How are "PLUS" package purchases accounted for?

[CenTexan]

First time splurging on a Plus package.

 

Do they charge your folio for each item, then apply an equal credit? Does that happen immediately or overnight?

 

Do you have to ask the wait/staff if the item is included in the Plus package? I noticed that the contract says "fountain soda" is included. So if I am sitting at the pool and order a ginger ale, and the staffer brings me a CAN of ginger ale (not a fountain version), am I going to end up paying for that?

 

Also - can I begin using the Plus package as soon as I am on board? I recall some ports limit the bar service and add local taxes.

 

I hate to have to always say "Is this going to cost me?" every time!

[skynight]

Plus fare.

You never see a charge in your on board folio.  Up to 15 alcoholic beverages/day that have a menu price of $15 or less. around80 to 90% of all drinks on board, are covered by the plus fare package. You can see the costs on the menus. Some better wines are over $15. In specialty & casual dining venues they show a partial list of wines and such that are available under the plus fare as well as under the premier fare. I also saw this on some bar menus. If your drink is over $15 then you are charged the difference + 18%. If you order an $18 drink your folio will be charged $3.54. If you exceed 15 alcoholic beverages in a day, 6am to 6am, you will be charged the full cost of the drink + 18%. You never see any charges for non alcoholic beverages. They are unlimited.

On my cruise this past March I never received fountain sodas. Only canned sodas were provided. They were covered by the plus package. No charge.

I boarded in Ft. Lauderdale and I had a drink very shortly after I boarded. No local tax was charged. I think it's the same at most of the ports. I have read that when you board in Galveston there are limited drinks available while you are in Texas waters and they are charged. You then receive some OBC.  

[555]

1 hour ago, CenTexan said:

I hate to have to always say "Is this going to cost me?" every time!

Although I've never had a drink over the max value I would think the bartender would say something before serving you. 

[CenTexan]

Thank you, Skynight. And 555.

 

One extra question - if both of us are on Plus, can I pick up drinks for each of us? If I have her medallion? (Bet not!)

[StrawberryHill]

I frequently pick up two drinks at a bar. I am guessing they credit my account for two drinks   I have never tried to get more than two

[memoak]

Just now, CenTexan said:

Thank you, Skynight. And 555.

 

One extra question - if both of us are on Plus, can I pick up drinks for each of us? If I have her medallion? (Bet not!)

Yes no problem. In the casino one of us goes to the bar and just give out cabin number and ask to put one drink on each account. If you don’t specify two account they will often put both on one account and all of sudden person 1 is maxed out on drinks and the other shows 15 left. We always just verify that our preferred booze is included just to make sure nothing has changed since our last cruise

[dreaminofcruisin]

However....DO check your folio daily to be sure some accidental charge didn't get on there.

You can do this on the app and I think on your t.v.

 

We had a large bar charge on one cruise and I couldn't figure out what it was. I went to GS and they said it was for 4 LARGE bottles of water (like 2 liter? size). We had picked up 4 small bottles of water and apparently the bartender pushed the wrong button. (Large bottles are NOT included.)

 

Also, on our last cruise DS (an adult) was taste testing (various) gin and tonics and it turned out there was one gin that was over the $15. The bartender didn't mention it, so he got charged the overage. Not a big deal....it ended up being about $3....just good to know....so keep an eye on your folio.

[OzKiwiJJ]

12 hours ago, 555 said:

Although I've never had a drink over the max value I would think the bartender would say something before serving you. 

Usually the waiters do but sometimes they forget when taking the order but then mention it when serving the drink. 

[555]

13 hours ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

However....DO check your folio daily to be sure some accidental charge didn't get on there.

You can do this on the app and I think on your t.v.

 

We had a large bar charge on one cruise and I couldn't figure out what it was. I went to GS and they said it was for 4 LARGE bottles of water (like 2 liter? size). We had picked up 4 small bottles of water and apparently the bartender pushed the wrong button. (Large bottles are NOT included.)

 

Also, on our last cruise DS (an adult) was taste testing (various) gin and tonics and it turned out there was one gin that was over the $15. The bartender didn't mention it, so he got charged the overage. Not a big deal....it ended up being about $3....just good to know....so keep an eye on your folio.

