Cost for child on plus package

[ceilidh1]

Depending on who you get on the phone, you CAN request that the package be removed for a child. It is hit or miss as to whether you get a rep that knows this is possible and how to do it. I often cruise with just one of my kiddos and definitely want the Plus package for myself but, as others pointed out, it doesn't always make sense to get it for a kiddo. This particular child doesn't use the internet (but is also Elite so would get the 50% discount if he did), has an occasional soda at dinner (happy with water/drinks from the buffet at other times) and would really only need the crew appreciation portion. I have been able to have the package removed from him, even when he has been 2nd passenger (when he is 3rd, it no longer gets automatically applied). That being said, it takes time and patience as I would say maybe 2% of the agents on the phone will do it/know about it/know how to do it and even if they do, it needs to go through a supervisor for approval. Now I simply go with the package as it's easier on my end! But worth a try!

 

I should stress that it's ONLY for children (and maybe only under 12) - they will not make an exception for adults!

Edited June 19 by ceilidh1
more info

[dog]

56 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Depending on who you get on the phone, you CAN request that the package be removed for a child. It is hit or miss as to whether you get a rep that knows this is possible and how to do it. I often cruise with just one of my kiddos and definitely want the Plus package for myself but, as others pointed out, it doesn't always make sense to get it for a kiddo. This particular child doesn't use the internet (but is also Elite so would get the 50% discount if he did), has an occasional soda at dinner (happy with water/drinks from the buffet at other times) and would really only need the crew appreciation portion. I have been able to have the package removed from him, even when he has been 2nd passenger (when he is 3rd, it no longer gets automatically applied). That being said, it takes time and patience as I would say maybe 2% of the agents on the phone will do it/know about it/know how to do it and even if they do, it needs to go through a supervisor for approval. Now I simply go with the package as it's easier on my end! But worth a try!

 

I should stress that it's ONLY for children (and maybe only under 12) - they will not make an exception for adults!

Thanks for the information. I have heard of others who have also approached it this way.

 

My apologies go out to those who feel differently & are getting a good value by paying $60 per day for a child 0-12 ,.

[Torfamm]

9 hours ago, voljeep said:

$60 for a 'child' per day pays for a lot of 'beverages'

It’s about $17 to be exact when you include the 18% gratuities on drinks. Crew appreciation and internet eat up $41 of the $60 fee.

For an adult who is traveling with a child but wants a beverage package, the savings might well be worth it.

[LittleTinker]

16 hours ago, chicopaige said:

I am planning on a cruise with just my 10 year old granddaughter and myself.  If we get the plus package is the cost the same for both of us or is that a child’s rate?

It the same and a total rip off.
 

[LittleTinker]

12 hours ago, Torfamm said:

 

If you paid individually for crew appreciation for both, ($16 each per day), wi-fi for both ($25 each per day), the plus alcoholic beverage package for one ($76.70 per day) and the zero alcohol package for the child, ($35.39 per day) you would pay over $194 per day. 
 

The child’s costs just for crew appreciation and the beverage package make it worth it even if they don’t use wi-fi.

Children dont pay tips!

[dog]

3 hours ago, LittleTinker said:

Children dont pay tips!

A crew appreciation charge automatically gets posted to your folio each day for each person in the cabin- all ages.  You can go to Guest Services to have the CA removed, as it is discretionary.  If you purchase one of the packages you cannot have CA removed.

I am not saying I agree or disagree.

 

There are various positions/ answers on social media and this thread shows that the OP can decide which advice she wishes to follow for herself and a 10 year old granddaughter.

[DallasGuy75219]

18 hours ago, dog said:

This policy is ridiculous! A child does not use $60 pp per day worth! 
 

 

 

18 hours ago, dog said:

As I said this is ridiculous.  I have A LOT of experience with 10 year olds. 
This Policy needs to be changed.

It's an optional package/upgrade.  If you think it's ridiculous and not worth the price considering the benefits for the first (adult) guest in the cabin, there's an easy solution... don't buy it.

[dog]

15 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

 

Edited June 20 by dog

[Torfamm]

5 hours ago, LittleTinker said:

Children dont pay tips!

All passengers pay crew appreciation no matter what their age, just as they all have a bed to sleep in, service at meals, etc. Currently paying for a 9 month old

Edited June 20 by Torfamm

[LittleTinker]

2 hours ago, Torfamm said:

All passengers pay crew appreciation no matter what their age, just as they all have a bed to sleep in, service at meals, etc. Currently paying for a 9 month old

But they shouldn't.
Kids aren't included in service charges on land.

