Is the Captain Circle Loyalty Program sailing in the wake of the future?

[flyboy88]

Last year I emailed Guest Relations and John Padgett my suggestions for revamping the Captain Circle Program to become what I believe would be industry-leading. I received a generic thank you for your feedback response.
Recently I shared my ideas in a comment on a Princess Facebook group and realized I was not alone, and decided I would share it here due to the wider reach and opportunities to discuss. Maybe, just maybe someone in Santa Clarita will take the idea and run with it. 🙂

Since the introduction of the Plus and Premier packages, benefits within the Platinum and Elite levels have become redundant resulting in a devaluation of loyalty benefits.  For example, if you have either of the packages, the 50% off Medallion Net Package, and Mini Bar setup becomes unnecessary.

Princess began the evolution of redefining their brand with the introduction of Ocean Medallions, MedallionNet, high-quality production shows, and further development of their mobile app.
While the Princess app is far from perfect, overall it has changed the way we cruise and interact onboard the Princess fleet; from selecting arrival times, making dinner/spa reservations months in advance, and chatting/tracking shipmates, to the very popular OceanNow… how many cruise lines allow you to order whatever you want, whenever you want, to wherever you are on the ship… okay, almost wherever, to my knowledge toilets are off limits. haha

Their evolution continues through marketing campaigns after the covid shutdown attempting to showcase themselves to a younger demographic. This was prevalent when they partnered with TV networks in the US and Australia to premiere ‘The Real Love Boat’, featuring the types of guests historically found on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships, and continue this image in recent commercials and print ads.
Last year they even had a ‘Kids Sail Free’ promotion to attract and steal market share from the cruise lines known to cater more towards families.

2024 will bring a huge milestone in this evolution of the brand with the highly anticipated launch of Sun Princess, the first in a series of Sphere Class ships. While a lot of loyal Princess cruisers might not love the bigger ships, what is obvious based on what they have shared so far is these ships are built for the demographic of guests Princess wants to be a part of their future.

All this change and growth of the brand begs one big question… Is the Captain Circle Loyalty Program sailing in the wake of the future?

Guests and their cruise experiences are all different, so I envision a future where Captain Circle benefits are customizable to focus on what is important to each guest while acknowledging and encouraging loyalty.
Considering how much of our Princess vacations are preplanned via the Princess app, there is no reason such changes couldn’t be implemented.

Instead of offering things like ‘deluxe canapé selection on formal nights’, ‘complimentary afternoon tea in stateroom’, ‘complimentary laundry services and shoe polishing’, ‘complimentary mini bar set-up’, ’50% off MedallionNet Package’, ‘Complimentary Grapevine Wine Tasting Event’, etc. which many guests may not use, give the option to select the benefits they want for their voyage.

For each loyalty tier, guests can be eligible to select X amount of benefits from a list of options.
The upside is guests get what they value, and Princess has an industry-leading loyalty program to win over guests from other lines, increasing their growth.

Some examples in addition to the current benefits to have guests select from;
- Discount on Plus or Premier Packages. 15% for Ruby, 20% for Platinum, and 25% off for Elites?
- Spa service
- Speciality Dining. 25% off the cover charge for Ruby, 50% off the cover charge for Platinum, and One Complimentary dinner for Elite?
- Onboard Credit. different amounts for each tier
- Excursion Credit, or free excursions up to $ X amount
- Thermal Spa/ Enclave day pass
- Sanctuary day pass
- Complimentary or discounted Airport Transfers
- Reserved seats for production shows

The ideas and possibilities are endless and I could go on forever, but you get the point… or stopped reading long ago. haha

Would you like to see the Captain Circle Program change to allow for customizations to complement the uniqueness of each guest? If so what would you like to see?

Thanks for reading.
Travel, Explore, and Be Kind. 
 

[beg3yrs]

You put a lot of thought into this, thanks for prodding Princess to keep up with the times!

[Rick&Jeannie]

You have obviously put a lot of thought into this!  Very nice.  However...I suspect that Princess is fully entrenched in the "Not Invented Here" syndrome.  All of their newly hired "marketing marvels" will likely try to stonewall anything from "outside". (Purely my very cynical opinion! 😄)  I hope I'm wrong...some of your suggested new perks would be quite interesting!

