Elite loyalty status

[Ombud]

5 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

What is included in the Elite "tea service"?  Just regular tea?  TIA.

2nd pic has a full tray of finger sandwiches under all those cookies and on a 2024 cruise I got the above plus a dz scones!!

 

Adding: this is for 1 person (solo)

 

Edited May 13 by Ombud

[Ombud]

5 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

For the benefit "complimentary afternoon tea in stateroom", do you need to pay for the $5 service charge if you didn't pay for the one time $14.95 app charge for delivery?

No. You do not pay to receive Captain's Circle benefits (trading minibar or ordering elite tea set-up)

[Potstech]

For the mini bar you DO NOT have to exchange alcohol for alcohol or soft drinks for like. You get a total of 20 items and you can exchange them for any 20 items they have available. Last cruise I exchanged ours for 2 whiskeys and 9 cokes and 9 sprites with no problem. Just call room service to make the changes you desire.

[memoak]

3 minutes ago, Potstech said:

For the mini bar you DO NOT have to exchange alcohol for alcohol or soft drinks for like. You get a total of 20 items and you can exchange them for any 20 items they have available. Last cruise I exchanged ours for 2 whiskeys and 9 cokes and 9 sprites with no problem. Just call room service to make the changes you desire.

What you cannot do is exchange soft drinks for alcohol   Just try to say take away the e cokes and sprites and exchange for whiskey 

[bellebaby]

9 hours ago, warthog2608 said:

We are brand new elites, just sailed our first cruise as elite. We enjoyed the included wine tasting, the wines weren't that great but the pairings and presentations were nicely done. I was looking forward to the tea in the stateroom benefit. But when I called room service I was told I had to order it a day in advance. I apologized that I was a new baby elite and didn't know all the rules yet. She laughed and said, "I'll see what I can do" and lo and behold, a nice tea service arrived!

Haven't experienced the priority tendering yet, really looking forward to that! We'll be on a 16 day Iceland Greenland cruise soon, laundry will come in handy!

Enjoy your elite benefits.

Recently off the Discovery Princess.  Called 2 days prior for afternoon tea service in Victoria.  Was told Elite afternoon tea was only served in cabin on sea days.  I politely explained that was not my experience in the past.  They politely told me "too bad, so sad".  Sea days only.

 

B

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

10 hours ago, RSF Cruiser said:

If an elite and non elite are in the same room, do both get the elite benefit - especially laundry and wine tasting?

 

I'm elite, spouse will be elite soon. Ship did Not let nonElite have free wine tasting.

We were charged $19 or $29, whatever it was.

Laundry, you put under Elites name.  We did not have any problem with that.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

27 minutes ago, bellebaby said:

Recently off the Discovery Princess.  Called 2 days prior for afternoon tea service in Victoria.  Was told Elite afternoon tea was only served in cabin on sea days.  I politely explained that was not my experience in the past.  They politely told me "too bad, so sad".  Sea days only.

 

B

 

Yes its true, only served Seadays. Usually in the 3:00-3:30 timeframe.

On our 16 day cruise recently, we had it 3 or 4 seadays....

And we learned to only book it on days we have LATE dining Rez. or too full. lol

[bellebaby]

19 minutes ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

 

Yes its true, only served Seadays. Usually in the 3:00-3:30 timeframe.

On our 16 day cruise recently, we had it 3 or 4 seadays....

And we learned to only book it on days we have LATE dining Rez. or too full. lol

Wish I knew that early in the cruise.  Have had tea service in the cabin in Victoria for many years.

 

At least now I know and can plan accordingly.  And yes...LOTS of food!!

 

B

[Potstech]

2 hours ago, memoak said:

What you cannot do is exchange soft drinks for alcohol   Just try to say take away the e cokes and sprites and exchange for whiskey 

Did it on the Enchanted on my last cruise just a few months ago. Why is it always push the alcohol for some people?

[annmarz]

On our recent Caribbean Princess cruise there was a nightly Elite lounge in Skywalkers with drinks and nice small bites.  Also the Elite (and Platinum I think) departure lounge for disembarkation day.

