Latest news with #PrincessPlus
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Princess Cruises adds new cruise package perks, raises prices
Princess Cruises adds new cruise package perks, raises prices originally appeared on TravelHost. Although many travelers appreciate that cruises offer a more inclusive type of vacation that transports you to a different destination each day with onboard meals and accommodations included, most cruises are not truly all-inclusive. On most cruise lines, you'd need to purchase a few add-on packages for things like drinks, Wi-Fi, and specialty dining to make your cruise actually feel all-inclusive. Some cruise lines try to simplify these add-ons for their passengers, however, allowing them to enjoy more and get more out of their cruise experience through bundled packages that offer the most desired cruise add-ons for one Cruises does this remarkably well with its cruise packages, Princess Plus and Princess Premier, which pack a lot of cruise extras and value into their bundles. And now, the cruise line is refreshing those popular packages to give passengers even more of what they've been asking for — enhancing their inclusions to add highly requested items. Although passengers probably won't be happy that the package prices are going up and some benefits are going away, they will get more value included with the enhanced packages. Princess says that passengers can save 50-70% compared to purchasing all the items separately, depending on the package they select and length of their cruise. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Princess Cruises adds new benefits to Plus and Premier packages On sale beginning July 22 and available for voyages sailing in 2026 and beyond, the newly enhanced Princess Plus Package will include more casual dining meals while the updated Princess Premier Package will add a shore excursion credit. But along with adding these requested items, Princess is removing certain package features that passengers use less — such as premium desserts, juice bar access, Medallion shipping, fitness classes, and Princess the enhanced Plus Package, passengers will get two more casual dining meals per cruise, for a total of four. The package still includes the Plus Beverage Package, single device Wi-Fi, fees waived for OceanNow and room service delivery, and daily crew appreciation (gratuities). With the enhanced Premier Package, passengers will get a new shore excursion credit, varying by voyage length: $100 (6–9 days), $200 (10–20 days), and up to $300 for voyages of 21+ days. The package still includes an unlimited Premier Beverage Package, unlimited casual and specialty dining, four device Wi-Fi, fees waived for OceanNow and room service delivery, unlimited digital professional photos, reserved seating for theatrical shows, and daily crew appreciation. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Princess Cruises raises prices for Plus and Premier packages With the new updates to the packages, the cost to add one of the packages to your cruise will raise by $5 – $10 per passenger, per day. For the Princess Plus Package, pre-cruise pricing will increase from $60 to $65 per person, per day. For the Princess Premier Package, pre-cruise pricing will increase from $90 to $100 per person, per day. Additionally, for new Sphere class ships, Sun Princess and Star Princess, passengers will pay an additional $5 more per day — pre-cruise pricing will be $70 per person, per day for the Princess Plus Package and $105 per person, per day for the Princess Premier Package. When purchased on board or within three days of departure, both packages cost an additional $5 per passenger, per Cruises says the package updates are part of a commitment to continually improving its offerings based on passenger feedback. "By thoughtfully evolving our packages, we're ensuring they reflect what our guests truly desire, more flexibility, enhanced culinary experiences, and opportunities to explore ashore, all the while retaining the exceptional benefits they've come to expect," said Alfredo Jimenez, Princess Cruises Vice President, Onboard Revenue. "Ultimately, it's about delivering an even more rewarding and personalized vacation experience." (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Princess Cruises reverses unpopular beverage package changes
Princess Cruises reverses unpopular beverage package changes originally appeared on TravelHost. Just a few days after announcing new perks and price increases coming to its popular Princess Plus and Princess Premier cruise packages, Princess Cruises is reversing a couple of changes after they sparked outcry from passengers. For 2026 cruises and beyond, Princess passengers will get more casual dining meals with the Princess Plus Package while an enhanced Princess Premier Package will offer a new shore excursion credit. A few included perks that passengers use less often are also being removed from the updates will bring a price increase to the packages, too — the cost for the Princess Plus Package will increase by $5 per passenger, per day and the Princess Premier Package price will go up by $10 per passenger, per day. While these changes to the package remain in effect, Princess Cruises is now updating a couple of points in the packages' fine print after many passengers voiced concerns to the cruise line. 'Princess Cruises believes that our most loyal guests are also our most valued voices. Over the past week, many of you shared feedback on the updates to our Plus and Premier packages — and we've been listening closely,' the cruise line explained in an email to passengers on July Cruises makes specialty coffee and tea unlimited again with Plus Package When the cruise line introduced the package updates, passengers quickly noticed that the fine print specified that non-alcoholic beverages included with the Plus Package would now be subject to the 15-drink daily limit that previously only applied to alcoholic beverages. In feedback shared online about this change, passengers argued that although it's not easy to hit a 15-drink limit with just alcoholic beverages, it would be if you're drinking specialty coffees, teas, sodas, and alcoholic beverages. After voicing this valid point to the cruise line, Princess cruisers received a welcome update about the change in the July 25 Princess Cruises email. 