New to Platinum- questions about perks

[new2cruising2006]

I will be Platinum for the 1st time on Sunday.  I was wondering about some of the 'perks' listed.   

1-How does Priority Check in work?  I chose 11:30 as my boarding time.

2- Its says Concierge service as a perk.  How does this work?  What do they do and where how do you contact them?

3-I saw before the behind the ship tour is cancelled due to covid.  Is this still the case?

4-2 free dinners.  I saw before you have to wait til you get on board to book. Is it hard to get a 'prime time'.  I saw online , most times are sold out by now.

Thanks a bunch for your help!

[shof515]

1) at the terminal they will be multiple lines..one line for latitude/priority, one line for regular people and one line for the suite people. when they check your document, they will you tell to join the priority line for the check in 

2) concierge is useless and not a real perk, they dont do anything for platinum people. they only focus on the suite people 

3) behind the ship tour is back, go to the cruise next desk to sign up for it 

4) you can make reservations online, about 125 days before sail date. you dont need to wait until you onboard the ship 

[www3traveler]

Only a small number of restaurant reservations can be made on online.  Depending on the number of people in your party, you may or may not need reservations.  The Main Dining Rooms do not require reservations.  If you are a party of one or two, if you go to the indivdual Speciality Restaurant Hostess Desk and you go when they open, you can probably be seated within a short period of time.

 

As a solo passenger, the only restaurant reservation I make is for Ocean Blue (not available on all of the ships).  I make the reservationearly in the day on the day I want to go.  

[debenson0723]

1 hour ago, new2cruising2006 said:

I will be Platinum for the 1st time on Sunday.  I was wondering about some of the 'perks' listed.   

1-How does Priority Check in work?  I chose 11:30 as my boarding time.

2- Its says Concierge service as a perk.  How does this work?  What do they do and where how do you contact them?

3-I saw before the behind the ship tour is cancelled due to covid.  Is this still the case?

4-2 free dinners.  I saw before you have to wait til you get on board to book. Is it hard to get a 'prime time'.  I saw online , most times are sold out by now.

Thanks a bunch for your help!

1 - 11:30 is your check in time, not your boarding time. As mentioned before, just get in the Latitudes line, check in and then you can board when the Platinum or higher cruisers are called...usually 2nd after disabled.

2 - Never used the concierge services and wouldn't know where to find them (have heard the CN desk can help but not sure about that)

3 - BTS tour is back. Go to the CN desk on embarkation day asap as this does fill up. Make sure you have closed toe shoes or you can't go (found this out the hard way).

4 - You didn't mention which ship you are on but dinner reservations can be made either at a central location as soon as you board or at kiosks near the elevators. If you don't get the time you wanted at the venue you wanted, try early the day of, as there are cancellations. 

Enjoy your cruise!

[mistertomatoe]

On 4/3/2023 at 6:09 AM, shof515 said:

4) you can make reservations online, about 125 days before sail date. you dont need to wait until you onboard the ship 

 

Looks like my Cagney's and Le Bistro went through online because they were $0. However, Teppanyaki and Moderna require payment. Any way around that? I don't think it matters but I have one for FAS and two for Platinum. It shouldn't matter where the Platinum dining is since it's now at any restaurant.

 

For OP, don't forget the free laundry bag and Internet and Shore Excursions discounts which have to be booked while onboard to apply. They also did the wine tasting and cocktail party on the cruise I was on last week.

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, mistertomatoe said:

 

Looks like my Cagney's and Le Bistro went through online because they were $0. However, Teppanyaki and Moderna require payment. Any way around that? I don't think it matters but I have one for FAS and two for Platinum. It shouldn't matter where the Platinum dining is since it's now at any restaurant.

 

For OP, don't forget the free laundry bag and Internet and Shore Excursions discounts which have to be booked while onboard to apply. They also did the wine tasting and cocktail party on the cruise I was on last week.

You need to book fixed price places first, as the system only knows about your free at sea at this point so you wouldn’t have had to pay for the first one if you had done it first.

 

Now that you have made those bookings you will have to wait until you board to book Teppanyaki or Moderno without paying (or phone and cancel your bookings and start again).

 

If you do pay upfront then I assume it will be refunded to your onboard account onboard, but I’ve never done this so can’t confirm.

 

The link in my signature has more details about this.

Edited April 5, 2023 by KeithJenner

[majmaj4]

5 hours ago, mistertomatoe said:

 

Looks like my Cagney's and Le Bistro went through online because they were $0. However, Teppanyaki and Moderna require payment. Any way around that? I don't think it matters but I have one for FAS and two for Platinum. It shouldn't matter where the Platinum dining is since it's now at any restaurant.

 

For OP, don't forget the free laundry bag and Internet and Shore Excursions discounts which have to be booked while onboard to apply. They also did the wine tasting and cocktail party on the cruise I was on last week.

I am seeing the shore excursion discounts when I am booking ahead of time.

[vacation44]

1 hour ago, majmaj4 said:

I am seeing the shore excursion discounts when I am booking ahead of time.

Yes, the shore excursion discounts does work on-line.

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, majmaj4 said:

I am seeing the shore excursion discounts when I am booking ahead of time.

Yes, shore excursion discounts are available online.

 

You don’t see it until you add to the basket, which I think is why some people don’t realise this.

