Will PRINCESS change their loyalty program?

[SiBreeze]

I feel the loyalty program should be based strictly on the number of days sailed. I have frequently seen west coasters bragging how a husband and wife both booked as singles in 2 inside cabins for a 1 night cruise so they could both get double cruise points. Under that system, one could become Elite after only 8 sea days and less than a $1000. Not really an equitable system. :mad:

[Coral]

I feel the loyalty program should be based strictly on the number of days sailed. I have frequently seen west coasters bragging how a husband and wife both booked as singles in 2 inside cabins for a 1 night cruise so they could both get double cruise points. Under that system, one could become Elite after only 8 sea days and less than a $1000. Not really an equitable system. :mad:

 

When I think how much it cost me to reach Elite status! And most of my cabins have been mini suites (not insides).

[paul929207]

When I think how much it cost me to reach Elite status! And most of my cabins have been mini suites (not insides).

I look at it as how much fun I had reaching Elite status. Those poor fools on the 1, 2 and 3 day cruises are missing all the fun.

[Ethel5]

I reached Elite the hard way-days only! Please don't do a disservice to Elites in inside cabins. When there was still a "we," we always had at least a BB balcony cabin. Now that there is only a "me" and I have to pay single supplement, I can only cruise if I have inside cabins. I don't want an inside, it's just allows me to keep on cruising.

 

I think there should be no laundry services or mini bars for less than 5 day cruises. There should be a new level based on days only.

[capriccio]

Alternatively (and I'm not advocating this so don't flame me:D) they could decide to do as some airlines run their loyalty programs and calculate it on a combination of days cruised and price paid (either for the cabin or the entire portfolio invoice). United's award program is based on miles travelled AND fare paid.

[dorisis]

I can't remember when we became Elite.It was back when the Captains Circle was called Circolodel Comandante. I thought it might be in the Member's Logbook they gave me when I got my first stamp back in '92. But on checking it wan't until '03 when we had 20 cruises . I think we now have almost 400 days and we no longer take short cruises.

 

Princess perks are the best!!! We are Elite with 2 other cruise lines They also have some great perks. I would not choose a cruise mainly on Customer Loyalty Awards. But that certainly enters into making my choices.

 

~Doris~

[PescadoAmarillo]

I very much agree with you Paul. I posted on one of the other threads on this very subject, a few weeks back. I am still puzzled why there is such animosity by those who are already Elite towards someone who gains this stature by sailing as a solo, or booking a suite or taking shorter cruises!! It makes it sound like a caste system and those who don't earn it the 'old fashioned way' are somehow "lesser than". What does it take away from your status if someone is Platinum or Elite?

 

I'm sure some things will change, at some point. As we all know, there have been cutbacks by cruise lines in an effort to keep fares low. Heck, I just saw a 7-day Alaska cruise for $299.00. And we all know what the airlines are doing to keep their fares low. It costs me more for luggage, seat selection and fuel charges than for my airfare! Now they want up to $100. for a carry on?

 

But I still don't understand how someone else being Platinum or Elite hurts the status of those who have already attained these levels.:confused: Very elitist.

Agree 150%. There WILL be changes, they won't be for the better, and short cruises will have nothing to do with it. In fact, I think a change to "days only" wouldnt preserve the benefits as they are now.

 

How much fun can life be if one is always concerned with what others have and how they earned it and if things are fair all around? Someone will always have more and do less; but then I have more and do less than someone else. C'est la vie.

[dutchess43]

I agree it shoud be by days. This is what happened with RCL too many diamond levels because they use to count cruises not days. Then all of the diamonds got cuts in the loyalty program.

[Iamcruzin]

I completely agree. We have the 1 day cruises pretty accessible yet have never taken one, they're a PITA and the 3 day coastals can be as much as a 7 day inside on a Caribbean cruise. Princess needs to fill those coastals, they need to come with some benefits.

 

That was my thought. IMHO if passengers are sailing a particular cruise line just for benefits they are selling themselves short. What keeps me coming back to Princess is that I enjoy the experience and the itineraries. The perks are nice but if the ships don’t go where I want to go when I can go, the free internet minutes don’t mean a thing. If push came to shove I would rather lose a perk than have to pay for a specialty restaurant every night because the food quality declined.

[pris993]

We usually cruise in mini suites, on cruises of 10+, will be going on our 21st cruise in September on Princess. We have been very happy with the elite perks on Princess. Would hope we don't lose any.

