AMEX Plat - changed benefits

[Krazy Kruizers]

Maybe someone has already posted this - I looked but couldn'd find a thread.

 

When we got on the Statendam, we found that AMEX Plat has changed their benefits. We still got our $300 shipboard credit. But the first night free at the Pinnacle has been dropped. When we got on the ship in Vancouver, we did not have the usual letter in our cabin so we went and asked our concierge about the AMEX Plat dinner at the Pinnacle. Mel told us that AMEX Plat had dropped that benefit a couple of months ago. We were on the Amsterdam Mar/Apr and did get the free dinner. So I figure that it was dropped some time around the first of May.

 

In place of the free dinner, we each got a bottle of champagne in our cabin, a small arrangement of flowers (identical to the one we got in our suite), and an invitation to the VIP party. Since we are always invited to the VIP parties and always get flowers in the cabin, I don't think that these new benefits are that great.

 

What do you all think about this?

[jhannah]

Cutting back seems to be a fact of life these days. Everyone is scrounging to improve their bottom line. More and more is being taken away. I'd rather have the Pinnacle than the champagne, flowers, and VIP invite. But I'm sure those other things are cheaper than the Pinnacle dinner for two.

[scopewest]

Since we're not in a suite, I'd be happy with champagne, flowers and VIP invite instead of a Pinnacle meal. My TA said our AMEX Pinnacle meal was good on the first night only, which is half price to begin with! I think I'll flip our TA a note to see what's up with this deal now as our cruise is in December.

[sail7seas]

KK....I seem to recall that you have posted that you never were able to get a reservation or ever dined that first night in Pinnacle so you really didn't lose anything, did you?

 

I know we have NEVER dined that first night in Pinnacle when it would be free as we wanted to be in the dining room and specifically because I recalled you commenting you had a hard time getting reservations so we never even tired.

 

It doesn't matter to us that what we never used is gone but I do like having additional flowers.

I love when I have flowers I can place on my dressing table. Sometimes when we do back-to-backs the first weeks flowers are still fresh enough to have a day or two left so I move the old ones to my dressing table when the steward delivers the new ones for the next week. This way I can have fresh pretty flowers there to enjoy.

[sail7seas]

Scopewest.....

 

No more. They have discontinued the half price at Pinnacle on the first night. Once in a while we hear they still, day of sailing, will make it available but it is not usual and customary anymore and if you reserve in advance, you are charged the full $20 pp.....but IMO, is well worth it. ;)

 

[fb0075]

Just looked at the AmEX site--it still says that the Pinnacle Grill is complimentary for the first nite!!

Now, before I get FLAMED for wanting what I deserve,I use the AM EX card JUST for the perks,and I expect to get these as I pay the yearly fee--this is a contract between AM EX and myself--so I will be calling my TA and am expecting to eat the first nite in the Pinnacle !!

FRANK

 

REMEMBER--this is not a HAL perk but an inducement from AMEX thru HAL to use THEIR card instead of another---call AMEX and apprise them of the situation

[sail7seas]

I won't be flaming you, Frank. Good Luck. Let us know how you make out.

 

If it were something I cared about, I'd be speaking up, as well.

KK is the first to report it here so it must be quite new change. We had the offer available on Ryndam in April. Someone else said May (maybe KK.....). So, it's only a few months they've changed the policy.

 

 

 

[iceman93]

Your confirmation letter from PTS should state exactly what platinum amenities are included. As an example, for my upcoming cruise in November, in addition to the usual items it listed "25,000 bonus Membership Rewards points." I called my TA, thinking this was a mistake, but she said that it was a current promotion from AmEx for booking vacations over a certain dollar threshold. I didn't know about it, but will happily take the points anyway!

[sail7seas]

Your confirmation letter from PTS should state exactly what platinum amenities are included. As an example, for my upcoming cruise in November, in addition to the usual items it listed "25,000 bonus Membership Rewards points." I called my TA, thinking this was a mistake, but she said that it was a current promotion from AmEx for booking vacations over a certain dollar threshold. I didn't know about it, but will happily take the points anyway!

 

I don't book through Platinum Travel Service. I use my down the street and round the corner brick and mortar TA in my neighborhood so never get a PTS confirmation. But we do get all the AmExPlatinum benefits seeing as we use 'the card' for our deposit and final payment.

 

I will be inquiring about 25,000 bonus points......to be sure!!! Thanks for mentioning it.

[fb0075]

I,too, use someone else--but will check on web site--

thanks

 

ALSO, I believe KK was saying that the PG was DENIED after they boarded EXPECTING to have it--I have a AUG and NOV booked and dont want to board without this being settled!

