I was on this same cruise and as soon as the ship got into international waters the packages were fully usable. We were able to order any alcoholic beverage and it was covered by our prepurchased package. There were only restrictions while still in Texas waters. Yes, it is a pain because of Texas laws, but you are able to use the package to order alcohol on the first day, just not until the ship gets into international waters.

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

Yes - we were charged for our lunch and dinner beverages and the package took effect around 7PM. Unfortunately we were given wrong information by guest services which caused us to incur additional charges at dinner when we would otherwise have just used our mini bar. I would rather not have the package until the next day and save that money, or at least wouldn't have upgraded to premier until the second day. That said - Texas law does not restrict the sale of sodas.

@deboraheaster7385

7 ай бұрын

That is just terrible! I don't think I will sale out of Galveston in th future.

@eleanor4482

6 ай бұрын

Princess should have made this policy clear to everyone from the beginning as it is not the norm.

@pennynewell3459

5 ай бұрын

I don’t think you are allowed to purchase the plus or premium packages after the first day. It least that was the case a few years ago. I’ve not tried it since then.

@Sotweetie

5 ай бұрын

@@pennynewell3459 They do allow you to upgrade on day 2, but that is the cutoff.

We took the Regal out of Galveston in December and had such an amazing time. They nickel and dimed me nothing. I got the premier package and a couple of times I had small issues they gave me immediate and amazing resolution. She is correct about the drinks when the ship is docked, but I am pretty sure I was able to get me and my wife some Caramel Machiatos that I was pretty sure we were paying for that ended up not charging us. Their premier package really had serious value compared to what other ships offered, especially since I went in a group. My whole family shared my starlink wifi. I was able to share some desserts and drinks. The room service and ocean now was excellent almost every time. Once you figure you were going to pay the auto gratuities anyway and the service charges on other items, the package ends up being a bit cheaper than advertised, and the pictures just made for wonderful memories. I have no doubt this lady had the issues she described, but her experience was not akin to ours. We had the best cruise that I have had with any cruise line. Carnival was the one where I felt absolutely mugged and nickled and dimed.

@Sotweetie

3 ай бұрын

I am glad you had a wonderful cruise - we agree that the packages provide great value and I won’t cruise without one. Just cruising out of Galveston I will upgrade on day 2. Thanks for sharing your experience!

We are going in January and I've been following this issue on Facebook and your information was very succinct and informative. Thank you.

I hope this has been fixed by now. What a crazy law. Princess should make it over clear when selling their packages. .

Thank you for the information. I honestly don't care about the extra charges if known in advance, but glad that that you made this information a little more clear. I will still keep all my packages, but glad to know of what to expect. First time I cam across this. A vacation is much more enjoyable when you know in advance of all the expenses. 😄

@Sotweetie

3 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful! I still see absolute value in the Princess packages, and will always sail with Premier, but only on the days I get the benefits.

Thanks for the Video, great details and very informative! We sailed out of NYC last fall on Norwegian, we had the drink package and were given the drinks for free (included with the package) but were charge NYC (or NY State?) sales/liquor tax, so, billed +/- $1.75 for drinks until we were into international waters.

We had the same experience for alcohol last year. Also, Texas will charge you fees for alcohol and tobacco products purchased on the ship that you bring back with you. We won’t sail out of Texas again.

Please be assured that anytime a cruise line offers you a "deal" it's to their advantage or they just wouldn't offer it, period. I ran into the same situation on a Carnival cruise.

@Sotweetie

5 ай бұрын

Please rewatch the video, Texas does not prohibit serving sodas.

Life is too short to argue with a cruise line about their nickel and dime policies. We have status with Princess, but we moved on. No more mega ships for us. My advice for folks who still want to sail with Princess - If you don't have more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day, don't get the Plus or Premier package. Pay your gratuity, buy your beverage, and bring your own global WiFi hotspot to use while in port and off the ship. (Solis Lite) We never really needed WiFi from 6pm to 6am anyway. Unlimited Global Day Pass $7 to $9/day.

I went out of Galveston last year and it's only for alcohol. I had no problems getting my free soda on my package on Carnival the only thing they told me was tax had to be charged while still in TX waters. And the lines know this and generally start the alcohol packages the next day not the day you leave as far as charging you. So not sure what Princess was doing.

@chrystinafoxdale4941

3 ай бұрын

Princess probably refused to pay the 'Texas bribe.' Carnival pays it, so they're only charged taxes

It’s like this too when sailing out of NY and VA i believe.

Thank you !

