Sailaweigh

We've crunched the numbers many times and Princess still hasn't convinced us to get the Plus or the Premium plus package for several reasons... 1) we get a lot of shipboard credit. We don't enjoy Princess Shore Excursions and we don't need more stuff to buy, so where would we spend it this SBC? 2) Princess advertises the package costs $60/pp, but did you realize that they roll the cost into the price of the cruise? So you paying 9% (almost $10/day/cabin) more for Vacation Protection due to the added package. So now the cost of the package is actually $130/day for the two of you. Princess is essentially increasing the cost of the Vacation insurance for people who buy the packages. 3)We are elite, so we get the stocked bar set up on every cruise. 4) Since we are elite, the wifi fee is $12.50/per day. We might get it on sea days if we're board. When we do buy it, we get a single device and my hubby and I share a hot spot. On port days, our Tmobile plan has us covered. 5) We've noticed that the selection of wines in the plus package are limited, so we prefer to bring our wine onboard. When we are going to foreign ports, we enjoy trying the local wines. We pay the extra $20/bottle "corkage fee" for the extra wine and bring it to dinner. A bottle of wine usually lasts us for 2-3 dinners. 6) We go on lots of longer cruises where at least one of us will catch a virus on the ship and be out of commission for a day or 2 or 3. So on those days, we don't drink (if one of us gets sick, the other one tends to also lay low). 7) And most important reason is that we consciously try not to drink too much. When our doctors ask us how much we drink, we usually respond with " 1 or 2 drinks on weekends and while on vacation". Well, it seems like we're on vacation all the time! Lately, we've been on a cruise ship about 100 days/year and cruising on our own boat about 50days/year. If we got the drink package, we know that we would try to get our money's worth. So for the sake of our liver and to prevent other illnesses associated with alcohol, we are very aware of what and how much we drink. In addition, there are all those empty calories that go along with the package. A tip for people who want to decrease their alcohol on a cruise, I pick up a couple of the fruit smoothies at breakfast and put them in my refrigerator. Then I pick up a couple glasses at one of the bars. Add a little ice and I have a healthy mocktail for Happy Hour. Princess loves the packages because they are a profit source that they can count on. With the package, they know that "Jane & John Smith" have committed to spend $60pp/day and Princess can count on that revenue. Princess knows that the Smiths have committed to buy 2 wifi plans(which costs little to operate) and Princess also knows that the Smiths will be "buying" drinks (which cost Princess less than probably $1 each), even if the Smiths normally wouldn't have bought any or as many that day. Drinks have a huge profit margin. Then Princess has guests like us who don't buy the package. Princess doesn't know if we will sign up for the 1 or 2 or no wifi plans. Princess doesn't know how much we may or may not drink every day thus they can't count on how much of a profit they will make on us. We travel with friends that always get the drink package. They love it, they use it, and they feel that they get their money's worth. For us, the numbers, among other things, don't work.

Funny. That would be an idea. But that wouldn't bother me. We go to maybe 2 shows a cruise (seen all the production shows and many of the guest entertainers are repeats). We never use the swimming pool (heck, we have a pool that I rarely use), never take the elevator (I prefer the exercise of walking) or have watched a MUTS (we prefer to watch them in my own cabin). Now, I'm wondering to myself what I Do I do?

We are US citizens and wondering if we need a visa when we stop at Kuşadası and visit Ephesus on a private tour. On the US state department site it says "U.S. citizens traveling on cruise ships can enter visa-free for a maximum of 72 hours with permission from authorities at the port of entry." but on e-visa site is says "Tourists who arrive in Turkey on a cruise ship do not need a visa if they are only planning to visit the city that their ship docks at." Since Ephesus is only 6 miles from the port, do we need a visa? Has anyone been there lately and has taken a private tour and needed a visa?

Princess is getting a lot of dependable revenue with the plus packages and not paying out a lot for the products. They know that they will be getting $60/day everyday from that person. Where as, since we get the standard package, they don't know if we will drink or not that day (maybe we don't feel well that day). They don't know if we will purchase the Internet plan, etc. They can't anticipate our spending. They push the Plus & Premium packages, because it's cash in hand with little expense to them. Most people have no more than 5 or 6 drinks/day. Each drink probably costs them $1-$3. Now, they will offer the free casual dining venues to entice people to eat there. People love stuff for "free" so Princess is hoping that people will opt to eat a cheaper to prepare meal ( ie pasta, sandwich, etc) instead of going to the MDR and having a full meal. In addition, it will also lighten the load that the busy MDR usually experiences while the casual dining options are like ghost towns. And BTW... you do realize that when you purchase the plus package $120 ($60x2) and also get the princess insurance, that you are paying the 8% insurance premium on that additional amount for a total of almost $130/day.

After hearing this news and reading all the comments, initially I was mad because generally I don't like nickle & diming. But then I again, I don't want the cruise fares to go up. I'm a big believer in "user fees", and I guess that is what these are. People that use the amenities should pay for them. We always go standard fare. We would drink too much if we got the package. This way, with the Elite bar set up and a drink at the Elite lounge before dinner, we feel that's enough alcohol for us for the day. After 36 cruises on Princess, we have never gone to the casual dining venues ( not even Alfredo's) We never have ordered from the Medallion and have never order RS ( except for the occasional carafe of coffee for breakfast). So this is no change for us. Everything is costing more, and we like everyone grumbles about costs going up and package sizes getting smaller. But when I look back to our first cruises in the 80's, we were paying $1200 for an inside cabin for a 7 day on Carnival and it puts things into perspective.

Hi, My question is if I should book 2 14 day cruises back to back or book the longer 28 day cruise (It is the same cruise). Will I get 2 stockholder benefits if I book the cruises separately? Does anyone have any experience doing this?

If Princess accepts your bid and you don't like the location. Can you decline it?

Just wondering if the staff still expects them. When we went to first services on the last day of the cross a few weeks ago and asked for envelopes, the staff person looked at us confused. I said for tips and all that they could find were larger envelopes with windows. And then, when we were giving the extra tip to the waiter, he took it ( of course) but emphasized what he would like was a very good review. It seemed like less and less people are giving the extra tips

Does anyone know how the tips are divided up? Specifically, how much of it does the Cabin Steward and dining room waiters get? We usually give them a little extra, so with the increase, we plan to lessen or forgo that, unless they did something really special for us. Sue

If you purchase wifi before boarding, can you use your SBC to buy it?

Hi, Been a loyal Princess cruiser for the past 10+years and are reaching the 25 cruises or 250 days at sea with Princess mark. Does Princess still give SBC for the guests with over 25, 50 and 75 cruises? I remember at one time, it was $25 SBC after 25, $50 per cruise after 50 cruises, etc. Do they still do that? A girl's gotta have a goal. 😁 Thanks, Sue