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Captain Circle Party

atdahop

By atdahop,
in Princess Cruises

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geoherb "Live from...." Rare

geoherb

Posted
Posted
We were most travelled on several of our cruises and no drinks were waiting and since they seated us up in front we had very little service since the food and drinks come from the back.
We were with the most traveled couple last week. We got to go in early, through the other door, to meet them. We got to order whatever drinks we wanted, but as I said earlier, they never came around our area with any food. They had a small carafe of bar mix on the table.
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  • 1 year later...
UpcountryTravelers

UpcountryTravelers

Posted
Posted
I know the Gold/Ruby have a CC get together. Do the Platinum and Elites have separate get togethers or are they combined? Do they get better drinks or snacks than the Gold/Ruby?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

No separate get together with Captain and entertainment for Past Cruisers, but Platinum and Elite have a cocktail party each night. Free snacks, but a limited list of drinks are reduced price ($5).

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fishywood

fishywood

Posted
Posted
They served them on the Royal Princess a couple of weeks ago.

 

No separate get together with Captain and entertainment for Past Cruisers, but Platinum and Elite have a cocktail party each night. Free snacks, but a limited list of drinks are reduced price ($5).

 

Contradictory answers: first you say you had hors d'oeuveres served at the Captains Circle party, then that there was no party at all. The poster who bumped this year and a half old thread is not asking about the Platinum/Elite/Suite happy hour. The current norm is: on five night and longer cruises there will most always be the familiar Captain's Circle party with drinks and (yes) hors d'oeuveres, but due to the overwhemling growth in membership the Gold and possibly the Ruby are not invited; instead they have a single gathering in the Princess Theater to hear the Circle Host and Future Cruise Salesperson give their rote presentations and are given one drink voucher for their time.

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UpcountryTravelers

UpcountryTravelers

Posted
Posted
Contradictory answers: first you say you had hors d'oeuveres served at the Captains Circle party, then that there was no party at all. The poster who bumped this year and a half old thread is not asking about the Platinum/Elite/Suite happy hour. The current norm is: on five night and longer cruises there will most always be the familiar Captain's Circle party with drinks and (yes) hors d'oeuveres, but due to the overwhemling growth in membership the Gold and possibly the Ruby are not invited; instead they have a single gathering in the Princess Theater to hear the Circle Host and Future Cruise Salesperson give their rote presentations and are given one drink voucher for their time.

 

Nothing contradictory; I was answering two different questions. Never seen the "voucher" thing, but then I have only been on 18 Princess cruises, so have limited experience. Captain's Circle party has always been, in our experience, including Gold and above and always with free drinks and snacks. YMMV

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fishywood

fishywood

Posted
Posted
Nothing contradictory; I was answering two different questions. Never seen the "voucher" thing, but then I have only been on 18 Princess cruises, so have limited experience. Captain's Circle party has always been, in our experience, including Gold and above and always with free drinks and snacks. YMMV

 

Well your answer to the second question was incorrect. The Captain's Circle party now excludes lower-tier members (Gold and possibly Ruby depending on how many Platinum and Elite are onboard) who do have a separate get-together as warthog2608 described. And changing the subject to the P/E/S Happy Hour only confused the issue making it sound as if there are no Circle parties at all. But as you have been Platinum and thence Elite for quite some time it's more than alright not knowing the current program for the little guys. And I always appreciate receiving text alerts that a "fossil post" of mine has been resurrected at midnight on a Saturday night :rolleyes:

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Working 2 Cruise

Working 2 Cruise

Posted
Posted (edited)
No separate get together with Captain and entertainment for Past Cruisers, but Platinum and Elite have a cocktail party each night. Free snacks, but a limited list of drinks are reduced price ($5).

 

Yes, there's a separate. Captain Circle Gold and Ruby party on many sailings Gold and Ruby passengers get a voucher for a drink whereas platinum and elite passengers get drinks and hors d'oeuvres... not the same as the platinum/elite/suite cocktail party....

Edited by Working 2 Cruise
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floridalover5623

floridalover5623

Posted
Posted
Contradictory answers: first you say you had hors d'oeuveres served at the Captains Circle party, then that there was no party at all. The poster who bumped this year and a half old thread is not asking about the Platinum/Elite/Suite happy hour. The current norm is: on five night and longer cruises there will most always be the familiar Captain's Circle party with drinks and (yes) hors d'oeuveres, but due to the overwhemling growth in membership the Gold and possibly the Ruby are not invited; instead they have a single gathering in the Princess Theater to hear the Circle Host and Future Cruise Salesperson give their rote presentations and are given one drink voucher for their time.

 

They've stopped the hors d'oeuveres at the parties & now only serve drinks.

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mmckm

mmckm

Posted
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We have been to one captains circle party. It's a hour and a half of my life I can't get back. Will never go again and its a joke a couple free drinks and people just being slobs trying to get more free drinks. I would rather sit at Crooners and pay for my drinks.

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Cruisencatlady

Cruisencatlady

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They've stopped the hors d'oeuveres at the parties & now only serve drinks.

 

We had quite a few people show up for the Captain's Circle Platinum and Elite party last week on the Coral. An abundance(2-3 pass bys) of free drinks and mini hot appetizers were passed out by bar staff. If you didn't like the drinks being passed, you could order one from the bar. Bar mix jars were on the tables too.

 

Besides the 3 most travel passengers getting their well deserved kudos and bottle of bubbly, the captain drew from the invite cards for an attendee to also receive a bottle of bubbly.

