Princess Secrets they Don't Tell You - 2013 version

[azippy]

I Googled it...

 

Below is the description...

 

FREE Calls to U.S. and Canadian phone numbers – or to any magicJack number, anywhere in the world.

 

magicJack APP will NEVER use your mobile minutes and does not require a voice plan. WiFi or 4G recommended.

 

Late to the conversation - but I have a friend who has magic jack and took the hotel phone from the room and used it on the beach in ARUBA!! He has used it in internet cafes - said it was hard to explain to some of the kids behind the counter - but it always worked for him -- He did not use it in Europe - but his friend called him from ROME -- no problems...

 

Hope you find a good solution for making your calls

 

"A"

[tartanexile81]

Unless I missed something, you do not qualify as elite. The only credits you can get is from P&O cruises. Unless you have sailed over 15 Times with these 2 cruise lines ... Once you have reached 15 cruises, then you will qualify. None of the other cruise lines will count.

 

Well according to my captains circle details I'm on Elite. Sorry to upset you but I have spent a lot of nights on P&O including several TAs of 35 or 28 nights, as well as normal length cruises of 17 days.Think it's based on number of nights here as our cruises tend to be much longer.My next cruise in a few weeks is on P&O for 24 nights. I've also been with Princess before but as I said not for a few years.

 

I think us UK cruisers deserve some incentives as our prices are higher and we get fewer benefits.!!! Mind you on P&o I get 10% off everything I buy in shops, bars etc including MDR and excursions and that's a good loyalty incentive

 

Anyway any more secrets to share?

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Edited June 28, 2013 by tartanexile81

[paul929207]

Well according to my captains circle details I'm on Elite. Sorry to upset you but I have spent a lot of nights on P&O including several TAs of 35 or 28 nights, as well as normal length cruises of 17 days.Think it's based on number of nights here as our cruises tend to be much longer.My next cruise in a few weeks is on P&O for 24 nights. I've also been with Princess before but as I said not for a few years.

 

I think us UK cruisers deserve some incentives as our prices are higher and we get fewer benefits.!!! Mind you on P&o I get 10% off everything I buy in shops, bars etc including MDR and excursions and that's a good loyalty incentive

 

Anyway any more secrets to share?

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Elite status is based on EITHER 15 cruises or 150 days. Clearly your number of days is over 150 from the cruises you mentioned. Like you, we reached Elite with less than 15 cruises. I think it was 11 or 12.

[caribill]

It's too bad you can't combine them across brands. It's interesting that each brand is run differently. I'd like to combine the best of all of them.

 

Be careful what you ask for.

 

If cruises on other Carnival Brands (other than P&O) counted, you might find almost everyone on the ship platinum or above. In a situation like that started to occur on many sailings, Princess would reduce the befefits since so many would be using them.

 

(I have already been on one Princess cruise where platinum and elite were over 50% of the passengers)

[Kentchikan]

Be careful what you ask for.

 

If cruises on other Carnival Brands (other than P&O) counted, you might find almost everyone on the ship platinum or above. In a situation like that started to occur on many sailings, Princess would reduce the befefits since so many would be using them.

 

(I have already been on one Princess cruise where platinum and elite were over 50% of the passengers)

 

I agree.

[paul929207]

Be careful what you ask for.

 

If cruises on other Carnival Brands (other than P&O) counted, you might find almost everyone on the ship platinum or above. In a situation like that started to occur on many sailings, Princess would reduce the befefits since so many would be using them.

 

(I have already been on one Princess cruise where platinum and elite were over 50% of the passengers)

We had about 80% Platinum and Elite on the Grand Princess, sailing around South America. They had to make a few adjustments to accommodate this number.

[melmark4]

We had about 80% Platinum and Elite on the Grand Princess, sailing around South America. They had to make a few adjustments to accommodate this number.

 

Morning,

What kind of adjustments? Wonder how the new level will affect this.

Later in Life,

Mark

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[paul929207]

Morning,

What kind of adjustments? Wonder how the new level will affect this.

Later in Life,

Mark

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

The Platinum/Elite/Suite lounge was in the Vista Lounge each evening instead of the normal smaller venue.

 

For tender ports there was a separate place for Elites to get tender numbers for going ashore. We were always on the first tender for Elites. It looked like they usually had about 3 tenders for us.

 

The cruise was 3 cruises b2b2b. So we were given a form towards the end of the first and second leg to indicate what we wanted in our minibar setup for the next leg. The form listed all of our options. This eliminated the normal way of delivering the generic setup to everyone, everybody calling for changes and them sending someone to swap out the items.

[GHDPeter]

Be careful what you ask for.

 

If cruises on other Carnival Brands (other than P&O) counted, you might find almost everyone on the ship platinum or above. In a situation like that started to occur on many sailings, Princess would reduce the befefits since so many would be using them.

 

(I have already been on one Princess cruise where platinum and elite were over 50% of the passengers)

 

The only way that would happen is if they created an entirely new program.

 

The Princess recognition of P&O UK/AU goes back to when P&O owned Princess, its a legacy of before the P&O/Carnival merger.

[dorisis]

The Platinum/Elite/Suite lounge was in the Vista Lounge each evening instead of the normal smaller venue.

