Will PRINCESS change their loyalty program?

[Iamcruzin]

Well it does -- if someone at princess looks at the cost of the elite

benefits and decides that because there are so many elites, the

benefits are no longer affordable.

 

...for instance, if half the ship is getting free laundry.

 

I honestly think that before they start looking to cut this they will cut combining OBC’s. I have read where some passengers start the cruise with OBC from the travel agent, military, share holder, FCC, and the extra elite OBC and then brag that they came home with money from the on board account. Some of the cruise lines don’t allow this now. I hope half the ship receives free laundry. That will mean that the self service laundry will be less crowded. That self service laundry and being able to bring wine on board is more valuable to me than any perk any line has to offer.

[paul929207]

We have only cruised twice with Princess but already have 28 days. We just booked a B2B next year for 16 days followed by 14. So you an see we will reach 50 days shortly into the second cruise. Can we be upgraded to platinum while aboard ship for the last 8 days? I am most interested in getting the Internet credit.

Sorry, the Captain's Circle status changes only occur at the end of cruise. So, even though you will reach 50 days in the middle of a cruise, you will not be platinum until the end of it.

[Sincity]

Interesting that this came up. I have been thinking how long can Princess keep this program going if they offered all of these 1 day and short coastals and suddenly you will have a lot of Plats and Elites? At some point, you will need to make changes to the loyalty program otherwise you will have a boatload of Plats and Elites and will need to begin diluting the benefits offered.

 

We are one of those that are 3 credits away from Elite and will be booking 2 balcony cabins for the 1 nighter and a balcony for the coastal for the both of us this upcoming Sept. I wanted to do this just in case Princess will be changing the loaylty program so we can be grandfathered in. I can see how some will be annoyed since they earned it by sea days. But again, we are playing by the rules set forth by Princess. We could have taken our vacation money elsewhere. Princess still makes money off us.

 

Along with crusie days, Princess may want to add that a minimum of a 5-day cruise to count as a single credit.

[denmarks]

My concern is that members get double the cruise credits when traveling as a single since you pay almost double. They do not give double the days. If there was a change to days then they would have to double the days for singles. In that case it would be better for me since I take mostly 2 week cruises.

[bhopal21]

I can't worry about what others get. I am happy with the benefits I get and I have 22 cruises and about 400 days. It does not affect me if someone had 15 two day cruises to qualify for Elite.

 

I think that is a great outlook Paul.

 

I share the same viewpoint.

 

Mike:)

[Infi]

An interesting question from the OP. I'm sure it would take awhile to change the loyalty program, with all the number crunching and decisions to be made. But, it's possible that it could be in the works. Then again, the changes to Carnival's loyalty program have been promised for 3 years now, so maybe we shouldn't hold our breath. ;)

 

I hope they do change it to number of days sailed only. It's the most fair way to do things. I know everyone loves to cite the coastals as the "unfair" way to getting to be elite, but honestly, there are only maybe 6 of those cruises per year. Coupled with the hassle of travel, I doubt it is as big of an epidemic as claimed on here. I think the 4-5 day cruises will be more of a contributor to an increasing number of elites. I know that was (is) the issue for Celebrity's loyalty program.

[paul929207]

My concern is that members get double the cruise credits when traveling as a single since you pay almost double. They do not give double the days. If there was a change to days then they would have to double the days for singles. In that case it would be better for me since I take mostly 2 week cruises.

While they MAY double the days for passengers sailing solo, the do not HAVE to.

[Pam in CA]

Sorry, the Captain's Circle status changes only occur at the end of cruise. So, even though you will reach 50 days in the middle of a cruise, you will not be platinum until the end of it.

Right. Your status changes after the completed cruise, not the day after 50 days sailed. I reached 150 days on the third day of a 12-day cruise and even though I begged, no dice. :)

[Sincity]

I very much agree with you Paul. I posted on one of the other threads on this very subject, a few weeks back. I am still puzzled why there is such animosity by those who are already Elite towards someone who gains this stature by sailing as a solo, or booking a suite or taking shorter cruises!! It makes it sound like a caste system and those who don't earn it the 'old fashioned way' are somehow "lesser than". What does it take away from your status if someone is Platinum or Elite?

 

But I still don't understand how someone else being Platinum or Elite hurts the status of those who have already attained these levels.:confused: Very elitist.

 

+1

 

Wow, if we counted sea days only, and since I just started cruising with Princess five years ago when I was forty, it would probably take me till retirement before I hit Elite! Sux being a working stiff. :eek:

 

However, in 2011, we did take 2 7-day cruises and 1 10-day towards the Elite goal. And on one of the 7-day cruises, we paid for my father-in-law to have a cabin to himself. Anyone annoyed that he is Gold? :cool:

[Beopthtuh]

im for days sailed and a super elite satus

gold upto 50 days

platinum up to 150 days

titanium up to 250 days

ellite up to 500 days

diamond above 500 days

these 1 day sailing will mean nearly every north american cruiser can be elite in between 15-30 days not a real loyalty programme .

[Beopthtuh]

The Captains Circle Disembarkation Lounge use to a quiet place to relax before leaving the ship. Now, with so many Platinums/Elites, it is overcrowded with passengers standing in aisles with multiple pieces of luggage at their side. During our last 3 cruises, if you did not get to the Lounge early, you were delegated to an overflow room with none of the perks provided.. Hopefully Princess will have an Elites only Disembarkation Lounge in the future.

largin you,ll get hung drawn and quartered for saying such a thing ,on the cruise after our med 2 weeks last year the t.a. had 1800 plat/elite members .

so standing room only at end :D:D

[Pam in CA]

I don’t understand the complaints from people who have enough time and money to sail days on end some even paying single supplement. If they change it to number of days only, then it will turn into a class program where only the rich will reap the benefits. I think those who take the short cruises just to get to elite are being penny wise and pound foolish.

I achieved Elite mostly the "old fashioned way," i.e., number of cruises, so solo cruising and the point system did nothing for me. Personally, I think it should be just # of days and scrap the point system. KISS. It's a loyalty program and with just the # of days, it doesn't matter whether you're in a suite or an inside, rich or poor, take long cruises or short ones, live on the East coast or West, are in the US or UK. To me, that's the fairest system.

[SoBaycruiser]

I achieved Elite mostly the "old fashioned way," i.e., number of cruises, so solo cruising and the point system did nothing for me. Personally, I think it should be just # of days and scrap the point system. KISS. It's a loyalty program and with just the # of days, it doesn't matter whether you're in a suite or an inside, rich or poor, take long cruises or short ones, live on the East coast or West, are in the US or UK. To me, that's the fairest system.

 

I just wonder what the justification is to give advantage to the short time cruisers. Some taking 3-4 day cruises can make platinum in less than 20 days at sea. Meanwhile I'll be going into my fourth cruise with 44 days, still at the gold level.

[Sincity]

Another point of view about the loyalty program. Princess will have my business because once we reach Elite, we do not want to start over again with another cruise line. Sure, there will be times we will be cruising on other lines. But guess what? Princess will be getting a majority of our business. A win for Princess IMO.

[Josy1953]

I agree with this as well. In the UK not much chance of taking lots of 1 and 2 day cruises to make the different levels. We have spent a lot of money on Princess and are still some way from getting to Elite:(

 

Have started taking some P&O cruises because they count towards the number of cruises and I think half the days cruised are added to our Princess account.

 

P&O have stopped counting Princess cruises since they changed from the Portunus Club to the Peninsular Club.

[t60]

Please don´t let them change the loyalty programme, we´ve just made Elite for our next cruise. Free laundry has cost us a lot !:-))

 

Sandy In Spain

[Dorset Cruiser]

P&O have stopped counting Princess cruises since they changed from the Portunus Club to the Peninsular Club.

