Elite benefits

[crimsonbird]

Has Princess eliminated the wifi from the Elite benefit?  What is in the mini fridge?  We are new to this level and would love to learn from those more experienced.   Regards. 

[cr8tiv1]

Welcome to a watered down Elite Loyalty Level.  Most Elite are not happy with the (negatively impacted) changes.  This was addressed a long time ago.  I went back 9 pages and could not find the exhausting thread. 

 

But to answer you questions: 

 

No, there are no free wi-fi minutes as an elite/platinum.  

There are 10 alcoholic drinks/10 non.

 

Here is a comprehensive list of your "new" benefits.

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/cc/captains-circle-loyalty-benefits.pdf

 

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, crimsonbird said:

Has Princess eliminated the wifi from the Elite benefit?  What is in the mini fridge?  We are new to this level and would love to learn from those more experienced.   Regards. 

They replaced the free minutes with a new 50% discount for the unlimited MedallionNet.  Minutes are a thing of the past now, and so the benefit was changed.  We used to get 25% off the ON-BOARD internet package costs for the voyage.  That wasn't much of a benefit when you compared to the PRE-CRUISE selling price (lower than ON-BOARD).

 

Now, you want to PRE-ORDER the internet to get the best rate and now we DO get the discount off the PRE-CRUISE price.  Do NOT wait until on board to book the internet.

 

In future (date unannounced), we will be able to pre-order the internet using the MC App.  You will be billed the net cost to your credit card (assuming qualify for the discount). 

 

For the time being, you have to call Princess to pre-order the internet.  They will bill your credit card the full price and you get a Refundable OBC for 50% of the cost when you board the ship.

 

 

ETA:  Check out this recent/current thread:

 

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Steelers36

[geoherb]

You can trade out the minibar contents--one-to-one swap of alcohol for other alcohol or can swap it for soft drinks and/or water one-to-one as well. Soft drinks and water can be traded out only for other soft drinks and/or water. Or you can swap the entire contents for two coffee packages, an all-water setup, or a bottle of wine.

[capriccio]

Some recent threads (found through searches of Loyalty + Perks and for Elite + Mini+ Bar in this forum):

 

 

[patrickmoran]

If you don't have an Elite minibar setup, only the ice bucket will be in the minifridge. If you get a minibar setup, your beers, waters, and sodas will be in the fridge.

[SargassoPirate]

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I are Elites and don't think we'll miss the internet benefits that much.  We cruise to disconnect from the world, not to stay tethered to social media and we certainly don't need to stream anything onboard.

 

That being said, if we need to communicate with anyone back home via email, we just compose the email as a word document while the internet meter is not running, log in, and then cut and paste into an email.  Ten minutes or so usually takes care of internet for the day.

[1965]

We'll be elite for the 1st time on our Nov. 3 cruise. I had our pvp add the medallian net to our booking. With the 50% discount I'll pay $70 for unlimited internet. I like corresponding daily with our daughter. And I love making my friends jealous when I post photos of the wonderful places we visit. I know. I'm a rascal. Lol.

[wallyj]

2 hours ago, 1965 said:

We'll be elite for the 1st time on our Nov. 3 cruise. I had our pvp add the medallian net to our booking. With the 50% discount I'll pay $70 for unlimited internet. I like corresponding daily with our daughter. And I love making my friends jealous when I post photos of the wonderful places we visit. I know. I'm a rascal. Lol.

If you don’t need to be online at the same, you can share one account, it just one device at a time.  Should save you $35.

[JF - retired RRT]

16 hours ago, capriccio said:

Some recent threads (found through searches of Loyalty + Perks and for Elite + Mini+ Bar in this forum):

 

 

Wow!! That was a lot of work!

[1965]

1 hour ago, wallyj said:

If you don’t need to be online at the same, you can share one account, it just one device at a time.  Should save you $35.

The medallian net cost for my one device, which we'll share, is $139.86. I'll get half that back in the form of obc, just under $70. 

[pompeii]

2 hours ago, wallyj said:

If you don’t need to be online at the same, you can share one account, it just one device at a time.  Should save you $35.

