New Princess Money Grabber Water Package Now $24.00

[TRLD]

8 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Have to laugh as the water from the refill stations or all the taps is distilled water.  Do not get the fixation with "bottled" water.  In at least 2 major metro areas bottled water companies were found to be using municipal water instead of spring water. 

Many bottled water test worse than many major municipal tap waters.

 

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/bottled-water-vs-tap-water

 

My understanding is that there are some minerals added to ships water after desalination to reduce acidity of distilled water and improve flavor.

Also i believe chlorine is added. Chlorine might be present in tap water in the cabins, but is removed at the water stations in the buffet.

If you fill in the cabin, let the water set in an open comtainer for a few hours and the chlorine will dissipate.

Edited 20 hours ago by TRLD

[Thor17]

I am sure that the environment will be thankful that Princess raised its water bottle prices......

[ColoradoMom!!]

I took this picture on Discovery Princess on March 18th, 2023 on a cruise that sailed out of San Pedro for the Mexican Riviera.  So happy to see that Princess was moving forward......  It was removed shortly there after and never replaced. 🙄

 

Aside from the ones in the Gym, has anyone seen anything like this recently?  

It sure would be better than people trying to fit their reusables under the water dispenser in the buffets!

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, TomBaker said:

Can you do the same with cans of Diet Coke?

We also do not drink soda except for an occasional club soda in the evenings but I do see on the app where you can order sodas on the room service menu.  Try putting in six and see if it’s included or if there is a charge.  I seem to remember it’s four drinks you can order at on time.

[Lou33]

8 hours ago, coo359a2 said:

Check the Princess contract - Section 5 and you will see  this in the 3rd paragraph

 

• Guests are also prohibited from bringing water, sodas and other non-alcoholic beverages on board that are packaged in bottles. A small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, juice, milk) packaged in cans or cartons may be brought on board on embarkation day, only if carried on in Guests’ hand luggage (not in checked luggage). A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12 ounces each or less per person.  Guests will be asked to discard open beverages in plastic containers prior to boarding.

Technically, any bottle is a bottle.  But I have a feeling that the intention was ban "glass" bottles.  Obviously, they dont want glass. I don't see a benefit of banning plastic bottles when they already use their own plastic water bottles.  I would have no problem bringing a 12 pack of bottled water.  I doubt that it would be confiscated, and if so, then we are out $2.   But we will just bring our empty water containers and fill them at the water stations.    

 

 

[tothemall&beyond]

12 hours ago, rosevew said:

My luggage tag (which isn't a legally binding document) mentions wine but not soft drinks.

FAQ is also just that, not a legally binding contract. As yet, I can't find mention of soft drinks in the FAQ.

Nothing states that you have to read and abide by either, unless you know differently?

The provisions of the tags and FAQ's are not per se "contracts", but they do set forth Princess's official policies which are protected by the terms of the Passage of Contract -- which is very much indeed a legally binding contract. When you accept the Passage Of Contract, which you MUST do in order to sail, you agree to all the rules, regulations and policies set forth pursuant to it, as an adjunct to it, or in furtherance of it. That would include the beverage policies as enumerated on the luggage tags and in the FAQ's. 

[tothemall&beyond]

5 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

FWIW, if you have the Plus or Premier package you can call Room Service every morning and order 6 bottles of water.  We do this almost every morning.  No need to collect water bottles to take back to your cabin. 

People who are upset about the bottles water price increase are probably not people who buy the Plus or Premier packages. If you have one of those packages, why would you pay additional for water when it's included?

 

[tothemall&beyond]

4 hours ago, whitecap said:

I think that it is amazing that this thread started as a "be aware" of a 300% increase in the cost of bottled water to which cruise lines recycle and what items they recycle, among other topics.  Fact of the matter is, Princess has raised their price 300% and in my opinion, like several of their other price increases, it is in an effort to push passengers to buying one of the drink packages, plain and simple.  Princess has increased their fares, the cost of specialty dinning, wi-fi, gratuities, excursions and now water.  I believe that in the near future they will stop accepting soda and water at the ports on embarkation and the corkage fee for wine will increase two or three fold.  All of this simply to push everyone to the beverage packages.  

