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

[donswife]

2 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Take your own liquor... OMG! Why would anyone do that! To save a few cents? In the scale of the cost of a cruise I really think that is cheap-skating to the highest degree.

Maybe the elite mini bar bottles? Custom drink.

[Cruise Raider]

Just now, Abercrombie2019 said:

I keep having to check what the topic of this thread is.  "Your cost of non-included dining is going up".  Not really supposed to be about packages or drinks.

Guilty as charged .. I respond and don’t always look at the title of the thread.  I will try to be more careful in the future, as you are correct.  It just got hijacked.  
 

[Abercrombie2019]

1 minute ago, Cruise Raider said:

Guilty as charged .. I respond and don’t always look at the title of the thread.  I will try to be more careful in the future, as you are correct.  It just got hijacked.  
 

All of the threads seem to drift.  It happens.

[memoak]

If this is all about casual dining then I don’t even have a horse in the race. I sail mostly on ships that never had any included casual dining except for small tapas at Vines. The last time we were on a Royal class ship every casual venue was jam packed and there were waits of up to an hour or more for Alfredo’s and even a long wait for the sushi bar with ala carte pricing

[Abercrombie2019]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

If this is all about casual dining then I don’t even have a horse in the race. I sail mostly on ships that never had any included casual dining except for small tapas at Vines. The last time we were on a Royal class ship every casual venue was jam packed and there were waits of up to an hour or more for Alfredo’s and even a long wait for the sushi bar with ala carte pricing

Casual Dining and Specialty Dining.

[memoak]

1 minute ago, Abercrombie2019 said:

Casual Dining and Specialty Dining.

Specialty dining has never been part of included on most cruises I have ever taken. If you are referring to price increases for special dining what restaurant in your area has the same prices they did 10 or 20 years ago

[Abercrombie2019]

24 minutes ago, memoak said:

Specialty dining has never been part of included on most cruises I have ever taken. If you are referring to price increases for special dining what restaurant in your area has the same prices they did 10 or 20 years ago

The thread is about how the price of specialty dining used to have 17% gratuity built in.  Now there is an 18% charge on top of the price of specialty dining.  
 

I’m referring to the topic of this thread.

[kamelia]

2 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Yes. You might pay a similar price at any quality hotel.

 

You cannot simply compare local prices against a quality hotel or a cruise ship. Remember, this is equivalent to a quality hotel... not your local supermarket!

I don't think the pricing could/should be comparable, just pointing out that the numbers reflect a significant difference.  I'm quite happy to pay upcharges for wine as well as specialty dining as part of being on a Princess cruise.  😉

[Abercrombie2019]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

The $7 extra for eating at Sabatini’s I s well worth it especially when you look at the prices on other cruise lines. Way back when there were no crew appreciation charges either. Nothing stays the same forever. With the advent of drink packages my costs have gone way down since zi don’t have to pay individually for 10+ drinks like I used to 
 

I have no real problem with Princess raising the prices and indicating it on their website.  I can decide to purchase or not based on an informed decision.  What I have a problem with is purchasing the Specialty Dining months in advance on the app (when the gratuity was baked into the cover charge) and then getting on the ship and being charged 18% more.

 

I also have a problem with the fact that Princess has not adjusted the gratuity policy in all locations on their website.  They seem to have changed the wording on the page for "Specialty Dining" but they have not changed the Onboard Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).  It still shows that the gratuity is 17% and baked into the cover charge.

 

Just looking for fairness and consistency (and feel like I'm screaming at windmills).

Edited December 8, 2023 by Abercrombie2019

[MacMadame]

6 hours ago, MissP22 said:

As long as you're happy parting with your hard earned dollars Princess will be happy to accommodate you.

We find that there's still enough free things available on Princess to satisfy our style, not feeling denied if we don't spring for the once included casual dining, specialty restaurants or overpriced drinks.

They aren't free though. You paid for them in your cruise fare. So you are also parting with your hard-earned dollars just like everyone else. You just aren't paying for more stuff that you don't want. Other people want it, so they pay for it.

 

This idea that people who buy packages and/or use the extra amenities are the only ones that Princess is profiting from and so are suckers is just strange to me. Do people really think that Princess isn't making money on every Standard fare they sell? I find it hard to believe they are selling those fares at a loss or even just at cost.

 

6 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Well, I would question whether the drinks are overpriced.

They are about what I pay on vacation and even around where I live. (I don't drink bottles of wine or generally wine at all unless it's free, just cocktails.)

 

Even with this new 18% on top, I find the specialty restaurant charges to be less than what I pay at home (let alone while on vacation) and are a good deal. I particularly like that they are a cover charge so I can order what I want without worrying about how high the bill will get. (Dessert can really push the total over the top IME.)

