Elite Benefits

[CruisingObsessed]

Hi All

 

With the number of elites increasing by the minute it will not belong before ships sail with more than 50% elites.

 

So the status quo can not really be maintained,

 

We could have super elites then in another 10 years super super elites

 

 

So here's a thought for you folks to consider,

 

I think its un fair for those with 150 sea days to get same as folks with twice as many sea days on my last cruise the table average was around 30 cruises,

 

So how about keeping the basic benefits like checkin tenders etc

 

Then putting all other benefits on a menu

 

with folks selecting the number based upon sea days, say any four for elite

going up by 1 for every extra 50 sea days

 

this would make things a little more personal and might help tailor benefits to ones that folks want,

 

we could have

 

$25 on board credit

state room amenities

free meal in restaurant

mini bar

coffee card

flowers

wine

internet

laundry

tour credit

spa voucher

photo voucher

deluxe breakfast

shop voucher

 

 

yours Shogun

 

I like the menu idea. It spreads out the benefits (like laundry) which could help keep them more efficient. It allows them to offer more choices, too. Who wouldn't be happy getting just the ones they wanted? And as you said, they could add more choices as your days/credits get larger.

[bhopal21]

I am sure they are about as tired of this question as some us are of these silly threads that have absolutely no bearing on anything.

 

Exactly!

 

And this is the first I have heard about the benefit of chicken tenders.

 

Mike:rolleyes:

[Colo Cruiser]

Just spoke to the Captain Circle Representative on the Crown Princess. Before I could ask her anything, she told me that there are no plans for Elite Plus. When I looked puzzled, she said that that is the most frequently asked question. I went to see her for another reason....

 

 

Kinda like talking to a Princess rep on the phone.

Here is your canned answer now go away. :rolleyes:

[Colo Cruiser]

Exactly!

 

And this is the first I have heard about the benefit of chicken tenders.

 

Mike:rolleyes:

 

 

 

Eat more Chikin. :rolleyes:

[jasbo49]

With all due respect, I think you are trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

 

Sure, people are becoming Elite every day (or week or month). But people slow down their cruising due to old age or just plain die on a regular basis too.

 

We've been cruising for 15 years and just now became Platinum on Princess. I feel like we are lucky to be able to cruise so much. I just don't see how Princess ships are going to become half full of Elites. Can anyone demonstrate this in a believable fashion?

 

Jim

[pjrockman]

With all due respect, I think you are trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

 

 

 

Sure, people are becoming Elite every day (or week or month). But people slow down their cruising due to old age or just plain die on a regular basis too.

 

 

 

We've been cruising for 15 years and just now became Platinum on Princess. I feel like we are lucky to be able to cruise so much. I just don't see how Princess ships are going to become half full of Elites. Can anyone demonstrate this in a believable fashion?

 

 

 

Jim

 

 

Ditto. Do you mean more believable than it taking the commodore a whole 72 hours to get his skivvies back from the laundry???

[Colo Cruiser]

With all due respect, I think you are trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

 

Sure, people are becoming Elite every day (or week or month). But people slow down their cruising due to old age or just plain die on a regular basis too.

 

We've been cruising for 15 years and just now became Platinum on Princess. I feel like we are lucky to be able to cruise so much. I just don't see how Princess ships are going to become half full of Elites. Can anyone demonstrate this in a believable fashion?

 

Jim

 

 

Have you been drinking the koolaid?

[Woobstr112G]

If any changes are made, I would mind seeing the type of cabin chosen included as well. Just my humble opinion.....:):):)

 

Bob

[pris993]

As someone also at the cusp of Elite, I don't see how Princess should not be able to furnish the benefits that essentially duplicate Suite perks to all Elites even though the current system results in a high plurality of Elites on repositions and other long cruises. The "fairness" of how one got there should have no bearing on preparedness for the known number that will be on each cruise; its just a given that it will vary from cruise to cruise.

 

The loudest complaint seems to be that laundry turnaround time is too long. Thus the idea that Princess should offer a list of alternative benefits to select from. But someone like myself who is highly unlikely to use that benefit unless on a two week or longer cruise would simply receive a different benefit without relieving any burden on the system (possibly adding one depending on the new benefit). To get someone who prefers it to relinquish their free laundry would probably take something on the order of several bottles of (good) wine or 2-for-1 Chef's Table or UST. A much bigger drop in the bucket than a few photos or a couple coffee cards.

 

But we all have to foresee programs with real capacity issues--such as priority tendering or even admission to the platinum/elite/suite lounge--eventually switching to strictly number of days sailed as criteria for eligibility. Question then is how do you calculate the days for previous cruises as a solo and/or in a suite? Hindsight being 20/20 it would have been more fair (there's that 'f'-word again) to award those passengers bonus cruise days rather than bonus cruise credits from the beginning. But now I've missed taking the Loyalty OBC into account. [Excuse me while I scrape up all these worms off my keyboard...]

