New Diamond event questions?

[B&C-Cruisers]

There doesn’t seem to be any information on the boards that I can find about the new RCCL policy.

Since September 1st when the concierge lounges have been closed to Diamonds, what are the new venues like? Is there a limit on the number wine/champagne drinks served per person, what kind of finger foods is served? Is there a staff member there to control entrance as before?

[cruisenfever]

Here is a link to a thread that Mark started after his recent cruise on Mariner.

New Diamond Benefits-a report

[B&C-Cruisers]

Here is a link to a thread that Mark started after his recent cruise on Mariner.

New Diamond Benefits-a report

 

 

Thanks, I have read that thread, very small sampling.

What I am interested in is the ships that Do have a Concierge lounge, But do not have a Diamond lounge.

[seagoer55]

The ships without a DL are having an evening event...but it seems to vary from ship to ship & even sailing to sailing...there have been reports of no snacks, nice snacks & trailmix...if there is a particular ship you are interested in maybe try a search for that...I know there have been reports from Majesty, Monarch & Enchantment.. but by now the threads are probably buried

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1064726

Here;s one for Monarch......but not a lot of info..

[negc]

Thanks, I have read that thread, very small sampling.

 

What I am interested in is the ships that Do have a Concierge lounge, But do not have a Diamond lounge.

On the Jewel of the Seas westbound transatlantic cruise which has a Concierge lounge but not a Diamond lounge, the nightly Diamond event was held in the Vortex (Viking Crown Lounge). Despite the fact that Diamonds no longer had access to the CL, there were still a large enough number of Diamond plus and suite guests onboard that they opened the Hollywood Odyssey as a satelllite lounge for them. Diamond attendance in the Vortex seemed to be very good and we heard no serious grumbling about the new arrangement.:)

[leprechaun2]

Has anyone been on Radiance since the policy change? How are they handling Diamonds? RCI stated that another lounge would be designated as Diamond on ships that had a CL but no DL. Are they following through with that?

[mpbmark]

Has anyone been on Radiance since the policy change? How are they handling Diamonds? RCI stated that another lounge would be designated as Diamond on ships that had a CL but no DL. Are they following through with that?

 

RCCL is not changing services on those ships with a Diamond Lounge. The change only affects those ships without a Diamond Lounge, regardless of whether a CL exists or not.

 

They do seem to be trying to improve the event since the first offerings so you may experience a better program than what was available on the Mariner during the first week in September.

[twirlgirl]

Just came off the Mariner on Sunday. They did have a lounge for Diamond members. The Dragon Lair on deck 3. A house Wine & chanpagne were served free. Trail mix at your table. Everything else had a charge less 25%. No none drank anything but the free stuff. Staff was very nice and came arund to fill your glass without asking. Most nights there was an officer in the room. No one took out their displeasure on the staff. It was a let down from the previous cruise. We did meet people in the lounge and ofcourse we did have fun. Bev

[windjamming]

On the Jewel of the Seas westbound transatlantic cruise which has a Concierge lounge but not a Diamond lounge, the nightly Diamond event was held in the Vortex (Viking Crown Lounge). Despite the fact that Diamonds no longer had access to the CL, there were still a large enough number of Diamond plus and suite guests onboard that they opened the Hollywood Odyssey as a satelllite lounge for them. Diamond attendance in the Vortex seemed to be very good and we heard no serious grumbling about the new arrangement.:)

 

negc, I was on the same TA as you and also did not hear any serious grumbling. I personally actually thought the setup was quite nice, with the views and spaciousness (needed, as I heard there were over 300 Diamonds onboard). And although I did not spend time in the Vortex every night, the few times I was there, I saw plenty of officers, GR and a bonus loyalty ambassador mingling with people.

[little britain]

There doesn’t seem to be any information on the boards that I can find about the new RCCL policy.

 

Since September 1st when the concierge lounges have been closed to Diamonds, what are the new venues like? Is there a limit on the number wine/champagne drinks served per person, what kind of finger foods is served? Is there a staff member there to control entrance as before?

