Admittance to Elite lounges

[Irishwhiskey]

When we sailed on RCCL EOS the key was used to open the lounge door.There wasn't anyone there to check cards.You could bring a guest with you.The cards could be a prelude of more changes to come!

[floridatravelersforlife]

The Capt Club rep checked against a list the first day and you had to show the card and leave it on the table to get drinks.

 

Mind you there were 350 Elites on Board ( and over 500 Select) for the 10/23 Holy Land Cruise on the Equinox according to the CC rep.

 

I suspect this is way above normal.

 

Nevertheless we were able to bring along our cruising companion couple without issue.

 

 

I meant Captains Club hostess.

[lancelady]

We sailed on the Infinity 4/12/09 thru the Panama Canal. At that time

there was no lounge available for Elite Members for cocktails. If you

wanted a drink you had to pay for it and get it from any of the lounges

just like anyone else wanting a drink. No special treatment on that

cruise.

[micruiser2002]

lancelady, I believe that is because these new benefits only took effect the middle of this year after your cruise.

[Lois R]

We sailed on the Infinity 4/12/09 thru the Panama Canal. At that time

there was no lounge available for Elite Members for cocktails. If you

wanted a drink you had to pay for it and get it from any of the lounges

just like anyone else wanting a drink. No special treatment on that

cruise.

 

The new perks were just implemented within the last 3 months.

They were not available back in April.

[Jimopoulos]

I have a question. We are becoming Elite members on this cruise, in other words we need two more credits and they will be adquired at the end of this cruise. my question is will we be getting the benefits of the new tier :o on this cruise?

 

We have cruised with Royal Caribbbean and they have honored the new tier benefits on the same cruise, but I was wondering what is Celebrity policy? Does anybody know?

 

Thank so much!

[denims]

I have a question. We are becoming Elite members on this cruise, in other words we need two more credits and they will be adquired at the end of this cruise. my question is will we be getting the benefits of the new tier :o on this cruise?

 

We have cruised with Royal Caribbbean and they have honored the new tier benefits on the same cruise, but I was wondering what is Celebrity policy? Does anybody know?

 

Thank so much!

 

If you are receiving during this cruise, you will not be elite until your next cruise!

 

Sorry to give you that news!:eek:

[floridatravelersforlife]

Definitely after!

[jcpc]

We were on the Mercury November 9th 12 night sailing. While we did not go to the Elite Lounge every night, we did manage to make it 4 nights. Angela, the CC hostess, was only there once that I saw and she never even looked up from her chair when we walked in, and she left the room shortly after 4:30 pm never to be seen again that evening. Friends of ours that were there every night said she was never there when they walked in (they usually arrived after 5 pm) and nobody ever asked them to show any ID of any sort. So, I think's it's all somewhat random as to whether anyone is checking for that little white card that is issued to you stating that you are entitled to use the Lounge. We were traveling with some non-Elite members and I'm willing to bet that I could have brought any one of them in for a drink any night and nobody would have questioned me.

[Holly2]

Someone at Captain's Club told me that we could use the Elite Lounge even though we are just Select because we are in a suite. Don't want to if not "legal."

[angelpug]

It's on a "Cruise by Cruise" basis if suites are allowed in. On our Mercury, Nov. 9th cruise, the Hotel Director (This is the person that makes the Final decision) decided for that cruise that VIP's (Higher Suites), would NOT be allowed into the Elite Lounge for that cruise. We were in a Royal Suite, and got every thing else that would normally come with the suite, but NOT that...because it IS the Elite Lounge!

 

I for one don't think it's right...but I'm Elite now and don't have to dwell on this....but I AM still going to voice my opinion that if someone is paying more for ONE cruise, than a person that's cruised 10 times with RCCL for $299.99, then that person SHOULD be treated like a VIP, and should be entitled to EVERYTHING the cruiseline has to offer...just like someone that's purchased a First Class seat on an airline!

