New changes from our recent cruise from 20 something Princess cruises.

[grandsmack]

:mad: Our recent cruise saw changes to coffee punches from 1 punch to 3 punches for gelato (a $1.50 cash charge). Also happy hour now requires you to open all drinks in bar (coke & beer). I was told these changes were new by bar manger and customer service supervisor. Has anyone else herd of these changes.

[Jeter02]

Which ship did this occur on?

[Colo Cruiser]

:mad: Our recent cruise saw changes to coffee punches from 1 punch to 3 punches for gelato (a $1.50 cash charge). Also happy hour now requires you to open all drinks in bar (coke & beer). I was told these changes were new by bar manger and customer service supervisor. Has anyone else herd of these changes.

 

The open drink requirement has been in effect since the beginning. It's just selectively enforced.

Have not seen more than 1 punch for gelato. IMO it is best not to waste a punch for $1.50.

[Jeter02]

2.5 months ago on the Regal, they only punched my card once for the Gelato.

[fishywood]

Have been many posts for several years here that at happy hour the servers were warning that they were not allowed to serve unopened cans of beer. But reports were that usually they will do so if you ask real politely and no supervisor is around. Perhaps at the happy hour venue on your ship (I presume Emerald based on your roll call posts) someone had recently been "made an example of" so all the servers felt compelled to work-to-rule. (Or the alternative theory is, the bar managers are being so overbearing about the servers putting the rules ahead of customer service that the servers are in work-to-rule mode just to spite the bosses).

 

As for the Gelato: except on Royal and Regal there is no reason to buy a coffee card for the purpose of obtaining a scoop of Gelato. On the Emerald as you say the Gelato from the International Cafe has a retail price of $1.50. While the basis of just one punch of the coffee card is $2.38. If you are buying the coffee card solely for the unlimited fresh-brewed and will not use any of the punches for premium or specialty coffee drinks then just consider the Gelato as a throw in bonus. Even if you only got 5 scoops instead of 15 its still better than if the card was not accepted for Gelato at all..

[Sea Hag]

Wow! Three punches for gelato?

[easyboy]

Not experienced yet the 3 card punches for gelato.

 

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[IECalCruiser]

2.5 months ago on the Regal, they only punched my card once for the Gelato.

OP was apparently on the Crown, Emerald or Ruby because they refer to the price of $1.50 for three scoops. In contrast to the Royal and the Regal where the menu specifically lists that you get three scoops plus toppings which cost $3.35 for one punch, there is no policy on those three ships where gelato is available at the IC. On at least one ship there were posts of charging one punch per scoop or a total of three scoops for a $1.50 purchase. If true, what a ripoff [emoji33]

 

 

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[Astro Flyer]

I wouldn't use 1 coffee card punch for 3 scoops at the IC which can be purchased for $1.50.

 

Apparently they had an uninformed crewmember & I would have sought a supervisor to correct the problem. Based on fishywood's figures, 3 punches would be over $7 of coffee card punches. :eek:

[grandsmack]

We were on the Emerald last week in Alaska. We were traveling with our four young grandchildren.

 

Being in two cabins we each traded in our elite bar set up for coffee cards (4 total). This allowed each grandchild to use a card for free hot chocolate and the occasional Gelato. I know it's not a bargin to use a coffee punch for a $1.50 Gelato, but this week I really didn't care because three kids got to enjoy a scoop of gelato, and I have so many coffee cards.

 

It wasnt until the last afternoon that the server said it would be three punches on the card or $1.50 charge. When I said this had not happened any other time this week, she said this was their policy. I wanted clarification, so she got the manager, he agreed that their policy was one punch for one scoop and that other servers had been wrong to only punch the coffe card once for three scoops. Asking if I could see the policy, he threw up his hands and told the server to just punch the card once. At least the grandkids were happy and enjoyed their last gelato.

[fishywood]

Thanks for coming back to clarify. Good to know your grandchildren enjoyed their hot chocolate and gelato in spite of that final encounter. Did that manager seriously think that claiming you had been "undercharged" for all the previous scoops would make you feel better about subsequently being overcharged? Just a terrible attempt at justifying his creating a totally unjustified problem. Again it sounds like a manager who preaches "policy first" rather than empowering the crewmembers that deal directly with the passengers to resolve issues in the passengers' favor. But thankfully atypical of most of the crew on Princess.

[Lucky TGO]

It was only one punch on the Royal in January for Gelato.

Tony

[mrs and mrs]

A snib here and a nudge there, a try it on over there and a try-it out there, a win 10 times and a loss 3.

Its called CUTBACKS, eventually its the norm and no-one questions it.

[Lucky TGO]

A snib here and a nudge there, a try it on over there and a try-it out there, a win 10 times and a loss 3.

Its called CUTBACKS, eventually its the norm and no-one questions it.

 

So true!! I have seen a lot of cutbacks on Princess in just the last two years. My wife blames it all on the Carnival corporation. I just think all the cruise lines are doing it. It's all about the money.

Tony

[floridalover5623]

I wouldn't use 1 coffee card punch for 3 scoops at the IC which can be purchased for $1.50.

