UDP with new Playmakers prices

[mjmiller]

Everything I've seen indicates that currently, a person with UDP gets $20 to spend per day per a la carte restaurant (plus as many fixed price restaurants as want/able). In the past, people could get "rung out" and then continue to use another $20 at Playmakers - that's been stopped. I also see that Playmakers prices have gone up. If I get a sandwich or wings at Playmakers, I won't have enough money left to cover any dessert, or even some apps. What's up with that? I can go to Chops or 150 and be stuffed with fancy expensive food with UDP, but can't get the smallest plate of wings and campfire brownies at Playmakers with that same plan?  

 

Any thoughts? Work arounds? Suggestions? 

 

We're doing UDP first time ever, on Wonder in Dec. I'm super excited to try all the pay restaurants, but some things, like this, just don't make sense!

Edited August 23, 2023 by mjmiller

[firefly333]

Plan on playmakers as a add on. Half and half perhaps. Eat at chops or wherever and stop by playmakers before or after ala carte. One night get the wings. One night stop for dessert. 

 

If you order $22.00 and your allowance is $20, can you just pay the extra $2?

[Arzeena]

12 hours ago, mjmiller said:

Everything I've seen indicates that currently, a person with UDP gets $20 to spend per day per a la carte restaurant (plus as many fixed price restaurants as want/able). In the past, people could get "rung out" and then continue to use another $20 at Playmakers - that's been stopped. I also see that Playmakers prices have gone up. If I get a sandwich or wings at Playmakers, I won't have enough money left to cover any dessert, or even some apps. What's up with that? I can go to Chops or 150 and be stuffed with fancy expensive food with UDP, but can't get the smallest plate of wings and campfire brownies at Playmakers with that same plan?  

 

Any thoughts? Work arounds? Suggestions? 

 

We're doing UDP first time ever, on Wonder in Dec. I'm super excited to try all the pay restaurants, but some things, like this, just don't make sense!

I can only speak of our experience on the Wonder this month.
Had UDP. Playmakers budget in that was $20 per person per day.

We did not go over the $20. We went there for lunch/snacks on different days. There was a lot of food (at least for us) between my $20 and hubby's $20 at the same time.

[chiguy67]

We’ve never had a problem with the $20pp for Playmakers. You can go multiple days.

[J0Y0US]

18 hours ago, mjmiller said:

In the past, people could get "rung out" and then continue to use another $20 at Playmakers - that's been stopped.

 

Why can't you walk out the door and immediately turn around and ask for a seat again? Is it $20 limit per meal period each day?

[firefly333]

8 minutes ago, J0Y0US said:

 

Why can't you walk out the door and immediately turn around and ask for a seat again? Is it $20 limit per meal period each day?

Yes its per day. People were doing exactly as you suggest. Closing 1 tab and immediately opening a new tab, so they stopped it. Lol I need a husband. People keep posting well me and hubby shared with $20 each and had plenty of food. 

[J0Y0US]

Just now, firefly333 said:

Yes its per day. People were doing exactly as you suggest. Closing 1 tab and immediately opening a new tab, so they stopped it. Lol I need a husband. People keep posting well me and hubby shared with $20 each and had plenty of food. 

 

In other words then its like a appetizer or snack than a meal now there.

 

I wonder what the math was behind the change because I can see people now going there at like 5pm then hitting up a higher cost steakhouse for dinner still.

[Pandamonia]

Royal will spoil everything eventually. 

[mjmiller]

35 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

 Lol I need a husband. People keep posting well me and hubby shared with $20 each and had plenty of food. 

That's what I had read and planned, UNTIL the significant rise in prices. As it is now, the only thing you can get on UDP with 12 wings is fries. Meh. Yuck. Every other item puts you over $20. So hubby and I can't go for lunch on UDP, share one app, a sandwich and wings, and one dessert. If we get ANY entree, wings or sandwich, we can't get a dessert on UDP with the new pricing. 

 

That makes zero sense to me.  It would be significantly less costly (to them) than us going to a much more expensive restaurant for lunch, enjoying a snack at Playmakers and then going to an expensive dinner too. 

 

And that's WITH a significant other. Folks who cruise solo, or whose partner doesn't want to go to Playmakers, are even worse off. 

[mjmiller]

1 hour ago, chiguy67 said:

We’ve never had a problem with the $20pp for Playmakers. You can go multiple days.

Have you cruised since the new pricing was implemented? Look at the menu I posted. This is brand new pricing.  We can't even get a dessert to share if we each get an entree. 

[HicksRA]

Isn’t it ironic that the “Unlimited” Dining Package is not unlimited??  
 

[firefly333]

10 minutes ago, mjmiller said:

That's what I had read and planned, UNTIL the significant rise in prices. As it is now, the only thing you can get on UDP with 12 wings is fries. Meh. Yuck. Every other item puts you over $20. So hubby and I can't go for lunch on UDP, share one app, a sandwich and wings, and one dessert. If we get ANY entree, wings or sandwich, we can't get a dessert on UDP with the new pricing. 