 

This was the first cruise under the new Diamond members benefits. We were given Cloud Nine on deck 14 for our pre dinner drinks, and it was open from 5:30-9p. There were never more than 11 in the room, including us. Drinks served were champagne, La Terre Chardonnay and La Terre Merlot. The DL guy was called Tulio (sp) and he was very efficient at keeping our glasses filled up - after the first day he knew exactly our order and our drinks were being prepared as we walked through the door. On the second night he bought some nibbles from the bar next door. On the 3rd night we dropped by WJ on the way up and bought a plate of sushi; on the 4th night others were bringing in cheese plates they had ordered from room service! It was becoming a picnic. Perhaps RCI will get the hint and provide a few canapés? We never used the Diamond Breakfast room so cannot comment. In the room we all had bathrobes. The boys also had a full selection of mini shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion. The girls did not, however one day we got a mini lotion but I think this was to replace our bottle which had been broken by the steward. We got a plate of petit fours on the first formal evening, but nothing on the second. There was no C&A gift.

[Janet524]

We're just off Grandeur's 9/19 Bermuda cruise. Grandeur does not have a CL, so the "Diamond Event" provided a nice perk we never had before when on this ship. The rear portion of the Viking Crown was set aside for D and D+. Champagne and wine (unlimited) was complimentary. There were no hors d'oeuvers, only bar mix served - not a big deal for us.

 

From 8 to 10 AM a lovely continental breakfast was set up in the MDR on deck 5. It included smoked salmon, bagels, cereals, juices, fresh fruits, cheeses, cold cut meats, pastries, coffee and teas. There was always a waiter available for special requests. One morning, the activies director made it a point to come to the dining room and have breakfast with the D and D+ members...We were the only ones there.

 

Both the evening "event" and the private continental breakfast were sadly underutilized during our cruise.

 

We went to the evening "event" every night. Most of the time we were the only ones there. The most I ever saw were 3 other couples. At the breakfast, we were the only ones who ever went for the entire cruise!

 

With all the whining about benefits being taken away, it seemed that nobody really cared about taking advantage of the ones that were provided. I wouldn't be surprised that if this "non-participation" continues, RCCL will cease offering these because of lack of interest on the part of D and D+ passengers. And if that happens we'll have noone to blame but ourselves.

[just4kixx]

......

 

With all the whining about benefits being taken away, it seemed that nobody really cared about taking advantage of the ones that were provided. I wouldn't be surprised that if this "non-participation" continues, RCCL will cease offering these because of lack of interest on the part of D and D+ passengers. And if that happens we'll have noone to blame but ourselves.

 

You may very well be right, but perhaps once word gets 'round about what is actually out there, it will take off! It could happen:p:rolleyes:

 

;)A~

[Florida_cruisers]

According to Mark's review link I see no difference between the Diamond breakfast and the regular breakfast in the dining room, am I right?

[mpbmark]

According to Mark's review link I see no difference between the Diamond breakfast and the regular breakfast in the dining room, am I right?

 

There are no hot items e.g. eggs, french toast, etc. More like a continental breakfast. See Janet524 comment above. Pretty much what we observed.

[dixieva]

I just don't see the point to the breakfast arrangement. If all you want is cereal and pastries you can order room service. It's a nice gesture but not something I will take advantage of since I prefer a hot breakfast in the dining room.

 

Now the nightly "Event" is a very nice perk and we will take part in that but the breakfast-not so much.

[crischickie]

I just don't see the point to the breakfast arrangement. If all you want is cereal and pastries you can order room service. It's a nice gesture but not something I will take advantage of since I prefer a hot breakfast in the dining room.

 

Now the nightly "Event" is a very nice perk and we will take part in that but the breakfast-not so much.

The breakfast is comparable to the CL breakfast--just continental. I am sure to make up for the griping about losing the D benefits.

 

 

Both the evening "event" and the private continental breakfast were sadly underutilized during our cruise.

 

We went to the evening "event" every night. Most of the time we were the only ones there. The most I ever saw were 3 other couples. At the breakfast, we were the only ones who ever went for the entire cruise!

 

With all the whining about benefits being taken away, it seemed that nobody really cared about taking advantage of the ones that were provided. I wouldn't be surprised that if this "non-participation" continues, RCCL will cease offering these because of lack of interest on the part of D and D+ passengers. And if that happens we'll have no one to blame but ourselves.

