Time to put this rumor to rest - Tier level requirement changes to C&A

[beachbuddy]

They should change that first before anything else. I could never figure out how they could justify giving everyone in the household the same status. I know of people who are Diamond Plus because of who their parents are or who they are married to. Even though they've only cruised once or twice. Never made any sense to me. I say if you don't personally earn the status you don't deserve it.

 

Hey Tony, that would take common sense to do and I'm not sure how much common sense those making these rules have.....LOL How could they not have known that this would cause a problem. I think all C&A members should feel cheated that someone people are enjoying benefits that they didn't earn when it took others so long to get to where they are now. I agree that this should be the very first thing that RCCL does. All they have to do is send them a letter saying "due to overcrowding" we have to lower your status to "Gold". Our rules have changed and you need "X" amount of credits to reach that status.

 

Wake up RCCL, why would you give benefits to people that don't deserve them and then turn around and take benefits away from those that do deserve them.

 

Maybe they should put some cruise critic people on their team..........LOL Bet we could straighten things out. Bet I could even do a better job of proof reading than they do too. If I recall, the new benefits on their website say "ending May 31, 3010 and "beginning June 1, 2011". Can't remember if it said 3001 or 3010 but any rate we're not in that century yet........LOL

 

Patty

[beachbuddy]

I do see how. The only place where the number of C&A members in an area seems to be a problem is the Concierge Lounge.

 

But grouping families together for other benefits isn't bad. Boarding and leaving the ship would be an example. Priority boarding is not that big a deal when it comes to keeping people together.

 

Another example of living in the same household would be this. Say there are two Diamond Plus members. A husband and wife, both having gone on say 50 cruises together. Then one of them passes away. Then, some years later, the survivor meets and marries again. Their new spouse might have never cruised before. Wouldn't having to start over in life be enough?

 

Maybe living in the same house isn't a benefit of the C&A system. Maybe it is the benefit of being a family.

 

I think it's fine to give that status to the husband since they share the same cabin which I believe that's what they do anyway, but it should not be shared with the entire household. It's not just the CL crowding, it's being invited to the various parties that they have too. On our last cruise, they had a few different parties fo D/D+ to split them up - guess because there were so many. I'm sure RCCL wouldn't stop any family from boarding together. I've seen people go to the P/D/D+ priority check in area and the other members of the family go to the regular check in area and they just meet in the bus area and board together. But they should not get any of the benefits. if there are young children involved they would be staying in the same cabin as the parents anyway so their parents would check them in. As long as they are in the same cabin they can check in with the member that has the highest status but that should have nothing to do with giving them benefits.

 

OK.....gotta go get ready for work.

 

Chow...............

[beachbuddy]

Agree......our daughter in mid 30's is Diamond Plus.........been on one cruise and we still get her mail to this day from RC:rolleyes: and she hasn't been in our household for 18 years.

 

See..........that's exactly what I mean! Thanks for posting that. How could RCCL be so blind and not know that this is not right!! It's just another slap in the face for those C&A members that struggled to reach a status.

 

I say they really need to fix this first.

 

Patty

[mommabean]

Only one of my children got to be D+ based on our status. Another got to be D. I called RCI to ask about this not too long ago. They told me that the reason one is only D is that when they turn 18 they are unlinked from the parents status even though SHE WAS living at home - she had the same address. We became D+ before the youngest one's 18th birthday so she is the only one who became D+ with us.

 

I'm not sure why anyone else has people in the household getting the same status if they aren't married to them or if they are not your child under 18. Other relatives or adult children in the same household really shouldn't have the same level.

