"Fast Track" Elite status

[grapau27]

I think the card colour system is ok, and it the same with other places regulars get some perks, which is great. but looking at the benefits on princess you get all the good ones by taking a suite, which is what we have done.

 

It was funny on our cruise the rudest guest we met was an elite, at sabitinis, they looked like a fish out of water, and we were sitting at the next table, ( we had already dined 8 times on that cruise at sabitinis ) and explained a couple things on the menu for them, Then he saw our blue card and promptly told me he was a black card and what would I know.

 

We had a bit of laugh to ourselves and left them to it, then they got a bottle of champagne delivered and asked for it to be warmed.

 

the world it full of different people, one thing I am glad that suite guest do not get a different card, as we just want to blend in, and enjoy the fact that we can go on a cruise and go in a suite without saying look at me.

 

Cheers Don

Good points and so true some people are deluded about their own importance.

 

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[Corfe Mixture]

one thing I am glad that suite guest do not get a different card, as we just want to blend in, and enjoy the fact that we can go on a cruise and go in a suite without saying look at me.

 

Cheers Don

 

Yup, totally agree, although inevitably some people will work it out, it is much better to keep it quiet, though at times this can cause problems with Elites who think they are 'entitled' and twice before we were Elite we were accosted by someone with a black card and told that we were not entitled to be where we were.

 

The first time was on our first suite experience when I asked a Princess agent at the check in queue what the procedure was and she told us to stand in a certain place until check in started.

 

I was then approached by a man with an Elite badge on his baseball cap who rather forcibly told me to get to the back of the queue.

 

When I pointed out that I was only standing where the Princess rep told me to stand and that if that was a problem, I got a diatribe about him being Elite. I stated that I was on holiday and not interested in having an argument with anyone and pointed out the Princess agent he should discuss his problem with.

 

At this point the person behind him, who was clearly embarrassed by the aggression being shown by this man, and had apparently overhead my initial conversation with the agent, interrupted him and pointed out that I was in a suite and, in his words not mine, I had paid for the right to be given some preferential treatment. Unfortunately this did not cause the man's anger to subside though it did at least quieten him down a little.

 

 

Then at dinner on the first night, of the same cruise, we were given a table by a window and the couple sat next to us were most aggressive towards the wait staff because they were Elite and had not been given a window seat (it was dark outside, so what the hell!!). Whatever, during dinner we were 'interrogated' over our status etc. and we learned an awful lot about their importance, including, would you believe, the lady's voting number for the Academy Awards / Oscars, but the only thing they learned about us was that we were not Elite.

 

Later in the cruise we went to a Suite/Elite event, I can't remember which one, and went over to sit with very nice Canadian couple who we had shared a private tour with and who knew we were in a suite simply because we had made use of priority tendering when going ashore with them for our tour. They were sat next to the couple from dinner who immediately challenged our right to be at the event. Very quickly the Canadian lady explained to the that we were entitled to be there because we were in a suite at which point the 'Acadamy Awards lady' turned to me and very rudely demanded how I could afford to be in a suite.

 

I simply smiled, said nothing, but decided there and then that:

a) it is better not to reveal that you are in a suite, lest others who feel more entitled resent the fact that suite passengers get benefits, (which is why I was pleased when Princess stopped putting the word Suite on your card)

and

b) when I became Elite, which happened a just couple of cruises later, I would avoid flashing my black card (as I did not wish to be thought of in the same light as the two Elite passengers we met on the first cruise).

 

So, now we are Elite and suite dwellers, I make a point of not wearing my black card on a lanyard, of only taking it out of my pocket, in company, when it is necessary to use it to charge something to my account, and I MOST DEFINITELY would not wish to have a card which advertised the fact that we are in a suite.

 

Oh and by the way, we have met some very nice people on our cruises and the two I referred to above are the exception rather than the rule, but I will never forget either of them!!

Edited September 6, 2017 by Corfe Mixture

[grapau27]

Yup, totally agree, although inevitably some people will work it out, it is much better to keep it quiet, though at times this can cause problems with Elites who think they are 'entitled' and twice before we were Elite we were accosted by someone with a black card and told that we were not entitled to be where we were.

