Platinum Benefit - Dinner for Two - I'm Annoying

[cruiseny4life]

Hey y'all - so a question about what actually happens onboard, and if this language is, perhaps new. 

 

In reviewing the asterisk language for Platinum (and above) dinners for two, the website references "guest 1 & 2." In the past I know that I've seen people bring all sorts of individuals in for their Platinum meal, not just guest 1 or 2. I'm hoping I'm reading this too literally. 

 

 

Source: https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program

 

When I reviewed the FAQ, it doesn't mention guest 1 and 2. 

 

Source: https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program/faq

 

I'm hoping to hear that the FAQ is correct, but curious what everyone has received in practice. On our February cruise, we'll be traveling with my aunt as guest 3. We're hoping to have three meals with her by doing the following:

 

Dinner 1: Guest 1 uses Free at Sea, Guest 2 uses Platinum with aunt

Dinner 2: Guest 2 uses Free at Sea, Guest 1 uses Platinum with aunt

Dinner 3: Guest 1 and 2 use Free at Sea. Aunt doesn't come to dinner, unless she chooses to purchase a dining package (go a la carte). 

 

Will this plan work? 

 

Thank you for all the expert advice!

[brookie848]

Yes. We've done this before. They will ask who is using what. Our third person hasn't been buying a dining package.

[OrcaGirl]

I agree, I've done that. Depending on the restaurant, I've also been able to 'stretch' a platinum dinner for two certificate into dinner for three without needing to pay for the extra person. e.g. at Los Lobos, I ordered the included two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts for the three of us and it was still waaaaay too much food. YMMV but I've always found explaining at the beginning of the meal that we just find the portions soooo big and we don't want to waste the food but we'll be happy to pay a la carte for anything extra above and beyond what's included in the certificate, but we've never needed to.

[vacation44]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Hey y'all - so a question about what actually happens onboard, and if this language is, perhaps new. 

 

In reviewing the asterisk language for Platinum (and above) dinners for two, the website references "guest 1 & 2." In the past I know that I've seen people bring all sorts of individuals in for their Platinum meal, not just guest 1 or 2. I'm hoping I'm reading this too literally. 

 

 

Source: https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program

 

When I reviewed the FAQ, it doesn't mention guest 1 and 2. 

 

Source: https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program/faq

 

I'm hoping to hear that the FAQ is correct, but curious what everyone has received in practice. On our February cruise, we'll be traveling with my aunt as guest 3. We're hoping to have three meals with her by doing the following:

 

Dinner 1: Guest 1 uses Free at Sea, Guest 2 uses Platinum with aunt

Dinner 2: Guest 2 uses Free at Sea, Guest 1 uses Platinum with aunt

Dinner 3: Guest 1 and 2 use Free at Sea. Aunt doesn't come to dinner, unless she chooses to purchase a dining package (go a la carte). 

 

Will this plan work? 

 

Thank you for all the expert advice!

While I cannot comment on if any of the wording has changed recently, I will say that we have been able to use our vouchers for other family members this past June and we plan to do so again next June when we are traveling with our young adult children again.      

[KeithJenner]

I could be wrong but I think that may be new wording.

 

Even if it is then it doesn’t necessarily mean that a change will be implemented. The risk is that if they do implement that rule then it could mess up dinner plans for the whole cruise.

[julig22]

I don't think the basic wording has changed. Each Platinum guest in entitled to 2 meals, doesn't matter what guest # they happen be. But the coupons are issued by cabin, so because of the way they handle the coupons, Guest #1 could take some random guest to 2 meals and leave Guest #2 with nothing LOL. But yes, you can take your Aunt to 2 meals as a guest, using the 2 vouchers and your FAS meals.

[cruiseny4life]

Thanks everyone! Kind of what I thought. Well, I'm hoping it'll work just like it's worked in the past for passengers.

[mcmomny]

On The Breakaway two weeks ago the waiter made sure to let us know with our Platinum coupons that we could only have one appetizer, one entree and one dessert per person or there would be an upcharge.

 

[bonvoyagie]

The FAS benefit is wired into the key cards, if Aunt is the third person in your cabin she won't be covered under the FAS so she should always be included in the Platinum voucher. We cruised in a suite with my MIL back in 2016, she was a third on the res but somehow got all of the drinks and meals we did.

[vswan]

As a solo platinum passenger in January, I received my two vouchers in the room (solo balcony). Since I was traveling alone, I had no option but to either use just one for myself or take someone other than guest 2 for dinner - there was no guest 2. I met another solo with two vouchers also. We took each other - for three dinners - and then each took another solo one night for a group of four. No questions asked. One of the dinners included wine and since I don't do wine, I told her to pick what she wanted. Even though it was my voucher used, the wine had her name on it for future dinners.

 

I am cruising with my daughter and niece soon. Plan to do basically the same thing you plan to stretch out the platinum and free at sea vouchers to the most benefit.

[KeithJenner]

It is a well established fact that you have been able to share the platinum vouchers for other people, as long as one of the people dining is platinum. Many of us have been doing this for years.

 

The question that the OP raises is whether the wording has changed and if this may signal a change in policy.

 

Personally, I don’t recall ever seeing the bit about the voucher being used by guests 1 and 2 before, and I’d be surprised if that hadn’t been mentioned on here before. I suspect that it is new, but could be wrong.

 

Whether this means that they will change the policy onboard is a completely different matter. The wording for CruiseNext was changed recently to state that they could only be used on new bookings, but real world experience doesn’t seem to have changed.

 

Hopefully that will be the case here, but we will only find out in the coming months. Unfortunately past experience (which is very clear - you could do it) is irrelevant to this question.