Every cruiser will have to decide for themselves what is right for them.  DW and I don't drink enough alcohol or fancy coffees to justify a beverage package but we do drink lots of the bottled water.  Our choice now, for our Nov 2025 cruise is, buy it at the inflated price or search for another solution.  Decisions decisions.  

100% agree. 

[tothemall&beyond]

26 minutes ago, Lou33 said:

Technically, any bottle is a bottle.  But I have a feeling that the intention was ban "glass" bottles.  Obviously, they dont want glass. I don't see a benefit of banning plastic bottles when they already use their own plastic water bottles.  I would have no problem bringing a 12 pack of bottled water.  I doubt that it would be confiscated, and if so, then we are out $2.   But we will just bring our empty water containers and fill them at the water stations.    

 

 

No - the actual intent of the ban (and the cruise lines have communicated about it) was to prevent people from sneaking onboard prohibited alcohol by jury-rigging bottles (whether they be plastic or glass) by filling them with clear alcohol spirits. That was something many passengers were doing. But they can't do it with a can. And, FWIW, they most definitely WILL confiscate a 12 pack of bottled water if you bring it aboard at initial embarkation.

[startedwithamouse]

2 hours ago, ColoradoMom!! said:

I took this picture on Discovery Princess on March 18th, 2023 on a cruise that sailed out of San Pedro for the Mexican Riviera.  So happy to see that Princess was moving forward......  It was removed shortly there after and never replaced. 🙄

 

Aside from the ones in the Gym, has anyone seen anything like this recently?  

It sure would be better than people trying to fit their reusables under the water dispenser in the buffets!

Princess probably realized they needed to buy Flowater brand filters! 

[dreaminofcruisin]

3 hours ago, TomBaker said:

Can you do the same with cans of Diet Coke?

 

I see no reason why you couldn't.

There have been posters on Lives that have ordered 6 beers at a time....

 

[hawk/hornfan]

As someone who spent 22 years in plastics industry, bottled water is the biggest scam known to mankind, but as always IMHO. It is horrible for environment & a big polluter. And very few markets that still buy recycled plastics.

Edited 17 hours ago by hawk/hornfan

[cruzsnooze]

Plastic bottles of water are allowed as long as they are unopened. Same goes for soda, I bring the six pack of plastic bottled diet coke without problems as long as they are carried on and unopened. I will never buy an alcohol package since it's cheaper to pay for a glass of wine here and there and I reduce my gratuity to $10 PP PD. I pay the half off rate for the internet and this is hundreds less expensive then the over priced packages and inflated gratuity which I know doesn't all go to the crew. 

[Coral]

2 hours ago, tothemall&beyond said:

People who are upset about the bottles water price increase are probably not people who buy the Plus or Premier packages. If you have one of those packages, why would you pay additional for water when it's included?

 

I bought Plus when it was $40 and $50. It is steep for me at $60 a day. I am traveling solo so I am paying 200% for my cruise, I don't drink soda, coffee or alcohol so it is not effective for me. 

 

I also live in a location that is expensive for airfare. I don't get a lot of the amazing specials that those who live on either coast often get. 

Edited 17 hours ago by Coral

[SCX22]

7 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

Apples to oranges. No one is comparing wholesale warehouse pricing to what's sold at retail.

 

The point of my comment in is that, yes other places and other cruise lines charge more for bottled water, but it's designer bottled water.  Princess is doling out Crystal Geyer in the States and wants people to pay a premium.  On Celebrity, equivalent sized water is $3.50 per bottle but it is Evian.  On Holland America, 1 liter glass bottles of Acqua Panna is $5 per bottle.  At Disney, Dasani is served.  All of which have higher base costs.

 

Yeah, water is water, but the same can be said for designer handbags.

[Teechur]

2 hours ago, tothemall&beyond said:

No - the actual intent of the ban (and the cruise lines have communicated about it) was to prevent people from sneaking onboard prohibited alcohol by jury-rigging bottles (whether they be plastic or glass) by filling them with clear alcohol spirits. That was something many passengers were doing. But they can't do it with a can. And, FWIW, they most definitely WILL confiscate a 12 pack of bottled water if you bring it aboard at initial embarkation.

This is simply speculation. Please don't pretend you have an inside source unless you reveal them.

