The End of Coffee Cards???

[Fletch1]

This has probably been discussed many times, but I just wanted to clarify....

 

We are just off the Golden Princess and used a coffee card that we had left over from a previous cruise. We were told that coffee cards are no longer available........instead, a "coffee package" is to be purchased which is credited to your cruise card and any coffees not used are forfeited at the end of the cruise. 

 

Is this the case?? 

[Fletch1]

I should add that they still allowed us to use the coffee card, although all perc coffee and speciality teas were another punch in the card, whereas they use to be free if you had a coffee card. 

[fishywood]

42 minutes ago, Fletch1 said:

I should add that they still allowed us to use the coffee card, although all perc coffee and speciality teas were another punch in the card, whereas they use to be free if you had a coffee card. 

 

It has been quite a long time now that the brewed coffee and specialty teas were only unlimited on the voyage the card was first purchased on, otherwise a punch was used as you found out. The program of the "card" now being electronically embedded in your cruise card--thus unused "punches" going *poof* at the end of your cruise--has been rolling out across the fleet for the better part of a year now. It appears the original plan was to have the coffee package part of the medallion program but with that hot mess terminally behind schedule Princess begun simply linking it with your cruise card, same as when you pre-purchase the Soda & More or Premier Beverage Package. 

 

You can probably blame all of this on your fellow passengers reselling the cards on Ebay, along with the original non-dated cards that go back to the long-ago initial launch of the program still being in circulation thanks to travel agents who sold them two-for-one. 

Edited December 22, 2018 by fishywood

[Fletch1]

I knew this would be old news, but not that old!!!  We have done a couple of cruises with Princess in the past 12 months but was not aware of the new policy. Probably best I get my head out of the sand!!!!

 

A waiter told us if you currently have a coffee card that is not dated on the rear, you will have until August 2019 to use it. After that, they are null and void. If it dated, they become null and void at the end of this year (2018). 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Fletch1

[fishywood]

7 minutes ago, Fletch1 said:

A waiter told us if you currently have a coffee card that is not dated on the rear, you will have until August 2019 to use it. After that, they are null and void. If it dated, they become null and void at the end of this year (2018). 

 

Many posts here have reported being told that even though it somewhat contradicts what the Princess website states:

 

• Coffee cards are valid until the expiration date printed on the card. If NO expiration date is printed on the card it is valid until August 31, 2019.
• Unused punches may be used on subsequent voyages unless the card has expired.
• Free brewed coffee is available only on the voyage of issue.
• Coffee cards cannot be sold or otherwise transferred to any individual. Coffee package cards are only valid for use by the purchaser.

(Info from the following link: Have a paper New Grounds Coffee Card purchased for voyages prior to June 2018? View Coffee Card full terms & conditions.)

[floridalover5623]

2 hours ago, Fletch1 said:

I knew this would be old news, but not that old!!!  We have done a couple of cruises with Princess in the past 12 months but was not aware of the new policy. Probably best I get my head out of the sand!!!!

 

A waiter told us if you currently have a coffee card that is not dated on the rear, you will have until August 2019 to use it. After that, they are null and void. If it dated, they become null and void at the end of this year (2018). 

You are correct. Princess will confiscate your money for all unused coffee cards at the end of Aug 2019 unless dated Dec 31 st, 2018. 

From here on all coffee punched are stored on their computer system & expire at the end of that cruise. 

Isn't that nice of Princess. 

[Ombud]

3 hours ago, fishywood said:

 

Many posts here have reported being told that even though it somewhat contradicts what the Princess website states:

 

• Coffee cards are valid until the expiration date printed on the card. If NO expiration date is printed on the card it is valid until August 31, 2019.
• Unused punches may be used on subsequent voyages unless the card has expired.
• Free brewed coffee is available only on the voyage of issue.
• Coffee cards cannot be sold or otherwise transferred to any individual. Coffee package cards are only valid for use by the purchaser.

(Info from the following link: Have a paper New Grounds Coffee Card purchased for voyages prior to June 2018? View Coffee Card full terms & conditions.)

Final 2 bullets clearly state that someone should figure out if it's worth it before purchasing. For me it's still cheaper than what I'd spend during that time period at Starbucks, Peets, Philz, or Dunkins. If gifted as an Elite benefit than I spent nothing so have nothing to lose :

Quote

• Unused punches have no cash value and are considered forfeit if the card is lost, stolen, irretrievably damaged or expired. The honoring of unused punches on future voyages is allowed up to the expiration date but may be discontinued at any time without notice or recourse.
• By purchasing a coffee package card, you agree to these and all future terms and conditions.

 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Ombud

[donaldsc]

4 hours ago, floridalover5623 said:

You are correct. Princess will confiscate your money for all unused coffee cards at the end of Aug 2019 unless dated Dec 31 st, 2018. 

