To be ELITE OR NOT

[dhill]

Does being Elite entile you to better service while on board? It seems to me that alot of people are pretty proud of being elite and take every opportunity to let you you know their status.To me I dont care what your so called status is and I feel everyone deserves the same level of service.:eek:

[paul929207]

Elite in which program?

[Krazy Kruizers]

I see you have 2 cruises coming up on Celebrity.

Are you talking about that cruise line?

[marco]

We're top tier on a couple of lines and pretty close on two others. Yes, we do get some extra perks, but no, I've never noticed "better" service. That would be pretty hard to do, though as most often, the service is top notch for EVERYONE!

[cruiserking]

Loyalty programs aboard the cruise lines are no different than any other elite perks in the travel industry. Many hotels offer a Club Lounge for guests that have accumulated a certain amount of points. First Class on the airlines is worlds apart from the service offered in coach.

 

Each cruise line offers different perks like free internet minutes, special on board cocktail parties with officers, priority boarding, a dedicated private lounge aboard ship, complementary dinner at a specialty restaurant.

 

I don't think the service is any better if you accumulate Elite perks. There are many benefits to gaining these perks and they are designed to make sure that l passengers keep returning year after year.

 

Jonathan

[Talisker92]

Since we do not wear our Elite cards on lanyards, nobody knows what we are. As marco said, there are some perks to being Elite.

On our last cruise, which was 32 days, free laundry was the most important:D

[MCC retired]

Not sure what CL the OP is asking about ?

Elite (black sail & sign card) on Princess does seem get better attention and

comments from the staff when they see it.

The Elite benefits on Princess aren't bad either :)

[Aquahound]

We're top tier on a couple of lines and pretty close on two others. Yes, we do get some extra perks, but no, I've never noticed "better" service. That would be pretty hard to do, though as most often, the service is top notch for EVERYONE!

 

Same here, and I agree with this statement. Extra perks....yes. Better service than everyone else....no. I'm basing this on my experience on 5 different cruise lines.

[rockdoctor]

From my experience, the only way to get better service is to book a suite.

[SuiteTraveler]

I've noticed extra recognition when I had a cruise card for a suite. Mostly minor stuff like being greeted more enthusiastically when coming back aboard the ship by whoever saw my card or the concierge who personally assisted me with my bag when I was getting off the ship early one morning and struggling with the bag - but then, I had given her a substantial tip for making dinner reservations for me for the cruise and spent a few minutes chatting with her when she had the time. I think she knew I was a nice person and just wanted to help me out. What she did was make an indelible impression on me as one of the best concierge's I've ever had the pleasure of meeting - and that says a lot! Of course the cabin steward was wonderful as was the butler, but then, I think that the people assigned to the suites are often the best and brightest. I don't expect "better" service. I expect to treat all staff like professionals and to be polite to them and I expect them to treat me in a professional and polite manner.

 

As far as for loyalty programs, I appreciate the perks, but also recognition. Beyond the cruise itself and the food, the ONLY other thing a cruise ship CAN offer is customer service and that includes stuff like recognizing your top/frequent customers. To me, it's no different than Macy's offering me $20 off coupons and 20% off coupons since I shop there frequently and the fact that several of the employees at my local store recognize me and will help me to get the best deal possible with my coupons. It's a combination of a perk and recognition that I'm a good customer. That's all I really expect from a loyalty program.

 

I think it also goes without saying that I expect that every customer should receive good service across the board regardless of if they are a first time cruiser or if this is their 100th cruise. I would NOT cruise on a line that I felt mistreated any customers under any circumstances. That would be completely unacceptable. But I think that cruise lines are savvy enough to recognize that if they don't offer good service to everyone, they will lose new customers AND repeat customers. In fact, I believe the entire customer service aspect of a cruise is probably the most important aspect to keep cruise lines afloat. That goes for every single employee on the cruise ship and off who interfaces with customers.

 

BTW, I've never met anyone who made a big to-do about being elite. I'm sure somewhere in this world there is someone like that, but I haven't met them. In fact the ONLY time I ever saw anything made of status was once on Princess where this older lady had just sailed her 1000th day aboard a cruise ship and the Captain presented her with an award for that, which I thought was very nice and well-deserved. But she didn't go around bragging about it and even if she had - well, 1000 days aboard a cruise ship is significant and that's pretty cool that she was able to do that! I know I would if I could!

