loyalty and benefits

[DrivesLikeMario]

We really, really like Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor loyalty perks!  As Diamond Plus (175+ pts.), you get 5 drinks per person, per day, any time of the day, free bag of laundry, free wifi and so much more.  We always go in full suites so we also get all of those perks too and we try to only cruise on the smaller Radiance Class ships which are somewhat similar to the Coral & Island Princess.  From what we've experienced, RCG is handling the come-back from Covid really well.

Edited July 9, 2022 by DrivesLikeMario
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[wallyj]

On 7/8/2022 at 11:44 AM, geoherb said:

My brother and his wife are Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean. Our Elite benefits are still better than what they receive, other than the drink vouchers being better than our minibar, especially for longer cruises, since they get five vouchers for free drinks per day and not just one setup for an entire cruise. They don't get any internet discount or laundry benefits. 

Hi @geoherb, RCL does have an internet benefit, for Diamond 80+ points you get one free 24 hour period of ‘surf’ internet or the equivalent value dollar discount which is about $26, and cruises of 6+ days you will get $10 discount on fill a bag of laundry that is normally $34.99, at Diamond Plus 175+ points you get 2 twenty four hour internet or the equivalent value off any other internet package which is about $52.98 value. You also receive 1 free bag of laundry per member. RCL also states you are only suppose to put t-shirts, underwear, , socks and shorts and PJ’s, anything else is charged at regular price. YMMV, as others have posted they have put polos and other items in the ‘bag’ and were not charged.

 

RCL beats Princess as a solo traveler as they give 2 cruise points per night when you travel solo, as princess does not double ‘cruise days’. 
 

Royal’s top tier is Pinnacle at 700 points, which will give you free internet for you entire sailing and 6 drinks a day up to $13 value per drink. Also you get a free 7 day cruise at 700 points and every 350 points thereafter, so it depends on what amenities are more important to you.

[Over from NZ]

Scrap them all. They want my business they can forget silly wee perks and snobby names.. it's fares and itinerary they need to concentrate on. 

[Lucky TGO]

If  you are receiving any loyalty benefits? Used them up right away Princess is taking them away as quick as they can. 😳 😡

Tony

[Ombud]

8 hours ago, wallyj said:

RCL beats Princess as a solo traveler as they give 2 cruise points per night when you travel solo, as princess does not double ‘cruise days’. 

Princess doesn't count cruise days it counts cruises. Solos get 2 cruise credits per cruise unless in a suite. Then it's 3.

 

My loyalty benefits are still there:

> mini bar traded for coffee program

> laundry (although everyone got it on Discovery)

> priority tender

> priority embarkation once I finally got in the bldg

> elite tea / those elite canapés were horrible

> i know there's others but those were the ones I used last cruise

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by Ombud

[wallyj]

1 hour ago, Ombud said:

Princess doesn't count cruise days it counts cruises. Solos get 2 cruise credits per cruise unless in a suite. Then it's 3.

 

My loyalty benefits are still there:

> mini bar traded for coffee program

> laundry (although everyone got it on Discovery)

> priority tender

> priority embarkation once I finally got in the bldg

> elite tea / those elite canapés were horrible

> i know there's others but those were the ones I used last cruise

 

 

 

Hi @Ombud, Princess DOES count cruise days or Cruise credits to determine your Loyalty Tier, whichever benefits you as some passengers only take longer cruises opposed to multiple cruises, so someone can take a world cruise and another longer cruise and reach ‘elite’ after only 2 cruise credits. Number of ‘days’ is also important in determining the Most Travel Passengers/Guest. Your milestone cruise used to be determined by cruise credits but is now determined by number of days sailed, so cruise days is still an important ‘marker’. Unless Princess creates a new higher tier, after you reach 16 credits, they don’t really help you.

 

Doubling cruise days would be more helpful reaching milestone cruises and making MTG cutoffs.

Edited July 10, 2022 by wallyj

[Ombud]

31 minutes ago, wallyj said:

Doubling cruise days would be more helpful reaching milestone cruises and making MTG cutoffs.

Why does MTG matter???? 

 

I guess my question is: once I've got all the amenities I need (coffee, music, booze, laundry, priority embarkation / disembarkation / tenders, more food than I need, friendly crew) what else is there?? 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by Ombud

[caribill]

20 hours ago, amajaa said:

 

Apart from those both P & O and Cunard give OBC to military and veterans so I assume all of the Carnival brands probably do as well. Similar amounts to Princess except P & O is in GBP

 

 

 

Not a good assumption.