From here on all coffee punched are stored on their computer system & expire at the end of that cruise. 

Isn't that nice of Princess. 

 

If I was cruising in August and had cards w unused punches, I would order as many coffees as there were punches left on the card and not drink them.  I realize that this would be a totally useless protest but it would make me feel better.

 

DON

[cpcanuck]

5 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

If I was cruising in August and had cards w unused punches, I would order as many coffees as there were punches left on the card and not drink them.  I realize that this would be a totally useless protest but it would make me feel better.

 

DON

 

Or better yet, order as many speciality coffees as you have punches and pass them out to others around you so they don’t go to waste! You’ll be a popular guy on that ship! 😉

[donaldsc]

11 minutes ago, cpcanuck said:

 

Or better yet, order as many speciality coffees as you have punches and pass them out to others around you so they don’t go to waste! You’ll be a popular guy on that ship! 😉

 

A much better idea.

 

DON

[Astro Flyer]

8 hours ago, Fletch1 said:

I knew this would be old news, but not that old!!!  We have done a couple of cruises with Princess in the past 12 months but was not aware of the new policy. Probably best I get my head out of the sand!!!!

Yes Russell...out of the sand. ☺️  The electronic coffee program was implemented in June 2018 and others have posted the card’s limitations.

 

We’re reevaluating our elite minibar exchange options because we’re unlikely to have 30 specialty coffee drinks during a 7 day cruise.  Ten beers & ten sodas works better for us and to occasionally purchase a specialty coffee.  Our future cruises are on the Royal & Sky and find the buffet’s free coffee made ground coffee to be okay so don’t miss the IC’s brewed coffee.

[Thrak]

2 hours ago, cpcanuck said:

 

Or better yet, order as many speciality coffees as you have punches and pass them out to others around you so they don’t go to waste! You’ll be a popular guy on that ship! 😉

 

We had the beverage package last October and I gave away two mostly unused cards. We cruised again in March but had the beverage package then as well so it didn't matter. We just did a 7 day followed by a 19 day and we used leftover card punches on the 7 day. My wife bought the new package for the 19 day and I continued to use the old cards. I have one punch left on one of those cards and I have, I think, one more unused card. We have a cruise tour in May (15 days but 8 are on land) and we will use up our remaining card on the 7 day sailing portion of that. After that it will come down to using the new package. For a 7 day cruise it would be crazy since they put it on a single account so it's much more hassle to use the full number of "punches" in that amount of time. For longer cruises we will likely at least get the package for my wife. I can get by without.

[Ombud]

I traded for a bottle of white wine but was dissatisfied with the wine. 

 

How long does it take to load the coffee card credit on the card? I drink several cups a day so they lose money on me no matter how they do it. I want to avoid the scenario where I trade for the electronic version, be charged for a long black, and then have to discuss it with the purser's desk

[Potstech]

See no reason any longer to even purchase the coffee deal. I just finished using one I bought in 2013 after finding it.  Took three of us to use the last 10 punches on a 7 day cruise. They have become a rip off of money and I will just pay by the drink using our ample OBC.

[Ombud]

I buy coffee everyday at Starbucks so for me it makes sense. What doesn't make any sense for me is some of the other packages. I no longer get the 'sodas and more' because it's cheaper for me to buy one if or when I want it then pay the 8.05 a day. The drink package is a joke for me. If I have one glass of wine then I'm fine. And I prefer my own wine and to pay corkage then the options I see lately in their package. So I pack an assortment of 1/2 bottles. The good thing about so many different packages is that we can find the one that fits our lifestyle.

[Funkat]

When we purchased the coffee card on our Royal TA in Sept., the "punches" were loaded onto my cruise card.  It was a 15 day cruise so buying the card made perfect sense it provided me with my specialty coffee & DH with his fresh brewed every morning. It was nice not having to keep up with another card, but I was skeptical of being charged incorrectly.  Even though the number of mornings was the same as the number of punches, each morning I had the barista confirm how many remaining "punches" I had left.  And, as it turned out, it was a good thing that I kept up with my "remaining punches". I was charged for my last 2 specialties.  It took 2 trips to Guest Services and then 6 weeks to finally see these charges refunded to my credit card.  It's really not the amount of the $$$, but just the idea that I was overcharged twice with their new system. 

 

[fishywood]

2 hours ago, Funkat said:

When we purchased the coffee card on our Royal TA in Sept., the "punches" were loaded onto my cruise card.  It was a 15 day cruise so buying the card made perfect sense it provided me with my specialty coffee & DH with his fresh brewed every morning. 

