A loyalty award proposal

[Sitmar Lady]

[quote name='Pia1913']Yes. On your 75th, you get breakfast at Sabatini's every day,no matter how many days on that cruise. As stated, we only had 11, but Gary will get however many days his first cruise it. You will also get a beautiful flower arrangement and a bottle of bubbly.

Gary: you are not going to get it for#76.[/QUOTE]

Thank you both for the heads up on this perk. It's a good one!

[shredie]

[quote name='mysaddlebred000']I bet Princess would really like their Loyalty Award Program to be based on dollars spent. I think that would be very fair. People are complaining people are moving up too fast to elite status with inexpensive short cruises. Solo passengers would benefit.
[/QUOTE]

The purpose of the loyalty program is to get people to come back. If status were based on dollars spent, then suite passengers would be elite much faster than interior cabin passengers. If someone thinks he has little chance of making Elite, he's not even going to try, and he will stop coming back. It would defeat the purpose of the program. I am one cruise away from Elite (done with both long cruises and "cheating" with some short ones) and I look at the perks of Elite as nice things to have. I don't view them as some "rights to privilege" that make me somehow better than anyone else. "Fair" has nothing to do with it. This is Princess' marketing program, and they set the rules. [I]What is "fair" is whatever Princess says it is.[/I] Edited February 23, 2015 by shredie

[mysaddlebred000]

[quote name='shredie'] I look at the perks of Elite as nice things to have. I don't view them as some "rights to privilege" that make me somehow better than anyone else. [/I][/QUOTE]


I have witnessed many Elites who:

tell young people in the suite/elite line that the line is only for elites or someone with a blue card - love it when they come back and say they are in a suite or the kids pull out their black card.

when an elite person holds their black card and up pushes their way to the front of the tender line.

I could go on and on - there are many elites that think they are better than others and do view them as "rights to privilege".

There are so many times when I first meet people on a cruise and the first thing they say is "are you elite?" Who cares!!!!! I have many friends that are crew members = boy I could tell you some stories of what they think of some of the people that think they are privileged elites.

Just like roll calls - now there is a space to list what level you are.

[Colo Cruiser]

[quote name='mysaddlebred000']I have witnessed many Elites who:

tell young people in the suite/elite line that the line is only for elites or someone with a blue card - love it when they come back and say they are in a suite or the kids pull out their black card.

when an elite person holds their black card and up pushes their way to the front of the tender line.

I could go on and on - there are many elites that think they are better than others and do view them as "rights to privilege".

There are so many times when I first meet people on a cruise and the first thing they say is "are you elite?" Who cares!!!!! I have many friends that are crew members = boy I could tell you some stories of what they think of some of the people that think they are privileged elites.

Just like roll calls - now there is a space to list what level you are.[/quote]


And your point?

[icat2000]

Can someone advise what you actually get for these milestone cruises.

Like 25th cruise, 50th cruise, 75th cruise, 100th cruise.

Many thanks

[mysaddlebred000]

My point is:

 

shed stated:

 

Originally Posted by shredie

I look at the perks of Elite as nice things to have. I don't view them as some "rights to privilege" that make me somehow better than anyone else. [/i]

 

 

All I am saying is that there are many that DO view them as "rights to privilege"

[shredie]

My point is:

 

 

All I am saying is that there are many that DO view them as "rights to privilege"

 

Unfortunately, I think that's true.

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

Unfortunately, I think that's true.

 

 

I also agree.

[triple7tahoe]

Yes. On your 75th, you get breakfast at Sabatini's every day,no matter how many days on that cruise. As stated, we only had 11, but Gary will get however many days his first cruise it. You will also get a beautiful flower arrangement and a bottle of bubbly.

 

Gary: you are not going to get it for#76.

You may get the bottle of bubbly but on the Ocean you will probably not get flowers. My wife had her 75th on a recent TA and no flowers because there is not a florist on the OP. I followed with #100, the next cruise, and again no flowers. Bubbly; yes; Sabatini's; yes. Oh, I forgot, there was also a bridge tour thrown in. I can only wonder what they will do with that now that the bridge tour has become part of the Ship Tour?

[triple7tahoe]

Can someone advise what you actually get for these milestone cruises.

 

Like 25th cruise, 50th cruise, 75th cruise, 100th cruise.

