Happy hour on Princess ships

[Micahs Grandad]

We enjoyed the happy hour a couple of times on the Regal in February. Princess discontinued it the next cruise, according to some folks we met who were doing back-to-back cruises.

 

My alcohol consumption is a lot less than it used to be. We used to finish a bottle of wine every night on cruises. Now a bottle lasts us two nights and sometimes three. Our total bar tab in February was around $60--corkage on two bottles, the BOGO twice, and cocktails at the PES event a couple of times. We drank a few of our minibar bottles, too, but also had some leftover to bring home.

 

If enough people vote with their feet and reduce alcohol consumption hopefully they will consider.

[mickrory]

If enough people vote with their feet and reduce alcohol consumption hopefully they will consider.

 

Yes good point. On "at sea" days we always used to go down to the Wheelhouse and chat with kindred spirits, enjoy some reasonably priced glasses of vino and have a great time. That pleasure has been taken away, shocking really and extremely short sighted.

If it's a revenue increasing measure it won't work on us. We'll just stay on deck and similarly the only attraction of the nightclub after late dinner was the 2 for 1 drinks otherwise you wouldn't be bothered to traipse up there. It'll be Movies under the Stars instead.

Hope it backfires big style, Celebrity will be rubbing their hands.:(:(

[lbfluffy]

Feb 6th till March 5th 2918 the Grand still had it

 

We will be on the Grand this December. I’m hoping they have it.

[pablo222]

Jan Swartz has just had an email registering my displeasure about the decision. Thanks for letting me know.

 

I'm sure she has delegated ignoring your email to some lackey, rather than having to do it herself.

 

She has a fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder value, which of course includes managing pricing.

[hobbyfarmer2]

We are on the Regal right now and had a couple of drinks at Crooners yesterday at 330 PM. There were a total of four of us in the bar - a far cry from the couple of hundred on the Royal at the same time in December. It was so lonely we quickly finished our drinks and left.

[nimiq]

We should all send a message on the Princess Twitter account. This is exactly what I will be doing now.

[Thrak]

Jan Swartz has just had an email registering my displeasure about the decision. Thanks for letting me know.

 

I'm sure she has delegated ignoring your email to some lackey, rather than having to do it herself.

 

She has a fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder value, which of course includes managing pricing.

 

The proper address for your input is: customerrelations@princesscruises.com

 

Anything of the sort mention that is sent to Ms. Swartz gets sent there anyway.

[Thrak]

We will be on the Grand this December. I’m hoping they have it.

 

There will not be a BOGO. It has been discontinued fleet-wide.

[macmax]

Yes good point. On "at sea" days we always used to go down to the Wheelhouse and chat with kindred spirits, enjoy some reasonably priced glasses of vino and have a great time. That pleasure has been taken away, shocking really and extremely short sighted.

If it's a revenue increasing measure it won't work on us. We'll just stay on deck and similarly the only attraction of the nightclub after late dinner was the 2 for 1 drinks otherwise you wouldn't be bothered to traipse up there. It'll be Movies under the Stars instead.

Hope it backfires big style, Celebrity will be rubbing their hands.:(:(

Celebrity doesn't have a happy hour either and their booze prices are higher than Princess plus 18% grats.

[Birdieman1]

Princess now has the BOGO again, but BOGO has a new definition. Bring Own Goods Onboard.

[MrMan]

If enough people vote with their feet and reduce alcohol consumption hopefully they will consider.

 

 

 

To where?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[nimiq]

This is what I sent to Princess Twitter account waiting to see a response.

 

@PrincessCruises Hello, just heard you will not be offering the BOGO special on your cruises anymore. I’m very disappointed as this was a good reason to mingle with other cruise passengers. Again Princess I feel you are less and less of a trendsetter in this growing business.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[RMMariner]

If Princess wants to maximize profit there is a point where high prices may generate more profit per drink, but the number of drinks sold will decline. Princess will have to determine price points that maximize profit.

 

I cannot say where Princess stands with regard to maximizing profit at this time, but with increased prices and the removal of BOGO, we are going to spend less on alcohol on board. I do not think we are the only ones.

 

I expect them to markup their prices (they need to make a profit) but when a bottle of wine is 5+ times as expensive as on shore, they have priced themselves out of our market. We will bring some wine. Even paying the corkage is much cheaper. We will be content with a glass of wine at dinner, and going to the bars at night, will probably not happen. To be honest on most Princess cruises we have been on the bars are pretty quiet at night and not particularly fun whenever the BOGO is not in affect. I would imagine these changes will only make the bars less popular at all times.