 

The first time was on our first suite experience when I asked a Princess agent at the check in queue what the procedure was and she told us to stand in a certain place until check in started.

 

I was then approached by a man with an Elite badge on his baseball cap who rather forcibly told me to get to the back of the queue.

 

When I pointed out that I was only standing where the Princess rep told me to stand and that if that was a problem, I got a diatribe about him being Elite. I stated that I was on holiday and not interested in having an argument with anyone and pointed out the Princess agent he should discuss his problem with.

 

At this point the person behind him, who was clearly embarrassed by the aggression being shown by this man, and had apparently overhead my initial conversation with the agent, interrupted him and pointed out that I was in a suite and, in his words not mine, I had paid for the right to be given some preferential treatment. Unfortunately this did not cause the man's anger to subside though it did at least quieten him down a little.

 

 

Then at dinner on the first night, of the same cruise, we were given a table by a window and the couple sat next to us were most aggressive towards the wait staff because they were Elite and had not been given a window seat (it was dark outside, so what the hell!!). Whatever, during dinner we were 'interrogated' over our status etc. and we learned an awful lot about their importance, including, would you believe, the lady's voting number for the Academy Awards / Oscars, but the only thing they learned about us was that we were not Elite.

 

Later in the cruise we went to a Suite/Elite event, I can't remember which one, and went over to sit with very nice Canadian couple who we had shared a private tour with and who knew we were in a suite simply because we had made use of priority tendering when going ashore with them for our tour. They were sat next to the couple from dinner who immediately challenged our right to be at the event. Very quickly the Canadian lady explained to the that we were entitled to be there because we were in a suite at which point the 'Acadamy Awards lady' turned to me and very rudely demanded how I could afford to be in a suite.

 

I simply smiled, said nothing, but decided there and then that:

a) it is better not to reveal that you are in a suite, lest others who feel more entitled resent the fact that suite passengers get benefits, (which is why I was pleased when Princess stopped putting the word Suite on your card)

and

b) when I became Elite, which happened a just couple of cruises later, I would avoid flashing my black card (as I did not wish to be thought of in the same light as the two Elite passengers we met on the first cruise).

 

So, now we are Elite and suite dwellers, I make a point of not wearing my black card on a lanyard, of only taking it out of my pocket, in company, when it is necessary to use it to charge something to my account, and I MOST DEFINITELY would not wish to have a card which advertised the fact that we are in a suite.

 

Oh and by the way, we have met some very nice people on our cruises and the two I referred to above are the exception rather than the rule, but I will never forget either of them!!

Wow what a cantankerous bunch of full of themselves nerds.

We are elite members but i would have to tell these riteous nobodys to get lost.

To have loyalty perks is great but these people are what is bad about loyalty schemes.

 

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[PrincessLuver]

Fast-track to Elite, guess Princess are losing so many Elites they are having to top up the numbers. We were Elite for years, but the standard has reduced to the extent we won't be back.

 

A few free drinks in the mini bar and free laundry, that takes way too many days to come back just isn't worth it.

 

We have been Elite for years and the perks are really not that great compared to other perks in other travel programs like airlines, hotels, rental car etc. I think the OBC's that Princess gives frequently and generously are way more valuable and important than my flimsy Elite status which almost everyone seems on have on the Princess cruises we have been on which makes us seem even less Elite!!!...:D;)

[A&Jfamily]

Reading this thread makes me even more confident that Princess is going to be our future cruise line of choice whenever possible. There is a thread on the Carnival boards where people are SO obsessed with a Platinum or Diamond member NOT bringing a guest to their special party calling it "rude" for the OP to even ask at Guest Services to bring a guest because he/she is traveling solo. The sense of entitlement is overwhelming. And while I am sure there are Elite obsessed persons on Princess, many of you can enjoy your perks and still be kind and generous to us "lesser beings." While I am Platinum on Carnival, it is going to take me a while to get to Elite on Princess (still working full time with an active teen at home!):) so in the meantime I will need to rely on your kindness!

