A loyalty award proposal

[Cruise Raider]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but I just got off a 15 day Hawaiian cruise that was apparently so elite top heavy that there was a notice in my room on embarkation saying the the normal Elite next-day laundry and cleaning service had to be revised to 72-hour turnaround for that cruise.

 

I'm one of those "bring 4 pairs and send out wash daily" guys, so it did play hob with my schedule.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Same thing happened to me last month. It was only a 3 night cruise and the first day, they said laundry would be not be back for 3 days. Glad we had it done on the previous cruise or wouldn't have had anything to wear. (sort of a back to back on a different ship)

[Cruise Raider]

Other cruise lines have added higher tiers recently (Celebrity) so it would be good if Princess does as well. Not to get more free stuff as Princess already is "the best" in my books, but as mentioned so that there is always something to aim for. Always a reason to take the next cruise with Princess.

 

I haven't found a cruise line that gives as much free internet after so few cruises. You have to be Elite on Celebrity to get a 90 minute Internet package. Other cruise lines give a free bag of laundry as a perk rather than unlimited free laundry. In a way it is too bad they couldn't cut back on the amount of internet that Princess gives at Platinum and give more at Elite or higher. I know, easy for me to say now that I am Elite. But realistically it is difficult for them to give more as they are already so generous compared to other programs.

 

They do have the $25/50/75/100 CC money that could be worked into an official higher level. I have wondered about giving away the DVD that is produced on every cruise to higher loyalty level cruisers. It costs nothing more to produce more of the DVD's once the first one is done and the Videographers put a ton of work into it. Yet I bet vey few frequent cruisers buy them because lets face it, we go on another cruise rather than watching the highlite's of the last cruise over and over. So it wouldn't substantially hurt revenue from the sales of the DVD and I think it would be a meaningful perk to frequent Princess cruisers.

 

Just one idea...

 

Terry

 

Good idea on the DVD -- or maybe the boarding picture printed on special paper. Now you can order them to your liking -- they could print one up for pax with elite status. A free coffee card would be most generous and most appreciated as well.

 

PS -- while I treasure the free perks offered by Princess ..... and wouldn't expect more, just thankful they give them to us at all, I love the breakfast for elites on Celebrity as well as the evening cocktail hour.

Would love if Princess offered breakfast in Sabatini's, say, for those that reached the elite plus status. Not sure if logistically that would work out but would be something to strive for achieving.

[MicCanberra]

Same thing happened to me last month. It was only a 3 night cruise and the first day, they said laundry would be not be back for 3 days. Glad we had it done on the previous cruise or wouldn't have had anything to wear. (sort of a back to back on a different ship)

 

On a positive note, had you put your washing in, you would have had to stay on for the next cruise.:D

[paul929207]

On a positive note, had you put your washing in, you would have had to stay on for the next cruise.:D

Oh no!! That would be awful. :)

[geoherb]

Would love if Princess offered breakfast in Sabatini's, say, for those that reached the elite plus status. Not sure if logistically that would work out but would be something to strive for achieving.

I think this a perk for your 75th cruise--but just that cruise. Maybe they do it at the 100th as well.

[Pia1913]

I think this a perk for your 75th cruise--but just that cruise. Maybe they do it at the 100th as well.

 

Yes, we got it in March for our 75th.

[MicCanberra]

Yes, we got it in March for our 75th.

 

Wow, I have a long way to go to even have 75 cruises, let alone 75 cruises with Princess.:D

Edited October 26, 2014 by MicCanberra

[vickie_bernie]

When we celebrated a full year at sea we had a special dinner in the dining room with one of the officers who is a dear friend but he wanted to celebrate with us. We ordered champagne and the crew even brought out a celebration cake and sang happy anniversary...

 

we toasted and talked about our travels.... that was special enough for me.

 

Now with regards to an added tier in the loyalty program, sure that would be great.

 

I like maybe something like confirmed dining reservations - with a special dine line to make those reservations (well heck I can dream can't i) :)

 

In the end we appreciate all the perks now and the loyalty credits and if we get invited to the MTP that is even nicer.

 

I like the idea of a free stock photo, but I don't really need more photos.

 

Re the laundry well it is rarely next day service, in fact they don't guarantee that ever. It depends on the itinerary really... on our 49 day South America it was four days and so for many items we just washed ourselves. But on a recent 7 day California Coastal it was next day but there were very few Elites on that trip.

[abbydancer2003]

I also agree. Number of days is the fairest way to do it.

 

I agree,by the number of days the fairest,

 

Please please don't go there. Threads on this topic get contentious very quickly because there are many of us who got to elite by going through a lot embarkations, disembarkations and welcome aboard dinners (I can probably reproduce the menu from memory). We've been told we cheated, gamed the system, etc. That gets old quickly.

 

And no one has ever told me why it's inherently unfair. Doing short cruises is open to everyone, as are long cruises. I get it's easier for some to do short cruise because they live near ports, but it's also easier for some people (such as retired people) to do long cruises. Isn't it great that there's more than one way to get there? I was glad that they offer both options.

