Players Advantage Changes?

[cltnccruisers]

For several months my wife and I have been getting Players Advantage offers - aka casino comps.  She gets an interior and I get a balcony.  We love the program and view it as the best way for us to continue cruising into retirement.  We have 3 cruises booked through 2025 with 2 bumped to minisuites.

 

I started looking at 2026 and found that only interior cabins come up.  Anything else is an upgrade.  I thought it might be specific to 2026, but when I checked for 2024 and 2025 I got the same result.  Just a guess, but I'm thinking this might be a reaction to the delayed inaugural sailing of Sun.  I expect pretty much everyone on this forum is aware that, at best, the Sun launch has been problematic.

 

Has anyone heard why this change has been made?  Sadly, if it is permanent, it may mark the end of our cruising or at least a reduction.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, cltnccruisers said:

For several months my wife and I have been getting Players Advantage offers - aka casino comps.  She gets an interior and I get a balcony.  We love the program and view it as the best way for us to continue cruising into retirement.  We have 3 cruises booked through 2025 with 2 bumped to minisuites.

 

I started looking at 2026 and found that only interior cabins come up.  Anything else is an upgrade.  I thought it might be specific to 2026, but when I checked for 2024 and 2025 I got the same result.  Just a guess, but I'm thinking this might be a reaction to the delayed inaugural sailing of Sun.  I expect pretty much everyone on this forum is aware that, at best, the Sun launch has been problematic.

 

Has anyone heard why this change has been made?  Sadly, if it is permanent, it may mark the end of our cruising or at least a reduction.

We are still getting free balcony offers but since we have 7 cruises booked through 2025 we haven’t used one for awhile and we always bump them up to full suites. What we have noticed is the free play that we used to get $600 each we now are getting $250 to $400

[Cruise Raider]

We used to get a casino discount for years and years but now, just nothing!  
We gamble as much as we used to and still get land based comps but nothing on Princess for over a year now.  

[karatemom2]

DH is still getting the free interiors as the standard. The only times he is usually offered a free balcony is as a Come Back offer at the end of a cruise - and not all the time.
 

He plays Craps, not slots, so maybe more subjective? He got a free balcony offer on both of our Southampton cruises where he likely stood out more as there weren’t many Craps players and the host took notice of him and his play. On our LA cruises there are TONS of Craps players - he is one of many. So even though they are logging his playing time and investment at the table, his play is not remarkable by comparison. 
 

Slots are much easier to track and reward. It’s very straightforward. 
 

But we have definitely noted the offers getting stingier and casino cash less. It will be interesting to see what offer he gets after our Norway cruise out of Southampton this summer as I anticipate he will once again be among a small group of gamblers on that itinerary. 

[that]

1 hour ago, Cruise Raider said:

We used to get a casino discount for years and years but now, just nothing!  
We gamble as much as we used to and still get land based comps but nothing on Princess for over a year now.  

May I ask if you book use a TA

or a Princess CVP

or book online or onboard ?

[cltnccruisers]

39 minutes ago, that said:

May I ask if you book use a TA

or a Princess CVP

or book online or onboard ?

I kind of think TAs to be useless.  Have a CVP we love, but mostly just online.

[Globaler]

1 hour ago, karatemom2 said:

DH is still getting the free interiors as the standard. The only times he is usually offered a free balcony is as a Come Back offer at the end of a cruise - and not all the time.
 

He plays Craps, not slots, so maybe more subjective? He got a free balcony offer on both of our Southampton cruises where he likely stood out more as there weren’t many Craps players and the host took notice of him and his play. On our LA cruises there are TONS of Craps players - he is one of many. So even though they are logging his playing time and investment at the table, his play is not remarkable by comparison. 
 

Slots are much easier to track and reward. It’s very straightforward. 
 

But we have definitely noted the offers getting stingier and casino cash less. It will be interesting to see what offer he gets after our Norway cruise out of Southampton this summer as I anticipate he will once again be among a small group of gamblers on that itinerary. 

I am only getting interior which I upgrade. The trouble I have is zeroing in on our future plans cause casino trips have to be paid in full. I guess that doesn’t matter when it’s a comped balcony 😔

[cltnccruisers]

2 minutes ago, Globaler said:

I am only getting interior which I upgrade. The trouble I have is zeroing in on our future plans cause casino trips have to be paid in full. I guess that doesn’t matter when it’s a comped balcony 😔

The paid in full makes a difference to us.  DW is retired and I sure wish I was.  When I do, it might be the only way we can cruise.  We love it, but...

[karatemom2]

1 minute ago, Globaler said:

I am only getting interior which I upgrade. The trouble I have is zeroing in on our future plans cause casino trips have to be paid in full. I guess that doesn’t matter when it’s a comped balcony 😔

Yes, that’s what we do as well - usually upgrade to a balcony or mini suite. But the number of offers have really dried up over the last week. Much fewer showing $0 for us anymore. 
 

