you interpreted it that way due to my wording choice. I'll update my post.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Auntiejo

[SargassoPirate]

24 minutes ago, KEG306 said:

We are booked on the Island Princess 14 day Panama Canal cruise for January 4th.  We currently have the Plus Package, but every time I go on the online chat to get questions answered the Princess reps are constantly pushing an upgrade to the Premier Package.  For $20 per person per day to upgrade, it doesn't sound like a bad deal.  Seems I remember the price difference being significantly more when we booked.  Has anyone upgraded?  Was it worth it?  The additional dining options sound interesting, but being that this is an older/smaller ship are there many additional options available.  Thanks.

 

Consider this - if they are pushing it so much, to who's benefit is it?

[memoak]

16 minutes ago, Auntiejo said:

Yes you're correct! I didn't mean to indicate Premiere comes w/ better internet speeds. I was referring to # of devices due to our having to do some work while away. But I see why you interpreted it that way due to my wording choice. I'll update my post.

Personally I can only use one device at a time. I guess I don’t multi task as well as I used to since I retired. LOL

[MustangGT]

12 minutes ago, memoak said:

Personally I can only use one device at a time. I guess I don’t multi task as well as I used to since I retired. LOL

You got your @memoak back!! 👏👏👏

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

I always get Premier. I drink the more expensive wines and spirits and for that along it is worth the extra money to me. The 4 internet devices is useful too as I have a laptop, a tablet and a phone and having the 4 saves me from having to constantly log out and log in on the other device. Then we love the pics and even if we didn't have Premier we would still get some pics so having the package means we can have pics taken at every opportunity without worrying about cost. We would have at least 2 speciality dining meals anyway. Princess prizes is just a bit of fun... until you win $250 as I did! 

 

All in all for us Premier is without doubt worth it over Plus but that is me... YMMV quite a bit!

[wallyj]

@KEG306, the Island Princess has very limited Casual Dining. I think the only option is a pop up limited menu Alfredo’s in Sabatini’s during lunch on Sea days? No International cafe. Its size allows passage thru the old/original locks. For 2 passengers that would be an additional $560. Do you see getting that much extra value for your 14 days?

[memoak]

33 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

You got your @memoak back!! 👏👏👏

Yes it feels good to be myself again 

[Cruise Raider]

We almost always now upgrade to the premier package on the Royal class ships but not sure if I would bother to do so on the older ships that don’t have the limited casual dining.  I would only do so if the cruise was 7 days or less.  
I’ve read that some ships without Ocean Terrace might be adding a sushi lunch to their menu on port days.  I don’t know much about the pop up lunch in Sabatini’s but will certainly be looking into that as we do have some short cruises with the premier package included.  

[c-boy]

"Consider this - if they are pushing it so much, to who's benefit is it?"

 

Both, and that can be a good thing.

[Torfamm]

For me, it’s all about the wine cost. If you normally have three $22 glasses a day, it’s probably worth it. If you normally drink beer or cocktails, maybe not.

 

I think a lot also can depend on the length of the cruise. We just had a 4 night leg between two14 day itineraries on a B2B2B The $80 each value was there just for the two specialty dinners if that’s something you might want to do. For that cruise, we’d have been crazy not to get it

[memoak]

12 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

For me, it’s all about the wine cost. If you normally have three $22 glasses a day, it’s probably worth it. If you normally drink beer or cocktails, maybe not.

 

I think a lot also can depend on the length of the cruise. We just had a 4 night leg between two14 day itineraries on a B2B2B The $80 each value was there just for the two specialty dinners if that’s something you might want to do. For that cruise, we’d have been crazy not to get it

U less you are in a suite where you already have 1 free specialty dinner

[Torfamm]

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

U less you are in a suite where you already have 1 free specialty dinner

Good point. Then it goes back to being all about the wine 😎

[memoak]

4 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

Good point. Then it goes back to being all about the wine 😎

The most expensive wine I ever order is about $18 a glass and just a few times per cruise. I am more likely to drink mixed drinks before and after dinner and sometimes buy a bottle of wine with the 25% discount I get with plus package

[hotdogworm]

10 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

Consider this - if they are pushing it so much, to who's benefit is it?

On every call the reps are required (marked down on their QA if your call is one that they listen to) to upsell something.  Sometimes it's very hard to get that upsell in so reps usually have a "go-to" upsell that they offer to everyone they can, Plus to Premier is an easy one to offer.

[memoak]

55 minutes ago, hotdogworm said:

On every call the reps are required (marked down on their QA if your call is one that they listen to) to upsell something.  Sometimes it's very hard to get that upsell in so reps usually have a "go-to" upsell that they offer to everyone they can, Plus to Premier is an easy one to offer.

Just like do many sales jobs I had. So glad to be retired 

[MissP22]

On 11/21/2023 at 12:31 PM, SargassoPirate said:

Consider this - if they are pushing it so much, to who's benefit is it?

I think the people at Princess sales dept. could sell ice to Eskimos.

[2and2]

Here is my take as a retired blue collar factory worker. I have worked 56 hours work weeks for the past 40 years. I go on a cruise about once every two years. If I want to get a top shelf drink or have a top quality fillet mignon at a fine dinning restaurant while on vacation, I do not even want it to cross my mind if I can afford it or not. I am going to get it. I do not want to even worry or think about my final total cruise cost. I know doing the math after the fact, I probably don't come out on top, but darn it, I earned that gelato that we had to walk by during all those years of hard work.

          My answer is a big 401k withdrawal YES.

[Cruise Raider]

9 minutes ago, 2and2 said:

Here is my take as a retired blue collar factory worker. I have worked 56 hours work weeks for the past 40 years. I go on a cruise about once every two years. If I want to get a top shelf drink or have a top quality fillet mignon at a fine dinning restaurant while on vacation, I do not even want it to cross my mind if I can afford it or not. I am going to get it. I do not want to even worry or think about my final total cruise cost. I know doing the math after the fact, I probably don't come out on top, but darn it, I earned that gelato that we had to walk by during all those years of hard work.

          My answer is a big 401k withdrawal YES.

Because some of us realize we are not taking it with us.  
Even the beneficiaries of our trust tell us to spend it all on ourselves now.  
I want the nicer wines and restaurants.  So, like you, why not?  
and maybe not like you but I’d rather have the nicer things when I’m out of my room than spend a ton on my accommodations.  Heck, I’d even stay in an inside cabin if my DH could handle it.  
 

[Steelers36]

11 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I think the people at Princess sales dept. could sell ice to Eskimos.

At least they try their darndest.

[Cruise Raider]

18 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

At least they try their darndest.

They are not hard sell about it … if you think they are, you haven’t been to Vegas lately.  The eye cream and the timeshare salespersons are relentless there.  😆 

 

I, for one, find great value in the premier package.  We love our meals at the casual dining venues, as well as the specialty dining.  I’m big on photos, always have been and always will be.  I like the reserved seating, too. And my cousin won a lot of the Princess Prizes .. that’s always fun.  I really like getting nicer wines.  
So, for us, it worth it.  

 

[Hlitner]

11 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I think the people at Princess sales dept. could sell ice to Eskimos.

Those of us who routinely use cruise/travel agents not only get all kinds of extra on board credits, but we are deprived with having to listen to the Princess reps.  Very sad :).