First Time Platinum....I have questions

[emilyann415]

This will be our first platinum sailing. I just wanted to know a few specifics.

First, when we board, do we get to go to the concierge check in line? Does that mean we will always get boarding number 1 from now on?

Second, I know we get a free dinner at Palo. Does that include brunch or just dinner?

Third, anything else I should be aware of with Platinum perks?

TIA
Emily

 

[n2mm]

You can check in at the concierge desk, but I’ve always found the line is faster in the castaway line, so I’ve never used the concierge desk. (Those line can be very long first thing when the terminal opens). Yes, you will get a #1 no matter where you check in.

I’ve never dined at Palo since becoming platinum. I’ve eaten there in the past a few times, but I’ve never used my free palo perk. We’ve only done 15 cruises.

 

[Quellman]

Congratulations!
Let them know you are Platinum when you head up the escaltors. Depending on when you arrive, it may be shorter to use one of the other lines. We have used new cruiser line before since it was the shortest (we arrived at like 1pm).
Usually you can get them to comp you brunch.
You get to select port excursions sooner. That can be nice.

 

[dcassetta]

I've made a decision to get a car service to take us from our resort to PC on cruise day. There are only two of us and don't want to rent a car, but don't want to have to sweat when we will be picked up by DCL (still using them to take us to airport on debarkation).
What is a good pickup time to get there early enough to eat, etc.? Last time we took the bus from the airport and were in one of the first groups. I liked that. Should I shoot to get there at 11, 11:30? Thanks.

This will be our first platinum sailing. I just wanted to know a few specifics.

First, when we board, do we get to go to the concierge check in line? Does that mean we will always get boarding number 1 from now on?

Second, I know we get a free dinner at Palo. Does that include brunch or just dinner?

Third, anything else I should be aware of with Platinum perks?

TIA
Emily

As others have said, you may use any line. Pick the short one! You will get a platinum lanyard if you want one.

They will comp the first meal you have at Palo, brunch or dinner.

10% discount in the shops
Often a Bingo or Spa offering
A gift delivered to your room - last month it was a choice of chocolate truffles, a fruit basket or sparkling wine.

 

[NAB]

They will call your stateroom and ask you your choice of chocolates, fruit basket or sparkling wine.

We usually do the chocolate since your can not get this anywhere else. It is a box of 5 .

Also have done the wine which is nice too but my husband was going to buy a wine package so we didn't get that last time but have in the past.

Fruit well we figured you can get fruit up on deck so we passed on that too. Plus on deck it is cut up nicely...lol.

We did not get a Bingo or Spa offering the last three times we were on as Platinum.

 

[dcassetta]

We did not get a Bingo or Spa offering the last three times we were on as Platinum.

That's interesting. Do you play Bingo or use the spa? This makes me wonder if they individualize.

 

[apathetic]

For Palo, it says one complimentary Palo experience. I take this to mean brunch or dinner.

 

[NAB]

That's interesting. Do you play Bingo or use the spa? This makes me wonder if they individualize.

Yes we always get a couples massage and sometimes a facial for me when we are on the cruise. Bingo not so much. I do remember when we were Gold we got a free card in the gift shop on the Magic but that was a long time ago. We usually don't play , sometimes for the big jackpot at the end.

 

[NAB]

For Palo, it says one complimentary Palo experience. I take this to mean brunch or dinner.

Yes it does, we did brunch in Feb but did dinner on two previous trips. Just book your time and then when you go let them know it is your free one, sometimes they know others we had to say we are using our perk.

Last time we had Palo dinner booked but went and changed it on embarkment day to brunch.

 

[ajo]

On our recent cruise we received this letter in our stateroom regarding the platinum benefits:

 

[NAB]

We didn't get that in our room in Feb because the computer in the terminal had us going on our 1st cruise instead of our 13th. We had to go guest services to get it restored then they said the chocolate would be delivered and it wasn't , ended up with 2 boxes by the end of the cruise. Our AC didn't get cold enough for us while in the room got mickey treats and then our fridge leaked all over the floor, we had nothing in it either. Got more mickey treats.