[vampiress]

well, i don't have to worry about fast tracking as i generally book a balcony or ocean view. :D

[Mrs.Gosse]

I didn't read all 11 pages but people who are fast-tracked are not supposed to tell anyone that they are fast tracks for reasons just like this. And it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Casino money spent. Someone I know that was fast-tracked always sails in a suite and also purchased 4 Separate interior rooms on a cruise so they basically boughtt 6 cruises on one Voyage. Two which were the suite which would count as double. So even though it may seem like they got a bargain. Overall it was like they bought 16 cruises since they started sailing with them. Sailng in the suite is called Elite the easy way.

 

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[Mrs.Gosse]

Wow what a cantankerous bunch of full of themselves nerds.

We are elite members but i would have to tell these riteous nobodys to get lost.

To have loyalty perks is great but these people are what is bad about loyalty schemes.

 

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I agree. It's a shame that people are like this. I think the only need to flex your elite muscle is when dealing with princess over an issue and even then, they acknowledge it before you even get the chance so it's really not have any value except for the perks. Which is why elite member should really just enjoy the perks in their own personal staterooms where most of the perks are anyway. [emoji41]

 

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[grapau27]

I agree. It's a shame that people are like this. I think the only need to flex your elite muscle is when dealing with princess over an issue and even then, they acknowledge it before you even get the chance so it's really not have any value except for the perks. Which is why elite member should really just enjoy the perks in their own personal staterooms where most of the perks are anyway. [emoji41]

 

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Well said.

 

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[Funkat]

Wow what a cantankerous bunch of full of themselves nerds.

We are elite members but i would have to tell these riteous nobodys to get lost.

To have loyalty perks is great but these people are what is bad about loyalty schemes.

 

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We will enjoy Elite perks on our first Princess cruise next March because Princess offered the suite at a price that we simply could not refuse. We plan to take advantage of any perk available to us and frankly don't give a rat's a** what any of these "snobs" think about it. They can just get over themselves as far as I am concerned. I agree with others, everyone that gets the perks have paid for them one way or another. We may never sail in a suite again, but we plan to enjoy the ride this time.

[Bourbon Believer]

Wow, I'm all exhausted just reading about all this, will be elite on my Hawaii cruise in December,

For me it's not what I get as I learned on my very first cruise that Princess nor any cruise line for that matter owes me anything. I choose my cabin based on location and cost. Once you have taken cruises on the different levels of ships Princess offers you find that many times a suite's location is not always preferable and even if it is located aft you can get balcony cabins with the same view at a far less cost. When spurlging I go mini-suite but find myself more times than not in a balcony.

 

I'll see how Elite goes, Doesn't mean I'll change how I board the ship or enjoy my cruise. I can take care of myself and won't be using my Elite status to lord it over or presume the right of poor manners toward other passengers because of it.

[Pierlesscruisers]

Then he saw our blue card and promptly told me he was a black card and what would I know.

 

Don, that's when you want to reply with "Well, apparently, I know more than you do!" but you can't as that would put you into his type of person. But you can sure want to say it! ;p

 

 

Actually, it is possible for a person over 18 to have enough Princess cruises to be Elite but still only have a blue card, so the color of the card is not always an indicator of how many cruises (or days cruising) a person has.

 

Tom

[Scotto97]

I didn't read all 11 pages but people who are fast-tracked are not supposed to tell anyone that they are fast tracks for reasons just like this. And it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Casino money spent. Someone I know that was fast-tracked always sails in a suite and also purchased 4 Separate interior rooms on a cruise so they basically boughtt 6 cruises on one Voyage. Two which were the suite which would count as double. So even though it may seem like they got a bargain. Overall it was like they bought 16 cruises since they started sailing with them. Sailng in the suite is called Elite the easy way.

 

We have a very affluent friend that also books a full suite and several cabins for her family members. She was "Fast Tracked" as was her sister that always is in the suite with her.

 

When the non-paying sister noticed her card was Elite on the last cruise, she questioned it and was told it was a mistake but couldn't be corrected. So now she's also Elite for good.

