Is The Princess Plus Cruise Package Worth The Cost???
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- čas přidán 19. 11. 2023
- @backroadstourist had the Princess Plus Package on our last cruise to Alaska on the Ruby Princess. In this video, I break it down and show you the pros and cons of this package to help you make a more informed decision the next time you cruise wiht Princess.
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We opted for the Premier package for our June 2024 Royal Princess cruise 14 days to Alaska. A treat for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We normally don't drink alcohol, like just 1 fruity drink for my wife for an entire cruise. With drinks paid for in the package we will try new drinks and not feel bad about wasting any. The 15 drink limit is only for alcoholic drinks. I chose Premier primarily for unlimited visits to the sushi restaurant. Plus was limited to 2 visits over the 14 days.
I applaud you! There's something to be said for going all-out on a vacation...ESPECIALLY a 25th anniversary. Congratulations and have a wonderful time!
You need to consider how many days you’re going on excursions. We were gone from the ship 10 out of 12 days. We didn’t use enough to pay the $60/day per person. If you stay on the ship you may have different results. I also wonder when you get 2 casual and 2 specialty restaurants, is that per cruise no matter how long the cruise is. There’s a big difference between 2 dinners in 7 days and 2 dinners in 14 days.
We have just finished a 20 day cruise on the Diamond Princess and had the plus package added for free. But if I had to pay for it I would, as we have been hit with bill shock at the end of a previous cruise.
Large bills have happened to so many people at the end of their cruise, I believe the plus package is great just for the peace of mind if nothing else.
Just returned from a 7 day with plus package and it was worth it for us. After deducting tips, wifi and the 2 included restraints ($36 cover charge for 2 without package) that left $334 for drinks. We averaged 3 drinks a day so 42 drinks at $12 avg. It was completely random on being charged for water and sodas, pool bars just handed water when asked for one and same with fountain sodas. Canned sodas did go against the 15 drink limit. We also did Gelato double scoops twice. All in we saved a little over $200 by doing the plus package.
Looked at the Premium package and may get it next time depending on ship and restaurants. Cover charge for 2 at a specialty restart is $92. So for a $280 difference in package price that is 3 specialty dinings to break even. Being seafood lovers we could do that just going to the Catch. Have been on 13 cruises and never done photos so would take advantage of that as well since it is included.
The 15 drinks a day are for alcoholic drinks only. The special coffee and all other drinks are free with the package. Your info was incorrect and would really skew your findings.
Much to my chagrin, I have to admit that you are absolutely right. I must have gotten hold of some bad or outdated information. Yes, it's 15 ALCOHOLIC drinks per day. Thanks for the correction and thanks for watching!
I don't thinks it's worth my husband and I paying
for Plus package. We are similar you both (except my husband drinks more than I do). When did they stop the free room service please?
@@pamsunderland6095 In just the past week I've heard rumblings of even more changes coming, so I may have to do ANOTHER video on this with the updates. I think this room service charge come into being in the late summer or early fall of last year. However, from what I understand, that doesn't apply to the breakfast you can order with the menu cards in your room (the ones you hang on your door the night before). We have a cruise coming up in a couple of months, so I can check it out for myself then. Thanks for watching. I appreciate it.
All greedy cruise liners just tried to recoup losses incurred during Covid lockdown. Sad!
So true your facts are incorrect
Regal Princess 02/25/24 and opted for the plus package. We had between 4-6 drinks a day and gratuities were included. Specialty coffee also included. Really impressed with the medallion and ordering wine for our cabin or while watching entertainment in the atrium ordering a scotch and within 5 minutes a steward standing behind me called my name with my drink. Have sailed on many Princess' cruises but this was our first medallion cruise. I will take the plus package on all future princess cruises. Will book another cruise when Regal arrives back to Galveston in October.
