Unsure how Princess Loyalty Program Works

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I'm trying to understand the Princess Captain's Circle loyalty tier requirements. For example Elite Status states 16+ cruises or 151+ nights. Could one take 16 three-night cruises back-to-back and meet the requirement for Elite? That would be only 48-nights. There must be something I am overlooking. It is far, far more difficult reach the highest tiers on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Perhaps there is something I am not understanding.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Silvery Seas Cruiser

[Jeter02]

Nope. You understood correctly!

[karatemom2]

In a word, yes, that is exactly how it works. It is either by reaching the required number of cruises or days, whichever come first. You can make it with a high number of short cruises, and many people do just that. Or add in a few short cruises along the way to kick up their total cruise numbers. Others take fewer cruises but take long cruises or book suites and get double credit. It doesn’t really matter how you get there as long as you meet the requirements set by Princess which are exactly as you have stated. 

[Jeter02]

Also you get double cruise credits if you travel as a solo passenger, as you pay double occupancy. 

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Thank you for your quick replies. I must say the Princess policy is much more generous than other cruise lines I have sailed which strictly count the actual number of nights sailed. They do add more points for certain things such as sailing in suites.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Jeter, thank you for mentioning the double points for traveling alone. That's a big help. I have to pass this information on to someone who is considering the multiple short cruises. She needs six cruises to get to Elite. If she is traveling alone, she needs only three more cruises? I'm still kind of foggy on the details. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

In the beginning Carnival had cruises only. Now only days. That is more fair for everyone.

[JF - retired RRT]

32 minutes ago, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

Could one take 16 three-night cruises back-to-back and meet the requirement for Elite? That would be only 48-nights. There must be something I am overlooking. 

That's why there are so many Elites.😉

Book a suite and the credits build up even faster.

 

And, yes, your friend will get double points for booking solo. Need to be aware of how many "credits" you have compared to # of days. They don't mix and match.

Edited July 28, 2019 by JF - retired RRT

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

1 minute ago, JF - retired RRT said:

That's why there are so many Elites.😉

Book a suite and the credits build up even faster.

So if you book a suite, you only need eight cruises to reach Elite?

[Jeter02]

6 minutes ago, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

Jeter, thank you for mentioning the double points for traveling alone. That's a big help. I have to pass this information on to someone who is considering the multiple short cruises. She needs six cruises to get to Elite. If she is traveling alone, she needs only three more cruises? I'm still kind of foggy on the details. 

You are once again correct. 3 cruises as a solo traveler will given them 6 loyalty cruise credits.

[JF - retired RRT]

2 minutes ago, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

So if you book a suite, you only need eight cruises to reach Elite?

Yes and even less if you're solo.

BUT suites are 3 or 4 X as much $$ as a regular cabin.

[Jeter02]

1 minute ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Yes and even less if you're solo.

BUT suites are 3 or 4 X as much $$ as a regular cabin.

You are pretty much paying for those double credits. BUT if you can swing it, I say go for it and enjoy.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

9 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

You are pretty much paying for those double credits. BUT if you can swing it, I say go for it and enjoy.

Yes, that's why Hubby and I pretty much take lots of cruises in cheaper cabins rather than fewer cruises in costlier cabins, but my sister is a widow which complicates her cruising situation a little. I think she is brave to cruise alone...not sure I would enjoy that if I were in her shoes. I admire her for giving it a shot.

[Jeter02]

3 minutes ago, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

Yes, that's why Hubby and I pretty much take lots of cruises in cheaper cabins rather than fewer cruises in costlier cabins, but my sister is a widow which complicates her cruising situation a little. I think she is brave to cruise alone...not sure I would enjoy that if I were in her shoes. I admire her for giving it a shot.

I cruise solo all the time. I don't find it conducive for myself to ever get a suit or even a mini, as I enjoy cruising way to often. Luxurious oversize room or more cruise. I chose quantity. I choose luxury in the eyes of sailing on Princess as one of their loyal cruisers. Plus traveling solo, cruising is say is the safest form of travel. It's so just relaxing, and fun. Simply it's whatever you make it to be.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Jeter02

[paul929207]

Five cruises solo in a suite gets you to Elite. If they are 1 night cruises, that is enough to bee Elite.

 

Personally, I don't think the Elite benefits are worth booking 5 one night cruises solo in a suite.

[Bextra1256]

I have done 2 princess cruises and have a third booked.    After that cruise I will have 6 credits and will move to Platinum.