[Ken the cruiser]

We just made Elite, and really enjoy the free laundry, 10% discount on excursions (which we use to help pay the daily gratuity charge), and the one free stocking of the mini-fridge with 9 alcohol and 9 nonalcoholic beverages (which we convert to 9 bottles of beer and 9 bottles of water). 

It is also no longer cost-effective for us to book cruises with the Princess Plus package since we (1) get unlimited internet at 50% off, (2) the 10% in OBC we get from booking excursions helps pay the daily gratuity charges, and (3) the beer and water we get from the one free stocking of the mini-fridge goes a long way to satisfy my minimum alcohol drinking needs. We can also buy 12 bottles of water for $7.09 once onboard, which is all my DW drinks. 

 

So making Elite has definitely been worth it for us. 😁

[Scottdalfonso]

14 hours ago, reedprincess said:

entire setup for a single bottle of wine.. (from a small list).

I don't drink and my wife only does Wine, so we'd basically have the whole thing wiped out in exchange for a bottle of wine...not just the alcohol portion?  I'd like to keep the couple diet sodas, but if not, no biggie... the bottle of wine is still worth the exchange since neither of us will touch  the liquor bottles and we have a 12 pack of water on order. 

[Reina del Mar]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

 The one free stocking of the mini-fridge with 9 alcohol and 9 nonalcoholic beverages 

We can also buy 12 bottles of water for $7.09 once onboard, which is all my DW drinks. 

 

Sorry if it sounds like I am nit-picking..we’ve always had 20 items in the mini bar set up and was under the impression that the water packages needed to be ordered prior to sailing.

Edited May 14 by Reina del Mar

[pompeii]

4 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We can also buy 12 bottles of water for $7.09 once onboard, which is all my DW drinks. 

 

So making Elite has definitely been worth it for us. 😁

Unless it has changed recently, you can purchase the bottled water package only before you board.  It is not available once you are on the ship.  I just checked and the personalizer still says pre-cruise exclusive.  

[Ken the cruiser]

6 hours ago, Reina del Mar said:

Sorry if it sounds like I am nit-picking..we’ve always had 20 items in the mini bar set up and was under the impression that the water packages needed to be ordered prior to sailing.

 

3 hours ago, pompeii said:

Unless it has changed recently, you can purchase the bottled water package only before you board.  It is not available once you are on the ship.  I just checked and the personalizer still says pre-cruise exclusive.  

Thanks for keeping me straight. We just turned Elite prior to our Antarctica cruise in January and haven’t yet dropped our Plus packages until our July cruise, so still learning. As far as the number of items in the mini bar setup, 10 sounds good! I always forget to count the 2 beers in the fridge when I swap the alcohol for Heineken beer.

[phabric]

On 5/13/2024 at 9:35 AM, 555 said:

If they'll allow you to only have them eliminate everything but the ice cream then we can certainly eat two a day or maybe 1 piece a of cake & one ice cream.

I didn’t want all the food items with the desserts. I had no problem when  I told them I wanted 1 scoop of ice cream with chocolate sauce and the lollipops (suckers).  I brought home a bag of the lollipops for the grandkids.

[555]

1 minute ago, phabric said:

I didn’t want all the food items with the desserts. I had no problem when  I told them I wanted 1 scoop of ice cream with chocolate sauce and the lollipops (suckers).  I brought home a bag of the lollipops for the grandkids.

That's good to hear. The ice cream I could eat but they can keep the suckers or I can hand them to some kid. 

[phabric]

Just now, 555 said:

That's good to hear. The ice cream I could eat but they can keep the suckers or I can hand them to some kid. 

We had the Plus, my friend did the same with the ice cream sundae that included a small bottle of alcohol.  One scoop of ice cream with sauce and was handed the small bottle.  No problem.

 

I was on the Island, first time I had the fancy sundae.  I could only ate half as it had 3 scoops of ice cream + sauce, whip cream.  Next time, I asked for 1 scoop with sauce and the suckers (they are each wrapped).

