Princess plus price on board in AUD

[Camelia-]

Hi everyone,

 

My sister (who lives in Canada) is boarding a cruise in New York ending in Sydney Australia. she’s been told that the currency on board will be in AUD. She is thinking of getting the Plus package when she boards but isn’t sure how much the daily amount in AUD would be. I know that it’s $60 USD. Would anyone who has taken the package on an Australia cruise be able to tell me how much they paid.? Come to think of it how much would she be charged for the daily gratuity I wonder?

 

it’s quite confusing when trying to figure things out with the exchange rate etc and of course he,s paid for the whole cruise in CAD,
 

thanks in advance!

[sewgood]

I've looked up the price for the Coral which is in New York this July as part of the world cruise and the daily price to upgrade is $65 AUD per day per guest.

Princess premier is $95.

Neither of these prices include the daily gratuity as Princess includes it in the cruise fare for Australians when the ship is using Australian dollars.

[icat2000]

Your sister would get a more accurate cost price if she looks up on the website at her end or in her booking to what it would cost to upgrade.

 

 

Edited March 15 by icat2000

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, icat2000 said:

Your sister would get a more accurate cost price if she looks up on the website at her end or in her booking to what it would cost to upgrade.

 

 

100%.

Also, August 2025 is a long way away. We currently pay $AU65 per day, but I would be very surprised if there isn't a price rise between now & then. If the package is added to the fare now it will be at today's price and she still has till final payment before it is paid for (it becomes embedded to the fare).

[Belmont Babe]

If she booked from Canada the price she pays for Princess Plus will be in USD ($60 per day) and the gratuities will be included as part of the package.

If she had booked as a standard fare, gratuities are payable. If she had booked in Aussie, gratuities are not payable as they are included in the standard fare, and the package would cost AUD65 per day.

Edited March 15 by Belmont Babe
clarity

[Camelia-]

20 hours ago, sewgood said:

I've looked up the price for the Coral which is in New York this July as part of the world cruise and the daily price to upgrade is $65 AUD per day per guest.

Princess premier is $95.

Neither of these prices include the daily gratuity as Princess includes it in the cruise fare for Australians when the ship is using Australian dollars.

Thanks so much…this will give her an idea.. she will have to add the gratuity as well to calculate the total price..

[Camelia-]

2 hours ago, Belmont Babe said:

If she booked from Canada the price she pays for Princess Plus will be in USD ($60 per day) and the gratuities will be included as part of the package.

If she had booked as a standard fare, gratuities are payable. If she had booked in Aussie, gratuities are not payable as they are included in the standard fare, and the package would cost AUD65 per day.

Yes she booked in Canadian so she would be paying for the gratuities as well. I think she would prefer not to deal with the USD exchange!

[Astro Flyer]

15 hours ago, Camelia- said:

Yes she booked in Canadian so she would be paying for the gratuities as well. I think she would prefer not to deal with the USD exchange!

She could view pricing by going to her Cruise Personalizer after logging in to her account on the Princess website. My cruise is around Australia & being booked from the US the cruise fare & advance payments are in USD. I’m guessing that all of her currency for those things are being paid in CAD?
 

In USD: Plus is $60/pp/day, Premier is $80/pp/day and both include tips; with Standard fare paying tips in advance is $16/pp/day for our balcony cabin.

 

OBCs are in AUD & are the same amount as in USD & thus at the current exchange rate the OBCs are reduced in value by a third.

 

Our cruise is a year from now so don’t know whether tips will be $16 AUD (same dollar amount as in the US) or if the $16 USD will be converted to the equivalent amount in AUD…currently $24.38 AUD. When inquiring about how that works I’ve received conflicting info so won’t know the true answer until a year from now.

 

[Camelia-]

22 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

She could view pricing by going to her Cruise Personalizer after logging in to her account on the Princess website. My cruise is around Australia & being booked from the US the cruise fare & advance payments are in USD. I’m guessing that all of her currency for those things are being paid in CAD?
 

In USD: Plus is $60/pp/day, Premier is $80/pp/day and both include tips; with Standard fare paying tips in advance is $16/pp/day for our balcony cabin.

 

OBCs are in AUD & are the same amount as in USD & thus at the current exchange rate the OBCs are reduced in value by a third.