 

I always find the laundry issue funny... over 50 cruises, hardly use the laundry... DH has a jacket or tux pressed every once in awhile but that is it. Never wash clothes when traveling... yes we over pack...

[Shogun]

Hi jasbo49

 

I think we have already hit the problem on my last cruise,

 

blue cards were boarding quicker than plat/elite

 

internet just could not cope

 

no room amenities

 

if Emerald holds 3500 passengers elite/plat were in excess of 2000

 

Now Princess has increased the number of short cruises I became elite by the number of days doing cruises of up to 20 days for point while you could get 4 or 5 today for doing b2b2b2b for the same number of days.

 

This means folks will reach elite quicker, and younger

 

 

yours Shogun

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

What about using a system of cruise points

 

you get a point for every $100 spent on cruise and a point for every day

 

 

you reach levels based upon total number of points, which gives you basic

 

rewards, with a menu of the things to pick from, the higher grade the more menu

 

you items you get to pick.

 

 

yours Shogun

[Woobstr112G]

Hi All

 

What about using a system of cruise points

 

you get a point for every $100 spent on cruise and a point for every day

 

 

you reach levels based upon total number of points, which gives you basic

 

rewards, with a menu of the things to pick from, the higher grade the more menu

 

you items you get to pick.

 

 

yours Shogun

 

 

Sounds good to me.....:):):)

 

Bob

[Ron the Rev]

Princess certainly has a record of how much you purchase a cruise for, if they were to add this to how much you spend on board, as a running total of all the cruises you take; then everything relates to the dollar worth you are to them. A sliding scale of benefits based on that would soon sort things out.;)

[2BeOnaBoat]

Hi All

What about using a system of cruise points

you get a point for every $100 spent on cruise and a point for every day

you reach levels based upon total number of points, which gives you basic rewards, with a menu of the things to pick from, the higher grade the more menu

you items you get to pick.

 

yours Shogun

 

I think using days is more accurate. And people who pay nearly double like me can accept it as long as we can still wine - oops, Freudian slip?

 

If you change to $<insert preferred currency>$ then privilege can be bought. I'm sure Princess has a good way to compare apples to oranges, no need to throw in a banana.

 

The short b2b2bs are making elite a joke - said the hypocritical guy packing for a 5 day caribbean cruise on Sat.

[Hlitner]

Using a formula of days plus money spent onboard is how it is done with HAL.

 

Hank

[BassettMom]

Hi All

 

What about using a system of cruise points

 

you get a point for every $100 spent on cruise and a point for every day

 

 

you reach levels based upon total number of points, which gives you basic

 

rewards, with a menu of the things to pick from, the higher grade the more menu

 

you items you get to pick.

 

 

yours Shogun

Then you'd hear complaints about those who "bought" their elite status. As a solo cruiser, I usually pay double for the cruise so it's nice that Princess awards double cruise credits. Yes, I'm one of those who got to elite based on credits. I also tend to take ship excursions, and yes, even continue to buy photos, etc., so while I read so many complaints about those getting to elite based on credits instead of days, with this system, I'm sure I would then read complaints about those who bought their status based on spending and not based on days. There will always be people who are not happy with whatever system is used.

 

Personally, I'm grateful for the amenities that Princess awards and consider it a gift. And I was taught that when you are given a gift, you should appreciate it, instead of complaining that too many others got the same gift, so you should get more. Princess, along with other cruise lines, doesn't HAVE to have a loyalty program, and I appreciate that they do. Just my personal opinion.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[pjrockman]

Then you'd hear complaints about those who "bought" their elite status. As a solo cruiser, I usually pay double for the cruise so it's nice that Princess awards double cruise credits. Yes, I'm one of those who got to elite based on credits. I also tend to take ship excursions, and yes, even continue to buy photos, etc., so while I read so many complaints about those getting to elite based on credits instead of days, with this system, I'm sure I would then read complaints about those who bought their status based on spending and not based on days. There will always be people who are not happy with whatever system is used.

 

Personally, I'm grateful for the amenities that Princess awards and consider it a gift. And I was taught that when you are given a gift, you should appreciate it, instead of complaining that too many others got the same gift, so you should get more. Princess, along with other cruise lines, doesn't HAVE to have a loyalty program, and I appreciate that they do. Just my personal opinion.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

 

Well said. Plus, it is our choice to cruise with whatever line suits us with the existing available options, as opposed to 'what if' options. We still choose Princess, and not for a free lunch on a ship that has, well, all free lunches. Nor do we sail Princess for a table full of cheese and crackers that looks like a cattle drive went through it within 15 minutes of opening the door for the suite/elite/platinum nightly reception. Just my opinion.

