Is it time to REVAMP the Captain's Circle?

[tartanexile81]

I'm Elite on Prnicess and I love all the benefits I'm given. However I've also reached Mediterranean on P&O and what can'twaitfornextcruise didn't say is that each level gets increasingly higher discounts on aonboard purchases. Currently I get 8.5% discount on excursions, bar bill, photos, purchases in shops etc. I'm soon to reach 10% and especially if I do some excursions it can really make a difference. However they don't offer the free laundry nor the canapes nor the free internet and we make good use of those freebies.

 

I think all the lines offer slightly different benefits and I think we should all just enjoy what they offer.

[Hlitner]

I am going to get flamed, but we must disagree with those that think that Princess Elite benefits are as good as Celebrity Elite. We happen to be Elite on Princess (for many years) and also Elite (soon to be Elite Plus) on Celebrity, In addition we are 4 Star Mariners on HAL and have a few other cruise lines where we are in higher categories. My point is not to boast, but to establish that we know, first hand, about the various benefits. If one partakes of adult beverages, then Celebrity has the best benefits of all the mass market lines. Their new changes do not have any real impact on the Elites, and the new Elite Plus only adds a few other benefits (the best is additional free internet time). They have also established a much higher level (Zenith) which will not impact most cruisers. Bottom line for Celebrity is that each Elite gets 3 free bar drinks every day (there is also a daily cocktail party on most cruises) and a special Elite breakfast where we can get free drinks such as Champagne, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, etc. And this does not just happen once a week...but it happens every day. There is also limited free laundry (not as good as on Princess), free internet time (this usually means 180 min for an Elite couple and now 400 min for an Elite Plus couple) and other typical benefits like free wine tasting, priority tendering, etc. To be blunt, we do like our Elite benefits on Princess....but like our Elite benefits on Celebrity even more.

 

Hank

[chamima]

I am going to get flamed, but we must disagree with those that think that Princess Elite benefits are as good as Celebrity Elite. We happen to be Elite on Princess (for many years) and also Elite (soon to be Elite Plus) on Celebrity, In addition we are 4 Star Mariners on HAL and have a few other cruise lines where we are in higher categories. My point is not to boast, but to establish that we know, first hand, about the various benefits. If one partakes of adult beverages, then Celebrity has the best benefits of all the mass market lines. Their new changes do not have any real impact on the Elites, and the new Elite Plus only adds a few other benefits (the best is additional free internet time). They have also established a much higher level (Zenith) which will not impact most cruisers. Bottom line for Celebrity is that each Elite gets 3 free bar drinks every day (there is also a daily cocktail party on most cruises) and a special Elite breakfast where we can get free drinks such as Champagne, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, etc. And this does not just happen once a week...but it happens every day. There is also limited free laundry (not as good as on Princess), free internet time (this usually means 180 min for an Elite couple and now 400 min for an Elite Plus couple) and other typical benefits like free wine tasting, priority tendering, etc. To be blunt, we do like our Elite benefits on Princess....but like our Elite benefits on Celebrity even more.

 

Hank

 

Hank - i think that whether one thinks the benefits are better on Princess or Celebrity is a matter of what fits in one's schedule and habits.

The free drinks on Celebrity are from 5 - 7 pm when we're usually in our cabin getting dressed so I'd almost rather have that small mini bar set up on Princess that I can use whenever I want.

Also, the limited free laundry on Celebrity is one item each, really limited. Most of our clothes are dry-clean only so the unlimited free dry cleaning on Princess fits us better.

My husband always has to stay in touch with work so the longer intenet time on Princess also works better for us.

What keeps us coming back, though, is the wonderful service on both lines!

The benefits are nice (and don't get me wrong, I like them! ) but should only be the extra icing on the cake and I would hope people are choosing where they're cruising for the cake itself.

[Coral]

Most of our clothes are dry-clean only so the unlimited free dry cleaning on Princess fits us better.

 

FYI - Princess doesn't have dry cleaning anymore on their ships due to the harsh chemicals. They did away with it several years ago. They now call if professional cleaning services or something like that. If it needs to be dry cleaned, I would not send it out on Princess.

