Loss of some Elite perks

On our last cruise there were a lot of Elite cruiser's. We were notified on the first day that the free laundry perk would take at least 3 days (a lady I met in the guest laundry said she'd been waiting 5 days to get hers back!). We don't pack enough clothes to wait that long. We were also notified that the priority debarkation at the port's wouldn't be available (not a problem for us as we get off late), but it must have messed up some people's non-cruise excursions.

These aren't problems that would keep us from cruising Princess, but maybe they could have given out free tokens to use the Laundromat's for Elite cruisers?

Also, maybe there should be something higher than Elite? What do you think?

As more and more people reach elite, the lines are bound to reduce the benefits.

As for a category higher than elite, I expect that if they do so, I will be little more than a re naming exercise, ie I'd be shocked if Elite + got much (if anything) more than Elite gets now.

I don't see it as a loss of a perk. There are just too many using the perk. If you have a boatload of Elite people on the ship all trying to use the same perk it is going to get bogged down. I guess that's one advantage of not being Elite. :halo:

You were on a 29 day trans Pacific cruise. Only experienced, older, long time cruisers would take this route so many, many Elites were on board I'm sure, hence the delay in laundry. They can't expand the ships laundry just because a lot of Elites are on board. You never hear of a tale like this on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean voyage.

Not sure where it all will go, as we have experienced some of the same problems, particularly on the longer cruises which well-traveled passengers tend to frequent. Although the Elite status was originally intended to reward very experienced, long term cruisers - measured by total cruise days, over the years the rules were relaxed to make it much easier to achieve by allowing a one day cruise to count as much as a transatlantic with respect to,cruise counts. Now, in theory, especially on the west coast, using a number of short cruises booked in a suite, can result in Elite status with relatively few actual days at sea. If and when they decide to create a higher public level, I hope that it will be much harder to achieve.

You were on a 29 day trans Pacific cruise. Only experienced, older, long time cruisers would take this route so many, many Elites were on board I'm sure, hence the delay in laundry. They can't expand the ships laundry just because a lot of Elites are on board. You never hear of a tale like this on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean voyage.

 

No, I didn't expect an expansion of the laundry! I do understand the lack of the laundry perk. What I expected was that Elite passenger's would be given free laundry tokens to do their own laundry. In our 29 day's I did enough laundry to cost about $100.00 US. ($3.00 per load to wash and $3.00 per load to dry, plus buying laundry soap and dryer sheet's that I didn't plan on having to buy.)

Again, it's not a big problem, just aggravating when you expect the perks that are promised... .

You never hear of a tale like this on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean voyage.

 

 

Sure you would. It can and does happen on pretty much all cruises now regardless of length.

Sure you would. It can and does happen on pretty much all cruises now regardless of length.

This has been the case on all of my cruises for the last 2-3 years. On longer cruises, the delay has been as much as 7-8 days to get laundry back. Part is due to the number of Elite onboard, part due to more and more Elite abusing the system. On several cruises, some Elite were sending out 5-7 bags a day in a variety of sizes, from children's to extra large. Princess is not paying attention or monitoring this so we all lose. :(

 

 

Princess could do a much better job of managing the laundry from Elite. IMHO, on cruises with a lot of Elite, they could limit the number of bags per cabin to perhaps one per day. I know that the vast majority of Elite wouldn't have a problem with this.

Not sure where it all will go, as we have experienced some of the same problems, particularly on the longer cruises which well-traveled passengers tend to frequent. Although the Elite status was originally intended to reward very experienced, long term cruisers - measured by total cruise days, over the years the rules were relaxed to make it much easier to achieve by allowing a one day cruise to count as much as a transatlantic with respect to,cruise counts. Now, in theory, especially on the west coast, using a number of short cruises booked in a suite, can result in Elite status with relatively few actual days at sea. If and when they decide to create a higher public level, I hope that it will be much harder to achieve.

 

Actually I have read many long time cruisers who say it was originally only by number of cruises but was changed to allow number of cruise days in order to make it more "fair" for those who take long cruises. I believe you have it backward.

They told me I had to book the next cruise to get my laundry back. :o

They told me I had to book the next cruise to get my laundry back. :o

That was actually funny..

You were on a 29 day trans Pacific cruise. Only experienced, older, long time cruisers would take this route so many, many Elites were on board I'm sure, hence the delay in laundry. They can't expand the ships laundry just because a lot of Elites are on board. You never hear of a tale like this on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean voyage.

I was on a 5 day with my Elite friend, note in the cabin upon arrival. "Elite laundry will take 3 days due to the number of Elite on board." So, it may be getting phased out.

Kieth, that was funny, like that!!

Was on our first Holland cruise this year, they had a laundry bag full for 20$, since we were on for four weeks we used it, worked great, sent it the night before and always received laundry back the next afternoon, once the next morning. I thought I heard someone say the laundry was open 24 hours. Any way it was great.

Love our elite perks on Princess and thankful for them all, I do love Pam's idea about keeping up with the cabins and not abusing the privilege.

Book cruises of 1 night or less, no laundry needed.

3 day Elite laundry has been our experience for quite some time. We were on Ruby 3 weeks ago for a 6 day LA to Vancouver coastal. We were notified of the 3 day turnaround upon registration so we were very surprised on the second day when the laundry we put in on the evening of the first day came back. We did a second batch of laundry and it also came back the next day. We were told at the captains circle event that there were only 600 or so elites. It seems like it may simply be a capacity issue.

Rick

lol, 50+ cruises never used the laundry on any of them... used pressing only... we back enough... generally don't to more than 15 day cruise... I do laundery when I get home.

I do like to get it done towards the end of the cruise, just so when I get home, I don't have to the laundry.

As for the second "lost" perk cited: every report I have read noting that due to the high number of Elites the normal priority tendering procedure (going straight to the end of the line without needing a ticket) was untenable, a separate tender lounge was still provided for the Elite and Suite passengers. Something the OP appears to have not needed to investigate.

 

 

But the concept that has been cited here more than a few times that the Elite/Suite perk of free laundry is justification for packing insufficient clothing could mean the death of that perk, or at least its deferment to well beyond 15 cruise credits or 150 days. As one of those on the cusp of Elite I am sitting here praying that Princess is not pondering replacing the current laundry program with a roll of washer & dryer tokens based on such complaints.

 

But I may be the wrong person to be questioning the need for so much laundry: four years ago did a 39 day, 3 ship vacation with my mom. And the total laundry effort was: twice washing in one load all our underwear/socks/t-shirts/pajamas in the laundry room, once sending out all the casual slacks and tops that could fit in the stuff-a-bag, plus dry cleaning mom's formal night gear (my tux survived its 7 or 8 wearings with nary a wrinkle or spot). That's all folks--and no we don't travel heavy, just 2 cases total well under the 50 lb airline limit. So once I do reach Elite the concept of preparing a bag multiple times on a short cruise will likely remain foreign to me.

Princess could do a much better job of managing the laundry from Elite. IMHO, on cruises with a lot of Elite, they could limit the number of bags per cabin to perhaps one per day. I know that the vast majority of Elite wouldn't have a problem with this.

 

 

I guess one bag per cabin per day is a reasonable limit.

 

 

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Actually I have read many long time cruisers who say it was originally only by number of cruises but was changed to allow number of cruise days in order to make it more "fair" for those who take long cruises. I believe you have it backward.

 

 

 

Correct.

 

Regarding free laundry, we don't even bother most of the time, and I feel the need to hand wash most of my things anyway, so I always bring Woolite and Tide packets onboard and launder items in tiny sink or bathtub, if we are lucky enough to have one.

On longer cruises we send out a few items, but on other lines they have a $20 all you can stuff into a bag special, and we take advantage of that. On Celebrity

It is my understanding they're now gouging $50 per bag, per some live thread I've been following. 🤣 used to be $20 a bag.

 

 

 

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Edited May 22, 2017 by 4cats4me

They told me I had to book the next cruise to get my laundry back. :o

So that was you seen walking off the Regal last month naked.:')

So that was you seen walking off the Regal last month naked.:')

 

Good one :o :D

Tony

Despite the three day warning, we have always gotten back within two days. Don't plan to spend vacation time in the laundromat. Princess laundry service is as good as any commercial service. As for hand washing, that's for emergencies, for traveling when young, or when laundromats are not available.

 

 

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I have always felt that there should be a level at 25 cruises which would be elite PLUS.