New Coffee Cards

[suzyed]

Crown princess are using new coffee cards from Feb.5,2016. Old cards still good for punches. They were questioning someone who order brew coffee with the old unpunched card on the 1st day. Showing him the new cards they are using now.

 

I have two brand new un-punched cards. I planned to use my cards for fresh brewed coffee for DH and specialty coffees for me on our upcoming sailing in April!

I know that in the past, even partially punched cards from previous sailings were good for specialty coffees and I expect that to still be the case.

Un-used/un-punched cards should still be accepted for the fresh brewed coffee as well, when presented for the first time. At least that is my hope!

 

Has anyone had recent experience with this???

Edited February 27, 2016 by suzyed

[suzyed]

We were told recently by a Hotel Manager onboard that by the end of this year, Princess will eliminate all beverage stickers and coffee cards. The beverage packages/specialty coffee packages will still be available, but they will all be on your cruise card account. The servers will swipe your cruise card for each transaction and your account will reflect the package that you have purchased.

 

The current and old coffee cards will still be honored until they are all used up...

 

But will they still be honored for the fresh brewed coffee (unpunched-not written on cards?)

[suzyed]

It's a possibility that they would do it that way to eliminate using "punches" on another cruise.

 

Using your pun...I would also not purchase a coffee card if the perk of using remaining punches on another cruise was not valid.

 

Ditto!!

[suzyed]

I can only give you the benefit of our own experience. Compared to others on here I am still a newbie, having only sailed Princess 5 times.

 

We have always bought a new card for each cruise but usually have punches left over on an old one. Most of the time DH drinks regular brewed and I will have a latte to start our day. Sometime during the day we usually stop by IC for another cup of brewed.

 

Not once have we been questioned or asked to show another card or charged for an extra cup. I pull out my one card and they pour out two cups or they give me the latte and they give DH a regular.

 

I can't speak of the MDR or any other location than the IC as we never get our coffee from anywhere else.

 

Others may advise otherwise but we go every day to the IC while onboard and have never had an issue.

 

Same here! Never a problem....even when we order coffee in the main dining room. They have always just punched the card for my Latte and brought DH the fresh brewed coffee when requested.

[floridalover5623]

But will they still be honored for the fresh brewed coffee (unpunched-not written on cards?)

I would certainly hope so. We've got 8 or 9 old cards & would be a little disappointed if they weren't usable.

[suzyed]

This bothers me a lot. If you can afford to cruise so often you are elite, why do you need the $25 so badly. If this was a company and you were caught doing this, you would be terminated.

 

I think she was saying that people shouldn't sell them, even at a reduced price and that they should just pass them on. :confused:

[suzyed]

I guess I'll have to wait and see. I have one completely unused card and one partially punched card. NEITHER card has the voyage number written on it. I would be pretty upset to have them deny me the fresh-brewed coffee with my pristine card.

I'm with you Thrak! I have two unpunched pristine cards!

Hoping someone will report back with their experience!

 

Susan

[suzyed]

I just spoke with a Princess Rep. She contacted Customer Service. They say there is no change to the Coffee Card system. If you purchased the card on or for that voyage, then fresh brewed coffee using that card is good for that cruise. The punches do not expire. They were unaware of any other change with the exception of the color/design of the card.:)

 

Good info, but it doesn't address the fact that many have unpunched brown cards with no writing on the back who want to use the cards for fresh brewed coffee (without a punch)...

[newcruzer2]

I have a question about the coffees at IC. I am a coffee lover ( as is everyone on this thread) my question is, I generally have a cup of regular then must switch to decaf. What options are available in decaf ??? Example, could I get a dark roast anniversary (listed on menu previously on this thread) in a decaf or a latte in a decaf?

The answer will greatly affect weather or not I get a coffee card.

Ty for the help :)

[shredie]

I have a question about the coffees at IC. I am a coffee lover ( as is everyone on this thread) my question is, I generally have a cup of regular then must switch to decaf. What options are available in decaf ??? Example, could I get a dark roast anniversary (listed on menu previously on this thread) in a decaf or a latte in a decaf?

The answer will greatly affect weather or not I get a coffee card.

Ty for the help :)

 

I never have trouble getting decaf.

[southwinds]

You can require a premium specialty tea ie Mint Tea or fruit tea or Twingings English Breakfast tea

[Marylandteachergirl]

«Wake up to your favorite brew prepared exactly how you like it! Save 20% and enjoy 15 hot or cold specialty coffee drinks along with unlimited brewed coffee and premium tea for the duration of your cruise.»

 

 

Hard to say (from the way the text is written) if the «... for the duration of your cruise» part relates to everything or just the brewed coffee and the premium tea. :confused:

 

New Princess cruiser also. I see in my cruise planner that I can purchase a coffee card that says (I think) 10 specialty coffee drinks for about 50/55 dollars. Is this a different type of card then is being discussed for the brewed coffee and tea?

Trying to figure this out. I am definitely a coffee girl!

Thanks all!!

