Captains Club Points

[Eleris]

I really am not understanding this conversion process when I look at my account. I know what it states on the X website but it seems that if I booked a balcony I get 1 point and if I book a suite I get 2 points. Did they totally mess up my conversion or am I just really not getting the point (please excuse the pun). :confused: Concierge is 1 point etc.

 

Thanks.

[dkjretired]

I really am not understanding this conversion process when I look at my account. I know what it states on the X website but it seems that if I booked a balcony I get 1 point and if I book a suite I get 2 points. Did they totally mess up my conversion or am I just really not getting the point (please excuse the pun). :confused: Concierge is 1 point etc.

 

Thanks.

 

The points you mention are the old system. Each point under the old system is 30 points. If you have 5 points under the old system you start with 150 points under the new system. After Nov. 25 they converted to a per day point system. The points are per day multiplied by the type of cabin category. Here is the number of points per cabin. Just scroll down to the bottom.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/genericHtmlTemplate.do?pagename=cc_the_club

[Eleris]

I see the list what I am not understanding is last July we were on the Summit in CC for a week and it shows 1 point or with the math they are using 210 for the week but isn't CC worth more ? Oh I hate change and I hate math... it is never clear as mud. I added up what they changed my account to and based on 1 point = 30 then the total they gave me is correct but what I don't understand is why inside cabin I got 1 point and CC class I got 1 point. It seems no matter what I booked the most I see is 3 points for Aqua. I am going through the newsletters to see if they made another change because I am not seeing the higher credit for Suites on my account.

 

I did send an email to Captain's Club that said they are so busy it may take a considerable amount of time to get back to me. :eek:

[fleckle]

I see the list what I am not understanding is last July we were on the Summit in CC for a week and it shows 1 point or with the math they are using 210 for the week but isn't CC worth more ? Oh I hate change and I hate math... it is never clear as mud. I added up what they changed my account to and based on 1 point = 30 then the total they gave me is correct but what I don't understand is why inside cabin I got 1 point and CC class I got 1 point. It seems no matter what I booked the most I see is 3 points for Aqua. I am going through the newsletters to see if they made another change because I am not seeing the higher credit for Suites on my account.

 

I did send an email to Captain's Club that said they are so busy it may take a considerable amount of time to get back to me. :eek:

If you were in CC for a week, or in a suite for a week, that should have given you 2 points under the old system.

 

2 points under the old system would convert to 60 club points under the new system.

 

 

Under the old system, 3 points were the most we ever got for taking any Celebrity cruise as they gave an additional point for a cruise of 12 nights or longer, if I am recalling the old system correctly.

 

Edited February 24, 2014 by fleckle

[Project_gal]

I see the list what I am not understanding is last July we were on the Summit in CC for a week and it shows 1 point or with the math they are using 210 for the week but isn't CC worth more ? Oh I hate change and I hate math... it is never clear as mud. I added up what they changed my account to and based on 1 point = 30 then the total they gave me is correct but what I don't understand is why inside cabin I got 1 point and CC class I got 1 point. It seems no matter what I booked the most I see is 3 points for Aqua. I am going through the newsletters to see if they made another change because I am not seeing the higher credit for Suites on my account.

 

I did send an email to Captain's Club that said they are so busy it may take a considerable amount of time to get back to me. :eek:

 

I think what is bothering you is not your maths but the fact that your converted points are NOT the same as the points you would have received had the NEW system been in place at the time you earned the OLD points. This is, unfortunately, true and tends to work against those who booked higher level room and/or longer cruises in the past. Celebrity are very aware of this discrepancy and have no intention of changing the conversion rules.

[Eleris]

I think my confusion is that when I take my trip on Equinox in March I will see a completely different point system then before. The new system does not kick in until now and that is what is throwing me off. I guess I will see what they do when I get back.

