New Coffee Card

Do you drink the brewed coffee? If not' date=' why not buy a coffee package for your wife and let her treat you to the specialty coffees using one of her punches?[/quote']I am on the Regal Princess right now. A barista told me that the brewed coffee in the self serve urns is the same coffee as the brewed coffee in the coffee bars. But because of the quantity brewed, it is weaker. If you want a good cup of coffee, get the card and get an Americano.

 

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We are on Island, July 4 SB. Honest opinion from anyone who has sailed Island recently - is the regular coffee as bad as some make it out to be? I have a coffee card as I like specialty coffees, we are debating getting on for my wife more for the brewed coffee. Thanks.

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I was told on our cruise on the Royal that disembarked last week that coffee cards will no longer be sold and it will go paperless, starting with the next sailing. Wish someone currently on the ship could confirm this.

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I was told on our cruise on the Royal that disembarked last week that coffee cards will no longer be sold and it will go paperless, starting with the next sailing. Wish someone currently on the ship could confirm this.

 

 

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I'm not on the ship but that is true....no more coffee cards. If you purchase a coffee package it'll be put on your cruise card & stored on their computer.

All unused punches will confiscated at the end of that sailing.

Use them or lose them. :mad:

The older cards will still be honored according to the expiration date on the back and if there is no date they will expire on Aug 2019.

I'll be on next week. I have one paper card left and plan on using it for the remaining specialty coffees. I find the e-card fair.

Basically, Princess has diminished the value of the Elite minibar perk. All other options for trading in the minibar could measured against the coffee card, which had a reasonably well-defined value for resale of between $20-25, or for two, twice that. With the average Princess cruise 7-10 days, few will use 15 specialty coffees, and the remainder are lost, nor can the perk be resold. While I suspect revenue was a factor, I think a lot of it is the drive to have everything electronic.

Basically, Princess has diminished the value of the Elite minibar perk. All other options for trading in the minibar could measured against the coffee card, which had a reasonably well-defined value for resale of between $20-25, or for two, twice that. With the average Princess cruise 7-10 days, few will use 15 specialty coffees, and the remainder are lost, nor can the perk be resold. While I suspect revenue was a factor, I think a lot of it is the drive to have everything electronic.

If you don’t drink hard liquor but instead swap it for beer and/or other canned soda I think the value of the mini bar is quite good. My husband loves the Dos Equis beer.

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If you don’t drink hard liquor but instead swap it for beer and/or other canned soda I think the value of the mini bar is quite good. My husband loves the Dos Equis beer.

Two coffee cards are worth about $60.

Swap entire mini-bar for soda -- 20 cans.

I can bring 20 cans onboard with me at a cost of about $10.

I would prefer the soda, but I always thought it was such a poor value.

Two coffee cards are worth about $60.

 

Swap entire mini-bar for soda -- 20 cans.

I can bring 20 cans onboard with me at a cost of about $10.

I would prefer the soda, but I always thought it was such a poor value.

You're valuing the coffee cards a what Princess charges for them.

I could bring on a pound of really nice coffee for about $15.

On the other hand - Princess (I think ) charges $4/can for the soda so on board that is a value of $80 for 20 cans.

BUT - the most important thing is that if you don't drink the coffee the cards have no value - just as if you don't drink the soda that has no value.

On the other hand - Princess (I think ) charges $4/can for the soda so on board that is a value of $80 for 20 cans..

You're off by a factor of two.

And i don’t know what the beer goes for if purchased individually (and you can’t carry on) but I’m guessing it’s at least $5 with gratuity. If you trade the liquor bottles for bottled beer that would add up for a beer drinker.

But agree that the value of the coffee card is probably the highest, on the Royal it was advertised as $31.

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You're off by a factor of two.

Correct.

Cans of soda are $2.25 in all the bars and that includes the 15% grat.

I think a lot of it is the drive to have everything electronic.

Are they doing electronic for the non alcoholic drink package too instead of the sticker?

I think the point I was trying to make was that the coffee cards had a secondary market, surplus ones could be resold for $20-25 or so dollars. That's what they are worth as defined by there being people willing to pay that. That value is destroyed under the new plan.

I think the point I was trying to make was that the coffee cards had a secondary market, surplus ones could be resold for $20-25 or so dollars. That's what they are worth as defined by there being people willing to pay that. That value is destroyed under the new plan.

I guess that makes then non transferable which seems very reasonable going forward.

Basically, Princess has diminished the value of the Elite minibar perk. All other options for trading in the minibar could measured against the coffee card, which had a reasonably well-defined value for resale of between $20-25, or for two, twice that. With the average Princess cruise 7-10 days, few will use 15 specialty coffees, and the remainder are lost, nor can the perk be resold. While I suspect revenue was a factor, I think a lot of it is the drive to have everything electronic.

