mini bar elite perk question

Hello everyone, I have just reached elite status and have a question regarding making changes to the mini bar setup. I realize there are many options including switching types of liquors, coffee cards, bottle of wine, etc.

My question is, as we will likely be purchasing the AIBP, is there any way to get the value of the perk as an onboard credit? I doubt it, and don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, so will likely just replace it with a bottle of wine but just thought I would ask. Thanks!!!

Since the AIBP does not include drinks ordered via room service--which is the department that stocks the mini-bar and will do the exchange for your bottle of wine--there is no duplication of services between your Elite mini-bar benefit and the AIBP. You pretty much answered your own question with "I doubt it"

Dont forget you can get 2 coffee cards in exchange for the mini bar.

We trade in for the coffee cards, as they come "blank" on the back, and hence, work on future cruises when you don't have the AIBP.

We trade in for the coffee cards, as they come "blank" on the back, and hence, work on future cruises when you don't have the AIBP.

Not always. They've been stopping that practice on our last 3 cruises & now come "marked". Not a big deal since we only use the cards for special coffee anyways.

No, no OBC. You use the mini bar or lose it. [emoji4]

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Not always. They've been stopping that practice on our last 3 cruises & now come "marked". Not a big deal since we only use the cards for special coffee anyways.

My last cruise they came blank - I made a point of saying I was trading due to having the AIBP.

No onboard credit. Take the coffee cards.

Not always. They've been stopping that practice on our last 3 cruises & now come "marked". Not a big deal since we only use the cards for special coffee anyways.

Had mine in my last cruise with ship name and voyage date at back.

My last cruise they came blank - I made a point of saying I was trading due to having the AIBP.

Great idea. I'll try that next cruise when I call to exchange my setup.

Use the mini bar for in-room consumption. If you have leftovers just stick them in your checked luggage and they will travel home with you even if you have to fly.

We are elite and had the AIBP on our last cruise. Coffee cards are essentially useless with the AIBP so we ended up bringing home our entire mini bar set up (minus tonic or whatever it was). It's still sitting in our liquor cabinet actually.

You mention wine in your post. Can you do a wine swap?? I didn't know that...

-Andrew :)

We are elite and had the AIBP on our last cruise. Coffee cards are essentially useless with the AIBP so we ended up bringing home our entire mini bar set up (minus tonic or whatever it was). It's still sitting in our liquor cabinet actually.

 

You mention wine in your post. Can you do a wine swap?? I didn't know that...

 

-Andrew :)

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You can swap all 20 items for one bottle of wine (up to value of $40 if I remember right).

 

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After being on these boards for 10 years, I literally had no idea. Thanks!! Would have been better than the Skyy Vodka.... :o

I made this template for swapping out my mini-bar. Feel free to print it out and use it as a guide for ordering. I've also swapped it out for the coffee cards.

Mini Bar Set Up.pdf

We are elite and had the AIBP on our last cruise. Coffee cards are essentially useless with the AIBP so we ended up bringing home our entire mini bar set up...

-Andrew :)

That's why you swap for the coffee cards to use on a future cruise when you may not have the AIBP. No matter what does or does not get put on the back of the cards the punches are good for ever. The brewed coffee and hot chocolate don't need a punch but are only available on the cruise written on the back of the card once it is activated. You can order brewed coffee or hot chocolate with the card in the future but then it will cost you a punch.

I agree, they seem to now have a mandate to put the cruise number and ship name on the back of coffee cards now that are Elite Minibar swaps. Probably to try to stop people getting them to sell on eBay (just my guess). This first happened to us April 2016 so I asked the CC rep who confirmed that this is the new mandate. Very annoying as we were on a 15 day and then 4 day B2B where we used two of our existing blank coffee cards "from stock" from the start of the cruise and it seems to be legitimate to use them on both parts of the B2B especially as we had booked it as a single cruise. We swapped the Minibar for coffee cards on the final 4 day cruise to put "back into stock" for next time but wound up with a ship/voyage on the back of these new cards even though we had no need for them on that cruise.

Not a big deal but still a little annoying especially if this is because of people selling them. Why not have room service put our names or our Princess numbers on the cards that are Minibar swap outs and leave the sailing and ship blank until we activate them? Just a thought.

AE_Collector

I made this template for swapping out my mini-bar. Feel free to print it out and use it as a guide for ordering. I've also swapped it out for the coffee cards.

Thank you so much for posting this. It will help Mr Indy to decide what he wants to trade out before we get to the cruise and avoid "analysis paralysis" when we get to the room.

Whilst we are not Elite, the coupe of times we have had a suite we have given the beers (neither of us particularly like beer) to our steward. They have been more than happy to ease our burden and remove the offending items, each time with a big smile :)

Use the mini bar for in-room consumption. If you have leftovers just stick them in your checked luggage and they will travel home with you even if you have to fly.

I don't think I've ever heard that before. I always thought you could drink them wherever you wanted to.

Is it any bottle of wine up to $40?

You can switch the mini bar for 2 coffees cards or a bottle of wine under $40. No OBC sorry.

Tony

I made this template for swapping out my mini-bar. Feel free to print it out and use it as a guide for ordering. I've also swapped it out for the coffee cards.

This cruise will be Elite. I have printed out your form.

How do you use it - placing in the bed, or just for your use to call Room Service to change?

I believe they started marking the cards because people were leaving one punch on their cards to use forever for fresh brewed coffee, not because of them being sold on ebay. When I stay in a suite (which I did a month ago) and get 4 coffee cards I have no use for that many cards so have on occasion sold a few on ebay myself.

The only thing your mini bar could be useful for since you have the AIBP is trading it in for all water so you have them for port days when going ashore.

Use the mini bar for in-room consumption. If you have leftovers just stick them in your checked luggage and they will travel home with you even if you have to fly.

I don't think I've ever heard that before. I always thought you could drink them wherever you wanted to.

Of course, you can drink things from the mini bar wherever you want. That said, I thought Thrak had good advice. The OP had the AIBP, so if he is out of the room, why waste the mini bar items if you can easily get whatever you want from any bar? If you are in your room and want a drink, why not use the mini bar instead of having to walk to a bar and bring it back to the room? Of course, if you wanted something that was not in the mini bar, or you want the exercise, then . . .

This cruise will be Elite. I have printed out your form.

 

How do you use it - placing in the bed, or just for your use to call Room Service to change?

The form is an organizing tool for me. I list what I am exchanging. When I call room service, I read it off the list. There have been so many times that I ended up with more or less than 20 items and had to "regroup". Room service has always been patient with me. Then I place everything that is going to be exchanged on the tray with the note.

Please note: these are the only items available for your mini-bar.

You are welcomed indygirl 99. I understand how your husband feels. It gets worse with age...haha.