We had our eye on three we were thinking of booking for Fall 2024 and in 2025 including one of the early Star sailings. But the paying in full at booking and potential to lose our $400 deposit had us dragging our feet. Now we regret waiting. 
 

At this point we are not booking anything until we see what offers materialize after our Norway cruise in June. Guess DH is going to have to “show them the money”. 😎

[Globaler]

2 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

The paid in full makes a difference to us.  DW is retired and I sure wish I was.  When I do, it might be the only way we can cruise.  We love it, but...

We are retired and have to make plans a year or so in advance because of all who can book a cabin or two for $100!

Edited March 2 by Globaler

[cltnccruisers]

2 minutes ago, Globaler said:

We are retired and have to make plans a year or so in advance because of all who can book a cabin or two for $100!

I think this change, if permanent, my bump a lot of us off.  But I'm not sure if the lines in general care.  They seem to be going after the younger crowd.  Just a thought.

 

[memoak]

12 minutes ago, Globaler said:

I am only getting interior which I upgrade. The trouble I have is zeroing in on our future plans cause casino trips have to be paid in full. I guess that doesn’t matter when it’s a comped balcony 😔

Casino cruises have needed full payment on booking for a long time

[Globaler]

1 minute ago, cltnccruisers said:

I think this change, if permanent, my bump a lot of us off.  But I'm not sure if the lines in general care.  They seem to be going after the younger crowd.  Just a thought.

 

True but hard to fill a cruise ship with young folks on TA’s, TP’s and cruises over 2 weeks 😎

[memoak]

3 minutes ago, Globaler said:

True but hard to fill a cruise ship with young folks on TA’s, TP’s and cruises over 2 weeks 😎

All I know is that lately the casinos have been more crowded than in the past

[cltnccruisers]

5 minutes ago, memoak said:

Casino cruises have needed full payment on booking for a long time

Sure, and we plan for that.  But the loss of balcony is hard.

[cltnccruisers]

5 minutes ago, Globaler said:

True but hard to fill a cruise ship with young folks on TA’s, TP’s and cruises over 2 weeks 😎

Fair enough.  We went on our only TA last year.  We weren't overly excited. We were on Celebrity Reflection, which we love, but we had cabin damage, the food wasn't up to standard and bar service, considering 43% capacity, sucked.  We were long term X cruisers and this was really upsetting.  Didn't see anyone under 60, to your point.

[Globaler]

Just now, cltnccruisers said:

Sure, and we plan for that.  But the loss of balcony is hard.

Indeed. We got a balcony offer on our TA in April. The 6/8 Sun med cruise we didn’t but it was a really good deal as we booked early. Looking ahead to 2025, our TA’s we are looking at are going to cost us - hopefully we get a bounce back offer on our TA in April.

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, that said:

May I ask if you book use a TA

or a Princess CVP

or book online or onboard ?

I used a CVP for all my Princess bookings.  

[cltnccruisers]

29 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

Yes, that’s what we do as well - usually upgrade to a balcony or mini suite. But the number of offers have really dried up over the last week. Much fewer showing $0 for us anymore. 
 

We had our eye on three we were thinking of booking for Fall 2024 and in 2025 including one of the early Star sailings. But the paying in full at booking and potential to lose our $400 deposit had us dragging our feet. Now we regret waiting. 
 

At this point we are not booking anything until we see what offers materialize after our Norway cruise in June. Guess DH is going to have to “show them the money”. 😎

We have 3 through 2025 that came in under the old offers.  We bumped 2 to Mini suites, a 14 and a 20 day, and paid them in full.  If the new offers stay in place, they may be our last, or close to it.  Powerball may help, but I'm not holding by breath.  😄

[Globaler]

31 minutes ago, memoak said:

All I know is that lately the casinos have been more crowded than in the past

I agree. Hate the newbees at the crap table especially dropping their hands on the table and constantly asking me how to play. Worse during the summer months.

[cltnccruisers]

28 minutes ago, Globaler said:

Indeed. We got a balcony offer on our TA in April. The 6/8 Sun med cruise we didn’t but it was a really good deal as we booked early. Looking ahead to 2025, our TA’s we are looking at are going to cost us - hopefully we get a bounce back offer on our TA in April.

Locust.  Not far from us in University City.  Daughter and Granddaughters in Cabarrus.

[cltnccruisers]

3 minutes ago, Globaler said:

I agree. Hate the newbees at the crap table especially dropping their hands on the table and constantly asking me how to play. Worse during the summer months.

We usually play slots, but sometimes I'll hit the blackjack.  Learned the hard way a long time ago, if you are OK and the dealer/box changes, walk away.

[Globaler]

5 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

We usually play slots, but sometimes I'll hit the blackjack.  Learned the hard way a long time ago, if you are OK and the dealer/box changes, walk away.

Love craps and hate to pass up a 5$ table. Used to go to LV and Biloxi but for the comps and a gateway to Europe we have focused on cruises. Princess has been ok so far - just have to see how long it lasts.