 

Many thanks

It is my understanding that starting with the 50th cruise the CC host is given notification and there is a kind of form they follow. Upon arrival in your stateroom you should get a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. There should be a letter telling you that you (and your roommate) can have breakfast in Sabatini's each morning. You will be joining the suite passengers in those breakfasts. We were offered a bridge tour on our 50th and 75th but not on the 100. I think that was just an oversight on the part of the CC hostess. We got flowers on our 50th but not on the 75th-That was because we were on the OP and there is no florist on board. Captain sent a person ashore in Istanbul to get the flowers for my wife and then sent them to us (from him). We were seated with the Most Traveled Passengers at the Award party and announced with our number of cruises. If I remember correctly, the restaurant also provided us with a bottle of wine one evening.

[Sea Day Cruiser]

Yes. On your 75th, you get breakfast at Sabatini's every day,no matter how many days on that cruise. As stated, we only had 11, but Gary will get however many days his first cruise it. You will also get a beautiful flower arrangement and a bottle of bubbly.

 

 

 

Gary: you are not going to get it for#76.

 

 

My 75th was on the Sapphire about a year ago. I got the flowers and champagne, but breakfast at Sabatini's was never mentioned. I guess I shouldn't have tacked that four day cruise onto my back-to-back one week and 10 day cruises.

[Wehwalt]

You certainly timed it right. We only had 11 days for our 75th. Enjoy! We did. :)

 

Thanks. That's why I took the two four day cruises on the Crown earlier this month, to set it up. I agonized some over whether I wanted it to be on the 50th anniversary cruise and decided it wouldn't actually mean having breakfast with the Love Boat cast, and 64 days was better than 14.

 

The voyage on the Ocean Princess will be my 75th and 76th cruise credit, as I am alone in the cabin. Princess has not divided that voyage into segments. I will speak with the CC host on the 50th Anniversary cruise the previous month to make sure that all is in order.

 

I did get the flowers for the 50th cruise credit, but it's not something I'd lose sleep over. I'm hoping on the ship's tour as it is usually not offered on the small ships.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Wehwalt

[caribill]

Why not just put a gold stripe on the elite card after 500 days cruised.

Extra benefit could be entry to the Sanctuary - underused anyway and at no cost to Princess.

 

I doubt this will ever happen. On many cruises there are more passengers with 500+ days than the number of lounges in the Sanctuary.

[icat2000]

It is my understanding that starting with the 50th cruise the CC host is given notification and there is a kind of form they follow. Upon arrival in your stateroom you should get a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. There should be a letter telling you that you (and your roommate) can have breakfast in Sabatini's each morning. You will be joining the suite passengers in those breakfasts. We were offered a bridge tour on our 50th and 75th but not on the 100. I think that was just an oversight on the part of the CC hostess. We got flowers on our 50th but not on the 75th-That was because we were on the OP and there is no florist on board. Captain sent a person ashore in Istanbul to get the flowers for my wife and then sent them to us (from him). We were seated with the Most Traveled Passengers at the Award party and announced with our number of cruises. If I remember correctly, the restaurant also provided us with a bottle of wine one evening.

Thanks for the information. Though I'm a long way off any milestone except 1 cruise off elite its good to know whats coming ahead.

[cruzsnooze]

There have been ongoing threads and discussions about Princess instituting a new "Super Elite" level above the existing Elite level.

Any feedback from people who may or may not have insight into present Princess thinking seems to indicate there is no planning along these lines at the present time.

I'm assuming as the number of elites continues to grow Princess feels another level with any meaningful benefits may become too costly.

As a long time Elite member (30 cruises, 320+days),I would like to see something that already Elite members can continue aspire to, just for the fun and challenge of it.

There is of course the most traveled luncheon/cocktail party, but this is very hit or miss (we've done it twice) and not something you can anticipate or specifically "work" towards as you continue to patronize Princess.

I propose Princess institute a singular recognition/reward related to a persons 1 year at sea ie. 365th day aboard a Princess ship. I would suggest the equivalent of a year aboard a Princess ship is a milestone kind of event.

The award part would not have to be major-dinner at one of the Specialty restaurants for example, possibly along with recognition on the morning show, in the Patter, and/or at the CC party.

The number of people on any one cruise achieving the distinction I believe would be small, and since it is a one time only award, of low cost to Princess.

This idea could of course be expanded to recognize each subsequent full year of cruising, with ever smaller numbers of recipients, still at very low cost to Princess.

