Benefits for Elite Plus lack

I have read the benefits for Elite Plus and from my point of view there is no real carrot to achieving this status that would hold my loyalty. Tell me I am wrong please.

With the new pricing with the drink package included, not much need for the social drinks hours however, I would miss the cocktail hour, because of getting to meet SOME and talk to others who are truly world travelers.

Free laundry and free internet is nice but never a big deal for us except on long cruises.

If it is easy for you to stay LOYAL to X or RC, they go to most of the same places other cruise lines go, IMHO worth while.

Since the cocktail hour perk starts with Elite and there's no increase as you go to E Plus, the biggest perks at E Plus are the cappuccinos, the laundry and the increased Internet minutes.

It would be nice to get a free photo! One of the loyalty perks I miss from RCCL!

As North29 says, the perk of the Elite cocktail time is meeting other people rather than the drinks...

I was very disappointed at the lack of meaningful perks associated with Elite Plus. Don't get me wrong - it is nice to get any perks and I am thankful for them, but I agree that there is not a lot of incentive to get from Elite to Elite Plus.

With drink packages booked with most sailings, that perk means nothing anymore. Neither I nor DH drink specialty coffee, so that perk is also meaningless to us (some really like it, but with so many people using premium drink package that is now devalued as well). We try to disconnect from reality and all it's problems while on vacation, so extra internet minutes are of minimal value to us, but some find them very useful. We do like the extra laundry, especially on longer cruises.

IMHO since the most valuable (dollar wise) perk used to be the free drinks, and with so many people having drink packages, I think Celebrity should consider adding other perks in place of that. There was much discussion of this when the new level was added. They don't have to cost Celebrity much - maybe a free photo like you get on RCCI at Diamond level, or a free signature cocktail glass or coffee cup or the like. But doubt that is going to happen. These days Celebrity is all about focusing on upper middle class and above younger cruisers and suite guests, not about loyalty. They know they have us already (and Celebrity remains my company of choice by far) so they don't feel an urgency to entice us to cruise more - we already are doing that.:)

It is true that Celebrity no longer appreciates loyalty and is seeking a younger clientele . What is forgotten is that we introduced our children who are the clientele they are trying to attract to Celebrity. They now cruise Celebrity and not Carnival as a result. Loyalty does have its benefits for Celebrity whether they recognize it or not.

I have read the benefits for Elite Plus and from my point of view there is no real carrot to achieving this status that would hold my loyalty. Tell me I am wrong please.

This has been discussed pretty much since the new program was rolled out. I sure don't see any incentive, especially since we generally always have a drink package, the 2 bags of 30 laundry between my wife and I is always more than enough. Extra internet would be ok, just not a big incentive.

The drinks were not a perk we used even before there were drink packages; not because we don't drink but 5-7 is too early for us. We normally dine around 8:15 so for us cocktail time starts around 7:15.

We do appreciate the additional laundry and Internet and used both to the max on our last trip.

Yes I agree as well.

And really no way to get to Zenith. Would have to live one more lifetime. So no incentive there as well. Except to live one more life time. Lol

I do understand where your coming from. I might look at it different. Depending on the promo. 123go or BBB promo's. In a Sky suite we have been getting all 4 perks. With the 123go and or booking onboard we don't always have all 3 or 4 perks. We seem to do gratuities as a 1st choice. 2nd we would add OBC and 3rd would be the drink package.

As we are Elite Plus and should make Zenith at some point. In the morning we can have food and drinks at the Elite breakfast after having breakfast at Blu. The free coffee drinks are nice their or at the coffee bar. If it is a sea day I'll have one drink at the pool. At the Elite event I might have 4 glasses of wine. I just don't see the advantage of the drink package as a 1st choice. Is the drink package convenient yes very much so. But if your looking at it as where your going to spend your money the drink package would not be my 1st choice.

Elite member and above get a discount on the unlimited internet package. I'm planning to buy it for our Sept cruise in Europe.

We are Elite Plus with almost 1500 points. We get the same benefits as someone with half the points as Elite Plus starts at 750. We will never get to Zenith even though we cruise often in Suites or AQ. Went to another cruise line this year ( Oceania ) after being loyal to Celebrity for many years. Still would like to see the Zen level at 1500 points.

With the new pricing with the drink package included, not much need for the social drinks hours however, I would miss the cocktail hour, because of getting to meet SOME and talk to others who are truly world travelers.

Free laundry and free internet is nice but never a big deal for us except on long cruises.

If it is easy for you to stay LOYAL to X or RC, they go to most of the same places other cruise lines go, IMHO worth while.

I think that for moderate drinkers, not choosing the beverage package is the way to go if you are elite. We have found that on a 14 day cruise, we only spend about $250 on alcohol due to the happy hour. We don't drink sodas or expensive coffee and drink the tap water on the ship.

I have read the benefits for Elite Plus and from my point of view there is no real carrot to achieving this status that would hold my loyalty. Tell me I am wrong please.

IMHO, your wrong, why?

When we first joined the CC in 1994 the perks were, luggage tags, a lapel pin, and a $50 discount on our next cruise if booked before the coupon expired.

Every time I read a thread that someone wants more it just makes me shake my head in wonder.

Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie, WOW.:(

Opps, I'm sorry, there was also 1 separate cocktail party were the newbies could not co-mingle with the 'loyalist'

We are elite and will probably hit elite + at some time in our cruising future. I absolutely have no complaints about the benefits that are offered at any level. I actually look forward to my free cappuccinos at Café Al Bacio as there are times when we book an inside cabin just to go on a cruise.

Plus, we are gold status at MGM so if that relationship is still in play by the time we hit elite plus, it actually will serve to bump us up a level at that casino group. I am nothing but happy that they give us anything at all.

IMHO, your wrong, why?

 

When we first joined the CC in 1994 the perks were, luggage tags, a lapel pin, and a $50 discount on our next cruise if booked before the coupon expired.

 

Every time I read a thread that someone wants more it just makes me shake my head in wonder.

 

Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie, WOW.:(

 

Opps, I'm sorry, there was also 1 separate cocktail party were the newbies could not co-mingle with the 'loyalist'

And when we joined the Captain's Club (1993 -- IIRC?) we had to pay a small fee. :eek: That payment was (years) later refunded. :cool: And even if it had not been refunded, we would still consider ourselves "way ahead fo the game", in present day dollars. Don't recall being excluded from any loyalty cocktail parties -- perhaps we just did not know about them?

N Ray H

While I can agree with most of what's been said here, pro and con, we also are what they now call "Founders" for the CC. We joined and paid in 1992. Of course that gets us absolutely nothing extra.

We have been "loyal" Celebrity cruisers for all these years and reached that Elite Plus level when it was first introduced. To us it means really nothing. As has been said, most of us who like the drink packages get it, those vouchers mean nothing to us, the 5-7 cocktail hour is so crowded we don't even do it any more and most of our friends don't either.

It would be so nice if Celebrity re-thought an interim level with a few "extras" for those who will never reach Zenith. I understand from our last Eclipse cruise in April that there are only 5. Michael's was empty every night. Don't know about Luminae.

Even with 2 cruises booked next year it would take us to the age of 100 to even think about Zenith level. We just can't afford suites. We loved Celebrity but now are re-thinking our options. Between the MDR becoming not a place to dine and having them take away other options we remember, time for another choice. This is not a complaint, just facts as we see them.

Celebrity is basing their new ships on the younger clients and not taking "loyalty" into consideration. That's fine for them.

At least we do have a lot of other options.

Again, this is my opinion from my observations.:)

Pat C

Anything is good. I was elite for years. I enjoy the Celebrity cruises. I kept coming back because the ships were nice, food was good, service was excellent, and the price was good. Any perk was good. Just say Thank You for adding more levels. As elite plus, I get more perks than I did as elite. I also cruise on other lines that reward loyalty. My favorite perk is lines that give big discounts for loyal guests and offer complimentary cabin upgrades for loyalty. Some of those big discounts have increased value if you book within a certain time period. I recently booked a Windstar cruise and a Viking cruise that had huge discounts for past guests. For those people who want more perks, stop complaining. Enjoy your cruise. Be happy that you are able to cruise.

The 3000 points needed for Zenith is so far out of reach that I don't even think about getting there.

I find this entire thread sad. A business is giving you something for free and it isn't enough. You do realize that they don't have to offer any loyalty program right?

Also don't forget to presume that people at the Elite Cocktail party are world travelers - and those not Elite are not as well traveled. Brahaha - here is a tip - there are many other ways to travel besides a cruise ship. Priceless. :cool:

As I said, I'm not complaining, just stating facts.

The real fact is that you are not getting anything for "free". It's all in the basic price now.

We have 2 more scheduled on Celebrity and it will always be my cruises of choice, but it things continue the way they are, they will NOT be first choice.

We do research when we are traveling but Celebrity has been our first choice, always.

In the future, not so much. Again, this is MY opinion having just returned from Eclipse. The staff, crew and all around personnel are fabulous and so friendly. They go out of their way to make it your "dream" trip.

It's corporate in Miami that is screwing the pooch.

Pat C

I'm also in the camp of being grateful for what we receive as Elite and look forward to becoming Elite +.

Want to feel better about these perks?

Take a gander at what DCL, in my opinion a very overpriced cruise line, has to offer their loyal customers.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/castawayclub.htm

We only cruise DCL when we can get a bargain, so we are "Gold". Big deal.

Gold. A status that mainly gives us the opportunity to book earlier for things that make DCL more money.:rolleyes:

Cruising is the goal, perks from cruising are the bonus

So many unhappy people out there with their glass 1/2 empty. :rolleyes:

So many unhappy people out there with their glass 1/2 empty. :rolleyes:

So very true. I am convinced it is a very small number of actual cruisers.

We are very happy with our Elite perks. We don't drink enough for a package so happy hour is perfect and so is tap water. My only complaint was when the Elite plus perks came out.. ....specialty coffees.. but not the teas.. so since we are not coffee drinkers there really was nothing for us to work to. After a few months and many comments Celebrity has added the teas at the cafe:D

I have read the benefits for Elite Plus and from my point of view there is no real carrot to achieving this status that would hold my loyalty. Tell me I am wrong please.

Sorry to say, Elite+ is not the Holy Grail. Elite is the key.