While Carnival owns Princess Cruises, it has always operated the cruise lines a little differently.
Princess passengers, for example, have the option to buy two premium packages that bundle a number of onboard extras.
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Princess Plus costs $60 per guest per day. It includes one WiFi device, unlimited room service, "two casual meals at extra-fee restaurants, two fitness classes, your daily gratuities, and a beverage package.
"The beverage package offers a wide selection of nonalcoholic 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," Princess says on its website.
Alcoholic beverages are limited to 15 per day with passengers cut off after that. (Carnival enforces the same limit.)
Princess's Premier Package has just been raised to $90 per guest per day from $80, but passengers get a lot for their money. In addition to getting access to the cruise line's MedallionNet Max — a new tier of high-speed internet service — they also get unlimited specialty dining and a beverage package that includes drinks up to $20.
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Princess Cruises Premier package offers more perks
Under the old Premier package, passengers got only two specialty dining meals. Under the new program, that offer has moved to unlimited. As part of the deal, passengers can actually eat at both casual and sit-down added-fee restaurants and they get unlimited free desserts.
The top-tier package also includes premium reserved theater seating and unlimited fitness classes (which may be needed with the unlimited desserts offer).
“With the Princess Premier Package, we’re delivering the absolute greatest value in travel and making all-inclusive cruising super easy,” said Princess Cruises President John Padgett. “The most comprehensive package in cruise for an unmatched $90 a day ensures our guests can enjoy their vacation experience without any limitations.”
And unlike its previous packages or Carnival's Cheers beverage package, Princess Premier truly has no limit.
In addition to not having a limit, the cruise line is making it easier for passengers to get a drink.
"The glass is always full for Premier guests, offering an unlimited number of drinks daily of up to $20 each," according to the cruise line. "Princess Premier, which also comes with free OceanNow access, makes it easy for guests to enjoy their preferred drinks anytime and anywhere on the ship without worrying about additional costs."
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Will Carnival follow Princess and go unlimited?
Carnival has always maintained that the 15-alcoholic drink limit was about passenger safety, not economics. And for most people 15 alcoholic drinks is plenty, but it really depends upon what you're drinking and when.
A beer drinker who starts early and has one beer per hour from 8 a.m. onward will get shut off at 11 p.m. and may well be fairly sober. Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises, which both offer truly unlimited beverage packages, do reserve the right to limit customers if they appear notably intoxicated (and will do so).
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Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald, however, has been adamant that the cruise line won't be changing its 15-drink limit.
"Honestly, I do not get it but perhaps that’s because I don’t drink any alcohol," he wrote on Aug. 4 on Facebook. "We are not changing anything despite the barrage of requests I have every week. We will stay at 15 drinks in a 24-hour period (unlimited nonalcoholic drinks) and despite requests like this I wanted to save you the trouble of writing to me and say again we will not be changing anything."
In many cases, rather than serving as a deterrent, the 15-drink limit becomes a goal for passengers looking to get their money's worth. That can lead to bigger problems than having no limit, but cutting off (or slowing down) service when a guest's condition or behavior suggests they need to stop drinking is imperative.
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