Vouchers are here to stay

[Andy]

Haven't heard of vouchers before. Where do you get them?

The one time I went to the Elite Lounge, nobody else was there so I left.

 

Hi Kathie,

 

For those who are eligible, the vouchers are left in your cabin during the evening, to be used on the following day. It's most days, not quite every day, as some days - such as embarkation day & the day of the Captains Club party, would not have vouchers on those days. At least that's how it was in April of this year. I'm curious to see how it works on Eclipse next week, and if there's vouchers on this sailing, or the Elite lounge.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Host Andy

[c-legs]

Do they ask to see your card to make sure you are entitled to the vouchers? I am thinking of an instance where a non- drinker would give his vouchers away.

On a recent cruise on SUMMIT, we've never been asked for our seapass card once we produced our coupons.....not once.and in all the venues we frequented during the voyage.

'' sharing'' the vouchers with friends and non-member cruisemates is a definite by-product of the voucher system,whether intended or not.

Cheers

[c-legs]

I may be wrong, but I think they have to be used on the specific day they are valid, during the 5-7 PM happy hour period.

Correct: date-stamped , and with a specific time window.

[I-Cruiser]

We got off the Silhouette 31.10 and we did not have the vouchers but only the Elite Lounge.

I much prefer the vouchers as I can choose myself where I want to drink my cocktails.

I get to meet more people when I get to go to the bars of my liking then being "stuck" in the Sky Lounge..(where sometimes the self importance of the clientele is rising Sky high :p)

As we were traveling with non elite friends we only went to the Sky Lounge a few times.

[Iluvcruising2]

Can we get the drinks from the bar and bring them with us for dinner!

[excitedofharpenden]

This does not make me happy! I love the evening event. I have met many wonderful people that I keep in touch with after the cruise and have planned trips with them as a result.

If this is the way it will be then there will inevitably be some who aren't happy, but the majority of friends and other passengers I've spoken to favour the vouchers because it gives them more flexibility. It also sets it up perfectly for those who have cruised a lot on Celebrity to be able to enjoy use of a lounge if they want to once Celebrity announce new Captain's club level(s), whatever and whenever that might be. It does make sense to me.

 

Phil

Edited November 10, 2013 by excitedofharpenden

[grayjay]

Why can't Celebrity find a way to encode the free elite hour drinks on the sea pass cards? Whenever you pay for a drink or use a beverage package, your card is swiped. If the waiters could do it for the three free drinks offered to elite members, you wouldn't have to carry those snippets of paper with you which you always tend to forget in your cabin or which are lying around everywhere in the cabin because you don't need so many and secondly Celebrity would avoid the problem that others on the ship would be interested in sharing all those nice vouchers. ;)

The best way in my opinion would be to be offered 2 or 3 drinks throughout the day, be it a soda by the pool or a glass of wine to dinner and not limit it to those 2 hours in the afternoon where some of us don't need so many vouchers anyway and others are induced to guzzle as much as they can to not waste a single voucher during the cruise!

As we'll have a beverage package during our next cruise we'll have 3x2 passengers x 14 days = 84 vouchers lying around in the cabin - whole forests will be cut down unnecessarily...:cool:

[Iluvcruising2]

Why can't Celebrity find a way to encode the free elite hour drinks on the sea pass cards? Whenever you pay for a drink or use a beverage package, your card is swiped. If the waiters could do it for the three free drinks offered to elite members, you wouldn't have to carry those snippets of paper with you which you always tend to forget in your cabin or which are lying around everywhere in the cabin because you don't need so many and secondly Celebrity would avoid the problem that others on the ship would be interested in sharing all those nice vouchers. ;)

The best way in my opinion would be to be offered 2 or 3 drinks throughout the day, be it a soda by the pool or a glass of wine to dinner and not limit it to those 2 hours in the afternoon where some of us don't need so many vouchers anyway and others are induced to guzzle as much as they can to not waste a single voucher during the cruise!

As we'll have a beverage package during our next cruise we'll have 3x2 passengers x 14 days = 84 vouchers lying around in the cabin - whole forests will be cut down unnecessarily...:cool:

 

You have answered your own question as to why Celebrity wouldn't want to offer those 2 or 3 drinks throughout the day. Doing so will cannabilize some sales from the drinks packages.

[berylde]

Very interested in your opinion on the vouchers on Celebrity vs. The Diamond Club Lounge on RCL.

Will you miss the dedicated lounge with hot and cold snacks with drinks during the evening. Breakfast bar in AM and coffee all day?Or will you like the freedom of the vouchers?

 

Be sure to post after your cruise-------------------

[Iluvcruising2]

Very interested in your opinion on the vouchers on Celebrity vs. The Diamond Club Lounge on RCL.

Will you miss the dedicated lounge with hot and cold snacks with drinks during the evening. Breakfast bar in AM and coffee all day?Or will you like the freedom of the vouchers?

 

Be sure to post after your cruise-------------------

 

Sure, I am fond of doing cruise reviews. I am sure I will think about this issue.

 

One important thing though, for this upcoming cruise, we bringing the in-laws and they are not Diamond, so they are not Elite, which means they may not have been able to get into the Nightly Elite event. So these vouchers may work better for us. We aren't heavy drinkers at all. 6 drink vouchers would be more than sufficient for the 4 adults.

[C 2 C]

We're on our 3rd Connie cruise, no mention of vouchers as yet. The lounge is really underused because so many have the beverage package.