[2pbears]

We were once told by a bartender in Crooners that the "black card people" are the most difficult passengers on the ship to deal with. We have our first cruise as Elite coming up next month and are determined NOT to be one of those "black card" jerks!

[grapau27]

We were once told by a bartender in Crooners that the "black card people" are the most difficult passengers on the ship to deal with. We have our first cruise as Elite coming up next month and are determined NOT to be one of those "black card" jerks!

Good on you hope it goes well for you.

I dislike people who are full of their own importance.

 

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[elfinmagic]

Once sat with a couple at the wine tasting. He was flashing his black card yet asking us all about Princess. I asked why he was asking so many questions being elite. He said this was his first Princess cruise and it was free. I asked where he got the elite card. He said they were TA's and took the commodore course. I asked for a card so I could get pricing. He said Oh we only book for family members.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I always keep my card in my pocket (or DH's pocket). No one cares what status you have.

 

One thing these Fast Track Elites don't get is invited to the Most Traveled Passenger luncheons or cocktail parties. So, there is some difference between those that bought the Elite status and those that earned it the old way. ;)

[pablo222]

Yup, totally agree, although inevitably some people will work it out, it is much better to keep it quiet, though at times this can cause problems with Elites who think they are 'entitled' and twice before we were Elite we were accosted by someone with a black card and told that we were not entitled to be where we were.

 

The first time was on our first suite experience when I asked a Princess agent at the check in queue what the procedure was and she told us to stand in a certain place until check in started.

 

I was then approached by a man with an Elite badge on his baseball cap who rather forcibly told me to get to the back of the queue.

 

There are some arrogant posters here who could easily be these people.

Their post would be completely different. They would be bragging about

how they used their elite superpowers to put you in your place.

[Mrs.Gosse]

I always keep my card in my pocket (or DH's pocket). No one cares what status you have.

 

One thing these Fast Track Elites don't get is invited to the Most Traveled Passenger luncheons or cocktail parties. So, there is some difference between those that bought the Elite status and those that earned it the old way. ;)

They may have spent a lot but they didn't ask for it. It was given to them. [emoji19]

 

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[DrivesLikeMario]

Mrs. Gosse-By "bought their Elite status" I mean those that have gambled a lot or spent a lot of money in the onboard shops to reach the Fast Track Elite status. ;)

[caribill]

Don, that's when you want to reply with "Well, apparently, I know more than you do!" but you can't as that would put you into his type of person. But you can sure want to say it! ;p

 

 

Actually, it is possible for a person over 18 to have enough Princess cruises to be Elite but still only have a blue card, so the color of the card is not always an indicator of how many cruises (or days cruising) a person has.

 

Did you mean "person under 18" ?

[Womble99]

 

Actually, it is possible for a person under 18 to have enough Princess cruises to be Elite but still only have a blue card, so the color of the card is not always an indicator of how many cruises (or days cruising) a person has.

 

Tom

 

True our son will be lucky to hit 13 by the time he reaches elite so that will give him at least another 5 years of blue card bliss.

[Grego]

What's next? Cut a check to Princess for, let's say, $18,750 and pay for the "black card". That's based on an average of $125 a day fare rate times 150 days.

 

I can see giving the gamblers an Elite status on the theory they are making a lot of money on them in the casino but I'm not sure the "whales" are making out with that status. Free laundry......Tender embarkation.....Internet minutes...... a couple of airline bottles of hootch.....etc.

 

We got Elite the old fashioned way years ago and we both enjoyed the journey on and off the ship while even spending a few bucks in the casino.

[Mrs.Gosse]

Either way, they didn't ask for it.

 

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[Pierlesscruisers]

Did you mean "person under 18" ?

 

No, I meant over 18. A person who travels as a guest of an employee of Princess as a part of that person's Friends & Family employee benefit may have any number of cruises and will still have a blue card. I've seen people with 20+ cruises and they are still issued a blue card just like that person going on their first one. It sure surprises you when you see it, that's for sure! :)

 

Tom