 

I really don't care what others get, as long as Princess still honors the perks we have come to enjoy. Now if they want to add some that would be okay too. :D

 

We cruise Princess, Celebrity, HAL, Cunard and NCL. So Princess and all the cruise lines need to complete with each other. Perks and price is what helps us make our decision on similar itineraries.

[pablo222]

I can't worry about what others get. I am happy with the benefits I get and I have 22 cruises and about 400 days. It does not affect me if someone had 15 two day cruises to qualify for Elite.

 

Well it does -- if someone at princess looks at the cost of the elite

benefits and decides that because there are so many elites, the

benefits are no longer affordable.

 

...for instance, if half the ship is getting free laundry.

[Woobstr112G]

I can't worry about what others get. I am happy with the benefits I get and I have 22 cruises and about 400 days. It does not affect me if someone had 15 two day cruises to qualify for Elite.

 

Exactly the way I feel.....:):):)

Bob

[goodie2shoes]

We reached Platinum on days long before we would have done it by cruises. Then they started offering double credit for the suites we have always cruised in, which did benefit us as we reached Elite long before we would have made it on days with 2 points per cruise. For us it balances out, and we are thankful for the perks we get as Elite, though since we sail in suites we don't realize any benefit from laundry or internet - both are unlimited in a suite.

 

Yes, there will be changes, and some of them will not be what we would like. We will certainly live with them, as after as many cruises as we have on Princess we feel at home here. We have tried other cruise lines, and while some offer itineraries we would prefer, so far we have only cruised one time with any of them. Feeling comfortable and at home on a cruise tops our list of what makes cruising our choice for travel.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Well it does -- if someone at princess looks at the cost of the elite

benefits and decides that because there are so many elites, the

benefits are no longer affordable.

 

...for instance, if half the ship is getting free laundry.

 

There's an easy solution- Just cap off the $$ at a certain level depending on status. Some people over use this perk anyway.

[paul929207]

There's an easy solution- Just cap off the $$ at a certain level depending on status. Some people over use this perk anyway.

I would not be surprised if they do this. Just like they changed the Platinum/Elite internet credit from unlimited to an amount based on length of the cruise. Capping the laundry would be a reasonable action if they see people are abusing it.

[geoherb]

We're three cruises away from Elite. I've been tempted to sail without DH on a short coastal to get the benefits--but the cost of the flight to the West Coast doesn't make it a cheap option. And add to that the wear and tear on my body from changing time zones.

 

To make it fair, perhaps Princess should stop giving a full credit for short cruises (maybe half a credit for a cruise less than 4 days) or give double credits for 14-day or longer cruises.

 

I'd hate for them to cut back on benefits again just as we're about to attain them. They did that with the free Internet minutes just after we became Platinum.

[Reina del Mar]

Either measure by days spent aboard

or

by cost to sail.......then maybe UK cruisers might get some credit for the expensive airfares/overnight accommodations they have to pay to take these cruises. :)

Would love to be able to take a 3-4 night cruise to get to elite status but they are not very financially viable due to airfares !!!!!:eek:

However, feel fairly confident that passengers who reach elite status in an inside cabin are not really likely to change to a suite once they reach elite !;)

[spirit rev]

NCL changed their loyalty program earlier this year. Points are awarded for each day of the cruise, double points if you are in a suite. They also give an additional number of cruise day points for booking at least nine months out. Yes, a full suite passenger can get triple points on one booking. Those who were already in the top level also advocated for another "super level" that didn't happen. NCL does recognize them however with "milestone gifts" (which some have found to be unacceptable.)

 

We have cruised NCL more than Princess because we live on the east coast and prefer not to fly to ports in the winter. We will enjoy the top level perks NCL offers us this coming January because of the changes to the program. However, having no special perks above what we received as a suite passenger on our first Princess cruise last January did not take away from our enjoyment of the cruise. We look forward to our second Princess cruise next summer as a past passenger.

 

I don't choose a cruise based on loyalty programs any more than I choose an airline or hotel based on loyalty programs. I'm purchasing a service and expect the cruise line to meet and hopefully exceed my expectations whether or not I'm a past passenger or not. It is an unfortunate reality that some folks who really need to get away are only able to do it for very short cruises. Let them accumulate rewards just like those of us who can go on the longer ones do. I'm puzzled by folks on both boards who seem to think they deserve more just because they choose to stay with one cruise line for whatever reason, just as others upstream have said.

