Happy Hour

Why send an email to Customer Relations send it to the President. She might have more influence on this than Customer Relations.Alfred

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As suggested, I emailed my comments to Customer Relations this morning. The important part of their response was:

 

"As our onboard events and offerings are always changing, Happy Hour is in the process of being phased out across the fleet while we develop new programs and promotions for your enjoyment."

 

In other words, "We're taking Happy Hour away and will, maybe, someday, replace it with something else. Enjoy your lesser experience in the mean time."

It’s just their latest marketing spin in an effort to convince passengers that reductions are for our benefit. :rolleyes:

They recently eliminated using a coffee card punch at Gelato’s to eliminate passenger confusion...what confusion? :eek:

It was only made to increase income & certainly not to benefit passengers. And guess that now charging $1.50 for a single scoop at Gelato’s is also to benefit their passengers? The same passengers who on other ships with gelato at the IC pay $1.50 for 3 scoops.

I’m tired of Princess’ marketing spin about how reductions are somehow a way to benefit passengers...we’re not that stupid! :rolleyes:

Eliminating happy hour is a bad financial move on their part.

I thought the BOGO was great as I’m not a big drinker. But I disagree with this. BOGO was competing with their very profitable beverage plan. Now, even casual drinkers are more likely to get the all included drink package, whatever they are calling it now. I won’t ever get it because I will never drink that much a day, and for me it’s better to take the OBC, but I’m betting they see an increase in sales of the package now.

Always about the bottom dollar unfortunately.

Good thought to send to President!!! Why didn't I think of that?

Let's do that too!!

Doing away with Happy Hour, which was revenue producing for them? "....phased out across the fleet while we develop new programs and promotions for your enjoyment."

That comment is just BS!.....WHILE they find other programs & promotions??.....somehow that sounds like NEVER!!

Happy Hour worked really good for them & us.....while Ocean Medallion has been a disaster! Lets see, wonder which cost MORE MONEY for the company??

I thought the BOGO was great as I’m not a big drinker. But I disagree with this. BOGO was competing with their very profitable beverage plan. Now, even casual drinkers are more likely to get the all included drink package, whatever they are calling it now. I won’t ever get it because I will never drink that much a day, and for me it’s better to take the OBC, but I’m betting they see an increase in sales of the package now.

 

Always about the bottom dollar unfortunately.

I can drink casually, not at all, or heavily. No matter what I won't pay for the beverage package. Nope, nope, nope. Too dang much money earmarked specifically for booze. I had the package as a perk on our last cruise and also have it on our next cruise. I love the package. I simply won't ever pay that much for drinks.

Of course now they are getting rid of the BOGO and making the coffee card expire (I still don't know if it's a year from purchase or a calendar year . The latter would be horribly unfair.) It does look as if they are trying to push people to the package but they may just increase smuggling. I know there seem to be a lot of smugglers as it is but it doesn't seem wise to push more people in that direction. I would hate to see that happen. If smuggling does increase they may well decide to no longer allow bottled water or soda to be brought aboard. Sigh... I guess the alcohol isn't good for me anyway so, if I don't have the package as a perk and they take away the BOGO I will just drink far less - or not at all.

I thought the BOGO was great as I’m not a big drinker. But I disagree with this. BOGO was competing with their very profitable beverage plan. Now, even casual drinkers are more likely to get the all included drink package, whatever they are calling it now. I won’t ever get it because I will never drink that much a day, and for me it’s better to take the OBC, but I’m betting they see an increase in sales of the package now.

 

Always about the bottom dollar unfortunately.

Absolutely...follow the money however the Happy Hour elimination will probably result in Princess following that money out the door.

But it’s ridiculous to attempt to convince us that all of these changes are anything but bad for passengers. They will never disclose the financial affect of eliminating BOGO$1 nor how many passengers actually purchase drink packages or receive it as a booking benefit.

Many of us casual drinkers will no longer be purchasing as many alcoholic drinks nor are we going to purchase a premium drink package at $70 per day. That would result in less income but none of us will know for sure & we can only speculate about the financial impact.

But to me that’ll be less income & unhappy bar staff who will receive less tip revenue from fewer drinks.