 

Gina

[Host Kewlguy]

I think it's fine to give that status to the husband since they share the same cabin which I believe that's what they do anyway, but it should not be shared with the entire household. It's not just the CL crowding, it's being invited to the various parties that they have too. On our last cruise, they had a few different parties fo D/D+ to split them up - guess because there were so many. I'm sure RCCL wouldn't stop any family from boarding together. I've seen people go to the P/D/D+ priority check in area and the other members of the family go to the regular check in area and they just meet in the bus area and board together. But they should not get any of the benefits. if there are young children involved they would be staying in the same cabin as the parents anyway so their parents would check them in. As long as they are in the same cabin they can check in with the member that has the highest status but that should have nothing to do with giving them benefits.

 

OK.....gotta go get ready for work.

 

Chow...............

 

Besides crowding in the Concierge Lounge, it's also getting extremely crowded on the "priority" check in line. At least at Cape Liberty it is. The line was ridiculously long on our 5/13 cruise. I think I would have been better off standing in the regular line as it couldn't be any longer or slower than the priority one.

[negc]

Besides crowding in the Concierge Lounge, it's also getting extremely crowded on the "priority" check in line. At least at Cape Liberty it is. The line was ridiculously long on our 5/13 cruise. I think I would have been better off standing in the regular line as it couldn't be any longer or slower than the priority one.

 

I wonder how much lower the number of Diamond and Diamond plus members would be if they simply removed family members whose only claim to C&A status is their relationship to someone in their family who actually earned the status? Seems that anyone who was so effected wouldn't have much grounds to complain if their status was reduced to actually reflect their personal history. It might provide immediate help in reducing crowding problems in priority lines and in the CL and Diamond lounges. After that was accomplished they could turn their attention to polishing the details of a new cruise credit policy.:)

[Host Kewlguy]

I wonder how much lower the number of Diamond and Diamond plus members would be if they simply removed family members whose only claim to C&A status is their relationship to someone in their family who actually earned the status? Seems that anyone who was so effected wouldn't have much grounds to complain if their status was reduced to actually reflect their personal history. It might provide immediate help in reducing crowding problems in priority lines and in the CL and Diamond lounges. After that was accomplished they could turn their attention to polishing the details of a new cruise credit policy.:)

 

I think if they put us, along with Don Pedro and Beachbuddy in charge or revamping the system we could do a better job than the current group with that responsibility. ;)

[cruisenfever]

I think if they put us, along with Don Pedro and Beachbuddy in charge or revamping the system we could do a better job than the current group with that responsibility. ;)

I volunteer to be someone's campaign manager if needed.:D

[elephant98]

They should change that first before anything else. I could never figure out how they could justify giving everyone in the household the same status. I know of people who are Diamond Plus because of who their parents are or who they are married to. Even though they've only cruised once or twice. Never made any sense to me. I say if you don't personally earn the status you don't deserve it.

 

I hear you. But, what about at least giving children in the household the same status as their parents until they become adults, at which time their status is based solely on their own cruise history? There are a lot of benefits that a minor cannot or would not take advantage of anyway. My infant son can't use a robe, has no use of a signature lapel pin, the daily breakfast with specialty coffee, etc. A few extra people on the behind-the-scenes tour is no big deal. Minors not are supposed to be drinking any of the free booze. Most important, it would odd to give the parents priority-check and a private departure lounge, but not allow their children to go with them. Though, I guess giving priority for shore excursions to the kiddies by default would take away a spot from others.

[Don Pedro]

I hear you. But, what about at least giving children in the household the same status as their parents until they become adults, at which time their status is based solely on their own cruise history? There are a lot of benefits that a minor cannot or would not take advantage of anyway. My infant son can't use a robe, has no use of a signature lapel pin, the daily breakfast with specialty coffee, etc. A few extra people on the behind-the-scenes tour is no big deal. Minors not are supposed to be drinking any of the free booze. Most important, it would odd to give the parents priority-check and a private departure lounge, but not allow their children to go with them. Though, I guess giving priority for shore excursions to the kiddies by default would take away a spot from others.

 

We seriously doubt that any children have ever been denied the ability to check-in with their parents or to sit in the same departure lounge as their parents. But your suggestion is valid as long as they are traveling with the parent and their status reverts to their own cruise history when they become an adult.