[Ethel5]

.............SNIP.............. Bottom line for Celebrity is that each Elite gets 3 free bar drinks every day (there is also a daily cocktail party on most cruises) and a special Elite breakfast where we can get free drinks such as Champagne, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, etc. And this does not just happen once a week...but it happens every day. There is also limited free laundry (not as good as on Princess), free internet time (this usually means 180 min for an Elite couple and now 400 min for an Elite Plus couple) and other typical benefits like free wine tasting, priority tendering, etc. To be blunt, we do like our Elite benefits on Princess....but like our Elite benefits on Celebrity even more. Hank

 

No flames but I couldn't possibly drink that much! I LOVE my elite benefits on Princess just the way they are. Yes, I would like to see another higher tier to Elite-gives me something to "work" towards!

[Coral]

[quote name='Hlitner']I am going to get flamed, but we must disagree with those that think that Princess Elite benefits are as good as Celebrity Elite. We happen to be Elite on Princess (for many years) and also Elite (soon to be Elite Plus) on Celebrity, In addition we are 4 Star Mariners on HAL and have a few other cruise lines where we are in higher categories. My point is not to boast, but to establish that we know, first hand, about the various benefits. If one partakes of adult beverages, then Celebrity has the best benefits of all the mass market lines. Their new changes do not have any real impact on the Elites, and the new Elite Plus only adds a few other benefits (the best is additional free internet time). They have also established a much higher level (Zenith) which will not impact most cruisers. Bottom line for Celebrity is that each Elite gets 3 free bar drinks every day (there is also a daily cocktail party on most cruises) and a special Elite breakfast where we can get free drinks such as Champagne, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, etc. And this does not just happen once a week...but it happens every day. There is also limited free laundry (not as good as on Princess), free internet time (this usually means 180 min for an Elite couple and now 400 min for an Elite Plus couple) and other typical benefits like free wine tasting, priority tendering, etc. To be blunt, we do like our Elite benefits on Princess....but like our Elite benefits on Celebrity even more.

Hank[/QUOTE]

I am also not going to flame you. I have friends who sail RCCL and Celebrity and they prefer their benefits to Princess's. I don't think anyone can say "one line has better benefits for everyone" as each individual is interested in different things. As stated earlier, my friends love the money they get off their cabin on RCCL when they book and other RCCL benefits. They are not impressed with Princess's benefits - everyone is different.

[Wehwalt]

[quote name='Ethel5']No flames but I couldn't possibly drink that much! I LOVE my elite benefits on Princess just the way they are. Yes, I would like to see another higher tier to Elite-gives me something to "work" towards![/QUOTE]

Three drinks a day is swell, but we get some of that with the free bar setup, and I'm not much of a drinker. The laundry I consider the greatest benefit, as I said well upthread as it is a gift of time and peace of mind. It is not two to three hours doing laundry every few days.

I don't particularly want to see another tier. I am content to have qualified for Elite, enjoy the benefits, and consider that they enhance the experience.

[Waimea'sMom]

[quote name='hillslife']Princess just added the Medallion/Red Level recently between Blue and Gold.

I would like another higher level to achieve with more benefits.....something to work towards.[/quote]

I agree. I am Elite (reached via days or cruises -- 335 days and 30 cruises) and while I love the laundry benefit, I would like to see something to reward people after 16 cruises. The internet is nice (but often so slow as to be useless) and the minibar is a nice perk -- though I always just exchange everything for Diet Coke. And the $25 OBC is a nice gesture, but just that, a gesture.

The idea of having the Sabatinis breakfast, or those free drinks in the bar sounds great to me. They could make the cutoff at 35/350 or even 50 cruises/500 days to limit the number of people accessing it per sailing.

[sashas_mom]

[QUOTE=Waimea'sMom;40824986]I agree. And the $25 OBC is a nice gesture, but just that, a gesture.

The idea of having the Sabatinis breakfast, or those free drinks in the bar sounds great to me. They could make the cutoff at 35/350 or even 50 cruises/500 days to limit the number of people accessing it per sailing.[/QUOTE]

Is the $25 OBC Because you are Elite or because you've done 30 cruises?