I'm torn between Celebrity and Princess - I enjoy them both equally but do love the drinks perk on Celebrity, but balance that out with the BOGO$1 on Princess as we're not huge drinkers. I'd never pay for the Princess beverage package, way too much money for what we'd drink. We've got future cruise certificates with Celebrity, not used, as instead booked the Emerald in the Fall. Very disappointed to hear this news - would switch, but we've already persuaded family from the UK to join us on the Emerald, and they don't get their deposit back. I'll send an email! :(

Like others, we would enjoy participating in the BOGO happy hours. No way that we will buy more than a few drinks at full price. It's just not worth the $ to us. And to think that we would purchase a package since the BOGO offer is not longer offered is just ludicrous.

I emailed them as well. I'm getting tired of the cutbacks.

Cutback or setback or just going back to the way things were. We have sailed 25 Princess cruises since 2004. At least the first 15 didn’t have a BOGO. Started out as BOGO, but it was updated to BOGO plus $1.00. Not a whole lot of protest.

Sailed Celebrity a couple of years ago. They had a nice BOGO. Sailed several NCL cruises last year. They give you a choice when booking to have an all inclusive where you pay the gratuity. It worked well.

We start a 12 day New Zealand cruise next week on the Diamond followed by 22 days to Tokyo with lots of sea days. Hope it hasn’t phased out yet. We’ll still have our afternoon happy hour regardless. At least Crooners or Wheelhouse will be less crowded.

Gone from Royal as of a couple of days ago. We had it for the beginning of the cruise and then it stopped

Cutback or setback or just going back to the way things were. We have sailed 25 Princess cruises since 2004. At least the first 15 didn’t have a BOGO. Started out as BOGO, but it was updated to BOGO plus $1.00. Not a whole lot of protest.

 

Sailed Celebrity a couple of years ago. They had a nice BOGO. Sailed several NCL cruises last year. They give you a choice when booking to have an all inclusive where you pay the gratuity. It worked well.

 

We start a 12 day New Zealand cruise next week on the Diamond followed by 22 days to Tokyo with lots of sea days. Hope it hasn’t phased out yet. We’ll still have our afternoon happy hour regardless. At least Crooners or Wheelhouse will be less crowded.

While I've never seen the BOGO in Crooner's I must admit that Wheelhouse got crazy during the BOGO on our last cruise. It was kind of a drag as there was live entertainment going on several times during that hour and it was impossible to hear it. I felt sorry for poor Phillipa having to play and sing when it was a LOUD madhouse. The bartenders flat out flew and kept up with everything and made it look, if not easy, then certainly well within their capabilities. Chris had to be one of the best bartenders we have ever had on a ship (or anywhere else for that matter).

While I've never seen the BOGO in Crooner's I must admit that Wheelhouse got crazy during the BOGO on our last cruise. It was kind of a drag as there was live entertainment going on several times during that hour and it was impossible to hear it. I felt sorry for poor Phillipa having to play and sing when it was a LOUD madhouse. The bartenders flat out flew and kept up with everything and made it look, if not easy, then certainly well within their capabilities. Chris had to be one of the best bartenders we have ever had on a ship (or anywhere else for that matter).

On the Regal they took away all the barstools and put up a red velvet rope to keep the line straight in December at Crooners! We had the drink package so steered clear.

On the Regal they took away all the barstools and put up a red velvet rope to keep the line straight in December at Crooners! We had the drink package so steered clear.

I was already in the bar a few times when the BOGO happened. I wasn't paying any attention to the time as the BOGO doesn't work when you have the package and was surprised when it was suddenly a madhouse. I actually would have preferred if they had done it in Crooner's on that cruise as we only frequented that venue (mostly anyway) in the evenings. The first part of the cruise we didn't care for the piano guy but after we left Hawaii the place was packed every evening and people stayed as long as they possibly could. It wasn't really "my" kind of music for the most part but the guy (Nano Prado) was quite good and very entertaining. A couple of times he didn't know a requested song but came back and did it the next night and from then on if asked. I really had to laugh though when he did Tie A Yellow Ribbon. I don't like the song but his French accent made it sound like Tie A Jello Ribbon. ;p

It was on both the Crown and the Regal last week and is not on there this week according to people sailing this week.

We were on CB in Dec. and the BOGO 1.00 was not on that ship.