[nukesubsailor]

Here is how I look at the loyalty benefits:

Princess offers those benefits as an incentive to get you to sail with them in the future and provide them with revenue. Nothing wrong with that. For me, more incentive is needed to get me to do something I don't really enjoy that is needed to get me to do something I enjoy.

I enjoy taking a cruise but I don't enjoy paying for it. I enjoy each day I get to spend aboard a ship but I don't enjoy paying for it. I enjoy having a balcony. I enjoy an occasional meal at the Crown Grill. I enjoy a drink or two each day. I would enjoy each day of cruising as long as I can afford it even without Captain's Circle loyalty benefits.

So for me, being rewarded based upon how much I spend with Princess would be a more effective incentive as it would reward me for doing something I do not enjoy. It would motivate to book a higher priced cabin and spend more money onboard the ship.

[Packard]

Sorry folks, I am not getting into the nuts and bolts of this discussion but I have just finished reading all the posts and am laughing because it reminds me of that scene in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"....the one where the characters are trying to decide the fairest way to divide up the $$ when they find it....anyone know the one I mean?

[BabySarge]

As an Elite I must admit I do like the free laundry perk and would like to suggest to Princess that should a cruise be top heavy with Elites using the perk and turn around times being 72 hours or more that a possible solution would be to let me do my own laundry BUT refund my shipboard account for the cost of my doing it.

 

That way I still get the "free" laundry but without the extended turn around wait and it would help lessen the load on the ship's laundry.

 

Just a thought.

[nukesubsailor]

Sorry folks, I am not getting into the nuts and bolts of this discussion but I have just finished reading all the posts and am laughing because it reminds me of that scene in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"....the one where the characters are trying to decide the fairest way to divide up the $$ when they find it....anyone know the one I mean?

 

That was a great movie. I loved it. It was a laugh a minute from when Jimmy Durante kicked the bucket until the very end.

[CZEE]

Kerfuffle on the HAL board. Apparently HAL is supposed to make some big announcement next week. People who fancy themselves in the know have postulated that it will include:

 

"what we were told by a good source a while back was that HAL's future plans are not going to go over big with long time high day Mariners .. they were also trying to work out a plan combining HAL Mariner days with Princess and Seaborne--all in the HAL group.." They are also postulating that all the lines will be headquartered together in Seattle and that the lines will lose their individuality. The hardline HAL cruisers lament that Princess seems to be driving changes in Carnival Corp as a whole, not necessarily Carnival Cruise Lines.

 

So. . .it this is true, who's going to lose out here. . .Five-Star Mariners or Elites?

[sonomaphil]

Kerfuffle on the HAL board. Apparently HAL is supposed to make some big announcement next week. People who fancy themselves in the know have postulated that it will include:

 

"what we were told by a good source a while back was that HAL's future plans are not going to go over big with long time high day Mariners .. they were also trying to work out a plan combining HAL Mariner days with Princess and Seaborne--all in the HAL group.." They are also postulating that all the lines will be headquartered together in Seattle and that the lines will lose their individuality. The hardline HAL cruisers lament that Princess seems to be driving changes in Carnival Corp as a whole, not necessarily Carnival Cruise Lines.

 

So. . .it this is true, who's going to lose out here. . .Five-Star Mariners or Elites?

 

 

My guess....that's way too corporate to be an exciting announcement from HAL.

 

HAL announcement guess....Cuba.

[shredie]

My guess....that's way too corporate to be an exciting announcement from HAL.

 

HAL announcement guess....Cuba.

 

Cuba. That would be a good one.

[Putterdude]

Kerfuffle on the HAL board. Apparently HAL is supposed to make some big announcement next week. People who fancy themselves in the know have postulated that it will include:

 

"what we were told by a good source a while back was that HAL's future plans are not going to go over big with long time high day Mariners .. they were also trying to work out a plan combining HAL Mariner days with Princess and Seaborne--all in the HAL group.." They are also postulating that all the lines will be headquartered together in Seattle and that the lines will lose their individuality. The hardline HAL cruisers lament that Princess seems to be driving changes in Carnival Corp as a whole, not necessarily Carnival Cruise Lines.

 

So. . .it this is true, who's going to lose out here. . .Five-Star Mariners or Elites?

 

I had just finished reading the HAL thread then saw your post. There certainly are a lot of posts speculating what may happen....from painting HAL's hulls white to charging for meals. In any event the BIG announcement is to be on Monday, Oct 26, in NYC. Whatever the announcement is, it is evidently being held under tight wraps.