I’m going on the Caribbean Princess in less than two weeks and I’m happy to say that I got the Princess Plus package. I think it’s a pretty great deal. I fully intend to take advantage of all these perks. I’m even considering taking one of the fitness classes on a sea day to burn off those specialty dessert calories. The Caribbean Princess has two casual dining restaurants and it’s my understanding that they’re fully operational so I will definitely take advantage of that. I do enjoy a few glasses of wine and experimenting with new cocktails or sticking to a classic martini. I love the fact that I get to pick and choose whatever my heart desires. I am on a vacation after all. I definitely can also enjoy a nice speciality coffee twice a day to go with those specialty desserts. I’m also a big big water drinker so I’ll be hydrating with my bottled waters quite a bit. We also get fresh juices included and I definitely love that. I also plan on ordering room service especially later at night. Nothing beats eating a cheeseburger out on a cruise ship balcony while sailing in the Caribbean at 1:00 AM! I’m basically gonna go nuts with all of these perks. I do plan to disconnect so I don’t plan to use the WiFi very often but it’s nice to know I’ll have it available. All of these benefits and with all gratuities included!! I’m all in!! This package sounds perfect for me. I can’t wait!!!! Thanks for the video!!
I LOVE YOUR ATTITUDE!!! I had a great time experimenting with new cocktails when we had it. And I totally agree with your thoughts that having the package sort of "frees you up". Have a wonderful cruise and thanks for watching!
The casual dinning on the Ruby is the Salty Dog Gastropub (not to be confused Salty Dog Grill on the Lido Deck which is free) and the cost is $15 per person and you left out the free medallion shipping with Plus and Premier at $10.
Good video, but here are a few corrections at least sent you went. If none of the restaurants for casual dining are on your ship, they make arrangements for a night that you can take advantage of a specialty restaurant which is between $39-$59. As far as the specialty desserts, you could also go and get gelato instead of those huge desserts. As far as the 15 drinks go, I do believe you have that wrong. It’s 15 alcohol drinks and the rest are unlimited for like specialty coffees, bottle water, juice, etc.. and without the package, you would have to pay $14.99 one time for the perk to have drinks, our food delivered to you anywhere on the ship. Can’t remember what it’s called. Looks like quite a bit has changed since your last cruise on Princess. And it looks like it might be for the better. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
I'm going to be sailing on Ruby in February and I have the Premier package. So far I did notice it was very nice and easy to use the 2 included specialty dining meals with it. Other cruise lines (Royal I'm looking at you) make you wait until you board the ship to reserve specialty dining if you get their specialty dining package, so I thought it was really nice I could use the app and make my specialty dining reservations as early as 120 days out (I didnt try earlier than that). I do like to enjoy cocktails when I'm on vacation and in looking over the bar menus for Ruby, I can see me making the Premier package worth it without being a lush throughout the trip. The desserts, yah I think I might have one or 2 on a 10 day sailing. The fitness classes, I might visit once or twice if they offer yoga or pilates. If its spin classes, not really my bag. The Princess Prizes seems like a fun thing to open your stateroom door and get a spin so to speak. I probably wont use it all that much. Wifi, definitely. And multi device is more for convenience than anything else.
I really love how much thought you've put into it. I wish more people did that. The Plus or Premier package might be a great deal for some people and a waste of money for others. If it works for your cruising style, then by all means, GO FOR IT. By the way, you might be interested in my next cruise video. It's a review of some of the specialty drinks we got on our last cruise. That video comes out on December 12th. Enjoy your cruise and thanks for watching!
Jeff, thanks for your analysis, intuitively I think the packages are a bit expensive but convenience and no surprise at the end must be considered. No one has mentioned that the delicious multi layer cake in International Cafe is included in package.
Good point! The International Cafe has lots of goodies.
Nice comparison! I also would probably pay less a la carte, but one thing you get with the plus and premier packages is delivery of the medallions to home, instead of waiting in line at the port. If you've ever been to Ft Lauderdale when a cruise embarks, it is a madhouse. Getting the medallion in hand probably saved us about an hour of "hurry up and wait". Like you, we're not big drinkers anymore, and being retired, I could care less who is trying to email me. I do like casual dining, but one time is enough and I can handle that a la carte. I'm seriously thinking of A La Carte next time. Again, good points to consider.