If you read some of these threads you will also see a lot of whining about the temporary DL's set up on ships with no formal DL. I agree with you and would not blame RCI if they did stop offering anything extra. There are some people you can't please no matter what you do. Of course, if no one participates, RCI can still offer the benefit but, it won't cost them as much.

[twirlgirl]

Last week on the mariner we had brteakfast every morning in the melodies Room. The it was lovely. Great view and even saw some whales. The continental breakfast was all we usually had in the CL so we were very happy. Waiter even toasted our bagels and muffins and served the coffee and tea. Lovely room . So many Diamonds did not get the information about the Melodies room till the end. Hope more people use the room. There were two waiters to serve and it was very nice. Bev

[negc]

According to Mark's review link I see no difference between the Diamond breakfast and the regular breakfast in the dining room, am I right?

It's a continental breakfast, which is exactly what the CL offers in the AM. For those who prefer something light instead of going to the MDR or to the Windjammer, it is a nice touch and is, to that degree, a suitable substitute for what Diamonds previously were able to get in the CL in the morning. As I said elsewhere on this board, when we were onboard the Jewel Transatlantic this month, we heard more griping about the absence of the daily newspaper than any reduction in Diamond perks.:) In fact there was very little complaint about the nightly Diamond Event which was held in the Vortex.

[mrchips14]

We usually get room service if we only want fruit and bagels etc. For more filling breakfast we go to the windjammer. So this is not very important to us.

 

But we usually stop for a pre-dinner drink or two. So we will try the Diamond party thing. Hopefully there will be a crowd. We have met many friendly people in the Conc. lounge in the past. Would be nice if they put out something to nibble on. I like the idea of bringing your own snacks. Maybe I will stop at Costco and bring a large can of nuts. Bet I will make a lot of friends then. LOL

[Bonnielass]

Well due to the feeling of no longer wanting to be 'loyal to royal' my husband are branching out and trying MSC around the med next week. Will post my thoughts, which will either be, 'great' or cannot wait to get back to rccl. RCCL do not value their loyal guests so i am voting with my Euros and trying someone else.

[little britain]

With all the whining about benefits being taken away, it seemed that nobody really cared about taking advantage of the ones that were provided. I wouldn't be surprised that if this "non-participation" continues, RCCL will cease offering these because of lack of interest on the part of D and D+ passengers. And if that happens we'll have noone to blame but ourselves.

I agree. After teddy was thrown out of the pram over these changes, it seems that no one it fully utilising the current programme on offer, and if not, I too worry that RCI will cut this completely. Or perhaps we have all been on cruises with very few Diamond members. My cruise was Navigator out of Rome so I doubt that there were vast numbers on that one. so perhaps the feedback so far is not truely representative.

The upcoming Transatlantics usually have a lot of Ds so lets see what they say.

 

DH reacons that, from a marketing perspective, offering a perk that few utilise means it is a cheap way to keep the clients that do use it, happy.

We'll see....

[Ladylouwho]

With all the whining about benefits being taken away, it seemed that nobody really cared about taking advantage of the ones that were provided. I wouldn't be surprised that if this "non-participation" continues, RCCL will cease offering these because of lack of interest on the part of D and D+ passengers. And if that happens we'll have noone to blame but ourselves.

 

Well a couple of reasons this might be so sparsely attended. One is they don't offer complimentary beer. Not everyone drinks wine or champagne. Plus for people who do like wine, the quality of what they are choosing to serve is questionable. Another reason is that a lot of Diamonds are pretty miffed at the treatment they have received at the hand of Adam Goldstein regarding the slashing of their benefits and not just CL priviledges.

 

Many of these people are insulted that they would be asked to pay for a drink, even at a discount, at an "Event" that is supposedly being thrown in their honor as a gift for their continued Loyalty.

 

Still others are booking fewer Royal Carbbean Cruises and are busy sailing other lines and some have left RCI altogether.

 

These of course aren't the only reasons but certainly have a little something to do with the limited attendance.

