New Grounds Coffee Package

[Ombud]

41 minutes ago, gottagocit said:

This is so screwed up. Why stop a popular package that undoubtedly makes money with little impact. If it’s to force passengers to purchase beverage packages for $70-100 per day this will not end well for carnival. Sad and unforced error on the part of Princes/Carnival.  

Please ask what I can trade the minibar for 

 

Also: if I can only trade for water can I cancel my water bottle purchase?? I don't drink hard alcohol or soda. 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by Ombud

[PacnGoNow]

13 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Please ask what I can trade the minibar for 

 

Also: if I can only trade for water can I cancel my water bottle purchase?? I don't drink hard alcohol or soda

 

 

That’s my dilemma too. Need to know what we can trade for.  
If we know ahead of time, we can cancel what we won’t need, as a pre purchase item. I think up to 3 days before sailing.

 

I wonder if you’ve pre purchased the coffee card, will they honor it?  I’ve purchased it on a lot of future cruises already. 

 

 

[Ombud]

2 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

That’s my dilemma too. Need to know what we can trade for.  
If we know ahead of time, we can cancel what we won’t need, as a pre purchase item. I think up to 3 days before sailing.

 

I wonder if you’ve pre purchased the coffee card, will they honor it?  I’ve purchased it on a lot of future cruises already. 

Thanks. A friend, HQE, is getting on Saturday & will text me what I can trade for. 

 

Anticipate taking all meals in MDR & Gigis

[Guest ldtr]

I look at it this way Princess has just taken about $90 of benefits out of their column when I am comparing potential cruises vs other lines. A few less Princess cruises and a few more on other lines. 

[PacnGoNow]

1 minute ago, Ombud said:

Thanks. A friend, HQE, is getting on Saturday & will text me what I can trade for. 

 

Anticipate taking all meals in MDR & Gigis

Please post. TIA

[Ombud]

Just now, PacnGoNow said:

3 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Thanks. A friend, HQE, is getting on Saturday & will text me what I can trade for. 

 

Anticipate taking all meals in MDR & Gigis

Please post. TIA

Will do. He's trading his too. 

[Guest ldtr]

8 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

That’s my dilemma too. Need to know what we can trade for.  
If we know ahead of time, we can cancel what we won’t need, as a pre purchase item. I think up to 3 days before sailing.

 

I wonder if you’ve pre purchased the coffee card, will they honor it?  I’ve purchased it on a lot of future cruises already. 

 

 

I suspect that if the program no longer exists as the person on the B2B indicated then I would expect no.  They will not be honored and you should see refunds showing up.

[travelin.sisters]

51 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I'm not spending $60 a day to get:

Wifi 7.50

Tips 16.00

Latte 3.50

Total 27.00

 

I have a boatload of OBC & can still get elite tea in room, right?? 

can you tell me about elite in room tea please? 

Edited February 23, 2023 by travelin.sisters

[Ombud]

21 minutes ago, travelin.sisters said:

can you tell me about elite in room tea please? 

I place my order at 8am on sea days & get a selection of sandwiches, sweets, scones, cream, jam, and my choice of tea. As I am a vegetarian solo my selection is more restricted but still 4-5 trays but just a few items on each. This is what I 'accepted' in the room & combined everything I accepted onto 1 plate. After this voyage I specified 2-3 scones, 2 sweets, 2 sandwiches, large tea.  It arrives around 3pm. No charge other than a tip

Looked for the December 2022 pic, it had handmade pralines added, but you're just going to have to take my word for it ~~~

 

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by Ombud

[PacnGoNow]

5 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I place my order at 8am on sea days & get a selection of sandwiches, sweets, scones, cream, jam, and my choice of tea. As I am a vegetarian solo my selection is more restricted but still 4-5 trays but just a few items on each. This is what I 'accepted' in the room & combined everything I accepted onto 1 plate. After this voyage I specified 2-3 scones, 2 sweets, 2 sandwiches, large tea.  It arrives around 3pm. No charge other than a tip

The last 2 sailings they requested you order the day before you want it., Because of short staffing . If you want it every sea day, you can put in a standing order for that too.

