No more Coffee Cards

[floridalover5623]

Do you base your tip on full price or coupon discounted price?

I'm not discounting my gratuities by the amount of the tip by by the value that Princess intends to steal from my pocket.

 

Do you tip on your smuggled in liquor and the drinks you make?

As a matter of fact I tip my favorite bartenders very well even though I purchase very little from them.

Wow - I would never stoop that low.

 

You may not want to take your anger at management at those who make the least and work pretty darn hard for their money.

Decide for your self what action is appropriate.

[kendon]

They typically punch once for small drinks, twice for large. Sometimes you'll get a nice barista who punches once for a large drink especially if it's something simple (e.g. a cappucino with nothing added). But "nice barista" and "International Cafe" is an exceedingly rare combination.

 

I was pretty happy when I saw the remodel of the ice cream place on the Grand - they now have espresso drinks up there as well. Nice to not have to go all the way down to IC before grabbing food at HC if you are inclined to combine the two.

 

The coffee cards have been a staple for me and DW, but the difference between the new program and the old is not really a big deal. I do prefer the brewed coffee slightly, so I'll probably still get the coffee package, but I have consumed quite a lot of the free coffee and the free iced tea in our four cruises. I'm not particularly picky.

 

 

 

A general note on this thread. It seems like Princess continues to move towards nickeling and diming. I started cruising in 2015 so I never got to experience the heyday. But the reality is that you're there to relax and a cruise is still among the more economical ways to travel overall. It's really not worth worrying about this, especially for those who are taking their first cruise; just go and enjoy yourself.

 

 

Who isn't moving toward nickel and diming these days. I'm on vacation, and I'm fine with paying for what I want to make it a better vacation.

[kendon]

You know, that's something I didn't consider.:mad:

I'll be reducing my gratuities by the full amount I'm losing on my coffee cards that expire form now on and letting them know the reason why.

It's to bad the crew has to suffer for a terrible management decision.

 

Please do NOT take your anger out on the crew...To be THAT angry over this is really silly. It's coffee for G-d's sake!

[floridalover5623]

Please do NOT take your anger out on the crew...To be THAT angry over this is really silly. It's coffee for G-d's sake!

Princess should have thought that one through before they decided to steal everyone's money.

[CruisinFinsUp]

Thanks, that's a big help! So, gratuity being the same either way, and if I can use my "card" for either size, $31 ÷ $3.50 = 8.8. If I get 9 speciality during the week I break even. Every additional speciality drink and brewed coffee puts me ahead. Not crazy about the new rules, but this still makes sense for me... as long as we can get large drinks we'll keep our pre-purchased cards.

 

Exactly!

 

We look at it like the Alcohol package - its 15 per day plus non-alcoholic - use it or lose it. I add up coffees and wine and drinks to figure out my "break even" for the day. After a certain number, its "bonus" as compared to the price of buying items individually onboard.

 

Same principle with the Soda and More.

 

This new coffee card is just 15 coffees over the course of the cruise, use it or lose it, bonus after 9.

 

Princess has just made the coffee card package pricing structure consistent with the other two drink packages. I find it interesting that both are "15".

 

On a go forward basis it makes sense to me.

 

 

The issue of older cards is different though. They were sold under different expectations and I think a reasonable time should be allowed to utilize punches on prior purchased cards - perhaps based on a calculation of the average time between cruises for most customers, with some clear communication of the timeline.

[Milldonkey]

Princess should have thought that one through before they decided to steal everyone's money.

 

 

"I've got dozens of them that I'll be putting in eBay shortly. "

 

You brag about having dozens to sell and think it is also okay to short the hard working crew their well deserved gratuities. Takes all kinds, I guess.

[Astro Flyer]

Who isn't moving toward nickel and diming these days. I'm on vacation, and I'm fine with paying for what I want to make it a better vacation.

Exactly...all of the mass market cruise lines are doing the same things.

 

It’s been many years since I’d define Princess as a premium cruise line which now would be Oceania or Azamara to me. I’d put Princess with HAL & Celebrity as an upper level mass market cruise line & all of them are using nickel & dime.

 

Being upset with a management decision & cutting the tips for the hardworking staff...WOW!!! :eek:

[1AL]

Do you order this as a cold coffee drink, like a frappe? Sounds delish. I will be asking for a banoffee on my next princess cruise, Alaska June 2019.

 

Yes, it's blended with ice............it is so YUMMY!!!!!!!!!

Ask them for a whole banana, extra caramel syrup and extra whipped cream......you'll think you

died and went straight to Heaven!

:D:p:);)

[Cindy]

Exactly...all of the mass market cruise lines are doing the same things.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with that, and actually find Princess and HAL to be much less in your face with the constant pushing of drink packages, specialty dining, etc. than RCI or (to a lesser extent) Celebrity.

 

Our last Royal Caribbean cruise was in December of 2016. We were in an Owner’s Suite, had access to the Suite Lounge, had purchased drink packages, and had specialty dining reservations for all but one night of the cruise. We could NOT get away from the incessant selling. Even at the Suite breakfast in Giovanni’s Table they were coming around trying to sell dinners. Finally on about day 4 of saying no thank you, we have everything reserved already, I got a little “firm” with them and they left us alone for the last few days. I felt bad because I know the waiters were only doing what they were told to do, but I hated feeling like a dollar bill looking for a place to be spent.[emoji849]

 

I was pleasantly surprised on the Regal in October. We were approached in Alfredo’s on the first day, and then the salespeople were never seen or heard from again![emoji846]

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

"I've got dozens of them that I'll be putting in eBay shortly. "

 

You brag about having dozens to sell and think it is also okay to short the hard working crew their well deserved gratuities. Takes all kinds, I guess.