 

~Jaime

[neilrr]

It's on a "Cruise by Cruise" basis if suites are allowed in. On our Mercury, Nov. 9th cruise, the Hotel Director (This is the person that makes the Final decision) decided for that cruise that VIP's (Higher Suites), would NOT be allowed into the Elite Lounge for that cruise. We were in a Royal Suite, and got every thing else that would normally come with the suite, but NOT that...because it IS the Elite Lounge!

 

I for one don't think it's right...but I'm Elite now and don't have to dwell on this....but I AM still going to voice my opinion that if someone is paying more for ONE cruise, than a person that's cruised 10 times with RCCL for $299.99, then that person SHOULD be treated like a VIP, and should be entitled to EVERYTHING the cruiseline has to offer...just like someone that's purchased a First Class seat on an airline!

 

~Jaime

 

Angelpug - Jaime - We have travelled with Celebrity for 8 years before receiving Elite status and I have to disagree with you about having Suite people have those perks on possibly their first cruise; first let them show loyalty to the cruise line then we can discuss it... This will be my first cruise as an Elite member...:)

 

Neil

[PatC]

Neil - I agree. We've been with Celebrity since 1992, never went to another line by choice. I feel we made it to Elite by being loyal, we deserve the new perks. The folks on this board have been begging the cruise line for newer perks at this level and we finally have them.

 

What should be remembered is that they changed the policy for the different levels. It used to be the number of cruises you took. Now it's an accumulation of different things, i.e. suite, length of cruise, etc. It's much easier to reach Elite now.

 

I do wonder if and when they'll make Elite Plus for 25 points and over. Seems like that might be the next step.

 

Looks like these perks for Elite are doing well with most cruisers. Only real complaint I've seen is the time. Oh well, we'll take what we can get at this point.

 

Happy Sailing

 

Pat

[angelpug]

Angelpug - Jaime - We have travelled with Celebrity for 8 years before receiving Elite status and I have to disagree with you about having Suite people have those perks on possibly their first cruise; first let them show loyalty to the cruise line then we can discuss it... This will be my first cruise as an Elite member...:)

 

Neil

 

Hi Neil!

 

It took me 11 years to get to Elite!:D My first cruise in 1998 in a suite didn't count as 2 credits...too far back!

 

I don't think it's right for someone taking their first Celebrity cruise to get to go to the Elite Lounge either, just because they found the easy way around it by taking 10 cruises on RCCL in the lowest possible cabins (some as low as $299.00 a person) and earning that right through their Diamond Status...and YES, you will find people onboard bragging about that and patting themselves on the back. And if they've nickle and dimed themselves into Elite...do you think they REALLY spend a lot of money on the ship itself...like DRINKS? IS this loyalty? Celebrity can't even break even on some of these passengers, and now they're giving them FREE alcohol! (These are a minority...but so are the HIGHER Suites who spend a LOT of money on Celebrity ships!) How many people do you think would be in the Elite Lounge if Celebrity switched it from credits to $$$$? I have 11 credits now, but it took me $18,000 to get those.:eek:

 

There are at the most 20 people in HIGHER Suites that I'm saying should be allowed into the Elite Lounge....and you'll find most ARE already Elite!

 

I think those Penthouse Suite Guests that have shelled out as much as $20,000 are showing MORE than enough loyalty! And if you treat these higher paying guests as VIP/Elites, they WILL come back and spend a LOT of money on Celebrity, thus keeping everyone elses prices down!

 

And you'd be REALLY surprised once you get onboard how many others feel this exact way! Overall, EVERYONE would like to see cruise prices stay affordable, but if you get a group of people that know how to USE the system, it will come back around to bite us ALL on the butt eventually, and those loyalty perks would be the first things to go!

 

Take Care,

Jaime

[angelpug]

Neil - I agree. We've been with Celebrity since 1992, never went to another line by choice. I feel we made it to Elite by being loyal, we deserve the new perks. The folks on this board have been begging the cruise line for newer perks at this level and we finally have them.

 

What should be remembered is that they changed the policy for the different levels. It used to be the number of cruises you took. Now it's an accumulation of different things, i.e. suite, length of cruise, etc. It's much easier to reach Elite now.

