Elite Status on the Regal Princess - 2/4/18 Sailing

Reaching Elite status on Princess is a milestone for many of us; free laundry, free internet, a reserved cocktail lounge from 5-7 being a few examples. You also get to attend a Captain's Circle party. That party used to be a nice event. Not anymore.

On our recent cruise, the staff packed the Club Fusion to the rafters with Elite and Platinum customers. In the past, the wait staff would pass out h'ordeuvers and drinks. Well, no more h"ordeuvers and you'll be lucky to get a drink before they usher you out. Oh, and you used to be able to interact with the senior staff. I recognize that the handshake business was out due to the flu. However, the senior staff stood at the rear of Club Fusion like a bunch of kids at their first dance. As soon as the event was over, which is basically a Princess sales pitch, the senior staff immediately beat a hasty retreat to the exit. Even the captain could't get out of there fast enough. To put up with this, you get at least a free drink. Not this trip. Despite repeated attempts to get served, we were finally offered a beer as the other attendees were leaving.

We were on a back to back cruise and didn't waste the time the second week to attend this charade. Furthermore, with a significant number of Platinum and Elite passengers blended at these events, I strongly suggest that Princess start treating Elite passengers at these events a bit better recognizing their status and not combine the two groups together.

We haven't been to the Captain's Circle party for a number of cruises for this exact reason. I remember on on one previous cruise where the line to get into Club Fusion stretched all the way into the Piazza. I've thought for awhile that Princess needs to do something about the Captain's Circle loyalty program to make it work better. There are just too may Platinums and Elites on most cruises. I don't have the answer, but I sure hope this is dealt with in the near future.....

Bob

Let's face it --

We are just a "commodity" any more.:(

Princess has been cutting back for many years.

For the reasons listed above, we stopped attending these events a number of years ago.

I haven’t gone to the Captain’s Circle party in probably fifteen years. To me, it stopped being special years ago.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Keith

Hmm, this is quite a change from our experience just last October. We were offered h'ordeuvers and drinks. We were even able to order from the bar at no charge. Leaving for the Regal 3/11 will keep you all in the loop should we attend.

We don't attend the Captain's Circle party either for the same reasons.

For the reasons listed above, we stopped attending these events a number of years ago.

Same here, not worth the time or energy:D

don't believe we've seen it lately on the 4-5 day cruises. not really looking for it, either and wouldn't go...unless they were handing out drink coupons :cool:

Groucho Marx said he would never join a country club that would admit him as a member. We've just hit elite though have never attended these functions for the same reason Groucho espoused.

Over the past 18 years, I've been to maybe 3 of these with Princess. The last one was the best one and it was about 4 years ago. We sat in the very back by the bar and the wait staff plied us with so many drinks, we couldn't believe it. We tasted all kinds of drinks we would have never tried normally. Unfortunately, most went to waste. Whenever the wait staff had extras that they were returning to the bar, they'd drop them off for us and our sons. We didn't even ask for them. We had so many glasses on our table, it looked like we had a very serious alcohol problem. ;p:D

In January there were so many people that they had at least 4 of these events and on all the lines were horrendous. We skipped it and went to Vines.

don't believe we've seen it lately on the 4-5 day cruises. not really looking for it, either and wouldn't go...unless they were handing out drink coupons :cool:

I don't think the lessening of the Captain's Circle party to an event not worth the effort in some of our eyes is the OP's point at all. Clearly they feel that the Circle party and the evening Platinum/Elite/Suite lounge are not genuine benefits as offered by Princess simply because passengers other than Elites are invited to attend. I sense a palpable tinge of regret on their part that they chose to achieve their Elite status on a relatively egalitarian line such as Princess rather than a line such as RCI or Celebrity which puts their Diamond members up on a pedestal--at the expense of excluding less frequent passengers from activities that are routinely open to all on Princess. Kinda sad actually.

We attended the Captain's Circle party last night on the Regal. It was very nice. We mingled with some of the staff members. The waiters were circulating nicely at the beginning. I managed to get several glasses of wine. One of our tablemates ordered a double vodka and received it. A man on our row ordered several of some drink served in a highball glass. We got to pass them down to him. We had the carafes of bar snacks at each table.

I thought this party was more a recognition for all the Platinum and Elite members on board, very well handled. Even the future cruise consultant did not do as much plugging of the different destinations and cruises as I've seen others do.

The captain lingered behind to take photos with people who wish to do so.

We were on the Regal for the 3 cruises prior to this one. For each party we had no trouble getting 3 glasses of wine each. People serving h'ordeuvers

Same here, not worth the time or energy:D

Another "Same Here"!

Earlier this month on the Grand went to our third capt circle party. Found it rather boring and the drinks were very watered down. Seem like one bottle of rum was all they used for all rum drinks served.

After 3 we are already finding it a bore and probably will not come back.

They actually had us cheering for most traveled passengers who was not there but invited to the later party.

As a matter of fact it was scheduled for 5 15 even though early seating was 5 30. Seemed like they wanted us to leave very quickly.

I haven’t gone to the Captain’s Circle party in probably fifteen years. To me, it stopped being special years ago.

Hi Pam,

I went to the Captain’s Circle party on the Caribbean Princess this year and the Captain didn’t show up.

Tony

I don't think the lessening of the Captain's Circle party to an event not worth the effort in some of our eyes is the OP's point at all. Clearly they feel that the Circle party and the evening Platinum/Elite/Suite lounge are not genuine benefits as offered by Princess simply because passengers other than Elites are invited to attend. .

Some history:

a) Platinum/Elite/Suite lounge

This was originally the Elite/Suite lounge. So few people were showing up that they added Platinum members to it.

b) Captain's Circle party

This was originally for all returning passengers, not just for those with higher level status. With so many repeat passengers, even spreading the party over several evenings did not help with the crowds, so now those will less than Platinum status get invited to a getogether in the Princess theater where they get a coupon for a drink and there is a drawing for one cabin's occupants to get elite status/benefits for the remainder of the cruise. Those with the Platinium/Elite status still get invited to a party in the aft lounge. Over two years ago I was on a cruise where the canapes were no longer being served. Reason given was that too many of them were left uneaten, a reason I do not believe.

For those of you who received your drinks and snacks, Bravo. In the future, we'll bag the Captains Circle as well as the hokey Champaign party. However, we have 3 cruises in the hopper and none are with Princess. My wife has had it with Princess after this last cruise. We're booked on HAL for the next 3 and our next Caribbean cruise will be on Celebrity where we have Diamond status. The free laundry, the internet service, priority embarkation are not offset by how we felt we were treated.

I haven’t gone to the Captain’s Circle party in probably fifteen years. To me, it stopped being special years ago.

I agree with Pam. These events are nothing special and we no longer go.

I think they lost so much money trying to get the ill conceived Medallion up and running there will be many cutbacks in the days to come although on the Regal “party” in January I noticed no difference

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I recalled the greatest internet on theSea and it was. I have no idea who got it totally free. The elites did for one device and it was free all the time and faster than I have at home. This was a definite leap forward and for elite a huge plus. There was no need to sign in or out.....it was just on all of the time. Mike

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