Zero Loyalty OBC for new cruise

[mrstmaxx]

Just booked a 14 day Caribbean cruise and other than the $200 spending money special they are having we got 0 OBC. We are elite with over 30 cruises.  I just don't understand what Princess is doing and why in relation to any loyalty for passengers.  Very disappointing.   

[skynight]

Princess eliminated the loyalty OBC along with some other benefits when they restarted in 2021. I don't like it, but that is how it is now. The $50 loyalty OBC ($100 if booked as two separate 7 day cruises)  you did not receive would not be a make or break issue for us. 

[cruzin4us]

yeah, but you get free canapes 🙂

[memoak]

The loyalty money went away awhile ago

[jwattle]

1 hour ago, mrstmaxx said:

Just booked a 14 day Caribbean cruise and other than the $200 spending money special they are having we got 0 OBC. We are elite with over 30 cruises.  I just don't understand what Princess is doing and why in relation to any loyalty for passengers.  Very disappointing.   

Do other cruise lines offer you loyalty OBC? Do they let you stack OBC, like military, shareholder, etc.,, which Princess does, while still giving a great casino rate and what we consider to be an amazing cruise experience?

[mtnesterz]

About the same time as the OBC loyalty change happened, they also took away free internet for Platinuim and Elite. It's now half price. You may have known, but just so it doesn't take you by surprise.

Edited May 14, 2022 by mtnesterz

[waltd]

This is OLD news.  We have moved on.

[DougH]

I miss it also but understand why it was eliminated. Try going 18+ months without a paycheck yourself and see what things you have to drop doing

[caribill]

4 hours ago, DougH said:

I miss it also but understand why it was eliminated. Try going 18+ months without a paycheck yourself and see what things you have to drop doing

 

Loyalty benefits such as the OBC are a marketing tool to incentivize people to cruise more often on Princess.

 

In the total picture, some people would be drawn to Princess instead of a competitor because of loyalty benefits.

 

As Princess marches on to be less and less different than its competitors, not having loyalty OBC (which for many of those eligible was only $25 or $50) can influence someone to not book a cruise on Princess. Cabin prices often fluctuate before a cruise much more than by $25, $50 or even $100.

 

So, no, I do not understand the marketing case for eliminating loyalty OBC. Someone, for example, can be loyal to RCI and get free alcohol beverages for an hour or so every night of the cruise. That can be worth far more than the $25 OBC that Princess has chosen not to give anymore to loyal customers.

[MissP22]

Perhaps what cruising gets back to normal they'll find a need to be competitive once more. 

[sirclean]

On 5/14/2022 at 3:27 AM, caribill said:

 

Loyalty benefits such as the OBC are a marketing tool to incentivize people to cruise more often on Princess.

 

In the total picture, some people would be drawn to Princess instead of a competitor because of loyalty benefits.

 

As Princess marches on to be less and less different than its competitors, not having loyalty OBC (which for many of those eligible was only $25 or $50) can influence someone to not book a cruise on Princess. Cabin prices often fluctuate before a cruise much more than by $25, $50 or even $100.

 

So, no, I do not understand the marketing case for eliminating loyalty OBC. Someone, for example, can be loyal to RCI and get free alcohol beverages for an hour or so every night of the cruise. That can be worth far more than the $25 OBC that Princess has chosen not to give anymore to loyal customers.

I could not agree more.  In the past, I didnt even look at other lines.  Now I do!   The last cruise I took was NOT on Princess! 

 

I have a cruise booked in November and another next May to Alaska.  I have plenty of saved searches, but the chances of me booking on short notice with Princess are greatly reduced. 

 

It is not entirely the loss of the OBC but the loss I feel for having something long earned taken away. 

I didnt cruise to surf the net, so the free internet was enough.  Now that it is half priced internet (but unlimited) Im out of pocket more, and more accessible by work!  How is that a vacation? 

 

 

[AE_Collector]

I assume what is being referred to here is the Captains Circle Loyalty Benefit that was $25/cabin after 21st cruise and stepped up in $25 increments topping out at $100 at 52nd cruise. There certainly are other OBC items available but they rely on the person cruising taking the initiative to do Future Cruise Deposits P while onboard or purchasing 100 shares in Carnival Corp to receive the Shareholder Benefit. Also the military service credit is available to some.

