All Inclusive Drink Package available on Star Princess NOW

[generichandle]

The only drink package ever for me was a 'freebie' when we did Black Sea with all three perks, including drink package, on Celebrity. I drank a very occasional alcoholic beverage, but lots of hot chocolate, specialty coffees, and 'mocktails'. It was nice, but I certainly did not have to worry about making it worth the price. Was freebie. I would never actually pay that absurd price. But for those who want it, I think it is great that Princess makes the offer. After all, it is a choice. The more of those, the better.

 

Doug

[notentirelynormal]

Sure about that about not from a package?

 

Everytime I have watched them prepare hot chocolate, they used a packet of Carnation hot chocolate mix.

 

Some venues did but not at the International Cafe.

[Feelin' Nauti']

If the drink package is free,even if you only drink half the value of the package it is still a better deal than the OBC they offer.

Totally agree!

With Celebrity's 123 Sale

Onboard Credit option is one per stateroom

 

Free beverage package is for each passenger including the gratuities.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/genericHtmlTemplate.do?pagename=choose_your_offer

 

 

Has anyone come across the beverage package directly from Princess? :confused:

Only info on is on CC news page.

[tgmtgm]

I guess this truly is a "to each his own" situation. But personally, I will never understand why someone would "worry" about or be "concerned" with five individual line items of $8 each on their final statement but wouldn't have the same concern for a single line item of $49. What is it about individual charges that is so upsetting especially if they total up to less than the amount of the single "convenient" charge? Is being presented with a bill to sign for each drink order really a vacation buzz kill for so many people? Perhaps car dealerships should grab ahold of this idea. "Come in to our Chevy showroom and pay $100,000 up front and pick out any vehicle you want. This is really convenient and you won't have to worry about or be concerned with the price of any of the cars or trucks." Sounds silly in that context. But buying a drink package for the sake of convenience knowing that you likely won't break even is not. Fascinating study in human behavior.

 

 

I personally have no aversion to signing individual slips for drink purchases, but it's much nicer when they just swipe your card and hand it back you.

 

I've had Celebrity's drink package on three cruises. Two paid, and one a freebie. I know for a fact that averaged out over the course of each cruise, I received my money's worth. But, I normally spend a generous amount onboard on drinks anyways. I love having a Bloody Mary or two with breakfast, several beers by the pool during the day, pre dinner cocktail or two, plus drinks after dinner in the nightclub/casino/martini bar. That's my routine(as well as the routine of friends that I cruise with)on every cruise. That's why drink packages make sense on my part.

 

And before anyone judges, I don't get hammered and stagger around. In everyday life I don't consume 1/10th the number of drinks I do on a cruise. Some people like to drink on holiday, others don't. It's all about choice.

 

Tony

[reedprincess]

Totally agree!

With Celebrity's 123 Sale

Onboard Credit option is one per stateroom

 

Free beverage package is for each passenger including the gratuities.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/genericHtmlTemplate.do?pagename=choose_your_offer

 

 

Has anyone come across the beverage package directly from Princess? :confused:

Only info on is on CC news page.

 

Yes, KruzPrincess who started this thread is currently onboard Star, and has encountered the package, hence her posting about it - even before the CC article was posted. She didn't say that she got it, just that is was being tried on Star, and apparently is now being extended to other ships.

[Sunviking]

It really is an interesting study. I know that when the night is winding down and I'm sitting in a bar or lounge and the server asks if we want another round, two things factor into my decision: The effect on my brain cells and the effect on my wallet. With a pre-paid plan, one of those two disappears. So I would have a hard time making an "apples to apples" comparison because I know that I would drink more on the plan, and getting my money's worth would become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm just not certain if this is a good or bad thing.:D So I imagine that lots of people will start reporting back that the plan was worthwhile and that they got their money's worth but I wonder how many of them will have had exactly the same drinking pattern had they not purchased the plan. I can see how having a pre-paid plan will cause a drop in inhibitions when in comes to ordering "just one more". Whether or not that is a good thng is an individual's choice. For me, the impact on my wallet of that extra drink helps save me from myself.;)

