Another Elite Benefit Bites the Dust AFAIK

[fpsphil]

1 hour ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

We had this happen on a Europe cruise pre-pandemic. We still received priority tendering; we just had to wait in an Elite holding area right at the exit of the dining room. That way they’d put us at the start of whatever tender group was being called and file out. It’s not as wonderful as just joining the tender line like before, but it at least still gives us priority. 

This has been my experience since the restart. We never wait more than 10 minutes in the elite holding area.

[Happiest when cruising]

9 hours ago, fpsphil said:

This has been my experience since the restart. We never wait more than 10 minutes in the elite holding area.

You would not have enjoyed Lahaina this April. For sure people were waiting a very long time in the waiting/holding area.

[Cruise till you drop]

8 hours ago, Happiest when cruising said:

You would not have enjoyed Lahaina this April. For sure people were waiting a very long time in the waiting/holding area.

Why does  Lahaina keep coming up on this thread ?

[Guest ldtr]

54 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

Why does  Lahaina keep coming up on this thread ?

Because that is the tender port where the OP had his problem with the process.

[Bgwest]

5 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Because that is the tender port where the OP had his problem with the process.

Princess Chatterer

Posted Friday at 08:17 PM

• #1   

Elites can no longer join the tender boarding line at will for tendering from the ship to the shore.  Elites must now wait in a ship waiting room until called.  This policy change was confirmed in writing from three Emerald Princess admin. sources and by personal observation.  Maybe this is old news to some but for us it was a brand new Elite befit reduction.

[Guest ldtr]

54 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

 

Princess Chatterer

Posted Friday at 08:17 PM

• #1   

Elites can no longer join the tender boarding line at will for tendering from the ship to the shore.  Elites must now wait in a ship waiting room until called.  This policy change was confirmed in writing from three Emerald Princess admin. sources and by personal observation.  Maybe this is old news to some but for us it was a brand new Elite befit reduction.

post #65

[amajaa]

On 6/10/2023 at 5:15 PM, Princess Chatterer said:

We waited in the deck five waiting room while the previous three groups were called.  It was around 11 am.  When the next three groups were called the Elite group was merged into the scrum of the next called three groups coming down the stairs from deck seven.  After we got to deck four passengers from the elevators and other sides of the stairs made up their own separate line and then pushed themselves into to single ticket taker line at the door.  When we were asked for our ticket we had none but the ticket taker allowed us to pass her without a ticket.  On the way back to the ship the tender had too many people apparently for three person seating so the tender guy switched to four person seating.  Seas were rough at the pontoon and the crew dealing with six walkers and a suitcase slowed things up even more in what I considered to be a risky situation. For us, if we had received the exact promised in writing Elite benefit then the whole thing would have gone much better.  Your mileage may vary.

It’s always been 4 to a bench when we have tendered. 

[azbirdmom]

On 6/11/2023 at 2:38 PM, Teechur said:

I can't imagine traveling all the way from the mainland to stay on the ship while in Lahaina. I live in Honokowai, just north of Lahaina, and think Maui is the best place I've ever been, after visiting more than 100 countries. 👍

 

We wholeheartedly agree.  And I am very envious that you are so close to the place we frequent the most while in Maui - Honokowai Okazuya and Deli.  Awesome eats for a great price (for Maui).

[davekathy]

On 6/9/2023 at 7:17 PM, Princess Chatterer said:

Elites can no longer join the tender boarding line at will for tendering from the ship to the shore.  Elites must now wait in a ship waiting room until called.  This policy change was confirmed in writing from three Emerald Princess admin. sources and by personal observation.  Maybe this is old news to some but for us it was a brand new Elite befit reduction.

Wrong forum. 

Edited June 14, 2023 by davekathy

[MissP22]

On 6/13/2023 at 1:12 PM, memoak said:

Not sure who you asked this of. We are one the Discovery right now and MT is a luncheon on the last day

Sorry, it was to be for Princess Chatterer, but it's still nice to know what happing on other ships as well. 

