The New Celebrity Captains Club is Here!

[C 2 C]

With 800 elites on board and the lounge being a madhouse, I am very suprised they didn't use the vouchers.:confused:

 

Constellation TA had 500 elites etc, vouchers and no designated lounge.

[helpthejuggler]

Not much of an incentive if Celebrity can change their program at will after you've booked and paid in full but before you cruise; just like they did. "Here's some bonus points. Oh by the way, we just moved the goal posts again. Sorry, read the fine print"

 

Fool me once,.......

 

The recent change had been rumoured for years. You have more chance being hit by a falling comet than being fooled again.

[C 2 C]

Crystal Ball Time - Incentives will become common in the form of extra points to club members to sell specific rooms in place of lower prices. So another sales tool to clear those empty rooms.

 

Amazing what a company will do to satisfy shareholders by encouraging passengers to book more expensive accommodations in order to get additional benefits.

Giving stuff away for free is not the basis for a sound business model. I think that Celebrity listened to both the accountants and many elite members who realized that the program was too generous and lounges too crowded.

It's a new reality and if one does not like the change in Celebrity rules there are a lot of alternatives for the disenchanted. None however offers more in the long run.

[MicCanberra]

Problem is that the longest cruises (and they are rare) are 18 days. So there's a whole block of green that doesn't apply.

 

If showing the real possibilities, the majority are red, with only suites sometimes gaining.

People who are doing B2Bs can still use the lower part of the table, it is just that the old system of tier credits would be different (they would have been possibly double).:D

Edited December 10, 2013 by MicCanberra

[MicCanberra]

The recent change had been rumoured for years. You have more chance being hit by a falling comet than being fooled again.

Rumoured or speculated on? No one knew for sure what they would do exactly or when.:D

[SHill64]

Not much of an incentive if Celebrity can change their program at will after you've booked and paid in full but before you cruise; just like they did. "Here's some bonus points. Oh by the way, we just moved the goal posts again. Sorry, read the fine print"

 

Fool me once,.......

 

I'm convinced you're a mole. Just here to keep repeating the same old rhetoric. Your posts are almost exactly the same. If you won't be fooled by Celebrity again, why keep posting here? You're done, right? Then go!

Edited December 10, 2013 by SHill64

[Moinbnc]

We have not been frequent cruisers, but we completed our third X cruise in November. On that cruise we learned about the "tiers". And we were told by a X Cap. club hostess that we needed just one more cruise for a total of 5 credits and an elevation to Select Tier. So, while on the cruise we booked a seven-night Caribbean cruise on Reflection; and, at the time of booking, we were told that, after the Caribbean cruise, we would be in the Select Tier.

 

Then we got home and received the announcement in the mail. We now need 150 points to move to Select. According to the new system we will have 141 points after the Caribbean cruise.

 

I emailed X and asked for verification regarding our status after the Caribbean cruise, but have not heard from X. I asked my TA to look into it also, but she has had no satisfaction from X.

 

There have to be others with a similar story. What are you doing about this obvious oversight?

[SHill64]

We have not been frequent cruisers, but we completed our third X cruise in November. On that cruise we learned about the "tiers". And we were told by a X Cap. club hostess that we needed just one more cruise for a total of 5 credits and an elevation to Select Tier. So, while on the cruise we booked a seven-night Caribbean cruise on Reflection; and, at the time of booking, we were told that, after the Caribbean cruise, we would be in the Select Tier.

 

Then we got home and received the announcement in the mail. We now need 150 points to move to Select. According to the new system we will have 141 points after the Caribbean cruise.

 

I emailed X and asked for verification regarding our status after the Caribbean cruise, but have not heard from X. I asked my TA to look into it also, but she has had no satisfaction from X.

 

There have to be others with a similar story. What are you doing about this obvious oversight?

 

I think what the hostess told you was exactly what she knew at the time. If she knew there was a change in the works, she would have probably hinted at it. I don't think they were trying to draw in as many as they could before the change. Actually the hostess on our Reflection TA last month told us she heard the change would come in the spring of 2014.

Edited December 10, 2013 by SHill64

[Moinbnc]

I am not blaming the hostess. That was not my point. My point is, if X allowed their employees to communicate the information, then X should honor that for the people who are "falling through the cracks"

[Paulras]

The recent change had been rumoured for years. You have more chance being hit by a falling comet than being fooled again.

 

And if I had posted on this board in August while making my final payment something like: "I'm making my final payment on my concierge class cabin, excited that this will give me that extra point for Select status that I'll use next year when I book another cruise. Would have booked a balcony but that extra point gave me the incentive. Hey do you think Celebrity will change things at the last minute and I won't really make it to Select?"

 

I'm pretty sure most of the responses would have been that they've talked about changes for years and no worries because I'm sure they will grandfather cruises that are already paid for.