 

Thank you all for helping explain this if what you say is true then they have shaved off some credit for some of my trips. I will go over it and figure out which itineraries should have been upgraded correctly.:)

[dkjretired]

I think my confusion is that when I take my trip on Equinox in March I will see a completely different point system then before. The new system does not kick in until now and that is what is throwing me off. I guess I will see what they do when I get back.

 

Thank you all for helping explain this if what you say is true then they have shaved off some credit for some of my trips. I will go over it and figure out which itineraries should have been upgraded correctly.:)

 

If you only received one point last year for a CC cabin, I would definitely call Celebrity.

[Bruin Steve]

I, somehow, wish the OLD system remained in place long enough for me to take just one more cruise!

 

Under the OLD system, I had 24 points...mostly longer cruises, some suites and Concierge class, etc.

 

Had I taken just one more cruise under the old system...even a short three night cruise in an inside cabin, I would have been converted straight into Elite Plus in the new system...

 

But, my 24 old points were converted into 720 new points...

My next scheduled Celebrity cruise, as of now, is a 10 night Quito package on Xpedition. In order to "save" a little money on what is already a fairly expensive trip (close to ten grand), we opted for a lower category cabin. When they first announced the "new" program, this cruise would have only been worth TWO points per night...despite the fact that it costs over twice what our Concierge Class cabin costs for our most recent 13 night cruise on Silhouette!

 

It appears that they may have now changed this fluke and are awarding more points for these Galapagos cruises, so, this may put us to the next level...

 

However, let's say, before that cruise (July 2015), we decide to go on a couple of 7 night cruises with Celebrity...We could go on two 7-nighters and, if we try to save a little money (which we may have to start doing now that I MAY be retired) and do them in lesser category cabins than we have traditionally booked, we could do those two cruises--which would have put us at 26 points under the old system--and still not be at Elite Plus level...

 

Old system with recent conversion: One more short cruise in an inside cabin would have made us instantly Elite Plus...

 

New system: We might still be three 7-night cruises away!

 

This is becoming a pet peeve of mine...We are also "Diamond" on Royal Caribbean...On that line, we generally do 7-night cruises...We have 132 points there...When they did the conversion there a while back, they carefully set the numbers so that everyone (I guess, but at least, us) would be some multiple of 7 points PLUS ONE...So, we now need 43 points to get to Diamond Plus...SIX more RCI cruises will leave us one short...

 

More frustrating part is that people who generally went on short cruises with RCI and, say, piled up ten three nighters under the old system...maybe all bargain off-season cruises in inside cabins...were afforded Diamond status there...and then, were granted reciprocity and granted Elite status with Celebrity--overburdening the Elite lounges, etc. They go on their first Celebrity cruise and are in the same category I am in...

 

Meanwhile, my points really relate to about 19 old-style points on RCI and 24 old points on Celebrity, a total of 43 points, old style, yet I'm not all that close to Elite Plus under the new system and pretty far away from Diamond Plus on RCI.

 

Of course, it doesn't really matter all that much to me RIGHT NOW...I like the current Elite perks I get...

HOWEVER, I can see where, in the very near future, now that the new categories have all been established, them lessening the perks for Diamond/Elite--say, removing the drinking lounges/hours for all but the "Plus" categories and merely giving the ordinary Elites and Diamonds a "coupon" for a free drink at the public bars...After all, they've diluted the Elite category with all the reciprocal cases...

 

JMHO...

[dkjretired]

I, somehow, wish the OLD system remained in place long enough for me to take just one more cruise!

 

Under the OLD system, I had 24 points...mostly longer cruises, some suites and Concierge class, etc.

 

Had I taken just one more cruise under the old system...even a short three night cruise in an inside cabin, I would have been converted straight into Elite Plus in the new system...

 

But, my 24 old points were converted into 720 new points...

