Extra Charges On Princess

[jamers113]

We have 10 cruises with carnival and are now looking forward to our first princess cruise on emerald princess. As I have been reading the boards it looks like they charge extra for many things that Were used to getting free anytime ie-Ice Cream juices and regular coffee. the only things we paid for was java& pastries from specialty cafe's & of course specialty restrants we never got charged for anything except alcoholic beverages in main dinning room Room service was gratuity only. Looking forward to moving up to princess can anyone let me know what extra charges to expect thanks from reading boards and talking to others I wont want to go back to carnival.:)

[Ethel5]

We have 10 cruises with carnival and are now looking forward to our first princess cruise on emerald princess. As I have been reading the boards it looks like they charge extra for many things that Were used to getting free anytime ie-Ice Cream juices and regular coffee. the only things we paid for was java& pastries from specialty cafe's & of course specialty restrants we never got charged for anything except alcoholic beverages in main dinning room Room service was gratuity only. Looking forward to moving up to princess can anyone let me know what extra charges to expect thanks from reading boards and talking to others I wont want to go back to carnival.:)

 

Free ice cream is available with meals in the dining rooms as well as in the buffet around 3:30 each afternoon. Regular coffee is free and available all the time. Room service is free except for the gratuity. Welcome to Princess!

[Woodmnky]

There is free ice cream in the afternoons for about an hour in the horizon court and with meals. It is homemade very creamy traditional ice cream. There are no soft serve machines for free.

 

You can also get free regular coffee. However, this is a syrup blend coffee and is not normal drip coffee. Many find it fine, including myself and husband who normally drink Starbucks.

You can purchase a coffee punch card that provides a discount on espresso drinks and with this card you can also get free drip coffee from the locations that offer it.

 

There are several juices free in the mornings in both the buffet and the dining room.

 

Only charge for room service is for specialty items (caviar, chocolate covered strawberries, platters for serving at parties) and these are not even on the same page as the room service menu. There is a $3 charge for in cabin pizza delivery, this charge is more about controlling waste than making money.

 

DH and I never had to spend a dime extra on food or drinks and enjoyed our cruise just fine as I am sure that you will enjoy yours.

[regnig]

It constantly amazes how some will try to convince you that everything costs extra on a cruise. The only “extra cost” items on Princess are those things you choose to pay extra for. There are free juices and lots of fresh fruit at breakfast; the only thing you pay extra for is “fresh squeezed”. Heck, I don’t even do that at home! There is an extra charge for coffee if you choose to get the fresh dripped. My DH, who loves his morning java thinks the standard stuff is just fine. Hopefully that is not judgment on what I make him at home. :eek: As far as "special" pastries go try the International Café on Deck 5, there are lots of goodies all day long with no charge. But, sadly to say there is not 24 hours soft serve ice cream (yogurt). Folks will just have to do with getting real ice cream in the dining room or at the Horizon Court in the afternoon. Having pizza delivered for a cost to your cabin is easily avoidable by just going up to the Lido deck and getting a couple of slices to take back to your cabin.

 

Seriously, it is very easy, and enjoyable, to take a cruise and NEVER pay any extra money for anything on board other than booze.

[paul929207]

If you choose to, you can spend extra for things like ice cream at the ice cream stand, specialty coffees, specialty restuarants, etc. All of these, like excursions, alcohol, spa treatments and gambling are optional. You only pay if you choose them.

[Clutterlady]

Not sure why some people get so hung up on ice cream! Plenty of free, creamy home made ice cream on Princess as stated above. Carnival does have free frozen ice milk......

[Scooter-n-GB]

Princess has some stuff they may charge for nominally, however you cannot get some of what Princess charges for, on a Carnival ship.

 

As others have mentioned, there is a charge for ice cream, but it is real ice cream (gelato in some cases :D ). The stuff you get on Carnival is soft serve.

 

If I were to compare what Carnival charges for vs. Princess, I would put money on it being a wash, on an oranges to oranges basis..

 

Princess has a few additional revenue "opportunities", and it is not fair to compare those to Carnival, when Carnival has not equivalent.. :p

 

Enjoy Princess!!!!

[Toto2Kansas]

Not sure why some people get so hung up on ice cream! Plenty of free, creamy home made ice cream on Princess as stated above. Carnival does have free frozen ice milk......

 

I have to agree here. Do some people like to eat ice cream for breakfast or something? Not sure why it would be needed 24/7 onboard a ship. But some really do seem to be really hung up on the fact it is not available all of the time. This falls into the category of quantity vs quality in my book. Frozen ice milk is not something that would be tempting to us at all, especially when comparing it to real homemade ice cream served onboard Princess ships. :confused: :confused:

[jpg1747]

IMO you won't notice all that much difference between Princess and Carnival, overall. There are some small differences, but that's about it. I was perfectly happy with whatever was free on both lines and didn't feel the need to pay extra for any "upgrades."

[Toto2Kansas]

The good thing about the extra charge items is that you can take them or leave them. If they were all included in the cruise fare, then every passenger would be paying extra for services and items that didn't even interest them.

