Just got an email outlining the "NEW" offerings

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

It is easier to help people who wish to help themselves.  What many on here seem not to appreciate is that no-one is being forced by these changes to pay anything additional.  They will be able to enjoy a fantastic cruise experience for the cost they planned / budgeted.  All the changes have done is introduce some discretionary additional charges for one venue and some amenities.  Each and every cruiser can make an individual choice as to whether they wish to pay extra for that venue and those amenities or not.

I PAID for that venue when I paid my cruise fare in full as I did room service.  Can't sugar coat it

[cruising.mark.uk]

Just now, voljeep said:

I PAID for that venue when I paid my cruise fare in full as I did room service.  Can't sugar coat it

In that case, if you send Princess a copy of the invoice that specifies exactly what you paid for that venue and for room service, I'm sure they'll refund you.

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, roadster08 said:

For those annoyed with others complaining about the changes, consider this.

 

The cost of cruising is going up for everyone and some people are being priced out of the ability to cruise. Some of them could barely afford their cruise before the changes and with the changes they are now in a situation where taking a cruise is a poor financial decision.  They could  even be stuck because they've already paid non-refundable money.

 

If you have no empathy for their predicament, maybe you should ask why are you engaging  in social media? The whole point is to help others. 

 

 

In this case can go on the same cruise and have zero extra expense. All they have to do is to choose not to order via the ap or room service, and get their pizza at slice instead of Alfredos. Absolutely no increased cost.

 

Based upon the posts on CC and other social media the use by most seems to be to complain and encourage others to do the same.

 

With a few trying to help others.

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

I PAID for that venue when I paid my cruise fare in full as I did room service.  Can't sugar coat it

When you get on board go to customer service and politely complain that the change occurred with in the cancellation period and you are very upset by the change. Good chance you might get a little OBC. Atleast in the short term. Once you get 90 past implementation any chance of that goes away.

 

For cruises more than 90 days you can always cancel.

 

 You paid for a cruise that includes several venues. No guarantee that the venues will remain the same between the time one books and the time the is taken.

Edited August 18, 2023 by ldtr

[Steelers36]

45 minutes ago, ldtr said:

 You paid for a cruise that includes several venues. No guarantee that the venues will remain the same between the time one books and the time the is taken.

This is a key statement.

[B_A_H]

1 hour ago, whitecap said:

If it were a general statement, you shouldn't have singled me out.  As for the "futility of a bunch of people", how do you think change comes about?  Should everyone just sit down and shut up?  Not my way of addressing issues.  Again, if this thread is bothering you so much and causing you just grief, stop reading it.  Have a nice rest of your day.

I actually find this thread immensely entertaining.  I hope the merry marauders on this forum achieve whatever their goal is.  However, I'd peg the odds of a grass roots uprising causing Princess to reverse their decision to be about the same as winning Powerball and here's why.   

 

Princess knew not grandfathering people in to the new packages would piss untold people off and did it anyway.  The negative reaction being witnessed here is an anticipated byproduct of their decision. Does anyone truly believe Princess is so naïve they didn't anticipate backlash? 

 

I think we can all agree on one thing.  Princess put money over goodwill.  Heck, they even threw their own staff under the bus by forcing them to explain to "previous package" purchasers face-to-face that the free pizza they thought they were getting isn't free any longer.  The villagers with pitchforks and torches will then take out their ire on the poor Filipino servers who had nothing to do with the decision and are victims themselves. Apparently, Princess isn't the benevolent God we thought they were. 

 

Your anger isn't with me, it's with Princess because they consciously made a customer unfriendly decision and there's nothing anyone here can do about it. I think it's that powerlessness that has people so upset.    

 

One parting comment.  I browse the forums here for all the major cruise lines from time to time.  There isn't a single one of them that isn't lit up because of customer-unfriendly decisions that are being made in the name of profit.  As long as the economy remains robust and demand remains high things are going to get worse before they get better and the cruise lines will only become increasingly brazen. 

[whitecap]

2 minutes ago, B_A_H said:

I actually find this thread immensely entertaining.  I hope the merry marauders on this forum achieve whatever their goal is.  However, I'd peg the odds of a grass roots uprising causing Princess to reverse their decision to be about the same as winning Powerball and here's why.   