[paul929207]

[QUOTE=sasha'smom;40825678]Is the $25 OBC Because you are Elite or because you've done 30 cruises?[/QUOTE]
It is usually referred to as the Loyalty OBC and it is based on number of cruise credits. If you have:
20 thru 30 = $25
31 thru 40 = $50
41 thru 50 = $75
51 or more = $100

[Pia1913]

[quote=Waimea'sMom;40824986]I agree. I am Elite (reached via days or cruises -- 335 days and 30 cruises) and while I love the laundry benefit, I would like to see something to reward people after 16 cruises. The internet is nice (but often so slow as to be useless) and the minibar is a nice perk -- though I always just exchange everything for Diet Coke. And the $25 OBC is a nice gesture, but just that, a gesture.

The idea of having the Sabatinis breakfast, or those free drinks in the bar sounds great to me. They could make the cutoff at 35/[COLOR=red][B]350[/B][/COLOR] or even 50 cruises/[B][COLOR=red]500[/COLOR][/B] days to limit the number of people accessing it per sailing.[/quote]

LOL. How about those way beyond that? ;)

[waltd]

[quote name='Pia1913']LOL. How about those way beyond that? ;)[/QUOTE]

How about a one time free 7 day Caribbean cruise?????????????:)

[kkorman]

[quote name='Pam in CA']They've been talking about it for years but no rumors that I've heard. As it stands now, the Elite perks are better IMHO than any other cruise line, including Celebrity. My concern is if they added another tier above, Elite perks would be diluted.[/QUOTE]

Having just sailed elite on both lines in the past few weeks, I would have to disagree. In fact I think diamond on Royal is superior to both. Of course, I do not know what you value in the perks. Celebrity also passes your benefits to your spouse.

With the change in celebrity's captains club, no one loses any perks. I do not see a whole lot of incentive to rush to their elite plus though.

[Bentley5700]

We're Princess Platinum and book suites. Would not dream of doing it any other way.:cool:

[UpcountryTravelers]

Please, please, please... don't mess with Princess benefits. Overall, the best in the industry! (And, yes, we have others..not really worth it to go up on RCL, which also applies to Celebrity.)

[AliceS]

I honestly think that Princess has to add another tier beyond Elite. Many of us have well beyond the minimum requirements for Elite status and lots of people have used very short cruises to get to that level. I would think that 500 days at sea would be a good point to become Elite Plus or whatever it may be called. Stick a few extra perks in there and make the loyal feel special.

I think Celebrity has the right idea about the two extra levels. I don't agree with the levels being honored on other lines RCCL to X. That's why there were so many Elite to begin with. They also extend the benefit to your room mate. My friend LOVED it.....she didn't even have to be with me to get the special breakfast or cocktail hour. Not sure about that either.

Come on Princess....make something happen. Alice:):):):)

[AmberTeka]

Our next cruise on the Ruby in November will be our last cruise before we get priority boarding etc. We have sailed many times on Carnival and I am so outdone at them for what they have done to loyality rewards. So instead of going on the Sunshine, which we had planned............We are going with Princess. And I love Princess...it is just that the drive to Ft. Lauderdale is 4 hours longer than Port Canaveral..which is very short.

On Carnival..the new thing is For Fifty dollars per cabin, anyone can buy Faster to the Fun. That gets you on the ship first..cabin ready....luggage there..use of Priority phone line at guest services....early tendering.
they sell ( for $50) the 'perks' for being a loyal customer. We were caught in a mad house in Miami on the Breeze in Sept...with many, many FTTF + Plats + Diamonds...and only one escalator was working..I have never seen so much pushing and shoving since class change in Junior High School. And to me...the only perks that mattered were getting off and on the ship quickly and easily.

So HOPE Princess leaves it just the way it is................already Princess is the best. Don't change a thing. Edited December 2, 2013 by AmberTeka

[Iamcruzin]

[quote name='pablo222']Well, since princess mis-estimated the demand for short cruises,
and is giving them away again -- there should be a lot of people
achieving elite.