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Hopefully Princess will replace it with something new once it's totally phased out.

It seems the replacement is "buy one, purchase another of the same drink for an additional same price."

In a way, this is more flexible because the two drinks do not need to be the same or even the same price.

If this is true, we are really, really mad. HH is our favorite thing to do and we cruise 4-5x a year. I well remember a few short years ago before HH and I noticed the dreadfully wasted empty space of the Wheelhouse all day long and especially before dinner. Dark, gloomy and often deserted (with one lonely bartender) and always with the glare from the afternoon windows. When HH was instigated it was BOGO and such a delightful treat! We quickly discovered that we needed to be early to get one of the precious seats at the bar ... and as each day passed and the crowds figured it out, we needed to get there earlier and earlier: 2:50, 2:45 and sometimes even 2:30. Yes, we come in from poolside to be there on time. I don't think we've missed a day "at" the bar in our last 15 cruises because we have so much fun. I have videos of the incredible bartending and love to watch them when I get home. It's especially fun to be with the same bartenders if you're lucky enough to find them again ... they always remember us, what we drink and where we sat, and they would each receive $10 from us on the last day. Anyway, we have met so many fun pax this way; in December we're cruising on our 4th straight Xmas cruise with 2 other families we met at HH. This weekend we're heading to Mexico on the Ruby with one of them and in Sept we're taking the Seattle Coastal with two more.

Since Elite drinks have changed to the current awful choices and spendier price, and the appetizers remain the same old, same old, we've basically quit going up there ... HH became our routine before dinner. I repeat, if this is true, we shareholders are going to be really mad, not just disappointed. I'm trying to figure out a way Princess would replicate this revenue? I'm certainly not going to step up to a beverage package.

We will be going on our first Princess cruise at the end of May. My wife and I are both light drinkers who, on previous cruises with other lines, will have a cocktail each in the evening. I was planning on extending this to 1 in the evening at our usual time but also one during one of the HHs.

Given this development we will stick to our single evening drink. I know we probably aren't representative of the typical cruising family but, in our situation, this will be a net loss to Princess.

Also, what sort of company phases out an offer while "it considers other options"? if you are planning on replacing an offer with another you do it at the same time.

We always liked the RCCI offer of a "Cocktail of the Day"

As suggested, I emailed my comments to Customer Relations this morning. The important part of their response was:

 

"As our onboard events and offerings are always changing, Happy Hour is in the process of being phased out across the fleet while we develop new programs and promotions for your enjoyment."

 

In other words, "We're taking Happy Hour away and will, maybe, someday, replace it with something else. Enjoy your lesser experience in the mean time."

Just received this same message, it's much like the "our customers like the convenience of less product in the same size box at the same price...makes package lighter and easier to carry too" that retail manufacturers send out when they downsize.

I only have maybe 6-8 drinks at most on a 10 day cruise with a couple being during happy hour.

It would have been better to not have had a happy hour than to have it and abruptly take it away after it becomes popular. It makes the whole experience a let down when buy a cruise based on past experience knowing what will be there and find out they took it away right before your cruise.:(

Let them know how you feel about this, there is power in numbers.

I sent an email with a list of disappointments including happy hour and not being able to use my punch card for gelato and crepes. I received a voicemail confirming all my disappointments are correct and that they hope I enjoy my cruise in 3 weeks...

My wife and I are do not drink much, but do enjoy BOGO. If it is gone, then it we will save some money.

We, too, won't be buying the (too) expensive beverage package as we don't and won't drink that much.

Add me to the list of people who emailed their displeasure to Princess about phasing out the BOGO happy hour.

Bill

I sent an email today as well. So disappointed as we board the Crown on Saturday.

Sent an email. Anybody on Royal that can give a report? I was on in Dec. and BOGO was a go. I'm back on in April and would like to plan accordingly, which would be bringing additional bottles of wine on and paying the corkage if no BOGO..

Sent an email. Anybody on Royal that can give a report? I was on in Dec. and BOGO was a go. I'm back on in April and would like to plan accordingly, which would be bringing additional bottles of wine on and paying the corkage if no BOGO..

This was posted on one of the earlier pages.

Gone from Royal as of a couple of days ago. We had it for the beginning of the cruise and then it stopped