 

Princess knew not grandfathering people in to the new packages would piss untold people off and did it anyway.  The negative reaction being witnessed here is an anticipated byproduct of their decision. Does anyone truly believe Princess is so naïve they didn't anticipate backlash? 

 

I think we can all agree on one thing.  Princess put money over goodwill.  Heck, they even threw their own staff under the bus by forcing them to explain to "previous package" purchasers face-to-face that the free pizza they thought they were getting isn't free any longer.  The villagers with pitchforks and torches will then take out their ire on the poor Filipino servers who had nothing to do with the decision and are victims themselves. Apparently, Princess isn't the benevolent God we thought they were. 

 

Your anger isn't with me, it's with Princess because they consciously made a customer unfriendly decision and there's nothing anyone here can do about it. I think it's that powerlessness that has people so upset.    

 

One parting comment.  I browse the forums here for all the major cruise lines from time to time.  There isn't a single one of them that isn't lit up because of customer-unfriendly decisions that are being made in the name of profit.  As long as the economy remains robust and demand remains high things are going to get worse before they get better and the cruise lines will only become increasingly brazen. 

I have yet to express any anger and I would appreciate it if you would get things straight.  I have express my disappointment in Princess for their lack of communication and caring for their loyal customers.  So please, get you bs straight.

[EDVM96]

4 hours ago, memoak said:

Then what do the words “may be changed at any time” mean to you?

Just improper terms and conditions, irreconcilable with the law.

[SCX22]

7 minutes ago, EDVM96 said:

Just improper terms and conditions, irreconcilable with the law.

No different than the interest and perks of credit cards which can be changed at any time and you’re at the mercy of the bank.

Edited August 18, 2023 by SCX22

[Steelers36]

I do see both sides of the coin here.  

 

However, I believe it is false logic to claim that purchasing Standard, Plus, or Premier specifically included free access to Alfredo's/Gigi's.  Dining locations come and go.  Princess can make changes.  They can change something like TV channels.  They can change what's included in UBD offering.

 

Princess was fully within their rights to implement a RS charge.  The debate is over how and when to implement it.

 

I do think Princess has egg on their faces for having to implement a fee for Ocean Now since it had been a marketing differential with other lines.  Again, they are within their rights to do so and the same debate occurs - how and when to make the change.

 

The majority of cruisers - according to Princess marketing expectations, are on Plus or Premier, so those folks are pretty whole - for the most part (the biggest exception I see is those on longer voyages being restricted in number of free visits to Alfredo's/Gigi's if on the Plus - a majority of guests supposedly). 

 

Setting aside the number of free visits issue, regardless of voyage length (this also affects the SD benefit), because I think that is a different issue altogether that could be discussed with Princess or seek an explanation as to perceived unfairness. 

 

Princess could have gained a lot of good karma and publicity if they grandfathered in existing fully-paid bookings.  I hope they factored that into the equation of how many would accept versus be upset with an immediate change affecting all guests.  Perhaps they decided they would let the ships handle front-line complaints and provide guests who do complain and qualify with the changed items at no charge.  But that is a cost as well - bad publicity, occupying GS or other crew with these complaints, taking away from ability to handle the normal day-to-day inquiries and passenger needs at GS desk. 

 

My guess is that either the technology to track and allow just wasn't possible in a reasonable time-frame (nor would it be likely trusted at first to work), or they just decided to take heat for a short period and it would not affect bookings or repeat business.

 

Judging by CC posts, they miscalculated.  We don't know how it is impacting 3000 - 4000 passengers each week. 

 

 

Bottom line for me is that Princess was within their right to make the changes they did and we either suck it up or move on.  But I do think they fumbled the ball on both communication and implementation.  Better handling of both those would have less upset guests and less "bad press".

 

My message to those posting over and over about how wronged they are and how upset is to write Princess HQ and let them know.  And politely inquire on their cruise about some relief or compensation for the things they are missing out on for free.  A polite discussion about why you think some relief is appropriate might result in a good thing.  I would hope this group asking for relief only consists of those who were past FP Date when the changes were announced.

Edited August 18, 2023 by Steelers36

[ninka26]

On 8/14/2023 at 6:18 PM, irishgirl said:

I got the email today, I have the Plus-50 and this was at the bottom of the email.  I cruise in 21 days.