So, I would look for a reduction in benefits. Perhaps a dollar limit
on laundry, etc.[/quote]
I can't say for sure if they mis-estimated the demand or not but I think the high price for short cruises to Princess Cays and Grand Turk had a lot to do with the lack of bookings. Now the Florida residents can take advantage of the great deals.

[UpcountryTravelers]

Also, on Celebrity, many of the perks depend on the class of stateroom you are in. (Our TA clued us in on that one.) There's even a restaurant and poolside bar that are restricted to Aqua, the highest class of stateroom. In that way, it's a bit of a holdover from the old ocean liners and their "classes".

[Cruise Junky]

[quote name='UpcountryTravelers']Also, on Celebrity, many of the perks depend on the class of stateroom you are in. (Our TA clued us in on that one.) There's even a restaurant and poolside bar that are restricted to Aqua, the highest class of stateroom. In that way, it's a bit of a holdover from the old ocean liners and their "classes".[/QUOTE]

You mean like Sabatini's for breakfast on Princess? Being able to dine in Blu for booking an Aqua cabin has nothing to do with a loyalty perk, it's open to anyone that wants to book that type of cabin.

[kkorman]

[quote name='UpcountryTravelers']Also, on Celebrity, many of the perks depend on the class of stateroom you are in. (Our TA clued us in on that one.) There's even a restaurant and poolside bar that are restricted to Aqua, the highest class of stateroom. In that way, it's a bit of a holdover from the old ocean liners and their "classes".[/QUOTE]

Time to reconsider your TA as the Blu is not a perk for elite, but people who book a specific type of cabin. There is no reserved bar poolside.

In comparing elites, There is a happy hour from5-7 on Celebrity and 5-830 on Royal in a reserved lounge most nights instead of the mini bar setup. This is a social event and vastly superior to the mini bar option. The laundry is better on Princess than the 30 pieces per elite member on celebrity/royal, but how much unlimited laundry can you use? Both have internet packages, princess gets more minutes, but celebrity/royal has a significantly faster system. They all have free wine tastings. Diamond on ROyal gets you a $225 balcony discount and also a free photo. Once you get here, you are done with Princess. The others have 2 more tiers with additional perks like a free cruise when you get to the top tier and one in Aqua when you double your top tier points. Free drink packages, discounted specialty dining, additional discounts on cabins, etc.

I am not loyal to any line and I actually have more cruises on Princess than any other line, but anyone who thinks Princess' loyalty program is the weakest of these three lines has just not done their research and not done the equivalent of elite on all three lines. The simple fact that the elite is the end on Princess should be enough evidence that it is the weakest of the 3 programs. Do your research instead of giving blind love to a program.

[chamima]

[quote name='kkorman']Time to reconsider your TA as the Blu is not a perk for elite, but people who book a specific type of cabin. There is no reserved bar poolside.


I am not loyal to any line and I actually have more cruises on Princess than any other line, but anyone who thinks Princess' loyalty program is the weakest of these three lines has just not done their research and not done the equivalent of elite on all three lines. The simple fact that the elite is the end on Princess should be enough evidence that it is the weakest of the 3 programs. .[/QUOTE]

Kevin
Your last 2 sentences contradict each other.
Which did you mean to say? Edited December 2, 2013 by chamima

[kkorman]

[quote name='chamima']Kevin
Your last 2 sentences contradict each other.
Which did you mean to say?[/QUOTE]

Yes I did. I meant strongest, not weakest. :eek:

I was simply stating that having additional tiers, with decent perks makes a program stronger.

[Iamcruzin]

With the 123 go free drink package that Celebrity has been offering which is an $88 a day value for double occupancy, the free loyalty cocktails at mandatory times is worthless on those sailings. I have only sailed once on Celebrity and their loyalty program doesn't compel me to book. On the other hand, being platinum on Princess and not being able to reach the next level until I sail 10 more times doesn't compel me either. They need to add a tier between Platinum and Elite. Since we have limited time and disposable income at this time in our lives price, itinerary and access to a port close to home will dictate who we sail with. At this point that puts Princess at the bottom of our list.

I have to say that I do like the fact that Celebrity is offering 25 credits as an incentive to book. It doesn't cost them anything and I bet it will sway those who are close to the next level. Edited December 2, 2013 by Iamcruzin