Elite minbar setup thoughts

[sun&sea]

Being elite, we enjoy the benefit of having a minibar setup. As we very much appreciate this perk, as well as the fact that we can call to make changes, I wonder about the man hours involved in doing it this way. Why can't we request what we prefer prior to the cruise in the personalizer?

 

With the present system, someone first originates the initial setup. Someone delivers it to the cabin. I then sit down and write out what I REALLY want. I call and the person in room service has to take my new order. They in turn, give it to someone who makes the new setup. Someone else then has to deliver it to the cabin (most often the next day). They take back what we didn't want, and so on. Seems like wasted time to me. Am I missing something?

 

Just an observation.:o Maybe the new Ocean medallion will change this?

 

Janet

[floridalover5623]

I've given up on trying to save them time. It's never worked for me. I just go with the same old routine & return items with a phone call.

[OCruisers]

Who knows. ????

Seems Princess finds it easier to have those who what to make exchanges call.

[ar1950]

Probably doing it the way it is done now is less problematic than trying to make sure that the changes people want aren't messed up from the get go and then having to change things again. Not only that, people know what to expect now, but, if special requests were made and messed up I would bet that there would be some upset passengers. Only saying this based on how upset some folks around here get about seemingly small things.

 

BTW, if you have ever seen the minibar set ups delivered you would see that they are all put together on a tray and shrink wrapped when room service brings them in. Probably put together by an outside contractor. Seems that it may be more efficient to keep doing it the way it is now done. Also, I would bet that the majority of people keep the minibar as it is delivered. YMMV.

[fishywood]

I wonder about the man hours involved in doing it this way. Why can't we request what we prefer prior to the cruise in the personalizer? [...]Seems like wasted time to me. Am I missing something?

 

 

It would consume far more man hours, at a time there are none to spare, to sort out everyone's individual requests in the very short couple of hours that cabins are unoccupied on turnaround day. Making the exchanges as requested over the course of the first day(s) on board is the likely path of least resistance.

 

That said, I could see the possibility of advance customization of perks as something that could be offered to full suite passengers--but not for the minibar of an Elite that booked an inside guarantee, no matter how well earned the Elite perks are. And as the number of Elites continues to grow there is great risk of dilution; I understand that (for example) the little bag of "Upgraded Bathroom Amenities" has already been shrinking over the years. I would speculate that you may soon start seeing a difference in how perks duplicated for Suites and Elites are administered between the two. Once I become Elite (after two more cruises) I will just say "thank you" for the current minibar setup and thanks again if I choose to make any swaps--or not.

Edited April 14, 2017 by fishywood

[RMM34667]

The Elite mini bar - please don't change. It is a great source of entertainment for me. Mom is elite but really doesn't drink. But for some reason loves those little bottles.

 

Before the drink package I might drink the 2 beers. But more often than not she packed up the beers along with the little bottles. One time I picked up her carryon to put in the car and a beer bottle fell out. So embarrassing.

 

She is stressed lately and tonight I made her a drink. The little bottle probably was from a cruise 3 years ago . She wanted a highball. I had whiskey (hot toddy left overs) but she wanted the little bottle.

 

Mom is about to turn 83 has dementia. She loves the elite mini bar setup!

[Lucky TGO]

Maybe someday Princess will figure it out :confused:

Tony

[framer]

Speaking of little bottles my dad did 100's if not more than a 1000 flights over a 25 year period and collected boxes and boxes of those little bottles, he didn't drink. Airlines use to give you a couple of bottles on every flight in the 40, 50 and 60's. It was after he past we found them in storage. I still find it amazing what we as humans collect and save.

 

I smile and think of him every time I see those bottles in my minibar setup.

 

framer

[majortom10]

I am sure Princess are happy with the way it is done for us soon as we get into our stateroom the first thing we do is ring housekeeping and ask for it to be removed and replaced with 2 coffee cards which arrive late afternoon.

[paul929207]

In 2013, we were on the Grand around South America. It was a b2b2b. There were 1000 Elites who took all three legs. Towards the end of the first leg, we got a form list our choices for the minibar setup. We checked our choices and the correct setup showed up the first day of the second leg. Same at the end of the second leg.

