Jump to content

Has anyone attempted to use an old coffee card recently?


judyjudy56
 Share

Recommended Posts

On 9/25/2019 at 8:41 PM, vampiress said:

nothing about your supposed behavior is a loyal customer p22.  i'm going to guess this person and the other one complaining about the coffee cards hardcore are big and bluster on the internet and nothing in real life. internet tough guys.  and if they are this obnoxious in life, i'm sure their vacations are always ruined because of their actions which they blame on everyone but themselves.  rude and selfish.

wow

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, voljeep said:

kept one punch on a coffee card and got 'free fresh brewed coffee' on the 'next' cruise(s) ...

 

I have bought coffee cards for years and it never worked like that.  The first cruise I had unlimited fresh brewed and then on subsequent cruises I got fresh brewed, but they punched my card.   Each drink was a punch.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Except it didn't work that way on subsequent cruises.  If you got "fresh brewed coffee" and used the card from the last cruise, they took a punch for it....it wasn't free.  The rare occasion where they didn't have the ship and the voyage written on the back I guess you could have used that one punch for the free coffee.

correct after the new policy was introduced ...

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, voljeep said:

approximately two years ago .. with a 'deadline' of 8/31/19 to use up the old cards ... and yes, during that period, a

punch was required to get a brewed or specialty coffee ...

 

I've been buying coffee cards since they became available.  I have NEVER used a punch for a foo-foo coffee, I don't like them.  I only like the brewed coffee.  They always punched my card on the following cruise.  That wasn't the new policy, it was always the policy.  It may not have been followed consistently, but that was the policy.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, voljeep said:

correct after the new policy was introduced ...

I think you are right.    I  kind of remember when the very first coffee cards came out it was reported on CC that members use to keep the card with only one punch left so they could get free brewed coffee on future cruises.      Then Princess got smart and came out with new cards where the rules changed so the free coffee was only available on the cruise when you purchased   the card.    At least that's what I remember.   Didn't the first cards look like playing cards?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, suzyed said:

Really?  How did they get free coffee?

 

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

kept one punch on a coffee card and got 'free fresh brewed coffee' on the 'next' cruise(s) ...

 

And posted here on CC bragging about getting fresh brewed coffee from a card that they had been holding for years.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, voljeep said:

approximately two years ago .. with a 'deadline' of 8/31/19 to use up the old cards ... and yes, during that period, a

punch was required to get a brewed or specialty coffee ...

It's been the case for many years...whatever...it's all over now!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, voljeep said:

kept one punch on a coffee card and got 'free fresh brewed coffee' on the 'next' cruise(s) ...

 

That went away about 5 years ago when they changed the cards from being jacks, queens or kings.

 

The new cards were supposed to have the ship's name and sail date on them. The free coffee was good for that cruise only, but the punches were good for a later cruise.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Daniel A said:

It's called rationalization.  If it is a matter of principle, does a principled person trick another into making something they will knowingly try to pay with something that is worthless?  Did you ever hold on to a restaurant gift certificate too long?  Would you order dinner at a restaurant and then produce an expired gift certificate as payment after you got the meal?  In my book, (and I have done this) I would present the expired certificate before ordering in order to find out if they will honor it.  If the restaurant said "no" then I have a decision to make: stay & pay or leave.  Just my two cents.

 

You are referring to a certificate that has an expiration date on it. Of course it is is not useful after that date has passed.

 

But the coffee cards sold by Princess had no expiraction date on them until they started putting them on the cards last year.

 

I would expect a restaurant gift certificate to be valid if it had no expiration date on it no matter how long I would have had it.

 

Even Disneyland will honor unused tickets from when they first opened up decades sgo..

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The second generation coffee cards (New Grounds) were marked - or supposed to be marked - with the ship and voyage.  In that way, usage on subsequent cruises meant punches for every beverage (no more free regular coffee).  That was in place for YEARS - not just the last two.  The third generation had an expiry date printed on them as Princess was preparing to phase them out.  I don't even recall if we had the first generation card (with playing card symbols??)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

You are referring to a certificate that has an expiration date on it. Of course it is is not useful after that date has passed.

