No more Coffee Cards

[Alaskanb]

Hmmm! Coffee packages are only valid for use by the purchaser

Does that mean you can only purchase coffee for yourself or that you can purchase coffee for others as well. DH and I usually share a card for a cruise.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Alaskanb

[yags]

Not sure if this means it's not available for purchase onboard, or if presale just ends 4 days before the cruise. For instance, the bottled water package specifically states: "For pre-purchase ONLY through Gift Guide or Cruise Personalizer." Also the coffee program T&C's state in part "packages purchased in advance may vary from onboard pricing due to timing and currency fluctuations."

 

 

Not quite sure if this is true either as the new rules specifically state "If the maximum number of coffees pre-purchased are not used during the voyage, the remaining value will NOT be credited or refunded and is NOT transferable for any purpose" where before you could use punches on future cruises. It also states "Coffee packages cannot be sold or otherwise transferred to any individual. Coffee packages are only valid for use by the purchaser" where previously there was no restriction on sharing a coffee card between people. Although I suspect the part of selling or otherwise transferring cards is part of the reason for the change, effectively killing of the trading in minibars for coffee cards and then selling them on eBay.

 

Why question what everyone else is saying. Get off your duff and call Princess. I did.

[voljeep]

sounds a lot like the PBP package - one person, set limit, no sharing

 

popcorn popped...

[moki'smommy]

Why question what everyone else is saying. Get off your duff and call Princess. I did.

Do you really believe that what an agent on the phone tells you is accurate? I have been given very different answers to the same question on at least two occasions. What a phone rep tells you will not be honored unless you can find it on line and prove what was said. A date, time, and name of rep won't cut it!

[Country-Bumpkin]

Could someone please explain to me about the what a 'suite' has to do with the coffee card? Thank you.

[pompeii]

Why question what everyone else is saying. Get off your duff and call Princess. I did.

 

Unfortunately the phone reps sometimes don't know how things are being handled on the ships. Which is why I asked if current passengers could report back as to how it is being done onboard.

[moki'smommy]

Could someone please explain to me about the what a 'suite' has to do with the coffee card? Thank you.

If you are in a suite or if you are an elite level Captain's Club member, you get a mini-bar set up in your room. As of yesterday, you could trade your mini-bar for 2 coffee cards (great for those who don't drink alcohol!). A poster above stated that they are now giving only one coffee card for the mini-bar, which makes little sense given the replacement cost of the mini-bar items and the fact that you probably have at least 2 people in the suite.

 

There is NO confirmation that I can locate as to what the mini-bar exchange deal is now.

[ggprincess2004]

Could someone please explain to me about the what a 'suite' has to do with the coffee card? Thank you.

 

For us, two things really. First, suite breakfast includes whatever espresso based beverages you want, so if you just drink espresso based beverages with breakfast, you don't need one as long as you are having breakfast in the specialty restuarant designated for suite breakfast. Second, one can trade out the mini-bar for two (or now just one?) coffee card, so if you are elite and in a suite, that is two mini-bar set-up per cruise segment. One for the mini-bar, second set up traded out for coffee cards (which are blank and we use on upcoming cruises or gift to family members). We have almost a full deck of the blank coffee cards.

[jasbo49]

NOTHING has changed except for the use of previously purchased coffee cards from previous cruises. Cards purchased for use on a future cruise now have an expiration date of August 2019. Just got this from Princess Cruise directly (6/6/18)

If unredeemed coffees cannot be carried over to a future cruise, that's a significant change.

 

If a minibar trade-in gets you one instead of two coffee packages, that's a significant change.

 

Jim

[SharkieRools]

Why question what everyone else is saying. Get off your duff and call Princess. I did.

Guessing you've never dealt with varying information from Princess phone reps before. Its all in black and white on their website:

 

As provided before, new Coffee Grounds Coffee Package rules in effect now: https://www.princess.com/html/global/personalizer/ssv/beverages/coffee-package-disclaimer/index.html

 

Rules for existing cards: https://www.princess.com/html/global/personalizer/ssv/beverages/coffee-physical-card-disclaimer/index.html

[moki'smommy]

Having the punched card also makes it easy for me to know how many specialty beverages I have remaining. I'm sure I could ask the barista, but that would ultimately be annoying.

 

But the bottom line is that it will be what it will be. I'll see what happens when my next cruise rolls around, but many others will have reported in before that.

[wheezedr]

Could someone please explain to me about the what a 'suite' has to do with the coffee card? Thank you.

Historically a perk of a suite or being elite is a mini bar setup. Princess previously allowed you to trade in your minibar for 2 coffee cards. Many of us used that option. It appears they may be reducing the value of that trade. Full clarification of all the changes will take a few days as the last people to understand what is happening are the princess phone agents. Also we will see how much blow back they get on this.

[yags]

Hmmm! Coffee packages are only valid for use by the purchaser

Does that mean you can only purchase for yourself or that you can purchase for others as well. DH and I usually share a card for a cruise.