We're thinking about doing Crown Princess to Alaska this summer. I'm right on the cusp of it not being worth the cost of the plus package. I'm good for two glasses of wine a day, don't drink coffee, don't eat dessert and like getting away from being connected. So cellular service while I am in port will be fine for me. My wife likes her specialty coffees and sodas. But doesn't drink alcohol. So I think dollar wise, we're better off paying ala carte.
Anyone know how much the fitness or yoga classes cost without the plus or premier packages?
I calculated the cost for us. We’re pretty much on par with your thoughts of what we would consume. It worked out to be a bit more expensive to buy this package, but we did purchase it for our 2 princess cruises coming up. We normally would not buy 2 internet hookups but would share just one wifi, maybe 2 drinks a day, no pop as we usually are satisfied with tje included coffee, tea, iced tea and lemonade. Deserts for purchase nope! Never bought those before either. So this next time it with the plus package it will be a totally different experience and really different because after 16 Carnival cruises this is our first on Carnival’s glitzier cousin. Cheers🍻
I certainly hope you enjoy Princess. It's our favorite cruise line because it just seems to fit our lifestyle. Even though the Plus Package is a bit more expensive, there is a certain (how can I put this?) freedom that comes with it. I never had to worry about checking my onboard folio to see where my bill stood and what I could expect to pay at the end of the cruise. Have fun!
@@backroadstourist yes we will soon find out. Before the Princess adventure we are also taking a 3 day on Royal Caribbean for the first time. We have enjoyed Carnival the older smaller ships in particular but a b2b2b on the Celebration made us want to look at other options.
Gonna give Princess a try. Their packages are a bit confusing though; included usually means you're not going to get charged for what is included. I got the Premier Package and was still charged for the 2 specialty dinings. Not to worry though, I was told I would be reimbursed in 7 to 10 working days, that was three weeks ago. As this is my first cruise with them I'm getting a little apprehensive. I've called numerous times and management seems to be as illusive as corrective solutions.
I hope things get straightened out for you. If you're still having trouble by the time you cruise, talk to the customer service desk. They're pretty good at making things right. Have fun and thanks for watching.
If you take your own bottle of wine to dinner there is a corkage fee. The casual restaurants are nice on the bigger ships. Ruby and Emerald only have one. We love Alfredo’s on the bigger ships and ate there twice for lunch.
I agree. We always bring two bottles of wine with us, open them in the cabin and then either have our room steward bring us some wine glasses or pilfer some from the bar, fill them up and then take them to dinner with us. Thanks for watching!
We've gotten the Plus package on our last two Princess cruises and I'm convinced we lose money. I don't drink alcohol and my wife will drink 3 or 4 cocktails a day at most. We have eaten at three of the Casual Dining restaurants and did not think any of them were worth spending any extra money. Desserts, we had one each on one cruise and none on the other. Gym classes - no. We DID use the drink delivery option several times but could easily have gone to a bar. On our next cruise I'll just pay the Wi-Fi and gratuities and the drinks as we get them.
That's pretty much our thoughts and we went ala carte on our last cruise, too. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the Vid!
4 of us will be going on the Ruby for 15 days, we opted for the premier (and a suite). We decided for the duration and cost of our “once in a lifetime “ trip , it would be of value to our experience to have as much as possible included. Our cruise package was on sale and included the plus package, so it was just the additional cost of the premier ($20 per day, per person). We are excited for the bonus of reserved theatre seating and unlimited fitness classes. I was not clear on the premium desserts, which appear to be over the top ice creams only…. Hopefully there are more options than ice cream, as I am under the impression there is an unlimited free basic ice cream bar available for every guest. Unlimited desserts is just unnecessary either way. I am also shocked to hear the affordable costs of the drinks, I did expect to find the up to $20 drinks of value as we like cocktails, but I guess that is not necessary at the prices you quoted! On the drink topic, I was expecting the 15 drinks per day to be alcoholic drinks only. So I do hope the other commenter is correct on that…. We may not need 15 drinks per day, but we would definitely be having numerous drinks more often than not, so I do believe that value is there for us.
Great info for us as first time princess cruisers and for everyone to see what works best for them, thank you!
