Diamonds in December, NOT this year!

[Barbiegator]

[quote name='marci22']I agree with this. All D, D+ and P should have received this email by now. It's odd how so few posters have received a mail.[/quote]
Have not received an email and cruising in December.

[Ray in NH]

[quote name='yogimax']Sure I'll miss the double points and booked a December cruise partially in the hope that there would be a DID event.

The only thing RCCL could have done better was to announce last December that it would be the final year of the promotion. That would have[SIZE=3][COLOR=red][B] removed all uncertainty and elimated the griping.[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/quote]


[B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=purple][COLOR=purple]and the sun would never set, with everyone living evermore in a state of bliss. :D[/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B]
[B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#800080][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B]
[B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#800080]Ray in NH[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B]

[Ray in NH]

[quote name='tinkerme1']Your perspective is a little different than mine. When a company offers a promotion like DiD, and does so for many years in a row, there is a perception, right or wrong, that the promotion will continue. What they should have done at the end of December last year, was to say that DiD would no longer be offered for future years. [SIZE=3][COLOR=red][B]Waiting for the last minute to annouce a change[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE] is difficult for many to swallow considering they have booked cruises and paid for airfare in anticipation of DiD.

Creating a perception and then deciding at the last minute to change it creates unnecessary bad feelings. It reminds me of Pavlov's Experiments.[/quote]

[B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=purple]You mention "last minute" a couple of times. Perhaps it is just me, but five plus months, hardly seems like "last minute" :confused:[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B]
[B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#800080][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B]
[B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#800080]Ray in NH[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B]

[springaussie]

If you were a Bar Attendant in December over the last 4 years for Royal and you did not get to work in the Diamond or Diamond + Lounges once. What would you think of Diamonds in December?
Glen

[mommabean]

[quote name='springaussie']If you were a Bar Attendant in December over the last 4 years for Royal and you did not get to work in the Diamond or Diamond + Lounges once. What would you think of Diamonds in December?
Glen[/QUOTE]

What do you mean? I think the crew with the higher ratings gets to work in the better positions. Just as the most highly rated waiters get to work in MTD. The bar servers that want to work in the D and D+ lounges work to get their ratings up.

Gina

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='yogimax']And some will blindly defend any decision made by the company!

We all base decisions on past history. Many folks here booked cruises in December precisely because of the knowledge that the DID event has been a regular promotion for the past few years.

Many also booked last December for this December!

In all fairness, RCCL should have announced last year that 2012 would be the final year of the DID promotion.[/QUOTE]
I respect your viewpoint, but don't agree at all.

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='shipshape sam']I agree with you that somehow Royal should have not lead people on, but not sure they knew themselves last Dec they would or would not continue the promotion. Also with the promotion having been for the last 4 straight years, it would seem logical it would continue.

Having said that, I thought to my detriment, a lot of other assumptions with respect to features/benefits provided by Royal and other cruise lines that were changed/modified/deleted/stopped.

In the end, I hope Royal does take care of loyal repeat passengers who have spent lots of money to sail with Royal. Now having said that, DID was for passengers who at a minimum were already Diamond and getting lots of nice benefits. We are close to Diamond Plus, thus I can't feel too bad even for myself if we do not get the extra credits. Just means I have to take another cruise and it delays the cruise when we will be Diamond Plus! :)

You can notice in my signature we were considering December 2014 for Allure. If DID is stopped, we would have to rethink.[/QUOTE]
They take care you of you with their loyalty scheme (discounts, cocktail hours, better perks on board etc.).

Why should they be 'expected' to do more than this or why, just because people assumed a DID would happen this year should they have to now 'honour this' or look after people in some other special way.

I am more than happy with the way they look after me now and if anyone isn't maybe another cruise line might fill the void ? Just sayin' :-)

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='Starry Eyes']Didn't they announce DID 2012 in August 2012?
So, why would people expect an announcement of DID 2013 (or lack thereof) before August 2013?
I recall at least a couple threads here on CC over the past six months asking for info about possible DID 2013; as I recall, posters those threads suggested no announcement or decision had been made and that one might need to wait until August or later. So, one might argue they are slipping this info out early. If somebody booked and bought nonrefundable tickets just for possible, unannounced DID, well, that might not have been a great choice. I hope instead they booked and maybe bought air tickets because they wanted that cruise and just hoped for another DID as a bonus.
I was waiting for an announcement to finalize my December plans.[/QUOTE]
Good post :-)

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='Ray in NH'][B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=purple]You mention "last minute" a couple of times. Perhaps it is just me, but five plus months, hardly seems like "last minute" :confused:[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B]
[B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#800080][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B]
[B][I][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#800080]Ray in NH[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B][/QUOTE]
Ha ha ha !!! I'm in total agreement - especially when last years DID wasn't announced until 3 months before :-)

[springaussie]

[quote name='mommabean']What do you mean? I think the crew with the higher ratings gets to work in the better positions. Just as the most highly rated waiters get to work in MTD. The bar servers that want to work in the D and D+ lounges work to get their ratings up.

Gina[/quote]

In December the ships have a higher number then normal of Diamonds and above on board. The bar takings on the other bars would be down considerably compared to other cruises. If you were not rostered on the Diamonds etc areas your tips would be down for that month. The majority of Diamonds and above just drink at the free sessions.

[CptSticky]

[quote name='PantherFan']Just to reiterate what some others have already stated. You can't cancel something if it was never officially announced.[/quote]
That depends on your definition of "officially announced". Our LA booked two cruises in December for us telling us that they would count for DiD. So, how exactly are they going to count if there is no DiD????:confused:

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='CptSticky']That depends on your definition of "officially announced". Our LA booked two cruises in December for us telling us that they would count for DiD. So, how exactly are they going to count if there is no DiD????:confused:[/QUOTE]
Good method for your LA to get you to book a cruise :-)

I'd suggest he/she now needs complaining about as if there was no DID (which there wasn't) this is fraudulent selling.

