Has anyone attempted to use an old coffee card recently?

[pms4104]

28 minutes ago, compozer said:

I was always under the assumption that the card was good for that cruise - just like the drink package.  When I had punches left, I use to spend them all on the specialty coffees  and give them to the staff at customer service.

 

I think the coffee card posts need to die and never come back.

Thank you for saying what needed to be said!  Kudos to you!

[Daniel A]

53 minutes ago, compozer said:

 

I think the coffee card posts need to die and never come back.

 

I did find a slightly used coffee card in my barrel chair....

[Iamcruzin]

5 hours ago, MissP22 said:

You're correct about that one. I'm sure they'll be lots of folks now sharing their drink package than ever before. After all, it's use it or lose it. 

I believe the coffee card can be shared since it get's punched. Sharing is still better in terms of the abuse it was creating by leaving one punch unpunched just so you can receive the regular coffee free for the rest of your life. It's that abuse that caused them to make the change. I can't say I blame the passengers  since you shouldn't have to pay for good regular coffee. I probably would have done the same if it wasn't so inconvenient to go to the international cafe every morning before going to the buffet for breakfast.

[suzyed]

On 9/19/2019 at 4:59 PM, Scotto97 said:

I don't see how Princess can invalidate a card they willing sold with no expiration date.

 

If they wanted to create and sell new cards with expiration dates that's fine as the purchaser was made aware at that time.

 

I will be using my card shortly..........they'll be hell to pay if it's refused.

 

 

Let us know how that goes!  Inquiring minds want to know!  LOL!

[suzyed]

8 hours ago, vampiress said:

they cards were destined to go away once medallions rolled out anyway.  and even if medallions never became a thing, they were eventually going to be applied to your cruise card the way they are to the medallion.  the reason is not people selling, it is because it makes more sense,

• there is no dealing with customers crying about a lost punch card. 
• it makes sense to have it be per cruise and not never ending
  • it is easier to manage from their side
  • they likely make money if people don't use the punches
  • no fake cards
  • more consistent redemption experience

 

i suspect the coffee program will go away entirely as people stop buying it because its too hard to use the punches up on a cruise and people will migrate to the more expensive beverage package.

 

Will never migrate to the more expensive package.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

19 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Cheated?How?

People either bought the card or received them under the pretense of being able to use the card until the punches were used up (Princess's rule) & then Princess decides to change their rule & cancel all cards as of a certain date.

That's called cheating the public.

If they were going to renege on the cards rules they should at least have given the public the opportunity to sell back the cards.

Even an exchange for a setup of some cans of soda would have been fair, rather than just stealing the value.

 

I’m sorry, I was talking about how people had reported that some card holders had  repeatedly used the card to get the free brewed coffee over and over.   I agree that people should be able to use their punches until they are gone. Maybe just stop the free brewed coffee on the old punchcards.

[caribill]

11 hours ago, compozer said:

I was always under the assumption that the card was good for that cruise - just like the drink package.  When I had punches left, I use to spend them all on the specialty coffees  and give them to the staff at customer service.

 

 

 

Then you never read the back of a Coffee Selects Premium Coffee Card or a New Grounds Premium Coffee Card. Both clearly state that "Unused specialty coffees redeemable on next voyage."

[caribill]

6 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I believe the coffee card can be shared since it get's punched. Sharing is still better in terms of the abuse it was creating by leaving one punch unpunched just so you can receive the regular coffee free for the rest of your life. It's that abuse that caused them to make the change. I can't say I blame the passengers  since you shouldn't have to pay for good regular coffee. I probably would have done the same if it wasn't so inconvenient to go to the international cafe every morning before going to the buffet for breakfast.

 

Not true. Although originally the card was good for unlimited freshb-rewed as long as one punch was left, Princess changed that several years ago when they started writing the ship's name and date of cruise on the back of the cards.

 

The fresh-brewed was available on that original voyage even if no punches were left. But on future cruises the ship name/sailing date indicated that the card was no longer good for free fresh-brewed. If a card was issued without the ship's name and date written on it, the server was supposed to notice that and write the current ship name and date on it.

[caribill]

1 hour ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

 I agree that people should be able to use their punches until they are gone. Maybe just stop the free brewed coffee on the old punchcards.

 

And Princess did make that change when they started several years ago to put the ship's name and voyage date on the back of the card.

[kitty2264]

3 hours ago, caribill said:

 

And Princess did make that change when they started several years ago to put the ship's name and voyage date on the back of the card.

This thread is fun to read!

The last cruise we took where we actually got physical coffee cards, they were not stamped with the ship name or sailing # and the next morning the attentive barista noticed the back and promptly wrote the ship and voyage number on it.

Cards are gone now... If they put 15 punches on my medallion, it's going to look like crap!😉😉

[suzyed]

6 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Then you never read the back of a Coffee Selects Premium Coffee Card or a New Grounds Premium Coffee Card. Both clearly state that "Unused specialty coffees redeemable on next voyage."

AND if you had punches left over from a previous cruise and wanted the fresh brewed coffee, they would use one of the punches for that.