I think it was unfortunate that Princess changed the terms of the coffee cards too but they did and they had every legal right to do so. All coffee cards are now expired.

 

That said, I think you missed the point of my post.  I was questioning the ethics of somebody ordering a coffee and then refusing the coffee when they tried to pay for it with an expired card KNOWING the card has expired.  Then wrapping himself in the flag of principle.  This is the very definition of a charlatan.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

You are referring to a certificate that has an expiration date on it. Of course it is is not useful after that date has passed.

 

But the coffee cards sold by Princess had no expiraction date on them until they started putting them on the cards last year.

 

I would expect a restaurant gift certificate to be valid if it had no expiration date on it no matter how long I would have had it.

 

Even Disneyland will honor unused tickets from when they first opened up decades sgo..

The Disney difference is they never came out and officially stated that all unused Disney tickets regardless of what you were holding was going to be null and void after a certain date. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, caribill said:

 

You are referring to a certificate that has an expiration date on it. Of course it is is not useful after that date has passed.

 

But the coffee cards sold by Princess had no expiraction date on them until they started putting them on the cards last year.

 

I would expect a restaurant gift certificate to be valid if it had no expiration date on it no matter how long I would have had it.

 

Even Disneyland will honor unused tickets from when they first opened up decades sgo..

Sort of.  Time was it was equal - main entrance purchased in the past = main entrance to park.  Now it's a certain value, given as a discount on a new ticket purchase.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, caribill said:

 

That went away about 5 years ago when they changed the cards from being jacks, queens or kings.

 

The new cards were supposed to have the ship's name and sail date on them. The free coffee was good for that cruise only, but the punches were good for a later cruise.

 

None of my cards ever had a voyage number, date, ship name, or any other info on them. I know they were "supposed" to write that stuff on the cards but the never did on any of mine. I always just got the fresh brewed on the initial cruise and only used the punches on subsequent cruises. Never asked for the fresh brewed as I knew how it was supposed to work.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, compozer said:

agree,

somebody please put it out of it's misery.

 

No ... don't put it to rest just yet!    

I disembarked from the Grand just yesterday and can't say this is a company wide policy but this was my most recent experience.  

I took an an expired coffee card onboard with me at the beginning of the month and asked what their policy was on using old (and expired) coffee cards onboard.  I also explained that if they had to say it was no longer accepted, they would get zero arguments from me.  While I do believe all ships should only provide brewed coffee and not even try to pass off that syrup concentrate off as coffee, I never ever used my coffee card for brewed coffee on subsequent sailings....only for cappuccinos that required a punch.  

Anyway, back to my very recent experience on the Grand Princess .... the staff at the New Grounds coffee shop explained that I could surrender my old card and use the leftover punches throughout the cruise for whichever coffee or tea drink I chose (regular or specialty coffees or teas).  They kept the cards and put a sticker on it with my name, room and folio number.  When I wanted a coffee drink, they would look through their little cup full of cards and punch it like before but it was to remain in their possession and tossed at the end of the cruise.  It was a more than equitable solution, even though it was quite unexpected that they would honor these long after the stated expiration date.  

We used our last punch yesterday morning before disembarking and we were even able to buy a coffee for one of the guest services staff that was so very good to us.  

As stated, I am not sure if this is available on all Princess ships or how long they will continue this policy but it sure was a nice surprise for our sailing.  And again, I wasn't prepared to argue with anyone if this wasn't the case but they seemed happy to report that Princess reconsidered (I am sure after numerous complaints).  From what I could see, there were probably about 20 cards collected in that cup that held the old coffee cards during our recent sailing.  

So, don't throw those old cards away just yet ... it's worth a try.  Please just don't argue your point if the staff is no longer allowed to honor them.  They are not the ones that make the policies.  

 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...