Why do they now allow unlimited liquor bottles, beer bottles, etc. aboard if they are trying to prevent subterfuge?

[SCX22]

46 minutes ago, hawk/hornfan said:

As someone who spent 22 years in plastics industry, bottled water is the biggest scam known to mankind, but as always IMHO. It is horrible for environment & a big polluter. And very few markets that still buy recycled plastics.

 

Maybe in the States and Europe, but this is not true in other countries where tap water isn't potable.  When I'm in Mexico or Asia (not Japan or Korea), I drink bottled water and use bottled water to rinse my mouth exclusively.  Drinking and using bottled water in these situations could deter getting a stomach bug, which could ruin your trip.

[SCX22]

8 minutes ago, Teechur said:

This is simply speculation. Please don't pretend you have an inside source unless you reveal them.

 

This is is true to a certain extent, maybe not on Princess, but on RCL and Carnival, security stops me and checks the bottles of water to see that the seals haven't been tampered with.  On Princess, I got stopped in San Pedro for a 1 liter bottle of mouthwash, which was in my hand luggage; good thing I had not broken the film seal.  There are YouTube videos teaching people how to add food coloring to clear spirits like vodka or gin so that they could be poured into empty, used, and cleaned mouthwash bottles and pass as mouthwash or using opaque mouthwash bottles.  If you're interested search for how to sneak alcohol onto ships on YouTube.

[kywildcatfanone]

On 9/17/2024 at 5:38 PM, rosevew said:

Anybody know about taking water onboard at boarding? I know it says no bottles, does that just mean glass bottles or plastic bottles as well?

We always take our own water and soft drinks.  No issue.

[memoak]

13 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

We always take our own water and soft drinks.  No issue.

That may change in the future

[kywildcatfanone]

15 minutes ago, memoak said:

That may change in the future

No argument they are trying to maximize profits by pushing people to buy packages, but I don't them them preventing people from bringing their own drinks onboard.  Not everyone drinks the limited supply of options they have onboard.

We bring what we need onboard at embarkation,  some in check bags and some in carry on, and the  resupply in ports as needed 

[memoak]

10 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

No argument they are trying to maximize profits by pushing people to buy packages, but I don't them them preventing people from bringing their own drinks onboard.  Not everyone drinks the limited supply of options they have onboard.

We bring what we need onboard at embarkation,  some in check bags and some in carry on, and the  resupply in ports as needed 

They never seem to let my half gallons of bourbon or vodka on board at any port

[TRLD]

5 hours ago, Lou33 said:

Technically, any bottle is a bottle.  But I have a feeling that the intention was ban "glass" bottles.  Obviously, they dont want glass. I don't see a benefit of banning plastic bottles when they already use their own plastic water bottles.  I would have no problem bringing a 12 pack of bottled water.  I doubt that it would be confiscated, and if so, then we are out $2.   But we will just bring our empty water containers and fill them at the water stations.    

 

 

Except theyhave stated that their goal is to reduce the use of single use plastics on board. Many other lines have done the same, and have also taken the next step and changed on board water sales from plastic to metal bottles or cartons.

[Teechur]

3 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

This is is true to a certain extent, maybe not on Princess, but on RCL and Carnival, security stops me and checks the bottles of water to see that the seals haven't been tampered with.  

I am well aware that people smuggle liquor on board. I was referring to the statement that Princess banned bottles for this specific reason. It irritates me when people make definitive statements that are actually speculation.

We bring liquor, wine, sodas, and beer on board at every port. The "rules" seem designed to sell more drinks to passengers.

[TRLD]

5 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

Plastic bottles of water are allowed as long as they are unopened. Same goes for soda, I bring the six pack of plastic bottled diet coke without problems as long as they are carried on and unopened. I will never buy an alcohol package since it's cheaper to pay for a glass of wine here and there and I reduce my gratuity to $10 PP PD. I pay the half off rate for the internet and this is hundreds less expensive then the over priced packages and inflated gratuity which I know doesn't all go to the crew. 

You keep making that claim about the gratuity not going to the crew while providing absolutely no proof in spite of US accouting regulations, which the cruise.lines must follow in SEC filing that require that all except for actual credit card processing fees on amounts paid by credit card must go to the crew that are members of the pool by contract.