[SHill64]

I am not blaming the hostess. That was not my point. My point is, if X allowed their employees to communicate the information, then X should honor that for the people who are "falling through the cracks"

 

Yes, I agree with that 100% I misundersttod your point! ;)

[Paulras]

I'm convinced you're a mole. Just here to keep repeating the same old rhetoric. Your posts are almost exactly the same. If you won't be fooled by Celebrity again, why keep posting here? You're done, right? Then go!

 

and I'm convinced you'll never allow anyone to express any negative comments about Celebrity. I'm a big Celebrity fan and have sent many friends to the line. I'm also a executive for a company in the top 30 of the Fortune 500. As such, I don't have the luxury of time to book multiple long cruises a year which gets me a status that you've apparently enjoyed for years.

 

My beef is still seeing how this was rolled out. I don't have a problem with the program levels themselves. I never thought the old program made sense - a 3 night in an inside cabin gets you the same credit as a 10 night in a balcony. It was dumb. Giving points based on number of nights and type of cabin makes perfect sense. It sounds like many of your Elite counterparts have only received their status because they were able to book a bunch of short cruises in cheap cabins which isn't very fair.

 

But changing things without any notice or consideration for those of us who PAID for cruises already was a poor practice. This would have been an easy fix - make it effective for cruises PAID FOR after the effective date, not cruises SAILED after the effective date. Or set an effective date in the future so people can actually make changes to fit what they want to achieve. Not much of an incentive program if they are locking me in without giving me the ability to book a higher cabin if I want a better outcome. I'm sure we can agree on that (or not?)

[Paulras]

I just sent Michael Bailey's assistant, Tanji, an email on your behalf. I told her your situation and if anyone deserves the benefit of an exception of the new tiers, it would be you. I told her you probably wouldn't write an email yourself because you never complain about anything. I'll post the reply as soon as I receive it...............

 

I await the reply. Although the reply I got was a reiteration of their announcement and telling me I should change my reservation if I want. Of course, the ship is sold out and nothing is available, higher or lower. Notice there was nothing addressing my question to them about why they gave some Select members bonus points, but didn't do the same for those of us who are Classic who were also within 1 sailing of the next level.

 

Here it is:

Thank you for your e-mail.

 

The enhancements to the Celebrity Captains Club were implemented based on the thoughts and ideas of our valued members. We apologize for any delay in our response. Through focus groups, member and travel agent feedback we created the New Club to reward our loyal members with Club Points. This new structure brings additional tiers with new benefits for all tiers and aligns our loyalty program with the rest of the hospitality and travel business.

 

Celebrity Cruises now offers one of the best loyalty programs in the cruise industry with tremendous recognition as well as exciting benefits. Our New Captains Club, now offers the following items many of our members have been looking for:

 

Club Points, to reflect the number of nights sailed instead of number of cruises.

The opportunity to advance at a quicker pace through the New Club program.

Higher tier levels to achieve along with exciting new benefits to obtain.

 

All Club Points in the Captains Club program must be earned in according to the New Club structure. With the new point structure you will be able to reach the Select if you upgrade to the Century, Sky Suite or Aqua Suite category. If you are interested in making this change to your reservation, please contact your travel agent and they will be happy to assist you. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

 

If you have any further questions, please contact us again and we will be happy to assist you.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Paulras

[SHill64]

I'm also a executive for a company in the top 30 of the Fortune 500. As such, I don't have the luxury of time to book multiple long cruises a year which gets me a status that you've apparently enjoyed for years.

 

Are you a country music fan? Watch this Brad Paisley video. I think it's appropriate.

 

We've heard your point of view, we all know you're unhappy and we all know the "goalposts" were moved on you. NOTHING you can do or say will change your situation, even complaining about it nonstop. Sorry!

[C 2 C]

I'm also a executive for a company in the top 30 of the Fortune 500. As such, I don't have the luxury of time to book multiple long cruises a year which gets me a status that you've apparently enjoyed for years.

 

An executive in a top company should be able to get extra points by booking a penthouse or RS or a suite at least. A simple cabin would require ten times as many cruises for us pensioners to reach a similar goal. ;)

[Paulras]

An executive in a top company should be able to get extra points by booking a penthouse or RS or a suite at least. A simple cabin would require ten times as many cruises for us pensioners to reach a similar goal. ;)

 

THAT'S THE POINT! I wasn't given the opportunity to upgrade. I booked a CC cabin to get the extra point. Under the old system, a suite gets the same points as a CC cabin. Had I known back then that I would be deficient under a (surprise!) new system, I would have considered bumping it up then.

[The_Big_M]

People who are doing B2Bs can still use the lower part of the table, it is just that the old system of tier credits would be different (they would have been possibly double).:D

 

No, because the comparison is against a single cruise. Thus, you'd refer to the top half of the table and compare the two entries e.g. one might be 9 nights, and one might be 12 nights and compare.