 

I had ordered 2 cards. I called princess and put one of the cards in someone else name. The way I did it was a separate transaction for each coffee card. It made it easy to transfer one. I was told that it might be a little more difficult (but not impossible) if more then one card was purchased in one transaction.

[voljeep]

Having the punched card also makes it easy for me to know how many specialty beverages I have remaining. I'm sure I could ask the barista' date=' but that would ultimately be annoying.

 

But the bottom line is that it will be what it will be. I'll see what happens when my next cruise rolls around, but many others will have reported in before that.[/quote']

 

Totally, to the max! - I hate when I have to ask the server how many 'punches' I have left on my PBP...when my wife is sitting there...;p

[kt6453]

I just checked and the one card i had prepurchased is now assigned to me.... very interested to hear from people on ship now if tou can use punch for someone else as i was planning to share punches with my husband!!

 

 

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[WVBill]

Hmmm! Coffee packages are only valid for use by the purchaser

Does that mean you can only purchase coffee for yourself or that you can purchase coffee for others as well. DH and I usually share a card for a cruise.

 

Same here but when I went down to the IC each morning to get our brewed coffee, they would give me one "free" but make me take a punch for the 2nd one. We only used it for our morning brewed coffee.

 

I think going forward, I'll just have them charge my cruise card for two brewed coffees and skip the New Coffee Package.

[sjgertz]

I board a princess ship on June 23rd. I have a completely blank current era coffee card. Anyone have a clue if it will be valid? Time will tell...

[RandallFlagg]

I had asked a question about coffee cards the other day and Moki's Mommy was kind enough to answer me quickly. Now? I see (and have read) the "terms and conditions" of the "so-called" coffee card and I can't help but wonder why ANYONE would want to purchase one of these. My Lord - there are more "terms and conditions" for simple coffee than there were when I bought my first house years ago.

 

I don't understand the ideology here. It is a little unnerving - this being our first (and probably last) cruise…Shoot, I've never seen so damned many rules and regulations in all my life :)

 

Well, I look at it this way - I had intended to purchase the coffee card simply for the brewed coffee since most claim that the "regular" coffee is horrendous. Won't be doing that now. It's a 7 day cruise to Alaska. I can stomach the "free" coffee for a week I guess. Not really a good way to encourage "repeat" business from first timers, however.

[MrMan]

Guess we will stop purchasing the specialty coffee. This really stinks

 

 

 

Why? Your going to not live your cruise to the fullest over the cost of a cup of coffee. That’s like saying I am going to pack Vienna Sausages and Sardines because I won’t pay for specialty dining upcharge. #youcanttakeitwithyou

 

 

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[Ellipooh]

The mini-bar swap was a great perk that Princess never had to offer in the first place. We know it was a great deal, as so many of us took advantage of it (and based on the "deck of cards" reference perhaps some of us REALLY took advantage of it). To reduce this perk from 2 cards to 1 card is disappointing but hardly unfair of Princess.

 

What i am interested in learning about is the "based on length of cruise" language...

[Country-Bumpkin]

If you are in a suite or if you are an elite level Captain's Club member' date=' you get a mini-bar set up in your room. As of yesterday, you could trade your mini-bar for 2 coffee cards (great for those who don't drink alcohol!). A poster above stated that they are now giving only one coffee card for the mini-bar, which makes little sense given the replacement cost of the mini-bar items and the fact that you probably have at least 2 people in the suite.

 

There is NO confirmation that I can locate as to what the mini-bar exchange deal is now.[/quote']

 

 

Thank you so much.

[RandallFlagg]

Why? Your going to not live your cruise to the fullest over the cost of a cup of coffee. That’s like saying I am going to pack Vienna Sausages and Sardines because I won’t pay for specialty dining upcharge. #youcanttakeitwithyou

 

 

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As long as you pack crackers for the Vienna Sausages - I'm all in! :D

 

However, I understand the thought here. Seems like every time we turn around, Princess is doing something to make a cruise a little more "challenging" for the customer. I mean, seriously. Why the heck does the passenger have to "pay" for brewed coffee? Is it really that hard or expensive to offer decent coffee?

 

I'm not talking about all that foo foo crap coffee - just regular brewed decent tasting coffee….nothing more.

[yags]

All this hysteria (myself included) over an Original Post (No More Coffee Cards) that is almost totally untrue.

[moki'smommy]

I board a princess ship on June 23rd. I have a completely blank current era coffee card. Anyone have a clue if it will be valid? Time will tell...

According to the documentation, a coffee card that is completely blank is valid until 8/31/2019.

[WVBill]

The mini-bar swap was a great perk that Princess never had to offer in the first place. We know it was a great deal, as so many of us took advantage of it (and based on the "deck of cards" reference perhaps some of us REALLY took advantage of it). To reduce this perk from 2 cards to 1 card is disappointing but hardly unfair of Princess.

 

What i am interested in learning about is the "based on length of cruise" language...

 

Isn't the value of the contents of the mini-bar worth more on the secondary market than a coffee card?

 

I mean that's what it's all about isn't it - squeezing the last thin penny out of every perk Princess gives us?