My next scheduled Celebrity cruise, as of now, is a 10 night Quito package on Xpedition. In order to "save" a little money on what is already a fairly expensive trip (close to ten grand), we opted for a lower category cabin. When they first announced the "new" program, this cruise would have only been worth TWO points per night...despite the fact that it costs over twice what our Concierge Class cabin costs for our most recent 13 night cruise on Silhouette!

 

It appears that they may have now changed this fluke and are awarding more points for these Galapagos cruises, so, this may put us to the next level...

 

However, let's say, before that cruise (July 2015), we decide to go on a couple of 7 night cruises with Celebrity...We could go on two 7-nighters and, if we try to save a little money (which we may have to start doing now that I MAY be retired) and do them in lesser category cabins than we have traditionally booked, we could do those two cruises--which would have put us at 26 points under the old system--and still not be at Elite Plus level...

 

Old system with recent conversion: One more short cruise in an inside cabin would have made us instantly Elite Plus...

 

New system: We might still be three 7-night cruises away!

 

This is becoming a pet peeve of mine...We are also "Diamond" on Royal Caribbean...On that line, we generally do 7-night cruises...We have 132 points there...When they did the conversion there a while back, they carefully set the numbers so that everyone (I guess, but at least, us) would be some multiple of 7 points PLUS ONE...So, we now need 43 points to get to Diamond Plus...SIX more RCI cruises will leave us one short...

 

More frustrating part is that people who generally went on short cruises with RCI and, say, piled up ten three nighters under the old system...maybe all bargain off-season cruises in inside cabins...were afforded Diamond status there...and then, were granted reciprocity and granted Elite status with Celebrity--overburdening the Elite lounges, etc. They go on their first Celebrity cruise and are in the same category I am in...

 

Meanwhile, my points really relate to about 19 old-style points on RCI and 24 old points on Celebrity, a total of 43 points, old style, yet I'm not all that close to Elite Plus under the new system and pretty far away from Diamond Plus on RCI.

 

Of course, it doesn't really matter all that much to me RIGHT NOW...I like the current Elite perks I get...

HOWEVER, I can see where, in the very near future, now that the new categories have all been established, them lessening the perks for Diamond/Elite--say, removing the drinking lounges/hours for all but the "Plus" categories and merely giving the ordinary Elites and Diamonds a "coupon" for a free drink at the public bars...After all, they've diluted the Elite category with all the reciprocal cases...

 

JMHO...

 

Hi Steve:

 

Just curious, did they give you any extra points like they did for those who were close to the transition from Select to Elite.

[Bruin Steve]

Hi Steve:

 

Just curious, did they give you any extra points like they did for those who were close to the transition from Select to Elite.

 

NO...

 

I learned about that here on cruise critic and brought that up with them via email...

They actually returned my call...TWICE...

Both times they explained that they only did this for those approaching Elite, but not for those of us just short of Elite Plus...Some sort of twisted logic that since Elite Plus is a NEW level, nobody should have had any expectation of making it anyway...

 

The first time I was contacted, we also spoke about the fact that my Xpedition cruise wouldn't even get me to the next level based on the original announcement...and that representative indicated there would be something in the works to change that.

 

I never got any official notice of the change...and in the second response phone call I received--JUST LAST WEEK--the representative didn't seem to know anything about a change...though same explanation about everything else (Why did they even bother calling again?)...

 

Anyway, I did go visit the Celebrity website...and where it used to just have one chart, they've added this:

 

Stateroom Categories for Celebrity Xpedition

Club Points Earned per Night

Oceanview, Deluxe, Premium 5

Junior, Xpedition Suite 12

Royal Suite, Penthouse Suite 18

 

So, I guess, perhaps at my urging, they've finally recognized that a ten thousand dollar cruise tour should be worth more than 2 points per night!

 

I assume that this means our 10 night package (they still base it on the entire cruisetour, not just the nights onboard, correct?) will now garner us 50 new points and push us up to 770 and Elite Plus status for any subsequent cruises (not sure there are any real perks onboard the Xpedition anyway)...

 

Of course, for us, that's not until July 2015...