 

As far as the Nightly Diamond Events disappearing due to lack of attendance, well I personally think that has been the plan all along.

 

Just consider what Adam Goldstein finally admitted on his Blog as to the Diamond situation. When pushed for an answer after people commented that obviously the "lack of space argument" was never the real reason the Diamonds had CL rights rescinded because they are obviously finding space for all these "Nightly Diamond Events", and it really wouldn't be such a big deal to offer complimentary basic mixed drinks or at least complimentary beer, Adam replied, "We are just not comfortable doing that at this time".

 

RCI doesn't consider their Diamond guests on these ships all that beneficial, otherwise they would not have changed the overflow concept as it had been working on most ships. They want their Diamond guests to move to the larger and more expensive to book Ships like Freedom Class and Oasis Class. Or they would like them to move on to Celebrity.

 

JMO,

Colleen

[negc]

I agree. After teddy was thrown out of the pram over these changes, it seems that no one it fully utilising the current programme on offer, and if not, I too worry that RCI will cut this completely. Or perhaps we have all been on cruises with very few Diamond members. My cruise was Navigator out of Rome so I doubt that there were vast numbers on that one. so perhaps the feedback so far is not truely representative.

The upcoming Transatlantics usually have a lot of Ds so lets see what they say.

 

DH reacons that, from a marketing perspective, offering a perk that few utilise means it is a cheap way to keep the clients that do use it, happy.

We'll see....

 

Beware the self-fulfilling prophecy. Concluding that few guests are taking advantage of the new Diamond Event etc. based on a limited number of reports posted over the first three or four weeks while choosing to ignore those posts which indicate no such lack of attendance, is not terribly logical, but if you can convince RCI that people are not interested in any of the perks that they still provide their Diamond members, don't be surprised if those perks are eliminated. I think it would be wiser to wait a few weeks or months before reaching any conclusions about the future of the program.:)

[mpbmark]

Well a couple of reasons this might be so sparsely attended. One is they don't offer complimentary beer. Not everyone drinks wine or champagne. Plus for people who do like wine, the quality of what they are choosing to serve is questionable. Another reason is that a lot of Diamonds are pretty miffed at the treatment they have received at the hand of Adam Goldstein regarding the slashing of their benefits and not just CL priviledges.

 

Many of these people are insulted that they would be asked to pay for a drink, even at a discount, at an "Event" that is supposedly being thrown in their honor as a gift for their continued Loyalty.

 

Still others are booking fewer Royal Carbbean Cruises and are busy sailing other lines and some have left RCI altogether.

 

These of course aren't the only reasons but certainly have a little something to do with the limited attendance.

 

As far as the Nightly Diamond Events disappearing due to lack of attendance, well I personally think that has been the plan all along.

 

Just consider what Adam Goldstein finally admitted on his Blog as to the Diamond situation. When pushed for an answer after people commented that obviously the "lack of space argument" was never the real reason the Diamonds had CL rights rescinded because they are obviously finding space for all these "Nightly Diamond Events", and it really wouldn't be such a big deal to offer complimentary basic mixed drinks or at least complimentary beer, Adam replied, "We are just not comfortable doing that at this time".

 

RCI doesn't consider their Diamond guests on these ships all that beneficial, otherwise they would not have changed the overflow concept as it had been working on most ships. They want their Diamond guests to move to the larger and more expensive to book Ships like Freedom Class and Oasis Class. Or they would like them to move on to Celebrity.

 

JMO,

Colleen

 

Well said. My postion from way back when this was first announced is that it has always been about the money. The overflow lounge worked just fine, but the number of people who became eligible to attend has grown exponentially due to RCCL upgrading cruisers for various reasons not related to actual cruises taken e.g. sharing a cabin with a diamond member makes you one too. If RCCL really cared about "loyalty" from diamond members, there could have been a grandfather provision so at least those who had earned the "promised perk" would still have it and might consider additional cruises to make diamond +. Now, many believe that the "plus benefits" will be the next to be changed, so what's the point?

[TEXASMUNK]

We will avoid the Diamond Lounge for awhile. Until all the angry folks have moved on to another cruise line. Last thing we want to do is share a drink with angry folks!