Coffee only package

[Jessejo]

Is it still possible to get a coffee only package?  If so, how much are they?

[fishywood]

It is still available for purchase in the cruise personalizer for my July cruise on Caribbean Princess.

Should be in yours for your upcoming Regal cruise as well.

 

New Grounds Coffee Package  $36.58 per person (15 beverages)

Save 20% with our New Grounds Coffee Package that includes 15 hot or cold specialty coffee drinks along with unlimited brewed coffee and premium tea for the duration of the cruise.

View full New Grounds Coffee Package terms & conditions.

[neverbeenhere]

Technically no, because a coffee package includes teas. But the coffee package is around $37, it includes unlimited brewed coffee and 15 specialty coffees. 

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes.......semantics.   

[crystalspin]

The conditions (if you didn't click and read) include that the 15 "special" drinks can be shared but the included/unlimited brewed coffee, std tea, & hot cocoa are only for the person whose name is on the card (purchase). This will work very well as my mom can share her fancy drinks with my BIL/sis, while lapping up all the straight coffee she wants. This will be on top of their own coffee packages, but even if it weren't, it would be 'legal'.

[Royster 58]

Currently having issues with the new system where this is on your cruise card and not having the paper card that’s stamped when you have one of the espresso based coffees.

this is the start of my 7th day on the sapphire princess and I have just been told I have used up both of the coffee packages I purchased before boarding, (30 espresso based coffees). Luckily because we are given no record when using the coffee package I have been keeping my own tally and have only used 10 so far, but how do you prove it. I have contacted customer service and am waiting a response, to an email they have sent to the beverage manager, as customer service could not help other than to say I had used all 30. The new system may benefit princess cruises, but offers no record of usage to the cruise passenger, as these transactions do not appear on your onboard account.

[JF - retired RRT]

1 minute ago, geoherb said:

 

I miss the cards but understand why Princess has changed the policy. From now on, we'll probably buy DH the package when we are on a longer cruise (12+ days) and skip it on shorter cruises. He usually has one cappuccino after dinner every night. 

Coffee cards were our replacement choice for the mini-bar. We don't drink wine and very little alcohol.

It no longer makes sense to get the coffee pkg. (as you pointed out for shorter cruises). It also won't work too well on B2Bs, which we do a lot. 

Anyone want to buy a mini-bar?

[richmke]

6 hours ago, Royster 58 said:

I have just been told I have used up both of the coffee packages I purchased before boarding, (30 espresso based coffees). Luckily because we are given no record when using the coffee package I have been keeping my own tally and have only used 10 so far, but how do you prove it.

 

My guess is that they charged you for Brewed Coffees, when they should have been free.

[disneyochem]

Just got off a 10-day cruise using the coffee package.  I didn’t use up all of my 15 speciality drinks but certainly thought it was a good deal.  And, I knew I wasn’t going to use all of them. What made it worthwhile to me was that I could get a triple shot latte every day for one cost! I had a triple shot every day followed by freshly brewed coffee the remainder of the day.  Also, cost was worth every penny after I tasted the swill served in the buffet...

[neverbeenhere]

Share your extra specialty coffees with the third class passengers. You will feel good about yourself and they will enjoy the free sweet nectar. 

[jagoffee]

17 hours ago, Royster 58 said:

Currently having issues with the new system where this is on your cruise card and not having the paper card that’s stamped when you have one of the espresso based coffees.

this is the start of my 7th day on the sapphire princess and I have just been told I have used up both of the coffee packages I purchased before boarding, (30 espresso based coffees). Luckily because we are given no record when using the coffee package I have been keeping my own tally and have only used 10 so far, but how do you prove it. I have contacted customer service and am waiting a response, to an email they have sent to the beverage manager, as customer service could not help other than to say I had used all 30. The new system may benefit princess cruises, but offers no record of usage to the cruise passenger, as these transactions do not appear on your onboard account.

Are you sure that Princess cannot provide you a list/summary of the drinks charged to your balance?  You should be able to see the place and time of the charge.  Even though it is not reflected on your actual on board account, it must be on the system somewhere.  I am sure it is the same for the PDP as well.

[crystalspin]

I for one am liking the new Coffee Package. On a 14-day cruise, I can buy ONE card in my sister's name. She can buy her DH's one espresso drink per day and for herself, all the hot cocoa or premium (not specialty) tea she wants.

 

Two "cards" apiece for my DH and me on our 28-day cruise approaches two lattes per seaday, with regular coffee on days we might have excursions or shore activities.

 

I can see where it might not work as well on shorter cruises. But if it were physical cards one could keep, that requires repeated cruises with Princess AND keeping track of the card!

[Sam12]

We had the same issue on our cruise last year on the Emerald. Customer Service had to ask for a copy of charges and we had to then provide why charges were not ours.  We were advised to request each time how many coffees we had left but that did not work when staff were busy.  We were also advised to request the printed receipt of coffee to track our orders.

 

I sent via our travel agent a formal complaint about the changes and offered up suggestions to make it better for both Princess and passengers but have not received any correspondence back. 