 

Our cruise is a year from now so don’t know whether tips will be $16 AUD (same dollar amount as in the US) or if the $16 USD will be converted to the equivalent amount in AUD…currently $24.38 AUD. When inquiring about how that works I’ve received conflicting info so won’t know the true answer until a year from now.

 

That’s why it’s so confusing..she is being quoted the Canadian amt if she pre purchased but it’s hard to get a straight answer about what the charge will be in AUD when she boards, It’s hard to decide whether it’s worth booking (and paying) in advance or whether it’s better to wait until she boards. Of course there is the added possibility of price increase too…

 

 

 

[Astro Flyer]

1 hour ago, Camelia- said:

That’s why it’s so confusing..she is being quoted the Canadian amt if she pre purchased but it’s hard to get a straight answer about what the charge will be in AUD when she boards, It’s hard to decide whether it’s worth booking (and paying) in advance or whether it’s better to wait until she boards. Of course there is the added possibility of price increase too…

I completely agree…it’s so confusing! 😳

 

I don’t know if other cruise lines are like Princess having multiple currencies to pay for Australian cruises. I’ve cruised to Europe & South America & all onboard pricing was in USD & not in the currency of where sailing. I don’t know if having onboard spending in AUD is an Australian mandate or is just Princess’ policy. That benefits them by reducing the value of OBCs by a third for USD but not as much for CAD…$100 AUD of OBC is equal to $89 CAD but only $66 USD. Although the only thing OBC can be used for in advance is to prebook tours in AUD.

 

Hopefully someone from CA or US who has cruised in Australia can provide the cost in AUD for the Plus/Premier packages. Having an Aussie share their price might not be beneficial because their packages do not include tips which are included in their cruise fare paid in AUD.

 

This is my understanding of the procedure but won’t be onboard until next year to have real life experiences. After our around Oz cruise we fly to Auckland NZ to cruise to LA and OBCs & spending are all in USD.

 

Price increases are a probability & is why I’ve pre-purchased a WiFi package before it recently increased by over 60%. With my cruise a year away, I’m not charging other things so far in advance despite realizing prices on things such as dining & tips will likely increase.

 

Hopefully someone will have actual experiences for your sister’s situation. 🤞

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

I'm fairly certain that there aren't different prices for things once on board an Australian cruise. All drinks prices, speciality restaurants etc are charged as shown on drinks lists etc. So The Plus package if bought onboard should be AU$65pp per day because at that point all accounting onboard is in AUD. The only difference for passengers who booked from outside Australia/NZ is that they will still be charged the daily gratuities if they booked a Standard fare and that will probably be around AU$25-$28pp per day depending on cabin type since the Australian Plus/Premium fares don't cover gratuities as technically there aren't any on fares booked in Australia. 

 

So total cost would be around AU$90-93pp per day.

 

The Plus package bought in USD equates to AU$91.40 at today's XE rate so, in fact, it would work out about the same. 

 

It's really a case of deciding whether to gamble on the exchange rates improving or to just take the easy way and buy the package in USD or CAD. Personally I'd buy the package now as I reckon the price will go up within the next 12 months.

[Camelia-]

7 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm fairly certain that there aren't different prices for things once on board an Australian cruise. All drinks prices, speciality restaurants etc are charged as shown on drinks lists etc. So The Plus package if bought onboard should be AU$65pp per day because at that point all accounting onboard is in AUD. The only difference for passengers who booked from outside Australia/NZ is that they will still be charged the daily gratuities if they booked a Standard fare and that will probably be around AU$25-$28pp per day depending on cabin type since the Australian Plus/Premium fares don't cover gratuities as technically there aren't any on fares booked in Australia. 

 

So total cost would be around AU$90-93pp per day.

 

The Plus package bought in USD equates to AU$91.40 at today's XE rate so, in fact, it would work out about the same. 

 

It's really a case of deciding whether to gamble on the exchange rates improving or to just take the easy way and buy the package in USD or CAD. Personally I'd buy the package now as I reckon the price will go up within the next 12 months.

I asked her to look in her look in her Cruise Personalizer and she told me that if she wants to upgrade she will be charged $120 per day for the Plus Package. Obviously it’s to her advantage to wait to board and take the risk and pay the amt in AUD. Also, this is one of the few times where the Canadian dollar is slightly stronger..so that’s another plus..doesn’t happen too often!