[LARGIN]

The Captains Circle Disembarkation Lounge use to a quiet place to relax before leaving the ship. Now, with so many Platinums/Elites, it is overcrowded with passengers standing in aisles with multiple pieces of luggage at their side. During our last 3 cruises, if you did not get to the Lounge early, you were delegated to an overflow room with none of the perks provided.. Hopefully Princess will have an Elites only Disembarkation Lounge in the future.

[1 HappyCruiser]

However, feel fairly confident that passengers who reach elite status in an inside cabin are not really likely to change to a suite once they reach elite !;)

 

We're switching back to inside for our next long cruise and we haven't done that in 15 years. It's just to expensive to consider vs the number of days aboard. That's not to say we won't go back to a balcony in the future but for the immediate future it's inside for us.

[Iamcruzin]

I look at it as how much fun I had reaching Elite status. Those poor fools on the 1, 2 and 3 day cruises are missing all the fun.

That's the right attitude to take Paul. These one or two day cruisers are not the same people who would be sailing the longer exotic itineraries that most of the elites who are complaining sail. How about all of the passengers who have reached platinum or elite before they turned 18? They don’t receive any perks. I think they should get something even if it’s not the same perks as an adult perk. I don’t understand the complaints from people who have enough time and money to sail days on end some even paying single supplement. If they change it to number of days only, then it will turn into a class program where only the rich will reap the benefits. I think those who take the short cruises just to get to elite are being penny wise and pound foolish.

[waltd]

Well it does -- if someone at princess looks at the cost of the elite

benefits and decides that because there are so many elites, the

benefits are no longer affordable.

 

...for instance, if half the ship is getting free laundry.

 

You're assuming that every Elite uses their perks all the time. We have never had to use laundry services and we don't drink so the liquor just sits there. The cold drinks are only partially used. So for us it's not just the perks but the Princess product line, itinerary, and price. We have no problem if they use days instead of cruises. And please stop bashing West coasters for using the short cruises. If Princess puts it out there and they don't have a problem with it then they will use it. I'm sure the East coast will also do the same when the shorter cruises are introduced. Sounds more like jealousy to me.

[SoBaycruiser]

We have only cruised twice with Princess but already have 28 days. We just booked a B2B next year for 16 days followed by 14. So you an see we will reach 50 days shortly into the second cruise. Can we be upgraded to platinum while aboard ship for the last 8 days? I am most interested in getting the Internet credit.

[swedish weave]

NCL changed their loyalty program earlier this year. Points are awarded for each day of the cruise, double points if you are in a suite. They also give an additional number of cruise day points for booking at least nine months out. Yes, a full suite passenger can get triple points on one booking. Those who were already in the top level also advocated for another "super level" that didn't happen. NCL does recognize them however with "milestone gifts" (which some have found to be unacceptable.)

 

We have cruised NCL more than Princess because we live on the east coast and prefer not to fly to ports in the winter. We will enjoy the top level perks NCL offers us this coming January because of the changes to the program. However, having no special perks above what we received as a suite passenger on our first Princess cruise last January did not take away from our enjoyment of the cruise. We look forward to our second Princess cruise next summer as a past passenger.

 

I don't choose a cruise based on loyalty programs any more than I choose an airline or hotel based on loyalty programs. I'm purchasing a service and expect the cruise line to meet and hopefully exceed my expectations whether or not I'm a past passenger or not. It is an unfortunate reality that some folks who really need to get away are only able to do it for very short cruises. Let them accumulate rewards just like those of us who can go on the longer ones do. I'm puzzled by folks on both boards who seem to think they deserve more just because they choose to stay with one cruise line for whatever reason, just as others upstream have said.

 

It will be interesting to see how NCL's changes affect the program. With so many being able to reach the Platinum level so quickly, the specialty restaurant perk may become difficult to get once onboard. It may become something NCL will have to adjust.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Number of days should definitely be the main criteria. There are folks on the west coast who take a bunch of 1 and 2 days cruises just to attain elite status after less than 25 or 30 days. I've seen a couple of posts lately where folks brag that they are taking 1 and 2 day cruises just to get to platinum and elite status. Personally I think Princessshould limit the status to days, say 125 or 150, it would be better. Just my humble opinion.

 

I agree with this as well. In the UK not much chance of taking lots of 1 and 2 day cruises to make the different levels. We have spent a lot of money on Princess and are still some way from getting to Elite:(

 

Have started taking some P&O cruises because they count towards the number of cruises and I think half the days cruised are added to our Princess account.