Wonder if the CD and free 8x10 is new . We bought the cd cruise before last and didn't get that.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For Palo, it says one complimentary Palo experience. I take this to mean brunch or dinner.

What it says on the website is:

Platinum Complimentary Dinner at Palo***
Savor an elegant evening with one complimentary dinner at Palo, available to Platinum member and Guests staying in member's stateroom***.

***Offer includes dining service fee for one dinner, for Platinum Castaway Club member and Guests staying in member's stateroom who are 18 years of age or older. Subject to availability. Limited to one complimentary experience per stateroom, per sailing.

That being said, what generally happens is whatever Palo "experience" you do first gets comped. But that could change.

 

[PurplePencil]

On our recent cruise we received this letter in our stateroom regarding the platinum benefits:

View attachment 313959

We received this letter, but when they called (2 days later) they offered chocolate too

 

[Sytrace]

This will be our first platinum sailing. I just wanted to know a few specifics.

First, when we board, do we get to go to the concierge check in line? Does that mean we will always get boarding number 1 from now on?

Second, I know we get a free dinner at Palo. Does that include brunch or just dinner?

Third, anything else I should be aware of with Platinum perks?

TIA
Emily

You can go to any line you want. You will always be boarding group 1. You can choose Palo brunch or dinner and book it online ahead of time once you are paid in full and at 120 days before sailing.

Other perks include: Bingo cards, choice of chocolate truffles, sparkling wine or fruit platter. You will get 10% off purchases on the ship, but not on CC. You also might be offered 10.00 off Rainforest length of cruise pass or perhaps another spa service. This tends to vary.
ETA: we bought the all digital photo package and got 2 8x10 prints for "free"

 

[Dug720]

You can go to any line you want. You will always be boarding group 1. You can choose Palo brunch or dinner and book it online ahead of time once you are paid in full and at 120 days before sailing.

Other perks include: Bingo cards (yellow color) Choice of chocolate truffles, sparkling wine or fruit platter. You will get 10% off purchases on the ship, but not on CC. You also might be offered 10.00 off Rainforest length of cruise pass or perhaps another spa service. This tends to vary.
ETA: we bought the all digital photo package and got 2 8x10 prints for "free"

As someone who doesn’t do Bingo, what is the significance of yellow cards as opposed to any other color?

 

[Sytrace]

As someone who doesn’t do Bingo, what is the significance of yellow cards as opposed to any other color?

Sorry...should have clarified, you get a set of paper cards and an extra sheet of the yellow color. No significance other than yellow is the last color played and you get more of them in addition to what is in the pack.

 

[dcassetta]

This is all very interesting to me. I have never been offered any sort of a photo package benefit. I have purchased the occasional single photo, but I know I've never bought the CD. I guess I thought the platinum letter was sort of a standard letter that was the same for everyone, but maybe not.

 

[Sytrace]

This is all very interesting to me. I have never been offered any sort of a photo package benefit. I have purchased the occasional single photo, but I know I've never bought the CD. I guess I thought the platinum letter was sort of a standard letter that was the same for everyone, but maybe not.

I think they offer different things at different times. The Bingo cards have been that way though for each cruise after we hit platinum. The photo offer was on our MDAS cruise AND we had bought the package ahead of time. The Rainforest discount has been on 5 of our post platinum cruises and we are leaving on number 18 in a couple of weeks.
Sometimes I notice that they don't offer the chocolates, but we ask anyway and they arrive shortly afterward. We love the chocolates...lol

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Other perks include: Bingo cards,

Tell me about the Bingo cards perk.

 

[Sytrace]

Tell me about the Bingo cards perk.

You get Bingo cards (the paper kind that you punch and fold) when you go play. Plus an extra sheet of the yellow (final game) Lots of fun. Of course, I never win on the paper cards, but I have on the electronic handset. Mindless Bingo is what I call it.