Thanks for the info...I'm steering clear of TX

Thank you! I’ll be leaving for 7 days on the Regal Princess out of Galveston this Sunday 1/21/24, and I won’t buy those upgrades! Im hoping you can help me with another question about this sailing. Can you tell me how to find a weather forecast for this 7 day voyage? We’ll be stopping in Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, then returning to Galveston 1/28/24. I don’t want to over pack but I’m cold natured & want to pack accordingly if it’s going to be in the 30s-60s. Also, is it chilly in restaurants or other indoor areas of the ship? Again, Thank you! 😎☀️🌤️⛈️🧊🥶

That makes me not want to even go on my first cruise. HAHA. LIKE 17.👍👍👍

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

Don't let this sway you! It's just that there are little money saving tips or hacks to keep in mind, and never trust any business to do right by you at all times! I am sure you know many tricks for a good day at Disney! Thanks for watching 😁

After leaving Princess (and my status behind) and embracing Oceania's 1,200 passenger ships, we've started to really enjoy cruising again. No Lines (boarding, buffet, shows, bars, elevators, etc). Transparency! The Oceania cruise fare includes: taxes, port charges, WiFi, Champagne, Wine & Beer with lunch and dinner, Specialty coffees, sodas, water, Specialty Dining at 4 restaurants, room service, self serve laundry, and usually some credit towards (1 or 2) excursions. The finest cuisine at sea. No formal nights. Attire is country club casual. No photographers to dodge. And absolutely stunning decor. In all fairness, Princess does have better stage shows, but Princess doesn't have a big production every night. Your folio will probably only include your beverages from a bar (unless you upgrade your alcohol pkg), gratuities and onboard shopping (or gambling). My shipboard credit amenity usually covers my gratuity so my folio upon disembarkation is typically $0.

Here's an excellent Princess hack for drinkers who don't want to purchase the Plus or Premier package. Immediately after boarding the ship, go to the Sanctuary and rent a Cabana for a half day (cost approx $140 total). That's approximately equal to the Plus package for 1 day for two people. It will come with a large bottle of alcohol of your choosing (I got Gin), along with mixers (it may have been a sea day). When you leave the Cabana, take your alcohol back to your cabin (it's yours). Princess still allows you to bring soda cans (or tonic, etc) onboard in your carry-on bag. Sooo, just add ice and drink for free the rest of your cruise in your Stanley cup! Genius.

@Sotweetie

5 ай бұрын

I love the Sanctuary but you can also just use the cruise planner before boarding and preorder bottles of liquor to be in your cabin for a very reasonable price ($~20 per 375)

@DaveM-FFB

5 ай бұрын

@@Sotweetie I think it was 750ml of Bombay Gin. We were just going to get lounge chairs in the Sanctuary as usual, but then we discovered that the half day cabana comes with a bar, a TV, and alcohol (to go).

@Sotweetie

5 ай бұрын

@@DaveM-FFB The cabanas are a great deal and the alcohol is an awesome perk!

I always thought that it was the taxes for the drink that a customer would be charged not for the drink & tax. This is why I like having OBC, so I don't have to worry about rules in regard to ordering while @ port in Texas. Like someone else said, just don't cruise out of Texas...hehe.

We have already paid for the premiere package and sail out of Galveston November 26. I wonder if I called and asked to remove the package for the first day since I can’t use it, if they would let me? Or maybe offer some sort of OBC. Thanks for the heads up much appreciated!

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

I really hope they will have this fixed by the time you sail but please let us know what happens! Enjoy your cruise, it's a lovely ship and great crew :)

Hi👋 I am sailing on the Island Princess out of New York City next week. The sailing will cover New England, Charleston, and Halifax. Again, the sailing departs from and returns to New York City. Although I purchased the Premier package, will I need to be concerned with this matter occurring on my sailing out of NYC? The LAST thing I need to happen is to have these types of surprises on my bill/folio at the end of my sailing. Please let me know🙏. Thank you.

@Sotweetie

Ай бұрын

I haven't heard of these regulations being an issue in NYC - but just in case I would bring a bottle of wine for each person in the cabin so that you don't risk your sailaway toast! Have a fabulous trip, I love the Island!

I canceled my princess cruise as soon as they started those new plans. They cheaper a luxury brand name. Things should be included in the base price. Just raise the overall fee to cover the costs.

This is almost as good as your Dawn orders for the mini bottles. 😂😂😂

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

Thank God this only went on for a few hours instead of 20 days! 🤣

My reply to guest services: Goodbye, Princess. It was nice knowing you. (No need to continue an abusive relationship.)

Good tip to delay buying the package until after the first day, but are you absolutely sure that Princess will actually allow you to get a prorated package price? Or will they still charge for the entire cruise? thanks!

@Sotweetie

4 ай бұрын

They prorate the package for the remaining days onboard if you buy on day 2, but that is the cutoff. I will do this if we sail out of Galveston again! You will have to pay the gratuities for one day but in my opinion the value tradeoff is not there to justify the package on embarkation day.

We are sailing on the Regal Princess in January and on the App, there are only 2 specialty restaurants listed (Crown Grill and Sabatinis). No casual restaurants listed. Are there more then 2 non-free restaurants available? We are thinking of cancelling our Premier Package. Are there any live shows? Thanks

@Sotweetie

7 ай бұрын

The casual dining options are Alfredos and the sushi bar - we liked them both quite a bit. Less advertised casual dining, and only available from 3PM-8PM nightly, is the charcuterie board and truffles in Vines. We were only able to get it once but it was very good and included with the Premier package. The reserved seating for production shows applied to a few shows during our cruise, and was a nice perk. I wish they would make it apply for all theater shows. Honestly, aside from embarkation day, we thought Premier was well worth the money. Have a great cruise!

The entire situation sounds infuriating. Princess needed to be more transparent and put up sign(s) to inform of this issue. You have more patience than me. Thank you for sharing. .

Typical Pick Pocket Princess.....I remember leaving the theater and needed to take some meds....I asked for a glass of water at a bar and left....Next thing I know I had an $8 charge plus gratuity on my account.......Just as bad as them selling gelato that comes form a Walmart tub.......

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

Well, I generally am happy with Princess but we received our folio this morning from the cruise and after we disembarked somehow a $70 cover charge for one of our "included" specialty meals was added to our bill. Now I have to call and go through the fun of having that removed. I am not sure how these things happen when an account should automatically apply a dining credit to applicable specialty venues.

This is every cruise line it applies to Texas and New York but your not charged for the package until day 2

@Sotweetie

5 ай бұрын

That is not true, Princess charges for the package on embarkation day. Carnival doesn’t. Royal Caribbean charges for embarkation day but has a limited menu until you reach international waters. Each line applies different rules.

Hi find your video interesting, me and my family wife , mother and law and 2 year old going first time on princess regal cruise and is our first cruise We took standard . Anything we need to upgrade? Or tips?

@Sotweetie

6 ай бұрын

You will have a great time! Just know that there will be some additional fees onboard if you go standard - like daily gratuities per person and $15 to use the app if you choose to. I would highly recommend doing the math before you sail to make sure you get the best price at the end of the sailing. Have a wonderful cruise!

One other thought, I thought you had to buy one of the packages if you wanted one on the first day. I didn’t think they were offered after the first day. Maybe I am wrong but I thought it was only on day one that you had the option to buy a package.

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

Princess allows you to buy a package or upgrade from Plus to Premier until day 2 of any sailing. In this case we would have saved $160 if we'd waited until day 2 to purchase Premier. Since they never mailed our Medallions and we ended up in line for them at the port anyway, I think the first day's gratuities are the only perk we would have missed out on.

@lennie7888

8 ай бұрын

It is so unfortunate how much Princess is changing for the worse. No matter what cruise I’ve gone on since the restart, there’s been some issue like this. They are just nickel and diming us so badly. Your situation feels like thievery though. Taking your $160 knowing they wouldn’t be honoring it is thievery. I love all of your videos and thank you so much for everything you do for our cruising community.

I admit to being a newbie to cruising. My sister lives in San Antonio & we have plans to visit her at Christmas. We’d like to take a cruise out of Galveston, with Princess being our preferred choice. Although there are four of us in two cabins, none of us are drinkers. The drink plans seem to add almost $2000 for a seven-day cruise. Am I misunderstanding the whole procedure?

@Sotweetie

5 ай бұрын

You will want to add up the cost of little extras that you might use like internet, the app or room service, and gratuities to decide of the flat package rate works for you. In our case, we won't cruise on Princess without at least Plus because we do use many of the other package inclusions. Keep in mind that if you wait to upgrade until day 2, it will cut off $60 per person per day from the total!

After 20 cruises out of Galveston typically if you have the drink package you’re not charged for it on the first day. It is a stupid Texas law if you look at your charges when you purchase the package you’re charged one day less of your cruise duration.

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

I know that Carnival doesn't charge for day one, but since Princess did charge for that day we assumed they would be handling the law the same way Royal Caribbean does - which is to honor the package with a limited menu. If Princess was actually abiding by the law, I wouldn't have an issue. What they are doing here is charging for a product they are not delivering, and completely misunderstanding and applying Texas regulations.

@lglassjr44

8 ай бұрын

I am cruising on the Regal in Feb 2024 and I do have the Plus package. I would think since Princess is owned by Carnival Corp they all would be following the same regulations.@@Sotweetie

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

I thought so too, but we were charged for embarkation day. I hope they will make an adjustment before you sail and honor the purchase!

@lglassjr44

8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much. And I must say that you have the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen. Welcome to Houston. The summers are much more different than Seattle.@@Sotweetie

Is the premier package more expensive when ordering it on second day inside the ship?

@Sotweetie

7 ай бұрын

No it's not - the price is reduced by one day since you did not use the package on embarkation day. You will have to pay gratuities and for any drinks you had on the first day, but the reduced cost of the package should offset those expenses.

You should write to your reps about changing that stupid law.

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

I guess if the law were completely eliminated it would solve this, but Princess is applying restrictions on passengers that don't exist under the law.

My wife and I have sailed with Royal Caribbean out of Galveston twice in the past 2 years. We always get the drink package and have mai tais in our hands right after boarding and never had a problem. Is this just a Princess thing? I'm interested because I just booked our first Princess cruise aboard the Regal for this Thanksgiving, 2024.

@Sotweetie

2 ай бұрын

Yes, this is a Princess policy and does not reflect the actual Texas regulations on sale of alcohol. Royal Caribbean does it right!

@zgrothus

2 ай бұрын

@@Sotweetie Thank you for the info!

It would seem that Texas has a law that you can not sell liquor in Texas that isn't purchased from Texas licensed vendors. So, unless Princess is sourcing the liquor for Galveston based cruises from a local source. They can't sell it. There is no restriction on soda.

@garygsp3

6 ай бұрын

I know my mother in law sails pretty much all of her cruises out of Galveston on Royal Caribbean. She said her drink package works as soon as she gets on the ship. So, this a Princess Cruises issue.

Sail from Louisiana or Florida, problem solved.

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

I want Princess to continue sailing out of Galveston, and I want to be on the ships. 😉

It sounds to me like they don’t have a computer system to charge the tax on package drinks. Isn’t that the bottom line problem? Texas wants the tax revenue.

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

That may be the root of the problem - it reminded me of the drama that as happening in Europe the couple weeks before we got on NCL Dawn. There was confusion about whether people could buy drinks in certain ports, even with drink packages.

Any updates on this? We are sailing February

@Sotweetie

6 ай бұрын

Unfortunately it sounds like this issue continues.. bring sail away wine and happy cruising!

Getting any packages is a scam...unless you are heavy drinker

This is a Texas issue. Every single cruise ship is in the same boat, pardon the pun. Princess gives you $25 in credit to use until they reach international waters where your full package will kick in. I think they do a pretty good job of explaining this as I had never been on a princess cruise before nor had I sailed out of Galveston and even before we got on board we had information telling us what the situation was. Plus our travel agent let us know when we booked out of Galveston.

@Sotweetie

5 ай бұрын

This is not the same situation on all ships. In fact, all cruise lines have different ways of dealing with the Texas laws. Royal Caribbean honors drink packages from the moment you step onboard, Carnival doesn’t offer embarkation day packages, and Princess charges you for the package and then refuses to serve non-alcoholic beverages. This is *NOT* Texas law.

Brutal.

Royal Caribbean has this all figured out.

@curtisshackleford

6 ай бұрын

WRONG!! They are worst, I am a Diamond member who will NEVER sail RCCL again!!

@SpeedNoodles

6 ай бұрын

@@curtisshackleford more room for me

It's a Texas law.

@Sotweetie

7 ай бұрын

Texas law does not prohibit Princess from giving sodas to passengers with Plus/Premier.

@melvinjacobs2328

7 ай бұрын

No, but it requires them to charge tax.@@Sotweetie

Princess will nickel and dime you to death. They are in full agreement with Texas and the law since they can make more money from unsuspecting cruisers.

Sounds like a Texas problem.

@Sotweetie

4 ай бұрын

It isn't a problem for Royal Caribbean on sailings out of Galveston.

I've watched a lot of cruise videos recently and this was the most tedious by a mile.

@Sotweetie

5 ай бұрын

What would you like me to do about your apparent inability to switch it off, sir?

It's TEXAS! Just be glad you didn't get pregnant in Texas waters.

@mickeytollison

5 ай бұрын

@@KZreadrrrrrrrrrrrNo he can’t. It was a silly comment at best.

I guess ..you couldn’t be in ur very quiet Cabin to moan about rules and regulations..can’t hear you over the loud chatter!

@Sotweetie

8 ай бұрын

Sorry you had a hard time hearing the discussion.

@wfodavid

6 ай бұрын

It was perfect. Sounds like someone was sick with a headache!@@Sotweetie

@mickeytollison

5 ай бұрын

You need a hearing aid. Oh, and a personality.

next time please find a noisier place to make your video.

@Sotweetie

7 ай бұрын

I will try, just for you!

@wfodavid

6 ай бұрын

Great info and thanks. We have done this cruise 2x and will again. Makes it easy when you live here. @@Sotweetie

@wfodavid

6 ай бұрын

Always some smart ass comment. If you don't like it don't watch Snowflake!

@mickeytollison

5 ай бұрын

We found the person that has never been on a cruise.