 

You currently have a package that doesn’t include these new benefits. But you can easily upgrade your package in the Cruise Personalizer® to take advantage of these additional perks.

 

I’m not going to upgrade, 2 pizzas aren’t worth the $144 or so it would cost to upgrade.

Where in the email does that appear? I didn't see what package I have in my email. I booked after 8/2 for a 2024 cruisetour with Princess Premier. Could that be why I'm not seeing anything??

[SCX22]

19 minutes ago, whitecap said:

I have yet to express any anger and I would appreciate it if you would get things straight.  I have express my disappointment in Princess for their lack of communication and caring for their loyal customers.  So please, get you bs straight.

Time to start being loyal to another cruise.

[MissP22]

7 hours ago, ldtr said:

Especially since the primary food offering is pizza and free pizza is available in a different venue.

But is it the same pizza in both locations?

Something tells me that there's a discernable difference.

Not that I could tell since I don't eat pizza on a cruise.

[memoak]

19 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Time to start being loyal to another cruise.

They all do the same thing 

[memoak]

1 hour ago, ldtr said:

When you get on board go to customer service and politely complain that the change occurred with in the cancellation period and you are very upset by the change. Good chance you might get a little OBC. Atleast in the short term. Once you get 90 past implementation any chance of that goes away.

 

For cruises more than 90 days you can always cancel.

 

 You paid for a cruise that includes several venues. No guarantee that the venues will remain the same between the time one books and the time the is taken.

And you can spend hours at guess devices to no avail while I will be having cocktails 

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

4 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

to write Princess HQ and let them know.  And politely inquire on their cruise about some relief or compensation for the things they are missing out on for free.  A polite discussion about why you think some relief is appropriate might result in a good thing.  I would hope this group asking for relief only consists of those who were past FP Date when the changes were announced.

This. I’ve vented on here and I stick by why I’m upset. I’m cruising just 3 and a bit weeks after the announcement and have been fully paid up for months.

BUT I am emailing Princess already, politely. And will go to HQ if I feel I should. I may also go and have a chat with GS. Also politely.

 

I worked for a well known general advice agency In the uk for many many years. Complaints & problems with a multitude of issues. Housing, consumer, employment, whatever.

My stream of thought on social media isn’t my professional approach. It’s a vent.

 

I’m not going to rant/ be rude to the servers & to the staff on board. I’ve no time for that or for anyone who does it. I’ll approach the appropriate people in the most appropriate way. You are more likely to actually get anywhere close to a resolution that way.

 

and there is no way I’m letting this upset our cruise either. I step on board tomorrow and none of this is going to impinge on our enjoyment of it whatsoever

 

Im now in a Premier Inn, in Eastleigh UK near to Southampton port. My holiday starts now. If you are also on Sky tomorrow, spare a thought for the on board staff, & have a fantastic time. I will!

 

cheers 🥂 

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

But is it the same pizza in both locations?

Something tells me that there's a discernable difference.

Not that I could tell since I don't eat pizza on a cruise.

A difference yes, is the free pizza as good as or better than the free pizza on other lined yes. Do the other lines have a venue that is equivalent of Alfredos not really.

[SCX22]

25 minutes ago, memoak said:

They all do the same thing 

 

Exactly.  Even if people stray, they will be met with the same charges, unless they move to a niche cruise line that have fares that are exponentially more.  Once they see what the others have to offer, not all that are crying foul will dismiss Princess altogether because of the changes.

[caribill]

2 hours ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

Yes they do get exactly what they paid for.  Where on their invoice does it say they've paid for free pizza at Alfredos and free room service?  What they paid for was access to a certain amount of free food and for the option to have room service. 

 

Actually, my invoice does not say in any way, shape or form that any "free" food is included with the fare. 

 

Not even eating in the main dining room is listed as free.

 

So as far as the invoice is concerned, there is no included food with the cruise.

 

What food is "promised" is what is on the Princess web site when the cruise is booked.