[gmbhardy]

On 4/3/2023 at 9:22 AM, www3traveler said:

Only a small number of restaurant reservations can be made on online.  Depending on the number of people in your party, you may or may not need reservations.  The Main Dining Rooms do not require reservations.  If you are a party of one or two, if you go to the indivdual Speciality Restaurant Hostess Desk and you go when they open, you can probably be seated within a short period of time.

 

As a solo passenger, the only restaurant reservation I make is for Ocean Blue (not available on all of the ships).  I make the reservationearly in the day on the day I want to go.  

You really should make reservations for the MDRs, otherwise you might have to wait a bit.

[Raleigh Traveler]

We cruised out of Miami in Jan on the Joy as Platinum and the Priority Boarding didn't really work. We saw no signs at check-in and were directed to a counter and given a Group 4 pass. Told to later to just show our room card that says Platinum when called. Unfortunately it was a late boarding and went pair shaped. Hugh crowd, PA that no one could understand and everyone for themselves. Priority boarding may or may not be a benefit. 

Did get two bags of laundry, two specialty meals and chocolate covered strawberries.

[www3traveler]

53 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

You really should make reservations for the MDRs, otherwise you might have to wait a bit.

As a solo passenger with 37 cruises completed, I have yet to make a reservation for a Main Dining Room.  The ONLY time, I make a reservation is for Ocean Blue.

[BirdTravels]

At Miami, look for the Latitudes Priority Check-in

 

It is after the "non-priority check-in"

 

There is also a casino check in linet

 

 

 

[gmbhardy]

4 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

As a solo passenger with 37 cruises completed, I have yet to make a reservation for a Main Dining Room.  The ONLY time, I make a reservation is for Ocean Blue.

Consider yourself very FORTUNATE because on recent cruises, we had to wait ever time we DID NOT have a reservation. Maybe being solo makes a DIFFERENCE. 

[UKstages]

i also tend to make reservations for MDRs and did so on an upcoming B2B on the prima. typically, i can make a reservation on the ship just a day or two before or even on the day, but with the prima, i decided to reserve in advance due to the capacity restrictions of some venues.

 

traveling solo doesn't really make a difference, as a table for one is also a table for two (unless you're sitting at a counter or bar).

[LakePerson]

On 4/3/2023 at 8:50 AM, debenson0723 said:

1 - 11:30 is your check in time, not your boarding time. As mentioned before, just get in the Latitudes line, check in and then you can board when the Platinum or higher cruisers are called...usually 2nd after disabled.

2 - Never used the concierge services and wouldn't know where to find them (have heard the CN desk can help but not sure about that)

3 - BTS tour is back. Go to the CN desk on embarkation day asap as this does fill up. Make sure you have closed toe shoes or you can't go (found this out the hard way).

4 - You didn't mention which ship you are on but dinner reservations can be made either at a central location as soon as you board or at kiosks near the elevators. If you don't get the time you wanted at the venue you wanted, try early the day of, as there are cancellations. 

Enjoy your cruise!

Do you also book the platinum wine tasting at Cruise Next?

[YVRteacher]

Yes.  You can sign up for Wines Around the World on the first day at the Cruise Next desk.  If they have a large number they will add a second or third session.

[mistertomatoe]

6 hours ago, www3traveler said:

As a solo passenger with 37 cruises completed, I have yet to make a reservation for a Main Dining Room.  The ONLY time, I make a reservation is for Ocean Blue.

 

Do you double up on the Platinum and higher dining as a solo and how? Two entrees? Dine with a stranger?
 

I tried once on the Bliss at Food Republic. They told me to come back again and they’ll let be eat comped. It would be a lot to try for 8 items by myself in one meal. I thought about trying for two (small) entrees at Cagney’s but was too chicken to bother.

Edited April 6, 2023 by mistertomatoe

[mistertomatoe]

Nevermind. Double posted.

Edited April 6, 2023 by mistertomatoe

[www3traveler]

52 minutes ago, mistertomatoe said:

 

Do you double up on the Platinum and higher dining as a solo and how? Two entrees? Dine with a stranger?
 

I tried once on the Bliss at Food Republic. They told me to come back again and they’ll let be eat comped. It would be a lot to try for 8 items by myself in one meal. I thought about trying for two (small) entrees at Cagney’s but was too chicken to bother.

I rarely every use the coupons-- eat solo most of the time.

[majmaj4]

Last time I went to the solo events and invited one of the other people at the events to the comp dinners.  Nice to share the perk.

[All-ready2cruise]

As a solo cruiser, I share my Latitudes dinners every cruise.  It makes it a nice treat, the company and the free dinner are doubly enjoyable.  

[debenson0723]

2 hours ago, All-ready2cruise said:

As a solo cruiser, I share my Latitudes dinners every cruise.  It makes it a nice treat, the company and the free dinner are doubly enjoyable.  

This is what I do also.  I typically find someone at the solo meet ups and will invite them to join me. If they are also Platinum or above, then we share 4 meals (or 2 and 2 if I invite someone different to share the 2nd meal). 

[All-ready2cruise]

Yes, great when it works out like that!

[js]

15 hours ago, LakePerson said:

Do you also book the platinum wine tasting at Cruise Next?

What is this platinum wine tasting?

I would LOVE to do this.

Thank you.