[Valley Voice]

This is a great idea!  

[belloblu]

I love the idea of being able to make choices from a list. So far 1) I haven't availed myself of Wi-Fi because of the cost, 2) I'm not a dessert person, so the fancy desserts aren't appealing, 3) I would prefer wine to a mini-bar. ** I say yes to laundry service, specialty dining, package discounts, extra obc, spa discount/credit, excursion discount/credit, sanctuary day pass etc.

[BamaVol]

Loyalty programs are dying.  Look at any hotel, airline or cruise line loyalty program and show me one that has better benefits than 10 years ago.

 

Businesses have learned two things about loyalty programs.  First, it doesn’t take much because it’s part of your overall offering.  You have to deliver much more than loyalty benefits to engender loyalty. Second, they now know that many guests have determined that loyalty is for suckers.  The cruiser who sails a single line is a small minority.  Folks will be tempted by lower prices, bigger ships, new facilities. Some will stay loyal.  Most will not.  Princess doesn’t have to be the best at everything to continue to fill ships. Just a little better at some things.

 

All loyalty programs offer benefits that few take advantage of.  And most cost next to nothing. It’s an illusion that is bought into particularly by those that haven’t achieved the highest level.

 

I personally like your ideas.  But if I were running a cruise line, I wouldn’t be tempted to implement them.  CCL is a company struggling to return to profitability. The illusion serves them better than genuine benefits.  They don’t want your loyalty.  They want new customers. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by BamaVol

[iamaqt2]

Princess is the only cruise line I know of where Elite status can be reached by cruises sailed, and not days sailed.  I am almost at Elite by virtue of doing many 1 night repositioning cruises between Seattle and Vancouver when they transition between the Mexico and Alaska cruise seasons.
Until Princess revamps how they determine tier status, the higher status cruisers may not have actually spent much money at all to achieve them.  I'm basically happy enough with the new package offerings and anything else that comes my way is just gravy.

[Kay S]

Loyalty programs attract older cruisers.  Princes wants the young crowd.  They are slowly chipping away at loyalty benefits.  The handwriting is on the wall.

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, flyboy88 said:

Would you like to see the Captain Circle Program change to allow for customizations to complement the uniqueness of each guest? If so what would you like to see?

Thanks for reading.
Travel, Explore, and Be Kind. 
 

 

I kind of like where you are going with this basket of options.   The first thing that comes to mind is I get 4 or 5 free drinks per day on other lines.  

[SCX22]

The lack of loyalty perks hasn't deterred those who are loyal to Princess from cruising with them thus far, so I doubt revamping the loyalty program it high on their list of priorities.  The crowd that is loyal to them has grown accustom to them and as the saying goes "it's hard to teach a dog new tricks."

 

Is the loyalty program enough to be the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" for a loyal Princess cruiser not cruise with Princess because the benefits are being reduced?

 

[Kellyansapansa]

I'm in my late forties and hubby is in his late fifties, and we have cruised four times with Princess and once with Royal Caribbean. That one RC cruise was enough to cement our loyalty to Princess and we do value the loyalty scheme.

 

Having said that, I posted in another thread that I would like to see a revamp of the Captain's Circle program. 

 

There seems to be a high proportion of Elite cruisers amongst the Princess user base but once you reach Elite there is no great incentive to keep booking cruises. There is no higher level to attain, and there seems to be a lot of dissatisfaction with the perception that Princess is gradually removing Elite entitlements and devaluing this status level.

 

I would keep the current levels because they are valued by many Princess cruisers but I would repackage the benefits to make them more cost effective for Princess. I would then reintroduce a points-based milestone scheme where rewards are unlocked for every 5 cruise credits achieved, and credits can be accumulated for redemption on bigger and better rewards.

 

I would have the rewards catalogue include things that are valued and coveted by the Princess user base. For example, a seat at a Chef's Table, priority Sanctuary bookings, dinner with the captain, Ultimate Ship Tour, bridge tour, and I'm sure there are many other things that could be included.

 

The problem with the current scheme is that different people value different things so it's extremely difficult to please the majority. The ability to choose rewards would please more of the people more of the time.

[Shippy]

 Loyalty programs on most cruise lines appear to be fading.....

The perks for suite guests appear to be getting enhanced.