 

We really just enjoy the tea and scones with jam and cream.  You can make it just what you want. 
 

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by PacnGoNow

[Ombud]

At some point we must all decide, individually and for ourselves, if this line is worth it for us. I ass-u-me it will continue to be worth it for those who drink alcohol & buy packages, but personally I'm glad I'm out of FCD. Almost every perk that meant something for me (wifi, coffee, loyalty OBC) is being eroded. Am I left with just free laundry? At what point do I acknowledge that the bean counters have won?? 

 

50 cruises on Princess, am I done?

Edited February 23, 2023 by Ombud

[PacnGoNow]

2 minutes ago, Ombud said:

At some point we must all decide, individually and for ourselves, if this line is worth it for us. I ass-u-me it will continue to be worth it for those who drink alcohol & buy packages, but personally I'm glad I'm out of FCD. Almost every perk that meant something for me (wifi, coffee, loyalty OBC) is being eroded. Am I left with just free laundry? At what point do I acknowledge that the bean counters have won?? 

The other lines are pushing beverage packages too. That’s where the money is, all the extras/addons.  I wish they had just increased the price instead of discontinuing. If that is true?  

We’re not big drinkers either. So, I understand where you’re coming from.

 

Well, we should know more this week.

 

[Ombud]

I had 5 over for dinner Saturday night, 1 bottle wine, 1/4 bottle leftover. 2 pots coffee LOL

 

I will know soon if I can buy it separately.  

[Thrak]

2 hours ago, gottagocit said:

This is so screwed up. Why stop a popular package that undoubtedly makes money with little impact. If it’s to force passengers to purchase beverage packages for $70-100 per day this will not end well for carnival. Sad and unforced error on the part of Princes/Carnival.  

 

J. P.

[Ombud]

1 hour ago, Ombud said:

At some point we must all decide, individually and for ourselves, if this line is worth it for us. I ass-u-me it will continue to be worth it for those who drink alcohol & buy packages, but personally I'm glad I'm out of FCD. Almost every perk that meant something for me (wifi, coffee, loyalty OBC) is being eroded. Am I left with just free laundry? At what point do I acknowledge that the bean counters have won?? 

 

50 cruises on Princess, am I done?

It's not the cost, it's the devaluing. Maybe Virgin Cruises personally & Carnival for family.

[Mud_Shark]

4 hours ago, Ombud said:

At some point we must all decide, individually and for ourselves, if this line is worth it for us. I ass-u-me it will continue to be worth it for those who drink alcohol & buy packages, but personally I'm glad I'm out of FCD. Almost every perk that meant something for me (wifi, coffee, loyalty OBC) is being eroded. Am I left with just free laundry? At what point do I acknowledge that the bean counters have won?? 

 

50 cruises on Princess, am I done?

I am going to let the dust settle on this issue and see if what we have heard bears out to be the truth.  The website does sound like a new coffee package is coming out, but it may well turn out to be true that you can no longer trade in the mini-bar for it and it will likely cost more than the previous package (it sounds like it will vary in price based upon cruise length, so we will have to compare apples with apples).

 

But I agree that the erosion of loyalty benefits does indeed factor into our loyalty.  We are not likely to bolt to another cruise line as likely most in our price range are doing similar things to turn a profit after such staggering loses, but we are considering alternative forms of vacation travel.  I am less and less tied to cruising.  Interested to see where things fall out.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

7 hours ago, Ombud said:

I place my order at 8am on sea days & get a selection of sandwiches, sweets, scones, cream, jam, and my choice of tea. As I am a vegetarian solo my selection is more restricted but still 4-5 trays but just a few items on each. This is what I 'accepted' in the room & combined everything I accepted onto 1 plate. After this voyage I specified 2-3 scones, 2 sweets, 2 sandwiches, large tea.  It arrives around 3pm. No charge other than a tip

Looked for the December 2022 pic, it had handmade pralines added, but you're just going to have to take my word for it ~~~

 

 

I can not have dairy products due to allergy.  Do you think they have anything that does not contain dairy?  