We're going to China with Viking this summer...

And, for now, it is hard for me to book additional cruises since my job status is uncertain. I was "laid off" my prior job after 23 years a few months back and pickings are slim for a 60 year old corporate real estate attorney in Los Angeles in this market. If I find another job, I may not have enough vacation time to cruise...and if I don't find another job, I may have lots of time...but a lot less expendable cruising money! Otherwise, I likely would have been booking another couple of cruises between now and next July!

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I still think they should have grandfathered any booked cruise into the point conversion. They were booked with the understanding that they would go so far toward advancement in the program. Yes, X is within their rights not to do so, terms and conditions subject to change, and all that, but a change that effectively moves someone backwards is not good. What does it cost them? There'll be one cruise in a few years where they only have to give me Select benefits instead of Elite, and one many years from now where I get Elite instead of Elite Plus bennies. I might get shorted on Zenith benefits for one cruise sometime around the turn of the next century.

 

I'm perfectly fine with needing more cruises to move on from here-- they have to draw the line somewhere and one of the goals is to make it more difficult to reach the higher levels. But that should be going forward, not pushing someone back. It's ironic that not allowing booked cruises to be included directly affects those who have shown their loyalty by actually booking another Celebrity cruise.

 

I don't book with X because of the Captain's Club benefits, nor will this have much impact on my decision to continue to book. It will have some impact, though. All other things being equal, at some point it could be the difference in staying with X and trying another cruise line.

[The_Big_M]

Anyway, I did go visit the Celebrity website...and where it used to just have one chart, they've added this:

 

Stateroom Categories for Celebrity Xpedition

Club Points Earned per Night

Oceanview, Deluxe, Premium 5

Junior, Xpedition Suite 12

Royal Suite, Penthouse Suite 18

...

I assume that this means our 10 night package (they still base it on the entire cruisetour, not just the nights onboard, correct?) will now garner us 50 new points and push us up to 770 and Elite Plus status for any subsequent cruises (not sure there are any real perks onboard the Xpedition anyway)...

 

Yes, they bumped up the earn rates for Xpedition last month.

 

And yes, earn rates include the cruise tour at the same day rate as the cruise class booked.

[The_Big_M]

I still think they should have grandfathered any booked cruise into the point conversion. They were booked with the understanding that they would go so far toward advancement in the program. Yes, X is within their rights not to do so, terms and conditions subject to change, and all that, but a change that effectively moves someone backwards is not good. What does it cost them? There'll be one cruise in a few years where they only have to give me Select benefits instead of Elite, and one many years from now where I get Elite instead of Elite Plus bennies. I might get shorted on Zenith benefits for one cruise sometime around the turn of the next century.

 

I'm perfectly fine with needing more cruises to move on from here-- they have to draw the line somewhere and one of the goals is to make it more difficult to reach the higher levels. But that should be going forward, not pushing someone back. It's ironic that not allowing booked cruises to be included directly affects those who have shown their loyalty by actually booking another Celebrity cruise.

 

I fully agree. But after 3 months, it's only going to be a wish, not something that will be fulfilled...

[Redtravel]

I fully agree. But after 3 months, it's only going to be a wish, not something that will be fulfilled...

 

 