 

The question of when they obtain adult status, however, can create questions. Is it at age 18, or when they no longer reside at the parents address. And what about college students living on campus?

[Astona]

My hubby and I are diamond and we are thrilled with what we get; we look at it this way, something is better than nothing. We loved the perks on the Freedom of the Seas, and will miss them when we are on the Radiance this time. The advanced boarding shorter lines help a LOT.

 

RCCL is a company that we own stock in and needs to make its shareholders money. Just like everyone else out there, they are finding it harder and harder to make money and to get people on the ships. With people staying home on stay-cations its hard to get peeps on the ship and spending money. So giving perks helps a lot, but its not the reason we cruise.

 

When you look at the value you get on a cruise is it really worth complaining over a free drink here and there? Where else can we eat good food, relax, wake up each morning in another country, travel the word, for about $200 a day for the two of us. Shoot, a cheap hotel costs about $100 a night, plus food for two a day and travel. We cruise because we love traveling and not paying an arm and leg for it.

 

We will make Diamond + and enjoy the perks.

 

People need to just enjoy the vacation and not whine about what they arent getting. Enjoy what you have.....

[elephant98]

We seriously doubt that any children have ever been denied the ability to check-in with their parents or to sit in the same departure lounge as their parents. But your suggestion is valid as long as they are traveling with the parent and their status reverts to their own cruise history when they become an adult.

 

The question of when they obtain adult status, however, can create questions. Is it at age 18, or when they no longer reside at the parents address. And what about college students living on campus?

 

Good points. On that note, I just remembered that Royal won't allow anyone under 21 to be in a stateroom unless they are accompanied by someone who is at least 21.

[critterchick]

I do see how. The only place where the number of C&A members in an area seems to be a problem is the Concierge Lounge.

 

But grouping families together for other benefits isn't bad. Boarding and leaving the ship would be an example. Priority boarding is not that big a deal when it comes to keeping people together.

 

Another example of living in the same household would be this. Say there are two Diamond Plus members. A husband and wife, both having gone on say 50 cruises together. Then one of them passes away. Then, some years later, the survivor meets and marries again. Their new spouse might have never cruised before. Wouldn't having to start over in life be enough?

 

Maybe living in the same house isn't a benefit of the C&A system. Maybe it is the benefit of being a family.

 

I respectfully disagree. I have always been able to check in with my roommate even when s/he was Gold or a rookie. RCI is very flexible that way. Do is Princess, for that matter. And my roomie has also been welcome at P/D events. Access to the CL varies by ship as to whether a non-DP member in the same cabin can go in. I've seen it happen and I think it's appropriate.

 

But I don't think RCI should continue the practice of giving status to entire households. If I'm travelling with non DP friends I'll join them in a bar and forgo an extended stay in the CL. I'd do the same with family.

[Tucker in Texas]

I wonder how much lower the number of Diamond and Diamond plus members would be if they simply removed family members whose only claim to C&A status is their relationship to someone in their family who actually earned the status? Seems that anyone who was so effected wouldn't have much grounds to complain if their status was reduced to actually reflect their personal history. It might provide immediate help in reducing crowding problems in priority lines and in the CL and Diamond lounges. After that was accomplished they could turn their attention to polishing the details of a new cruise credit policy.:)

 

I have written two letters and filled out two surveys on board suggesting this very thing. and, I am shooting myself (or my son) in the foot.

 

When we first started cruising, we signed him up for C&A at the ripe old age of 7. Over the years, we kept cruising but he only went with us two or three times. We made Diamond.

 

He married after not having cruised on Royal Caribbean for many years--college and all precluded going with us--probably had four our five cruises total. The cruise was our gift to them for their wedding. Besides getting married, they were in the process of moving from Virginia to Texas so we had the documents sent to us and used our address on the booking.