[tetleytea]

I'm Platinum, and mixed messages like this make me wonder why we are even building up our Elite status.   After Norwegian changing their itinerary last-minute for no given reason (which is worse), we decided to give Princess one more try next month.    So far, not going well.    Just got done waiting an hour for a callback from Princess customer service, only to get a girl who didn't really speak English and spent about another hour telling me everything about Princess except the answer to my one question I had:   what about my Future Cruise Credits?    I'm rapidly not seeing the point of Princess customer loyalty at all.

 

[Steelers36]

On 6/14/2023 at 10:17 AM, amajaa said:

It’s always been 4 to a bench when we have tendered. 

IMO, it depends on the 4 involved, if you know what I mean.

[tetleytea]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

IMO, it depends on the 4 involved, if you know what I mean.

So in other words, is it at the end of a cruise, or the beginning? 

[Ombud]

On 6/13/2023 at 8:56 PM, Happiest when cruising said:

On 6/13/2023 at 11:05 AM, fpsphil said:

This has been my experience since the restart. We never wait more than 10 minutes in the elite holding area.

You would not have enjoyed Lahaina this April. For sure people were waiting a very long time in the waiting/holding area.

I repeat ... ELITE WAITING ROOM WAS MICHAELANGELO MDR AND THE WAIT WAS LESS THAN 10 MINUTES WHEN I GOT OFF!! Where were you waiting? Please come back and state what time you went to the Elite waiting room. (I agree that non-Elite wait times were really long)

[dockman]

Crown princess last week had to run tenders in juneau....elites went to a dining room and got called in less than ten minutes and were escorted to board a tender that appeared to be all elites....easy peasy

[fpsphil]

55 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I repeat ... ELITE WAITING ROOM WAS MICHAELANGELO MDR AND THE WAIT WAS LESS THAN 10 MINUTES WHEN I GOT OFF!! Where were you waiting? Please come back and state what time you went to the Elite waiting room. (I agree that non-Elite wait times were really long)

Sapphire princess in Oct CSL… went down to dining room “meet area” was immediately taken down to a tender 

 

Discovery Princess in January this year, CSL… take 5 lounge went down as they were passing a group down and sat down for less than 10 minutes before they brought me and my fiancé down

[Steelers36]

Much ado about nothing here.

[tetleytea]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Much ado about nothing here.

Maybe not completely nothing.   Sounds like in at least one incident, a Princess staffer didn't know what they were doing.

 

[amajaa]

11 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

IMO, it depends on the 4 involved, if you know what I mean.

Yes I certainly do and being small myself I often get shoved onto the end of a row and end up half on and half off. Haha perhaps I should ask to sit on their lap that might prompt them into trying to shuffle up a bit. 

[MissP22]

15 hours ago, tetleytea said:

I'm rapidly not seeing the point of Princess customer loyalty at all.

With the decline of loyalty benefits, It's becoming less of an incentive each year to continue sailing Princess.

It seems that each quarter it's one more thing taken away.   

[Steelers36]

16 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

IMO, it depends on the 4 involved, if you know what I mean.

No room for me here:

 

[Colorado Coasty]

Wow, how many cypertrees has this thread killed?

[melodyina]

On 6/10/2023 at 12:42 PM, MissP22 said:

I believe the OP was thinking that you couldn't just arrive at the tender location to board when you were ready. Having first to report to another location and stand in line.

In my experience the Elite line is only 6 or 8 people at most waiting to go as a group.

So nothing really lost.

I agree.  Its a separate location now, to wait for the next tender for Elites.  I would much prefer a quicker return to the ship, rather than disembark, but perhaps that line is there already and i've just not noticed. 

[memoak]

7 minutes ago, melodyina said:

I agree.  Its a separate location now, to wait for the next tender for Elites.  I would much prefer a quicker return to the ship, rather than disembark, but perhaps that line is there already and i've just not noticed. 

No there had never been a priority line for shore to ship tenders

[Guest ldtr]

9 minutes ago, melodyina said:

I agree.  Its a separate location now, to wait for the next tender for Elites.  I would much prefer a quicker return to the ship, rather than disembark, but perhaps that line is there already and i've just not noticed. 

There is not, nor has there ever been. Not practical in most tender ports.

 

It is not waiting for a tender for Elites. It is for the very next tender that there is room on.

Edited June 18, 2023 by ldtr