A parent with 4 children having to pay 6 lots of Grats is too much.

Paying for a 9 month old is ridiculous

 

[paddingtonbear]

37 minutes ago, LittleTinker said:

But they shouldn't.
Kids aren't included in service charges on land.

A parent with 4 children having to pay 6 lots of Grats is too much.

Paying for a 9 month old is ridiculous

 

Someone has to bring and clean a high chair to the dining room for a 9 month old and clean up after the 9 month old eats. 
 

Every adult and child has different needs and wants. That is why Princess offers different packages to try and cater for different passengers needs. Work out what suits you best and let others choose what suits them best. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, LittleTinker said:

But they shouldn't.
A parent with 4 children having to pay 6 lots of Grats is too much.
Paying for a 9 month old is ridiculous

do these kids not produce any trash? consume any foods? sleep on beds with bedding that needs to be washed? Do they not use the cabin at all?  Does the 9 month old not go through a number of diapers a day? Do they not use the bathroom in the cabin?

 

1 hour ago, LittleTinker said:

Kids aren't included in service charges on land.

what do you mean? If you get your kid a meal at a restaurant, its price is included in the total, and one usually bases the size of gratuities on the total dinner price and the level of service provided. 
When we dine with our kid in tow at a land based restaurant, he is getting the same service as we are, so we pay grats for his meal as well as ours.  And there is a lot more cleanup involved when little kids are littering all around them.

Do you exclude your kid's meal's price from the total before you calculate the grats? If you are in the US, of course. It's not customary to pay grats in many other countries.

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

do these kids not produce any trash? consume any foods? sleep on beds with bedding that needs to be washed? Do they not use the cabin at all?  Does the 9 month old not go through a number of diapers a day? Do they not use the bathroom in the cabin?

 

what do you mean? If you get your kid a meal at a restaurant, its price is included in the total, and one usually bases the size of gratuities on the total dinner price and the level of service provided. 
When we dine with our kid in tow at a land based restaurant, he is getting the same service as we are, so we pay grats for his meal as well as ours.  And there is a lot more cleanup involved when little kids are littering all around them.

Do you exclude your kid's meal's price from the total before you calculate the grats? If you are in the US, of course. It's not customary to pay grats in many other countries.

I pay grats by the hour of service, not the price of the meal.  Waiter for 4 tables should make about $40 per hour, so $10 per hour for  us seems right.

 

40 x 8 = 320 x 5 = 1,600 per week x 50 = $80k 

 

and no, we don't increase our portion if there are fewer than 4 tables, sorry.  Also, if we feel ... nevermind

[memoak]

2 hours ago, LittleTinker said:

But they shouldn't.
Kids aren't included in service charges on land.

A parent with 4 children having to pay 6 lots of Grats is too much.

Paying for a 9 month old is ridiculous

 

First of all I would hate to clean up a cabin with 6 people of any age in it. Also that baby can make a much bigger mess that any adult

[LittleTinker]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

do these kids not produce any trash? consume any foods? sleep on beds with bedding that needs to be washed? Do they not use the cabin at all?  Does the 9 month old not go through a number of diapers a day? Do they not use the bathroom in the cabin?

 

what do you mean? If you get your kid a meal at a restaurant, its price is included in the total, and one usually bases the size of gratuities on the total dinner price and the level of service provided. 
When we dine with our kid in tow at a land based restaurant, he is getting the same service as we are, so we pay grats for his meal as well as ours.  And there is a lot more cleanup involved when little kids are littering all around them.

Do you exclude your kid's meal's price from the total before you calculate the grats? If you are in the US, of course. It's not customary to pay grats in many other countries.

When I was in the US, which was a while ago, it was only if there were 8 or more people that Grats were added to the bill automatically and they didnt include children under a certain age.

In those cases, it was expected to leave a % of the bill.....which still means that a toddler will be paying less grats because they eat less...so the bill is less.

[LittleTinker]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

First of all I would hate to clean up a cabin with 6 people of any age in it. Also that baby can make a much bigger mess that any adult

What kind of parent lets their child make such a mess then leave it for someone else to clear up?

Cleaning up a cabin with my 6 would be no different to cleaning up after 2 other than bed making.