 

We recently completed our first Seabourn cruise on which beverages of all types are included and one's card doesn't even get swiped. We didn't see a single person who looked even slightly inebriated. Just because wine and other alcoholic beverages are included it doesn't mean that everyone will drink as much as possible. I might add that one of the nice things about the all-inclusive plan for everyone was that if friends arranged get togethers there was no question about who would pay for a round of drinks or a bottle of wine. I know many will say that of course you pay much more for a cruise on a line like Seabourn or one of the other all-inclusives. Having read about all the extra charge venues which have been introduced on the Royal and having sailed many times on Princess and keeping track of our extra expenses in addition to the basic cruise fare we paid, we found that the difference in cost is not all that great and the cruise experience is quite different.

[Iamcruzin]

Agreed.

 

 

 

Also, it's interesting that the package is only available for sailings of 7 days or more. I would have figured the opposite. The longer the cruise, the less likely I'd want to/be able to drink $50 each day, even factoring in non-alcoholic drinks. But to each his own.

 

 

It's probably not as profitable on the short cruises with only one day in port. Plus the shorter cruises are more about a quick get away to gamble and party so those passengers will probably spend more on board than the passenger who is sailing on a longer itinerary to visit the ports of call.

[JimmyVWine]

We recently completed our first Seabourn cruise on which beverages of all types are included and one's card doesn't even get swiped. We didn't see a single person who looked even slightly inebriated. Just because wine and other alcoholic beverages are included it doesn't mean that everyone will drink as much as possible.

Very true. But there is a perceived difference between "included" and "pre-paid as part of a package". I think that human nature reveals that people would treat them differently. Not judging. Just observing.

Edited December 11, 2013 by JimmyVWine

[alexspepa]

We had the Premium Package on our Celebrity cruise in March...I thought it was fantastic. The best part of a vacation is relaxation, and to me it was very relaxing never having to think about a bar tab. I tried different concoctions without the worry that I would not like them.

 

Also - don't underestimate how nice it is not to have to wait for the bartender to print a tab for you to sign - it also speeded up drink service for everyone else - even those not on the beverage package.

 

To each his/her own - it will be a nice option to have on future Princess cruises.

[Feelin' Nauti']

Yes, KruzPrincess who started this thread is currently onboard Star, and has encountered the package, hence her posting about it - even before the CC article was posted. She didn't say that she got it, just that is was being tried on Star, and apparently is now being extended to other ships.

Seems CC and the OP are the only two who know about the package.

:cool:

[alexm1987]

Why has princess not given any info about this package out?

[notentirelynormal]

Why has princess not given any info about this package out?

 

Because they appear to be doing a trial run in one bar on one ship.

[Feelin' Nauti']

Why has princess not given any info about this package out?

Princess responded to a message I sent them.... Not much info was given. Just that it's being tested on the Star and Sapphire.

[avcruz]

Seems CC and the OP are the only two who know about the package.

:cool:

 

As it's just a pilot on two ships, I doubt Princess will post anything official on their website until they've decided whether to roll it out fleet wide or not.

[Cauzneffct]

It's probably not as profitable on the short cruises with only one day in port. Plus the shorter cruises are more about a quick get away to gamble and party so those passengers will probably spend more on board than the passenger who is sailing on a longer itinerary to visit the ports of call.

 

I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess it boils down to whether they figure they'd make more $ in volume, which I'd guess they'd do on a shorter trip (more people likely to purchase, but probably a smaller per-person profit), or try to make more $ per person on a longer voyage (where I'd guess fewer people would make the commitment, but of those who do, a higher percentage may not realize the full value).

[Feelin' Nauti']

As it's just a pilot on two ships, I doubt Princess will post anything official on their website until they've decided whether to roll it out fleet wide or not.