 

[arxcards]

38 minutes ago, Camelia- said:

I asked her to look in her look in her Cruise Personalizer and she told me that if she wants to upgrade she will be charged $120 per day for the Plus Package. Obviously it’s to her advantage to wait to board and take the risk and pay the amt in AUD. Also, this is one of the few times where the Canadian dollar is slightly stronger..so that’s another plus..doesn’t happen too often!

 

$US120 is for 2 x people, right?

CAN vs AU or CAN vs US, it is all relative.

 

I don't think it is to her advantage to wait and pay $AU65pp after boarding. In 12 months time it is likely to be $AU75pp, and the daily grats are still extra and may also increase between now and boarding.

 

We are on the same cruise, from the UK via New York to Sydney. We have purchased the plus package with our booking. We may cancel it before final payment date, but are currently using it as a hedge against internet & bar prices going up between now and the time we board. It doesn't cost us anything until we make our final payment in around a year from now. She should be able to add it to the fare via her agent or Princess PVP, and not need to pre-purchase with a credit card via the personaliser.

[Camelia-]

8 hours ago, arxcards said:

$US120 is for 2 x people, right?

CAN vs AU or CAN vs US, it is all relative.

 

I don't think it is to her advantage to wait and pay $AU65pp after boarding. In 12 months time it is likely to be $AU75pp, and the daily grats are still extra and may also increase between now and boarding.

 

We are on the same cruise, from the UK via New York to Sydney. We have purchased the plus package with our booking. We may cancel it before final payment date, but are currently using it as a hedge against internet & bar prices going up between now and the time we board. It doesn't cost us anything until we make our final payment in around a year from now. She should be able to add it to the fare via her agent or Princess PVP, and not need to pre-purchase with a credit card via the personaliser.

 

8 hours ago, arxcards said:

$US120 is for 2 x people, right?

CAN vs AU or CAN vs US, it is all relative.

 

I don't think it is to her advantage to wait and pay $AU65pp after boarding. In 12 months time it is likely to be $AU75pp, and the daily grats are still extra and may also increase between now and boarding.

 

We are on the same cruise, from the UK via New York to Sydney. We have purchased the plus package with our booking. We may cancel it before final payment date, but are currently using it as a hedge against internet & bar prices going up between now and the time we board. It doesn't cost us anything until we make our final payment in around a year from now. She should be able to add it to the fare via her agent or Princess PVP, and not need to pre-purchase with a credit card via the personaliser.

I wish it were for two but nope..she would be charged $120 per person… that’s why she is debating..she is also considering the beverage package instead of the plus since she doesn’t drink alcohol and is happy with the mocktails etc…

[OzKiwiJJ]

9 hours ago, Camelia- said:

I asked her to look in her look in her Cruise Personalizer and she told me that if she wants to upgrade she will be charged $120 per day for the Plus Package. Obviously it’s to her advantage to wait to board and take the risk and pay the amt in AUD. Also, this is one of the few times where the Canadian dollar is slightly stronger..so that’s another plus..doesn’t happen too often!

 

Is that for one person or two? USD or Canadian? 

[OzKiwiJJ]

42 minutes ago, Camelia- said:

 

I wish it were for two but nope..she would be charged $120 per person… that’s why she is debating..she is also considering the beverage package instead of the plus since she doesn’t drink alcohol and is happy with the mocktails etc…

That's got to be an error. She should call Princess to check. 

 

But, yes, one of the non-alcohol drinks packages might be better value for her. Does she need internet all the time? If not she could just purchase that on board on days when she does want it.

[Camelia-]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Is that for one person or two? USD or Canadian? 

One person Canadian according to the personalizer..which is definitely not close to $60 US..even with the exchange..

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Camelia- said:

One person Canadian according to the personalizer..which is definitely not close to $60 US..even with the exchange..

Is she travelling solo? If so the online system may not be able to handle that properly. She shpuld contact Princess directly, by phone or live chat, to check whether she can get the Plus fare at the correct rate for one person. I'm sure they can do it manually as I've heard of one person of a couple being able to get it as their partner couldn't drink alcohol for medical reasons.