 

When we got his e-docs, lo and behold, they stated he was Diamond. Since he was in a balcony, I called my TA and asked him to get the balcony discount for him which he had no trouble getting. Hey, the make the rules, I play by them particularly when it was saving me $300. It was on the Rhapsody so there was no CL but he said they did enjoy the Diamond coupon book and the gifts.

 

To this day, he is still listed as Diamond and so is his wife (that was her first cruise) since our address is still his address of record. His wife did not like cruising so he doesn't anticipate cruising again but since he lives a mile from us, there is no reason to "correct" his address just in case she changes her mind.

 

The above reason is what prompted me to write RCL when they said the CL was being too crowded to include Diamonds. Neither he nor his wife deserve to be Diamonds. I would imagine if they have kids, they would be Diamond. Suppose they got divorced and remarried. Married spouses with kids. They are all Diamonds?

 

All Royal would have to do is start looking at the dates people joined C&A and then check their birth date to see if they were minors and now beyond 21 or whatever when they book cruises and withdraw status earned when living at home and use their actual cruise credits earned while on Mom and Dad's payroll. In this day of computers, it can't be that hard.

 

Tucker in Texas (I'll get off my soapbox now)

[beachbuddy]

I think if they put us, along with Don Pedro and Beachbuddy in charge or revamping the system we could do a better job than the current group with that responsibility. ;)

 

Gee, thanks Tony!! LOL

 

Patty

[beachbuddy]

Besides crowding in the Concierge Lounge, it's also getting extremely crowded on the "priority" check in line. At least at Cape Liberty it is. The line was ridiculously long on our 5/13 cruise. I think I would have been better off standing in the regular line as it couldn't be any longer or slower than the priority one.

 

Tony, your so right about that! There's been times when no one is in the regular lines and we have to use priority and the lines are really long and they don't have as many people on that side checking people in.

 

Patty

[beachbuddy]

I volunteer to be someone's campaign manager if needed.:D

 

LOL.......Patti, you'd be a great campaign manager! :D;)

[beachbuddy]

We seriously doubt that any children have ever been denied the ability to check-in with their parents or to sit in the same departure lounge as their parents. But your suggestion is valid as long as they are traveling with the parent and their status reverts to their own cruise history when they become an adult.

 

The question of when they obtain adult status, however, can create questions. Is it at age 18, or when they no longer reside at the parents address. And what about college students living on campus?

 

I don't think you can determine their status by whether they live at home or at college - WoW, that would be to much to ask of RCCL! ;) I think it would have to be by age.

 

I doubt that they would ever deny children the ability to check in with their parents either. If they are staying in the same cabin with their parents, they'd have to check in with them anyway. I'm under the impression that even if your traveling with a friend who never even sailed with RCCL, don't you still have to check in together? Maybe I'm wrong but that's what I always thought..........do you know if that's true or not?

 

Patty

[beachbuddy]

I have written two letters and filled out two surveys on board suggesting this very thing. and, I am shooting myself (or my son) in the foot.

 

When we first started cruising, we signed him up for C&A at the ripe old age of 7. Over the years, we kept cruising but he only went with us two or three times. We made Diamond.

 

He married after not having cruised on Royal Caribbean for many years--college and all precluded going with us--probably had four our five cruises total. The cruise was our gift to them for their wedding. Besides getting married, they were in the process of moving from Virginia to Texas so we had the documents sent to us and used our address on the booking.

 

When we got his e-docs, lo and behold, they stated he was Diamond. Since he was in a balcony, I called my TA and asked him to get the balcony discount for him which he had no trouble getting. Hey, the make the rules, I play by them particularly when it was saving me $300. It was on the Rhapsody so there was no CL but he said they did enjoy the Diamond coupon book and the gifts.

 

To this day, he is still listed as Diamond and so is his wife (that was her first cruise) since our address is still his address of record. His wife did not like cruising so he doesn't anticipate cruising again but since he lives a mile from us, there is no reason to "correct" his address just in case she changes her mind.

