Musky Ike

Or you could look at it from the opposite direction. For the non or occasional alcohol drinker the the elite mini bar and 50% off WIFI make the packages less of a deal. You can save big by going with the standard rate. Depends on your cruise lifestyle.

Who knows. Things are not final. They may yet add deck names. I hope so. Baja 421 sounds more like a cruise cabin than 11421. That may as well be hotel. I will save my judgements about the ship layout in general until after I have sailed on her, which I hope to do next year. The first of a new class is always a test. They made some changes between Royal and the Regal and my guess is there will also be some between the Sun and the ???.

No the system "should" update almost immediately and the medallion "should" open the current cabin without effort on your part.

I do also. But I understand why Princess does their bonus as a card that can only be used with them. The expiration date on them could be longer. I had so many and so many refunded back or partial that it was hard to keep track.

That worked for us on the Emerald last month.

Don't know about this cruise in particular, but on our previous (pre-pandemic) Hawaii cruises they had ukulele and hula lessons along with enrichment lectures. DW purchased a ukulele to take up some closet space at home 😁. Plus Hawaii themed entertainment and food onboard. At one port they brought a local children's dance group onboard. It was fun.

No problem, thanks for pointing it out. I have a final payment coming up soon so I bought 5. I don't mind a little work to save $250.

Like you, we have gone away from guaranteed cabins as we learned what we wanted. Years ago we did a lot of cruises that way. with mostly good results, several times to the next cabin type i.e. Oceanview to balcony. The new bid for upgrade process may have changed the landscape on that.

I am élite (in the captain's circles eye anyway). I would not mind the whole program just going to savings on the cruise price. Probably not going to happen, but a simple percentage off, 1% for gold to say 5% to elite? That would be of value to everyone maybe even Princess. It would be a lot easier to mange for them. They might do it as OBC. Not as good IMHO, but better for them. I'm sure they would rather give "savings" that not everyone values or uses like fitness class and deluxe desserts .

Sorry posted twice somehow.

Mine also, but no big deal for now. We cruise in a month and if it is sill that way onboard it will be a quick stop at the oceanfront desk.

It would not be of benefit to you at $47.19. IMHO With the WIFI and crew gratuities the plus cruise package would still be better and includes all the non-alcohol options. No you get half off so, $7.50 for the one device plan. $7.50 + $16.00 + $47.19 = $70.69 PD. I would stick with the plus package if I were you.

It is confusing because it is the same terminology ( plus and premier) for just the beverage package and the cruise package. Premier Beverage Package$100.29 per person, per day Our Premier Beverage Package is the best of the best for $84.99 per day plus an 18% service charge. This Premier Beverage Package includes fountain sodas, specialty coffees and teas, hot chocolate, bottled water, fresh juices and healthy smoothies (juice bar) — as well as wine, beer and cocktails up to $20 USD each with a premium selection of spirits, craft cocktails and wine by the glass. It also features a 25% discount on all bottles of wine, large bottles of water and cans of soda when purchased in bars, dining room or specialty restaurants. If you’re a top shelf kind of person, this is your beverage package. View full Premier Beverage Package terms & conditions. Select Plus Beverage Package$76.69 per person, per day Enjoy a wide range of drinks for $64.99 per day plus a 18% service charge. The Plus Beverage Package includes fountain sodas, specialty coffees and teas, hot chocolate, bottled water, fresh juices and healthy smoothies (juice bar) — as well as wine, beer and cocktails up to $15 (USD). It also features a 25% discount on all bottles of wine, large bottles of water and cans of soda when purchased in bars, dining room or specialty restaurants. View full Plus Beverage Package terms & conditions.

I don't see the Captain's Circle status on the app. Other than the Princess logo is blue. Should it be black if you are elite?

It is called marketing. It happens all over the place because it works. Some people just accept what a retailer tells them. I see "bargains" all the time where the price was increased (inflated) so the can offer a "sale" price of what it was before, or sometimes more. You are correct that true value is based on individual usage, not what they tell you it is worth.

I had the same issue on the app. It shows full price. apparently not recognizing that we are elite. I called and got it added at the $7.50 rate.

So they can inflate the "value" of the plus package.

Most cocktails can become mocktails by just omitting or substituting for the alcohol. The bar staff are glad to help and they can be creative, just ask. If he likes tomato juice, maybe a virgin Mary? With the package it's no problem. If he doesn't like it, he can order something else until he finds one that he likes.

Guess I missed that total cost screen. I didn't notice the total until I looked at my shipboard account. Glad I checked right away. Just wanted to give it a shot on a sea day because as I understand it, it only works while the casino is open, so long port days would be more limited trips in and out of the cabin.

Not on the Emerald two weeks ago. I tried one day and it automatically charged my account for the all remaining days. I went to passenger services and they confirmed that it charges for the remainder of the cruise and they removed the charge for me.

Yes but for the rest of the cruise. We could not do just one day.

No. They used to give one with the soda package years ago but I have not experienced it with the plus.

Last day 😒

12 cans per person no bottles

We noticed that also. Maybe due to the lower passenger and elite numbers?