Loyalty schemes

[cruisebore]

We are taking our first cruise this year with Celebrity and I note that like most cruise lines, after your first cruise you can join their loyalty club.

 

However I think cruise lines could be missing a trick here.

This will be out thirty something cruise so I would think we could be seen as established cruisers whose business is worth having. I know in business when we used to pull a big client from a competitor we would from day one bust a gut to keep them. The cruise lines however don't seem to acknowledge this.

 

Cb

[spookwife]

actually on celebrity you can join BEFORE you ever set foot on a ship of theirs for the first time.

 

and the cruise lines don't need to 'bust a gut' in fact they actually spend their marketing dollars on pulling in the first timer. and many lines offer reciprocity.. for instance if you have sailed Royal Caribbean, you can get equivalent status( without the points) on Celebrity. I skipped 2 Celebrity levels this way although that just means it will take even longer to get to the next one. heheheh ;)

 

how do you know you will even want to sail celebrity again?

 

I sailed carnival once and knew from the second day on board I would never sail them again so getting into their frequent sailor club would have been useless to me.

[WestLakeGirl]

Sometimes Celebrity does acknowledge frequent cruisers coming to them for the first time, even invitations to the Officers Table have sometimes been extended

[wf083145]

I'm not really sure how a cruise line would benefit from passing out lots of percs to first-time cruisers. Everyone will just hop on the cruise line merry-go-round and/or claim to be uranium plus level somewhere else.

 

Where I think they are losing is by not fostering corporate loyalty. If I want to upgrade to a higher level of cruise experience I get minimal benefit by going to X or Oceana. All they do is honoring whatever my highest level is instead of adding all the credits together. So I end up with 6 on RCCL and 6 on X. I might as well try another corporation's product.

 

Carnival Corp does the same thing. We've been on Princess, HAL, Costa and Carnival. Individually, not enough benefit to create loyalty. But if they added all the cruise credits together I would be likely to keep all future cruises in the family.

 

We ended up selecting our 3/29 cruise on Reflection based on the ship and the value, not the fact that we'll get an item cleaned for free.

 

I know. DW calls me the "Grumpy Old Man".

[Stateroom_Sailor]

We are taking our first cruise this year with Celebrity and I note that like most cruise lines, after your first cruise you can join their loyalty club.

 

However I think cruise lines could be missing a trick here.

This will be out thirty something cruise so I would think we could be seen as established cruisers whose business is worth having. I know in business when we used to pull a big client from a competitor we would from day one bust a gut to keep them. The cruise lines however don't seem to acknowledge this.

 

Cb

 

You're not ENTITLED to any tier status, which is set up to reward repeat customers. Do you ask for platinum status at every hotel and airline chain? How about a casino? That's apples and oranges from Little Debbie wanting premier self space next to Hostess at Circle K'.

[mferranti]

Okay, OP, let's say you're running X. You lay down the law: "Bust a gut from day one" to impress cruisers who've tried other lines, and it works: they book with you again.

 

Then they come back again, and see you "busting a gut" for another batch of first-timers, while they feel taken for granted. What then?

[cruisebore]

Wish I had not asked the question. :(

 

Cb

[wallie5446]

And I thought it was just us in the U.S. That had the 'me' first syndrome :rolleyes:

[chamima]

We are taking our first cruise this year with Celebrity and I note that like most cruise lines, after your first cruise you can join their loyalty club.

 

However I think cruise lines could be missing a trick here.

This will be out thirty something cruise so I would think we could be seen as established cruisers whose business is worth having. I know in business when we used to pull a big client from a competitor we would from day one bust a gut to keep them. The cruise lines however don't seem to acknowledge this.

 

Cb

 

Wish I had not asked the question. :(

 

Cb

 

 

I was going to stay out of this discussion but I feel badly that you've been bashed so much for a simple question.

About 5 years ago, or so, we took our first Celebrity cruise. We were Elite on Princess and Celebrity was running some kind of "special" for that cruise and they gave us Elite status for that cruise only. We had to give them our Captain's Circle number from Princess so I guess they really only did it to try to entice us into sailing Celebrity.

Funny thing is that the perks did NOTHING for us (we sailed in Aqua so the breakfast wasn't as good as what we got in Blu, the cocktail hour was inconvenient for our schedule and the internet and laundry was ok but not as much as what we get on Princess so no big deal) but we loved the ship and the crew (and Aqua!!!!!!) so are now sailing both.

But to answer your original question - yes, I guess they do offer this - at least they did once!

[Phxazzcruisers]

Lets be fair to the poster here. I do agree with all above, but will relate a small item here. I am a Hilton Diamond in their program. Two years ago I called Starwood and said I would like to try their product. They matched my Diamond Status with their program for one year. It was a very generous offer. I tried a few Starwood products, Sheraton, and Four Points, but after a year decided to stay with Hilton.

Some airlines will allow you to purchase a trial period in their rewards program.

It can be done, but it is an expensive option to offer, and for a cruise line I am not sure the benefit would outweigh the cost....

[Muushka]

Wish I had not asked the question. :(

 

Cb

 

Aw, don't feel bad. I've asked myself the same question, but just didn't ask it on the boards.

 

I was thinking it would be an incentive for loyal cruisers to try other lines. For example, NCL may try to grow their base by offering an automatic status into their second tier (not one as high as Elite). It would get you to try their line and who knows, they may gain a loyal cruiser because of this.

I know people who have a high status on Carnival and they won't try another line because of this.

 

But I do see both sides.

[jagoffee]

Wish I had not asked the question. :(

 

Cb

 

I was going to stay out of this discussion but I feel badly that you've been bashed so much for a simple question.

About 5 years ago, or so, we took our first Celebrity cruise. We were Elite on Princess and Celebrity was running some kind of "special" for that cruise and they gave us Elite status for that cruise only. We had to give them our Captain's Circle number from Princess so I guess they really only did it to try to entice us into sailing Celebrity.

Funny thing is that the perks did NOTHING for us (we sailed in Aqua so the breakfast wasn't as good as what we got in Blu, the cocktail hour was inconvenient for our schedule and the internet and laundry was ok but not as much as what we get on Princess so no big deal) but we loved the ship and the crew (and Aqua!!!!!!) so are now sailing both.

But to answer your original question - yes, I guess they do offer this - at least they did once!

 

It was a good thought and question IMO. Chamima's example is a good one. Airlines sometimes do status match, but it is a little different because you are required to qualify each year. If a a first time Celebrity cruiser was Elite on Princess IMO it would be a good marketing tool to offer Elite status of your first Celebrity cruise only.

[upwarduk]

Cruisebore,

I believe that if you have booked a Suite or above, then you get Priority boarding .

Last summer / autumn (fall) Infinity were trialling a 'VIP' Scheme whereby Suite guests were also allowed into Michael's Club between 5-7pm., even though they hadn't earned Elite status.

But since the re -grading of the Loyalty Scheme in Nov 2013, I think this is now the Elite + and Zenith lounge.

Edited January 20, 2014 by upwarduk

[boogs]

This is certainly a new take on the definition of loyalty: "Reward me for spending the majority of my cruise dollars on everybody else but you". :rolleyes:

Edited January 20, 2014 by boogs

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Priority boarding, internet minutes and free laundry are great perks that I do use and appreciate but I still make my decisions based on the itinerary and price. At this point Princess and Celebrity are my favorites but not for the perks- I just think they deliver a good product that fits my lifestyle and at reasonable prices. However- if Cunard of Holland America were going somewhere that I want to go, I wouldn't hesitate to book them.

Edited January 20, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain