silvercruiser Posted December 4, 2008 #1 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Do any of you know what it means to be a Friend of Princess? One of my fellow passengers was talking to a man the other day who said he got greatly reduced fares, about 1/4 of the regular price on cruises, because he was a Friend of Princess. Never heard of this before. He'd been asking one of the lecturers onboard about what kind of price break they got and then decided he could do better just using his Friend of Princess deal. We're curious about this. Does it perhaps mean that someone has a close relative who works for Princess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sondi 14 Posted December 4, 2008 #2 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Princess has a program called Friends and Family - other cruise lines most likely have this as well. He could have been referring to that and got his fare as a "friend" of an employee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coiran Posted December 4, 2008 #3 Share Posted December 4, 2008 It is a discount offered to Friends and Family of Princess employes - However - your cruises will not count toward your "Loyalty Status" or "Captains Circle" when you use it. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichCook Posted December 4, 2008 #4 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Previous posters answered from the Princess Employee perspective.... I also found reference to a program when I googled the topic...offered by an on-line cruise TA (not one that is listed on cruise critic). Some sort of loyalty program with many rules/regs/fine print/limited time offer Example: 14 Nights or More Cruise Book an inside stateroom and receive $100. Book an ocean view ( outside ) stateroom and receive $300. Book a balcony or suite receive $400-500. Minimum stateroom cost $1599.*per person. Made my head spin....it may be legit, but too many caveats for my liking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARRTrain Posted December 4, 2008 #5 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Princess has changed the Friends and Family Program, the cruises do count towards the Captains Circle. It is a discount offered to Friends and Family of Princess employes - However - your cruises will not count toward your "Loyalty Status" or "Captains Circle" when you use it. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toto2Kansas Posted December 4, 2008 #6 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Princess has changed the Friends and Family Program, the cruises do count towards the Captains Circle. I think what they are talking about here is friends/family of Princess EMPLOYEES and not the old friends and family program that you could get with the FCC's purchased. A totally different topic. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juggles Posted December 4, 2008 #7 Share Posted December 4, 2008 It is definitely friends/family of a Princess employee only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notentirelynormal Posted December 4, 2008 #8 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I think what they are talking about here is friends/family of Princess EMPLOYEES and not the old friends and family program that you could get with the FCC's purchased. A totally different topic. ;) The Friends & Family program - which is knowing an employee - your cruises DO count towards your total - but you receive no benefits when cruising on the plan. So, even if you are Elite you will not get free internet or laundry etc and your cruise card will be blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandytoes Posted December 5, 2008 #9 Share Posted December 5, 2008 You might be confused with the program Saved & Shared Cruises. You can organize a cruise with friends or family. http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na792 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coiran Posted December 5, 2008 #10 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Princess has changed the Friends and Family Program, the cruises do count towards the Captains Circle. Show me!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iancal Posted December 5, 2008 #11 Share Posted December 5, 2008 If Princess gave me that pricing I would be their best Princess friend for life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaHiRoller Posted December 5, 2008 #12 Share Posted December 5, 2008 I am on the Friends and Family Corporate Affiliates with Princess and they have fairly good pricing. The cruises I book through it do not count towards my Captains Circle days. They will show up on your personalizer, but they do not count. Currently I can go in an inside cabin 7 nights to Alaska for about 800 bucks including everything, but I don't take insides, but just giving an example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaHiRoller Posted December 5, 2008 #13 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Also, on the F&F program, you do not get to pick your cabin either. You book within the category and they put you where they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdngrl Posted December 5, 2008 #14 Share Posted December 5, 2008 princess employee, if you're listening...i'll be your friend...or you could adopt me! i don't need any perks if the price is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaHiRoller Posted December 5, 2008 #15 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Oh and that is total for 2 not each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdngrl Posted December 5, 2008 #16 Share Posted December 5, 2008 now i'm officially jealous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaHiRoller Posted December 5, 2008 #17 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Whoops again. Total is 900 not 800. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaHiRoller Posted December 5, 2008 #18 Share Posted December 5, 2008 now i'm officially jealous! Jealous of what? Remember, you get no perks, cabin credits, or anything else for the prices. It works out to be a little cheaper than booking with an online agency, but it's not THAT much less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaHiRoller Posted December 5, 2008 #19 Share Posted December 5, 2008 With the ecnomy the way it is and ships not filling, I bet you will get prices even cheaper if you can wait for more last minute deals because TA's offer OBC's and perks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdngrl Posted December 5, 2008 #20 Share Posted December 5, 2008 I am on the Friends and Family Corporate Affiliates with Princess and they have fairly good pricing. The cruises I book through it do not count towards my Captains Circle days. They will show up on your personalizer, but they do not count. Currently I can go in an inside cabin 7 nights to Alaska for about 800 bucks including everything, but I don't take insides, but just giving an example. Oh and that is total for 2 not each. Jealous of what? Remember, you get no perks, cabin credits, or anything else for the prices. It works out to be a little cheaper than booking with an online agency, but it's not THAT much less. 2 people to alaska for a week for 900? that's what i'm jealous of or did i misunderstand? i cruise for the get-away not the perks, so that's okay by me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaHiRoller Posted December 5, 2008 #21 Share Posted December 5, 2008 2 people to alaska for a week for 900? that's what i'm jealous of or did i misunderstand? i cruise for the get-away not the perks, so that's okay by me! Yes, that is correct, but I don't do inside cabins. The prices are more for balcony and mini suite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARRTrain Posted December 5, 2008 #22 Share Posted December 5, 2008 When an employee books a cruise though the computer, they are put in a room. The employee can call in and get a room change, within the category they booked in. Also, on the F&F program, you do not get to pick your cabin either. You book within the category and they put you where they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARRTrain Posted December 5, 2008 #23 Share Posted December 5, 2008 I've seen the News Release from Alan Buckelew on Employee Cruise Enhancements. Show me!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin' Chick Posted December 5, 2008 #24 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Some years ago, one of the guys who reported to my hubby at work was dating an employee at Princess. He knew we liked to go on cruises so he offered to get us an employee's discount on a cruise. As we wanted to try Princess, he said hell, yea. We got a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise for the three of us, inside cabin, for a total of just under $800, plus taxes, etc. Not $800 per person, $800 for three of us! The next cruise we got a gold card, so that first cruise did count. BTW, this guy married gf on the Diamond Princess (so they needed all her discounts for their families and friends, so we couldn't get a discount on our cruise three months later). A couple of years later, she got mad at him for signing up for a second tour of duty in Iraq, and she threw him out. Hubby ran into him last year and the guy had lost contact with his ex, but thinks she no longer works for the cruiseline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickEk Posted December 5, 2008 #25 Share Posted December 5, 2008 I've seen the News Release from Alan Buckelew on Employee Cruise Enhancements. Yes, I've seen it too. Folks sailing under Friends and Family rates have their cruises accrue toward their Captain's Circle. The only bummer is that you get a blue card and your current CC status doesn't count on that sailing. :( The perks themselves may be worth booking through a TA. Sometimes F&F have great rates, sometimes, not so much. But, booking a 3rd or 4th person into your cabin makes it all worthwhile... they will sail for a heavily discounted price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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