Among the many world’s greatest cruise traces, Princess Cruises has one of many extra modest loyalty packages.
In contrast to rivals Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess would not provide its loyalty membership members a free cruise after reaching the highest tier. There aren’t any onboard credit for top-tier members like some traces provide (though a change in 2021 did bring discounts for shore excursions and spa treatments at high tiers).
That stated, the Captain’s Circle, because the Princess Cruises loyalty program is known as, does convey a number of priceless perks at its higher-level tiers, together with discounted web entry and complimentary laundry providers.
The Princess Cruises Captain’s Circle loyalty program can also be one the place it’s comparatively simple to achieve a high-level tier. In contrast to with some cruise line loyalty packages, you’ll be able to rise to the 2 high tiers of the Captain’s Circle loyalty program, which have the most effective advantages, by taking comparatively few cruises — significantly in the event you usually take lengthy cruises.
Methods to earn factors
The points-earning system for the Princess Cruises Captain’s Circle loyalty program will be complicated to newcomers to this system, because it entails two separate tracks — both of which can permit you to rise by its tiers.
For starters, members earn 1 “cruise credit score” for every cruise they take. However members additionally earn 1 “cruise day” for each day spent on a ship. So, on a typical seven-day cruise, you’d earn 7 cruise days along with 1 cruise credit score.
Observe that for these reserving a land-and-sea “cruisetour” with Princess, solely the times which might be a part of the cruise portion of the journey will depend towards your cruise day depend. The land tour portion of those journeys is not going to get you cruise day credit.
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Simply to make issues a bit bit extra difficult, Princess additionally doubles your cruise credit score earnings in the event you sail in a full suite (minisuites, Membership Class suites and upgrades to suites are excluded) or sail solo. Nonetheless, it would not double your cruise day depend.
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So, on a seven-night cruise, you’d earn 2 cruise credit and seven cruise days in the event you sail in a set.
Whereas a bit difficult, this technique really works to your benefit, as you’ve two methods to achieve greater tier ranges within the Captain’s Circle loyalty program. As we’ll clarify under, you’ll be able to qualify for elite standing both through your cruise credit score depend or your cruise day depend, whichever quantity will get you to your objective first.
Princess Cruises loyalty ranges
There are 4 tiers to the Captain’s Circle program:
- Gold (after your first accomplished cruise)
- Ruby (out of your fourth cruise credit score, or 31 to 50 cruise days)
- Platinum (out of your sixth to fifteenth cruise credit score, or 51 to 150 cruise days)
- Elite (out of your sixteenth cruise credit score on, or 151-plus cruise days)
Attending to the primary tier of this system, Gold, is straightforward. You simply have to finish one cruise. It would not matter what number of cruise credit or cruise days you earn on that first crusing.
Nonetheless, beginning with the second tier, Ruby, you will want to observe your progress in accumulating each cruise credit and cruise days. Relying on what sort of cruises and cabins you e book, you could rise by the ranks quicker utilizing one metric or the opposite.
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Princess Captain’s Circle advantages
As is typical for cruise line loyalty packages, the entry-level Gold tier of the Captain’s Circle loyalty program would not convey all that a lot by way of actually priceless rewards. Probably the most alluring advantages at this degree are the Preferential Pricing Gives for choose sailings that the road extends to Captain’s Circle members and early reserving reductions referred to as Captain’s Circle Launch Financial savings.
Moreover, Gold members get:
- Early entry to new itineraries
- Invites to members-only onboard occasions
- Entry to a Captain’s Circle onboard host
- Entry to Circle Middle On-line, a web based space for Captain’s Circle members
- A Circle Financial savings Account
Upon reaching the Ruby tier, you obtain a number of extra perks. But this tier is a bit ho-hum, too. Along with the Gold-level rewards, you get entry to a shoreside Captain’s Circle Assist Desk telephone line and an improve to Princess’ Platinum Trip Safety plan while you buy a Princess journey insurance coverage plan at the usual fee.
The latter could appear fascinating, however right here at TPG, we do not suggest you purchase journey insurance coverage by your cruise line. We desire insurance policies purchased by third-party insurers, which frequently cowl issues that cruise line insurance policies do not. In consequence, we do not put any worth on that final profit.
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You may attain the Ruby degree by taking only one cruise if it lasts 31 days or extra. Nonetheless, a extra typical cruiser crusing seven-night journeys in commonplace cabins would want to take 4 cruises to achieve the Ruby degree.