I think that is where the future lies....

[Guest ldtr]

On my current cruise 1/3 of the passengers are Elite, another 1/3 is Platinum. Only 1/3 is lower tiers.

 

The only way you will see  Princess increase their benefits would be to greatly raise requirements. 

 

More likely they will keep them as they are. Some appeal, but nothing major with such a high percentage of passengers having high rank.

 

Keep in mind that loyalty programs are basically marketing programs. They are only funded as long as they show a positive return. I would expect if there was a major change in the program it would be to more of an airline type system where you have to cruise X number of days each year to retain status, with most of the value in a points system where the points can be traded in.

[Guest ldtr]

11 hours ago, flyboy88 said:

Last year I emailed Guest Relations and John Padgett my suggestions for revamping the Captain Circle Program to become what I believe would be industry-leading. I received a generic thank you for your feedback response.
Recently I shared my ideas in a comment on a Princess Facebook group and realized I was not alone, and decided I would share it here due to the wider reach and opportunities to discuss. Maybe, just maybe someone in Santa Clarita will take the idea and run with it. 🙂

Since the introduction of the Plus and Premier packages, benefits within the Platinum and Elite levels have become redundant resulting in a devaluation of loyalty benefits.  For example, if you have either of the packages, the 50% off Medallion Net Package, and Mini Bar setup becomes unnecessary.

Princess began the evolution of redefining their brand with the introduction of Ocean Medallions, MedallionNet, high-quality production shows, and further development of their mobile app.
While the Princess app is far from perfect, overall it has changed the way we cruise and interact onboard the Princess fleet; from selecting arrival times, making dinner/spa reservations months in advance, and chatting/tracking shipmates, to the very popular OceanNow… how many cruise lines allow you to order whatever you want, whenever you want, to wherever you are on the ship… okay, almost wherever, to my knowledge toilets are off limits. haha

Their evolution continues through marketing campaigns after the covid shutdown attempting to showcase themselves to a younger demographic. This was prevalent when they partnered with TV networks in the US and Australia to premiere ‘The Real Love Boat’, featuring the types of guests historically found on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships, and continue this image in recent commercials and print ads.
Last year they even had a ‘Kids Sail Free’ promotion to attract and steal market share from the cruise lines known to cater more towards families.

2024 will bring a huge milestone in this evolution of the brand with the highly anticipated launch of Sun Princess, the first in a series of Sphere Class ships. While a lot of loyal Princess cruisers might not love the bigger ships, what is obvious based on what they have shared so far is these ships are built for the demographic of guests Princess wants to be a part of their future.

All this change and growth of the brand begs one big question… Is the Captain Circle Loyalty Program sailing in the wake of the future?

Guests and their cruise experiences are all different, so I envision a future where Captain Circle benefits are customizable to focus on what is important to each guest while acknowledging and encouraging loyalty.
Considering how much of our Princess vacations are preplanned via the Princess app, there is no reason such changes couldn’t be implemented.

Instead of offering things like ‘deluxe canapé selection on formal nights’, ‘complimentary afternoon tea in stateroom’, ‘complimentary laundry services and shoe polishing’, ‘complimentary mini bar set-up’, ’50% off MedallionNet Package’, ‘Complimentary Grapevine Wine Tasting Event’, etc. which many guests may not use, give the option to select the benefits they want for their voyage.

For each loyalty tier, guests can be eligible to select X amount of benefits from a list of options.
The upside is guests get what they value, and Princess has an industry-leading loyalty program to win over guests from other lines, increasing their growth.

Some examples in addition to the current benefits to have guests select from;
- Discount on Plus or Premier Packages. 15% for Ruby, 20% for Platinum, and 25% off for Elites?
- Spa service
- Speciality Dining. 25% off the cover charge for Ruby, 50% off the cover charge for Platinum, and One Complimentary dinner for Elite?
- Onboard Credit. different amounts for each tier
- Excursion Credit, or free excursions up to $ X amount
- Thermal Spa/ Enclave day pass
- Sanctuary day pass
- Complimentary or discounted Airport Transfers
- Reserved seats for production shows

The ideas and possibilities are endless and I could go on forever, but you get the point… or stopped reading long ago. haha

Would you like to see the Captain Circle Program change to allow for customizations to complement the uniqueness of each guest? If so what would you like to see?