I am surprised that it has been 3 months and people are still unhappy. It must have hurt people really badly for them to keep complaining so long. When they changed the system, I had 2 cruises booked. Each was 14 nights in a veranda. That would have been 4 credits old system... Converted to new is 120 points. New system the cruises equal 84 points. Quite a difference. I was elite before the change. I am still elite after the change. So what difference does it make? Not much unless I want to get to Elite Plus. Perks at that level are not much better than Elite. Before they added the 2 additional categories, I did not really care. Now I keep reading how people feel cheated. Not a good way to keep loyal guests happy. Giving some people extra points to help them get to elite faster is being too selective. Give everyone the same number of extra points. For example, had they rewarded loyal guests by giving away 50 points, they would have been complimented for their generosity. It certainly would have made the conversion less objectionable. Or if they had announced the conversion with a grace time, it would have been received better. Celebrity missed the boat on this issue(no pun intended). If they had given people a chance to book and receive points under either system ( your choice) for a month, booking would have gone way up. They announced increasing beverage packages and allowed guests to prebook at old prices. Did they make money? Probably took in lots of $$$$$. I did not buy a package. I knew that the prices were going up and I had a chance to book at old prices. No regrets. Each time a change happens that involves points, credits, or money, it changes who books. Celebrity wants to increase sales. Keeping all guests happy ought to be their goal. A happy cruiser comes back.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I am surprised that it has been 3 months and people are still unhappy.

 

I had been on a bit of a sabbatical from Cruise Critic and all things cruise-related-- I didn't learn about the changes until a few weeks ago.

[AE_Collector]

I still think they should have grandfathered any booked cruise into the point conversion. They were booked with the understanding that they would go so far toward advancement in the program.

 

Or at minimum, the people who had reached final payment date and therefore did not have the option to cancel if they felt that strongly about the changes. In our case, the change happened while we were onboard so we got on expecting to get three old credits which would take us to seven credits. This would have worked out well for us if they waited a few more days to implement the new program because everyone who had seven old credits (210 new points) received a bonus of 30 points since they were potentially within one cruise of making it to Elite.

 

It didn't work out well for us though since they changed over while we were on the ship and instead of 3 credits/90 points plus 30 bonus for a total of 120 points, we wound up with only 45 points even though we were in a Concierge cain for 15 days.

 

They really dropped the ball by not having a minimum 90 day phase in where they simply could have given you the best deal from either program (since there are a small percentage of passengers who actually do better under the new program than the old).

 

They annoyed a LOT of people the way they handled the change over. In my case, we were looking for a change from Princess planning on possibly alternating back and forth between the two but I am so annoyed at how they handled this we have returned to Princess.

 

I suspected they might have an under the table offer to make it right for those who were particularily annoyed and were actually on a cruise when they made the change. After three polite emails asking for more info it became apparent that they were offering nothing at all. Next up 32 days on Pacific Princess in the South Pacific.

 

Terry

Edited February 26, 2014 by AE_Collector
Typos

[boogs]

I think what is bothering you is not your maths but the fact that your converted points are NOT the same as the points you would have received had the NEW system been in place at the time you earned the OLD points. This is, unfortunately, true and tends to work against those who booked higher level room and/or longer cruises in the past. Celebrity are very aware of this discrepancy and have no intention of changing the conversion rules.

 

I have no problems with the conversion they did. We were one point shy of Elite after our last cruise. We are now 35 credits shy of Elite with the new system. We could have taken a short 3 day cruise in an inside and made Elite. Now we must take a 7 day cruise in CC or higher for Elite. I'm not upset. It's a program of FREE perks, and Celebrity doesn't owe them to us, but instead is giving these perks as a BONUS. I'll say that again - a BONUS!! We should all be thankful we get anything at all, instead of being all annoyed because we may have to cruise a bit more to get them. :rolleyes:

 

Besides, no one lost any perks in the level you were in before the change. If you were Select, you still have the Select perks. You will still enjoy those. You just have to make more of an effort to move up, is all. No big deal - because, after all, it's a BONUS!

Edited February 26, 2014 by boogs

[NLH Arizona]

 

I have no problems with the conversion they did. We were one point shy of Elite after our last cruise. We are now 35 credits shy of Elite with the new system. We could have taken a short 3 day cruise in an inside and made Elite. Now we must take a 7 day cruise in CC or higher for Elite. I'm not upset. It's a program of FREE perks, and Celebrity doesn't owe them to us, but instead is giving these perks as a BONUS. I'll say that again - a BONUS!! We should all be thankful we get anything at all, instead of being all annoyed because we may have to cruise a bit more to get them. :rolleyes:

 

Besides, no one lost any perks in the level you were in before the change. If you were Select, you still have the Select perks. You will still enjoy those. You just have to make more of an effort to move up, is all. No big deal - because, after all, it's a BONUS!