[tango9]

Vouchers? I am Elite but have not sailed Celebrity in awhile since Celebrity created Azamara and I switched to sailing with them. But I will be on the Silhouette in February. I don't see information about vouchers on the Celebrity Captain's Club Elite information page.

Host Andy, you filled me in a bit in this thread, but do you think that I can expect vouchers on my upcoming Silhouette cruise? And what determines how many one receives? In this thread , some people were saying they used them almost daily. Thanks!

[mcdermott]

Just one pont if the vouchers have to used 5-7 what happens to the people on second sitting in Europe dinner is not until 8.30 could the vouchers be staggered

for 2nd sitting this would mean one didn't have to rush to the bar (ie Sky lounge but would still get the drinks)doesn't really matter to us as we have the beverage package.

Or heres one could they not just upgrade the drinks package wouldnt matter to those who don't drink as they don't drink

[Oville]

Why can't Celebrity find a way to encode the free elite hour drinks on the sea pass cards? Whenever you pay for a drink or use a beverage package, your card is swiped.

 

Royal Caribbean is testing out the voucher system on Independence of the Seas and the 3 free drinks are encoded on the SeaPass card.

[MVPinBoynton]

Royal Caribbean is testing out the voucher system on Independence of the Seas and the 3 free drinks are encoded on the SeaPass card.

 

Glad to hear it. That seems like the best way to handle the coupons to me.

[TourDeCruise]

Vouchers are good for any drink valid with the classic package.. That includes non alcoholic water, soda and some drinks or non alcoholic beer.

 

We'll be on the Eclipse in 6 days. Host Andy said he would report on his "Live" thread and I'll report too if I have anything to add.

 

If we are getting vouchers on the Eclipse and/or upcoming cruises, can we use the vouchers in the Cova Cafe (Century only?) or Cafe al Bacio for a glass of wine, speciality non-alcoholic coffees, or the premium teas too? Does Cafe al Bacio (& Cova Cafe) have better tea than what is served in the buffet & MDR?

 

The vouchers would work well for us. We have been to the Elite afternoon event a few times and it is too noisy/loud for us and we prefer wine with or after dinner, not before dinner. We did carry the wine to dinner, but I think Celebrity frowns on that although they didn't stop us and the server said we could carry it to dinner.

 

Kathy

[The Big Booper]

RCI has now started to eliminate the paper coupon booklets with tier benefits, everything is pre-loaded on the seapass card, such as BOGOs, free drinks and photos, etc.

[travelwide]

RCCL Diamond benefit is a lounge from 5 - 8:30 P.M. with unlimited drinks. Where did you get info about three drink vouchers loaded to your sea pass card on RCCL??? I understand they are loading other coupons but nothing with respect to the Diamond Lounge.

 

Are you confusing X 3 drink vouchers with RCCL or do you have personal experience with this on RCCL?? This is the first time I heard about no Diamond Lounge.

[berylde]

Would hate to see the perks of RCCL"s Diamond Lounge disappear, but has me concerned. If Celebrity switches to vouchers, will RCCL follow? Hope not

[Phxazzcruisers]

Were your Elite vouchers valid in Cellar Masters? Or did you simply obtain your drinks at another venue and go to Cellar Masters to enjoy them there?

 

They were good in Cellar Masters for any wine up to $8.00 in value. There were at lest three good choices that we tried.

[Phxazzcruisers]

Can we get the drinks from the bar and bring them with us for dinner!

 

Yes, you definitely can. Another reason why we like the vouchers better than the lounge

[villauk]

RCCL Diamond benefit is a lounge from 5 - 8:30 P.M. with unlimited drinks. Where did you get info about three drink vouchers loaded to your sea pass card on RCCL??? I understand they are loading other coupons but nothing with respect to the Diamond Lounge.

 

Are you confusing X 3 drink vouchers with RCCL or do you have personal experience with this on RCCL?? This is the first time I heard about no Diamond Lounge.

 

Check out the RCI board, they are trialling the vouchers at present (I think it's on Independence). Not sure about putting them on the seapass cards, but they are definitely trying the vouchers out on certain sailings.

[travelwide]

Here is what RCCL is doing on the TA. They say it is a trial! I would not want to have to give up the Diamond Lounge. Depending on how you read this, it looks like you will still be able to get drinks in the lounge during the appropriate hours...

 

You just have to love change.....

 

 

 

Just heard from someone who received this email from RCCL regarding the Diamond Lounge.

 

 

You asked – we listened! Often we hear great ideas from our Crown & Anchor Society members that we are able to bring into action.During your upcoming transatlantic voyage onboard the Independence of the Seas®, you will be part of a pilot test to enhance the Loyalty experience onboard.We understand at times the Diamond lounge can be crowded, so we are excited to introduce a new option for you aboard the Independence of the Seas: A nightly happy hour from 5:00 - 8:00pm to be enjoyed at almost every venue throughout the ship!*

How? Free drink vouchers will be pre-loaded onto your SeaPass® card to enable you to enjoy the flexibility of up to three complimentary beverages at almost every bar throughout the ship. You can still sit back and relax while enjoying all of the amenities in the Diamond Lounge, plus all of the other options available to you!We look forward to hearing your feedback about this new experience and wish you a wonderful cruise holiday.Happy sailing!

__________________

[warmwinds]

I'm thrilled, I love the voucher idea.

 

I bet they will eventually have a lounge for the very top tier sailers, of which we are not, and that's just fine with me.

[Tiggertastic]

I know we didn't get the the lounge every day but we are on a free drinks package so the vouchers are a waste - we liked the chance to meet up with others - it wasn't about the drink for me