[Pia1913]

New Princess cruiser also. I see in my cruise planner that I can purchase a coffee card that says (I think) 10 specialty coffee drinks for about 50/55 dollars. Is this a different type of card then is being discussed for the brewed coffee and tea?

Trying to figure this out. I am definitely a coffee girl!

Thanks all!!

 

The coffee card is $33.35 and includes 15 specialties and unlimited fresh brewed.

[cruzsnooze]

But will they still be honored for the fresh brewed coffee (unpunched-not written on cards?)

 

If they are the old style they will cost you a punch to get fresh brewed. I believe they changed the design of the cards to flush out the old cards being abused.

[floridalover5623]

If they are the old style they will cost you a punch to get fresh brewed. I believe they changed the design of the cards to flush out the old cards being abused.

 

I can't see how they're being abused since it's clearly printed on the back of the cards which cruise they apply to. It has to be to make it easier to either deny or charge the system automatically for coffee orders without having to check anything.

[caribill]

I can't see how they're being abused since it's clearly printed on the back of the cards which cruise they apply to. It has to be to make it easier to either deny or charge the system automatically for coffee orders without having to check anything.

 

A large number of the existing cards do not have the voyage number hand written on the back.

[illiniwahoo]

First time on Princess so a few coffee questions:

1) hubby will have the all inclusive beverage package, which I think will get him whatever he wants at the coffee bar as all drinks are under $10. Is this correct?

2) I'm pregnant, so will have the soda and more package. Based on the online description, I think hot chocolate is the only thing it will cover? Is that correct, or is it hot chocolate from somewhere else? So I think I'll need both the soda and more package for mocktails, and then a coffee card to enjoy things like tea and mochas.

3) being pregnant I need to limit caffine intake. Can all the fancy drinks be made with decaf?

We've had to cancel our celebrity cruise and switch to a last minute California costal on princess due to the Zika virus in the Caribbean, so trying to research princess as fast as I can!

 

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[floridalover5623]

A large number of the existing cards do not have the voyage number hand written on the back.

 

As do a lot of mine. They'll someday cycle out of existence in the future.

I do suppose it will keep people from selling them on eBay but it'll be years before they're gone completely.

[sonomaphil]

We were told recently by a Hotel Manager onboard that by the end of this year, Princess will eliminate all beverage stickers and coffee cards. The beverage packages/specialty coffee packages will still be available, but they will all be on your cruise card account. The servers will swipe your cruise card for each transaction and your account will reflect the package that you have purchased.

 

The current and old coffee cards will still be honored until they are all used up...

 

This makes perfect sense to me. The stickers/cards are not good system.

 

Coffee cards should only be good for the current voyage, it seems like gaming the system to reuse them.

[cruiselvr1]

In the August 2015 Captain's Circle Magazine they described their "New Grounds Crafted Coffee" program.

 

"Princess has partnered with the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Oregon, to ensure barista's on board are specially trained to provide a premium coffee experience. Caffe Boasi beans from Genoa, Italy, will be used to brew all specialty-crafted coffee" .

 

I'm not worried about the older cars no longer being valid because the playing card version was still usable after the brown Café Selects card was implemented.

The servers ( at the coffee bar) that were on the Grand in November, were the worst we have had. They have a attitude that made it clear they had a captive audience, that you couldn't go else where.

I should say only one of the servers had that attitude, but I would go every morning at 5, so he was the only one that was there. It started the first morning when I gave him a 2.00 top for two regular coffees. He made a joke about it with another employee, he never got another one.

[floridalover5623]

This makes perfect sense to me. The stickers/cards are not good system.

 

Coffee cards should only be good for the current voyage, it seems like gaming the system to reuse them.

 

True, but on the new ships all the coffee except for the cappuccino is dripped anyway, so why worry about it. They hardly ever asked me to see my coffee card for regular coffee since you could get it in the Horizon any time of day.

[hcw80]

I think she was saying that people shouldn't sell them, even at a reduced price and that they should just pass them on. :confused:

 

 

Yes. It just rubs me the wrong way. I also think that if Princess or any other company find out that people are undercutting their prices, such as selling their elite coffee cards, they will simply eliminate that benefit. It is just dollars and cents.

[cruiselvr1]

It's a possibility that they would do it that way to eliminate using "punches" on another cruise.

 

 

 

Using your pun...I would also not purchase a coffee card if the perk of using remaining punches on another cruise was not valid.

 

 

I'm with you. I can learn to like the syrup coffee, for 10 to 14 days. We put coffemate in it anyway.

 

 

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[cruiselvr1]

Correct. The price for gelato is 1 punch for three scoops on the Regal and Royal and 1 punch for one scoop on the Emerald. BIG difference.

 

Three times the price. :( I'm not sure about any quality difference.

 

 

When is Princess going to be consistent. Consistently is one our complaints with Princess. You can't have one ship doing one thing, and another doing something else.

 

 

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[cruiselvr1]

Why wouldn't they just sell a coffee package like a drinks package? Just good for the cruise, no punches, no refunds.

 

 

Makes to much sense.

 

 

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