 

I had always hoped that the Captains Circle Loyalty credit would be eliminated one day by rolling it into a new Elite Plus level maybe at 50 cruises or better still by days only at 365 days (I always liked the 1 year at sea implication of that) or maybe 400-500 days. This would have gave them an a way to potentially still have a level that’s received “free internet” and maybe even free laundry with a guarantee to get it back the next day at that level!
 

We are just over 400 days now so it would still be something for us to shoot for in our future. In our early cruising days the free internet on your 6th cruise with Princess played a big part in us settling in with Princess after a couple of other cruises on other lines. Now having to PAY for internet for the first time after receiving it for free for loyalty for our last 35 cruises on Princess is a little annoying. But yes I admit it is considerably better internet than it used to be.

 

Loyalty and rewards programs are hot the last 10-20 years … what business doesn’t have one? I feel that Princess should have a higher level to shoot for. Yes it seems silly but I’ve heard a fair number of “we made it to the top here so may look at some other lines more now” comments. There really doesn’t need to be much costly bling in a new higher level, they just SHOULD HAVE a higher level to push those that look at it that way to keep aiming for more days with Princess. That’s why I think whoever is in charge of the loyalty stuff at Princess is dropping the ball a little. As always, JMHO .. I know there are others who it means nothing to.

Edited May 15, 2022 by AE_Collector
More details

[cityguy300]

I last cruised with Princess in 2018 and had forgotten I had a $25 loyalty OBC to look forward to on my next cruise... until today, when I also learned I wouldn't be getting that money after all, lol.  Only I thought it was a one-off at 21 credits, not an ongoing OBC that actually increased over time -- so now I'm more bummed. 😋

 

While I do have another new OBC to look forward to -- the shareholders one -- I agree that, combined with the lost internet, it's a bit of a slap in the face to loyal cruisers.  These are not expensive perks, and many pre-Platinum cruisers probably don't even know about them.  But as others have said, they did provide a small incentive to choose Princess over other lines with the same price & itinerary.  And once you know to expect them -- and have experienced them -- it is frustrating to suddenly find them gone.

 

If they pull the free laundry one day, I'm not sure Elite will have any worthwhile benefits left.  10% off at the store, canapes, and wine tastings are the sort of junk "perks" I expect from other lines.

[suekel]

7 hours ago, cityguy300 said:

I last cruised with Princess in 2018 and had forgotten I had a $25 loyalty OBC to look forward to on my next cruise... until today, when I also learned I wouldn't be getting that money after all, lol.  Only I thought it was a one-off at 21 credits, not an ongoing OBC that actually increased over time -- so now I'm more bummed. 😋

 

While I do have another new OBC to look forward to -- the shareholders one -- I agree that, combined with the lost internet, it's a bit of a slap in the face to loyal cruisers.  These are not expensive perks, and many pre-Platinum cruisers probably don't even know about them.  But as others have said, they did provide a small incentive to choose Princess over other lines with the same price & itinerary.  And once you know to expect them -- and have experienced them -- it is frustrating to suddenly find them gone.

 

If they pull the free laundry one day, I'm not sure Elite will have any worthwhile benefits left.  10% off at the store, canapes, and wine tastings are the sort of junk "perks" I expect from other lines.

Seriously.  If the laundry or the mini bar go, I'm rethinking.  

[abbydancer2003]

I agree with some on the loyalty credit.  It was part of a good reason to keep sailing Princess, although now I do a bit more Celebrity.  Princess has a better presence in California, though.

 

I also have 1 million miles on United, and lifetime good status.  I now book flights based more on price than I did before I got there.

 

[AE_Collector]

The 42nd cruise we just did and first for us since Covid was the cruise that we would have stepped up from $50 to $75.

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, AE_Collector said:

The 42nd cruise we just did and first for us since Covid was the cruise that we would have stepped up from $50 to $75.

 

Me too.  I was looking forward to the "extra" money for excursions.  I have a port intensive cruise coming up with no OBC except for the Shareholder.  With the pandemic interruption, I ran out of FCDs....which translates to no OBC with a regular deposit.  Glad I am older and did most of my cruising early.  Maybe it is time to go up a notch to just be pampered and cruises with no destination in mind (on a competitive brand).