[caribill]

2 hours ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

It is easier to help people who wish to help themselves.  What many on here seem not to appreciate is that no-one is being forced by these changes to pay anything additional.  They will be able to enjoy a fantastic cruise experience for the cost they planned / budgeted.  All the changes have done is introduce some discretionary additional charges for one venue and some amenities.  Each and every cruiser can make an individual choice as to whether they wish to pay extra for that venue and those amenities or not.

 

And they do make these decisions, by relying on what the cruise company's website said was included at the time they made the booking.

[cheetosrevil]

5 hours ago, memoak said:

Gee somehow I have been on 3 Princess cruises totally 44 days and on every day of every cruise I have found a barstool and a drink in hand within minutes

FWIW On Discovery the bar service at both pool bars is very slow unless you're there very early and using the Mix bar. I've given up on trying to get service at any time at the SeaView bar.

[EDVM96]

6 hours ago, memoak said:

Then what do the words “may be changed at any time” mean to you?

Luckily, I live in the EU.
EU Package travel and linked travel arrangements

When booking a package holiday and/or linked travel arrangements, we benefit from a high level of consumer protection under EU rules.

Cruises are booked thru Princess Germany, which is run by Interconnect Marketing Company. Place of jurisdiction is Munich (and not Santa Clarita).

[villauk]

2 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

This. I’ve vented on here and I stick by why I’m upset. I’m cruising just 3 and a bit weeks after the announcement and have been fully paid up for months.

BUT I am emailing Princess already, politely. And will go to HQ if I feel I should. I may also go and have a chat with GS. Also politely.

 

I worked for a well known general advice agency In the uk for many many years. Complaints & problems with a multitude of issues. Housing, consumer, employment, whatever.

My stream of thought on social media isn’t my professional approach. It’s a vent.

 

I’m not going to rant/ be rude to the servers & to the staff on board. I’ve no time for that or for anyone who does it. I’ll approach the appropriate people in the most appropriate way. You are more likely to actually get anywhere close to a resolution that way.

 

and there is no way I’m letting this upset our cruise either. I step on board tomorrow and none of this is going to impinge on our enjoyment of it whatsoever

 

Im now in a Premier Inn, in Eastleigh UK near to Southampton port. My holiday starts now. If you are also on Sky tomorrow, spare a thought for the on board staff, & have a fantastic time. I will!

 

cheers 🥂 

 

Cheers to you, too. We’re now not far from you and a little closer to the port. But guess what, still no email from Princess informing me of the changes! Well, there’s a shock…NOT! See you on board tomorrow, with hopefully our Plus packages still allowing us a 🥂. 

[villauk]

4 hours ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

In that case, if you send Princess a copy of the invoice that specifies exactly what you paid for that venue and for room service, I'm sure they'll refund you.

 

I’ll just politely show GS tomorrow a copy of my brochure detailing my complimentary meals delivered anywhere on the ship:

 

COMPLIMENTARY DINING

All meals are included in your cruise fare. From fine dining options in our elegant main dining rooms ottering multi-course gourmet menus, to casual dining on deck, in the Atrium, and in your stateroom. No matter what time of day, if you fancy your favourite bite to eat, we've got it covered.

OCEANNOW

Use OceanNow on the Medallionclass App to place a food or drink order. Perhaps you fancy a burger whilst watching Movies Under the Stars, or a cocktail on your balcony as you watch the sunset. Our on demand

service means vou can sit back and relax and a crew member wil ting vour location.

[CruizinSusan70]

19 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Not always that easy.

 

Was on a Princess cruise in a very crowded Explorers Lounge. A waiter would come around and take drink orders, but the time from wanting a waiter to appear and when the waiter could actually deliver the beverage was close to an hour.

 

Yes, you could walk up to the bar, but they were servicing all of the multiple waiters' orders before a walk up customer could order, so walking to the bar was not an option.

 

But, if you ordered with the app, the drink came from a different area of the ship and arrived much faster than using a waiter in that lounge or walking up to the bar yourself.

We are princess newbies, have only sailed 14 days on the Discovery and another 14 on the Majestic.  Did the majority of our drinking at night at Good Spirits and frequently other bars on board less frequently.  But we never had a problem walking up and getting a drink.  I guess YMMV, but we only cruise on Royal Class and will also be on the Sphere Class in the future.  Older ships are not for us.  Whether this comes into play or not regarding getting drinks, i don't know.