Captain's Circle Question

[garrd404]

I have a group of 4 traveling together, but staying in different rooms.  I am currently a platinum member and the second guest in my room is a gold member.  The other couple staying in a separate room will be their first cruise.  My question is since I get priority boarding does princess allow for the other guest traveling with me to join in the priority line so that we can stay together as a group?  Also once on the ship will the be able to join us for the Captain's Circle cocktail party?  

[Working 2 Cruise]

No.  Only the person in your cabin will be allowed to embark with you... Maybe.  And no, the others will not be allowed to participate in platinum events.  Why would they?  They haven't earned the privilege!

[neverbeenhere]

The Captain's Circle Loyalty Program is a "pay to play" club.

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!  

While your friends can't join you in the priority line (except ... maybe the person in your cabin) BUT you can join them  in their boarding area if you wish.  

Enjoy cruising with your friends.  

[warthog2608]

DW and I are platinum. Last March on the Ruby we were cruising with a group of 12 who were all Gold or Blues. As we approached the line a Princess guide saw our priority boarding pass and waved us all through, so you might get lucky!

[Haboob]

...and conversely, boarding in Los Angeles last year with priority, we noticed 10-15 folks lined up in

the priority line at checkin, and no line over in "steerage".  Guess which way we went.  🙂

[skynight]

1 hour ago, garrd404 said:

I have a group of 4 traveling together, but staying in different rooms.  I am currently a platinum member and the second guest in my room is a gold member.  The other couple staying in a separate room will be their first cruise.  My question is since I get priority boarding does princess allow for the other guest traveling with me to join in the priority line so that we can stay together as a group?  Also once on the ship will the be able to join us for the Captain's Circle cocktail party?  

Check in, maybe, but it may be easier to join them shorter lines.

Boarding, also maybe. Your cabin mate probably yes.

Captain's Circle party, probably yes. But to my way of thinking why bother. We stopped going to these years ago.

[garrd404]

32 minutes ago, warthog2608 said:

DW and I are platinum. Last March on the Ruby we were cruising with a group of 12 who were all Gold or Blues. As we approached the line a Princess guide saw our priority boarding pass and waved us all through, so you might get lucky!

That's what I was expecting, obviously I've done several cruises with Princess and there was not a time I could remember where we had others in our party that were not CC members and we were able to stay together during boarding.  I heard that they were cracking down on this so I was just curious if anyone else had some recent first had experience. 

 

The one I did over New Years we as well were allowed to bring our guests to the CC cocktail party, I'm not sure how we got away with it or what we had to do but if I can remember right they even received the invitation even through they were in a separate room from us.  

[OCruisers]

The check in line is of no real importance.

Where you are sent to wait after checking is important because that's the order in which you are allowed to actually board the ship.  

[memoak]

Years ago (in the 90's) it was much easier to bring along first time guests to the Captains Circle (then called Circulo).  The ships were smaller and there was room for pretty much everyone in the venue

[weedpindle]

1 hour ago, warthog2608 said:

DW and I are platinum. Last March on the Ruby we were cruising with a group of 12 who were all Gold or Blues. As we approached the line a Princess guide saw our priority boarding pass and waved us all through, so you might get lucky!

 

Edited November 2, 2018 by weedpindle
delete

[jennybenny]

They will be able to join you in the Platinum/Elite lounge for cocktails.  

I'd say boarding will be more difficult, but you could luck out.

It's not too much of a difference in boarding times, so if you all do want to board together, board in their line, or find a local friend to do BVE with.  🙂 have them cross reference your cabins

Edited November 2, 2018 by jennybenny

[SeaMatesNYC]

From Princess website listing Platinum benefits:

 

Priority Check-In
When you arrive at the port, don’t wait in line. You, along with your family or guests that are traveling with you in the same stateroom will be invited to use the Priority Check-In desk to help expedite your embarkation.

 

Platinum Disembarkation Lounge

An FAQ also in the Captains Circle section makes the same point re lounge at disembarkation.

 

the lack of a comma after "family" seems to leave some wiggle room on family not in the same room...does "that are traveling with you in the same stateroom" apply just to guests?  Who knows!  

[pms4104]

I'm trying to imagine if everyone entitled to priority anything brought along 3 more people with them ... or, if everyone invited to the Captains Circle party brought along 3 more.  Seriously, it makes ng head hurt.

 

 

[garrd404]

If that makes your head hurt, I feel bad for any logical decisions you might have to make. 

[Mike45LC]

Last January, we brought two guests (family members) who had never before cruised.  We took them with us to the Priority Check-In, and their right to check in there with us was never discussed. 

 

It was already well after our suggested boarding time, so we all went straight up to the boarding line.  