 

First was was inside with someone else.     7 days. 1 credit

second was solo balcony.                               7 days  2 credits

 

next is solo inside as part of the 2 bedroom family suite.   Will count as 3 credits as it’s considered part of the suite.      It is cheaper to book this way than to book one on my own and sister and her hubby to book their own room.  Even cheaper than booking 3 in a room

 

       10 days. 3 credits

Edited July 28, 2019 by Bextra1256
Forgot

[Steelers36]

Just to be clear for the OP and anyone else ... you achieve Elite upon completing your 15th cruise or 150th night.  You will be Elite immediately upon disembarking in effect and receive an email from Princess shortly thereafter.  So, you have the status right then which means you get a jump on booking cruises when new blocks are released.  You will be Elite status on the next cruise.  You can also have this happen if you are sailing B2B and "make the grade" on the first cruise.  For the second trip, you will be Elite.  (Same principle applies when moving up to Platinum).

 

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Just to be clear for the OP and anyone else ... you achieve Elite upon completing your 15th cruise or 150th night.  You will be Elite immediately upon disembarking in effect and receive an email from Princess shortly thereafter.  So, you have the status right then which means you get a jump on booking cruises when new blocks are released.  You will be Elite status on the next cruise.  You can also have this happen if you are sailing B2B and "make the grade" on the first cruise.  For the second trip, you will be Elite.  (Same principle applies when moving up to Platinum).

 

what about from Gold to Medallion level ... the same ?

[Steelers36]

12 minutes ago, voljeep said:

what about from Gold to Medallion level ... the same ?

Huh?  Do you mean from Gold to Ruby?  We were never Ruby as we were already Platinum when that level was introduced.  But yes, every level requires a certain number of cruises or nights to be completed and then you are at the next level after disembarking and have the benefits for the next cruise.  I don't think there is much of any value in the benefits between cruises other than the advance booking window for Elites.  (You know this right?  Right???)  ;-)

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by steelers36

[karatemom2]

This link contains all the pertinent info. 

 

https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/membershipBenefits.page

[Lido deck main]

1 hour ago, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

I'm trying to understand the Princess Captain's Circle loyalty tier requirements. For example Elite Status states 16+ cruises or 151+ nights. Could one take 16 three-night cruises back-to-back and meet the requirement for Elite? That would be only 48-nights. There must be something I am overlooking. It is far, far more difficult reach the highest tiers on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Perhaps there is something I am not understanding.

In the Northwest I have heard of people taking one night cruises to get the status. 

[voljeep]

4 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Huh?  Do you mean from Gold to Ruby?  We were never Ruby as we were already Platinum when that level was introduced.  But yes, every level requires a certain number of cruises or nights to be completed and then you are at the next level after disembarking and have the benefits for the next cruise.  I don't think there is much of any value in the benefits between cruises other than the advance booking window for Elites.  (You know this right?  Right???)  ;-)

 

not so fast my friend ...

 

in 2013 , a level called "Medallion" was introduced as a level for the 4th and 5th cruises ... this was short-lived and soon re-named the "Ruby" level ...  we were on one of the first ( maybe the first ) cruises when the " Medallion " level cruise card was introduced ...

 

Of course , hardly any of the cruise staff had a clue that this new level was introduced ... and we got some strange looks at the card when we had to use it

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

24 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

This link contains all the pertinent info. 

 

https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/membershipBenefits.page

Thank you, Karate Mom2, for the link. I'm still impressed with how Princess cruisers can kind of "work" the system to get to Elite the fastest or cheapest way.  Both Royal and Celebrity have a much stricter system in which you must sail the required nights for each tier. The only way to speed it up materially is to sail in suites or one of the other limited ways in which nightly points are doubled such as in a single supplement room.  

[geoherb]

We got to Elite faster than we would have when we took a couple of short cruises back to back (two 4-day cruises). I figure it balances out with the longer cruises we took before getting to Elite. I don't worry about how other folks got there, whether five 1-day cruises solo in a suite or 150 days on a couple of cruises. I think it's nice that Princess still lets people get there based on days or cruise credits.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

1 hour ago, Jeter02 said:

I cruise solo all the time. I don't find it conducive for myself to ever get a suit or even a mini, as I enjoy cruising way to often. Luxurious oversize room or more cruise. I chose quantity. I choose luxury in the eyes of sailing on Princess as one of their loyal cruisers. Plus traveling solo, cruising is say is the safest form of travel. It's so just relaxing, and fun. Simply it's whatever you make it to be.

I want to pass your comforting comments on to my sister. We want her to cruise with us, but we kind of have "golden handcuffs" of being high tier in Crown and Anchor and Captain's Club, so we want her to sail on those ships. She is very fond of Princess though, so we might have to give it a try for her. 

You have been very helpful here as have others here too. Could you tell me if Regal and Royal Princess have a dedicated suites restaurant or is it part of the MDR or what is it like?