[Thrak]

On our October 2017 28 day cruise on Emerald, Wheelhouse was packed each afternoon and evening during the BOGO. On the 14 day Circle Caribbean cruise we just finished on Caribbean Princess, Wheelhouse was a graveyard pretty much all the time.

[Steelers36]

I am prepared to admit that this BOGO-for-$1 may not be a universal reversal, but it is definitely not dead. We left PE on Island on Jan 24th. There was HH on the previous cruise. A memo had come from HQ ending HH. I am unaware of any general uprising on board as I am not a frequent visitor to the bars. I did speak to a head bartender and someone else in mgmt and got the HQ memo story.

 

Within a week - or two at the MOST - I either noticed what looked like HH in progress or saw it posted in the Patter. I made subsequent inquiry and was told HH with BOGO-for-$1 was back, but it would be "once in a while" or "periodically".

 

I can report that for the remainder of the voyage we had a reasonable number of HH's - usually in Wheelhouse and sometimes Crooner's. They were only in the afternoons (3:30pm) and typically on sea days (although I do recall seeing at least one listed on a port day).

 

I can also say, it wasn't necessarily a Captain's discretion as we changed Captain's during the second segment and nothing changed with respect to HH's.

 

Hopefully, Princess has has change of heart and mind on this and there will be some on your next cruise.

[lbfluffy]

I am bummed. I enjoyed my BOGO Moscow mules and my hubby enjoyed his beers.

[clw1624]

Princess now has the BOGO again, but BOGO has a new definition. Bring Own Goods Onboard.

 

Now that's funny.

[Sailaway John]

A good example is the wine sold onboard. One wine we like is Nobilo. For awhile it was $42. On last cruise it was up to $46. Just after that cruise I saw it on sale at Total Wine for $8.50. I can regularly get it at the grocery store for under $10. I expect a mark-up but, seriously?

 

Well what if I bought 4 bottles of wine and only paid $8.50 per bottle then when we arrived at check-in for the ship I paid the $15 per bottle corkage. That's only $23.00 per bottle. A lot less than what the ship charges. Then I think I can take that Ito the dining room . . . can I?

[Sailaway John]

Hope they have it on the Majestic Princess when it arrives here in Australia in September this year. If not then there will be a riot.

[mickrory]

Celebrity doesn't have a happy hour either and their booze prices are higher than Princess plus 18% grats.

 

Celebrity are offering free classic drink packages for ocean view and above. Admittedly the cruises are a couple of hundred dollars more than Princess but free drinks for 11 night cruises for $200 is pretty shrewd business.

[Elorac123]

I have emailed Customer relations with a direct question

:Is it just a rumour that there are to be no more happy hour fleet wide or will you maintain the good sense to keep it :?

If I ever get a reply other than the automated one I received I will post it

Cheers (pardon the pun ) Carole

[Aus Traveller]

Well what if I bought 4 bottles of wine and only paid $8.50 per bottle then when we arrived at check-in for the ship I paid the $15 per bottle corkage. That's only $23.00 per bottle. A lot less than what the ship charges. Then I think I can take that into the dining room . . . can I?

Yes you can.:)

[golfb4cruzing]

Well what if I bought 4 bottles of wine and only paid $8.50 per bottle then when we arrived at check-in for the ship I paid the $15 per bottle corkage. That's only $23.00 per bottle. A lot less than what the ship charges. Then I think I can take that Ito the dining room . . . can I?

 

We get on the Regal this Sunday and have walked through this exercise as well. We are bringing 2 bottles of wife's fav wine and then 2 bottles of Champagne we enjoy. Even if they hit us with corkage, at least we have what we enjoy and it's still much cheaper than what they want.

[floridalover5623]

We get on the Regal this Sunday and have walked through this exercise as well. We are bringing 2 bottles of wife's fav wine and then 2 bottles of Champagne we enjoy. Even if they hit us with corkage, at least we have what we enjoy and it's still much cheaper than what they want.

Only pack 2 bottles in each of your bags and you'l stand a better chance of not having to pay the corkage charge.

On our last 6 trips we've always checked in early & I have yet to see the liquor table.

[pablo222]

On our October 2017 28 day cruise on Emerald, Wheelhouse was packed each afternoon and evening during the BOGO. On the 14 day Circle Caribbean cruise we just finished on Caribbean Princess, Wheelhouse was a graveyard pretty much all the time.

 

Princess has perfect data to decide whether not to offer a BOGO happy hour.