[Ombud]

18 hours ago, Potstech said:

Yes it is being forced on all those who obtained the cards, some got multiple, thinking they would be good as advertised. Yet for some reason Princess decided that even though they were paid for and not fully used that they would now make them no good. So what kind of poor planning are you talking about when people bought the cards several years ago thinking they would be good until all 15 punches were achieved.  So yes it is a ripoff as Princess is now forcing people, as of August 2019, to repurchase something they already bought. If you buy something with a certain value for a price then the company says the value no longer applies how is it the purchasers fault.  Sorry your so called logic does not apply to this situation.

If purchased, it was stupid to buy multiples. If obtained through trading the mini bar, your freebie just expired.  Time to move on 

[Potstech]

So someone who bought multiple cards before Princess announced their new policy is stupid? How condescending can you get?

[Royster 58]

19 hours ago, jagoffee said:

Are you sure that Princess cannot provide you a list/summary of the drinks charged to your balance?  You should be able to see the place and time of the charge.  Even though it is not reflected on your actual on board account, it must be on the system somewhere.  I am sure it is the same for the PDP as well.

That will be what I shall push for if I don’t get a satisfactory response, as I think they thought I would take there word for it, although I have not yet received a response to date, even though they said they would leave me a note if I could not be contacted by phone. I still think the new system needs to provide some traceability for the passenger.

[jagoffee]

5 hours ago, Royster 58 said:

That will be what I shall push for if I don’t get a satisfactory response, as I think they thought I would take there word for it, although I have not yet received a response to date, even though they said they would leave me a note if I could not be contacted by phone. I still think the new system needs to provide some traceability for the passenger.

Are you still on the ship.  I hope you can work it out.  Please come back and let us know.  It is certainly possible that a few Princess employees made mistakes.

[Royster 58]

Just come from passenger services and they say I have used the first package, but the second package was closed in error, so they have reinstated it. However this leaves me with only using 10 coffees according my spreadsheet and princess saying I used all 15 which  is 50% more, but as I have not come on holiday to have arguments I’ll leave it at that.  On a side note this morning I was sat next to a guest who was highly delighted that after 8 days on board and drinking at least one latte a day his wife still had 11 coffees left on her coffee package. The present coffee package is a flawed process with no safeguards for the passenger, and does not represent the value for money stated by princess unless all usage is accounted for correctly. I for one will not purchase another coffee package, but will pay as I go as you cannot guarantee the savings stated by princess.

[jagoffee]

Rooster 58, enjoy the rest of your cruise.  Personally I would have asked for a printout of the details of the Speciality coffees charged to my account and compared it.  

If they refused to give you the details I would have escalated the issue by at least  submitting a comment card.  Princess would greatly appreciate the feedback, so the problem can be fixed.

 

[jagoffee]

I meant detailed information of when you were charged incorrectly.

 

Of course it is not your responsibility to fix Princess’s problem.  

[Ombud]

On 6/8/2019 at 7:14 AM, Potstech said:

So someone who bought multiple cards before Princess announced their new policy is stupid? 

No. The person may or may not be stupid, the act of purchasing cards to be used on future cruises that the purchaser may or may not go on is stupid. Policies change all the time as well as people changing travel habits and the ability to travel. 

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, Ombud said:

No. The person may or may not be stupid, the act of purchasing cards to be used on future cruises that the purchaser may or may not go on is stupid. Policies change all the time as well as people changing travel habits and the ability to travel. 

I am very confident that almost all  of those cruisers that say they purchased extra cards to be used on future cruises either:

1. Swapped them for the free mini bar set ups.

2. Used non refundable OBC giving to them by Princess.

 

Smart at the time by taking advantage of a Princess “loop hole”.  I would notsay they were stupid.  Taking advantage of a stupid Princess policy for sure.  

 

IMO it would be rare for anyone to buy multiple coffee cards for future use using real funds.

 

The bottom line is that Princess has fixed their policy and implemented a new process.  Some day that might even totally fix the loop hole where Princess gives out multiple mini bars set ups for a cruise that is booked as a single long cruise, but also sold as multiple segments.  You can still swap the first one for the coffee package and then keep the second mini bar set up when you book a single 14 day cruise.

[newcruiser551951]

This is my first cruise on Princess and I purchased the coffee package.   I am so confused. 

 

I know that the specialty coffees (e.g., lattes) count as one of the 15 drinks

 

But do the: 

Mighty Leaf Tea

Barista Specialty Mixes 

Iced Tea Infusions

count as one of the 15 drinks? 

 

What is the difference between brewed coffee and coffee in the buffet or MDR?

 

If there is a difference and brewed is better, it is part of the 15 drinks in the package? 

 

What about hot chocolate? 

 

I know these are a bunch of questions, and I thank you in advance for trying to straighten me out on the package.

[Potstech]

5 hours ago, Ombud said:

No. The person may or may not be stupid, the act of purchasing cards to be used on future cruises that the purchaser may or may not go on is stupid. Policies change all the time as well as people changing travel habits and the ability to travel. 

Now who is not making sense. There could be any number of reasons people bought multiple cards. One being for several people in a family or group. Just because you do not agree with it does not mean i is not practical for others.  I take you have never ever purchased something for future use?

[Ombud]

3 minutes ago, Potstech said:

I take you have never ever purchased something for future use?

Correct.  I don't buy anything I don't plan on using in the near future. Never have, never will stockpile