Happy Cruising :-)

[CptSticky]

[quote name='ticktoneer']Good method for your LA to get you to book a cruise :-)

I'd suggest he/she now needs complaining about as if there was no DID (which there wasn't) this is fraudulent selling.

Happy Cruising :-)[/quote]
Yes, actually it was. Are you surprised?
Am I outraged to lose DiD, no. Am I disappointed and unhappy, yes. Is it a good thing when my favorite cruise line makes me unhappy, probably not. Am I going to cancel this years December, no (nonrefundable air). Am I going to cancel next years December cruises, yes! Will that be good, well the G Kids will like it.
Some have suggested that a smart or reasonable person would wait til much closer to a cruise before ever booking. Apparently they do not care about cabin choice or cruise price or the cost of air.

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='CptSticky']Yes, actually it was. Are you surprised?
Am I outraged to lose DiD, no. Am I disappointed and unhappy, yes. Is it a good thing when my favorite cruise line makes me unhappy, probably not. Am I going to cancel this years December, no (nonrefundable air). Am I going to cancel next years December cruises, yes! Will that be good, well the G Kids will like it.
Some have suggested that a smart or reasonable person would wait til much closer to a cruise before ever booking. Apparently they do not care about cabin choice or cruise price or the cost of air.[/QUOTE]
Yes I am surprised. I think it's awful for a LA to mislead a customer in that way.

Have great future cruises !!

[mommabean]

[quote name='springaussie']In December the ships have a higher number then normal of Diamonds and above on board. The bar takings on the other bars would be down considerably compared to other cruises. If you were not rostered on the Diamonds etc areas your tips would be down for that month. The majority of Diamonds and above just drink at the free sessions.[/QUOTE]

I know that. And so do the bar servers. If they want to work there, they work on getting their ratings up, like I said.

Not to mention there are 4 weeks in a month. Servers will rotate through from cruise to cruise if they can handle the work load and have high ratings in the first place. The same thing happens all over the ship. Some bars are just busier than others.

[Scotty G]

[quote name='springaussie']The majority of Diamonds and above just drink at the free sessions.[/QUOTE]

I have to heartily disagree with that. It is not true based on my observations.

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='mommabean']I know that. And so do the bar servers. If they want to work there, they work on getting their ratings up, like I said.

Not to mention there are 4 weeks in a month. Servers will rotate through from cruise to cruise if they can handle the work load and have high ratings in the first place. The same thing happens all over the ship. Some bars are just busier than others.[/QUOTE]
Oh no !!!!!!!!!

Your Majesty & Enchantment pictures have gone !! :-(

PS - 4 weeks is that a lunar month or calendar month? Ha ha ha

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='Scotty G']I have to heartily disagree with that. It is not true based on my observations.[/QUOTE]
What are your observations?

Thanks

[setsail]

[quote name='CptSticky']That depends on your definition of "officially announced". Our LA booked two cruises in December for us telling us that they would count for DiD. So, how exactly are they going to count if there is no DiD????:confused:[/quote]

Let me see if I have this correct. You booked 2 December cruises based on a verbal without getting anything in writing that said DID would be in place for these 2 cruises?

[Trekker954]

I didn't get the email either.

I've had my December cruise booked for a long long time and don't plan to cancel it. I have the past four Decembers booked one or two cruises in December for the double points and it did get me to D+ faster. I don't think I'll ever see Pinnacle (I use to say that about D+ too, lol), so this doesn't bother me too much; but I'm sorry for those that were counting on the double points. I feel your pain.

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='Trekker954']I've had my December cruise booked for a long long time and don't plan to cancel it. I have the past four Decembers booked one or two cruises in December for the double points and it did get me to D+ faster. I don't think I'll ever see Pinnacle (I use to say that about D+ too, lol), so this doesn't bother me too much; but I'm sorry for those that were counting on the double points. I feel your pain.[/QUOTE]
"I feel your pain"

Ha ha ha !

Did you really mean that dramatic TV soap show type comment?

Happy Cruising :-)

[CptSticky]

[quote name='setsail']Let me see if I have this correct. You booked 2 December cruises based on a verbal without getting anything in writing that said DID would be in place for these 2 cruises?[/quote]
That is correct. This not being a court of law, and the conversation not being recorded, I realize that this "officially" means nothing. This being the real world, they now have a slightly less than happy customer who is canceling two cruises next year. Do they care?

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='CptSticky']That is correct. This not being a court of law, and the conversation not being recorded, I realize that this "officially" means nothing. This being the real world, they now have a slightly less than happy customer who is canceling two cruises next year. Do they care?[/QUOTE]
They won't care if nobody tells them how their LA's are fraudulently selling cruises.

Are you going to complain about her/him and help them to care?

[CptSticky]

[quote name='ticktoneer']They won't care if nobody tells them how their LA's are fraudulently selling cruises.

Are you going to complain about her/him and help them to care?[/quote]
I have found in the past that when you write them with a complement it gets noticed. When you write them with a complaint it gets filed (in the round cabinet). So, no. I will not bother talking to them. It would be a waste of my breath.

[ticktoneer]

[quote name='CptSticky']I have found in the past that when you write them with a complement it gets noticed. When you write them with a complaint it gets filed (in the round cabinet). So, no. I will not bother talking to them. It would be a waste of my breath.[/QUOTE]
Enough said then. I don't think you have the right to be negative or say you are unhappy with them in this situation then if you're not willing to do anything about it for yourself and your fellow cruisers.

Just sayin' !!!