This is what dh and I plan to do on our next cruise.  If we find that our usage overlaps too much and it's a bother, we'll each get our own package in the future.  I think it will be fine though.

7 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I are Elites and don't think we'll miss the internet benefits that much.  We cruise to disconnect from the world, not to stay tethered to social media and we certainly don't need to stream anything onboard.

 

That being said, if we need to communicate with anyone back home via email, we just compose the email as a word document while the internet meter is not running, log in, and then cut and paste into an email.  Ten minutes or so usually takes care of internet for the day.

From what you are saying, the now-defunct free minutes were perfect for you.  Now you'll have to spend money or obc on an unlimited package, even if you only need or want it for 10 minutes a day.  Unless you can wait to send your emails while on shore using free wifi.  

[1965]

1 hour ago, 1965 said:

The medallian net cost for my one device, which we'll share, is $139.86. I'll get half that back in the form of obc, just under $70. 

I should have mentioned this is the cost on our 14 day cruise. The per day cost is $10. The platinum & elite cost is $5 per day. 

[caribill]

On 8/7/2021 at 9:07 AM, SargassoPirate said:

That being said, if we need to communicate with anyone back home via email, we just compose the email as a word document while the internet meter is not running, log in, and then cut and paste into an email.  Ten minutes or so usually takes care of internet for the day.

 

Since Princess no longer sells Internet minutes, you would have to purchase a day's worth of Internet now to use that 10 minutes. If elite/platinum, those 10 minutes would cost you $10. If not elite/platinum, those 10 minutes would cost you $20.

 

If elite/platinum, those 10 minutes used to be free.

[capriccio]

On 8/7/2021 at 4:26 PM, JF - retired RRT said:

Wow!! That was a lot of work!

😁 Not really!  Search was working well that day and I remembered most of the postings.

[SargassoPirate]

18 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Since Princess no longer sells Internet minutes, you would have to purchase a day's worth of Internet now to use that 10 minutes. If elite/platinum, those 10 minutes would cost you $10. If not elite/platinum, those 10 minutes would cost you $20.

 

If elite/platinum, those 10 minutes used to be free.

 

You are right about minutes versus a day's worth of internet.  We could really stretch those minutes.  As I stated before, we don't cruise to stay connected to the world, but to disconnect.  We'll have to decide if purchasing a plan is worth it, or if we'll just find some free wifi on shore somewhere.  Even then, we just send  burst of emails if we need to and then enjoy the port.

 

To each his own I suppose.

[caribill]

3 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

As I stated before, we don't cruise to stay connected to the world, but to disconnect. 

 

We also do not need top stay "connected to the world" for the entire cruise, but do need Internet access for a few important reasons for us:

a) Pay bills which come due while on a cruise longer than a week

b) Communicate with independent tour guides/companies about booked excursions

c) Receive notices from credit card company if they shut down card because they think a foreign purchase may be fraudulent (this has happened even when notifying them in advance of foreign travel)

[Steelers36]

I will post this also on the thread about signing up for Wifi without Princess PLUS.

 

There was an outstanding question on internet pricing over 30 days.  When purchasing internet, an older item identifier appears in Cruise Personalizer which mentions 2-30 days, or similar, so question was what is the pricing like for >30 night voyage?  Well, the answer is the same $10/day charge for 1-device and $20/day for 4-devices.

 

So, it remains the longer voyage one is on the more expensive internet is than it used to be.  I guess we just have to adjust to the new pricing for time being at least.  For us lucky ones who get the discount, it is only $5/day.  But, if you cruise for 60 days or 100 days in linked voyages - or a Round the World type trip - well, it's going to add up. 

 

Best idea is to sail with friends and share a 4-device package on those long voyages.  And don't forget to pre-order before you sail.

 

Not the greatest for us cruisers, but I can see their reasoning.  Expect the tag-line in Cruise Personalizer and on-board purchases to be updated in near future.

