Day 1 of the new Premier Package has arrived

[CDNCruiser55]

8 hours ago, 555 said:

What about one SD at around 5 PM and another one at around 9 PM? There some people that could do it. 😋

 

Someone might even have an appetizer in one restaurant at 6:00, then head to another restaurant at 6:30 for main course.

[memoak]

2 minutes ago, CDNCruiser55 said:

 

Someone might even have an appetizer in one restaurant at 6:00, then head to another restaurant at 6:30 for main course.

How scary can you get. I want 3 reservations for different courses. No one gets to get tables

[Retired-N-Happy]

3 minutes ago, memoak said:

How scary can you get. I want 3 reservations for different courses. No one gets to get tables

Happens on that cruise line you don't sail on, RCI all the time.  People go for their sushi appetizers before 600 and then have dinner at another venue at 800. 

[Retired-N-Happy]

3 minutes ago, lidoatsea said:

 Also I understand I have to choose from special 3 course menu ( prix fixe?) on this package. Cannot just have one course or I have to pay for just that one course. Lobster tails still attract surcharge.

Where did you see this about a special 3 course menu?  And if you have an unlimited package and you choose to only eat one course, they are certainly not going to hold a gun to your head to eat all three.

[reedprincess]

46 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Where did you see this about a special 3 course menu?  And if you have an unlimited package and you choose to only eat one course, they are certainly not going to hold a gun to your head to eat all three.

While it's not stated anywhere else, the app says unlimited "prix fixe" meals for Premier90.   It doesn't state how many courses or anything like that at all.  

 

 

 

[555]

5 hours ago, Cheriro said:

I believe there was a 5 and the rest were 8 or later. 

That was my concern, only one 5 PM table. There are not that many people who want to wat that large of a meal after 8 PM. 

[555]

4 hours ago, CDNCruiser55 said:

 

Someone might even have an appetizer in one restaurant at 6:00, then head to another restaurant at 6:30 for main course.

My thought was having dinner as early as possible & stopping by a different restaurant for coffee & dessert before they closed at around 9 PM or even later if they changed their hours. 

[ShelaghL]

I haven't read through all this thread, but I'm getting fed up with Princess moving the goal posts on packages. I have Premier Plus on my next cruise with Princess (April 25) but now find I haven't actually got the full package as they've changed it yet again. I have one more cruise booked with Princess (Oct 25). I haven't and won't be booking any packages as by the time we go it will have changed again. I'll just pay as I use. After that I doubt if I'll sail with Princess again.

[555]

3 hours ago, reedprincess said:

While it's not stated anywhere else, the app says unlimited "prix fixe" meals for Premier90.   It doesn't state how many courses or anything like that at all.  

Exactly. They should now allow multiple appetizers the way it used to be.

[Cruisemeister2002]

14 hours ago, paddingtonbear said:

Don’t you think P will simply continue to hike the price of Premier until there are a sensible number of passengers so there isn’t a rush as soon as people are on the ship? That’s what they’ve done with the sanctuary isn’t it? 
 

SD must cost the more so if all the SD restaurants are full every night it’s going to cost P a lot. 

I fear exclusivity whereby you go back to the Titanic style where you have different class accommodation, even decks, dining and even elevators exclusive for some. It's getting that way now. Myself being a ordinary working class person started cruising back in 2002. We got an outside cabin, decent steaks in the MDR, available on request if you didn't like anything else on the menu. You didn't have to have a package to get drinking chocolate. Tours of the Bridge and Galley were free, a chocolate on your pillow at night. The ladies had toiletries in a little bag and they had a chocoholic afternoon in the MDR where the chefs put together all sorts of delicious desserts, cakes etc. No extra charge. I could afford this cruise. Now it's extra for this, extra for that. Have a spa treatment and they want to sell you some sort of product or another treatment. Yes I know you can say no. But you are on holiday and you don't need to feel pressurised into buying anything. But everything is geared to removing as much from your pocket possible.

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Now it's extra for this, extra for that.

Yeah... in the good ol' days a slate was something you wrote on with a piece of chalk, now it's a newfangled electronic device that pretty much demands cruise company supplied connectivety (at a price) to provide world-wide access to the space outside your tiller flat hammock.