Maybe also from then on your cruise card could have a special symbol showing you have achieved the "1 Year at Sea Club", which along with $7.95 (plus 15% tip) gets you a martini at Crooners.:)

I think people are too into these tiers for the status and recognition not the perks. Just give me my internet and mini bar and skip the publicity.

[abbydancer2003]

I think people are too into these tiers for the status and recognition not the perks. Just give me my internet and mini bar and skip the publicity.

 

Agree!

[SoCal Cruiser78]

I think people are too into these tiers for the status and recognition not the perks. Just give me my internet and mini bar and skip the publicity.

 

I agree. The biggest perk for me would be true priority tendering, both directions, to the front of the line. This would be behind, of course, other Elites :). Even Carnival does this with their "Faster to the Fun" program, although I believe theirs is ship-to-shore priority only.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Ryndam2002

[caribill]

I agree. The biggest perk for me would be true priority tendering, both directions, to the front of the line. This would be behind, of course, other Elites :). Even Carnival does this with their "Faster to the Fun" program, although I believe theirs is ship-to-shore priority only.

 

Carnivals FTTF ($49.95)/cabin tender priority is as you suspect only ship-to-shore priority. But it appears to be on "priority tenders" which will be scheduled at specific times in a port, not on "the next tender" which the Princess elite benefit is good for.

 

Tender Priority

You will have the option to choose a priority tender from the ship to shore (multiple departure times may be possible), so you can explore ashore as quickly as you would like.

 

 

In some cases it may only be good for a single tender time as one person has posted: "We then tried to use our FTTF pass to avoid the lineup to disembark the ship at 8am and the nice Carnival staff informed us that the Faster to Fun (or Slower to Fun) guests were called at 7:15am and that we had to wait like everyone else even though there was 2 lines to disembark and one line was completely empty!"

[Happy2cruise]

I think people are too into these tiers for the status and recognition not the perks. Just give me my internet and mini bar and skip the publicity.

Totally agree:D

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

It is my understanding that starting with the 50th cruise the CC host is given notification and there is a kind of form they follow. Upon arrival in your stateroom you should get a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. There should be a letter telling you that you (and your roommate) can have breakfast in Sabatini's each morning. You will be joining the suite passengers in those breakfasts. We were offered a bridge tour on our 50th and 75th but not on the 100. I think that was just an oversight on the part of the CC hostess. We got flowers on our 50th but not on the 75th-That was because we were on the OP and there is no florist on board. Captain sent a person ashore in Istanbul to get the flowers for my wife and then sent them to us (from him). We were seated with the Most Traveled Passengers at the Award party and announced with our number of cruises. If I remember correctly, the restaurant also provided us with a bottle of wine one evening.

 

There's no Sabatini's for breakfast on your 50th cruise any longer....only at 75 and 100.

 

I agree. The biggest perk for me would be true priority tendering, both directions, to the front of the line. This would be behind, of course, other Elites :). Even Carnival does this with their "Faster to the Fun" program, although I believe theirs is ship-to-shore priority only.

 

Priority tendering returning to the ship would be a great idea but from what people have posted only you & I would probably be the only ones to take advantage of it. Most people are to passive about it and would rather wait on line then cut ahead of others standing there......but they have no problem at embarkation using priority boarding.

[paul929207]

We love the priority tendering benefit. We often either take a private tour or just go on our own, so being able to walk to the tender boarding place and just walk onto the first tender is great.

[Wehwalt]

I think the priority shore-to-ship would be a little too public. Most Elite benefits are not terribly public, having people wander up in front of the city-sized queue they get at Princess Cays when the Royal is in, to return to the ship ... I think that would be resented, that's all.

[caribill]

I think the priority shore-to-ship would be a little too public. Most Elite benefits are not terribly public, having people wander up in front of the city-sized queue they get at Princess Cays when the Royal is in, to return to the ship ... I think that would be resented, that's all.

 

Even the current benefit of ship-to-shore has you go to the end of the current line, not the start of it.

[Nāmaka]

I would like to see 2 lines upon embarkation at a port and at the return tender ports. Just like the 2 lines at passenger services - Suite & Elite, all others.

 

It would be nice if Elite's got a few more internet minutes than Platinum. :D

[rdsqrl]

Forget tenders -- that's lame. What we really need is express luggage delivery to the cabin. As in, whisked away from you at the curb and delivered immediately to your door, there waiting for you when you get onboard. That's a perk I could really get enthused about striving for.