 

Apparently they had an uninformed crewmember & I would have sought a supervisor to correct the problem. Based on fishywood's figures, 3 punches would be over $7 of coffee card punches. :eek:

There were adamant about the price difference on the Emerald from the Royal. I assume that each ship can set their own prices based on sales.

Princess's Gelato is definitely not worth 3 punches. ;)

[jeno]

:mad: Our recent cruise saw changes to coffee punches from 1 punch to 3 punches for gelato (a $1.50 cash charge). Also happy hour now requires you to open all drinks in bar (coke & beer). I was told these changes were new by bar manger and customer service supervisor. Has anyone else herd of these changes.

 

 

 

I am Elite on Princess, but have been cruising other cruise lines lately. When I saw the term "Happy Hour", I went blank. The only Happy Hour type event I can think of is the nightly special in the Sky Lounge, but the comment on the Coke and beer doesn't really seem to fit with that. I will be on the Emerald next May and I'm curious.

 

 

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[Hoosier-Cruiser]

I am Elite on Princess, but have been cruising other cruise lines lately. When I saw the term "Happy Hour", I went blank. The only Happy Hour type event I can think of is the nightly special in the Sky Lounge, but the comment on the Coke and beer doesn't really seem to fit with that. I will be on the Emerald next May and I'm curious.

 

 

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Happy hour refers to the daily specials where you can get drinks at a buy-one-get-one-for-$1 pricing. On our last cruise on the Regal Princess, this was from 4-5pm at Crooners and 11pm-midnight in Club 6.

 

As for the "must open" policy, this was enforced only part of the time. It really didn't affect me though, as I always ordered Grolsch, which came with the swing-top, which allowed me to re-seal the drink and take it back to my cabin refrigerator for later consumption.

[floridalover5623]

Happy hour refers to the daily specials where you can get drinks at a buy-one-get-one-for-$1 pricing. On our last cruise on the Regal Princess, this was from 4-5pm at Crooners and 11pm-midnight in Club 6.

 

As for the "must open" policy, this was enforced only part of the time. It really didn't affect me though, as I always ordered Grolsch, which came with the swing-top, which allowed me to re-seal the drink and take it back to my cabin refrigerator for later consumption.

 

Just get to know a few of the bartenders personally & they'll leave it closed if you ask. ;)

[pompeii]

When we were on the Crown in April, the IC insisted on punching our card for a cup of brewed dark coffee. Just regular coffee from the pot, not a specialty "Starbucks" type coffee or espresso or anything like that, just regular brewed dark roast coffee. They said it was a "special roast" and their policy was to punch for it. They also had "regular roast" brewed coffee that they didn't punch for. We questioned the policy with the staff at the IC but didn't get anywhere. Has anyone else run into this?

[Woobstr112G]

Happy hour refers to the daily specials where you can get drinks at a buy-one-get-one-for-$1 pricing. On our last cruise on the Regal Princess, this was from 4-5pm at Crooners and 11pm-midnight in Club 6.

 

As for the "must open" policy, this was enforced only part of the time. It really didn't affect me though, as I always ordered Grolsch, which came with the swing-top, which allowed me to re-seal the drink and take it back to my cabin refrigerator for later consumption.

 

Wasn't enforced at all on the Pacific during our recent Canal cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

[riclop]

:mad: Our recent cruise saw changes to coffee punches from 1 punch to 3 punches for gelato (a $1.50 cash charge). Also happy hour now requires you to open all drinks in bar (coke & beer). I was told these changes were new by bar manger and customer service supervisor. Has anyone else herd of these changes.

You got robbed, 3 punches for gelato, wow

[floridalover5623]

You got robbed, 3 punches for gelato, wow

I think each ship sets their own price (punches) by how much unsold Gelato they have to throw out each day.

[Astro Flyer]

I think each ship sets their own price (punches) by how much unsold Gelato they have to throw out each day.

 

If that's the procedure then Princess HQ needs to standardize the price on all ships which has been $1.50 for 3 scoops at the IC on my cruises. I realize that how some things are done can vary by ship but prices should not vary at all. And a standardized number of punches is the same as a standardized fee.

 

I still believe the problem was due to uninformed crewmembers who require additional training & would have reported the overcharging situation to the F&B manager.

[Astro Flyer]

If that's the procedure then Princess HQ needs to standardize the price on all ships which has been $1.50 for 3 scoops at the IC on my cruises. I realize that how some things are done can vary by ship but prices should not vary at all. And a standardized number of punches is the same as a standardized fee.

 

I still believe the problem was due to uninformed crewmembers who require additional training & would have reported the overcharging situation to the F&B manager.

I neglected to add "or 1 coffee card punch".

 

It's one punch on the Royal & Regal at Gelato's instead of the $3.50 fee which even includes 3 scoop sundaes.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[8dimsum]

Recent return to Princess after X years: no slippers, no wafer cookie with MDR ice cream, no parmesan cheese basket with the fettucine Alfredo, no midnight buffet,and casual dressing ruled! readjusting one's expectations.