What perks have disappeared?

[Mom33]

Re perk changes... sure some have been eliminated but some have been added since we started cruising too.

 

Some we love and use and some we don't ever use.

 

- elite line at Purser's desk

- laundry - no changes to it other than now it is not next day service, and use to include dry cleaning. But they stopped dry cleaning services entirely so that is why that is gone. Now laundry is not next day. On longer cruises with many elites laundry has taken a few days. On our last cruise there were only 49 elites so we got our laundry the next day! Nice treat but not expected.

- no more chocolate covered strawberries (at least not on my last five sailings)

- use to hand out hot hors d'oeuvres at Captain Circle Party, no longer do that or at least they haven't on the past few sailings I have been on.

- They have a loyalty credit now that kicks in after you have sailed 20 times and goes up every ten sailings

- Most Travelled Party for top 40

- Toiletries use to be just placed in bathroom and seemed to be different each sailing. Now you get a small pouch with the same items each time.

- Platinum Elite Lounge use to be $2.99 a drink and has continued to go up and is now $5 a drink. This is a few years now that they have been doing this and the finger foods are a nice addition.

- Priority boarding... well I don't see this as a real perk on most sailings now a days.

- Priority Disembarkation - again I don't think we get anything special

- Internet use to be unlimited but now it is an internet package. Sure unlimited would be good but we manage fine with the package and I blog live too and manage to use what is allotted.

- Priority Tendering ashore - this can be helpful when there are not a ton of elites

 

 

Re the abuse of laundry or other things. Like many things on Princess (and in life in general) people abuse the rules. Sure some people may get their friends items washed, but I think it is a very small majority. We certainly have never done this. But people on board abuse the All Inclusive Drink Package (one buys but gets drinks for friends). Same with Soda Cards. Smuggle liqour, wine on board. Get friends to buy duty free liqour on last day of sailing cause they are going to stay on for another leg, but friends aren't. Traditional Diners dining in Anytime Dining venue. Not following dress code. Chair Hogs, and the list can go on.

 

There will always be abusers, but if no one from Princess Calls them on it to enforce the rules we really shouldn't be worried about it. There is always someone who thinks the rules don't apply to them.

 

I would like to see some things added or changed up. Would love to see another loyalty level created. I can dream can't I.

 

What would be good for us, and what we would like to see could be: slippers, maybe discounted drink package, flowers in the cabin, priority dinner reservations in dining room or specialty restaurant.... hmmm what else, I am sure I will think of others.

 

But in the end I believe Princess has the best loyalty program at sea and it certainly is one reason we keep going back. But of course we love the itineraries and the crew too.

 

Thanks for your post. We will be Elite in December and look forward to enjoying the perks, but we enjoy the whole Princess experience.

[4cats4me]

Yay, thanks for the reminder... I get free laundry service on my next Princess cruise. I will make sure to bring all laundry onboard in a sullied condition so that I get maximum free perkage. Too bad I don't have any future cruises planned on Princess right now.

Edited August 13, 2015 by 4cats4me

[Colo Cruiser]

I just don't understand where Princess is going with all this?

I realize they have to be lean and competitive but its really ridiculous all the things that are being cut. They seem to be lost snd trying to find a niche to fit in. I sure don't mind paying more to have a great all around experience. We rarely use the laundry perk. I am too worried about them ruining my clothes.

Where does it stop? Just does not make sense to me. :cool:

[caribill]

I too hear about perks disappearing on Princess but really cant say that I have noticed.

 

Although this thread has been about elite perks and whether or not any are disappearing, there are a number of small items that have disappeared over the years.

 

For example, there used to be a plate with two welcome aboard cookies in your cabin on embarkation day.

 

Another example is there used to be crepe Suzettes prepared and served at the time the Champagne fountain event was held.

 

And lots of small but noticeable cutbacks in the food area.

 

One example is that the bread sticks used to have sesame seeds on them. No longer.

 

Another is that the Love Boat Dream dessert used to have a piece of Godiva chocolate with the Seawitch logo on it on top of the dessert.

[caribill]

Fairly new to princess. Coming up on my second cruise. Where can I find a list of what I can expect perk-wise?

 

You can read about Captain's Circle benefits at https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/jsp/memberShipBenefitsForProspect.jsp On your 2nd Princess cruise, you are Gold.

 

I still cruise for Warm Chocolate Melting Cake (with 2 sugar-free vanilla ice-creams)

 

On Princess you can only find that chocolate melting cake as a dessert in the Crown Grill specialty restaurant.

[Pam in CA]

Why? Should others be penalized? :(

Because people are already being penalized. When you get used to packing expecting to get laundry done and returned within a couple of days and eight days later, you're out of tops, pants, and everything else you sent out over a week ago, you're being penalized because Princess is afraid that a few passengers are going to get angry if they aren't allowed to send all their friends' laundry out, too.

 

In the past, Princess did monitor and if clothing not belonging to the passengers in the cabin were included in the free laundry, the passenger sending the laundry was charged for the laundry that wasn't theirs. Somewhere along the line, Princess caved in and didn't want to "offend" anyone. Every action has a repercussion and Princess seems to prefer inconveniencing passengers who don't scream, rant and rave than doing the right thing. Doesn't matter whether it's laundry, kids in the adult pool, etc. Read Tina's review of the CB she just posted to see what she thought of the latter issue.

[dbeckett]

Coming late to the thread I agree that one bag for each Elite per cabin. My brother and send laundry separately just because we are brother and sister, not husband and wife. We don't over do it (though we may send more than one bag on a cruise) and only send at the start of a cruise if we have done a land tour prior to the cruise.

[Colo Cruiser]

Because people are already being penalized. When you get used to packing expecting to get laundry done and returned within a couple of days and eight days later, you're out of tops, pants, and everything else you sent out over a week ago, you're being penalized because Princess is afraid that a few passengers are going to get angry if they aren't allowed to send all their friends' laundry out, too.

 

In the past, Princess did monitor and if clothing not belonging to the passengers in the cabin were included in the free laundry, the passenger sending the laundry was charged for the laundry that wasn't theirs. Somewhere along the line, Princess caved in and didn't want to "offend" anyone. Every action has a repercussion and Princess seems to prefer inconveniencing passengers who don't scream, rant and rave than doing the right thing. Doesn't matter whether it's laundry, kids in the adult pool, etc. Read Tina's review of the CB she just posted to see what she thought of the latter issue.

 

 

To add to my chagrin its all across the board with the Princess experience. Cutbacks for everyone especially in the food department. Sad. :(

 

As I said if it takes higher fares so be it. IMO

[Happy2cruise]

sailings)

 

 

But in the end I believe Princess has the best loyalty program at sea and it certainly is one reason we keep going back. But of course we love the itineraries and the crew too.

 

Agree with you;)