Your cost of "non-included" dining is going up...

[coo359a2]

On 12/1/2023 at 2:43 PM, nzOdy said:

Here's another gotcha I've never noticed before,  not to say it's not always been there,  just never had reason to notice it.

 

On or last cruise we chose to eat at Sabatinis while docked in San Diego. To my surprise, as well as the speciality dining cover charge,  there was local San Diego sales tax added.

 

So lesson learned for me,  if you want to save that tax payment,  don't eat specialty while in port!!

 

Same thing happened to us when we were docked at Boston.  Had dinner at 5:30 in the Crown Grill and had the local tax show up as a separate line item on our stateroom account.

[MissP22]

12 hours ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

I booked my 2 dinners with the premier and then booked and paid for 2 others.  Since the bill is zero for both, so they now hand me a bill for 18% for the other 2 dinners?  

Possibly it might be built into the computer program to do it automatically?

[deliver42]

There are ports that require sales tax on the ship. This pertains to all cruise lines. It happens in Galveston, and I believe, in Miami. Even if you have a drink package, the tax is added in the ports, and shows on your statement.

[Abercrombie2019]

15 hours ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

 

https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/onboard-experience/food-and-dining/specialty-restaurants

 

Specialty restaurant cover charges applies. Specialty restaurants, pricing, and menu items vary by ship and are subject to change. All food and beverages, including cover charges, are subject to an 18% service charge which will be added to your check.

It always amazes me that the people who run the Princess website don’t update all the information at the same time when a major policy is changed.  TheOnboard FAQ still shows 17% gratuity baked into the cost of specialty dining.  

https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/onboard-experience

 

Crew Appreciation and Service Charge Policy.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Abercrombie2019

[Cruise Raider]

18 minutes ago, Abercrombie2019 said:

It always amazes me that the people who run the Princess website don’t update all the information at the same time when a major policy is changed.  TheOnboard FAQ still shows 17% gratuity baked into the cost of specialty dining.  

https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/onboard-experience

 

Crew Appreciation and Service Charge Policy.

 

 

I just followed your link and I found this.  

 

 

[Abercrombie2019]

41 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

 

I just followed your link and I found this.  

 

 

 

Hi @Cruise Raider, I think that you hit the link in the post from "host CJSKIDS" that I was quoting.  If you hit the link lower down in my response, it will take you to the Onboard FAQ for "Crew Appreciation and Service Charge Policy" which still shows the gratuity baked into the cost of the specialty dining at a rate of 17%.

 

https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/onboard-experience

 

The last line of "Crew Appreciation" is a link to a summary of all of the gratuities that you can be charged onboard.

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Abercrombie2019

[t&atravel]

Just now, Abercrombie2019 said:

Hi @Cruise Raider, I think that you hit the link in the post from "host CJSKIDS" that I was quoting.  If you hit the link lower down in my response, it will take you to the Onboard FAQ for "Crew Appreciation and Service Charge Policy" which still shows the gratuity baked into the cost of the specialty dining at a rate of 17%.

 

 

@Cruise Raider In addition to what @Abercrombie2019 says above if you drill down to a couple of the menus only the casual dining shows the addition of the 18% in the fine print on the last page.  The SD menus do not.  The service charge for those has always been built in to the cost.  It’s possible that the 18% is just new for the casual and not the SD. I can’t remember if that verbiage has always been there. We will have to wait for reports onboard of what is actually happening.

 

 

 

 

menu-sabatinis-trattoria.pdf.coredownload.inline.pdf Salty-Dog-Menu.pdf.coredownload.inline.pdf

[dog]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:36 PM, cruisedoctor said:

Princess has found a way of increasing YOUR cost of dining in a SPECIALTY or CASUAL DINING restaurant, without raising the cover charge.  In the past, the cover charge included the gratuity, (although you could leave an additional amount if you felt the service warranted it).  That is changing, as an 18% service fee will now be added to "a la carte paid food" NOT part of a Princess Plus or Premiere Package.  Here is the notice sent to the travel agent community today.  

 

What's new on board

Gratuities now added for a la carte paid food & beverage items To better align with the rest of the cruise industry, Princess is adding an 18% service charge to all paid food and beverage items and experiences, including specialty and casual dining. This would apply for guests who book with Princess Standard fares. Guests sailing with Princess Plus or Princess Premier, however, will not incur the new charges on items included in their packages, such as casual dining, premium desserts and specialty dining (Premier only). Just another reason it pays to Plus (and Premier)!

 They make it sound like this isn't going to effect the passengers with the Plus or Premier packages.  But, it does if those package holders exceed the number of meals that are included in their package. 

 

It would be nice to see the entire wording- it is cut off on my screen.

 

i have Standard- so this extra charge will apply to SD.

Those with packages may not have to pay this, or does that only include the 2 dinners in their package?

Still confusing.

 

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, dog said:

It would be nice to see the entire wording- it is cut off on my screen.

 

i have Standard- so this extra charge will apply to SD.

Those with packages may not have to pay this, or does that only include the 2 dinners in their package?

Still confusing.

 

It is included on the items included in their package.  So, anything beyond two specialty dinners if you have the premier package, but casual dining is unlimited so, no extra charges for that.  

With the plus package, anything beyond the two included casual meal will incur a service charge and any specialty dining will also incur a charge.  
 

Standard fare will automatically incur a charge in all specialty and casual dining venues and although not specifically stated, probably the food ordered via the app that already has a charge attached, such as pizza, sushi, steaks, etc.  