Very well said! IT'S A BONUS, we all get because we are able to cruise, while so many just wish they could!

[The_Big_M]

It may be a bonus for us, but the cruise line isn't a charity and isn't giving it away for nothing.

 

They do it to encourage repeat business. Clearly, their decision failed in part when it has caused some to take their business elsewhere. Such programs are a feature of most cruise lines, so it's not as though you don't get a bonus elsewhere.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

It didn't work out well for us though since they changed over while we were on the ship and instead of 3 credits/90 points plus 30 bonus for a total of 120 points, we wound up with only 45 points even though we were in a Concierge cain for 15 days.

 

5 points for Concierge cabin x 15 days should equal 75 points. Did you pay for a verandah and get an upgrade?

 

 

I have no problems with the conversion they did. We were one point shy of Elite after our last cruise. We are now 35 credits shy of Elite with the new system. We could have taken a short 3 day cruise in an inside and made Elite. Now we must take a 7 day cruise in CC or higher for Elite. I'm not upset. It's a program of FREE perks, and Celebrity doesn't owe them to us, but instead is giving these perks as a BONUS. I'll say that again - a BONUS!! We should all be thankful we get anything at all, instead of being all annoyed because we may have to cruise a bit more to get them. :rolleyes:

 

 

Throw me a frickin' bonus:rolleyes::D!

 

By that logic, we should all be okay with it if they decided to eliminate Captain's Club altogether, which they have every right to do. Just because they have the right doesn't mean that there wouldn't be a huge outcry at the perceived injustice of it all.

 

This is a promotion to encourage repeat business. There is a certain value to what they're offering, and it's part of a business transaction. Part of what I'm paying for is the eventual perks of a higher tier-- it's not a bunch of freebies. The free 90 minute internet package for Elites alone will save us $50 per cruise, and we'll now need to wait one more cruise to get there than if they had honored the conversion rate for the cruise credits. If I had no cruise booked and I knew that the basis for gaining ground in the program is going to be less, I can make an informed decision as to whether I think it's worth it or not, overall, to continue to do business with X. But for a cruise that's already in the works, it's reneging on what they told me would happen.

 

There's nothing like a promotion that's been screwed up to backfire and cause animosity instead of goodwill. Overall, I applaud the changes because they were necessary, but let's not tell the customer that their next cruise will get them 20% of what they need to get to the next level, then change it to 11.7% after they've paid you money.

Edited February 26, 2014 by PartyAllDaTyme

[NLH Arizona]

It may be a bonus for us, but the cruise line isn't a charity and isn't giving it away for nothing.

 

They do it to encourage repeat business. Clearly, their decision failed in part when it has caused some to take their business elsewhere. Such programs are a feature of most cruise lines, so it's not as though you don't get a bonus elsewhere.

Some, I'm sure some did take their business elsewhere, if they were just cruising for perks, but I'm sure Celebrity took that all into consideration prior to making the change. Same can be said for Delta, who just changed their frequent flyer program saying that the "2015 SkyMiles program will better recognize frequent business travelers and leisure customers who buy premium fares". Will some take their business elsewhere, I'm sure, but probably not enough to do any damage - companies are smart enough to do the research and know probably down to a few percentage points how many customers they wil lose.

[boogs]

It may be a bonus for us, but the cruise line isn't a charity and isn't giving it away for nothing.

 

They do it to encourage repeat business. Clearly, their decision failed in part when it has caused some to take their business elsewhere. Such programs are a feature of most cruise lines, so it's not as though you don't get a bonus elsewhere.

 

If people left because it became a bit more difficult to earn these "loyalty" perks, they weren't very loyal, now were they? If they took their business elsewhere over such a trivial reason, they didn't deserve those perks in the first place.

