Elite Benefits with Tendering

[BoPippy]

Yikes,one of us is Elite and the other Platinum!!:)I guess my DW will be way behind me in the line.hehehehe.

[janacin]

If I am Elite and my wife isn't, (same cabin, same last name), can we both take advantage of the priority tendering?

[Toto2Kansas]

It used to be quite nice if you were Elite and your room mate was not. As they always provided us two tender tickets at each tender port. That took care of the qestion if you could take your room mate (husband or wife) along for the early tender. But when they switched to showing your black card, that left a bit of guessing as to if this is still offered or not for your traveling companion. And I don't think they have ever put it in black and white just how this is to be handled, so it is more or less a guessing game now. :confused:

[1 HappyCruiser]

If I am Elite and my wife isn't, (same cabin, same last name), can we both take advantage of the priority tendering?

 

They'll never say you can't take you wife with you so go right ahead.

[Natabelle]

Yes. It's changed to no more priority tender tickets. Your black Elite card is your "tender ticket." most Princess ships have switched to this. I should think that your DH and small children will be allowed to go with you. That's different IMHO than friends going with you. Your DH is there to assist you with the children.

 

 

Thanks, Pam!!

 

I appreciate the quick response!

[Astro Flyer]

I would not advise pushing to the front of the line waving your black card. It mmight be hazardous to your health. Go down to deck 4 or 3 where they are tendering and show your blackn card to one of the Princess people. They will either escort you to the front of the line, allow you to break into a line or place you at the end of the group boarding or the first for the next boarding.

Maybe in the past they would either put you in the front or somewhere other than at the end of the line but as Toto said it's now at the end of the line. It's clearly stated in the Elite benefit letter in our cabins that we are to "join any remaining passengers & board the next available tender". So our benefit is to avoid the need to get a tender priority ticket & have to wait for our group to be called. To do anymore would be embarassing to me to go ahead of anyone who was in line after waiting for a tender ticket & then to go to the tender.:o. They have waited long enough...and I can wait at the end of the line.

[cruiseron36]

Maybe in the past they would either put you in the front or somewhere other than at the end of the line but as Toto said it's now at the end of the line. It's clearly stated in the Elite benefit letter in our cabins that we are to "join any remaining passengers & board the next available tender". So our benefit is to avoid the need to get a tender priority ticket & have to wait for our group to be called. To do anymore would be embarassing to me to go ahead of anyone who was in line after waiting for a tender ticket & then to go to the tender.:o. They have waited long enough...and I can wait at the end of the line.

 

I agree and I did not advise anyone to push to the head of the line. In fact I advised not to unless a Princess rep escorted you. You must have misread my post.

[Astro Flyer]

I agree and I did not advise anyone to push to the head of the line. In fact I advised not to unless a Princess rep escorted you. You must have misread my post.

I understand that you follow the rules & even though it was a reply to your post I only did so since some still appear to be confused since my earlier post stating the Princess procedure.

 

As far as going to anywhere other than the end of the line at a Princess reps direction, I would decline & go to the end of the line. That's just me & certainly not judging anyone who would do otherwise.

[vickie_bernie]

Probably not enforced since the area is under used to begin with and they like the extra business unlike the tenders which are always filled to capacity at the start.

 

we found the Platinum Elite lounge on our Panama Cruise in October was very well used. Sometimes we found someone checking our cards or a list (this was on the Crown and the Ruby going into skywalkers) but on the Island no one checked.

 

One night we had plans with another couple who is not platinum and we asked the circle host if it would be okay for them to come with us to the lounge for that one night for pre dinner drinks, and she said no problem. I certainly would only do if she said it was okay and would never assume.

 

By the end of the cruise the lounge was quite busy as more people got to know each other and knew about the lounge

[A&L_Ont]

Yes. It's changed to no more priority tender tickets. Your black Elite card is your "tender ticket." most Princess ships have switched to this. I should think that your DH and small children will be allowed to go with you. That's different IMHO than friends going with you. Your DH is there to assist you with the children.

 

 

This would be true for Elite members. We are only platinum members who usually stay in a suite and we do get priority tender tickets, at least as of our last cruise in the fall of 2009 on the Emerald. The same was said for the Crown and Caribbean Princess previous to that one. Has this changed for suites? Would non-elite guests in suites get a black card now as the benefits are somewhat similar? We have a full suite again in 55 days so I am curious. I believe that I do not deserve the black card until I have done my 15 cruises.

 

I would agree though, do not try to cut into the front of the line or it could be heads off by the dirty looks. I often wondered if they should have a seperate spot for suite and elite members to gather and then princess tender advisors insert that group into the main line at the "right" time. They could do this rather easily with the use of walkie-talkies. Any other thoughts on this?

 

Andrew

[rkmw]

This would be true for Elite members. We are only platinum members who usually stay in a suite and we do get priority tender tickets, at least as of our last cruise in the fall of 2009 on the Emerald. The same was said for the Crown and Caribbean Princess previous to that one. Has this changed for suites? Would non-elite guests in suites get a black card now as the benefits are somewhat similar? We have a full suite again in 55 days so I am curious. I believe that I do not deserve the black card until I have done my 15 cruises.