 

The Princess benefit started when the president of Princess was a veteran. At least at that time other CCL brands did  not join in with that benefit.

[wallyj]

3 minutes ago, Ombud said:

What does getting to MTG actually get someone???? And elite is only 15 or 16 cruises (8 if solo). There isn't any more loyalty obc so who really cares after that?

Making the MTG cutoff precovid gave you the opportunity to have a usually nice lunch or cocktail party with the Captain and senior officers. Now, you get a photo op with the Captain and some officers may show up but they no longer stay and sit at tables. Milestone cruises come with some nice amenities, like a flower arrangement, bottle of decent champagne, certificate recognition at Captain circle party and starting at 750 days milestone, you get to enjoy ‘suites’ breakfast in the specialty restaurant.

 

With  the elimination of the loyalty OBC based on cruise credits, cruise credits as I said really are not important after reaching elite if you do not qualify by number of days.

 

Your reply to my post said Princess does not count Days, but credits, I was informing those that may not be aware Royal handles solo’s differently and  as most other cruise lines base their loyalty on ‘days’ not cruise credits, the faster accumulation of days not credits is more beneficial.

[caribill]

20 hours ago, Moondogy said:

Thanks, but as I am retired, I didn't retire from the military. It doesn't say veterans just retired and active. Not sure about them, but other companies that state that means it's only for those retired from the military.

 

Princess just requires that you have evidence of honorary discharge. Does not matter how long ago or if that was your last job.

[Ombud]

@wallyjthank you for clarifying that. So the purpose of making MTG is mostly for yet another meal & a picture sort of like the one taken at the Captains cocktail party, flowers, champagne, and a certificate. I'd like the flowers .... I usually bring the on at embarkation. 

 

How many cruises or nights does it take to match elite status at Celebrity??

[caribill]

39 minutes ago, Ombud said:

So the purpose of making MTG is mostly for yet another meal & a picture sort of like the one taken at the Captains cocktail party, flowers, champagne, and a certificate.

 

 

The meal at the MTP lunch is a special one and might be the best meal you eat on a cruise.

 

The flowers, Champagne and certificate are not part of making the MTP luncheon. They are a part of making a milestone number of cruise days (for example, 500).

 

On some cruises instead of a MTP lunch there will instead be a MTP cocktail party on one evening. No charge for drinks and plenty of good horderves.

 

Pre-pandemic at a MTP lunch a staff member sat at each table. The top cruisers by number of days sat with the Captain. Those who just made the cutoff sat with the Captain's Circle host. The cruise members were always very willing to engage in conversarion with those at their tables.

 

Pre-pandemic at a MTP cocktail party the staff members (from Captain on down) would circulate and an attendee could take to many of them unlike at the lunch where one only spoke with the staff member at their tablle.

[Ombud]

@wallyjand @caribill like I stated, the flowers are a nice touch.

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, caribill said:

The meal at the MTP lunch is a special one and might be the best meal you eat on a cruise.

BINGO !

 

[Moondogy]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Princess just requires that you have evidence of honorary discharge. Does not matter how long ago or if that was your last job.

Yep, that's why I like princess. And once you provide your DD214 the benefits stays in your files...At least for most, some have said they have to send it in for every cruise.

[mtnesterz]

11 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

If  you are receiving any loyalty benefits? Used them up right away Princess is taking them away as quick as they can. 😳 😡

Tony

Please elaborate if you have knowledge of upcoming changes and a timeline.

Yes, I know about the internet. Yes, some things were not the same on our last cruise, owing to claimed supply issues. Presume you meant using FCDs.

Edited July 10, 2022 by mtnesterz

[mtnesterz]

4 hours ago, Ombud said:

How many cruises or nights does it take to match elite status at Celebrity??

It takes 300 points to achieve what Celebrity labels Elite. But earning points is different and the benefits are different than Princess level for level. You'd have to check.  For example, Elite internet benefit is 30% off, Elite Plus is 35%.

 

[coo359a2]

5 hours ago, wallyj said:

 starting at 750 days milestone, you get to enjoy ‘suites’ breakfast in the specialty restaurant.