[Steelers36]

6 hours ago, Mud_Shark said:

I am going to let the dust settle on this issue and see if what we have heard bears out to be the truth.  The website does sound like a new coffee package is coming out, but it may well turn out to be true that you can no longer trade in the mini-bar for it and it will likely cost more than the previous package (it sounds like it will vary in price based upon cruise length, so we will have to compare apples with apples).

 

But I agree that the erosion of loyalty benefits does indeed factor into our loyalty.  We are not likely to bolt to another cruise line as likely most in our price range are doing similar things to turn a profit after such staggering loses, but we are considering alternative forms of vacation travel.  I am less and less tied to cruising.  Interested to see where things fall out.

Of course we do not yet know 100% of details on the truth of any changes, but it could be possible that the mini-bar could swap for at least one coffee package, even with a price increase.  Time will tell - like you, I am not certain where this all lands yet.

[Shelly97060]

13 hours ago, Ombud said:

Please ask what I can trade the minibar for 

 

 

 

 

I am on Discovery now and  all the same trade options were still available when I boarded 2/20.  I traded alcohol for soda.  
 

i will see if the Captain Circle Host has any info on coming changes. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by Shelly97060

[Sea Hag]

21 minutes ago, Shelly97060 said:

I am on Discovery now and  all the same trade options were still available when I boarded 2/20.  I traded alcohol for soda.  
 

i will see if the Captain Circle Host has any info on coming changes. 

I look forward to any additional info you can get from the CC Host. I'm going to be soooo ticked if that trading for coffee packages goes away. It does still show as an option in the membership FAQs on their site, but I think their website is the last place to get updated on changes.

[Shelly97060]

For what it’s worth… I just went and spoke to the supervisor at the Passenger Services Desk.  She said they have not been informed of any elimination of the coffee package.  She said they are working on migrating it over to be available to purchase via the app and that may be why it is no longer showing in the Personalizer.  She also was not aware of any changes planned to mini bar exchanges

Edited February 23, 2023 by Shelly97060

[Guest ldtr]

7 hours ago, Mud_Shark said:

I am going to let the dust settle on this issue and see if what we have heard bears out to be the truth.  The website does sound like a new coffee package is coming out, but it may well turn out to be true that you can no longer trade in the mini-bar for it and it will likely cost more than the previous package (it sounds like it will vary in price based upon cruise length, so we will have to compare apples with apples).

 

But I agree that the erosion of loyalty benefits does indeed factor into our loyalty.  We are not likely to bolt to another cruise line as likely most in our price range are doing similar things to turn a profit after such staggering loses, but we are considering alternative forms of vacation travel.  I am less and less tied to cruising.  Interested to see where things fall out.

They are raising prices because they can. Land travel has gone up considerably. As a result cruise prices are at the largest discount compared to land travel in the last 30 years. That gives the cruise lines pricing power that they usually do not have. They kept prices low while people got used to be back cruising. Now that occupancy is back to near normal prices are going up.

[PacnGoNow]

6 minutes ago, Shelly97060 said:

For what it’s worth… I just went and spoke to the supervisor at the Passenger Services Desk.  She said they have not been informed of any elimination of the coffee package.  She said they are working on migrating it over to be available to purchase via the app and that may be why it is no longer showing in the Personalizer.  She also was not aware of any changes planned to mini bar exchanges

Wow!  Sure hope so.  I hope the other ships know this.  The Sky doesn’t know, evidently.

Thank you so much!

[gullgeorge]

The "Zero Alcohol Drink Package" is just what the name says, non alcoholic drinks only.  Cost is 39.99 plus 18% service charge per day.  The Princess Plus packages can now be bought the first two days of cruise at no change of price.  Also fitness class for plus package is for two sessions, not for the week class. This is as of today but expect changes.  Will be trying to trade out mini-bar later today.

 

All other elite benefits are the same (will verify tomorrow when we get the new schedule.

 

 

 

[gullgeorge]

Duplicate posting.  Bad internet on Sky.

Edited February 24, 2023 by gullgeorge
Duplicate