 

The cruise line may not be a charity, but neither are all of us greedy people who demand a few dollars worth of perks or we'll go elsewhere.

 

I choose my cruises for the ports, the service, and the overall experience, not for a few free drinks.

Edited February 26, 2014 by boogs

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I'm certain they crunched the numbers regarding how many customers they'd lose by switching to the new system, making it harder (overall) to reach higher levels. I question whether or not they took into consideration the effect of not honoring the equivalent number of cruise credits for cruises already booked but not taken. Then again, they did make an allowance for Selects that were close to Elite. Maybe they drew the line there, but maybe they only considered the plight of someone who was close to the edge for their next cruise.

 

X doesn't always have a great track record of thinking these things through. Remember the aborted "X the Rules" campaign a couple of years back? As I recall, they admitted not even running that campaign through a focus group and were genuinely shocked at the backlash of Celebrity faithful that feared that they were going for more of a Carnival approach to cruising.

 

I suppose one point to consider is that Cruise Critic members make up a small but vocal minority of their customers-- many probably didn't even realize what the change meant to them. It's ironic that the ones that would most be annoyed at the way this was handled are among their most loyal customers.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

If people left because it became a bit more difficult to earn these "loyalty" perks, they weren't very loyal, now were they? If they took their business elsewhere over such a trivial reason, they didn't deserve those perks in the first place.

 

The cruise line may not be a charity, but neither are all of us greedy people who demand a few dollars worth of perks or we'll go elsewhere.

 

I choose my cruises for the ports, the service, and the overall experience, not for a few free drinks.

 

If you want loyalty, buy a dog:D!

 

In the eyes of a customer, it takes about ten good experiences to negate one bad one. There's a difference between blind loyalty and continuing a mutually beneficial business relationship. If it's perceived (rightly so or not) that someone's being done dirty, it's the customer's option to vote with the feet. It's in X's best interests to manage the perceptions.

 

I'm far from jumping ship, even though it's more than a "few" dollars. This is but one straw. But eventually the camel's back may break.

[NLH Arizona]

I'm certain they crunched the numbers regarding how many customers they'd lose by switching to the new system, making it harder (overall) to reach higher levels. I question whether or not they took into consideration the effect of not honoring the equivalent number of cruise credits for cruises already booked but not taken. Then again, they did make an allowance for Selects that were close to Elite. Maybe they drew the line there, but maybe they only considered the plight of someone who was close to the edge for their next cruise.

 

X doesn't always have a great track record of thinking these things through. Remember the aborted "X the Rules" campaign a couple of years back? As I recall, they admitted not even running that campaign through a focus group and were genuinely shocked at the backlash of Celebrity faithful that feared that they were going for more of a Carnival approach to cruising.

 

I suppose one point to consider is that Cruise Critic members make up a small but vocal minority of their customers-- many probably didn't even realize what the change meant to them. It's ironic that the ones that would most be annoyed at the way this was handled are among their most loyal customers.

Of course they did, but if they gave in to those that have already paid on the basis that they paid for what "they" considered to be part of the contract, there would be probably tons times that that would then yell and scream that the booked a cruise because "they" considered the captains club points to be part of the contract. And then don't forget those that would yell and scream because they wanted to book and would have if they knew of the change. This way they only ticked off a few and the only ones that will leave are those that are only cruising for perks.

 

There is a big difference in a marketing campaign and a change in policy and what goes into both prior to implementation, not understanding why you would compare them.

 

You are so right, us on Cruise Critic are a very, very small amount of Celebrity's customers and it looks as though only a few are still upset by the changes. With regard to others, the Facebook feedback seemed as though it didn't seem to be a deal breaker for many. And no, many of the most loyal customers seem to be quite happy, since they cruised enough to be in the top two new levels.

Edited February 26, 2014 by NLH Arizona