 

[vjmatty]

18 hours ago, caribill said:

We also do not need top stay "connected to the world" for the entire cruise, but do need Internet access for a few important reasons for us:

a) Pay bills which come due while on a cruise longer than a week

b) Communicate with independent tour guides/companies about booked excursions

c) Receive notices from credit card company if they shut down card because they think a foreign purchase may be fraudulent (this has happened even when notifying them in advance of foreign travel)

For the first issue on credit card payments, I’d set up either prescheduled or automatic payments on your cards’ websites before leaving.

 

With respect to b and c, if you have enough port days it may be worth looking into your cell carrier’s international plans. For example, ATT has a per day international passport with 24 hour unlimited text, data and voice, and you only activate it on the days you need it. I think it’s $10 each day you use it.

 

For those of you needing internet just to check in to your flights or other  post cruise arrangements, buy the internet plan on one of the last few days and it will be a lot cheaper.

 

I know this is a major adjustment for us all, and these options aren’t the most ideal, but if the alternative is hundreds of dollars for a service that was once free, this is one way to adjust 

[SargassoPirate]

And adjusting is the thing to do, Ginny.  It's the free market economy in action.  Rule one is to charge what the traffic will bear.  If Princess can sell internet minutes at a set amount and there are plenty of takers, they will continue to charge that amount and maybe even more.

 

We, as the consumer, get to decide if we want something enough to pay the asking price.  If not, we don't.  We hardly ever do specialty dining simply because we see no need to pay twice for an evening meal - especially after some less-than-stellar experiences.

 

To each his own. 

 

 

[1965]

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

We, as the consumer, get to decide if we want something enough to pay the asking price.  If not, we don't.  We hardly ever do specialty dining simply because we see no need to pay twice for an evening meal - especially after some less-than-stellar experiences.

 

To each his own. 

 

 

 

[Iamcruzin]

Does anyone see the irony of being able to afford 100 days at sea and quibbling about a $5 a day internet package?  The free minutes didn't even last me a week on a 7 day cruise and that was with reading and replying to emails offline. Technology is better now so maybe I wouldn't burn through the minutes. However I have 5000 unread emails in my account now. Everything I do is either through text message or an App.  All my emails are advertisements or duplicates of what is sent in text.

[1965]

1 hour ago, 1965 said:

 

SargassoPirate I agree. Our retirement income is comfortable. But as retired teachers we do have to be wise about spending. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by 1965

[skynight]

38 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Does anyone see the irony of being able to afford 100 days at sea and quibbling about a $5 a day internet package?  The free minutes didn't even last me a week on a 7 day cruise and that was with reading and replying to emails offline. Technology is better now so maybe I wouldn't burn through the minutes. However I have 5000 unread emails in my account now. Everything I do is either through text message or an App.  All my emails are advertisements or duplicates of what is sent in text.

$5/day does seem trivial when you compare it to the cost of a very long voyage. But, we have been on 30 to 40 day b2b's where each of us received 250 free minutes per leg and in total we would have at least 1,000 minutes available for use. In all these cruises we never even burned through the first 250 minutes allocated to one of us. In total maybe used 100 to 150 minutes for the entire 30 to 40 days. So I do understand from our personal experience and speaking and reading about others that the free minutes were an important platinum benefit as they really have little use for purchasing unlimited internet time. With the plus fare we will receive unlimited internet, but this will not change our requirements. If we are on line a few minutes every other day that would be a lot.   

[caribill]

5 hours ago, vjmatty said:

For the first issue on credit card payments, I’d set up either prescheduled or automatic payments on your cards’ websites before leaving.

 

I have had enough fraudulent charges on credit cards including spurious foreign charges when I have used a credit card overseas that I will not blindly authorize a credit card company to take whatever amount they want out of a checking account without being able to see the charges made first to make sure they are legitimate.

 

5 hours ago, vjmatty said:

With respect to b and c, if you have enough port days it may be worth looking into your cell carrier’s international plans. For example, ATT has a per day international passport with 24 hour unlimited text, data and voice, and you only activate it on the days you need it. I think it’s $10 each day you use it.

 

 

You assume I have a cell phone. I do not. And contact with tour companies often is needed on sea days.