[suzyed]

13 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I believe the coffee card can be shared since it get's punched. Sharing is still better in terms of the abuse it was creating by leaving one punch unpunched just so you can receive the regular coffee free for the rest of your life. It's that abuse that caused them to make the change. I can't say I blame the passengers  since you shouldn't have to pay for good regular coffee. I probably would have done the same if it wasn't so inconvenient to go to the international cafe every morning before going to the buffet for breakfast.

It wasn't free on subsequent cruises...they used a punch.

 

[victory2020]

The one point with the coffee cards(and ANY gift cards) that no one is mentioning is that there will be a certain amount of them that will be lost or forgotten, thus the merchant benefits. I know many Princess cruisers who have told me that they had many coffee cards that they either have misplaced or forgotten to bring with them on subsequent voyages (or maybe some simply thought that they were no good for the next like previous poster). I'm sure this added up to profit for Princess.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

10 hours ago, caribill said:

 

And Princess did make that change when they started several years ago to put the ship's name and voyage date on the back of the card.

I’ve never purchased a soda card but this cruise I will  trade in my mini bar for two coffee packages if that is still available.   Has it been that long since they began phasing out the card? Wow, time flies. 

[tailspintom]

21 hours ago, Daniel A said:

Hey, Tailspin...We are down visiting Williamsburg this week.  We are really enjoying ourselves especially  Kings Arms for the Pottage Pye.  We love this place, I hope you consider yourself lucky...

We do. We came down here from up where your are about 17 years ago.  The area is the most civil, welcoming place we have lived.

[Tina-Ann]

So I just got off of the Caribbean Princess last week. I had 2 old coffee cards (ya know, the old brown ones?). One card had one punch left on it, the other card was full - no punches out of it. The barista gave me a coffee drink for the one remaining punch and the full card?  They took it, with my name and cabin number and I was credited $2.50 (or $2.75 - can’t remember) per punch. It came out to more than I originally paid. Princess really came through - on the Caribbean!

[jasbo49]

7 minutes ago, Tina-Ann said:

So I just got off of the Caribbean Princess last week. I had 2 old coffee cards (ya know, the old brown ones?). One card had one punch left on it, the other card was full - no punches out of it. The barista gave me a coffee drink for the one remaining punch and the full card?  They took it, with my name and cabin number and I was credited $2.50 (or $2.75 - can’t remember) per punch. It came out to more than I originally paid. Princess really came through - on the Caribbean!

Good news. I'm glad I didn't throw away the ones I have. There's at least one virgin one, so maybe that should cover our 7-day cruise next month on the Regal.

 

Jim

[MissP22]

21 minutes ago, jasbo49 said:

Good news. I'm glad I didn't throw away the ones I have. There's at least one virgin one, so maybe that should cover our 7-day cruise next month on the Regal.

 

Jim

I wouldn't count on it. The post you were referring to completed at the end of Aug. so they gave a little leeway in the program.

In Oct, I doubt if they'll extend it that far.... but who knows for sure.

Give it a try & let us know. 

[Tina-Ann]

36 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I wouldn't count on it. The post you were referring to completed at the end of Aug. so they gave a little leeway in the program.

In Oct, I doubt if they'll extend it that far.... but who knows for sure.

Give it a try & let us know. 

We were on the September 4th sailing from NY to Quebec...

[pms4104]

Wonder if there is a limit to the number of cards one might present ... and get credited $2.50 per unused punch. 

[MissP22]

44 minutes ago, Tina-Ann said:

We were on the September 4th sailing from NY to Quebec...

Wow they were being generous. I wonder how much longer it'll go on for?

 

31 minutes ago, pms4104 said:

Wonder if there is a limit to the number of cards one might present ... and get credited $2.50 per unused punch. 

I'd go for that any day & pack all my cards for them.

 

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, Tina-Ann said:

So I just got off of the Caribbean Princess last week. I had 2 old coffee cards (ya know, the old brown ones?). One card had one punch left on it, the other card was full - no punches out of it. The barista gave me a coffee drink for the one remaining punch and the full card?  They took it, with my name and cabin number and I was credited $2.50 (or $2.75 - can’t remember) per punch. It came out to more than I originally paid. Princess really came through - on the Caribbean!

Who took care of issuing the credit?

[Tina-Ann]

1 hour ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Who took care of issuing the credit?

I just happened to go to the ice cream/espresso counter up on deck 15 (by the pool).  Anyways, he took the card and got my info.  Said it would show up as a credit on my shipboard account...a few days later it was there.

[suzyed]

3 hours ago, Tina-Ann said:

So I just got off of the Caribbean Princess last week. I had 2 old coffee cards (ya know, the old brown ones?). One card had one punch left on it, the other card was full - no punches out of it. The barista gave me a coffee drink for the one remaining punch and the full card?  They took it, with my name and cabin number and I was credited $2.50 (or $2.75 - can’t remember) per punch. It came out to more than I originally paid. Princess really came through - on the Caribbean!

Good deal!

 

[suzyed]

I changed the coffee card from my name to my DH's name, so he can get his fresh brewed coffee so maybe I won't be call a cheat and a thief now.