And I often tell my stewards not to bother in a morning to give them more time to themselves.

[PMGS247]

38 minutes ago, LittleTinker said:

What kind of parent lets their child make such a mess then leave it for someone else to clear up?

Cleaning up a cabin with my 6 would be no different to cleaning up after 2 other than bed making.

And I often tell my stewards not to bother in a morning to give them more time to themselves.

 

I applaud but you have to know you're the exception, not the rule. What "kind of parent" leaves their kid's mess to clean up? "Most" is the answer. I can understand the cruise policy defaulting to charging CA to children.

[memoak]

3 minutes ago, PMGS247 said:

 

I applaud but you have to know you're the exception, not the rule. What "kind of parent" leaves their kid's mess to clean up? "Most" is the answer. I can understand the cruise policy defaulting to charging CA to children.

I have friends who have to remind their kids when they get home to hang up towels, put things away etc.

[PMGS247]

Just now, memoak said:

I have friends who have to remind their kids when they get home to hang up towels, put things away etc.

yeah there's probably a better argument for "kids should pay double CA" than there is that they shouldn't pay CA.  I'm being facetious as it's literally an impossibility but it's not entirely inaccurate.

[PMGS247]

Having a kid on there just changes the math a little.  PROBABLY increases the number of drinks the adult needs to consume to make it worthwhile but you just have to consider it $120/day across both people and do the math.  If my wife didn't drink at all it would still be worth it because between the CA, Wi-fi, Coffees, Sodas, bottled waters, Casual dining, medallion shipping, room service charge savings provided to both of us, and how much I drink in alcohol it would still be enough to justify the $120/day.  Your math may vary, but with all the inclusions, it still doesn't take a ton of drinking for most people to justify it.

[LittleTinker]

17 minutes ago, PMGS247 said:

Having a kid on there just changes the math a little.  PROBABLY increases the number of drinks the adult needs to consume to make it worthwhile but you just have to consider it $120/day across both people and do the math.  If my wife didn't drink at all it would still be worth it because between the CA, Wi-fi, Coffees, Sodas, bottled waters, Casual dining, medallion shipping, room service charge savings provided to both of us, and how much I drink in alcohol it would still be enough to justify the $120/day.  Your math may vary, but with all the inclusions, it still doesn't take a ton of drinking for most people to justify it.

But if you take off CA and WiFi.....certainly doesnt reach that amount.

 

[memoak]

7 minutes ago, LittleTinker said:

But if you take off CA and WiFi.....certainly doesnt reach that amount.

 

Each person is different if I had to pay for 8-10 drinks a day at $15 per drink I would be in the hole every day. Also I would never remove tops for anyone. That person will need to have their bed made and will eat in the dining room.  Stiffing the crew is not the right concept to pass on to children. 

[jenf22]

We're getting Plus for all of us on our cruise later this year - 2 adults and a 17-year old.  May or may not be worth it but wanted to try it once.  None of us drink alcohol and my husband is really the only big soda drinker.  But I like the idea of good coffee every day and some mocktails here or there.  The cruise itself was so cheap I figured "why not".

 

My one beef with all the "math" on these threads is the $25 per person per day for wifi.  I really don't think a family of 3 or 4 would pay $25 per person per day, they would get the 4 device plan for $45 per day and split it up.  When I do my math, I use that number.

[cr8tiv1]

8 minutes ago, jenf22 said:

We're getting Plus for all of us on our cruise later this year - 2 adults and a 17-year old.  May or may not be worth it but wanted to try it once.  None of us drink alcohol and my husband is really the only big soda drinker.  But I like the idea of good coffee every day and some mocktails here or there.  The cruise itself was so cheap I figured "why not".

 

My one beef with all the "math" on these threads is the $25 per person per day for wifi.  I really don't think a family of 3 or 4 would pay $25 per person per day, they would get the 4 device plan for $45 per day and split it up.  When I do my math, I use that number.

 

Throw in insult to injury...Elite passengers can get wifi for $12.50 a day but get absolutely no discount when buying a Bundled beverage package (Plus/Premier).  That's the one the irks me the most.  End of rant, for now.

[LittleTinker]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

Each person is different if I had to pay for 8-10 drinks a day at $15 per drink I would be in the hole every day. Also I would never remove tops for anyone. That person will need to have their bed made and will eat in the dining room.  Stiffing the crew is not the right concept to pass on to children. 

They aren't tips.