And each one was paid for many time over & now they want to make them worthless.

Don't you see why people are getting frustrated by this move?

Like I said, I'll sell what I can & the unsold portions will be deducted accordingly.

What's fair is fair. Princess sets the rules & I'll do whatever I can to get the most out of what I paid for over the years.

[likeadisguise]

Why wouldn't you wait to use up an old card before buying "dozens" of new ones?

[jagoffee]

Why wouldn't you wait to use up an old card before buying "dozens" of new ones?

 

Because they probably did not actually buy them.

[likeadisguise]

Because they probably did not actually buy them.

Well then it shouldn't take them long to get back what they paid for them! ;)

[jagoffee]

You know, that's something I didn't consider.:mad:

I'll be reducing my gratuities by the full amount I'm losing on my coffee cards that expire form now on and letting them know the reason why.

It's to bad the crew has to suffer for a terrible management decision.

 

Not true, the crew has to suffer from a terrible decision that you are making. Of course you have the right to make your decision, but you should not blame the poor decision on someone else.

[suzyed]

It looks like the number of specialty coffees will vary depending on the length of cruise.

What is Included

• The package includes the pre-purchase of a specified number of specialty coffees (numbers vary by itinerary) during the voyage of purchase, as well as complimentary brewed coffee and hot chocolate.
  
  
• Guests may redeem the number of specialty coffees purchased in the package in locations where espresso is available. This will include select bar and dining areas and varies by ship and/or itinerary.
  
  
• Selections and service are limited to that venue’s menu offerings and operating hours.
  
  

Package

They SAY that but when I looked at my upcoming cruises...one is 25 days and the other is 12 days....they both still say 15 coffee drinks.

[suzyed]

I think I'm one of the very rare people who find the coffee card a good deal. I'm a big coffee drinker, so I'll easily have one specialty coffee a day and at least 2-3 brewed coffee's throughout the morning. My cruise will be a 15 day cruise so it's measured out perfectly. But they really do need something for a shorter cruise.

I'm with you! I love the coffee card too!

[suzyed]

If any or all of this is true I see it as a major marketing customer relations disaster. Yes Will Survive and it's not the end of the world but why put us through this. So if I buy a card I can't even let my wife use it or buy her a coffee on my card how ridiculous. I think that princess implements these things with a very little for thought. Enough said.

 

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I agree! Not sure what they are thinking or if they are thinking at all!

[suzyed]

Proof that you shouldn't stand between a person and their morning coffee...

Right! Some people just don't understand.

 

Now the $10 sale on the ship that people lose their minds over....that is what I don't get....You pay thousands for a cruise and go crazy over junky $10 watches and scarves??

[suzyed]

I have a few punches left on my old card from this past winter which I was going to use on my next cruise. I shall now take it out of my desk drawer and recycle it since it is worthless.

 

The sad part is that if you want decent coffee, one has to go to the International Café since it is the only place on the ship with brewed coffee and you have to pay for it. The other alternative is the "free" coffee which is made from Nescafe concentrate found in the buffet or MDR.

If your cruise is this year, you can still use your cards.

I was on the Caribbean Princess last week and used my partial cards from a previous sailing.

[suzyed]

I absolutely agree, anyway this is just one more pennypinching reason why Princess is no longer my first choice for cruises,

 

why Princess don't just have decent free regular coffee on all their ships like almost every other line I do not know.

 

Well actually I do know, they are too mean and nickel and diming to do it................. its very shortsighted of them, no way to encourage passenger loyalty, they get your money and then provide as little for it as they possibly can

 

And after 71 cruises on Princess I think I am qualified to comment, its going downhill big time

 

I am ashamed to be a stockholder in the company which owns Princess

Yup! First the Happy Hour BOGO and now the coffee cards....These were the little niceties that Princess offered that they are now taking away.....it was what sets them apart from other cruise lines....now they are just falling in line with the others. I'm a stock holder as well.

[suzyed]

Yeah you're right! I remember that one Christmas I received (from my employer at the time) a $150 gift card to a national restaurant chain…I used it once for $41.89 (lovely dinner) and then threw the card away.

 

I mean, it's only right, right? How DARE a customer think that they can spend X amount of dollars on a product and expect to use it in multiple locations of the same operation….shocking! SHOCKING I tell you!! :D

LOL!!

I love how everyone jumps up to judge others. Every one of us have reasons why we choose Princess and for some it was the HH Bogo, for others it was the coffee cards, and yet others for the art auctions, the "little things", in addition to the ships and the itineraries of course. If it is not of interest to one, why bother joining in the discussion? Are we afraid someone else is getting a "deal" that they don't partake of?

I don't get it.

[suzyed]

I'm curious. What fare class isn't eligible for stockholder OBC? I don't recall ever seeing any restrictions of that nature.

I haven't either....maybe casino deals or interline, etc? And we DO get dividends as well.

Edited June 10, 2018 by suzyed

[suzyed]

You understand it. Some others on this thread do not.

With you on this.

[caribill]

They SAY that but when I looked at my upcoming cruises...one is 25 days and the other is 12 days....they both still say 15 coffee drinks.

 

And both still cost the same.

[suzyed]

I’ve never had 2 punches for a large drink which have always been one punch for my cappuccino or my wife’s frappuccino.

I never did either....it was one punch no matter what size you got. It was also that way last week when I cruised.