 

I would agree though, do not try to cut into the front of the line or it could be heads off by the dirty looks. I often wondered if they should have a seperate spot for suite and elite members to gather and then princess tender advisors insert that group into the main line at the "right" time. They could do this rather easily with the use of walkie-talkies. Any other thoughts on this?

 

Andrew

 

if you are in a suite you should get priority tender tickets but not a black card as we have earned it and when we get the tender we have to go to the back of the line, could you imagine the looks if there was a seperate line and we went to the front

[A&L_Ont]

if you are in a suite you should get priority tender tickets but not a black card as we have earned it and when we get the tender we have to go to the back of the line, could you imagine the looks if there was a seperate line and we went to the front

 

Thanks for the clarification. Everytime we have had the full suite we recieved priority tender tickets already waiting in the room. We are only 3 cruises away from receiving our black card. I was only asking if they changed the card system for suites as well. We were never instructed by Princess on where to go or how it worked. We just joined the last person in the line-up for tenders in the stairwell at the 3rd or 4th deck.

 

What I was trying to communicate/suggest is that if there was a seperate meeting area, such as the coffee shop in the atrium and with good communication by Princess using walkie/talkies the priority tender cruisers could be called for the next waiting tender just as the people in the lounge are being released. The priority group would arrive sortly before the lounge group and no-one should be the wiser. The people from the lounge would guess that the people in front of them were people that didn't make the last tender. This could be only for the first hour of tendering, giving the elite guest a chance to disembark in the early time without the stress that can be experienced in the current system.

 

I will say that tendering is way better than how its was at our first tender cruise years ago. That was mass kaos. They didn't have the sticker system in the lounges like they do now. Back in the day you just went to a lounge for your time of shore excursion and fought the masses to get to the tender. I remember just leaving with a mass group and the cruise staff trying to contain the frustrated people.

 

Only just my idea/thought that could make it less stressful for the elite card cruiser as well as the unknowing cruisers who are unaware of the black card benefit of priority disembarkation.

 

Sorry for any miss-understnading.

Andrew

[Astro Flyer]

What I was trying to communicate/suggest is that if there was a seperate meeting area, such as the coffee shop in the atrium and with good communication by Princess using walkie/talkies the priority tender cruisers could be called for the next waiting tender just as the people in the lounge are being released. The priority group would arrive sortly before the lounge group and no-one should be the wiser. The people from the lounge would guess that the people in front of them were people that didn't make the last tender. This could be only for the first hour of tendering, giving the elite guest a chance to disembark in the early time without the stress that can be experienced in the current system.

 

It's always good to seek new ways to improve things but I would prefer to keep the current procedure.

 

While it's not perfect, it may be the best way to use this Elite benefit. I would prefer to join the back of the line without being too obvious. In my opinion, your suggestion would take more time to tender from the ship.

 

The bottom line may come down to the extra cost to Princess to staff your idea.

 

I think the current way is less complicated but that's just my opinion. :)

[BoPippy]

I know this only applies to getting off the ship,but i have noticed on many cruises when returning to the ship there have been huge long lines at times and there have been passengers,sometimes 2 or 3 ,even 4 or 5 that walk right up to the front and r let on ahead of everyone.I wonder what that is about???:confused:

[Toto2Kansas]

I know this only applies to getting off the ship,but i have noticed on many cruises when returning to the ship there have been huge long lines at times and there have been passengers,sometimes 2 or 3 ,even 4 or 5 that walk right up to the front and r let on ahead of everyone.I wonder what that is about???:confused:

 

I have seen this happen also, but have seen them sent to the end of the line in the past. Or other passengers who somehow got away with it. My guess, some think that their priority also extends to returning to the ship, and the crew member that allowed it didn't know any better.

[cruiseron36]

I know this only applies to getting off the ship,but i have noticed on many cruises when returning to the ship there have been huge long lines at times and there have been passengers,sometimes 2 or 3 ,even 4 or 5 that walk right up to the front and r let on ahead of everyone.I wonder what that is about???:confused:

 

They may be VIP or RIP (Rude, Inconsiderate People)

[1 HappyCruiser]

I know this only applies to getting off the ship,but i have noticed on many cruises when returning to the ship there have been huge long lines at times and there have been passengers,sometimes 2 or 3 ,even 4 or 5 that walk right up to the front and r let on ahead of everyone.I wonder what that is about???:confused:

 

My guess would be is they might have had an emergency & were permitted to jump ahead. It's not that common a sight.

[sultan_sfo]

The ones we have seen are crew members who have an earlier time to report back. Many cruises have a separate gangway for crew members; some do not. I do not begrudge crew members of this privilege.

 

I know this only applies to getting off the ship,but i have noticed on many cruises when returning to the ship there have been huge long lines at times and there have been passengers,sometimes 2 or 3 ,even 4 or 5 that walk right up to the front and r let on ahead of everyone.I wonder what that is about???:confused: