Comparing Frequent Pax Benefits across lines

[Cruzaholic41]

But they did change the venue when Michael's Club was repurposed as a full-time lounge for upper level suite guests [Celebrity Suite or higher] and Zenith members of The Captain's Club last year...

 

And that, I do not like. Michaels Club was my favorite venue on Celebrity.

 

The reason I give the edge now to RCI is the 24/7 availability of the lounge with private computers and the cappuccino machine. It's nice to stop in for a continental breakfast or a snack later in the day and yes, I do enjoy socializing during the cocktail hours.

[iancal]

The benefit thing is do personal.

 

Yes, on our RCI cruise Diamond lounge provided gratis Mimosas in the AM.

 

But we do not care for them. So RCI could have offered us a boatload of them and it would be meaningless to us. No better than a calendar, a free picture, or a medallion to us. About as useful or meaningful to us as as a chocolate teapot.

[Swice]

I have yet to get my "free" photo of the ship. I have no clue how to get it... is it delivered to my room? Do I pick it up at the photo center?

 

I'm not sure what I would do with an actual photo. Can they provide it electronically?

 

It's a VERY important perk to me and I feel that my life is over since I've missed this benefit.

I may have to change cruise lines for this. ;-)

 

(Marriott does not give hotel photos to Elite members... maybe they should.)

[iancal]

DW has been a very loyal customer of a certain ladies wear store for many years.

 

They have yet to give her a photo of one of their stores, a pin, or a medallion based on her accumulated spend!

 

What they do give is a credit once in a while based on her total dollar spend. This just encourages her to spend more.

 

Marriott and Starwood don't send me pictures of their hotels either. They do however give me free rooms from time to time. Much better than anything else that they could give me.

 

What I find fascinating is this thing that the cruise lines have about calling their customers 'guests' as though this makes them more special. It is such a silly notion that even Target managers are now instructing staff to refer to customers as guests. Go figure.

Edited January 27, 2015 by iancal

[DaveOKC]

I have yet to get my "free" photo of the ship. I have no clue how to get it... is it delivered to my room? Do I pick it up at the photo center?

 

I'm not sure what I would do with an actual photo. Can they provide it electronically?

 

It's a VERY important perk to me and I feel that my life is over since I've missed this benefit.

I may have to change cruise lines for this. ;-)

 

(Marriott does not give hotel photos to Elite members... maybe they should.)

 

You have to ask at the photo desk. And most of the time the clerk there does not even know about the program, so they have to check with someone - so I guess this means that most people do not bother to ask for it.

 

DaveOKC

[cruz chic]

Pins and medallions don't mean anything to me. Neither does a few cheap drinks. I'm always surprised at how many folks hold free drinks as being and awesome perk. Give me free laundry or specialty restaurant discounts any day.

[Jade13]

The OP asks an interesting question. For those of us who enjoy adult beverages, we think that Celebrity has the best frequent cruiser amenities (by far) for those who are "Elite" or above. Celebrity has a daily Elite breakfast which is a nice continental breakfast in a private room where they offer free coffee drinks (like cappuccino), fresh fruit smoothies, Bloody Marys, Mimosas, Bellinis, etc. They also have a daily cocktail party (sometimes replaced with vouchers for 3 free drinks a day per passenger) from 5-7. Celebrity also gives free internet minutes (DW and get 200 min each), some free laundry, etc.

 

On HAL, where we are 4 Star Mariners, we have received zero free internet, often a single short party (even on cruises over a month long), a nice discount on a couple of overpriced wine packages, free laundry (a great benefit on long cruises) and a few other minor amenities. Oh. and HAL loves to give out things like Medallions which seem to make some cruisers very happy. DW has a corner of some drawer that is full of cruise line medallions and pins where they will sit until our heirs toss them in the trash. Some folks really consider these kind of worthless items important, but we would gladly trade them for some free internet, a free drink, etc.

 

Hank

 

I came to respond but you pretty much answered what I had to say. I can only really compare HAL, Celebrity and Azamara. Celebrity is so far ahead of HAL with the past passenger benefits. even if someone is only at their second tier they get a couple of items pressed for free.

 

At Elite Level aside from their private breakfast with smoothies, Mimosa, Bellinis etc. free drinks from a cocktail hour or coupons, free laundry, a couple of items pressed, and free internet. They are even giving coupons for their gelato, and early boarding, and a disembarkation lounge/breakfast.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Jade13

[Jade13]

I sailed my first Celebrity Cruise last fall. I have had RCCL stock for years. I was not able to get the Shareholder OBC credit because the cruise booking came with a free drinks package. To get the OBC credit, I would have had to cancel the drinks package. From what I could gather in communication with Customer Relations, Celebrity does not allow perks to be stacked. The cruiser has to decide what "perk" is most valuable to them and give up the rest.

.

 

That is the only area where HAL beats Celebrity as far as perks, but the OP asked about past passenger perks. Few people purchase Celebrity stock for the OBC. Celebrity generally lets you combine 2 or three promotions. HAL apparently allows the stock OBC with everything, but the amounts are very small, especially on a short cruise in a standard cabin.

[Jade13]

On some sailings [particularly repositioning cruises; I've been aboard when more than 800 guests were eligible to attend the Captain's Club cocktail event], even the capacity of Sky Lounge--the largest venue on Celebrity's ships--has been insufficient... In those cases, eligible Captain's Club members are provided with three drink vouchers nightly that can be redeemed--during the same hours and using the same drinks menu--at just about any bar [sky Lounge is included; the Martini Bar and (on Solstice-Class ships) Molecular Bar are excluded] to alleviate overcrowding... Some guests actually prefer the voucher approach as it provides greater latitude to those who want to enjoy pre-dinner drinks with friends ineligible for the benefit... ..

 

We prefer the vouchers. It was great on our repositioning cruise. We could just bring the wine right into the dining room for dinner.

[Cruzaholic41]

I'm always surprised at how many folks hold free drinks as being and awesome perk.

 

Why? If you don't drink much, that's fine. But why would you say it's such a surprise to you? Drinks are expensive on a cruise and over the course of a week, this perk can easily save a few hundred bucks - alot more than free laundry saves me.

 

I appreciate free laundry too, but why knock those who like the free drinks? :confused:

[frankc98376]

Why? If you don't drink much, that's fine. But why would you say it's such a surprise to you? Drinks are expensive on a cruise and over the course of a week, this perk can easily save a few hundred bucks - alot more than free laundry saves me.

 

I appreciate free laundry too, but why knock those who like the free drinks? :confused:

 

On our 2013 Alaska cruise we ended up with 7 Mariner nights for our shipboard account.

I'd like to say we did a whole lot of shore excursions, however we did none. I will say that wine, bar and PG every night charges can add up fast, Do I like having the Signature Beverage card as a perk- oh yeah. Luckily it was our honeymoon and we had $1400 in OBC from wedding gifts so the pain wasn't quite as great. Interested that Celebrity is including beverage package and dining package for suites- waiting to hear reviews.

[cruz chic]

Why? If you don't drink much, that's fine. But why would you say it's such a surprise to you? Drinks are expensive on a cruise and over the course of a week, this perk can easily save a few hundred bucks - alot more than free laundry saves me.

 

I appreciate free laundry too, but why knock those who like the free drinks? :confused:

 

I'm sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to express my opinion:rolleyes:. I find the constant reference to free pins and medallions so incredibly tiresome. The folks that mention this constantly are the ones that seem to think free drinks in a crowded space is beyond awesome. I do drink wine and cocktails but I would rather drink when and where I want. Drinking at breakfast isn't a perk for me.

[Aquahound]

I'm also one who really enjoys the free drinks, especially with the vouchers given by Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. It's my single biggest money saver on board, and it's a fun way to do it. ;) The balcony discounts on RCI are also a big hit with me.

 

Another vote here for RCI having the best program.

 

As for HAL, I'd prefer they get rid of that fancy mailer and add better on-board perks. JMO.

[CRUZBUDS]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to express my opinion:rolleyes:. I find the constant reference to free pins and medallions so incredibly tiresome. The folks that mention this constantly are the ones that seem to think free drinks in a crowded space is beyond awesome. I do drink wine and cocktails but I would rather drink when and where I want. Drinking at breakfast isn't a perk for me.

 

On Royal Caribbean your first three drinks each evening are free in any bar on the ship between 5 and 8:30. There are limits to what you can order, but it way more than covered what we wanted.

 

On Celebrity if the designated lounge is too crowded due to a large number of Elites, they go the the vouchers as well.

 

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but it is not based on what we've experienced. I'm sorry if you ran into to crowded situations.

 

Our experience has been very positive, we enter the lounge, make eye contact with our favorite server and our drinks are delivered to or table. It saves us an easy $50+per day.

 

PS -- on sea days we do enjoy a Bloody Mary or two in the morning --- they are not mandatory :rolleyes:

[SilvertoGold]

CRUZBUDS

 

Good post! Good nformation.

 

Nothing wrong with a Bloody Mary in the morning. We love Mimosas, although I do wish they were mandatory!!

[winddawn]

My neighbor is looking at planning several cruises in the next several years and was asking about the frequent pax (loyalty) benefits available across several lines. They are looking at onboard perks but also possible fare discounts for past history with a line.

 

I am only familiar with HAL (mariner program, CCL stock, private sales for lower starred mariners that meet certain demographics :) ).

 

Could some of you all who have sailed with other lines fill in the gaps for other lines please? I know this frequently comes up as a side in some threads. How does HAL stack up with other lines? Or is it pretty much the same and you just go with current pricing?

 

Thanks-

TC

Cruise line frequent cruiser perks are not worth much IMO. If I were new to cruising, I would choose a cruise line to be loyal to based on my preferred ports of embarkation (consider the cost of closest airport flights to various ports) and the itineraries offered. If your friends are people that like to visit the casino, I might also suggest to them that they choose based on casino comps offered, although casino comps on cruise lines in no way compare to land-based casinos. Of all the opinions I've read over the years, Norwegian seems to be preferred for that. They also might want to think about the length of cruises they think they might be interested in since different lines offer differing lengths. IMO the discounts offered to frequent cruisers don't seem to be worth much on any line. The best rates are typically based on other factors IMO.

[sail7seas]

Platinum status on Princess begins on one's 6th cruise or after 50 sailing days. Internet minutes increase at the Elite level and also increase depending on the length of the cruise.

 

It's a great benefit--I find it's just enough time to send a quick e-mail or two every other day and to scan the inbox for important messages.

 

I cruised Princess about 6 times and the last time was about 18 or so years ago. Would those cruises still be credited to me were I to try them again? (At the moment, I have no plans to but am interested in the question.)

Edited January 28, 2015 by sail7seas

[frankc98376]

I cruised Princess about 6 times and the last time was about 18 or so years ago. Would those cruises still be credited to me were I to try them again? (At the moment, I have no plans to but am interested in the question.)

 

I second Sail's question- I have several Princess Cruises from pre-Carnival Princess. Will they give me credit for these?

Sail- great minds think alike- I was just jumping on to ask the same question- you beat me to it :)

[cruz chic]

I cruised Princess about 6 times and the last time was about 18 or so years ago. Would those cruises still be credited to me were I to try them again? (At the moment, I have no plans to but am interested in the question.)

 

I would think they would if they are like hal. I took my first cruise with hal in 1984. I was single at the time. Took my second cruise in 1999 just as I was going thru my divorce. I had, and still have a different name from my first cruise and I did get credit for it, 15 years apart.

[CRUZBUDS]

I cruised Princess about 6 times and the last time was about 18 or so years ago. Would those cruises still be credited to me were I to try them again? (At the moment, I have no plans to but am interested in the question.)

 

You'd likely get a quicker answer on the Princess board.

 

We had old cruises credited on RCI and Carnival -- 1986 and 1988.

 

DW still had all of our paperwork which made it very easy. I've heard lines will take something as simple as a welcome aboard picture with the ship name on it.

 

We have two Princess cruises from 15 years or so ago -- we'll also be seeking credit toward their program next time we book Princess. I don't think we'll have any problem. Good luck :)

[cruisemom42]

I cruised Princess about 6 times and the last time was about 18 or so years ago. Would those cruises still be credited to me were I to try them again? (At the moment, I have no plans to but am interested in the question.)

 

Most likely, if you could corroborate the dates/details (assuming they were long enough ago that they might not be in their current system).

 

I cruised with Sitmar as a kid and teen. Sitmar subsequently became Princess. When I took my first Princess cruise in the early 2000s they were able to give me credit for all of the earlier cruises for which I had info.

[Jade13]

On our 2013 Alaska cruise we ended up with 7 Mariner nights for our shipboard account.

I'd like to say we did a whole lot of shore excursions, however we did none. I will say that wine, bar and PG every night charges can add up fast, Do I like having the Signature Beverage card as a perk- oh yeah. Luckily it was our honeymoon and we had $1400 in OBC from wedding gifts so the pain wasn't quite as great. Interested that Celebrity is including beverage package and dining package for suites- waiting to hear reviews.

 

Not just beverage and dinning. The top tier Suites on Celebrity (equivalent to Pinnacle Suites) get the following,

 

* Complimentary Premium Beverage package

* Complimentary unlimited Specialty Dining

* Complimentary unlimited Internet access

* Complimentary mini-bar stocked daily with water, sodas, beer

 

HAL should do more for their top Suite guests. Actually all of the Suite guests will have a private dining room for breakfast lunch and dinner, but can eat anywhere they want on the ship.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Jade13

[Jade13]

I cruised Princess about 6 times and the last time was about 18 or so years ago. Would those cruises still be credited to me were I to try them again? (At the moment, I have no plans to but am interested in the question.)

 

I am sure they would. You can call them to see if they still have your records or if you would need to provide data. It might be a good idea just in case HAL decides to combine any credits/benefits across the CCL brands.

[Jade13]

I have yet to get my "free" photo of the ship. I have no clue how to get it... is it delivered to my room? Do I pick it up at the photo center?

 

I'm not sure what I would do with an actual photo. Can they provide it electronically?

 

It's a VERY important perk to me and I feel that my life is over since I've missed this benefit.

I may have to change cruise lines for this. ;-)

 

(Marriott does not give hotel photos to Elite members... maybe they should.)

 

Pick it up at the Photo Center.

[Bobby2Dogs]

A free photo of the ship does kinda feel akin to my accountant giving me a picture of himself for Christmas. Ok... What am I supposed to do with this?

 

 

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