The mini-bar is an elite and suite perk which has always had a stated number and type of included beverages. That has not changed.

At some point Princess started to allow trade-ins for the perk for two coffee cards, but that was not part of the original perk.

So losing the ability to have a physical coffee card does not diminish the original value or purpose of the mini-bar.

However, if you are determined to make $$$ from this perk, just bring all or part of the mini-bar beverages home and sell that.

To make even more $$$ from your cruise, note that Princess soap bars are selling well on Ebay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lotus-Spa-Princess-Cruises-Bar-of-Soap-6cm-x-2cm-Brand-New-/311659320168

Another popular item on Ebay is the elite pin

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Princess-Cruise-Lines-Captains-Circle-ELITE-members-pin-NEW-SET-OF-TWO-/142742842215

The mini-bar is an elite and suite perk which has always had a stated number and type of included beverages. That has not changed.

 

At some point Princess started to allow trade-ins for the perk for two coffee cards, but that was not part of the original perk.

 

So losing the ability to have a physical coffee card does not diminish the original value or purpose of the mini-bar.

 

However, if you are determined to make $$$ from this perk, just bring all or part of the mini-bar beverages home and sell that.

 

To make even more $$$ from your cruise, note that Princess soap bars are selling well on Ebay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lotus-Spa-Princess-Cruises-Bar-of-Soap-6cm-x-2cm-Brand-New-/311659320168

 

Another popular item on Ebay is the elite pin

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Princess-Cruise-Lines-Captains-Circle-ELITE-members-pin-NEW-SET-OF-TWO-/142742842215

:D:cool:

Thanks Bill - All these ideas we've never thought of.

Think it'll pay for the World Cruise? ;p

You're valuing the coffee cards a what Princess charges for them.

I could bring on a pound of really nice coffee for about $15.

If I bring a can of soda onboard with me, there is virtually no difference with a can supplied by princess.

I pop my can open in a few seconds...

I pop princess' can open in a few seconds...

If I compare a coffee card with a pound of coffee there is a huge difference...

I would need a source of hot water, a method for brewing coffee, a source of milk,

a method of steaming milk, etc. This would be a lot of work, that I would appreciate

a barista performing for me.

Additionally, I might want de-cafe at one time of day, and hi-test at another, so I would

have to bring at least 2 pounds of coffee.

But, if you want to bring a pound of coffee onboard, knock yourself out...

While I pull-up a chair, use one of my 15 premium beverages to sip my latte and consume a snack from the IC and mentally file under first world problems...

My take is a coffee card - whether a piece of paper or loaded onto my cruise card - works out cheaper than buying 15 drinks individually. Plus I get fresh brew which is a bonus but not the primary reason.

OK, so I used to game the system just like we all have, especially when SWMBO might sometimes fancy a fresh brew or a cup of tea. But there's ways around both scenarios anyway such as packing a few tea bags and / or stagger your brews; "sorry Guv, I'm a caffeineoholic, look at my shakes." So in my book it's still a good deal.

The mini-bar is an elite and suite perk which has always had a stated number and type of included beverages. That has not changed.

 

At some point Princess started to allow trade-ins for the perk for two coffee cards, but that was not part of the original perk.

 

So losing the ability to have a physical coffee card does not diminish the original value or purpose of the mini-bar.

 

However, if you are determined to make $$$ from this perk, just bring all or part of the mini-bar beverages home and sell that.

 

To make even more $$$ from your cruise, note that Princess soap bars are selling well on Ebay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lotus-Spa-Princess-Cruises-Bar-of-Soap-6cm-x-2cm-Brand-New-/311659320168

 

Another popular item on Ebay is the elite pin

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Princess-Cruise-Lines-Captains-Circle-ELITE-members-pin-NEW-SET-OF-TWO-/142742842215

You don't say. Well, each to their own, I always say. I would consider the loss of a benefit redeemable for $50 of greater moment than, let us say, the cost of a mandatory shuttle (five euros) in Livorno, which I seem to recall you objecting to. :)

While I pull-up a chair, use one of my 15 premium beverages to sip my latte and consume a snack from the IC and mentally file under first world problems...

 

My take is a coffee card - whether a piece of paper or loaded onto my cruise card - works out cheaper than buying 15 drinks individually. Plus I get fresh brew which is a bonus but not the primary reason.

 

OK, so I used to game the system just like we all have, especially when SWMBO might sometimes fancy a fresh brew or a cup of tea. But there's ways around both scenarios anyway such as packing a few tea bags and / or stagger your brews; "sorry Guv, I'm a caffeineoholic, look at my shakes." So in my book it's still a good deal.

Good post. It IS a good deal, even for only one cruise. Yes, "first world problems"...