You are so welcome. Thank you for watching! And yes, I have to admit that I got hold of some bad informaton...or maybe just outdated information. The 15 drinks per day IS just for alcoholic drinks. I think the Plus and Premier packages are great for people who just don't want to worry about things and want the freedom of ordering drinks whenever they want. You're going to have a blast on your cruise! I did find the drink prices to be reasonable, but if you want more top-shelf drinks, I think the Plus or Premier package gets more valuable. Have a great time on your cruise and thanks for watching!
@@backroadstourist fabulous thanks! 🚢 ☀️
Any chance you can confirm if men are absolutely required to wear a jacket to specialty dining? Or if there is a workaround to that!?
@@Dee-nm4kt Our experience with Princess has been that men don't need to wear a jacket to specialty dining or on formal night. I think that about half or more of the men do. A few even go for tuxes on formal night, but I think that some nice pants and a decent shirt would be just fine.
@@backroadstourist thanks for that info!
Have done both packages. Next will be Premier again! Love all the photos and unlimited water, nice coffee, soda and yes we use the delivery service!
Very informative video. We were on Ruby recently for 14 days…I don’t think plus pkg was worth the money as we also had 400 OBC total which could have gone towards drinks instead of the casino…..lol
I agree. I just booked our next cruise earlier today and with the OBC we were offered and the $100 OBC for being a shareholder, we're up to $700 in OBC. That's plenty enough to pay for our gratuities, drinks and even a specialty dining or two. Thanks for watching!
At the end of next month, my wife and I (70's) will be doing a 110 day Sydney to Sydney world cruise. Like yourselves, we are not gym users, fancy dessert eaters or big drinkers. I do like the internet however. If we get the Princess Plus package, it would cost us A$19,800 (US$13,100). That's a big chunk of change for pensioners like us who are ticking off a major bucket list item. As the say, you can't take it with you and we're going on a SKI holiday (Spend Kids Inheritance). I'm still debating this thorny issue.
That is quite a bit of money to spend on something you may not use that much. Here's an idea to ponder. If you don't think you'll be using much of the other things in the package, check if your ship has an interneet cafe or business center. If you're not planning on being online that much, it may be cost effective for you to use their computers to go online. I'm just speculating, though. I've never used them and don't know what they cost, but it just might be an option. Also remember that you might be able to find free wi-fi in the ports you visit, too. Just some food for thought. I wish you and your wife the best on what sounds like an amazing SKI trip. Thanks for watching.
The fifteen drinks are alcohol, coffees, teas, smoothies, water and soda are unlimited
Wifi is now 24.99 a day
I don't understand what "cruise appreciation" is. (?)
Do you mean "crew appreciation"? There are exceptions, but most cruise lines charge each person in a cabin a daily fee that goes to the room steward, waiters, service staff and a lot of people you never see that are so important. It's sort of like a tip or gratuity and ranges from about $14-$20 per day per person depending on the cruise line, type of cabin, etc. Thanks for asking a question and thanks for tuning in!
So, in round numbers: At $60 a day X 2 as a couple = $120 a day X a 30 day cruise = The Cost of Another!!! Cruise!!!! Why should we be obligated to drink every night to seemingly make the plus package seem worthwhile? WIFI is a total ripoff too.
Considering I only buy soft drinks -- I need to drink like a fish to make it worthwhile for drinks unless their soft drinks are something like $20 each.
Does anybody actually use the fitness class or exercise room on a cruise? That's the last thing on my mind after running around all day.
Wifi -- no thanks. I honestly don't want my job ever contacting me while on vacation.
Massive deserts - yeah, maybe two pre cruise. Again, not worth it.
Unlike "Mrs Big Dog" who often enjoyed room service, I never used room service.
Yeah - I probably wouldn't get my money's worth for the plus package.
If you really want to save money just stay home and let your wife fix your meals and get your drinks.
You're trying to talk like a radio dj. Unless you are one. 😶
Wellllll....actually, I was in radio for about 16 years. Now I do a lot of public speaking to groups of all sizes, so I guess my voice just developed this way. Thanks for watching!
Their ship, their rules, my money, I win!!!!!!