[sail7seas]

Yes, I agree.....I also think that is what KK is saying.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For quite some time we were not able to use the AMEX Plat dinner at the Pinnacle. But last May we lucked out and were able to get a dining time. We also lucked out last November on the Ryndam and again this past Mar on the Amsterdam. The Mar cruise had very few people in the dining room the first night. HAL had stopped the half price first night the beginning of Feb and were only honoring those reservations that people had made prior to Feb 1 for future cruises. I have the feeling that the reason AMEX dropped it is because they were now required to pay HAL $20 per person instead of the $10 per person for the first night.

 

As much as I love flowers, I would rather have the dinner. Between the 2 bottles of champagne and the the complementary one we get from the captain and hotel manager, 3 bottles in 7 days is way too much for us. We ended up leaving 1 bottle behind.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We went to the Pinnacle the first night of the second week. There were exactly 3 couples there - an officer and his girl friend, another couple and ourselves. That was it for the entire evening.

 

Things did pick up the rest of the week.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Like sail, we also do not use the PTS service but rather a TA that we can get to very easily should we have a problem.

 

So we will also be looking into those points.

 

Could the reason that iceman93 got the points is because he will be in the Penthouse?

[cool change]

I used my platinum amex card to pay through the cruise through my own T.A. We have a suite, should I be looking for my shipboard credits to arrive with my documents or do I need to speak to the consierge on the ship? Do I look to see if there are documents in my cabin? I have not recieved anything from them on past cruises and have not pursued this before. I would like to think I am getting something for paying for that card or I might let it go.

[fb0075]

Again KK,

I am on your side!!!!!

But AMEX has NOT dropped it --go to their web site--I think you should call AMEX Plat Travel Services and complain!!

I was denied some benifits last year by HAL and AMEX credited my renewal fee this year!!

FRANK

[scopewest]

Ohhh, they dropped the Pinnacle half price first night dinner. I didn't know that. Now I can see why people are annoyed. I checked my confirmation form and it lists the AMEX first night dinner. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens when we board, and I'll be sure to bring my TA's confirmation with me just in case.

 

25,000 points? Ha, probably not for our cabin category!

[Krazy Kruizers]

The shipboard credit vouchers are no longer included in the cruise documents. HAL has switched over to the software that Princess uses and it doesn't contain anything to print them.

 

Have your TA get a fax from HAL - then after you have been on the ship a couple of days, check with the front office to make certain that you have received the credit.

 

We didn't even have a voucher for the Carnival credit - same reason.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Looks as though that will be one more call, among others, that we will be making on Wednesday. No sense calling today - too many people off for the long holiday.

 

Thanks, Frank

[cool change]

THANK YOU, I will have TA get a fax for me. Does the fax just state that I used my amex to pay for trip? I would be so greatful to get this figured out finally.

[sail7seas]

I used my platinum amex card to pay through the cruise through my own T.A. We have a suite, should I be looking for my shipboard credits to arrive with my documents or do I need to speak to the consierge on the ship? Do I look to see if there are documents in my cabin? I have not recieved anything from them on past cruises and have not pursued this before. I would like to think I am getting something for paying for that card or I might let it go.

 

Cool Change.......Your TA must expend a small amount of effort on your behalf in order for you to get the AmExPlatinum benefits.

 

(A problem you ?might run into? is that TA's must now pay a yearly fee to AmEx in order for them to get all of their Platinum clients the benefits they are entitled to. My TA pays this fee because we are not his only Platinum clients. If we were the only ones....I'm not sure he would do so.

 

(S)he must contact AmEx and get a 'tracking number'. That number must be submitted to HAL in ordr for you to get the $150 pp shipboard credit. For the $300 that you will receive, you certainly have a reasonable expectation (s)he does this for you.

 

You will also receive a complimentary bottle of champagne and (based on this threaad), you might receive a free dinner at Pinnacle on embarkation day.....if you wish to be out of the dining room in order to dine there.

[sail7seas]

KK.....It bothered me when I picked up our docs and there was no shipboard credit voucher. From time to time, DH has had to speak with the Concierge to have our bill corrected to reflect the shipboard credit. With a copy of the voucher in hand, it was easy. Without it????

 

I made my TA give me a copy of the original booking confirmation on which HAL indicated the shipboard credit applied to this booking. I don't know why they thought it better that we, as guests, have no written proof from them that we are entitled to $300 shipboard credit but they must have thought it better this way??

[iceman93]

Could the reason that iceman93 got the points is because he will be in the Penthouse?

 

It wasn't specifically because of that, but because our total cruise fare was higher than the bonus point threshold. It was only $7K or something like that, which I considered to be a pretty low amount for such a generous point bonus! I really don't know the details, and it could only be for bookings made through PTS for all I know. I just did a cursory web search and couldn't find anything, but I'm sure if you called PTS (even without intending to use them to book) you could ask.

[Krazy Kruizers]

iceman93

 

Some of our last cruises have been expensive - especially Hawaii.

 

So we will definitely be looking into this.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I got my information about the ship board credit vocuhers no longer being included in the cruise documents from a very reliable source in Seattle.