[floridalover5623]

In 2013, we were on the Grand around South America. It was a b2b2b. There were 1000 Elites who took all three legs. Towards the end of the first leg, we got a form list our choices for the minibar setup. We checked our choices and the correct setup showed up the first day of the second leg. Same at the end of the second leg.

That's rare that they would ask. I imaging it saved lots of time replacing the setup with coffee cards.

They should at least provide a way of requesting coffee cards in the personalizer so they wouldn't have to change out setups since it's a major request for many people.

[skynight]

Maybe with the new medallion service the procedure can change.

[Jeter02]

I've wonder the same thing for years. I always add to my end of the cruise survey, letting there be a request form of the mini bar items we would like via the cruise personalized. When I'm on multiple weeks, I dislike that every turnaround day I have to sit and wait on the phone for 20-30min to pick up so I can exchange all my items out for bottles of water, as I do the drink alcohol or soda. I don't mind doing calling, as I'm grateful for this perk, but pre cruise form would make it more hassle free.

[sun&sea]

:hearteyes:

The Elite mini bar - please don't change. It is a great source of entertainment for me. Mom is elite but really doesn't drink. But for some reason loves those little bottles.

 

Before the drink package I might drink the 2 beers. But more often than not she packed up the beers along with the little bottles. One time I picked up her carryon to put in the car and a beer bottle fell out. So embarrassing.

 

She is stressed lately and tonight I made her a drink. The little bottle probably was from a cruise 3 years ago . She wanted a highball. I had whiskey (hot toddy left overs) but she wanted the little bottle.

 

Mom is about to turn 83 has dementia. She loves the elite mini bar setup!

 

Thank you for this story. Made me smile!

[DougH]

Whenever I do a B2B I call in on the last day and give them what I want for the next cruise. They are usually happy to bring what I request the first time as it saves them some time overall

[ian441672]

I did make the suggestion to our steward around pre-ordering, and he said Princess did consider this at one time, but because of 'last minute cabin changes or upgrades, things could go wrong', and could potentially cause more problems than it resolved, they decided to leave it as it were. According to him, anyway.

[srpilo]

I've given up on trying to save them time. It's never worked for me. I just go with the same old routine & return items with a phone call.

+1

 

Srpilo

[Thrak]

I would guess that a large number of Elite passengers don't eve realize they can swap out items and just put up with what is delivered.

[floridalover5623]

There's nothing we really like in the Elite setup so we drink what we bring aboard & trade for cards. Only problem is our collection of cards is growing faster than we can drink them. ;)

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes way too many Elites.

[Bill B]

The cruise personaliser doesn't work anyway. Ask for a robe and you won't get one (until you see your steward). Ask for beds in 'Queen' configuration and they'll be in 'Twin'. Ask for 'Twin' and they'll be in 'Queen'...

:(

[crochetcruise]

The cruise personaliser doesn't work anyway. Ask for a robe and you won't get one (until you see your steward). Ask for beds in 'Queen' configuration and they'll be in 'Twin'. Ask for 'Twin' and they'll be in 'Queen'...

:(

 

Gosh I must have been incredibly lucky then, I asked for a Queen bed and got it-lovely being rocked tenderly to sleep too! :D

[floridalover5623]

The cruise personaliser doesn't work anyway. Ask for a robe and you won't get one (until you see your steward). Ask for beds in 'Queen' configuration and they'll be in 'Twin'. Ask for 'Twin' and they'll be in 'Queen'...

:(

I think it may be that the stewards just don't pay close enough to the spreadsheet they given. :(

It's to bad since it would save them lots of redoing later on.;)

[Bill B]

I think it may be that the stewards just don't pay close enough to the spreadsheet they given. :(

It's to bad since it would save them lots of redoing later on.;)

 

I'm sure they just ignore the spreadsheet. I've seen their workload increase since I started cruising, and they are run ragged on 'turnaround' day. Probably 1/3 of the people they should rearrange the beds for never say anything... so ignoring the spreadsheet saves them work.

[floridalover5623]

i'm sure they just ignore the spreadsheet. I've seen their workload increase since i started cruising, and they are run ragged on 'turnaround' day. Probably 1/3 of the people they should rearrange the beds for never say anything... So ignoring the spreadsheet saves them work.

bingo !