 

Thanks. Off soapbox.

[vickie_bernie]

Please please don't go there. Threads on this topic get contentious very quickly because there are many of us who got to elite by going through a lot embarkations, disembarkations and welcome aboard dinners (I can probably reproduce the menu from memory). We've been told we cheated, gamed the system, etc. That gets old quickly.

 

And no one has ever told me why it's inherently unfair. Doing short cruises is open to everyone, as are long cruises. I get it's easier for some to do short cruise because they live near ports, but it's also easier for some people (such as retired people) to do long cruises. Isn't it great that there's more than one way to get there? I was glad that they offer both options.

 

Thanks. Off soapbox.

 

I agree - we love longer cruises and we find the longer ones end up being a better value per day in the long run. We are doing a shorter three day back to back coming up and it is $300 a day so that is $100 per day, plus then you have air fare to add, pre cruise hotel. There are some great deals on 7 days for the same price.

 

in the end the system is there for both days and for cruises.

 

Everyone earns it - maybe not always the same way but they earn it.

 

Now back to elite, super elite, flashy elite, hyper elite status - Bring on the perks.

 

:D

[MicCanberra]

I think the number of nights or cruises get people there either way depending on their preference for longer or shorter cruises, having just one or the other would be unfair but both is fairest.:D

[Phyljim]

Please please don't go there. Threads on this topic get contentious very quickly because there are many of us who got to elite by going through a lot embarkations, disembarkations and welcome aboard dinners (I can probably reproduce the menu from memory). We've been told we cheated, gamed the system, etc. That gets old quickly.

 

And no one has ever told me why it's inherently unfair. Doing short cruises is open to everyone, as are long cruises. I get it's easier for some to do short cruise because they live near ports, but it's also easier for some people (such as retired people) to do long cruises. Isn't it great that there's more than one way to get there? I was glad that they offer both options.

 

Thanks. Off soapbox.

 

Certainly did not mean to offend you. Thought subject of the thread was maybe tiers above regular Elite......and if so, still think that should be based on days. No objections to those that took a lot of short cruises to get to Elite....

Edited October 26, 2014 by Phyljim

[abbydancer2003]

I think the number of nights or cruises get people there either way depending on their preference for longer or shorter cruises, having just one or the other would be unfair but both is fairest.:D

 

Oh yes. When they introduced the days as well as nights, I knew it would not affect how we got to elite, but I was very happy that the people who can do the long cruises (I'm sooooo jealous) would get credit for that kind of loyalty as well.

[AE_Collector]

When we started cruising, doing mainly 7 day cruises, 150 days being equivalent of 15 cruises seemed somewhat unfair as 15 - 7 day cruises was only 105 days, not 150. Now that 3, 4 & 5 day cruises are becoming a big part of the schedule, maybe they should consider making 100 days the equivalent of 15 cruises OR bumping the 15 cruises to 20 cruises. They could also change 3, 4 and 5 day cruises to "half credit" cruises.

 

The only thing that is for certain is that on Princess getting to the next level has changed for some and not for others now that there are so many shorter cruises offered.

 

Celebrity's credits used to be "per cruise" but they changed to "per day" a year ago with a "type of cabin" factor as well.

 

Terry

[Nancyquilts]

Same day laundry return would be a great perk for a higher Elite level.:D

[abbydancer2003]

[quote name='AE_Collector']When we started cruising, doing mainly 7 day cruises, 150 days being equivalent of 15 cruises seemed somewhat unfair as 15 - 7 day cruises was only 105 days, not 150. Now that 3, 4 & 5 day cruises are becoming a big part of the schedule, maybe they should consider making 100 days the equivalent of 15 cruises OR bumping the 15 cruises to 20 cruises. They could also change 3, 4 and 5 day cruises to "half credit" cruises.



Terry[/QUOTE]

I noticed that too. It seemed to me that the current system is good for people who can do the short cruises, and those who can do 10+ day cruises. The hypothetical family that can only do 1 7 day cruise a year got nothing from the change.

[MicCanberra]

[quote name='Nancyquilts']Same day laundry return would be a great perk for a higher Elite level.:D[/QUOTE]

Princess already has that, as long as you remember to get it back out of the machine.:p

[paul929207]

[quote name='AE_Collector']When we started cruising, doing mainly 7 day cruises, 150 days being equivalent of 15 cruises seemed somewhat unfair as 15 - 7 day cruises was only 105 days, not 150. Now that 3, 4 & 5 day cruises are becoming a big part of the schedule, maybe they should consider making 100 days the equivalent of 15 cruises OR bumping the 15 cruises to 20 cruises. They could also change 3, 4 and 5 day cruises to "half credit" cruises.

The only thing that is for certain is that on Princess getting to the next level has changed for some and not for others now that there are so many shorter cruises offered.