NCL, Carnival, RC made it known that they were doing a trail run of the beverage packages on some of their ships before it went fleet wide.

Doesn't make sense why Princess is keeping hush-hush. :cool:

[Cruise Junky]

NCL' date=' Carnival, RC made it known that they were doing a trail run of the beverage packages on some of their ships before it went fleet wide.

Doesn't make sense why Princess is keeping hush-hush. :cool:[/quote']

 

They don't even advertise their wine package that has been out for a year.

[Feelin' Nauti']

They don't even advertise their wine package that has been out for a year.

The wine program is only offered on certain voyages that are 10 days or longer, which are set-up on the beverage tables on embarkation day

[jagoffee]

The wine program is only offered on certain voyages that are 10 days or longer' date=' which are set-up on the beverage tables on embarkation day[/quote']

 

Not always. When I was on the Ocean Princess I had to ask for the package.

 

By the way I read the CC article on this new package. I would say based on the price differences for drinks between Celebrity and Princess that the package that they are trying on Princess is equivalent to the Premium package on Celebrity. Princess is up to $10 and Celebrity is up to $12. I am not sure if it makes much difference with the wines by the glass, because I do not have the two wine lists to compare. Celebrity has a few specialty drinks that are over $10, but I do not recall any on Princess. So I would say the Princess package is certainly much better than Celebrity's Classic package.

[avcruz]

So I've done the math, and for us the package is worth it. I guess if we get the package on our next cruise (which we will if it's offered) that makes the unused punches on our coffee cards useless. Bummer!

[lljost]

DH and I will be on the Star in February and would love to know which bar this is available in. Not sure that we will purchase it, but would like to ask a few more questions about it. We are big wine drinkers and I am curious what wines by the bottle are available. We always have a bottle open at Vines for pre dinner and a bottle of wine with dinner every night. As well as an after dinner drink or two and the occasional drink during the day outside. This might work for us depending on the wines available.

[melody hounddog]

DH and I will be on the Star in February and would love to know which bar this is available in. Not sure that we will purchase it, but would like to ask a few more questions about it. We are big wine drinkers and I am curious what wines by the bottle are available. We always have a bottle open at Vines for pre dinner and a bottle of wine with dinner every night. As well as an after dinner drink or two and the occasional drink during the day outside. This might work for us depending on the wines available.

 

I will be on the Star Friday. I will report back when we return.

[lljost]

I will be on the Star Friday. I will report back when we return.

 

Thanks so much! Have a great cruise!!

[BarbaraP]

Princess responded to a message I sent them.... Not much info was given. Just that it's being tested on the Star and Sapphire.

 

:confused:Has anyone who has been on the Sapphire report about the new drink package being tested???

[polmcs]

I'll also be on the Star on Friday! We had planned on getting a wine package for dinner and a coffee package for afternoon refreshments (unlimited tea for me as I don't like coffee), but this package might be right up our alley.

 

We've taken numerous all inclusive land vacations and like the fact that it's all been paid for in the price and there are no surprises at the end of the vacation. It's also nice to simply wander up to a bar and order what ever you like. We would typically start out with a mimosa or two for breakfast, go lounge on the beach for a few hours and grab that first rum cocktail around 11AM (though towards the end of the vacation, that 11AM becomes 10:45 and then 10:30!). We would then have a beer or two with lunch, perhaps another cocktail mid afternoon and then a beer at the bar after the sun has gone down before heading back to the room to get ready for dinner. A cocktail whilst waiting for a table, a glass or two of wine with dinner and then a cocktail or two later in the evening and then bed.

 

With 11 of the 15 days of the Hawaiian cruise being "ship" days (10 sea days and a day in Ensenada -We'll be staying on-board as we stopped off there on an earlier Californian Coastal a few months back), there is plenty of time on this cruise to drink at a sensible pace (including juice, water, tea/coffee) to at least get value for money.

 

Sign me up!

 

Pol :D

Edited December 18, 2013 by polmcs