 

 

Perhaps the sharing was why you were attempted to be charged. The fifteen punches have no restrictions but the unlimited brewed coffee/premium teas are only for the person whose name the coffee package was purchased under. I witnessed a Piazza drink server on Golden Princess this summer quite severely caution someone who handed them their cruise card and said "bring me one premium coffee and my companion a tea" that he would not do that unless they paid for the tea. Since you admit to pulling this off every morning of a two week cruise likely a supervisor noticed and warned the baristas about you.

[Thrak]

4 hours ago, Funkat said:

When we purchased the coffee card on our Royal TA in Sept., the "punches" were loaded onto my cruise card.  It was a 15 day cruise so buying the card made perfect sense it provided me with my specialty coffee & DH with his fresh brewed every morning. It was nice not having to keep up with another card, but I was skeptical of being charged incorrectly.  Even though the number of mornings was the same as the number of punches, each morning I had the barista confirm how many remaining "punches" I had left.  And, as it turned out, it was a good thing that I kept up with my "remaining punches". I was charged for my last 2 specialties.  It took 2 trips to Guest Services and then 6 weeks to finally see these charges refunded to my credit card.  It's really not the amount of the $$$, but just the idea that I was overcharged twice with their new system. 

 

 

58 minutes ago, fishywood said:

 

Perhaps the sharing was why you were attempted to be charged. The fifteen punches have no restrictions but the unlimited brewed coffee/premium teas are only for the person whose name the coffee package was purchased under. I witnessed a Piazza drink server on Golden Princess this summer quite severely caution someone who handed them their cruise card and said "bring me one premium coffee and my companion a tea" that he would not do that unless they paid for the tea. Since you admit to pulling this off every morning of a two week cruise likely a supervisor noticed and warned the baristas about you.

 

This is one reason we liked the old punch card system. I would purchase the card for me. I would drink the fresh brewed coffee and my wife would use the punches - which are fine to share. In that manner we both got our coffee but didn't cheat the system. My wife never ordered the fresh brewed. If I had an occasional "punch" coffee it was within the bounds of the program. The baristas are quick to notice who is and who is not using the fresh brewed option. We never attempted to cheat the system and never had a problem. With the new system it's likely harder for them to keep track of who is drinking what. In the case of the above poster if the husband was going to be the one drinking the fresh brewed coffee each day then the package should have been on his account. He could then obtain his fresh brewed coffee and purchase a "punch" coffee for his wife.

[Funkat]

 

I always ordered the coffees to go, as I brought DH's coffee to him in the cabin each morning since he sleeps in later than I do.  So, they had no idea which of us was consuming the specialty or fresh brewed.  Guest Services never even questioned if sharing was involved.  It was a clear case of being incorrectly charged. At least with the old card system, you could catch an overcharge immediately.  JS

Edited December 23, 2018 by Funkat

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, Funkat said:

 

At least with the old card system, you could catch an overcharge immediately.  JS

JS, how were you able to catch a charge to your on board account easier with the old card system?  Under either system I would think you have to check your account for any items charged in error.

[Cindy]

11 hours ago, fishywood said:

 

Perhaps the sharing was why you were attempted to be charged. The fifteen punches have no restrictions but the unlimited brewed coffee/premium teas are only for the person whose name the coffee package was purchased under. I witnessed a Piazza drink server on Golden Princess this summer quite severely caution someone who handed them their cruise card and said "bring me one premium coffee and my companion a tea" that he would not do that unless they paid for the tea. Since you admit to pulling this off every morning of a two week cruise likely a supervisor noticed and warned the baristas about you.

 

True, that is the letter of the law. It’s ridiculous when you consider that if the “punches” had been loaded onto the spouse’s card it would have been perfectly acceptable.

[Colo Cruiser]

Oh the shame.

[Funkat]

2 hours ago, jagoffee said:

JS, how were you able to catch a charge to your on board account easier with the old card system?  Under either system I would think you have to check your account for any items charged in error.

With the old system you could see how many punches remaining before you handed them the coffee card and see how many times they punched it. I never had to hand them my cruise card, only the coffee card so there was no chance of an additional charge.

[Aussie Gal]

I have just discovered this topic so I am very much out of date with Coffee Cards as we lasted cruised on Princess in 2017.  We always use a coffee card as we do love our Espresso Coffee each lunchtime and often at breakfast. We will be on the Sun in just over 3 weeks time and cannot wait.

 

We are Elite and we when we organize our refrigerator with our "free drinks" we prefer to remove everything except the gin and tonic although we often replace everything for a coffee card.

 

Does this still apply and if there are no coffee cards anymore, do we pay for our coffee each time we buy one or is there another way of being able to buy the coffee at a discount price?

 

Jennie

[Ombud]

The coffee card is now a program that is loaded to your cruise card from what I understand. if you request that your minibar be traded for the 'coffee card' you will have the equivalent of 2 coffee cards loaded onto your cruise card. That gives you 30 specialty coffees as well as unlimited brewed coffee / tea / cocoa for the duration of your cruise.