I'm always checking my tab since it's easy to do with the app.

Just correct it using the crew chat or at the customer service desk. 

[insidecabin]

Our drink consumption is biased which does mean on sea days where the 15 limit is a lot easier for me to hit  we have had to make sure that I keep head room on my account if the OH goes off to bed earlier than me, got caught hitting 15 in Skywalker early morning,

I understand the app now shows your count so easier to keep an eye on, making sure you don't get them allocated to one. 

[Anton]

Currently aboard Caribbean Princess.  I have the Plus Package and in the app under my profile I have ‘onboard packages’ and in it there is a counter for drinks and desserts.  It resets at 6am and only counts the alcohol drinks.  

[CenTexan]

Anton - thank you so much for the screen shot. I know more now.

 

From the way they wrote it - it sounds like the "coffees and teas, hot chocolage, water, smoothies" are lumped in with the "wine and beer" and therefore are limited to 15 per day. Only soda and juice is unlimited? Does that mean I can't get 16 specialty coffees in a single day?? (that would be a caffeine coma!) I didn't realize the 15 limit included other than alcoholic drinks . . .

[Moondogy]

6 minutes ago, CenTexan said:

Anton - thank you so much for the screen shot. I know more now.

 

From the way they wrote it - it sounds like the "coffees and teas, hot chocolage, water, smoothies" are lumped in with the "wine and beer" and therefore are limited to 15 per day. Only soda and juice is unlimited? Does that mean I can't get 16 specialty coffees in a single day?? (that would be a caffeine coma!) I didn't realize the 15 limit included other than alcoholic drinks . . .

Straight from the website "

Beverages

Drinks, Bottled Water, Specialty Coffee, and Juice Bar

Wide selection of non-alcoholic soft drinks and premium Lavazza coffees. Cocktails, wine and beer up to $15 each. 25% off bottles of wine. Power shots from the unlimited juice bar to boost your immunity and energy." The way I read it is only alcohol drinks count towards the 15 a day....as far as more than 15 coffees a day, that was nothing when I was in the army....rofl....don't know if I could still do it, but will give it one heck of a try next cruise 🤣

[BamaVol]

15 minutes ago, Moondogy said:

Straight from the website "

Beverages

Drinks, Bottled Water, Specialty Coffee, and Juice Bar

Wide selection of non-alcoholic soft drinks and premium Lavazza coffees. Cocktails, wine and beer up to $15 each. 25% off bottles of wine. Power shots from the unlimited juice bar to boost your immunity and energy." The way I read it is only alcohol drinks count towards the 15 a day....as far as more than 15 coffees a day, that was nothing when I was in the army....rofl....don't know if I could still do it, but will give it one heck of a try next cruise 🤣

This is true.  Only alcoholic beverages count toward the 15.

[BamaVol]

8 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Usually the waiters do but sometimes they forget when taking the order but then mention it when serving the drink. 

We tend to sit at the bar when drinking and every bartender has warned me “you know this is over your $15 per drink Plus limit, right?” If I ordered something that was even just $1 over. And the $1.18 always shows afterwards in my folio.

 

Unfortunately, in Vines it’s always way more than $1.

Edited April 23 by BamaVol

[skynight]

2 hours ago, CenTexan said:

Anton - thank you so much for the screen shot. I know more now.

 

From the way they wrote it - it sounds like the "coffees and teas, hot chocolage, water, smoothies" are lumped in with the "wine and beer" and therefore are limited to 15 per day. Only soda and juice is unlimited? Does that mean I can't get 16 specialty coffees in a single day?? (that would be a caffeine coma!) I didn't realize the 15 limit included other than alcoholic drinks . . .

Soda and juice are unlimited. The same with regular and specialty coffees as well as any other non alcoholic beverage. I do believe that non-alcoholic beers are counted as part of the 15 alcoholic beverages. Yes, you can get 16 specialty coffees in a day, more if you want.