 

3 hours ago, Abercrombie2019 said:

All of the threads seem to drift.  It happens.

Thread drift is life! LOL

[cruisedoctor]

UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL POSTING

The following appeared yesterday in Princess' "Customer Support Knowledge Base" regarding the new 18% Service charge.  (Looks like someone at Princess has been following this thread and decided to address some of our concerns.)

 

(1)  Guests sailing in Australia with AUD currency will not see an 18% service charge. However, there will be an increase in price on select food and beverage items and experiences.

 

(2) *At this time, the service charge will not be charged for the 360 Experience. 

 

(3)  This will be rolling out Fleetwide, based on Turnaround Day, beginning December 1, 2023. 

 

(4)  Guest who have prepaid/pre reserved pre cruise or have a special service voucher before December 1st will not be charged the 18% service charge

 

(5)  Guest who have prepaid/pre reserved pre cruise or have a special service voucher after December 1st will be charged the 18% service charge onboard

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by cruisedoctor
correct error

[dog]

1 hour ago, cruisedoctor said:

UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL POSTING

The following appeared yesterday in Princess' "Customer Support Knowledge Base" regarding the new 18% Service charge.  (Looks like someone at Princess has been following this thread and decided to address some of our concerns.)

 

(1)  Guests sailing in Australia with AUD currency will not see an 18% service charge. However, there will be an increase in price on select food and beverage items and experiences.

 

(2) *At this time, the service charge will not be charged for the 360 Experience. 

 

(3)  This will be rolling out Fleetwide, based on Turnaround Day, beginning December 1, 2023. 

 

(4)  Guest who have prepaid/pre reserved pre cruise or have a special service voucher before December 1st will not be charged the 18% service charge

 

(5)  Guest who have prepaid/pre reserved pre cruise or have a special service voucher after December 1st will be charged the 18% service charge onboard

 

Thanks 

can you post a link to Princess where this update comes from?

 

[cruisedoctor]

18 minutes ago, dog said:

Thanks 

can you post a link to Princess where this update comes from?

 

Unfortunately, I can't.  As this comes from a Princess website only available to travel agents/agencies.

 

[CruizinSusan70]

On 12/8/2023 at 9:43 AM, Snaxmuppet said:

Well, I would question whether the drinks are overpriced.

 

Take a typical cocktail... on Princess say, margarita at $12...

 

Looking at financebuzz.com the average cost for a margarita in New Jersey is $12.20... Arizona £11.95... California $11.85.

 

I realise that these are to top prices in the USA but when you consider that you are on a ship, with loads of crew, and it is still cheaper than the most you would pay in the USA then I don't consider that overpriced.

 

It is easy to knock Princess pricing... until you actually research it and then balance it up against where you are and what you are getting for your money... then it is less clear-cut  🙂 

 

 

They're not.  Especially if you purchase the Plus package.  But teetotalers have a different view of things.

[CruizinSusan70]

On 12/7/2023 at 2:30 PM, Potstech said:

 

Keep enjoying your more expensive cruises.

 

46 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

I will infer that you're a frugal cruiser.  What type of cabin do you stay in?

 

5 minutes ago, Potstech said:

Balcony or Deluxe balcony.

Well, we stay in an inside cabin and pay extra for the plus package.  You stay in a balcony or deluxe balcony cabin and spend zero on packages.

When you factor everything together, you should be enjoying your more expensive cruises since you're paying more for your type of cabin compared to our basic inside cabin, which we are very happy with, combined with the Plus package, which we're even more happy with.

So, unless you're getting your cabins comped by the casino, you're paying more for your vacation.  Happy cruising.

[jagoffee]

On 12/8/2023 at 11:19 PM, cruisedoctor said:

UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL POSTING

The following appeared yesterday in Princess' "Customer Support Knowledge Base" regarding the new 18% Service charge.  (Looks like someone at Princess has been following this thread and decided to address some of our concerns.)

 

(1)  Guests sailing in Australia with AUD currency will not see an 18% service charge. However, there will be an increase in price on select food and beverage items and experiences.

 

(2) *At this time, the service charge will not be charged for the 360 Experience. 

 

(3)  This will be rolling out Fleetwide, based on Turnaround Day, beginning December 1, 2023. 

 

(4)  Guest who have prepaid/pre reserved pre cruise or have a special service voucher before December 1st will not be charged the 18% service charge

 

(5)  Guest who have prepaid/pre reserved pre cruise or have a special service voucher after December 1st will be charged the 18% service charge onboard

 

Thank you for posting this information.  Do you think the two Premier SD’s will cover the additional 18% service charge?  They are not specifically mentioned in point (5),   I would guess that it is included.

 

Thanks.