 

I do wonder if and when they'll make Elite Plus for 25 points and over. Seems like that might be the next step.

 

Looks like these perks for Elite are doing well with most cruisers. Only real complaint I've seen is the time. Oh well, we'll take what we can get at this point.

 

Happy Sailing

 

Pat

 

I asked the Captain's Club Hostess about this, and she said that this time was chosen after asking/polling other Captain's Club members on other cruises!

 

I don't think they took the time to talk to people that LOVE to eat at the late seating!:D On our cruise, the early seating was full, and waitlisted...so this is a good time I guess if going by the majority of people.

 

~Jaime

[jcpc]

This debate can go on and on. Right now the current program is a loyalty program - not a program to give benefits to suite occupants. I believe that suite occupants get different benefits that are not afforded to all Elite Members.

 

So, if Celebrity were to automatically include Suite occupants in their LOYALTY program, should the Elite members also get the Suite perks that are given to Suite occupants? Where does it end?

 

To be honest, I can see both sides of the argument as being valid.

 

And, Jaime, I understand where you're coming from saying that your first cruise in a suite didn't count as 2 credits because it was taken before the system changed for counting cruise "credits". I feel the same way - my first 30 Celebrity cruises either in suites or for 12+ nights only counted as 30 cruises because they were taken prior to the new system going into effect!!

[angelpug]

This debate can go on and on. Right now the current program is a loyalty program - not a program to give benefits to suite occupants. I believe that suite occupants get different benefits that are not afforded to all Elite Members.

 

So, if Celebrity were to automatically include Suite occupants in their LOYALTY program, should the Elite members also get the Suite perks that are given to Suite occupants? Where does it end?

 

To be honest, I can see both sides of the argument as being valid.

 

And, Jaime, I understand where you're coming from saying that your first cruise in a suite didn't count as 2 credits because it was taken before the system changed for counting cruise "credits". I feel the same way - my first 30 Celebrity cruises either in suites or for 12+ nights only counted as 30 cruises because they were taken prior to the new system going into effect!!

 

 

That is EXACTLY what I told someone on the Mercury that had asked my opinion on the Captain's Club perks one day! To truly be a Loyalty Club, then those people who are the most loyal should be treated as if they've paid for the highest cabin. It would be too hard to give them the butler service, but treat an Elite Passenger in an inside cabin to flowers, fruit, stationary, upgraded robes....basically whatever the suite passengers get, they SHOULD be getting! And before anyone can buy cheap upgrades at the pier, they should upgrade, or give those upgrades to an Elite passenger instead! These are small things that really do make passengers FEEL special, and wouldn't be that hard to do!

 

~Jaime

[neilrr]

That is EXACTLY what I told someone on the Mercury that had asked my opinion on the Captain's Club perks one day! To truly be a Loyalty Club, then those people who are the most loyal should be treated as if they've paid for the highest cabin. It would be too hard to give them the butler service, but treat an Elite Passenger in an inside cabin to flowers, fruit, stationary, upgraded robes....basically whatever the suite passengers get, they SHOULD be getting! And before anyone can buy cheap upgrades at the pier, they should upgrade, or give those upgrades to an Elite passenger instead! These are small things that really do make passengers FEEL special, and wouldn't be that hard to do!

 

~Jaime

 

Angelpug - Jaime - Again, I see your point, but don't agree.

 

Most people are not spending $299.99 for a cabin and ending up as Elite members on Celebrity. Also, most people are also not "buying upgrades" at the pier - believe me I've tried. :D As PatC said, this is a loyalty program, not a program for who can afford the $20,000 (usually $3,000 - $4,000pp) Suite. I agree they should receive the special treatment for being in a Suite and all of the amenities that go along with it, but many of us have worked and spent quite a bit of money (in the bars and on other things on Celebrity) for someone to waltz in. Also, remember it is the same with First Calss on a plane or the Suites on the ship -- it is the Coach Class people that provide the majority of the revenue for the company (not the Suites on a ship or First Class on a plane). This comes from a cruiseline stockholder.