 

That makes zero sense to me.  It would be significantly less costly (to them) than us going to a much more expensive restaurant for lunch, enjoying a snack at Playmakers and then going to an expensive dinner too. 

 

And that's WITH a significant other. Folks who cruise solo, or whose partner doesn't want to go to Playmakers, are even worse off. 

I'm assuming it has to do with traffic flow. Like there arent enough open seats for walk ins and UDP so they want to encourage UDP to go elsewhere. Like hibachi isnt a more expensive restaurant than chops but its hibachi you pay a $15 surcharge for, supposedly because it's so small. 

[mramella]

Easiest thing for Royal to do is simply up the allowance from $20 per day to perhaps $30 per day. Problem sovled 🙂. FAT CHANCE!

[Jt4428]

I think I am the only one that didn't love playmakers. Lol

[jk04]

3 hours ago, Jt4428 said:

I think I am the only one that didn't love playmakers. Lol

I'm not a big fan either, but DH LOVES the hamburgers from there.  On Oasis in January with our Son, DIL, and GD, on boarding day they ate at Playmakers.  I had a nice relaxing lunch at Gio's and read my book. ☺️

[emdia43]

6 hours ago, Pandamonia said:

Royal will spoil everything eventually. 

I’m beginning to think they have a death wish. 

[nimbex1970]

On 8/21/2023 at 4:22 PM, cruiseboy89130 said:

 

 

On 8/24/2023 at 5:11 PM, Jt4428 said:

I think I am the only one that didn't love playmakers. Lol

Yikes, but the buffalo wings, so says the buffalo gal! They are decent!

[PATRLR]

On 8/24/2023 at 2:56 PM, mjmiller said:

That's what I had read and planned, UNTIL the significant rise in prices. As it is now, the only thing you can get on UDP with 12 wings is fries. Meh. Yuck. Every other item puts you over $20. So hubby and I can't go for lunch on UDP, share one app, a sandwich and wings, and one dessert. If we get ANY entree, wings or sandwich, we can't get a dessert on UDP with the new pricing. 

I find things like this to be annoying.  If you buy an "unlimited" plan, I get that it really isn't unlimited, but you should be able to go into a restaurant and get a full meal without paying more.  Will the additional charge ruin my cruise?  Or not getting s desert to stay under the limit?  Of course not, not in the least.  It's just annoying.   

If you start to have many of these "annoying" moments, that can and will influence your overall opinion of your vacation, it's only natural.

[Kiki and The Noush]

On 8/24/2023 at 5:07 PM, mramella said:

Easiest thing for Royal to do is simply up the allowance from $20 per day to perhaps $30 per day. Problem sovled 🙂. FAT CHANCE!

The stipend for ala carte used to be $35.  

[LilBlackDress]

Just now, Kiki and The Noush said:

The stipend for ala carte used to be $35.  

That was only Izumi... Playmakers was always $20

[Kiki and The Noush]

Just now, LilBlackDress said:

That was only Izumi... Playmakers was always $20

Gotcha.

[cruisetorelax44]

1 hour ago, LilBlackDress said:

That was only Izumi... Playmakers was always $20

yes, but that $20 could buy you a three course meal. If they raise the price for the people who are paying a la carte, they should give those with an UDP a higher credit amount. 

[mramella]

7 minutes ago, cruisetorelax44 said:

yes, but that $20 could buy you a three course meal. If they raise the price for the people who are paying a la carte, they should give those with an UDP a higher credit amount. 

 

Agreed, otherwise, they've just devalued their UDP product overnight. Guess it's a lot like airline miles. Used to be if you flew 20k miles, you'd get a free roundtrip ticket in the US. Now, it's points based, which means airlines just increase the points needed for a free roundtrip ticket, and thus devalue your points. Easy peasy, lemon squeezey. 

[Nabalab]

2 hours ago, LilBlackDress said:

That was only Izumi... Playmakers was always $20

 

We had the UDP on Symphony in November 2019.  It was definitely $35, which we thought was a lot since those menu prices were on the "inexpensive" side.  Essentially, we ordered more food because we could.  (In my opinion) lowering it to $20/person made sense.  But not so much anymore with the recent semi-drastic increases.

Edited August 29, 2023 by Nabalab

[jerseyjjs]

On 8/24/2023 at 8:20 PM, jk04 said:

I'm not a big fan either, but DH LOVES the hamburgers from there.  On Oasis in January with our Son, DIL, and GD, on boarding day they ate at Playmakers.  I had a nice relaxing lunch at Gio's and read my book. ☺️

 

 

They most likely went there to watch the NFL Playoffs as well as have something to eat.  Can't do that at Gio's.