 

We are bringing more family on our next cruise, and I never even considered the possibility that they would not be allowed to do priority check-in and boarding with us.  It they get peeled off and sent elsewhere, well, we'll meet up on board!

 

[pms4104]

3 minutes ago, garrd404 said:

If that makes your head hurt, I feel bad for any logical decisions you might have to make. 

I was trying to make a point about entitlement.  Actually, I'm pretty darn good at managing stuff and making logical decisions.  I thank you for your concern and pity.

[Times Prince]

6 hours ago, garrd404 said:

I have a group of 4 traveling together, but staying in different rooms.  I am currently a platinum member and the second guest in my room is a gold member.  The other couple staying in a separate room will be their first cruise.  My question is since I get priority boarding does princess allow for the other guest traveling with me to join in the priority line so that we can stay together as a group?  Also once on the ship will the be able to join us for the Captain's Circle cocktail party?  

Your 2nd guest can board with you as they are in the same room.  The others in your group cannot without abusing the system, unless they are family.

If you are talking about the Platinum/Elite cocktail party each night, the others can join you.  Princess is interested in selling drinks as their prime motivation, so won't object.

If you are talking about the Captain's Circle party, this is an invitation only event, and the invitation applies only to your cabin.

[DrivesLikeMario]

6 hours ago, warthog2608 said:

DW and I are platinum. Last March on the Ruby we were cruising with a group of 12 who were all Gold or Blues. As we approached the line a Princess guide saw our priority boarding pass and waved us all through, so you might get lucky!

No wonder the Platinum/Elite/Suite area gets so packed!  Ridiculous.  It shouldn't be that way.  I can see one person, but 12?!

Also, whenever I've gone to the Plat/Elite cocktail party, they have checked your card as you entered and if you weren't at either one of those levels, you were turned away.  Guess it's another thing that varies.

Edited November 3, 2018 by DrivesLikeMario

[shepp]

6 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

Also, whenever I've gone to the Plat/Elite cocktail party, they have checked your card as you entered and if you weren't at either one of those levels, you were turned away.  Guess it's another thing that varies.

  

They've never checked my cruise card, but they always take each individual's invitation at the door. (I don't know how that works for most married couples, as my husband and I have different surnames and each get an invite.) I don't even know if "He's my husband" would get someone without an invite through, though I can't realistically imagine it wouldn't. Still,  I can't imagine anyone would be so desperate for a free drink and mediocre hors d'oeuvres that they'd try and sleaze in.

[neverbeenhere]

Mediocre hors d’oeuvres is a stretch, poison pills would be more accurate. As for the drinks, I order what I like. As for the schpiel by the Host and Cap’n, I am not in need of the total number of members aboard, and rarely does the Cap’n provide any new information. And we never can win that precious bottle of “Champagne “.   😜

 

[shepp]

4 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

Mediocre hors d’oeuvres is a stretch, poison pills would be more accurate. As for the drinks, I order what I like. As for the schpiel by the Host and Cap’n, I am not in need of the total number of members aboard, and rarely does the Cap’n provide any new information. And we never can win that precious bottle of “Champagne “.   😜

 

 

Actually, I did win the champers once; it was, as I recall, at least better than the swill they give as a trivia prize. I've been on several cruises where a friend was one of the three Most Traveled, and it's fun to see them recognized. But even they get blasé after multiple awards. 

 

And the last Captain's Circle party was where we found out that there would be a replacement for the Grand home-ported in San Francisco, which I guess was worth the trip to the Vista Lounge.

[Haboob]

6 hours ago, OCruisers said:

The check in line is of no real importance.

Where you are sent to wait after checking is important because that's the order in which you are allowed to actually board the ship.  

 

Bad assumption.  From Check-In we went straight to Security screening and onto the Ruby.

[neverbeenhere]

You are gathering fine info.  Darn, I guess we need to bring a better dance routine, so that we can win the sparkling juice. 🤓

[DrivesLikeMario]

1 hour ago, shepp said:

  

They've never checked my cruise card, but they always take each individual's invitation at the door. (I don't know how that works for most married couples, as my husband and I have different surnames and each get an invite.) I don't even know if "He's my husband" would get someone without an invite through, though I can't realistically imagine it wouldn't. Still,  I can't imagine anyone would be so desperate for a free drink and mediocre hors d'oeuvres that they'd try and sleaze in.

Shepp-we’re taking about different parties.  For the nightly cocktail parties, you don’t show your invitation because you don’t get one.  You get a card listing every night’s special.  That’s what I was talking about.

 

Youre talking about the repeaters’ party.  That comes with an invitation that you turn in at the door.  🙂