Are Elite Benefits Afforded to Entire Cabin?

[CZEE]

Interesting discussion on another forum about elite benefits.  People there allege that elite benefits are afforded to the entire cabin, not just the elite member.  The examples they gave were the minibar set up, the upgraded toiletries, and laundry.  Clearly, two of these are sunk costs afforded to the elite member.  Once provided, there is no way to control their use.  Laundry is not a sunk cost.  People on this particular forum urged members to include nonelite laundry with their laundry because Princess will never know, so who cares?  They likened it to people pouring their own wine they bring aboard and take to the dining room.  Princess doesn't know where you got it.  So what? That's not a great example because if you bring multiple bottles, you can be charged a corkage fee on any over the free limit.  You've paid for the privilege of bringing your own wines.  

 

A while ago a friend of mine (elite) traveling with a male companion (nonelite) had her laundry separated by the steward (?) on return and the gentleman was charged for his laundry.  This was universally condemned on the forum.  I was asked if I would have my husband do his laundry were I elite and he not.  We're a terrible example.  We each do our own laundry. LOL  So, answering the question in the affirmative wouldn't provide any clarity.  We continue that on the ship.  He uses ship's laundry.  I do not.  The advice given was for my friend to contact Princess and demand a refund for her friend.  Not sure that would work.  It may be that stewards just roll with whatever goes in the bag gets cleaned free, no matter what.  Reminds me of the days when elite members would solicit others for laundry to put in with theirs and turn in six bags.  Sigh.

 

More advice was provided on different threads about how to get into the Platinum/Elite lounge if you're not.  LOL  How to get into the wine tastings for elites.  How to finagle priority tender tickets from elites not using them. The list is endless. This might be made be more difficult with the advent of the medallions.

 

I reviewed the elite benefits on the Princess website and found that the benefits afforded cabinmates were expedited boarding, delayed disembarkation, and priority tender tickets. The rest seem like individual benefits.   

 

If everyone can get the elite benefits, why have them at all?  Frankly this seems like cheating.  But, it seems the prevailing thought process today is "Who cares? The cruise lines expect cheating." 

 

Why should we stick with an cruise line if the benefits are afforded to everyone, or aren't they?

 

 

[CruisingIsBest]

As far as I know... and I've been Elite for quite a few cruises, the benefits would be offered to anyone in that cabin... you get ONE bar setup per cabin. I've never heard of issues with laundry if one is Elite and the other isn't?? I've been with companions that were not Elite and never had any issues. The Plat/Elite lounge will be open to your husband as well.

I never had any such issues so I honestly never thought about it! 🙂

[suekel]

I've always sent my husband's laundry in with mine.  I'm elite, he's platinum and it's never been an issue.  No one ever said no or asked for payment.  All the other stuff we get to share as you can share with your cabin mates.  

[lstone19]

As I recall, the laundry ticket asks for only last name and cabin number. So if John Smith is Elite and Jane Smith is not, when Jane's laundry is submitted, the last name line should say "Smith (not the Elite one)"?

 

As for matching the garment and which person is the probable wearer as well as which one is Elite, what if (to use the names of old friends of mine), Terry is Elite and spouse Chris is not? 

 

Or, what if Elite Chris(topher) married non-Elite Chris(tina).

 

Besides, as I mentioned in that other forum, my wife and I consider all our assets to be shared. So her clothes are half mine (and mine half hers). So if I (Elite) send out her clothes, they're half mine anyway. So am I entitled to a 50% discount on her laundry?

 

Or maybe it's none of their business what I wear in private.

 

The OP asked "If everyone can get the elite benefits, why have them at all?" My response is there is a big difference between sharing Elite benefits with a non-Elite cabin-mate and sharing them with the other 3,000 people on the ship. The idea that the benefits can be shared with the cabin-mate is not really any different than how airlines extend some benefits they give to elite-level frequent flyers to their travel companions.

[neverbeenhere]

OP: examples given. 

