Free stuff on board??

[calcalcoop]

joining the free games, trivia challenges, some meet and mingles are good places to score 'free' ship memorabilia. Might be a frisbee, a pen, a pin, a tshirt, a shot glass, etc. For sure, contest winners get some kind of a ship-related prize. At least you can have fun while trying.

[Starlight Durban Cruising]

As with all things security-related you can't take your own wine-opener (corkscrew) onboard anymore.

Last year we took our (allowed) carry-on bottles of wine when we boarded the Carnival Splendor. Once onboard we realized we needed a corkscrew, so we called room service for them to lend us one, and a short while later they delivered a nice Carnival corkscrew for us to keep. Still comes in handy.

[d_fargro]

I see I'm not the only fan of getting free stuff when I travel :) nice tips

[Quasar1011]

My last cruise didn't even have the ship's pin for the VIP cruisers. I would have bought one in their gift shop if they'd sell them.

Exactly! I'd have paid for a ship's pin as well last time- except NCL didn't sell any. :(

Edited February 6, 2012 by Quasar1011

[b.mcgee]

how can you sign up for the vip it will not allow me :mad:

[kpeck21085]

I recall one item that meant a great deal on our Panama Canal Celebrity cruise in 2005. The entire dining staff including the the Head waiter and Head Chef autographed a picture of the ship on what looked like a placemat and gave it to everyone at the Table. It was quite an honor because not everyone received one.

[awhfy]

We're Elite on Celebrity & sail in concierge, we've never received a pin (& DH collects pins). Lovely writing pending, key card holder & nice zippered tote each time, but never a pin.

 

 

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[OldToyBoy]

I do not remember anything Free on Cunard ships other than the toiletries and pillow chocolates which are on all cruise ships.

Much the same on Celebrity.

Princess issued free bedroom slippers and pins for Captains Table Club which are colour coded for return passengers and have privileges as you progress e.g. Priority tender embarkation, also for our wedding anniversary a bottle of champagne and strawberries in our cabin at no extra charge and on another occasion a free cake for my Wife's birthday.

Fred Olsen nothing and we even had to pay for the shuttle bus into the ports of call.

P & O are most generous to returning passengers with pins of various grades, slippers in their own carry bag, half bottles of champagne, mostly free shuttle buses, very nice gifts at Christmas if you are aboard for that holiday along with all the crackers, hats, special seasonal souvenir menus etc., and free drinks at two or three cocktail parties on each cruise. Also very nice special lunches for loyal passengers and a rather nice diary sent by post in early December. Alas they are also charging for the casino cards.

Many of the ports visited have goody bags that are distributed to passengers and many of the Pacific Islands welcome you with colourful leis as do some of the Asian Island tourist boards. In Brazil we were given very good straw type hats. Many excursion buses issue free bottled water and in Belgium every passenger gets free chocolates on the tour buses. We even had bottles of Tiger beer delivered free to our cabins in a couple of ports same with San Miguel. Of course there are gift tokens handed out in many ports for trinkets if you visit certain jewellery shops.

There is of course the expectation of healthy tips for the tour guides which most of them do deserve especially after spending the day looking after some VERY demanding clients.

[Deck_Diva]

On RCL we get free happy hour drinks from 5:30 to 8:30 for all Diamond, Diamond + & Pinnacle members. But No more pens or writing pads in the rooms, need to bring post-it to write on. We still get our toiletries, coffee, tea bags, n daily afternoon goodies plate.

& the M&M gift too.