[cheese please]

I don't look at this as a 18% service charge. As it really is just a 18% increase to the cost of specialty dinning. That is a big increase any way you look at it. With our last few experiences with the Crown and Sabatini's I am not convinced a 18% extra cost is a worthy expense for us.

[Cruisemeister2002]

We have gone for the Plus Package up to 15 drinks, up to $15 plus two casual dining, although we will probably take in a few Speciality one's as well. Presumably depending on which tier you are in you then get that % off your bill ? So $14.99 minus $1.49, am I correct ? as we are Elite ( Not us personally you understand). All will depend on the standard of meals in the MDR. If anyone has recently cruised Princess would be grateful for any feedback on the standard of food in the MDR's. Thanks. 

[Kmkub]

On 12/2/2023 at 4:12 PM, MissP22 said:

Yep, were done with the older Crown class ships & headed back to the Royal class only. We were very happy with them & decided to return to the Ruby for a change.

Oh dear. After our Enchanted, we are thinking of going back to the Crown class ships. I’m looking forward to reading more reviews.

[MissP22]

40 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

Oh dear. After our Enchanted, we are thinking of going back to the Crown class ships. I’m looking forward to reading more reviews.

After what I saw on the Ruby, I seriously doubt if it would impress you very much. You're recent report on the Enchanted would fit the Ruby's buffet to a Tee.

That being said, there were many people who were absolutely thrilled with the Ruby's food. There was a TA sailing who thought it (buffet) was just great and commented that the food was subjective and it wasn't fair to be so critical. 

What puzzled me was that the food in the DR was great.

Different food budget possibly? Maybe different cooks?

For the first time on Princess we ate hamburgers & fries/Taco's on deck which isn't usually out thing on a cruise. 

At least I didn't gain any weight. 😉

[tere247]

I purchased the plus plan when it was offered at $50 per day.  I had planned on upgrading to what I thought was the new plus plan with the on board credit I have. Since the 2 casual dinings were not included in the original package, if I upgrade on board will I be paying the additional dining gratuity?  I’ll upgrade and pay the extras anyway, just curious. 

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, cheese please said:

I don't look at this as a 18% service charge. As it really is just a 18% increase to the cost of specialty dinning. That is a big increase any way you look at it. With our last few experiences with the Crown and Sabatini's I am not convinced a 18% extra cost is a worthy expense for us.

What other cruise lines have you tried?

 

Even after this increase, I think Princess’s Speciality dining is very reasonable.  They are much less expensive than Celebrity’s SD (but not a true comparison).  Oceania has great SD that is including in their base fare, but they are usually significantly more expensive.

 

Is NCL and Carnival less expensive?

[cheese please]

27 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

What other cruise lines have you tried?

 

Even after this increase, I think Princess’s Speciality dining is very reasonable.  They are much less expensive than Celebrity’s SD (but not a true comparison).  Oceania has great SD that is including in their base fare, but they are usually significantly more expensive.

 

Is NCL and Carnival less expensive?

It is not just the cost that is the deciding factor. But value for money. So is the 6-7 dollar extra they are now charging worth the quality of the service and food they present. The last 5 times, 3 have not and that was before the increase. Making value for money with the increase rather shaky. This holds true on any ship that has extra cost dinning. You have paid for a dinning meal and these are a charge over and above what you have already paid.

[dream54ing]

On 12/8/2023 at 10:43 AM, Abercrombie2019 said:

The thread is about how the price of specialty dining used to have 17% gratuity built in.  Now there is an 18% charge on top of the price of specialty dining.  
 

I’m referring to the topic of this thread.

Just noticed, its the same individuals who continue to beat a dead horse in most threads involving package. We just need to suck it up and scroll on by those comments to find the topic in hand 🤷‍♂️ 😂 ...

Patiently waiting for those same individuals to reply to my comment will reveal names 😂

[dream54ing]

On 12/8/2023 at 10:19 PM, cruisedoctor said:

UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL POSTING

The following appeared yesterday in Princess' "Customer Support Knowledge Base" regarding the new 18% Service charge.  (Looks like someone at Princess has been following this thread and decided to address some of our concerns.)

 

(1)  Guests sailing in Australia with AUD currency will not see an 18% service charge. However, there will be an increase in price on select food and beverage items and experiences.

 

(2) *At this time, the service charge will not be charged for the 360 Experience. 

 

(3)  This will be rolling out Fleetwide, based on Turnaround Day, beginning December 1, 2023. 

 

(4)  Guest who have prepaid/pre reserved pre cruise or have a special service voucher before December 1st will not be charged the 18% service charge

 

(5)  Guest who have prepaid/pre reserved pre cruise or have a special service voucher after December 1st will be charged the 18% service charge onboard

 

thanks, great updated info!