 

But Princess still count P&O cruises/days. My future (Jan 2013) Southampton to Sydney Aurora cruise is showing in my Princess Captains Circle account already. It shows as 1 cruise and I believe they count half of the days. I hope they do as it is a 46 day cruise and, along with our upcoming Crown Princess cruise, it might just get us to Elite!

[caribill]

Either measure by days spent aboard

or

by cost to sail.......then maybe UK cruisers might get some credit for the expensive airfares/overnight accommodations they have to pay to take these cruises. :)

 

Princess has never counted days on the tour part of a cruisetour, days spent on traveling or days in a hotel. They only have counted actual days on the cruise ship.

 

I would not expect that to change no matter where one lives.

[caribill]

The Captains Circle Disembarkation Lounge use to a quiet place to relax before leaving the ship. Now, with so many Platinums/Elites, it is overcrowded with passengers standing in aisles with multiple pieces of luggage at their side.

 

The benefit of this is now you can go to the non-elite/platinum/suite gathering places and have lots of room to relax until your color is called to disembark.

[caribill]

Based on all the great sales recently (not just by Princess), it is obvious that bookings are down.

 

This would not be a great time to antagonize the most loyal passengers by reducing loyalty benefits.

[earljr]

I achieved Elite mostly the "old fashioned way," i.e., number of cruises, so solo cruising and the point system did nothing for me. Personally, I think it should be just # of days and scrap the point system. KISS. It's a loyalty program and with just the # of days, it doesn't matter whether you're in a suite or an inside, rich or poor, take long cruises or short ones, live on the East coast or West, are in the US or UK. To me, that's the fairest system.

 

 

I agree

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Days would be the best way ...

[Astro Flyer]

I achieved Elite mostly the "old fashioned way," i.e., number of cruises, so solo cruising and the point system did nothing for me. Personally, I think it should be just # of days and scrap the point system. KISS. It's a loyalty program and with just the # of days, it doesn't matter whether you're in a suite or an inside, rich or poor, take long cruises or short ones, live on the East coast or West, are in the US or UK. To me, that's the fairest system.

 

I just wonder what the justification is to give advantage to the short time cruisers. Some taking 3-4 day cruises can make platinum in less than 20 days at sea. Meanwhile I'll be going into my fourth cruise with 44 days, still at the gold level.

I agree that the best way is to determine the level based on the number of days sailed on Princess. Based on other cruise lines experiences with modifying their programs there are some unhappy passengers. Maybe if they 'grandfathered' the levels to not reduce any current member's level would be best.

 

When Princess established their Captain Circle levels they probably didn't envision a time when those with so few days would achieve Elite level. It's time to react to this situation by making future levels based solely on the number of days sailed with Princess.

[caribill]

I have 22 cruises and about 400 days.

 

Well it does -- if someone at princess looks at the cost of the elite benefits and decides that because there are so many elites, the benefits are no longer affordable.

 

 

 

Paul, having about 400 days has probably spent between $40,000 and $60,000 with Princess just for the basic cost of those cruise days, not including any onboard expenses.

 

Cut back the benefits because they "cost too much" will mean less people willing to spend $40,000 to $60,000 on Princess in the future.

[paul929207]

Paul, having about 400 days has probably spent between $40,000 and $60,000 with Princess just for the basic cost of those cruise days, not including any onboard expenses.

 

Cut back the benefits because they "cost too much" will mean less people willing to spend $40,000 to $60,000 on Princess in the future.

I agree. Did you notice the second quote is not from me?

 

I can see them putting a cap on the laundry as they did with the internet a few years back and maybe eliminating the mini bar setup for short cruises. Most of the other things don't cost them much. Princess Grapevine is what $9.50? Their cost is less and many would not otherwise go. Embarkation and debarkation lounges cost little. Same for the canapes and tea in the cabin. Tender priority is nothing.

 

So other than the internet and the laundry the benefits are not costing very much.