 

When you cruise, it is totally up to you what extra you spend onboard. We have had shipboard charges (after deducting the OBC we have received) under $100 at the end of the cruise on some sailings, and in excess of $2000 on others. This depends on the length of the cruise and what we decide to partake in that is considered extra onboard.

[Sea Hag]

Seriously, it is very easy, and enjoyable, to take a cruise and NEVER pay any extra money for anything on board other than booze.

 

Shhhh! I completely agree with you on what you've said, but if you convert all these nice folks who fall all over themselves paying for this and that, then they might stop subsidizing my cruises! :D

[catmand]

Let's not forget to mention the charge for the photographs.......;)

Like many others who have posted here, I too, think everything you may need is provided in the basic cruise charge. Those things that you WANT, well that's another story.

Chuck

[Pia1913]

Pssssssssttttt.......the same yucky syrupy coffee is what you get on Carnival too.

 

Pia

[RickEk]

Pssssssssttttt.......the same yucky syrupy coffee is what you get on Carnival too.

 

Pia

 

Hmmm... maybe this is opening a can of worms and slightly off-topic, but I've found that the coffee in the Horizon Court is significantly different than what is served in the dining rooms. The dining room coffee is IMHO much better!

[Sandytoes]

We are now looking forward to our first princess cruise on emerald princess.

 

Welcome to Princess!!! :)

 

Here are some pay-as-you-go options - spa and beauty services, alcoholic beverages, photos, Specialty restaurants, Sanctuary, and so on.

If after your cruise you do not like paying for the "little extras" I would suggest filling out the comment card at the end of your cruise.

Princess is diligent about collecting customer feedback after each cruise. ;)

 

Enjoy your first cruise with Princess!

[regnig]

Shhhh! I completely agree with you on what you've said, but if you convert all these nice folks who fall all over themselves paying for this and that, then they might stop subsidizing my cruises! :D

 

Ohhhhh, soooo sorry, I forgot about that aspect! :eek: :eek:

 

Ok, folks forget about all we've tried to tell you. In order to have a good cruise you must SPEND, SPEND and SPEND some more! Doesn't make any difference if you need or want it just keep giving Princess all your money so that those of us who neither need or want those things can continue to cruise at reasonable prices.

 

Ok Sea Hag am I forgiven now? ;) ;)

[PaddleAddict]

Pssssssssttttt.......the same yucky syrupy coffee is what you get on Carnival too.

 

Pia

 

Actually, I've always been able to get free brewed coffee, as well as cappuccino and espresso (no extra charge) in the dining room on Carivnal.

 

I wonder if that has changed since last year?? :confused:

[Pia1913]

Actually, I've always been able to get free brewed coffee, as well as cappuccino and espresso (no extra charge) in the dining room on Carivnal.

 

I wonder if that has changed since last year?? :confused:

 

I was referring to the yucky stuff at the buffet.

[soakedbythesea]

IMO you won't notice all that much difference between Princess and Carnival, overall. There are some small differences, but that's about it. I was perfectly happy with whatever was free on both lines and didn't feel the need to pay extra for any "upgrades."

 

Hi Judy,

 

Just wondering if you are planning to go on the westbound Emerald Princess in October this year?

 

We're looking forward to another great TA & visiting some great ports including Bermuda which will be a first for us.

 

Like you, we rarely pay extra for things on cruises, but enjoy time and deals with CC members.

[waltd]

Do you realize that this post is from 2008?

[JF - retired RRT]

There are no soft serve machines for free.

I am pretty sure that is incorrect...I have had soft serve on 2 different ships and was not charged.

[caribill]

I am pretty sure that is incorrect...I have had soft serve on 2 different ships and was not charged.

 

It was true in October 2008 when it was posted. Not true today.

[Iamcruzin]

Not sure why some people get so hung up on ice cream! Plenty of free, creamy home made ice cream on Princess as stated above. Carnival does have free frozen ice milk......

I don't either. Nobody enjoys ice cream more than me. I have purchased the utimate drink card that includes that soft ice cream and I maybe used it for ice cream twice on a 7 day cruise. That ice milk lacks flavor and not worth the exta calories. I'm fine with ice cream once a night in the MDR. I don't even eat that much ice cream at home so on a cruise it's a real treat.

[Nebr.cruiser]

There has been an ice cream (probably ice milk, I'm not sure) venue on the Lido deck on our most recent Princess cruises that seems to be open all day and into the night--not 24 hour though.

 

I'm not an ice cream fanatic, so I haven't actually stopped and had any. I think you could get sprinkles on it and such. My husband always has ice cream for dessert in the MDR. You can buy some specialty ice creams, such as gelato, in the International Cafe, if a ship has it.

 

I'm fine with the coffee in the buffet and dining room, but I'm not a coffee guru. There is also juices for breakfast and lemonade other meals, free.

 

Regular room delivery food is free, except you should tip. We rarely if ever order any. Pizza has a delivery charge, I believe.

[Off2China]

This is the second time this week that I've read a thread and thought (happily!) that Toto2Kansas had returned to the boards. Then I looked at the dates and both threads were 5+ years old :(