Princess Coffee Cards now have expiration dates

[whatcruiseisnext]

An interesting post by lor74 who is currently sailing on the Regal indicates that the latest coffee card comes without an expiration date, only the sailing date of the ship. I'm still unsure what to make of it.:confused:

 

 

 

On the January 9 sailing of the Royal they were using up the old cards without expiration dates as well as the new cards with the expiration dates. It was the luck of the draw which one you received. So I’m guessing they are doing the same on the Regal.

 

 

 

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[geoherb]

I posted a question about the expiration date on the Princess Facebook page. No response from Princess so far.

[Wishing on a star]

Again... Princess can put an expiration date on these cards if they want to.

If it is there... then we have the choice as to weather we want to buy one, under that written limitation.

 

Cards sold with NO expiration printed on them, and with no expiration language in the small print, at the time of purchase...

Seems to me that Princess would HAVE to honor the punches on those cards.

I see NO way that Princess can retroactively change the terms and place a limitation on a product AFTER it has been sold.

 

Princess will either find that nobody is buying cards with that limitation... and that passengers are cutting way back on purchases at the IC at the full prices... and reverse the policy.

 

Or, they will find that it increased their bottom line, by a few insignificant dollars, per sailing.. and continue with the Expiration Dates and enforcement of the policy.

 

Who knows.....

[pms4104]

And if Princess stops trading out the suire and elite bar set up for coffee cards???

 

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[Wishing on a star]

I think that anyone who is trying to complain and 'flame' about blank cards is way off base.

If Princess did not want blank cards to be out there, then they would not be issuing them.

[floridalover5623]

I posted a question about the expiration date on the Princess Facebook page. No response from Princess so far.

Be sure to post anything they say here on CC.

I don't do Facebook.

Thanks

[Wishing on a star]

I don't see how Passage Contract.... which we all know means that we are guaranteed nothing but to sail and to return to port.... has anything, at all, to do with the specifics of the sale on this particular product.

 

The reason that they had to agree to honor the original AIBP (grandfather it in....) is that it stated drinks up to a certain amount. Princess clearly seems to be increasing drink prices... and to do that without offering some adjustment to those who had already purchased the product would have been 'adding limitations'.

[Wishing on a star]

I do not do FB either, AT ALL.

[framer]

I realized several years ago that coffee card had little value. The wife would maybe drink three lattes a week and I would drink three regular brew. Next trip they would use punches for my brews, add it up and it was cheaper to just pay as I go. Now you throw in an expiration date and it would be a total waste to buy a card unless you can use it during that cruise completely. Do the addition and save yourself the money. If you want a coffee just buy it, when you buy the card you are not getting free coffee just prepaid coffee.

 

The other issue I found is I've lost two coffee cards between cruises. So any little I was ahead is lost and then some. I'm sure other folks have had that issue. Anyone remember the BOGO deal on coffee cards, that was worth doing.

 

Happy Cruising

 

framer

[calvin31]

I posted a question about the expiration date on the Princess Facebook page. No response from Princess so far.

 

 

 

Good job! Hopefully a response soon. I am now tending to believe the expiry is just for the brewed coffee portion as, even though it’s supposed to be just the voyage you are on only, there seems to be a lot of blank cards floating around, so crew must be forgetting to add that info. The date would put a strict end date to it. Punches should be able to be used until they are gone imho.

 

Calling Princess directly for info is the next step.

 

A new system as some have suggested is also a possibility but I would like to see a way to have old left over pinches incorporated into it for those of us that have them.

 

 

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[Harley0711]

Here is my .02

 

The old cards ( we have 7 unpunched ) will eventually be used. I am betting that Princess Will honor the 'Punches) on Coffee - either speciality or brewed -

The new Cards will have that drop dead date - buy it or not - buyers chioce

We are Elite and often book when the 'Sip & Sail' is offered. Thats how we collected our 7 cards. We trade the Mini Bar for 2 coffee cards. Well, we have 2 up coming 'Sip & Sail' booked - what do you suggest we swap for??

I plan to write Princess 'think it will do any good?' And suggest they offer other services for the not needed/wanted Mini Bar set up?

 

As far as these new cards with expiration dates - 12/31/18 - wonder how long That date will stand before a new date is given. Meaning now its almost a year away but as the weeks march on - it gets closer and closer. Get my meaning.

 

 

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[Wishing on a star]

The coffee cards, if not expiring before used up, def. benefit my and my husband. He enjoys his specialty coffee drinks, and I have a few as well. And, I also enjoy drinks like green tea fruit drink.

 

That being said, we would def. not buy with any expectation that we might not use the entire card on THAT cruise.

[Astro Flyer]

Besides the fact that coffee cards are adding an expiration date, it’s all speculation about how it will affect us in the future.

 

My guess is that usage of coffee cards without an expiration date will not be affected & that punches will continue to be usable on future cruises for specialty or brewed coffee at the IC. To void coffee cards not containing an expiration date would be unethical to me even if it may be legal for Princess to do it.