[Ombud]

7 hours ago, CZEE said:

(1) How to get into the wine tastings for elites.  (2) How to finagle priority tender tickets from elites not using them

(1) they get in by paying the $10 charge 

(2) I've never gotten an elite tender ticket .... I wait in the room until escorted down. Frankly I can see a companion escort if disabled. Better than a dog

 it's none of their business what I wear in private.

😉

Edited December 17, 2019 by Ombud

[jennybenny]

I’ve traveled with my mom, sister and kids in my cabin. They benefited from priority boarding, tender tickets, and I’ve shared the mini bar with adults. 
Only the elite passenger gets the complimentary wine tasting, not the cabin. I haven’t been to it in years and that is not a perk I care about. 
I will say I appreciate Most of the elite benefits, and being Elite has perks we enjoy/appreciate  (DH also elite, kids are under age and are Platinum) but they are not the only reason we cruise Princess. We enjoy the staff most of all. We cruise to get away from the real world and disconnect, doing the same itineraries over and over. 

[cr8tiv1]

2 hours ago, lstone19 said:

Or maybe it's none of their business what I wear in private.

 

 

You are absolutely correct.  It is no one's business what YOU wear.  What does matter is "integrity".  Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.  Is this why Elite laundry is taking so long to be returned?  The elite member earned the right to free laundry.  Not those accompanying him/her.  

 

I don't have to share my mini-bar with my cabin mate, but I do.  I do not have to share my amenity bag with my cabin mate, but I do.  I don't have to share my canapés with my cabin mate....who doesn't want them either.  I will order tea for my friends.  But this is not the same as putting their laundry out with mine.  

 

Said and done.  Sorry to get on my soapbox.  

[lstone19]

18 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

You are absolutely correct.  It is no one's business what YOU wear.  What does matter is "integrity".  Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.  Is this why Elite laundry is taking so long to be returned?  The elite member earned the right to free laundry.  Not those accompanying him/her.  

 

...

 

Said and done.  Sorry to get on my soapbox.  

Since you quoted me, let me respond for the record that I have never sent out my non-Elite wife's clothes (or anyone else's) under the Elite laundry benefit.

 

That said, I have yet to see anything definitive from Princess saying that when a cabin is shared by an Elite and a non-Elite whether or not only the Elite's personal clothing qualifies. And until Princess does or you can cite a previous statement from Princess, there's no reason to get so high and mighty about it. I can make arguments both ways although I'd lean to it being a stateroom benefit, not an individual benefit. Why? Considering that CC benefits are not given out of the goodness of Princess's heart but for marketing reasons, it makes sense. Princess wants us to take more and longer cruises - the laundry benefit helps with some of the logistical issues of long cruises. If having the laundry benefit is a make or break thing to get me on a long cruise, then if my travel companion doesn't get it, it's break and we're not going and the laundry benefit has failed in its purpose.

 

I wonder how many split (1 Elite, 1 non) cabins there are. This may be making a mountain out go a molehill.

 

 

[MissP22]

Just now, CZEE said:

How to finagle priority tender tickets from elites not using them.

Tender tickets are a joke. Just follow any line to the tender point from where they gather no matter what your level & you can board the next one leaving. No one checks your ticket number when boarding the tender & they always have space.

[Doug R.]

Way to go gang, keep pointing out perk abuse and Princess will make appropriate cuts. Lets not be our own worst enemies.

Edited December 17, 2019 by Doug R.

[compozer]

On 12/17/2019 at 5:45 AM, MissP22 said:

Tender tickets are a joke. Just follow any line to the tender point from where they gather no matter what your level & you can board the next one leaving. No one checks your ticket number when boarding the tender & they always have space.

Just off the Sapphire - b2b.   At every tender port they collected the tickets as people lined up down by the med center.   We waited about an hour after they started boarding the tenders and took the elevator down.   A staff person was on us right away.  I said we were in a suite and and had priority boarding and we were told we still need a ticket.  Got one from the dining room and joined the line.  They collected tickets from everyone in line.  And another staff person kept an eye on the elevators and sent people back up.