[rvsullivan]

Beyond acknowledging the secret handshake, we're really not allowed to talk about it. I will say the biggest and best perk for us is having the concierge come by and tuck us in every night, and the lullaby is really helpful in falling asleep. We enjoy the perks a great deal.;)

[AKman2495]

As to your question "elite or not", we have reached Platinum on Princess and have not noticed better service. Only, as others have noted, more perks. On our last cruise we were platinum for the last week but not in the first week. In the last week, we attended the platinum/elite cocktail party, which was a lot more fun than the lower level free drink voucher event. We also gained access to the elite/suite/platinum lounge, which was very nice, with appetizers and drink discounts in a quiet atmosphere. We also were able to use the platinum/elite/suite disembarkation lounge. This was in one of the lounges on the ship and had refreshments and snacks as well as current newspapers.

 

It was a nice place to spend the last few hours on the ship.

 

I know elite status has more perks, but not better service.

[OCruisers]

On Princess being Elite does not give you better service ... but does have some GREAT perks. :)

LuLu

[herbanrenewal]

Maybe the OP is reacting to some CC posts. I think while some people use their loyalty status as validating that they have lots of experience, the title of the loyalty status is misinterpreted as they are either bragging or claiming higher privileges.

[SPacificbound]

Maybe the OP is reacting to some CC posts. I think while some people use their loyalty status as validating that they have lots of experience, the title of the loyalty status is misinterpreted as they are either bragging or claiming higher privileges.

 

Agreed. There are a very small amount that can be obnoxious about it. Hopefully this is not how they act on a cruise.

[Cruisin' Chick]

 

BTW, I've never met anyone who made a big to-do about being elite. I'm sure somewhere in this world there is someone like that, but I haven't met them. In fact the ONLY time I ever saw anything made of status was once on Princess where this older lady had just sailed her 1000th day aboard a cruise ship and the Captain presented her with an award for that, which I thought was very nice and well-deserved. But she didn't go around bragging about it and even if she had - well, 1000 days aboard a cruise ship is significant and that's pretty cool that she was able to do that! I know I would if I could!

 

A couple of cruises ago we shared a table with others at a meal. The couple sitting to one side of us were very nice. The guy said he was a sports coach (maybe soccer?) for special needs kids. I remember they came down from Oregon to take this cruise.

 

A couple of days later this couple was featured on the front cover of that day's Patter as the most travelled passengers on that cruise. Not once did they mentioned the number of cruises they've been on.

[OCruisers]

A couple of cruises ago we shared a table with others at a meal. The couple sitting to one side of us were very nice. The guy said he was a sports coach (maybe soccer?) for special needs kids. I remember they came down from Oregon to take this cruise.

 

A couple of days later this couple was featured on the front cover of that day's Patter as the most travelled passengers on that cruise. Not once did they mentioned the number of cruises they've been on.

 

Agree' date=' Patty! Most long time Elite don't care about their status and would certainly not mention it.

LuLu [/size']

[Als84]

I just went on a horrible RCI cruise with nothing more than a bunch of old wrinkly ass old people proudly displaying their name tags because of the Sucker crown and anchor society. I was asking them to get me a drink. Lol. It's just a fake program to get you to think your special.

[SuiteTraveler]

A couple of cruises ago we shared a table with others at a meal. The couple sitting to one side of us were very nice. The guy said he was a sports coach (maybe soccer?) for special needs kids. I remember they came down from Oregon to take this cruise.

 

A couple of days later this couple was featured on the front cover of that day's Patter as the most travelled passengers on that cruise. Not once did they mentioned the number of cruises they've been on.

 

That's exactly the kind of behavior I would expect. They might be the most travelled, but don't brag about it. At the same time, i bet if you happened to ask them about some place they had been, they would have been genuinely forthcoming with information and even advice, if you asked for it. People who love to travel, love to travel for the sake of travel and they love to share their experiences with others if it can be of assistance. It's not about snobbery, it's about sharing our amazing planet.

Edited October 17, 2014 by SuiteTraveler

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

Beyond acknowledging the secret handshake, we're really not allowed to talk about it. I will say the biggest and best perk for us is having the concierge come by and tuck us in every night, and the lullaby is really helpful in falling asleep. We enjoy the perks a great deal.;)

 

 

:D:D:D Now that is a funny post! Ha ha ha!

 

 

 

 

Agreed. There are a very small amount that can be obnoxious about it. Hopefully this is not how they act on a cruise.

 

I agree :), but then if they are we just listen politely and move away at the first chance we get! :) They're happy no need to ruin their fun!!