[echoshipmate]

23 hours ago, memoak said:

Especially on ships like the Grand where there is only Crown Grille and Sabatini’s which are not all that large and even 4 weeks ago they were booked close to capacity every night 

I added Premier+ yesterday on our Sept 29 Grand sailing and was able to book all the SD at times we wanted immediately, all between 6:20 and 7:20 on line, both at Sabatini's and Crown Grill. 

[Retired-N-Happy]

6 hours ago, ShelaghL said:

I haven't read through all this thread, but I'm getting fed up with Princess moving the goal posts on packages. I have Premier Plus on my next cruise with Princess (April 25) but now find I haven't actually got the full package as they've changed it yet again. I have one more cruise booked with Princess (Oct 25). I haven't and won't be booking any packages as by the time we go it will have changed again. I'll just pay as I use. After that I doubt if I'll sail with Princess again.

Lucky you.  I would gladly pay the 80 for the old Premier versus the 90.  The only difference is that the drinks are unlimited and specialty meals go from two to unlimited.  We're not going to consume 16+ drinks per day and now we will have to increase the amount of specialty venue visits to make up the price difference.

You're sadly mistaken if you think you'd be grandfathered in and get the value of the 90 package by paying 80.  If you want the unlimited, pony up the extra 10 pppd, it's that simple.

[ShelaghL]

9 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Lucky you.  I would gladly pay the 80 for the old Premier versus the 90.  The only difference is that the drinks are unlimited and specialty meals go from two to unlimited.  We're not going to consume 16+ drinks per day and now we will have to increase the amount of specialty venue visits to make up the price difference.

You're sadly mistaken if you think you'd be grandfathered in and get the value of the 90 package by paying 80.  If you want the unlimited, pony up the extra 10 pppd, it's that simple.

The issue for me is that I am teetotal - I don't even drink soft drinks. We only have the package because our Travel Agent offered it for free (though I'm sure they actually added something to the price of the cruise!!). My husband only drinks beer and red wine and certainly wouldn't drink unlimited. I'm just hoping that British cruise lines (particularly those in the Carnival family) don't go the same way. The wifi and the gratuities are the only perks that we're interested in (we normally sail with P&O who no longer charge gratuities) and I don't need the max wifi - just want to check on my emails. 

[ShelaghL]

5 hours ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

I fear exclusivity whereby you go back to the Titanic style where you have different class accommodation, even decks, dining and even elevators exclusive for some. It's getting that way now. Myself being a ordinary working class person started cruising back in 2002. We got an outside cabin, decent steaks in the MDR, available on request if you didn't like anything else on the menu. You didn't have to have a package to get drinking chocolate. Tours of the Bridge and Galley were free, a chocolate on your pillow at night. The ladies had toiletries in a little bag and they had a chocoholic afternoon in the MDR where the chefs put together all sorts of delicious desserts, cakes etc. No extra charge. I could afford this cruise. Now it's extra for this, extra for that. Have a spa treatment and they want to sell you some sort of product or another treatment. Yes I know you can say no. But you are on holiday and you don't need to feel pressurised into buying anything. But everything is geared to removing as much from your pocket possible.

Hi - couldn't agree more. There are already ships that have separate restaurants and areas of the ship for suite passengers - Cunard, MSC and NCL for example, but I guess they will have paid alot more. Having sailed sine 2004, I agree that standards have dropped - I remember silver service in the MDR on P&O!

[reedprincess]

30 minutes ago, ShelaghL said:

Hi - couldn't agree more. There are already ships that have separate restaurants and areas of the ship for suite passengers - Cunard, MSC and NCL for example, but I guess they will have paid alot more. Having sailed sine 2004, I agree that standards have dropped - I remember silver service in the MDR on P&O!

Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean all have separate areas for suite guests also.

Princess has had separate suite breakfast for decades, Suite only Concierge lounge with free drinks, snacks, etc. for more than a decade, Reserve dining for Suite and Reserve minis for 7+ years, and on new ships has separate suite and Reserve only dining rooms, private deck space for specific cabins only (Sanctuary Collection), etc.  

Celebrity has had the Retreat for years, suite only lounges and dining for years before that, etc. Royal with their Coastal Kitchen, deck space, etc for  also.

