Premiere Drink Package Worth it?

[bbunch04]

Anyone purchased the premiere drink package and won anything by entering their cabin?  What does it mean to have unlimited spins when the casino is open?

 

[JimmyVWine]

8 minutes ago, bbunch04 said:

Anyone purchased the premiere drink package and won anything by entering their cabin?  What does it mean to have unlimited spins when the casino is open?

 

The title of your thread and the content of the post can be read as addressing two different topics. The principle benefit of the Premier Drink Package is to unlock paid-for access to the higher quality beverages but your posted question appears to focus on the lottery aspect of the Package, and there isn't any real way to monetize that or predict the Package's value.  I think you have to price out the Premium Package on the assumption that the lottery will net you nothing, and look only at the other benefits provided, which are: a) included access to higher quality wines and b) the photos.  If those work out financially for you, then the Package is good for you.  If you can cover the cost of better quality wines (and a few spirits) through OBC or out of pocket for less than $25 per day, then Premier is not worth it.  And if you covet unlimited photos, then the Package might really pay off.  But no one can weigh in and tell you that the price point of Premier is a great value because you are going to win $xxx.xx in cash rewards.  Assume that that aspect of the Package is a throwaway.   

[memoak]

We have been happy with the offerings on the plus package since the added the new package no need for. another upgrade for us

[lx200gps]

18 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

The title of your thread and the content of the post can be read as addressing two different topics. The principle benefit of the Premier Drink Package is to unlock paid-for access to the higher quality beverages but your posted question appears to focus on the lottery aspect of the Package, and there isn't any real way to monetize that or predict the Package's value.  I think you have to price out the Premium Package on the assumption that the lottery will net you nothing, and look only at the other benefits provided, which are: a) included access to higher quality wines and b) the photos.  If those work out financially for you, then the Package is good for you.  If you can cover the cost of better quality wines (and a few spirits) through OBC or out of pocket for less than $25 per day, then Premier is not worth it.  And if you covet unlimited photos, then the Package might really pay off.  But no one can weigh in and tell you that the price point of Premier is a great value because you are going to win $xxx.xx in cash rewards.  Assume that that aspect of the Package is a throwaway.   

Well summarized. We're on the Enchanted right now with the Premier package, and it's been a monumental waste of money for us. There's no way to know yet the outcome of the "Prizes" thingy, we have seen a few notices pop up on our door saying we've been entered in the draw, but we have no idea what, when or how the draw will happen. I'm certainly expecting nothing from it. The biggest problem has been trying to obtain "higher level" drinks. At the CG, Sabatinis and La Mer the wine list seems to have been pared way down and most of the requests we made for the higher priced wines were met with "Sorry, we don't have that". Worse still, the staff don't seem to know what they do and do not have until they go searching and come back empty handed. I had a surprisingly good  higher priced Chardonnay at GiGi's one night, then a few days later asked for the same one, and was told they don't have any of that. When I pointed out that I had had two glasses of it a few days earlier, the waiter ran off and came back 5 minutes later with the correct glass. We will never waste money on the Premier package again, at least we can be sure they have the inventory they say they do.

[Mackenzie1]

Thanks for your replies. I signed up for the premium beverage package on an upcoming Island Princess cruise because I like to drink champagne, and only Prosecco is offered on the plus package. If they say they are out of champagne, it would definitely be a rip off.   

[lx200gps]

55 minutes ago, Mackenzie1 said:

Thanks for your replies. I signed up for the premium beverage package on an upcoming Island Princess cruise because I like to drink champagne, and only Prosecco is offered on the plus package. If they say they are out of champagne, it would definitely be a rip off.   

A big part of the problem is that the staff, and therefore us passengers, simply don't know what is available, as the menus they give us are largely worthless. As to champagne, that was one of the only successes we had. La Mer (but none of the other restaurants) offered a Veuve Cliquot at $23/glass, so upcharge of only $5 + 18% for us with the Premier package. Well worth it

[Mike45LC]

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

Well summarized. We're on the Enchanted right now with the Premier package, and it's been a monumental waste of money for us.  ...  The biggest problem has been trying to obtain "higher level" drinks. 