Edited December 3, 2023 by Cruise Raider

[JF - retired RRT]

On 11/30/2023 at 8:52 PM, startedwithamouse said:

Do you ever leave a specialty restaurant without leaving a tip? Sounds like it's just going to be included in the 18%. 

Yeah, in the past we gave cash to our waiter to increase the "included" tip. Now, we won't.

[startedwithamouse]

2 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Yeah, in the past we gave cash to our waiter to increase the "included" tip. Now, we won't.

Same. It works out to the just about the same amount.

[memoak]

46 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

It's only getting what you've already paid for. Some people like to order a drink, take a sip and leave it on the table.

What's the difference?

So when I order a meal at Alfredo’s and walk half of it across the piazza and hand it to a stranger that is ok ?  

 

[memoak]

47 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

It's only getting what you've already paid for. Some people like to order a drink, take a sip and leave it on the table.

What's the difference?

The difference is the bartender is going to take that drink and dump it not offer it to someone else

[Incognito1]

On 12/1/2023 at 10:47 AM, Italy52 said:

If, Princess were to drop the standard fare option we would turn to another line.  We have done comparison shopping before and we would have no qualms about jumping ship.  We have cruised various lines many times and we are not loyal to any one of them as we are itinerary driven cruisers.

We're pretty loyal and Princess is definitely our first choice.  BUT we rarely drink and we prefer to tip on our own.  If the standard fare dropped, we're close enough to status on RCCL that we'd probably move over.

[MissP22]

49 minutes ago, memoak said:

So when I order a meal at Alfredo’s and walk half of it across the piazza and hand it to a stranger that is ok ?  

 

Why not have that person join you for dinner?

 

48 minutes ago, memoak said:

The difference is the bartender is going to take that drink and dump it not offer it to someone else

Now that's wasteful. Someone could enjoy it and no one has touched it anyway. 

[startedwithamouse]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Only if they don't see you.

Not surprised one bit with this response. 

[MissP22]

16 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Not surprised one bit with this response. 

You would be surprised how many others in our group shared.... my guess is many others did the same. 

[Potstech]

As long as passengers keep paying all these add on fees and price increases the powers that be will keep coming up with new ones. Keep supporting them as they take more and more of your money. 

[hllwdcruiser]

9 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

You would be surprised how many others in our group shared.... my guess is many others did the same. 

Unless it is blatantly abused, I don't think Princess really cares. They make so much money on these packages. We never sail with anyone so we haven't shared, but we have witnessed it occurring quite often, even in front of staff. We never come close to the 15 drink limit, but with coffee, bottled water and juices we make it work for us. Princess definitely makes bank on us!

Edited December 4, 2023 by hllwdcruiser

[MissP22]

19 minutes ago, hllwdcruiser said:

Unless it is blatantly abused, I don't think Princess really cares. They make so much money on these packages. We never sail with anyone so we haven't shared, but we have witnessed it occurring quite often, even in front of staff. We never come close to the 15 drink limit, but with coffee, bottled water and juices we make it work for us. Princess definitely makes bank on us!

Even if you hit the max of 15 drinks they're still coming out ahead. If they weren't, they would lower the count to 12 or 10.

Last trip we only had the soda package and managed to score a few freebies from friends. 

[startedwithamouse]

12 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Yes, you are correct. 

End of discussion.

So why do you laugh at my post AFTER saying End of discussion?

 

You think it's funny to not follow the rules you agreed to when purchasing the cruise don't apply to you?

 

When you steal, the costs go up for everyone. 

Edited December 4, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

So why do you laugh at my post AFTER saying End of discussion?

 

You think it's funny to not follow the rules you agreed to when purchasing the cruise don't apply to you?

 

When you steal, the costs go up for everyone. 

So if sharing drinks is ok now do you have any problem with me sharing them with under aged folks. After all it’s just a rule right ?

[startedwithamouse]

19 minutes ago, memoak said:

So if sharing drinks is ok now do you have any problem with me sharing them with under aged folks. After all it’s just a rule right ?

Your question is for @MissP22

Edited December 4, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[MissP22]

11 minutes ago, memoak said:

So if sharing drinks is ok now do you have any problem with me sharing them with under aged folks. After all it’s just a rule right ?

Sure, why not. You've paid for them upfront & it's not my concern what you do with them.

As far as the costs are concerned, since you've already paid for them it shouldn't make any difference to Princess's profits as all.

It's expected that people will maximize the package to the fullest +. 

And if you don't, then they make more only because you haven't done so. It's equivalent to leaving OBC on the ship unused, which we never do. 

[tserface]

On 12/2/2023 at 2:58 PM, Steelers36 said:

So, I have read this thread and nothing else on the subject.  Perhaps not everyone was aware, but all special dining (by that I mean "for-a-fee" dining) has a baked in gratuity.  Has always been the case.

 

Is it being suggested that a meal in CG will now cost $39 + 18%?  PCL is already doing industry standard by including a gratuity.  Why not just raise the price to $46/pp and continue doing things the way they have been?

 

If there is a price increase, I just see it as a price increase and nothing else.  It just a marketing trick so they can advertise a SD meal at $39 and put the 18% in the teeny fine print.

 

Does anyone know for certain what exactly is happening?

It sounds like this is what they are doing.  It's a little sneaky, but, basically, they are removing the gratuity from the cover charge and adding it after the fact.  That, effectively, removes the gratuity from the specialty restaurant price and raises the price by $6/pp.  Then they add 18% service charge on top of that $39.

 

So, they did raise the price of the specialty dinners, by around 36%, they're just being kind of sneaky about it.

Edited December 4, 2023 by tserface