'Specialty coffees and teas will be unlimited for Princess Plus and Princess Premier package holders and will not count toward any daily beverage limit,' the cruise line email updated Plus Beverage Package will continue to have a daily limit of 15 beverages per 24-hour period, but passenger feedback led the cruise line to update the fine print to exclude specialty coffees and teas from any daily beverage limit. Bottled water (still and sparkling, 500ml or less) also does not count toward the 15-beverage limit, but will be limited to no more than 12 bottles of water per day with both of the updated Princess cruise packages for 2026 and beyond. Although soda will now be subject to the Plus Package's 15-beverage limit, passengers with the Plus and Premier packages will no longer have to worry about extra charges for cans of soda. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Princess Cruises stops charging extra for cans of soda with drink packages Earlier this year, Princess Cruises quietly began enforcing a beverage policy that excluded cans of soda from the sodas included with the Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages. The cruise line had been providing cans of soda to passengers with the beverage packages at no additional charge for some time, and the sudden switch to charging for cans of soda quickly upset didn't want to be limited in their soda choices or nickel-and-dimed considering how much they pay for the Plus and Premier packages. Now, the cruise line is letting passengers know that it listened to their concerns about the soda shakeup. 'Our packages include fountain soft drinks but if you prefer a canned soda, we are happy to provide upon request, at no additional charge, if available,' the cruise line added in its email about the package updates. Getting the most value from their vacations is important to many Princess Cruises passengers and it's a key reason why many choose to sail with the cruise line. Some Princess cruisers say that the Plus and Premier packages offer value that they can't find with other cruise lines. Keeping passengers happy while making price changes and updates deemed necessary for operations is a delicate balancing act for cruise lines, but Princess Cruises is proving that it's possible to recover gracefully from a misstep.(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Princess Cruises cracks down on beverage package abuse
No matter how inclusive a cruise drink package may be or how much value it offers, there will always be passengers who try to beat the system to get even more for their money. Some cruise drink packages, like Princess Cruises' Plus and Premier packages, limit passengers to 15 alcoholic beverages per 24-hour period. This limitation leads some cruisers to view that number as a challenge to meet during a vacation day at sea to get the most bang for their buck. Related: Cruise excursion leads to illness; Princess Cruises limits drinks Surprisingly, some cruise passengers even try to find ways to order additional drinks beyond the 15-drink limit. And less surprisingly, some passengers try to get away with sharing a drink package among two or more passengers. To avoid this, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean both require that if one passenger purchases an alcoholic drink package, all passengers of legal drinking age booked in the same stateroom must purchase it, too. Princess Cruises, however, only requires that if a passenger chooses to purchase one of its popular Plus or Premier packages for their cruise, the second passenger in the same stateroom must purchase it, too. In staterooms with three or four passengers, the third and fourth passengers are not required to purchase the package. This could potentially lead Princess cruisers with three or four passengers in a stateroom to try to share two drink packages among three or four people. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. To deter efforts to share drink packages among passengers booked in the same or separate staterooms, and other misuse, Princess Cruises is now stepping up drink package rule enforcement. Crew members recently received instructions on a fleetwide initiative to strengthen and reinforce the terms of its beverage packages, according to Crew Center, a website that shares news and insights about life and work on cruise ships. Princess Cruises says the goal of the initiative is to "maintain consistency in guest service while preserving the value and integrity of the beverage packages." Related: Princess Cruises raises key onboard fees A cruise line memo instructed onboard food and beverage teams to enforce the following beverage rules beginning May 9: Passengers are only permitted to order one drink per transaction, regardless of whether they have the Princess Plus or Princess Premier beverage beverage packages is strictly prohibited. Passengers are not permitted to use their package allowance to buy drinks for other passengers. If a passenger wants to buy a round for others, each additional drink must be charged at full pours of spirits are no longer permitted. However, crew can still serve passengers double pours of wines by the glass. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Passengers should also keep in mind that Princess Cruises beverage package terms state that: "Shipboard management reserves the right to add additional restrictions and revoke or cancel the Plus (or Premier) Beverage Package at any point during a guest's voyage for any reason with or without a prorated refund." Additional actions may be taken if guests: Become intoxicatedProvide beverages to other guests or do not comply with the terms, conditions and limitations of the packageExhibit behavior that is inappropriate, a safety risk to themselves or others, or become offensive or disruptive to other cruise guests or staffExceed, or attempt to circumvent, the daily limits and service limitations outlined Related: Princess Cruises passengers angry over key drink package change Nonalcoholic drinks are not limited with the Plus or Premier packages, nor do they count toward the 15-drink daily maximum on alcoholic beverages. Princess Cruises did, however, recently began enforcing a limitation on soda included with the packages. After including cans of soda in the packages for some time, the cruise line has reverted back to a previous policy that excludes cans of soda from the packages. Now, passengers receive a 25% discount on cans of soda with the Plus and Premier packages, while fountain sodas are still included. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