After every time I went there, it was the same servicer, she would say “1 scoop of vanilla with chocolate sauce and suckers “.  I always had a laugh about that.

[555]

2 minutes ago, phabric said:

I was on the Island, first time I had the fancy sundae.  I could only ate half as it had 3 scoops of ice cream + sauce, whip cream.  Next time, I asked for 1 scoop with sauce and the suckers (they are each wrapped).

After every time I went there, it was the same servicer, she would say “1 scoop of vanilla with chocolate sauce and suckers “.  I always had a laugh about that.

I'll almost bet that many people are doing likewise.

Who needs a lollypop at our age. 

[phabric]

14 minutes ago, 555 said:

I'll almost bet that many people are doing likewise.

Who needs a lollypop at our age. 

They are not the small suckers that some adults even like.  The suckers are like the all day suckers.

 

Edited May 14 by phabric

[Ombud]

8 hours ago, Scottdalfonso said:

I don't drink and my wife only does Wine, so we'd basically have the whole thing wiped out in exchange for a bottle of wine...not just the alcohol portion?  I'd like to keep the couple diet sodas, but if not, no biggie... the bottle of wine is still worth the exchange since neither of us will touch  the liquor bottles and we have a 12 pack of water on order. 

Yes ... it's the ENTIRE minibar for 1 bottle of wine from a small list, sometimes Charles & Charles Rose is included but more often not. If you'd like a sampling of what to choose from look at the pre-order wine list at anything under $55-$60 (or so I was told last month) & (while you're there) pre-order 12 bottles water for $7.08 if on a low sodium diet

[Thrak]

On 5/13/2024 at 5:55 AM, Cruisemeister2002 said:

We are Elite and enjoy the 10% off goods in the shops. It's good to wait as although I am not totally familiar with Princess I presume they have as with P&O day's where they have sales of goods and there's bargains to be had. Plus of course any other spending you do also gives you 10% off. We have gone for the Plus package, this will be our first cruise we have taken up such an option therefore I would hazard a guess that when onboard we won't be spending anywhere near what we have in the past. As for laundering I doubt I will have much use of this service. Maybe a couple of dress shirts. The desserts look interesting although I doubt we'll get through two a day. There's also the two casual dining we get in the package and a mini bar comes with Elite status which is o.k. as we like a drink prior to going to a bar for a pre-dinner drink. I hope I haven't confused you by mixing Elite status and the Plus package which of course are totally separate.      

 

Please note that the 10% off in the shops won't work for any "on sale" items. It used to be the case but Princess changed the rules a while back and now the discount is only applicable for "full retail price" items.

 

As for the laundry: I've heard that many people don't have issues with it but every time I sent out a dress shirt (or a Tommy Bahama shirt) it came back stiff as a board and totally unwearable. This even happened when specifying "No Starch" on the laundry order. We now just use the self-laundry for those items as we have ended up having to re-wash my shirts to get them into a wearable state. (Granted, this was only on one ship but, as we spent 63 days on that ship, it was a major issue.)

[Teechur]

3 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

 

 

As for the laundry: I've heard that many people don't have issues with it but every time I sent out a dress shirt (or a Tommy Bahama shirt) it came back stiff as a board and totally unwearable. 

My Tommy Bahama shirts all require dry cleaning (aside from T-shirts/polos).

Does Princess offer that onboard?

[karatemom2]

Just now, Teechur said:

My Tommy Bahama shirts all require dry cleaning (aside from T-shirts/polos).

Does Princess offer that onboard?

 

Yes, they do offer dry cleaning. We have had suits dry cleaned onboard and I had a dress dry cleaned once. They all came back in perfect order.

[Thrak]

1 minute ago, Teechur said:

My Tommy Bahama shirts all require dry cleaning (aside from T-shirts/polos).

Does Princess offer that onboard?

 

I have a bunch of silk Tommy's and they don't require dry cleaning. However, Princess does offer a "cleaning" service. It's not regular dry cleaning but neither is it regular washing.