Who would like this for an Elite Benifit?

[SANDRAMARTINEZ]

The minibar makes more sense for my needs as it drives me CRAZY that with the drink packages you have to pay for canned soda--fountain version of soda is just not as good--so when I get my minibar I trade most things for canned sodas since I can get everything else on the ship and/or delivered to my cabin

[Jeter02]

I'm good with my mini bar setup and switching it out for what I would like. Nothing on the premier package or really even a plus package is beneficial for me especially since I don't drink.

[Mike45LC]

I'll take the mini-bar and trade the booze and beer for soft drinks.  

[jenp123]

No thanks. I don't drink, so having to purchase something (drink package) to get a perk (the upgraded package), doesn't really seem like a perk to me.  The mini bar setup appeals to many people.  If you like to drink, you get some free booze, if you like coffee, get the cards and if you don't drink alcohol, you have have 20 non alcoholic beverages loaded in your mini bar. 

 

[memoak]

1 hour ago, DHP1 said:

Won’t happen in a million years. However, I do like the idea however, we’re happy with the Plus package and what it offers. Eventually you going to see some Elite benefits disappearing and replace with something that is totally useless to us Elite members. What would be nice is our own dining area or our own private bar for Elite members only. 

On many cruises we take there are hundreds of elites on them. You would have to dedicate a huge amount of space for separate facilities and people would still scream about waiting for tables. A separate bar ? You could make Crooners an elite bar but it still wouldn’t be big enough. Also you are setting up a class system

[JimmyVWine]

The minibar setup isn’t long for this world. Those “nip” bottles are an environmental disaster. I expect that their appearance on ships will go the way of plastic straws sooner rather than later. So Elites might as well start thinking about what they’d like instead and start stuffing the suggestion box now. 

[Bobbiegentry]

👎🏻

[ekka49]

I will take the mini bar. Thank you

[Guest ldtr]

6 hours ago, DHP1 said:

Won’t happen in a million years. However, I do like the idea however, we’re happy with the Plus package and what it offers. Eventually you going to see some Elite benefits disappearing and replace with something that is totally useless to us Elite members. What would be nice is our own dining area or our own private bar for Elite members only. 

Now exactly what elite benefits has Princess been removing? They changed the Internet benefit when the entire nature of their Internet service changed from a limited number of minutes to a discount on unlimited  Some people say that is a loss of benefits, but they ignore that Princess added the 10 % excursion discount at the same time.

 

Some point at the loyalty obc. But that is not an elite benefit  It was something outside the scope of Captains circle status 

.

So exactly what has Princess been cutting in the elite benefits?

[capriccio]

8 hours ago, memoak said:

On many cruises we take there are hundreds of elites on them. You would have to dedicate a huge amount of space for separate facilities and people would still scream about waiting for tables. A separate bar ? You could make Crooners an elite bar but it still wouldn’t be big enough. Also you are setting up a class system

We’ve been on a TA (on the Royal Princess) with over a thousand elites.

[Grego]

Let's see.....you would have Princess give up a small cost to them item such as a mini bar and also give up a big revenue generator such as not charging for the Premier Package?  I'll bet the bean counters back at Santa Clarita have figured out that hardly anyone uses all the items on the PP anyway so they get the benefit of a profitable package to them and now they give that away?

I would rather see getting the Plus Package for the standard fare pricing and lose the mini bar.  I can bring aboard rum runners for the cabin use if I really needed to but the Plus Package does give us the benefits that we do enjoy, especially not to have a big bar bill at the end of the voyage.

[cjpj]

2 hours ago, Grego said:

Let's see.....you would have Princess give up a small cost to them item such as a mini bar and also give up a big revenue generator such as not charging for the Premier Package?  I'll bet the bean counters back at Santa Clarita have figured out that hardly anyone uses all the items on the PP anyway so they get the benefit of a profitable package to them and now they give that away?

I would rather see getting the Plus Package for the standard fare pricing and lose the mini bar.  I can bring aboard rum runners for the cabin use if I really needed to but the Plus Package does give us the benefits that we do enjoy, especially not to have a big bar bill at the end of the voyage.

Interesting, but I think the cost difference between the Plus and the Premium (confess I haven't checked) is less than the difference between Basic and the Plus. So that would cost Princess more. Remember, you still have to purchase the PLUS Package - so they get their revenue for that.

Edited February 2, 2023 by cjpj

[cjpj]

1 hour ago, Grego said:

Let's see.....you would have Princess give up a small cost to them item such as a mini bar and also give up a big revenue generator such as not charging for the Premier Package?  I'll bet the bean counters back at Santa Clarita have figured out that hardly anyone uses all the items on the PP anyway so they get the benefit of a profitable package to them and now they give that away?

I would rather see getting the Plus Package for the standard fare pricing and lose the mini bar.  I can bring aboard rum runners for the cabin use if I really needed to but the Plus Package does give us the benefits that we do enjoy, especially not to have a big bar bill at the end of the voyage.

No, Princess is not giving up the cost of the Premium Package; they are giving up the difference vetween the Plus and the Premium. Passenger still has to purchase the PLUS but gets the PREMIUM.  If the passenger does not purchase a drink Package they still get the mini bar. 