[Lucky TGO]

On 5/13/2022 at 6:46 PM, cruzin4us said:

yeah, but you get free canapes 🙂

😝😝😝😝😝😝

Tony

[Esprit]

We are Elite too and have no care for loyalty. We pick and choose between Princess and Celebrity. Open to cruising on Virgin and Seabourn too.

[dickinson]

6 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Me too.  I was looking forward to the "extra" money for excursions.  I have a port intensive cruise coming up with no OBC except for the Shareholder.  With the pandemic interruption, I ran out of FCDs....which translates to no OBC with a regular deposit.  Glad I am older and did most of my cruising early.  Maybe it is time to go up a notch to just be pampered and cruises with no destination in mind (on a competitive brand).

Yes.... but no window suites! ;)

[AE_Collector]

10 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Me too.  I was looking forward to the "extra" money for excursions.  I have a port intensive cruise coming up with no OBC except for the Shareholder.  With the pandemic interruption, I ran out of FCDs....which translates to no OBC with a regular deposit.  Glad I am older and did most of my cruising early.  Maybe it is time to go up a notch to just be pampered and cruises with no destination in mind (on a competitive brand).

I was able to stay on top of the FCDs expiring over our 2 1/2 year absence. We usually have 5-6 each expiring at various times usually two each at a time. They were willing to renew them as I called in about each group though they missed one single one of my wife’s in a group of 4 that I renewed just last fall. Onboard last week I had them cancel and refund the corresponding one belonging to me and repurchased another two each. Too difficult to keep track of if I don’t keep them in groups. 
 

We have said many times that we are so grateful for all the travelling we’ve already done to so many parts of the world. So much easier when you are younger. I retired at 56 and while we already had done maybe close to 15 cruises by then, we really ramped it up over the following several years and have been doing a little less each year now until Covid hit. But grandkids are a part of the equation as well.

 

Our daughter who lives 3 blocks away from Canada Place is away for a long weekend so we’ve moved in to cat sit and with it finally being a bright sunny day in Vancouver, we will soon be off on foot to see what’s tied up at Canada Place today. 

Edited May 21, 2022 by AE_Collector

[voljeep]

12 hours ago, suekel said:

Seriously.  If the laundry or the mini bar go, I'm rethinking.  

seriously? - that's a deal or no deal???

[beg3yrs]

13 hours ago, suekel said:

Seriously.  If the laundry or the mini bar go, I'm rethinking.  

 

46 minutes ago, voljeep said:

seriously? - that's a deal or no deal???

Seriously! Maybe not the mini-bar but we dislike doing laundry on vacation so much, the laundry benefit is what keeps us from looking at other cruise lines right now. That said, if it were a short enough cruise (which we don't like) laundry wouldn't be an issue.

[AE_Collector]

Well he did say it would get him thinking, not deal or no deal. In my case I always thought that Princess had the BEST perks (for us, everyone values various perks differently). Thus as they slowly reduce some of the perks we still feel they have decent perks, just not what they used to be. But if more goes away we may at least look at the competition a little bit more but that doesn't mean we are gone as it is likely an industry wide thing. Also, cruise lines have been through hell and we are just happy that they survived. But when things get better in the future maybe there will be some re-evaluating by Princess.

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, AE_Collector said:

Well he did say it would get him thinking, not deal or no deal. In my case I always thought that Princess had the BEST perks (for us, everyone values various perks differently). Thus as they slowly reduce some of the perks we still feel they have decent perks, just not what they used to be. But if more goes away we may at least look at the competition a little bit more but that doesn't mean we are gone as it is likely an industry wide thing. Also, cruise lines have been through hell and we are just happy that they survived. But when things get better in the future maybe there will be some re-evaluating by Princess.

 

I agree with your conclusions.  But I have rarely seen a company (aka Princess) reinstate revenue items that have been removed.  Changed/altered/modified but 99% of the time in Princess' favor.  For now, I am willing to sit back and observe what is transpiring.  My next planned cruise is next summer.  

 

BTW.  I did have my TA add Princess Plus before the "big" announcement (I didn't trust Princess to wait any longer).  Princess did.  After the announcement, but before implementation, I asked her to again add Princess Plus to another future sailing.  Two hours on the phone and Princess declined to add Princess Plus to another booking.  That's okay.  It is one that might be cancelled in the long run.