 

You couldn't use 21 nights as it would not be an accurate comparison as the table is only relevant for a single cruise, not B2B. :D

[The_Big_M]

Not much of an incentive if Celebrity can change their program at will after you've booked and paid in full but before you cruise; just like they did. "Here's some bonus points. Oh by the way, we just moved the goal posts again. Sorry, read the fine print"

 

Fool me once,.......

 

It would have been good for them to give bonus points to those in final payment period as well. That would have addressed most of the dissatisfaction from those under that restriction - without the risk to revenue (and extra admin) of allowing people to cancel as mentioned earlier.

 

Given it's a bonus, it's a bit extreme to allow cancellations for such a change, but it's also unfair to give it to people who make new bookings, yet not give it to and not allow people to who already have bookings for that same period (and who would mostly have gotten more under the old system, which is where the booking was made).

[SHill64]

THAT'S THE POINT! I wasn't given the opportunity to upgrade. I booked a CC cabin to get the extra point. Under the old system, a suite gets the same points as a CC cabin. Had I known back then that I would be deficient under a (surprise!) new system, I would have considered bumping it up then.

 

Hopefully after you make Elite status, you'll forget all about this. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. :p

 

Or not!

[MicCanberra]

No, because the comparison is against a single cruise. Thus, you'd refer to the top half of the table and compare the two entries e.g. one might be 9 nights, and one might be 12 nights and compare.

 

You couldn't use 21 nights as it would not be an accurate comparison as the table is only relevant for a single cruise, not B2B. :D

Yes you could, see below

Inside, Veranda, CC, Suite,

18, 27, 45, 72, (9 nights)

24, 36, 60, 96, (12 nights) +.

--------------------------------------

42, 63, 105, 168, (21 nights)

[darkpelagic]

I am really annoyed about the changes. I would have gone up to the next level on my next cruise and now I won't, unless I fork out the big bucks.

 

This hasn't done anything to keep me loyal - I am more likely to sail more with Princess now as I am already on a higher tier there. I might sail Celebrity IF they have a decent cruise in Australia again that I can't do with other ships or IF I am in the USA and feel like cruising. So they've kind of lost us. I've sailed twice with them but there's no real point now to selecting them over another line. I really liked their loyalty program and the perks previously.

 

And to all those already sitting on Elite + after a few sailings and complaining that other people can get to the same level too easily without spending the same - there's a word for you. You know what it is.

Edited December 11, 2013 by darkpelagic

[Kevnzworld]

I am really annoyed about the changes.

 

And to all those already sitting on Elite + after a few sailings and complaining that other people can get to the same level too easily without spending the same - there's a word for you. You know what it is.

 

It took me 10 cruises, most two weeks and AQ to get to Elite+. And what do you get? An extra $50 in Internet , a few specialty restaurant discounts you can always get anyway, and free coffee. Maybe now it's a little easier, who cares.

I wouldn't worry about it. Elite + isn't a big deal perk wise.

[darkpelagic]

It's the laundry I wanted. Worst thing about Celebrity is no laundry facilities. The internet would be good too, and some of the other things.

 

I'd sail with them again but I was looking at sailing with them on shorter cruises to get the points up so I'd get better perks for longer cruises. There's not much point in doing that anymore and plenty of other non-cruise holidays one can do within a week.

[MicCanberra]

It took me 10 cruises, most two weeks and AQ to get to Elite+. And what do you get? An extra $50 in Internet , a few specialty restaurant discounts you can always get anyway, and free coffee. Maybe now it's a little easier, who cares.

I wouldn't worry about it. Elite + isn't a big deal perk wise.

 

I would think it is considerably harder to get to Elite Plus now.:D

[The_Big_M]

Yes you could, see below

Inside, Veranda, CC, Suite,

18, 27, 45, 72, (9 nights)

24, 36, 60, 96, (12 nights) +.

--------------------------------------

42, 63, 105, 168, (21 nights)

 

No you couldn't.

 

That's not showing a comparison between old and new programs.

 

The 21 night says you earnt 2 points in an inside, when under the scenario above, you actually would have earnt 3 points in an inside. Similarly it says you would have earnt 3 points in a CC. This is also incorrect as you would have earnt 5 points in the old program.

 

Further if you read it the way you suggest it says you are in the green zone and hence ahead if you are in a verandah. However, you are still behind, and in the red zone, as per the actual figures. In fact substantially, as you would have gotten 90 points, whereas you now only get 63 points as per your figures, so you are way behind.

 

It can only be used by looking at each of them individually, and hence only the top half is relevant, to compare cruises. Figures beyond 18 days are not comparable so not relevant.