It never occurred to me that this could be a problem.  Sorry to hear that Princess isn't living up to its promises.

[lx200gps]

4 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

It never occurred to me that this could be a problem.  Sorry to hear that Princess isn't living up to its promises.

I'm assuming it's all tied in to global supply and demand/shipping problems that many businesses are suffering from. I expect that they have such problems supplying their entire ship's inventory each trip and so it's basically impossible for the front-end staff to know what they do and do not have.  I just went online and looked at a supposed 2022 drink and wine list for Sabatinis. It's many, many times larger than the small card they gave us two nights ago

[JimmyVWine]

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

I'm assuming it's all tied in to global supply and demand/shipping problems that many businesses are suffering from. I expect that they have such problems supplying their entire ship's inventory each trip and so it's basically impossible for the front-end staff to know what they do and do not have.

Maybe.  The problem with that theory is that each ship operates as a closed system and should have a real time inventory.  In fact, it has to.  It is inconceivable that they could operate without one.  So while it may be difficult for Island Princess to have the same inventory as Crown Princess, the Food and Beverage Staff on Crown (who are on the ship for months at a time) should very well know what is on their ship, and what Island can or cannot source is of no moment.  I think that one of the biggest culprits here is the sheer size of the ships.  A bottle of Chardonnay that you like that is being poured at the Outrigger Bar may very well not be in the fridge at the Good Spirits Bar way down on Deck 5.  So the convenient answer from the server is "We don't have that" or "We are out of that."  Well, do you mean that you don't have it HERE, or that you don't have it ON THE SHIP?  The implication is the latter, but as your own experience points out, that is not necessarily the case. There is just no effort being put in to leveling the inventory from bar to bar, and the servers aren't interested in traversing the ship to procure the wine that they know is on board, but is many decks away.  Also, in no doubt what is a cost saving measure, Princess seems uninterested in producing up to date wine lists on printed paper just as they are uninterested in producing printed Patters for every cabin on the ship. The servers act as if there are a scant dozen or so total cases of wine on board, when in fact, supply chain issues or not, there are literally hundreds in the storage closets on board.  I have not been in a single wine shop, big or small, or shopped at a large on-line wine seller in the past two years who has told me that the wine I am looking for is unavailable due to supply chain issues.  And if I can source my measly 500 bottles a year, I am certain that Carnival Corp. can get what it wants.  Surely they stand way ahead of me in line when it comes to customer preference.       

[c-boy]

eh Jimmy, right now your credit rating is probably higher then CCL's .😉

[JimmyVWine]

2 minutes ago, c-boy said:

eh Jimmy, right now your credit rating is probably higher then CCL's .😉

Only sliiiiightly!!

[Mackenzie1]

5 hours ago, lx200gps said:

A big part of the problem is that the staff, and therefore us passengers, simply don't know what is available, as the menus they give us are largely worthless. As to champagne, that was one of the only successes we had. La Mer (but none of the other restaurants) offered a Veuve Cliquot at $23/glass, so upcharge of only $5 + 18% for us with the Premier package. Well worth it

Hi, lx200gps. Thanks for the information! 

[Steelers36]

7 hours ago, lx200gps said:

We will never waste money on the Premier package again, at least we can be sure they have the inventory they say they do.

Which would be impossible to know.  If they are running low on labels, makes me wonder if they are using up old stock and waiting on new labels we don't know about.  I do know if I bring my own supply, there won't be any "Sorry, we don't have that".

 

ETA:  (After reading Jimm'y post) .. I like @JimmyVWine's post as I am sure various venues will have sporadic choices for wine.  I have never ordered wine at a bar.  On the few occasions I have ordered a bottle (not having my own on hand), it was always in a DR or possibly Vines.  I wouldn't even think to order a bottle of wine on Lido.  😂

Edited September 23, 2022 by Steelers36