 

The above reason is what prompted me to write RCL when they said the CL was being too crowded to include Diamonds. Neither he nor his wife deserve to be Diamonds. I would imagine if they have kids, they would be Diamond. Suppose they got divorced and remarried. Married spouses with kids. They are all Diamonds?

 

All Royal would have to do is start looking at the dates people joined C&A and then check their birth date to see if they were minors and now beyond 21 or whatever when they book cruises and withdraw status earned when living at home and use their actual cruise credits earned while on Mom and Dad's payroll. In this day of computers, it can't be that hard.

 

Tucker in Texas (I'll get off my soapbox now)

 

Tucker,

 

Yep, it's the pyrimid effect! That's exactly how it works and that's why I don't understand how RCCL didn't anticipate this happening!

 

Patty

[psupa]

I think what also caused the inflation is the fact that they were giving everyone in your household the same status as you would have. For instance if my children were living here and cruised with us on their first cruise, they would make them Diamond which is ridiculous. I don't see how they justify just giving people a C&A status that they didn't earn just because they live in the same household. That's where they should change the benefit, not for those of us that earned it.

 

Patty, this is a thorne in my side and I've been saying this all along, but RCI doesn't seem to want to address the issue. We are 4 points away from D+, but I think that will change before we reach it, which is so unfair since we earned it one cruise at a time.

 

Theresa

[psupa]

They should change that first before anything else. I could never figure out how they could justify giving everyone in the household the same status. I know of people who are Diamond Plus because of who their parents are or who they are married to. Even though they've only cruised once or twice. Never made any sense to me. I say if you don't personally earn the status you don't deserve it.

 

I agree this needs to be addressed by RCI, but for some reason they don't seem to want to go there.

 

Theresa

[beachbuddy]

Patty, this is a thorne in my side and I've been saying this all along, but RCI doesn't seem to want to address the issue. We are 4 points away from D+, but I think that will change before we reach it, which is so unfair since we earned it one cruise at a time.

 

Theresa

 

Hi Theresa,

 

Nice to see you on other threads besides our old cruise thread........LOL Yeah, it's been a thorn in my side too, especially when they took some of our Diamond benefits away because of so called overcrowding. It was fun sitting and chatting in the overflow lounge when we cruised together and we really missed it on this past cruise. The so called "Diamond Event" is just not the same!! I'm sure they'll be raising the threshold for D+ so I'm sure it will take us years yet to reach it. We did a few 7 nights, but mostly 9 to 12 night cruises. Hey, think about the Silhouette for Nov 2011!!

 

Patty

[psupa]

Hey Tony, that would take common sense to do and I'm not sure how much common sense those making these rules have.....LOL How could they not have known that this would cause a problem. I think all C&A members should feel cheated that someone people are enjoying benefits that they didn't earn when it took others so long to get to where they are now. I agree that this should be the very first thing that RCCL does. All they have to do is send them a letter saying "due to overcrowding" we have to lower your status to "Gold". Our rules have changed and you need "X" amount of credits to reach that status.

 

Wake up RCCL, why would you give benefits to people that don't deserve them and then turn around and take benefits away from those that do deserve them.

 

Maybe they should put some cruise critic people on their team..........LOL Bet we could straighten things out. Bet I could even do a better job of proof reading than they do too. If I recall, the new benefits on their website say "ending May 31, 3010 and "beginning June 1, 2011". Can't remember if it said 3001 or 3010 but any rate we're not in that century yet........LOL

 

Patty

 

I vote for you:)

[beachbuddy]

I vote for you:)

 

Heehee........gee, thanks! :o:o:o

[psupa]

Hi Theresa,

 

Hey, think about the Silhouette for Nov 2011!!

 

Patty

 

I would except I have an aft balcony on the Explorer for Dec 2011. It's the last of the 12 night cruises that will give me 2 points and make us D+ unless they change that before then. It's a ways off so I'll keep an eye on that and if RCI changes anything I may consider the Silhouette.

 

Theresa