 

It's the trend, and Princess is jumping in with both feet with Sun and Star.   

 

The packages - available to absolutely anyone, regardless of cabin type, are entirely different and not based on cabin type, etc. The only "exclusivity" of them is the reserved seating in the theater for production shows, and then only with Premier..   Every single other item in either package is available to anyone on an  a la carte basis if they wish, and not based on cabin type, frequent cruise status, etc.  nor is anyone excluded from any of the items (except the seating for production shows) in any way.  

Sure, SD reservations may be harder to get - maybe.. it remains to be, but it doesn't preclude anyone from making a reservation, just makes them more scarce - maybe.  

[veefercruise]

Just out of curiosity, now that the new premier package has landed, have the menus changed in the SD locations?

[shiner6]

8 hours ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

I fear exclusivity whereby you go back to the Titanic style where you have different class accommodation, even decks, dining and even elevators exclusive for some. It's getting that way now. Myself being a ordinary working class person started cruising back in 2002. We got an outside cabin, decent steaks in the MDR, available on request if you didn't like anything else on the menu. You didn't have to have a package to get drinking chocolate. Tours of the Bridge and Galley were free, a chocolate on your pillow at night. The ladies had toiletries in a little bag and they had a chocoholic afternoon in the MDR where the chefs put together all sorts of delicious desserts, cakes etc. No extra charge. I could afford this cruise. Now it's extra for this, extra for that. Have a spa treatment and they want to sell you some sort of product or another treatment. Yes I know you can say no. But you are on holiday and you don't need to feel pressurised into buying anything. But everything is geared to removing as much from your pocket possible.

Well said

[Retired-N-Happy]

3 hours ago, ShelaghL said:

The issue for me is that I am teetotal - I don't even drink soft drinks. We only have the package because our Travel Agent offered it for free (though I'm sure they actually added something to the price of the cruise!!). My husband only drinks beer and red wine and certainly wouldn't drink unlimited. I'm just hoping that British cruise lines (particularly those in the Carnival family) don't go the same way. The wifi and the gratuities are the only perks that we're interested in (we normally sail with P&O who no longer charge gratuities) and I don't need the max wifi - just want to check on my emails. 

I would double check with your travel agent and see if you could possibly save money by reducing your current package from the old Premier to the Plus.  You would lose your 2 specialty dinners, and photos if that's important to you. The wifi and gratuities that you want are included with Plus.  As well as unlimited soda, bottled water, espresso based coffee and fresh squeezed juices.  Good luck

[Retired-N-Happy]

3 hours ago, ShelaghL said:

Hi - couldn't agree more. There are already ships that have separate restaurants and areas of the ship for suite passengers - Cunard, MSC and NCL for example, but I guess they will have paid alot more. Having sailed sine 2004, I agree that standards have dropped - I remember silver service in the MDR on P&O!

You can add RCI and Celebrity to your list of cruise lines with separate restaurants for suite guests. The caste system is alive and well on multiple lines.

[Kay S]

5 hours ago, echoshipmate said:

I added Premier+ yesterday on our Sept 29 Grand sailing and was able to book all the SD at times we wanted immediately, all between 6:20 and 7:20 on line, both at Sabatini's and Crown Grill. 

Here's one success story...

[sultan_sfo]

1 hour ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

...

 You would lose your 2 specialty dinners, and photos if that's important to you. The wifi and gratuities that you want are included with Plus.  As well as unlimited soda, bottled water, espresso based coffee and fresh squeezed juices.  Good luck

And also lose "unlimited" casual dining and will be limited to only 2 -- so no more unlimited Alfredo/Gigi Pizza!

[Retired-N-Happy]

15 minutes ago, sultan_sfo said:

And also lose "unlimited" casual dining and will be limited to only 2 -- so no more unlimited Alfredo/Gigi Pizza!

That's true, but the wifi and grats were the two important items mentioned by the poster I was responding to 

[memoak]

20 minutes ago, sultan_sfo said:

And also lose "unlimited" casual dining and will be limited to only 2 -- so no more unlimited Alfredo/Gigi Pizza!

On the Grand last month the pizzeria was very popular and at prime lunch times they were handing out beepers

[Kb55kb]

Any speed test run on the new "max" wifi?