Elite benefit question

[reedprincess]

On 11/15/2023 at 3:06 PM, Go-Bucks! said:

I'm Elite, but haven't cruised since the pandemic started (got back from my last cruise the day before the port closed). I'm ready to book a cruise and looked at the Elite benefits on Princess.com to see if you can still trade the minibar setup for specialty coffees. It only said other liquors, wine, soda or water. Has anyone been able to get the coffees lately or know if they've done away with that option? TIA.

The coffee card swap was a courtesy, not the perk.

The perk is the mini-bar, and nothing has changed there.

Allowing swaps is a courtesy.

As there's no New Grounds Coffee package, there's no swap available for it . But, out of courtesy, you can still swap like for like, all waters, all sodas, all for bottle of wine, etc. the perk itself remains the same as it's been for decades - 8 minis, 2 beers, 8 assorted non-alcoholic.  Whether the actual perk itself is "worth" it to you or not - only you know.. but the perk itself hasn't changed.. 

[Go-Bucks!]

13 hours ago, reedprincess said:

The coffee card swap was a courtesy, not the perk.

The perk is the mini-bar, and nothing has changed there.

Allowing swaps is a courtesy.

As there's no New Grounds Coffee package, there's no swap available for it . But, out of courtesy, you can still swap like for like, all waters, all sodas, all for bottle of wine, etc. the perk itself remains the same as it's been for decades - 8 minis, 2 beers, 8 assorted non-alcoholic.  Whether the actual perk itself is "worth" it to you or not - only you know.. but the perk itself hasn't changed.. 

As you can see in my question, I wasn't asking about a "perk" of swapping out the minibar (I fully realize that the "perk" is the actual minibar), but was just asking if the swapping options included specialty coffees. Thanks to all those who answered my question! 

[jagoffee]

On 11/19/2023 at 8:04 PM, Musky Ike said:

Off the Sapphire last month and yes, can soda and bottled water were included on the package at any bar.

Nice upgrade!  Thanks

[antsp]

On 11/20/2023 at 2:04 AM, Musky Ike said:

Off the Sapphire last month and yes, can soda and bottled water were included on the package at any bar.

Same on Sky in October 

[kywildcatfanone]

On 11/19/2023 at 10:42 PM, reedprincess said:

The coffee card swap was a courtesy, not the perk.

The perk is the mini-bar, and nothing has changed there.

Actually it has, as referenced in your post.  If you change anything with a loyalty benefit, you change the overall benefit, even if it's just the items included with the benefit.  The reason is, different people value the options in a different way.

 

Lots of complaints I remember when they removed Strip Steak from the anytime menu years ago in the MDR.  You still had dinner, but if you couldn't get the meal you wanted that you could previously, you might not enjoy your dinner as much.

 

Benefit is in the eye of the beholder.  For someone like me, I valued the ability  to trade the mini bar for coffee because I preferred the coffee to the other options.  I do still have the overall perk, but it is worth far less to me than it was before as I don't value water or soda in the same way.  

[memoak]

5 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Actually it has, as referenced in your post.  If you change anything with a loyalty benefit, you change the overall benefit, even if it's just the items included with the benefit.  The reason is, different people value the options in a different way.

 

Lots of complaints I remember when they removed Strip Steak from the anytime menu years ago in the MDR.  You still had dinner, but if you couldn't get the meal you wanted that you could previously, you might not enjoy your dinner as much.

 

Benefit is in the eye of the beholder.  For someone like me, I valued the ability  to trade the mini bar for coffee because I preferred the coffee to the other options.  I do still have the overall perk, but it is worth far less to me than it was before as I don't value water or soda in the same way.  

I really don’t get the idea that changes never happen. For years many restaurants gave you free refills on sodas then one day it stopped. Did that make people irate ?   Airlines are continually changing loyalty programs why is cruising different. Things aren’t the way they were when I was 20 in lots of ways and I don’t expect the world to be any different 

[thinfool]

41 minutes ago, memoak said:

I really don’t get the idea that changes never happen. For years many restaurants gave you free refills on sodas then one day it stopped. Did that make people irate ?   Airlines are continually changing loyalty programs why is cruising different. Things aren’t the way they were when I was 20 in lots of ways and I don’t expect the world to be any different 

Where are the restaurants that do not refill for free? (none in my circle in South Florida. I know that there are many in foreign lands.)

[memoak]

3 minutes ago, thinfool said:

Where are the restaurants that do not refill for free? (none in my circle in South Florida. I know that there are many in foreign lands.)

Well Princess cruises for. 1. If you don’t have a package you will be billed for each drink. Same with brewed coffee at the IC

[reedprincess]

The perk is the mini-bar. Full stop.

If they stopped any trading on it for anything else tomorrow - the perk itself hasn't changed.  Just the courtesy options they have allowed in the past but aren't the actual perk itself. Perceived value varies from person to person, as with anything.. that's an obvious given, but thanks for pointing it out time and again. 

They can't offer under a courtesy swpa to something that doesn't exist (NGCP, for instance). 

 

I too don't get why people somehow think perks will never ever change... everything changes with time - including ourselves.  Thankfully.. 

Happy sails..