[frugaltravel]

30 minutes ago, compozer said:

Just off the Sapphire - b2b.   At every tender port they collected the tickets as people lined up down by the med center.   We waited about an hour after they started boarding the tenders and took the elevator down.   A staff person was on us right away.  I said we were in a suite and and had priority boarding and we were told we still need a ticket.  Got one from the dining room and joined the line.  They collected tickets from everyone in line.  And another staff person kept an eye on the elevators and sent people back up.

If you got a tender ticket from the dining room, didn't that mean you were in the sometimes long queue to get on a tender?  I thought the elite/suite benefit was to get on the next tender.  Just wondering how it worked logistically.

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by frugaltravel

[compozer]

It always was the case that you just went down whenever you wanted and lined up.  But they made an announcement that everyone needed to pick up a ticket.  We use to get a ticket for suites in our cabin on the first day but there were none.   And as I said, man, they were really checking.  We waited about 8 minutes before the line started moving and the gal that I gave our tickets to when we got in line, asked me again for them and she double checked the tickets in her hand.  You did have to hand them over.

[catsdinner]

The last couple of years for Elite tendering, we have had to go to the dining room (or wherever they are giving out tender tickets).  When we enter and show them the black card we are sent to the front of the room . When the next tender is ready for boarding, all the Elites in the room are sent down to the tender first.  

[Pierlesscruisers]

On 12/16/2019 at 8:35 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

 What does matter is "integrity".  Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.

 

Now that is a unique thought!! Is there still some of that stuff around any more? 😨

 

Tom

[Ombud]

On 12/17/2019 at 3:45 AM, MissP22 said:

Tender tickets are a joke. Just follow any line to the tender point from where they gather no matter what your level & you can board the next one leaving. No one checks your ticket number when boarding the tender & they always have space.

We must cruise very different itineraries bc they ALWAYS collect tickets on the tenders I've used. Nice that they do so. If disabled, only 1 of you needs to be elite. The other 'companion' can have any color card / medallion. 

[MissP22]

Just now, Ombud said:

We must cruise very different itineraries bc they ALWAYS collect tickets on the tenders I've used. Nice that they do so. If disabled, only 1 of you needs to be elite. The other 'companion' can have any color card / medallion. 

Nope, not on the Regal even yesterday. Just show up at the loading dock & board. They were giving out tickets in the show lounge but I believe it was only for organization to begin queuing up in the lounge.

I don't know where they check for the numbers but it certainly not at the tender location. 

[CruisingAlong4Now]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, DH and I cruised to Alaska on a cruisetour. We had a suite. My sister and hubby had a balcony.  We got many benefits from having a suite, including upgraded hotels in Alaska, special seating on the train, etc. My sister's reservation and mine were linked by the TA. Princess gave her and her husband the same benefits as I had.  It was great. 

[geoherb]

I've heard cabin stewards tell people that the laundry benefit included everyone in the cabin. Of course Princess is consistently inconsistent. 

[RRFPresident]

6 hours ago, CruisingAlong4Now said:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, DH and I cruised to Alaska on a cruisetour. We had a suite. My sister and hubby had a balcony.  We got many benefits from having a suite, including upgraded hotels in Alaska, special seating on the train, etc. My sister's reservation and mine were linked by the TA. Princess gave her and her husband the same benefits as I had.  It was great. 

 

What classification of cruise tour did you book? I'm curious to see if that makes a difference compared to our experience. We did the connoisseur cruise tour in 2015 and also had a suite. We did get the better hotel rooms at some of the lodges but then so did everyone in the connoisseur tour group. I.E. we were given rooms in the newer A & B buildings at the Denali lodge instead of the ones with doors to the outside.

[cr8tiv1]

On 12/19/2019 at 2:03 PM, Pierlesscruisers said:

 

Now that is a unique thought!! Is there still some of that stuff around any more? 😨

 

Tom

 

Yes, Tom, I know of several people that possess "integrity".  Unfortunately, it is on the endangered species list.    I am hoping that "integrity" will survive and flourish.