Celebrity's credits used to be "per cruise" but they changed to "per day" a year ago with a "type of cabin" factor as well.

Terry[/QUOTE]
I sure hope the do not lower the number of days for Elite. On some cruises it is difficult to take advantage of the Elite perks with all the Elites. Lowering the bar would just make a bigger mess.

[paul929207]

[quote name='MicCanberra']Princess already has that, as long as you remember to get it back out of the machine.:p[/QUOTE]
LOL. Thanks for the morning laugh.

[geoherb]

[quote name='abbydancer']I noticed that too. It seemed to me that the current system is good for people who can do the short cruises, and those who can do 10+ day cruises. The hypothetical family that can only do 1 7 day cruise a year got nothing from the change.[/QUOTE]We did two 4-day cruises back-to-back in lieu of a 7-day cruise last year. The main reason was that they fit our schedule better, but it was a nice perk to get to Elite faster than we thought we would a few years ago. While the turnaround day in Fort Lauderdale might be considered a waste by some, we tried to make the most of it--enjoying another embarkation lunch in the dining room, going to Total Wine to restock, and swimming in the spa pool by ourselves during muster drill.

[AE_Collector]

[quote name='geoherb'], and swimming in the spa pool by ourselves during muster drill.[/QUOTE]

I thought that had changed with the new proceedure to scan everyone in at muster drill. IE: everyone has to attend even if part two of a B2B?

<edit> oh you said "last year" so that was probably before the change.

Terry Edited October 27, 2014 by AE_Collector

[Oxo]

Cruise line benefits are very subjective to what you may want, use and/or desire. We cruise Celebrity, Princess and RCI mainly. Each line has their benefits that we may use or not. I listed the benefits for Celebrity and Princess below since most of the conversation has been about those two cruise lines. Some we do not use. Some have been cut back to become somewhat minimal.

I post this strictly as a reference for your information. Not to get into a contest. Maybe there are some from Celebrity that you may want to include in the discussion.

Celebrity Elite Member Benefits* (300-749 earned Club Points**) -Select membership plus:
• Access to the Captain's Club Lounge for daily coffee house style breakfast
• Evening Cocktail hour (excludes embarkation and evening of Senior Officers' Party)
• Complimentary 90-minute Internet package
• 20% discount on any digital or print photo package at the Photo Gallery
• Complimentary access to Persian Garden (on one port day of your choice while ship is in port)
• Complimentary dry cleaning of one garment item
• One complimentary bag of laundry (wash, dry, fold) on every sailing***
• A private shipboard departure lounge, serving continental breakfast
• Priority Tender Service in Tender Ports of Call
• Priority wait list in Main Dining Room
• Elegant tea invitation*
• Diamond Level enrollment in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society‡
• Earn Double Club Points if you travel solo in a stateroom (as of July 1, 2014)
• Receive Hertz Gold Plus Rewards membership (earn free rentals) with weekly rental discounts, free upgrades, and other special offers.

Celebrity Elite Plus Member Benefits* (750-2,999 earned Club Points**) - Elite membership plus:
• Complimentary 200-minute Internet package
• Complimentary tea, cappuccino, latte and espresso
• 10% discount on any Beverage or Wine Package‡
• 15% discount on any Specialty Restaurant‡
• Two complimentary bags of laundry (wash, dry, fold) on all Celebrity cruises ***
• Ability to enroll in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society Diamond Level

Princess Elite Member Benefits (16 Cruises or 151 Days)
Complimentary Internet Credit# Each Platinum (6 cruises or 51-150 Days) Princess Cruises Captain’s Circle member - The amount of complimentary Internet is determined by the length of the sailing. VOYAGE MINUTES 7 days or less 150 8-20 days 250 21+ days 500
Elite only:
Complimentary Mini Bar Set Up**
Deluxe Canapes Selection
Afternoon Tea
10% Boutique Discount
Complimentary Grapevine Wine Tasting
Priority Ship to Shore Tender Embarkation
Priority Disembarkation
Shoe Polishing Service
Complimentary Laundry and Professional Cleaning Services - Excludes same-day service

[Nancyquilts]

[quote name='MicCanberra']Princess already has that, as long as you remember to get it back out of the machine.:p[/QUOTE]

Been there, done that.:D But you do meet the nicest people in the laundry rooms.

[M4dC0w]

[quote name='AE_Collector']I thought that had changed with the new proceedure to scan everyone in at muster drill. IE: everyone has to attend even if part two of a B2B?

<edit> oh you said "last year" so that was probably before the change.

Terry[/QUOTE]

Did a b2b in August, didn't move rooms or attend muster, wasn't required

[RKSue]

[quote name='M4dC0w']Did a b2b in August, didn't move rooms or attend muster, wasn't required[/QUOTE]


It's not required on Princess if you do a B2B with the same ship.
Each ship is different though. The Royal required it. The Island Princess did not require it at all since we left from Canada. Your cabin steward will know if you need to attend.