Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

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Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#1

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

Have you ever wondered how some people manage to get onto ships VIP lists, while other do not.

Basically they work to certain criteria such as; as a reward to passengers who have a huge track record of cruising with the company; to attempt to impress travel professionals in pushing their product; and to keep on the right side of those with press credentials who require to be kept sweet at all times.

Do you have any experience of VIP treatment?
John

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#2

Post by Quizzical Bob »

Isn't every trip a VIP trip? :o

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#3

Post by barney »

We were once invited to a free ship tour on Oceana

We drove to Southampton, parked up for free, did the 'tour' and had a wonderful (free) three course lunch with wine.

A bit weird really as we had cruised on her just two years before, but never one to look a gift horse, we had a wonderful day.

I now expect that at least once a year, for life . ;)
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#4

Post by david63 »

Twice in my case.

The first was for the Adonia naming where a group of posters from the old P&O forum were invited - this also happened for another group at the Azura naming.

The second time was to have afternoon tea with HRH Princess Royal at the Grand Event in 2012. No idea why I was invited and it came out of the blue - so much so that we were on Azura when the invitation arrived via the ship's Purser.

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#5

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

david63 wrote:
The second time was to have afternoon tea with HRH Princess Royal at the Grand Event in 2012. No idea why I was invited and it came out of the blue - so much so that we were on Azura when the invitation arrived via the ship's Purser.
Now that’s posh. :sick:

I was thinking more of all those extra little bits and pieces which appear from time to time in your cabin, such as wine, chocolates, canopies etc. Or those invitations, left in your cabin, to dine with the Captain or the Executive Purser or other senior staff, or invitations to cocktail parties which are normally reserved for the toffs. :oops: :oops:

Get my drift?
John

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#6

Post by david63 »

In that case then the only time that has ever happened to me was several years ago when we had a junior officer on our table and we were invited to "drinkie poos" in the Captain's dining room one lunchtime.


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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#7

Post by Quizzical Bob »

Not particularly. We have had the captain and his mrs plop themselves down unannounced in a couple of empty seats at our table one evening without so much as a by your leave. He did by plenty if booze for everybody though. We have been to a few loyalty lunches which were very nice but not above and beyond what was expected.

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#8

Post by Kenmo1 »

We were lucky a couple of times on Oriana to be on a table hosted by an officer and the bonus was that they bought the wine for evening meals - it certainly helped keep the on board spend down. :D The officers also invited us to the senior officers party, again lots of drink. It has never happened to us on any other ship and I don't know if they still do it on Oriana - probably been stopped now with all the other cutbacks. There was no reason given why certain tables had officers on them and I think it was just luck of the draw.

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#9

Post by david63 »

We only had wine provided by the officer on the "gala" dinner nights.

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#10

Post by Jan Rosser »

Apart from the "exclusive" lunches :roll: I have been invited to an officer cocktail party a couple of times funnily enough on Oriana - not sure why :?:
Janis

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#11

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

I guess there is something to be said for press credentials after all. However, there is a drawback as well.

The word spreads like lightning and you find that you get treated with kid gloves. Sounds great, but after a while you just want to sit somewhere with a G&T without the attention of senior staff approaching you, offering to buy you drinks or just wanting to make eye contact with you.

So you see, there is also a price to pay for VIP treatment.
John

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#12

Post by david63 »

ITWA Travel Writer wrote:
I guess there is something to be said for press credentials after all. However, there is a drawback as well.

The word spreads like lightning and you find that you get treated with kid gloves. Sounds great, but after a while you just want to sit somewhere with a G&T without the attention of senior staff approaching you, offering to buy you drinks or just wanting to make eye contact with you.

So you see, there is also a price to pay for VIP treatment.
I say never knock something until you have tried it :lol:


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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#13

Post by cookster »

Unfortunately this has never happened to me, well unless you call getting 2 chocolates put on my pillow whilst the steward was turning down my cabin, instead of the standard 1, only to realise the wife didn't have her chocolate on her pillow....

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#14

Post by towny44 »

On a Princess Alaska cruise in 2005 we were once treated on board to a bottle of champagne and some chololate covered strawberries, which was rather nice, even better was the Fortnum & Mason hamper that we received from Princess later in the year in time for Xmas.
This followed yours truly falling ill on a pre-cruise Princess Rockies tour, they were worried I had the Noro bug, but I thought it was due to poorly cooked buffalo steak the previous night. Whatever the cause I was quaratined in Kamloops for 2 days, as a result we missed our sailing in Vancouver and caught up with the ship at its first port, which was Ketchikan.
The cost of the extra accomodation in Kamloops and one night in Seattle plus the airfares from Kamloops to Ketchikan via Vancouver and Seattle all paid for by Princess, plus extra OBC to compensate for the 2/3 days cruise we missed, and in addition post cruise we were also given a sizeable future cruise credit.
Princess certainly made us feel like VIPs on this occasion.
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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#15

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

towny44 wrote:
falling ill on a pre-cruise Princess Rockies tour.
Pre-cruise Princess Rockies tour!!

Well you astound me, I’ve never seen a Princess ship sail up the Fraser River then into the Thompson River to Kamloops. :o :o

However not a very nice way to get VIP treatment. May I ask, did you end up in the Royal Inland Hospital, off Columbia Street/ 3rd Avenue?
I had a cousin who used to work there.

Kamloops can be a great winter holiday resort, if you can get to it, or get out of it in the winter.
John

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#16

Post by Suekersh »

We have been invited to the senior officers cocktail party a few times. One cruise we started receiving canapés every night. When I enquired why, I was told we were VIP pax and a senior officer had ordered them for us. We didn't know who to thank.

On a cruise last year a birthday cake was delivered to the cabin, again no card attached and no one to thank.

We rec'd a bottle of bubbly with lunch in the retreat when we had news that our grand daughter had been born. We had been overheard chatting about it and the spa manager ordered it for us.

Nice touches but we cruise with PO because we enjoy the product. The little extras are appreciated but not expected.

Sue


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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#17

Post by Jonty S1 »

A lot can be on offer when you have an officer or"cruise celebrity" on your table, hanging on to their coat tails bring some welcome invites. :thumbup:

Quizzical Bob, when you get treated as a VIP, do you morph into Quizzical Ten Bob? :D

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#18

Post by oldbluefox »

Am I alone in not bothering whether we get an officer on the table or not and quite happy to shun the limelight? There are occasions where you get into conversation with crew (officer or not) and the conversation just flows but there are other times when you can tell an officer has been placed on a table or is attending yet another Captain's welcome aboard party and it can be like stirring treacle. I sometimes feel sorry for some of the officers when they are nobbled and can't get away.
Similarly it can happen from the passengers' point of view. We were once graced with the Captain on our table (many moons ago) and he spent the whole time telling us about his big house and his dogs!! :yawn: Fortunately there were some on the table who kept him occupied. :thumbup:

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#19

Post by david63 »

oldbluefox wrote:
Am I alone in not bothering whether we get an officer on the table or not and quite happy to shun the limelight?
No you are not alone - although I suspect that there are some passengers on most cruises who would crave such an opportunity.


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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#20

Post by Jonty S1 »

david63 wrote:
oldbluefox wrote:
Am I alone in not bothering whether we get an officer on the table or not and quite happy to shun the limelight?
No you are not alone - although I suspect that there are some passengers on most cruises who would crave such an opportunity.
For those reasons, having had an officer on our table during cruise no.2, put as a special request on the next couple of trips, No officers on table, please!


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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#21

Post by colwill »

oldbluefox wrote:
Am I alone in not bothering whether we get an officer on the table or not and quite happy to shun the limelight? There are occasions where you get into conversation with crew (officer or not) and the conversation just flows but there are other times when you can tell an officer has been placed on a table or is attending yet another Captain's welcome aboard party and it can be like stirring treacle. I sometimes feel sorry for some of the officers when they are nobbled and can't get away.
Similarly it can happen from the passengers' point of view. We were once graced with the Captain on our table (many moons ago) and he spent the whole time telling us about his big house and his dogs!! :yawn: Fortunately there were some on the table who kept him occupied. :thumbup:
Ditto. We have a contingency plan in place should it ever happen: eat in the speciality restaurants or the buffet.


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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#22

Post by Quizzical Bob »

Jonty S1 wrote:
Quizzical Bob, when you get treated as a VIP, do you morph into Quizzical Ten Bob? :D
I can be anything you like Jonty, anything you like ;)


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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#23

Post by Ray Scully »

ITWA Travel Writer wrote:
Have you ever wondered how some people manage to get onto ships VIP lists, while other do not.

Basically they work to certain criteria such as; as a reward to passengers who have a huge track record of cruising with the company; to attempt to impress travel professionals in pushing their product; and to keep on the right side of those with press credentials who require to be kept sweet at all times.

Do you have any experience of VIP treatment?

Often, but modesty prevents me from disclosing the details on a Forum.

Ray

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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#24

Post by Dark Knight »

Foxy
totally agree
would be off out the door like a Jack Russel chasing a ferret
I have no interest in eating with the crew or who they crew are on my holiday, so long as they do a good job, then they rest easy safe in the knowledge, I have no wish to "hang on their coat tails " for some very minor reflected glory :thumbdown: :thumbdown:
Nihil Obstat


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Re: Have you ever found yourself on a cruise ships VIP list?

#25

Post by Jonty S1 »

Dark Knight wrote:
Foxy
totally agree
would be off out the door like a Jack Russel chasing a ferret
I have no interest in eating with the crew or who they crew are on my holiday, so long as they do a good job, then they rest easy safe in the knowledge, I have no wish to "hang on their coat tails " for some very minor reflected glory :thumbdown: :thumbdown:
Hi Dark Knight,

Thought by using an expression you're fond of, I'd bring you out of hibernation. Nice to see you. :thumbup:

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