Cruise Card -- What Does It All Mean

You ever wonder what all this information on your cruise card means?  

As soon as you check in you are given a cruise card.  This is invaluable on board.  It allows you to enter your cabin as a key card, it may even keep the lights on in your cabin.  On the Royal and Regal Princess there is a small slot as soon as you enter your cabin to put a cruise card, this means someone is in the cabin and this allows you to use the overhead lights.  

There are four different colored cruise cards.  The different colors represent the Captain Circle Loyalty level you are in.

If it is blue:  first time cruising Princess, but can also mean crew, or someone sailing as one of the crew's friends and family

If it is gold:  you are sailing on your 2nd to 3rd Princess Cruise

If it is ruby: you are sailing on your 4th to 5th Princess cruise or you have sailed over 30 days.

If it is platinum:  you are sailing on your 6th to 15th Princess cruise or you have sailed over 50 days

If it is elite:  you have sailed over 15 times with Princess or you have sailed over 150 days with the line. 

To learn more about the Captain Circle Program Click Here.

At the top of the card, it states you are on the Golden Princess and you are Elite.

Next comes what voyage number this is.  Princess assigns a voyage number to every cruise, this number will be on your cruise documentation, and on ever bill you sign.  To the right is your Muster Station, here it is Muster Station C.

Your full name then appears and your folio number. 

Whenever you buy something you present your card and the crew enter your folio number in the system and the bill will show your full name and your folio number.  It is key to check each bill and the overall bill to ensure that they have entered the correct folio number, mistakes do happen but they are rare.  If a bill shows up that is not something you recognize on your overall statement take to Purser's desk where they can pull up that exact bill and you can see what the bill was for and the signature.  If it is not your signature you can dispute the bill easily.

Next line shows what dining room you have been assigned to. For us we had anytime dining so we are showing this as Any Dining Room that has Anytime Dining.  The far right is the dates of the voyage.

The last line shows your dining room table assignment, again since we have Anytime Dining we are showing Any.  If you had fixed seating it would show your dining room and your table assignment here.

Then on the far right is ypur current Princess Cruises credits.   Each cruise counts as one.  If you sail in a full suite or you sail as a single in a cabin you get two credits.   But for most it represents the total number of cruises as most do not sail in suites or single. In this case this person has done 43 sailing or has 43 cruise creits.  The current voyage is number 44 for him.  The A just means you are an Adult.

No where on the card does it state your cabin number.  This is for your protection.  If the card is lost no one can pick it up and access your cabin cause they don't know the cabin number.  

The card can become demagnetized quite easily so keep it away from any magnet and even those magnets you don't think of, like the clasp in your wallet or the cover for your Ipad.  If it does become inoperable just visit the purser's desk and have them issue you a new one.

Platinum / Elite Lounge

If you have attained Platinum (5 cruises or 50 days) or Elite (15 or 150 days) status with Princess' loyalty program, or are in a full suite you will receive a card from the Captain circle host that outlines the days the lounge is open (usually every day except the nights the Captain Circle Party is).

Here is what we had for a drink special and complimentary pre-dinner canapes while we sailed on a 10 day Emerald Cruise.  Drinks are now $5 fleet wide.

Beef Steak Tartar with Melba toast - Chivas Regal Rob Roy

Smoked Salmon with Toast Points, Onion rings, capers and lemon - Chairman of the Board

Authentic Mexican Salsa with tortilla chips - Mojito

Wheel of Stilton with port wine, walnut baguette - Sandleman's Port

Herb-Marinated Goat's Cheese with Crisp Rosemary Flat bread and Tomato Bruschetta - Brezza Marina

Shrimp Fountain with cocktail sauce - Cosmopolitan

Assorted Sushi with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger - Japanese Slipper

Note there are usually cheese, veggies, crackers and olives also served.

I have seen it where there is someone at the door checking names to ensure you are allowed in, and I have seen it where there was no one at the door checking.  There normally is a sign stating it is the Elite/Platinum Cocktail Party and/or Private Party.  

I often get asked, can I bring my friends who are not Platinum?  Well technically the answer is no.  But do I see it happening, yes.  I don't think they would have a problem with bringing one or maybe two people in but like all the rules on the ship, if everyone didn't follow them there would be no sense in having them.  So if you hate if people don't follow dress code in dining room, save seats in theatre, throw towels on lounge chairs to hold for hours, and send their kids into the adult pool then you know what the answer is.

We have found that on our last couple cruises we rarely even go to the cocktail hour as we find the times don't fit well with our dining time of around 7:45 or 8 pm.  I don't want to dress early just to go there and then when it closes down at 7 I have to wait around even longer for dinner.  Also now that they have raised the prices up to $5 it really is not enough of a savings to entice me.

One thing we have noticed on some ships (note may not be available on all ships) is that you can order any of the drinks that are on the Elite Menu, so even though it is Rob Roy night you can order a Mojito for the same price even though it is not Mojito night.