[cjpj]

Well, since most responders are opting for the mini bar, it would be a good Elite Benifit as most people are not opting for it - so it becomes a perk the is offered that doesn't cost Princess much, if anything.

Just a reminder of the options:

Purchase no drink Package--> get the mini bar

Purchase the PLUS Package --> get it upgraded to Premium for the cost of the Plus and no mini bar.

Edited February 2, 2023 by cjpj

[DHP1]

7 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

How do I politely tell you to go and give yourself an uppercut? The problem with people like you.. is you take the term literally. It's for that reason.. I would rather they ditched all perks and used the funds to compete on sharpened fares.. 

People on cc have the right to their own “opinion” that’s why we are here. People like yourself who criticize others don’t below here therefore I suggest you take a hike 😀and join another club. I appreciated people opinions, even if I agree to them or not. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by DHP1

[Musky Ike]

I am élite (in the captain's circles eye anyway). I would not mind the whole program just going to savings on the cruise price. Probably not going to happen, but a simple percentage off, 1% for gold to say 5% to elite? That would be of value to everyone maybe even Princess. It would be a lot easier to mange for them. They might do it as OBC. Not as good IMHO, but better for them. I'm sure they would rather give "savings" that not everyone values or uses like fitness class and deluxe desserts . 

[JimmyVWine]

I think this entire discussion has veered off into Never-Never-Land. Correct me if I am wrong, (I often am, and am not Elite (in the Princess sense) so I am not well-versed in the way the perks work), but if one eschews the mini-bar setup they can exchange that for two "coffee cards/packages".  If I am right about that then Princess has concluded that the cash value of this perk is around $80.  Now, someone who is Elite (in the Princess sense) and who does routinely accept the minibar can weigh in here and let us know what they think the equivalent cash value is of the minibar setup.  Not in the "retail" sense, but in the "equivalent cost had I purchased drinks at a bar that equal the volume that I receive in my cabin" sense.  In other words, if the minibar setup provides the equivalent volume of alcohol to make 8 cocktails (making this up here as I have no idea), and the cost of the equivalent number of cocktails at a bar would be $64 (8 x $8) and then you add in some waters and sodas, maybe you are still getting into the $80 range.  Maybe it is more.  Perhaps less.  But the point is that the cash equivalent value of the minibar setup is under $100.  So the whole notion of giving Elites the Plus package as an included perk on a 7 or 10 day cruise simply isn't going to fly.  The cash equivalent of Plus is now $60 per day or $420 for a 7 day cruise.  The value of the minibar (or two coffee packages) doesn't even equate to a day and a half of the Plus Package.  The true cash equivalent of the minibar would be to give each Elite person (if each person gets their own minibar setup) around $80 in OBC to be used only at the bars and fresh brewed/specialty coffee stations.  And if each cabin is only entitled to a single minibar setup instead of one per person, then the OBC would be reduced to $40 per person assuming two people per cabin.  The idea of swapping out the minibar for hundreds and hundreds of dollars of Plus Packages or upgrades to Premier is unthinkable.

[Ombud]

Exactly!! Which is why i strongly dislike!!

[Level six]

3 hours ago, cjpj said:

Well, since most responders are opting for the mini bar, it would be a good Elite Benifit as most people are not opting for it - so it becomes a perk the is offered that doesn't cost Princess much, if anything.

Just a reminder of the options:

Purchase no drink Package--> get the mini bar

Purchase the PLUS Package --> get it upgraded to Premium for the cost of the Plus and no mini bar.

They would not be able to keep track, more work for them in general. 

 

I want the mini bar. 

[moodyb1]

Big NO for me! I can't drink the water on the ship. I exchange the mini bar for bottles of water. For longer cruises, I often have to buy additional packages of water.

 

Arlene

[cruisequeen4ever]

We would hate that because that’s only a discount instead of a free product. We don’t purchase any drinks package usually, making this idea a non-benefit. 

[JimmyVWine]

2 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

We would hate that because that’s only a discount instead of a free product.

And worse than that...the discount only kicks in after you have spent an additional $60 per day.  A "free" bump up from Plus to Premier would be a non-starter from the customer's standpoint, and the provision of the Plus Package for free is a non-starter from Princess' standpoint.  

[Grego]

Actually, I don't care either way.  We enjoy the mini bar and have always done the Plus Package for the rest of our libations, etc.  If they want to throw in a specialty dining or two that would be fine.

[luvtoteach]

Dislike

[Thrak]

Dislike

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I can imagine the issues with Specialty Dining when soooooo many people suddenly had 2 dinners available. Imagine the angry people when they can't book a time. There could also be issues with so many people having "reserved" seating in the theater. Sounds like creating unnecessary problems to me.

 

We buy the Plus package and it's plenty for us. After rebooking two segments of a B2B2B for a major price reduction we now have the "old" Plus package on the first leg and the "new" Plus package on the second and third legs. The "extra snazzy wow wow" parts of the "new" Plus package don't really look all that great to me. I certainly can't imagine that we will be eating 2 of the Premium Desserts every day. That sounds crazy to me. My wife may get wild and sign up for a fitness class (then again she may not) but I can't imagine that I will do so. The Juice Bar could go either way -  might be "Good" might be "Okay", might be "GAH! " - we will have to wait and see.