A note about the juice bar. When I think of a juice bar I think of fruits and veggies being blended up in front of you. This past March on the Ruby there were no juice bars the way I think of them. Each bar had LARA juices from cartons. 

[dreaminofcruisin]

6 hours ago, BamaVol said:

We tend to sit at the bar when drinking and every bartender has warned me “you know this is over your $15 per drink Plus limit, right?” If I ordered something that was even just $1 over. And the $1.18 always shows afterwards in my folio.

 

Unfortunately, in Vines it’s always way more than $1.

 

That was my experience also in the past.

However, on my past 3 cruises when ordering wine over the $15, none of the bartenders mentioned it. With wine, I was generally ordering it from a menu, so I knew anyway. DS was ordering different gins with his gin and tonics and went over on one. The bartender didn't tell him. Fortunately, none of these overages was a big deal, but I could see that some alcohol might be expensive.....

 

[BamaVol]

4 hours ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

That was my experience also in the past.

However, on my past 3 cruises when ordering wine over the $15, none of the bartenders mentioned it. With wine, I was generally ordering it from a menu, so I knew anyway. DS was ordering different gins with his gin and tonics and went over on one. The bartender didn't tell him. Fortunately, none of these overages was a big deal, but I could see that some alcohol might be expensive.....

 

Some is outrageous. We had a good relationship with all the bartenders.  We pick a bar and patronize it every night of a cruise.  I’m sure he’d have been warned about a $65 shot, though.

[Aggie83]

On 4/22/2024 at 2:55 PM, CenTexan said:

Thank you, Skynight. And 555.

 

One extra question - if both of us are on Plus, can I pick up drinks for each of us? If I have her medallion? (Bet not!)

You don't need to have her Medallion to order/pick up the drinks for the two of you. However, if you are approaching the 15 drink limit on your account, then start ordering via the other Medallion.

[dreaminofcruisin]

On 4/22/2024 at 2:55 PM, CenTexan said:

Thank you, Skynight. And 555.

 

One extra question - if both of us are on Plus, can I pick up drinks for each of us? If I have her medallion? (Bet not!)

 

15 minutes ago, Aggie83 said:

You don't need to have her Medallion to order/pick up the drinks for the two of you. However, if you are approaching the 15 drink limit on your account, then start ordering via the other Medallion.

 

Princess is much looser than some other cruise lines regarding use of the package. There is also no 'waiting period' between buying drinks. So, you can pick up 2 drinks that are just for you if you want them. I don't know if there is actually a limit to how many you can order for yourself....you just have to stay under the 15 for the day. There are reports of people ordering something like 4 beers on their app to be delivered to their cabin....no problem. Just as Aggie83 notes, it's a lot easier to hit 15 if you are ordering for both you and a spouse and they are all charged to you. So, be sure to keep track on the app.

[PMGS247]

22 hours ago, CenTexan said:

Anton - thank you so much for the screen shot. I know more now.

 

From the way they wrote it - it sounds like the "coffees and teas, hot chocolage, water, smoothies" are lumped in with the "wine and beer" and therefore are limited to 15 per day. Only soda and juice is unlimited? Does that mean I can't get 16 specialty coffees in a single day?? (that would be a caffeine coma!) I didn't realize the 15 limit included other than alcoholic drinks . . .

 

It is poorly worded.  As others have said it is just alcoholic beverages that count, but totally fair to walk away with that perception based on the poor wording in the app.

[WisCruiser2]

19 hours ago, skynight said:

 

A note about the juice bar. When I think of a juice bar I think of fruits and veggies being blended up in front of you. This past March on the Ruby there were no juice bars the way I think of them. Each bar had LARA juices from cartons. 

I think the "juice bars" are only on the Royal-class ships?

[darnheather]

Can alcoholic drinks be ordered to the room? 

[NavyVeteran]

16 minutes ago, darnheather said:

Can alcoholic drinks be ordered to the room? 

Yes.

[HotRoot]

On 4/24/2024 at 4:22 AM, WisCruiser2 said:

I think the "juice bars" are only on the Royal-class ships?

Sorry, don't know the classes, but we had the juice bar on the Caribbean, Discovery, and Majestic.  Are they all Royal class?