 

Not sure if you are saying that after 750 days   the "suites" breakfast in Sabatini's becomes an ongoing perk..  The breakfast in Sabatini's is only for the cruise that you achieved your milestone. 

[memoak]

7 hours ago, caribill said:

 

The meal at the MTP lunch is a special one and might be the best meal you eat on a cruise.

 

The flowers, Champagne and certificate are not part of making the MTP luncheon. They are a part of making a milestone number of cruise days (for example, 500).

 

On some cruises instead of a MTP lunch there will instead be a MTP cocktail party on one evening. No charge for drinks and plenty of good horderves.

 

Pre-pandemic at a MTP lunch a staff member sat at each table. The top cruisers by number of days sat with the Captain. Those who just made the cutoff sat with the Captain's Circle host. The cruise members were always very willing to engage in conversarion with those at their tables.

 

Pre-pandemic at a MTP cocktail party the staff members (from Captain on down) would circulate and an attendee could take to many of them unlike at the lunch where one only spoke with the staff member at their tablle.

The lunch is usually a real treat which an amazing menu. However the most memorable one I have been to was a wine and nibbles on the bridge during Hubbard Glacier cruising day. This was a long time ago and I still remember it

[wallyj]

16 hours ago, coo359a2 said:

Not sure if you are saying that after 750 days   the "suites" breakfast in Sabatini's becomes an ongoing perk..  The breakfast in Sabatini's is only for the cruise that you achieved your milestone. 

The ‘suites’ breakfast is only on your milestone and not every cruise once you hit 750. The first milestone is recognized at 500 and then every 250 days after, it is not till 750 that you are invited to ‘suites’ breakfast was the point I was making. 

[MissP22]

6 hours ago, wallyj said:

The ‘suites’ breakfast is only on your milestone and not every cruise once you hit 750. The first milestone is recognized at 500 and then every 250 days after, it is not till 750 that you are invited to ‘suites’ breakfast was the point I was making. 

Wouldn't that be a great perk to offer that breakfast to a new category?

Say for people over 750 or 1,000 days sailing.  😁

[memoak]

4 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Wouldn't that be a great perk to offer that breakfast to a new category?

Say for people over 750 or 1,000 days sailing.  😁

Sabatini’s is not all that large and if suite passengers can’t be seated on arrival I submit there would be an issue. Plus you would have to have more servers available to ensure the great service. I can just imagine on a cruise with people who have that many days it could be crazy

[coo359a2]

7 minutes ago, memoak said:

Sabatini’s is not all that large and if suite passengers can’t be seated on arrival I submit there would be an issue. Plus you would have to have more servers available to ensure the great service. I can just imagine on a cruise with people who have that many days it could be crazy

It would also lose the atmosphere of a peaceful breakfast if opened to everyone over 750 or 1000 days.  We ate there in March on the Emerald when DH had reached 1000 days and there were 2 servers plus the Head Waiter.  We went early and probably 5 tables were in use at that time.  If it was open to a lot more people, the personal attention given by the workers would sure be lacking.   Servers were excellent and very attentive during our visits.  Will see how the CB measures up if I receive that perk for my 1000 days next month.

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, memoak said:

Sabatini’s is not all that large and if suite passengers can’t be seated on arrival I submit there would be an issue. Plus you would have to have more servers available to ensure the great service. I can just imagine on a cruise with people who have that many days it could be crazy

 

2 hours ago, coo359a2 said:

It would also lose the atmosphere of a peaceful breakfast if opened to everyone over 750 or 1000 days.  We ate there in March on the Emerald when DH had reached 1000 days and there were 2 servers plus the Head Waiter.  We went early and probably 5 tables were in use at that time.  If it was open to a lot more people, the personal attention given by the workers would sure be lacking.   Servers were excellent and very attentive during our visits.  Will see how the CB measures up if I receive that perk for my 1000 days next month.

Just how many people sailing at any time could possibly have more than 1,000 days sailed? The way you describe it, there must be literally dozens on every cruise. 😄 LOL

 

[93yearsyoung]

2 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Just how many people sailing at any time could possibly have more than 1,000 days sailed? The way you describe it, there must be literally dozens on every cruise. 😄 LOL

 

I think it depends on the cruise, i.e., number of days, destination etc.

 

I bet a 7 day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale has a lot of first or second time cruisers. Our last 15 day, LA-Hawaii round trip, I swear half the cruisers were Elite...  it didn't feel all that elite 😁