Thanks for reading.
Travel, Explore, and Be Kind. 
 

Not going to happen. You are trading items that cost little for items with a real cost (opportunity cost at a minimum). With such a high percentage of passengers in higher tiers, no way they will add more costs to the program.

[MissP22]

You obviously have put a lot of thought into this and some of your ideas would be welcomed by their loyal passengers.

Saying that,  Princess is not going to change and abandon profits in this economy anytime soon.

Speaking with my TA yesterday, she said that her cruise booking are at a all time high as many people are making up for lost cruises during the Covid shutdown. I foresee even more changes to maximize profits at the cost of losing some of their most loyal customers. 

[rhblake]

I cannot imagine the chaos that 2,000 passengers picking different benefits would cause.

[BamaVol]

Industry capacity is expected to increase by 43% over the next 5 years. Who does Princess (and other lines) expect to fill all those cabins.  Given passenger demographics, it’s likely to be new cruisers. 

[memoak]

14 hours ago, belloblu said:

I love the idea of being able to make choices from a list. So far 1) I haven't availed myself of Wi-Fi because of the cost, 2) I'm not a dessert person, so the fancy desserts aren't appealing, 3) I would prefer wine to a mini-bar. ** I say yes to laundry service, specialty dining, package discounts, extra obc, spa discount/credit, excursion discount/credit, sanctuary day pass etc.

You can change out the mini bar for wine. This has been the case for quite awhile 

[Times Prince]

I keep hearing the complaint that the mini-bar is useless.  However on a recently booked Panama cruise, approximately 1/3 of the people were booked using the Standard Princess package, so for that 1/3 (around 1,000 passengers?) the mini-bar remains a useful perk.

 

Don't assume that because you don't use a feature that others don't either.

 

However if it was a choice system, ours would be 1) laundry 2) wi-fi minutes 3) mini-bar 4) High tea service in cabin 5) Loyalty OBC 6) shop discounts 

[Torfamm]

It’s always interesting to me to hear what other passengers would value.
 

The point about Plus and Premium packages diluting elite benefits is well taken. For me, the idea of a discount on Princess Plus or Premier rather than only discounted Wi-Fi would be very welcome, as would just adding either drink coupons as Royal Caribbean does or free drinks at happy hour to the Wi-Fi benefit.

Specialty dining is much trickier than it used to be. It might be a benefit that no one could ever use. I just looked at a cruise that leaves in 5 weeks and there is not a single table for 4 available at any specialty restaurant on any of the 14 nights. I have to imagine that it’s inclusion in the packages has impacted availability 
 

 

[Cruise Raider]

I would love either a free upgrade or even a 50% upgrade fee from the Plus to the Premium Package for elite passengers.  
 

The loyalty OBC seems to be a thing of the past but that was also a nice perk.  
I rarely, by rarely, I mean never, use the laundry perk so, I would trade that in for a beverage  package upgrade in a heartbeat.  

[Over from NZ]

I'd like to see it dumped altogether. You'll win me on price and not having to pay for extras. Forget your silly wee perks. Just my opinion. 

[MileHighAko]

This is just rumor, but I recently talked to someone who works in the IT industry for a company that is supposedly contracted by Princess to build a software system for a new loyalty program. It was mentioned that the program could highly favor onboard spending, with the key perks being experiences and not items that customers would normally pay for (things like 360 dining type experiences, special lounge access, pre-cruise concierge, etc.). The thing that intrigued me was the measurement of onboard spend and other activity during a set past period of time (e.g. last 3 years) vs. the lifetime achievement that exists today. 

[MissP22]

6 hours ago, MileHighAko said:

This is just rumor, but I recently talked to someone who works in the IT industry for a company that is supposedly contracted by Princess to build a software system for a new loyalty program. It was mentioned that the program could highly favor onboard spending, with the key perks being experiences and not items that customers would normally pay for (things like 360 dining type experiences, special lounge access, pre-cruise concierge, etc.). The thing that intrigued me was the measurement of onboard spend and other activity during a set past period of time (e.g. last 3 years) vs. the lifetime achievement that exists today. 

Well that leaves me out. 

[Musky Ike]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

Well that leaves me out. 

Us as well, unless they would grandfather us in 😄