bobk57 Posted July 20 #1 Share Posted July 20 Is it worth it to upgrade from the plus package to the premier package? Are the alcohol upgrade worth it? How about wine choices? Overall is it worth the extra $20 per day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dforeigner Posted July 20 #2 Share Posted July 20 IT is your call. It is not just the price of the drinks. It comes with additional perks: Princess Premier Best Value Sail as carefree as possible Only $80 per day per guest Save $148 per day per guest Princess Plus Save on things you’ll probably do anyway Only $60 per day per guest Save $93 per day per guest Wi-Fi 4 devices per guest Text, share, stream and video chat with the best Wi-Fi at sea Wi-Fi 1 device per guest Beverages Premium Drinks, Bottled Water, Specialty Coffee, and Juice Bar Top-shelf spirits and craft cocktails up to $20 each, in addition to what’s included with Princess Plus Beverages Drinks, Bottled Water, Specialty Coffee, and Juice Bar Wide selection of non-alcoholic soft drinks and premium Lavazza coffees. Cocktails, wine and beer up to $15 each. 25% off bottles of wine. Power shots from the unlimited juice bar to boost your immunity and energy. Crew appreciation Included Pre-paid tips for the crew who takes care of you Crew appreciation Included Professional photos Unlimited Unlimited digital images taken by our onboard photographers, plus three prints Professional photos — Specialty meals 2 per sailing Award-winning, multi-course meals including hand-cut steaks and premium seafood Specialty meals — Casual meals Unlimited Relaxed, sit-down meals at a variety of eateries, with something for everyone Casual meals 2 per sailing Premium desserts Unlimited Sweet treats from Gelateria, Swirls or Coffee and Cones Premium desserts 2 per day OceanNow® (delivery anywhere onboard) Fee waived Order drinks, food, sunscreen—whatever—and it will find you anywhere on board OceanNow® (delivery anywhere onboard) Fee waived Room service delivery Unlimited Free delivery for every order you place from your stateroom phone Room service delivery Unlimited Fitness classes Unlimited Classes by Xpotential: Pure Barre, Club Pilates, YogaSix, CycleBar, Stretch Lab Fitness classes 2 per sailing Reserved theater seating Included Special Premier reserved seating section for production shows Reserved theater seating — Princess Prizes Included During casino hours, win prizes like wine tasting, onboard credit and more— simply by opening your stateroom door! Princess Prizes — 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lx200gps Posted July 20 #3 Share Posted July 20 2 hours ago, bobk57 said: Is it worth it to upgrade from the plus package to the premier package? Are the alcohol upgrade worth it? How about wine choices? Overall is it worth the extra $20 per day. Technically there is no alcohol "upgrade". Every single drink on the ship is available to any adult passenger anywhere any time. Think of the difference in drink allowances as like a deductible where you pay only the difference between the drink price and what your package allows (plus the surcharge of course) If your limit is $15 and a drink costs $17 you would only pay the $2.18 difference. As to whether it's worth it for you, you'll have to do the math according to how much you plan to drink and whether the other benefits of the Premier are worth it to you personally. For us the upgrade is a no-brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisemeister2002 Posted July 20 #4 Share Posted July 20 We have gone for the Plus package. For a few reasons. Hopefully we don't need Casual dining more than the two times. We would find it extremely difficult to eat two Speciality Desserts let alone unlimited. Even given that we have two gym sessions included we won't use them so there's absolutely no point in having unlimited gym use. I have already booked the Crown Grill for one occasion on our cruise and have around $350 of OBC so if we wanted another one or two ventures to a Speciality restaurant then it's paid for without forking out another $40 a day. It of course may be that if the alcohol available isn't covered by the $15 per drink, but neither of us are big drinkers or consider ourselves oficionados of wine or spirits. As long as it tastes o.k. then that's good enough for me and some on this forum say even at the $20 Premium package it's difficult to satisfy their pallet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Raider Posted July 20 #5 Share Posted July 20 It really depends on the ship. If it’s one of their older ships, I tend to stick with the Plus package. If it’s a Royal class ship, I like the premier package just because they have more casual dining options. We rarely eat in the MDR. I must say, I do love the unlimited photos that come with the premier package. The wines on the plus package are usually really bad. I know I can pay the additional amount for a better wine but, the $20 a day pp is probably a better deal, especially when you consider the photos and specialty dinners and unlimited casual dining options are added in. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotRoot Posted July 20 #6 Share Posted July 20 I like Premier for the reserved seating. First cruise we had Premier. Walked into the show room 15 minutes prior to the start of the show and had reserved seats. Did not appreciate that until the next cruise when we only had Plus. Walked into the show 15 minutes prior and no seats. Next time went in 30 minutes prior, no seats. Gave up after that. This time we upgraded to Premier. We have four production shows. We do not enjoy comedians nor magicians. We do like the production shows. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