The elite degree that makes a distinction
Being loyal to Princess lastly begins paying off in a significant method when you attain the Platinum degree of the Captain’s Circle program. Even right here, although, the rewards are nonetheless comparatively modest.
The Platinum degree comes with 5 strong perks:
- 50% off MedallionNet web packages
- Early entry to eating reservations
- 10% off spa remedies
- 10% off photographs taken by ship photographers
- Entry to a Platinum and Elite member lounge
The early entry to eating reservations is a good perk, because it allows you to snag the most effective instances for tables earlier than different passengers.
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We additionally actually just like the 50% low cost on web packages. This can be a new perk added in 2021; it changed an outdated perk that introduced Platinum and Elite members a set quantity of complimentary minutes of web service (150 to 500, relying on the cruise size). The brand new low cost permits Platinum and Elite members to purchase an expensive length-of-cruise web package deal at half the traditional price.
Some longtime Princess followers had been upset with the web perk change in 2021. They most popular having a restricted variety of free minutes over having a reduction of fifty% off a broader length-of-cruise web package deal. However for anybody who likes their Wi-Fi “at all times on” in order that emails and texts arrive in actual time, the low cost on a length-of-cruise package deal will show extra priceless.
As is the case with the Ruby degree, you’ll be able to attain the Platinum degree by taking only a single cruise, although it isn’t simple. You would want to take an preliminary crusing of 51 nights or longer. That is fairly lengthy, we all know, however Princess does provide some very lengthy sailings, together with around-the-world journeys that reach past 100 days.
For a extra typical cruiser crusing seven-night journeys in commonplace cabins, it might take six sailings to achieve the Platinum degree.
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Finest Princess Captain’s Circle Elite advantages
Alas, there is not a “wow” perk in all the Captain’s Circle menu. As famous above, in contrast to some traces, Princess would not award top-tier members actually priceless perks akin to a free cruise or onboard credit that can be utilized for any sort of onboard spending. (The road used to supply onboard credit primarily based on the variety of cruises taken, but it surely revoked this perk in 2021.) Nonetheless, the Captain’s Circle program’s high Elite standing tier does include a number of engaging advantages.
Our favourite, by a hair, is the complimentary laundry service that comes with Elite-level standing, one thing that may turn out to be useful (and prevent some huge cash) on longer voyages. Observe that this complimentary laundry service excludes same-day service.
Elite standing additionally brings:
- A ten% low cost at The Retailers of Princess
- A ten% low cost on shore excursions
- Precedence entry to ship-to-shore shuttles
- Free admission to an onboard wine-tasting occasion (one per cruise)
- A complimentary minibar setup
- In-room canapes on formal nights
- Complimentary afternoon tea in your cabin (schedule this at the least six hours prematurely)
- Precedence disembarkation
- Complimentary shoeshines
One caveat to the Elite-level low cost perks at The Retailers of Princess and for shore excursions is that they cannot be mixed with some other low cost or promotion supplied on board. There are comparable restrictions for utilizing the ten% low cost for onboard spa providers and picture providers that include the Platinum degree.
You will must take 16 seven-night cruises to achieve the Elite degree, assuming you keep in commonplace cabins. If you happen to keep in suites, you can attain Elite standing in simply eight sailings. Nonetheless, in principle, you additionally may attain Elite standing in simply two sailings in the event that they had been among the many longest sailings on the Princess schedule. You want 151 cruise days to get to the Elite degree.
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Observe that, as is usually the case with cruise line loyalty packages, Princess prospects shouldn’t have to requalify for standing annually. Captain’s Circle members preserve their factors on the finish of every 12 months and proceed to accrue factors indefinitely. That implies that somebody who hits Elite standing will stay at that high tier degree endlessly (or till Princess makes a change to this system).
Such “endlessly standing” is likely one of the nice allures of cruise line frequent cruiser packages. Many airline frequent flyer packages, in contrast, require loyalty members to requalify for standing annually.
Backside line
The Princess Cruises Captain’s Membership loyalty program affords a number of first rate perks within the high two of its 4 tiers, together with closely discounted web entry and complimentary laundry service.
Nonetheless, the Captain’s Circle program is just not almost as sturdy a frequent cruiser program as these supplied by such rivals as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. This can be a little bit of a shock to us, as we all know that Princess has a whole lot of very loyal followers who’ve sailed with the road dozens of instances. As we have written about earlier than, the road has some prospects who’ve spent years at sea on Princess ships.
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