 

The addition of an expiration date on the new coffee cards would not allow usage for years of the coffee card punches which will eventually result in fewer valid coffee cards.

 

It took years for their Princess@Sea intranet system to operate as promised & their implementation schedule for Ocean Medallion has been delayed by many months if not by years. Despite drydocks adding components of ***** the new system will take awhile to be fully implemented fleetwide.

 

It appears to me that the expiration date is the first step to making coffee cards obsolete & to be replaced by an ***** based coffee package. Whether it’s a stand-alone coffee package or included in a non-alcoholic drink package, I think that’s what will eventually happen.

 

At least that’s what my speculative crystal ball leads me to believe but the information is still clouded in uncertainty. ;)

[MGAfhc]

I would think the prepaid punch part would fall under Gift Card regulations which in the US requires 5 years. The free brewed coffee part might well expire at the end of cruise or at a specified date if the cruise is not marked. We trade the mini-bar for cards and toss them at debarkation regardless of what is left on them.

[memoak]

I would think the prepaid punch part would fall under Gift Card regulations which in the US requires 5 years. The free brewed coffee part might well expire at the end of cruise or at a specified date if the cruise is not marked. We trade the mini-bar for cards and toss them at debarkation regardless of what is left on them.

 

What makes you think that US gift card rules would be in effect on ships which are sailing under a different countries flag ?

[RDC1]

I suspect the 1 year expiration date is due to accounting. The unused cards represent a liability that must be estimated in the financial reporting process. Without an expiration date this liability will grow forever due to unused cards being lost, sitting in drawers, etc. Over time it tends to become very difficult to manage. By having an expiration date the liability and the task of estimation remains manageable.

[Harley0711]

I would think the prepaid punch part would fall under Gift Card regulations which in the US requires 5 years. The free brewed coffee part might well expire at the end of cruise or at a specified date if the cruise is not marked. We trade the mini-bar for cards and toss them at debarkation regardless of what is left on them.

That would be a good argument if the ship was an American registered vessel? Although their headquarters in in the US from what I have learned the Ship is Not US registered.

 

If you toss them at disembarkation why not hand them to someone embarking? Kinda pay it forward kindness

[MGAfhc]

What makes you think that US gift card rules would be in effect on ships which are sailing under a different countries flag ?

The fact that the cards are largely sold in US territorial waters, similar to the reason that they collect sales tax when selling drinks while in US ports, and the payment is to a US company. I don't think ship registration has anything to do with it.

[RDC1]

I would think the prepaid punch part would fall under Gift Card regulations which in the US requires 5 years. The free brewed coffee part might well expire at the end of cruise or at a specified date if the cruise is not marked. We trade the mini-bar for cards and toss them at debarkation regardless of what is left on them.

 

Nope. Section 401 (a) (2)(D)(v) contains the following language is the section discussing exclusions "issued in paper form only".

Since the cards are in fact paper punch cards they are excluded from being covered by the law, even if they met all other requirements.

There are other items in the law that would also exclude them, but that is the easiest to reference.

[Pushka]

We are on the Golden in a couple of days time. I have two coffee cards with some punches but with no purchase date nor ship name on which they were purchased. I wonder what will happen.

 

 

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[By The Bay]

We are on the Golden in a couple of days time. I have two coffee cards with some punches but with no purchase date nor ship name on which they were purchased. I wonder what will happen.

 

 

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I'm in the same boat and expect that the old cards will be honored.

 

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[kjg46]

I suspect the 1 year expiration date is due to accounting. The unused cards represent a liability that must be estimated in the financial reporting process. Without an expiration date this liability will grow forever due to unused cards being lost, sitting in drawers, etc. Over time it tends to become very difficult to manage. By having an expiration date the liability and the task of estimation remains manageable.

 

 

I agree, see my post #62 re Unclaimed Property..

 

The longer the cruise, the better chance you will get full value.

[Harley0711]

We are on the Golden in a couple of days time. I have two coffee cards with some punches but with no purchase date nor ship name on which they were purchased. I wonder what will happen.

 

 

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Nothing bad will happen - you will be able to use the punches as they were sold AND the brewed coffee will be given to you - worst case would be that they write the ship and cruise date on the back but that has not happened to us - I currently have Seven coffee cards and Only one has a ships name on it

[Marjory47]

I have already ordered coffee cards hope they will issue us with valid cards!!!

 

 

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[voljeep]

Princess should have a mini-shredder that when you try to use a coffee card that was not purchased on that cruise for brewed coffee, it gets SHREDDED !!

 

and replaced by a new card with the same number of punches on your old card, that you can use a punch for either brewed or specialty coffees.

 

That's fair to all, correct, for "grandfathered in" coffee cards.

 

New coffee cards, either purchased or obtained by mini bar trade in are fair game to whatever Princess decides as to expiration dates.

 

Problem solved - EOD