555 Posted July 20 #7 Share Posted July 20 3 minutes ago, HotRoot said: I like Premier for the reserved seating. First cruise we had Premier. Walked into the show room 15 minutes prior to the start of the show and had reserved seats. Did not appreciate that until the next cruise when we only had Plus. Walked into the show 15 minutes prior and no seats. Next time went in 30 minutes prior, no seats. Gave up after that. This time we upgraded to Premier. We have four production shows. We do not enjoy comedians nor magicians. We do like the production shows. As they say, early bird...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare startedwithamouse Posted July 20 #8 Share Posted July 20 (edited) 5 hours ago, bobk57 said: Is it worth it to upgrade from the plus package to the premier package? Are the alcohol upgrade worth it? How about wine choices? Overall is it worth the extra $20 per day. Only you know what kind of alcohol you like, or if you take daily exercise classes, or if you like production shows. It's a personal preference. Some people say waste of money, others see great value in Premier. Edited July 20 by startedwithamouse 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boiler Cruiser Posted July 20 #9 Share Posted July 20 The relative value of the Plus Package vs. the Premier Package is really dependent on your preferences/ needs. First, keep in mind that the difference between the two is only $20/ day (that's $280 each or $560 total on a 14 day cruise). If you are a drinker, then you need to consider how much you are going to drink, and how frequently. If you each have a cocktail at night before dinner, and a drink or wine with dinner, followed by a nightcap, then without the Plus or Premier Plan you are avoiding ala carte charges of $71/ night. With the Premier Plan you likely will avoid more than $88/ night (with the higher priced drinks and better wine) Now add in the coffees ($2 each) that you drank during the day, the beer ($8-$10 each + 18% tip) or two you might have had, and on just the cost of drinks, either plan is "paid for". That makes the prepaid crew appreciation, wifi and casual dining all "gravy". That is why I always opt for Princess Premier. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NantahalaCruiser Posted July 20 #10 Share Posted July 20 3 hours ago, lx200gps said: Technically there is no alcohol "upgrade". Every single drink on the ship is available to any adult passenger anywhere any time. Think of the difference in drink allowances as like a deductible where you pay only the difference between the drink price and what your package allows (plus the surcharge of course) If your limit is $15 and a drink costs $17 you would only pay the $2.18 difference. As to whether it's worth it for you, you'll have to do the math according to how much you plan to drink and whether the other benefits of the Premier are worth it to you personally. For us the upgrade is a no-brainer. $2.36 difference 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wishing on a star Posted July 20 #11 Share Posted July 20 (edited) Two things for you to consider, for which is right for you. This might be a different decision for each person. Depending on what they want/like. For wine drinkers, it seems the offerings on PLUS are, well, not the greatest. If you enjoy wine, and would enjoy the nicer (above $15.) special cocktails, then that is a consideration. (note: there are a pretty good percentage of cocktails/liquor that would be an upcharge for PLUS package. They could be $2/$3/$4/$5 extra, over the $15. ) Do you plan on booking a couple of Specialty Restaurants... again, that is a simple calculation. Would you enjoy the casual dining venues that are onboard your ship several times? Other perks do not factor into the 'math' as much. Whether the cruise is 4-5-6 days or 10 days... There are still two specialty dining meals. We also take short cruises... Since the packages are charged per day, the math comes out in our favor. Seven days... probably more of a break even. Depending on the perks you value the most. Edited July 20 by Wishing on a star 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Raider Posted July 20 #12 Share Posted July 20 50 minutes ago, HotRoot said: I like Premier for the reserved seating. First cruise we had Premier. Walked into the show room 15 minutes prior to the start of the show and had reserved seats. Did not appreciate that until the next cruise when we only had Plus. Walked into the show 15 minutes prior and no seats. Next time went in 30 minutes prior, no seats. Gave up after that. This time we upgraded to Premier. We have four production shows. We do not enjoy comedians nor magicians. We do like the production shows. I forgot to mention how lovely that is to have a seat available without the 30-45 minute wait. We’ve seen several of the production shows so many times and the only ones I go to see over and over again are Rock Opera and Spotlight Bar. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wishing on a star Posted July 20 #13 Share Posted July 20 (edited) We usually do not mind getting to the theater early, but when time is tight, with dinner reservations, etc.. that does seem like a nice perk! I would love to hear more feedback on how well that system is working. Edited July 20 by Wishing on a star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memoak Posted July 20 #14 Share Posted July 20 We stick with plus. Our preferred cocktails are covered under the plus plan Woodford or Buffalo Trace bourbon, Grey Goose vodka or Captain Morgan rum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLAlaska Posted July 20 #15 Share Posted July 20 If its worth it is really a subjective decision. You would need to weigh the additional options in the premier .Im not a huge or picky drinker , not interested in unlimited fitness classes , reserved seating or princess prizes , so its not for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lx200gps Posted July 20 #16 Share Posted July 20 51 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said: We usually do not mind getting to the theater early, but when time is tight, with dinner reservations, etc.. that does seem like a nice perk! I would love to hear more feedback on how well that system is working. On the Emerald this sailing, they are actually rigorously enforcing the reserved seating in the theater for the few shows that offer it. Crew members with tablets are stationed around the reserved areas and are carefully monitoring who sits there, and one pair of ladies were kicked out of the section a few days ago as they did not have Premier. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wishing on a star Posted July 20 #17 Share Posted July 20 Thank you! Hope they are doing a good job estimating how many seats they need to reserve. We have Premier for the first time on our upcoming cruise, and this will be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaver John Posted July 20 #18 Share Posted July 20 I am not sure why folks discount the exercise classes, which are $30 each or the desserts. Yes, we have premiere on both of our upcoming cruises and have had plus and just cruise and premiere on the last 3 cruises. So, I think you have to think about what you will be doing, I for one will be eating yummy cake and ice creams and doing all the classes I can put into my schedule, and of course getting photos taken at all the venues where there is a camera. Not that I do anything with the photos, but I will have them as a memory. So, if you want to do everything I think premiere is the way to go, We are in a suite and I still think it is worth it, even with the suite lounge and suite breakfast, still like having all the other items to be included, not free, just included. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memoak Posted July 20 #19 Share Posted July 20 2 minutes ago, Shaver John said: I am not sure why folks discount the exercise classes, which are $30 each or the desserts. Yes, we have premiere on both of our upcoming cruises and have had plus and just cruise and premiere on the last 3 cruises. So, I think you have to think about what you will be doing, I for one will be eating yummy cake and ice creams and doing all the classes I can put into my schedule, and of course getting photos taken at all the venues where there is a camera. Not that I do anything with the photos, but I will have them as a memory. So, if you want to do everything I think premiere is the way to go, We are in a suite and I still think it is worth it, even with the suite lounge and suite breakfast, still like having all the other items to be included, not free, just included. I do my own gym workout like I do it at home, the desserts are disgusting, I don’t go to hardly and shows and if I do I sit in the back so I can slip out if I don’t like the show, haven’t taken any photos in my last 30 cruises, my cocktail preferences are all covered under plus package, I only use casual dining on sea days if at all. At $20 per day per person on a 24 day cruise that is $560 for us. No thsnks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaver John Posted July 20 #20 Share Posted July 20 9 minutes ago, memoak said: I do my own gym workout like I do it at home, the desserts are disgusting, I don’t go to hardly and shows and if I do I sit in the back so I can slip out if I don’t like the show, haven’t taken any photos in my last 30 cruises, my cocktail preferences are all covered under plus package, I only use casual dining on sea days if at all. At $20 per day per person on a 24 day cruise that is $560 for us. No thsnks I do think this is perfect for everyone to figures out what works best for them. I do understand that not everyone is a gym rat like me, even my husband who never goes to the gym, and that cake and ice cream is not the favorite for everyone. I do think that at least Princess gives us our all choices, and we do choose based on what we plan to do on a certain cruise and who we travel with. So, I am glad plus works out for so many, and that premiere and no packages works out for so many. Have a nice weekend to all. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memoak Posted July 20 #21 Share Posted July 20 7 minutes ago, Shaver John said: I do think this is perfect for everyone to figures out what works best for them. I do understand that not everyone is a gym rat like me, even my husband who never goes to the gym, and that cake and ice cream is not the favorite for everyone. I do think that at least Princess gives us our all choices, and we do choose based on what we plan to do on a certain cruise and who we travel with. So, I am glad plus works out for so many, and that premiere and no packages works out for so many. Have a nice weekend to all. I am also a gym rat but find classes boring and would rather use my personal workouts. Princess gyms have always had plenty of equipment for me. I just can’t get my arms around an extra $560 for a couple of 2 specialty dinners and a few wines that I can still get by paying a few extra dollars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrak Posted July 20 #22 Share Posted July 20 8 hours ago, HotRoot said: I like Premier for the reserved seating. First cruise we had Premier. Walked into the show room 15 minutes prior to the start of the show and had reserved seats. Did not appreciate that until the next cruise when we only had Plus. Walked into the show 15 minutes prior and no seats. Next time went in 30 minutes prior, no seats. Gave up after that. This time we upgraded to Premier. We have four production shows. We do not enjoy comedians nor magicians. We do like the production shows. 7 hours ago, Cruise Raider said: I forgot to mention how lovely that is to have a seat available without the 30-45 minute wait. We’ve seen several of the production shows so many times and the only ones I go to see over and over again are Rock Opera and Spotlight Bar. I've never seen all of the Premier seating used. 5 minutes before the show starts any unclaimed Premier seating is up for grabs. One could always "camp" the area just before the show starts and be "almost" assured of getting one of the seats. (They have never been located where we like to sit though and I really don't mind showing up 20 minutes early and reading while I sip the drink I picked up on the way to the theater.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AnyMajorCruiseDude Posted July 20 #23 Share Posted July 20 3 hours ago, Shaver John said: I am not sure why folks discount the exercise classes, which are $30 each or the desserts. Yes, we have premiere on both of our upcoming cruises and have had plus and just cruise and premiere on the last 3 cruises. So, I think you have to think about what you will be doing, I for one will be eating yummy cake and ice creams and doing all the classes I can put into my schedule, and of course getting photos taken at all the venues where there is a camera. Not that I do anything with the photos, but I will have them as a memory. So, if you want to do everything I think premiere is the way to go, We are in a suite and I still think it is worth it, even with the suite lounge and suite breakfast, still like having all the other items to be included, not free, just included. Don’t forget the prizes. We have won 5k cash, a free cruise, free chefs table, free flowers, 25 and 250 obc. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyVeteran Posted July 21 #24 Share Posted July 21 2 hours ago, Thrak said: I've never seen all of the Premier seating used. 5 minutes before the show starts any unclaimed Premier seating is up for grabs. One could always "camp" the area just before the show starts and be "almost" assured of getting one of the seats. (They have never been located where we like to sit though and I really don't mind showing up 20 minutes early and reading while I sip the drink I picked up on the way to the theater.) Yes, but you may have to get there early to get one of those seats. On one production show last fall, the room was full and there was a long line waiting for the Premier seating to open up - and only the first people in that line got seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Raider Posted July 21 #25 Share Posted July 21 3 hours ago, AnyMajorCruiseDude said: Don’t forget the prizes. We have won 5k cash, a free cruise, free chefs table, free flowers, 25 and 250 obc. We’ve won a cruise and &25 OBC a couple of times. It’s probably better than the casino. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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