 

For tender ports there was a separate place for Elites to get tender numbers for going ashore. We were always on the first tender for Elites. It looked like they usually had about 3 tenders for us.

 

The cruise was 3 cruises b2b2b. So we were given a form towards the end of the first and second leg to indicate what we wanted in our minibar setup for the next leg. The form listed all of our options. This eliminated the normal way of delivering the generic setup to everyone, everybody calling for changes and them sending someone to swap out the items.

 

Filling out that form makes sense. I wish they had that form in the cabin on every cruise. We have never seen it even on B2Bs

[paul929207]

Filling out that form makes sense. I wish they had that form in the cabin on every cruise. We have never seen it even on B2Bs

I think they felt they had to cut down on the work for room service. There were over 1000 Elites on board, so with the suites that is probably 600 or so setups.

[klreisig]

 

Now to address the laundry question. Once I discovered the Purex sheets, I bought several containers. When it first came out, there were lots of "buy one get one free" promotions. Now that they are rare to non-existent...I use them very sparingly. I sure wish they would bring this back on the market. They are T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C.

 

Renee

 

The company no longer makes them LINK but you can find them on Amazon.

[moresun]

Just ordered Purex 3 in 1 sheets from soap.com,they are to arrive on 7/3:)

[Wateron]

The company no longer makes them LINK but you can find them on Amazon.

 

Reviews on Amazon aren't good

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Kentchikan]

The Platinum/Elite/Suite lounge was in the Vista Lounge each evening instead of the normal smaller venue.

For tender ports there was a separate place for Elites to get tender numbers for going ashore. We were always on the first tender for Elites. It looked like they usually had about 3 tenders for us.

 

Interesting. How was it in the Vista Lounge? On our recent trip on the Grand the One5 was very crowded and they kept running out of food.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Kentskie

[Kentchikan]

The cruise was 3 cruises b2b2b.

 

When did you go? We have friends who just did that earlier this year. They said there were multiple meet and greets but they only had to do one lifeboat drill.

[Kentchikan]

So we were given a form towards the end of the first and second leg to indicate what we wanted in our minibar setup for the next leg. The form listed all of our options. This eliminated the normal way of delivering the generic setup to everyone, everybody calling for changes and them sending someone to swap out the items.

 

I always fill out the preferences form on line but it never seems to make any difference.

[paul929207]

Interesting. How was it in the Vista Lounge? On our recent trip on the Grand the One5 was very crowded and they kept running out of food.

Vista was fine. Sometimes had trouble pulling in enough chairs as the goup grew.

[paul929207]

When did you go? We have friends who just did that earlier this year. They said there were multiple meet and greets but they only had to do one lifeboat drill.

We were on the Grand around South America 49 days. We booked as three cruise 19/13/17 days for the OBC. There was a M&G for each leg. We only had to go to the muster for the first leg. That was the only one we went to but heard the other two there were plenty of seats. :)

[Kentchikan]

We were on the Grand around South America 49 days. We booked as three cruise 19/13/17 days for the OBC. There was a M&G for each leg. We only had to go to the muster for the first leg. That was the only one we went to but heard the other two there were plenty of seats. :)

 

Booking it as three cruises is a very clever idea. Good for you. Was it the same price as doing it as one?

[paul929207]

Booking it as three cruises is a very clever idea. Good for you. Was it the same price as doing it as one?

Yes, the price was identical for one 49 day cruise or the three legs. The OBC was 575 for one cruise or 1475 for 3 legs. Both where plus the OBC from our TA. I assume that would have been the same either way.

[Kentchikan]

Yes, the price was identical for one 49 day cruise or the three legs. The OBC was 575 for one cruise or 1475 for 3 legs. Both where plus the OBC from our TA. I assume that would have been the same either way.

 

Wow...thanks...great tip.

[GweninTX]

The company no longer makes them LINK but you can find them on Amazon.

 

On our most recent cruise I took Tide Pods in a double ziploc bag. I put two in a snack size ziploc and then put that ziploc in another ziploc and they made it fine! I find the Tide pods work much better than the 3 in1 sheets by Purex. Tide pods clean much better! I also took bounce sheets folded up in a ziploc snack bag. Since then I scored some trial sizes of Tide Pods that were one sealed Tide pod in a small bag as a sample rubber banded on the top of a bottle of liquid Tide. I stocked up on liquid Tide and now have 3 of these samples for our next cruise !

[rachelfran]

On our most recent cruise I took Tide Pods in a double ziploc bag. I put two in a snack size ziploc and then put that ziploc in another ziploc and they made it fine! I find the Tide pods work much better than the 3 in1 sheets by Purex. Tide pods clean much better! I also took bounce sheets folded up in a ziploc snack bag. Since then I scored some trial sizes of Tide Pods that were one sealed Tide pod in a small bag as a sample rubber banded on the top of a bottle of liquid Tide. I stocked up on liquid Tide and now have 3 of these samples for our next cruise !

 

Do those pods work only in a washing machine? I thought people used the sheets because they can use them to hand wash --

[Kentchikan]

Do those pods work only in a washing machine? I thought people used the sheets because they can use them to hand wash --

 

For hand washing clothes you can put a bit of liquid detergent in a small travel bottle and ziploc bag it.