 

The party did seem shorter than other Capt Circle parties, but we were all shooed out since On the Bayou needed to rehearse in the Univ Lounge.

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h-sar

h-sar

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Yes, there's a separate. Captain Circle Gold and Ruby party on many sailings Gold and Ruby passengers get a voucher for a drink whereas platinum and elite passengers get drinks and hors d'oeuvres... not the same as the platinum/elite/suite cocktail party....

 

Ironically, on our Regal New Yrs cruise this year, it was exactly the opposite! Elite and platinum were in the Princess Theatre - we saw a bit of entertainment, listened to the captain, etc. We were given a drink voucher as we entered, no nibbles. My poor husband was so disappointed as he got all dressed up. Almost everyone else was in shorts! He was expecting the kind of party we've been to in the past, in a smaller venue where it's more formal. On this cruise, the Ruby and Gold party was the one in a lounge/bar (can't remember which one - one of our friends received an invitation). Our party seemed to be nothing more than an advert for future cruises. We've missed more parties than we've attended, and if this is the format, we'll definitely be skipping more. There was definitely no personal touch.

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caribill

caribill

Posted
Posted
Ironically, on our Regal New Yrs cruise this year, it was exactly the opposite! Elite and platinum were in the Princess Theatre - we saw a bit of entertainment, listened to the captain, etc. We were given a drink voucher as we entered, no nibbles. My poor husband was so disappointed as he got all dressed up. Almost everyone else was in shorts! He was expecting the kind of party we've been to in the past, in a smaller venue where it's more formal. On this cruise, the Ruby and Gold party was the one in a lounge/bar (can't remember which one - one of our friends received an invitation). Our party seemed to be nothing more than an advert for future cruises. We've missed more parties than we've attended, and if this is the format, we'll definitely be skipping more. There was definitely no personal touch.

 

It could be that the platinum+elite outnumbered the gold+ruby on your cruise.

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h-sar

h-sar

Posted
Posted (edited)
It could be that the platinum+elite outnumbered the gold+ruby on your cruise.

 

That was what I assumed as well. Irony was that the only reason I forced myself to go was because DH finally achieved Platinum status (he's a few cruises behind me and the kids!) and he was so excited to go :D.

Edited by h-sar
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fishywood

fishywood

Posted
Posted (edited)
It could be that the platinum+elite outnumbered the gold+ruby on your cruise.

 

But wouldn't the whole point of segregating the Gold (and Ruby if necessary) to their own separate gathering was to allow enough room at the two or three sessions of the traditional Captains Circle Party for the longer term members? It really doesn't concern me how it is held on my upcoming cruise, but if the one the Platinum and up are invited to is held in the Theatre and the dress code is not being observed (if on formal night) I will just take my voucher and head out.

Edited by fishywood
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floridalover5623

floridalover5623

Posted
Posted
We are both Elite, but on our recent 6 day cruise on the Coral, we were advised that there was no Captains Circle party on cruises less than 7 days, nor were we offered a drink voucher. I'm confused?

 

Some of the ships have eliminated the party on cruises shorter than 7 days. We had one on 5 day cruises but not 4 day. It all depends on the amount of time they have to work with.

 

Ironically, on our Regal New Yrs cruise this year, it was exactly the opposite! Elite and platinum were in the Princess Theatre - we saw a bit of entertainment, listened to the captain, etc. We were given a drink voucher as we entered, no nibbles. My poor husband was so disappointed as he got all dressed up. Almost everyone else was in shorts! He was expecting the kind of party we've been to in the past, in a smaller venue where it's more formal. On this cruise, the Ruby and Gold party was the one in a lounge/bar (can't remember which one - one of our friends received an invitation). Our party seemed to be nothing more than an advert for future cruises. We've missed more parties than we've attended, and if this is the format, we'll definitely be skipping more. There was definitely no personal touch.

 

As you found out not everyone dressed up for the parties even though the invitations says formal, it just isn't so.

And yes, it is one big advertisement for future cruises but occasionally they do have something of interest to say.

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Eagle_and_hawk

Eagle_and_hawk

Posted
Posted (edited)
Ir My poor husband was so disappointed as he got all dressed up. Almost everyone else was in shorts! .

 

 

Did your invitation say "formal" on it? We were on the last Coral sailing and the one we received had smart casual dress on it, and it was not a formal night either. I thought that was unusual from those we received in the past. The line was still long getting into it.

Edited by Eagle_and_hawk
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kimlovesfl

kimlovesfl

Posted
Posted
That was probably because there were too many past passengers on that cruise. If there are too many, there is a regular party for the Platinum and Elite passengers on one night and what you described for the Gold and Ruby on a different night :(

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

That's what they did on my Feb 8 cruise on the Royal-the gold and ruby members (I'm gold) had a little show, with the dance band, free drink vouchers, and a prize giveaway, the grand prize being an upgrade to elite status for the cruise. The platinums and elites had their own party on a different day.

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shredie

shredie

Posted
Posted
Hors doerves have not been served at Captains Circle parties on the Emerald Princess since we boarded on January 4th. While I am no fan of the constant belittling of the Emerald Princess cruise experience by some on this thread, those are the facts.

 

If it's the Emerald, and only the Emerald, affected, then stating that exception would be useful rather than a blanket statement saying something has been eliminated fleet-wide. This is my issue. Since I'm no Emerald expert, perhaps you can tell us if bread sticks and butter have also been eliminated on that ship. That hasn't been my experience on others.

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