Emerald Princess

[Av8tor]

Well granted there are scenarios where you can get on at different locations. To me the difference is if you can book one part, just the other part or both parts as separate cruises which was the case in this one. 300 people booked just Sydney to Auckland and left with 1 point. 300 more got on at Auckland heading to LA or maybe further and they got 1 point to LA. But Sydney to LA was one point.

 

I did get two points as we did do the three day to Vancouver as well. That was a separate cruise though it too could be booked separately or attached to the 22 or 29 day cruises. Maybe I am missing something but to me this was bookable as two separate cruises to equal 29 days.

 

 

I too have done he Vancouver to FLL Panama Canal cruise that stopped at SF (but not LA) where some passengers left and others boarded. It was available to be booked as a 2 day and a 15 day though we initially booked it as a 17 day all the way but it was back in 2010 so we only got one point for it. Then in 2014 when they began giving two points for such cruises we were given a "zero day cruise credit" for that cruise so we wound up with two points. That is what makes me think that if it is bookable as two separate cruises (not counting the three day to Vancouver), it doesn't matter if you booked it as one longer cruise, they give two points for the cruise. And 4 if single in a cabin and 6 points total if single in a cabin 32 days (3 cruises) through to Vancouver. But that isn't what happened.

 

 

AE_Collector

 

For cruise credits, I don't think it matters how the various "legs" of the cruise are able to be booked. What matters is how YOU actually booked the cruise! If the cruise went from Sydney to Auckland then on to LA, it doesn't matter if it was ABLE to be booked as 2 separate cruises if you actually booked it only as single cruise. Booked as one cruise = 1 credit; booked as 2 cruises = 2 credits. Booking as 1 cruise is usually cheaper than breaking it apart and booking as 2 cruises, but not always. Next time, compare pricing and factor in the extra mini-bar, internet minutes and credit...

[AF-1]

When we were on the Emerald I did not find the decor dark. As I have found on the Emerald and most Princess ships the lighting is kept very dim in the lounges and especially in the DR's. The DR's are so dark we have to request a table with light so we can read the menu and enjoy the food. We prefer brighter lights. Princess says it is ambiance, I find dining in the dark annoying. We have mentioned same in the end of cruise reviews.

 

I am with you 100%. The more light I have the better. I can understand making the bars dim; but dining where you have to look at menus and see what your food looks like; it needs to be brighter than it currently is

[SALTYBILL]

29 days and that's all you got? :eek:

 

I blogged about it, if you're interested... http://cabumpkins.blogspot.com/2017/05/blah-blah-blog-part-deux-35-for-35.html

[senior lady]

looks like everyone had a good time:)

[AE_Collector]

For cruise credits, I don't think it matters how the various "legs" of the cruise are able to be booked. What matters is how YOU actually booked the cruise! If the cruise went from Sydney to Auckland then on to LA, it doesn't matter if it was ABLE to be booked as 2 separate cruises if you actually booked it only as single cruise. Booked as one cruise = 1 credit; booked as 2 cruises = 2 credits. Booking as 1 cruise is usually cheaper than breaking it apart and booking as 2 cruises, but not always. Next time, compare pricing and factor in the extra mini-bar, internet minutes and credit...

 

That's how it worked until late 2013 or early 2014. At that time the Captains Circle department changed things so that it no longer mattered how you booked the cruise but they gave one credit for each cruise looking at it as how you could have booked it to maximize the cruise credits.

 

10 of us booked a 14 day Alaska cruise on Island Princess in June 2013 that was really two 7 day cruises (a northbound and southbound). 6 of us received 2 points and 4 of us only received 1 point for the 14 day cruise. All were in double occupancy rooms and none were suites. The people who got 2 points were all passengers who were one cruise away from moving up a level when they boarded thus they were moved up a level after the first 7 day segment, received the new colour of cruise cards, received any additional perks their new level entitled them to such as free internet and they received a point for each of the 7 day cruises. Those of us who only received one point for the 14 day cruise were not in a position to move up a level after the first cruise.

 

I thought for months about calling to enquire about this but figured it was a quirk of changing levels during the cruise and the 6 got lucky and if I brought attention to it they might lose their extra point. One day in early 2014 someone here on Cruise Critic mentioned this change and to call in to get your extra credit retroactively if you were short changed.

 

I called in and mentioned the cruise and before I was finished the CC rep said yes, I will give you the extra point (shows as a zero day / 1 credit cruise in addition to the existing 14 day /1 credit cruise in my Cruise History). I was about to ask about a similar cruise we had done in 2011 but before I was even able to begin she said "here's another one in your history from 2011 that you get an additional point for as well".

 

So the way you believe it works hasn't been the way it works since about early 2014. I see this confusion mentioned here on Cruise Critic quite frequently.

 

The problem with this particular cruise is slightly different though in that they have it listed as a single voyage which in my opinion it shouldn't be as it isn't an overlapping embarkation/disembarkation situation like a few cruises offer. It was likely originally a single 29 day voyage that they later broke up into a 7 and a 22 day voyage to help fill the cabins but they never changed something in a computer somewhere.

 

I certainly do compare all methods of booking cruises being sure to factor in shareholder & future cruise credits as well as Internet and minibar setups. Since my source of funds is the CDN $ everything including the cruise price, port charges, gratuities and onboard spending now costs me 30-35% more than it did less than 3 years ago due to the exchange rate so we have to look at all possible methods of keeping the price down in order to keep cruising. In this particular example the 29 day version was considerably less expensive than if we had booked it as two separate cruises.

 

AE_Collector