Extending C&A Benefit to Significant Other

[SelectSys]

I made a new booking today and created a new C&A society number for my spouse. I was happy to learn that they extend my status to my spouse when we cruise together. This will allow them to access the diamond lounge as well as leverage other discounts during the cruise. In these days of diminished customer service/care, it is nice to see RCI "do the right thing".

[CaribSailor]

My significant other (unmarried) gets my benefits as well and I think it's ridiculous, personally. Also think it's ridiculous that minor kids would get it as well.

 

Reward programs don't need dilution by excess members who haven't earned that status. Am I happy my SO will get diamond perks? Sure, but I don't like the idea of excess crowds due to people taking advantage of it.

 

IMHO the family match is wasteful and harmful to the program's value for those who actually earn the points one way or another.

 

 

And so by your own words you are ridiculous, wasteful, harmful and taking advantage of it. Lol. Not sure royal would be happy with their #1 most recently self appointed ambassador acting like that.

[Langley Cruisers]

I was happy to learn that they extend my status to my spouse when we cruise together.... In these days of diminished customer service/care, it is nice to see RCI "do the right thing".

 

It's actually been going on for many years. :) But yes, it's nice they do this.

 

My significant other (unmarried) gets my benefits as well and I think it's ridiculous, personally. Also think it's ridiculous that minor kids would get it as well...

 

I gather the RCI executives and marketing team knew exactly what they were doing. My grown kids, also Diamond members, will probably cruise RCI for the rest of their lives due to their D status. Brilliant, don't you think?

[whitshel]

It's actually been going on for many years. :) But yes, it's nice they do this.

 

 

 

I gather the RCI executives and marketing team knew exactly what they were doing. My grown kids, also Diamond members, will probably cruise RCI for the rest of their lives due to their D status. Brilliant, don't you think?

 

Mine as well......

[Clarea]

If they retain D status at 18, it's because they earned it themselves, right? Not because they inherited status at all.....

A linked child keeps whatever level the parents had when the child turns 18. Even though Diamond is 80 points, the child could be Diamond with only 3 of their own points. If the child wants to move up to the next level, then that is based on their own earned point total.

[SelectSys]

It's actually been going on for many years. :) But yes, it's nice they do this.

 

 

 

I gather the RCI executives and marketing team knew exactly what they were doing. My grown kids, also Diamond members, will probably cruise RCI for the rest of their lives due to their D status. Brilliant, don't you think?

 

I agree that it is a considered decision. The reason I posted this was that someone else told me that this wasn't the case and that my SO would be excluded from certain things.

 

BTW - My kids are also Diamond and I'm sure this will be a decision factor if and when they decide to go on a cruise independently.

[Clarea]

I agree that it is a considered decision. The reason I posted this was that someone else told me that this wasn't the case and that my SO would be excluded from certain things....

Whoever told you that your SO would be excluded from perks was probably confused about a guest simply being in the same stateroom as opposed to being linked with you. If your SO had not been linked by C&A, then they would have been excluded from the perks.

[dasi11]

While my children (adults now, 19, 22,& 25) are all Diamond Plus, they have their own points that make them Diamond plus.

 

I have seen this argument many times but in most cases the kids have their own points that accumulate too. You pay the same amount for a kid as an adult in many cases.

 

Why do people think the kids do not deserve the status, especially when they have the points on their own! Don't most people take the kids on their vacations?

Every year for over 10+ years we cruise the holidays and the same families are on the ship. My kids keep running into the same cruise buddies for years! Many are D+ because they have 15-20 or more cruises they have completed. My daughter went on her first cruise at 3 and at 19 she keeps finding others on cruises that were in the camp and she became friends with on another cruise. When the kids started college, a week would not go by without us being told, "I ran into another kid that I met on a cruise ship...."

I realize that some people think that a person that is Diamond should not be able to pass that status on to their children but most of the time they got the points with kids along, earning their own points.

 

Also, my sons both have girlfriends that soon will have Diamond status too. We have been taking them on the cruises the last few years so they have their own points but will become D+ if they marry. If not, they have plenty of points to get it themselves.....

Edited December 9, 2015 by dasi11

[A&L_Ont]

If they retain D status at 18, it's because they earned it themselves, right? Not because they inherited status at all.

 

I also understand rewards programs (I worked with a rewards analytics company in the 90s before shilling for a casino group after) and there are peaks and valleys as members die or switch loyalty and new members crowd in during popular markets. The data gathered from rewards programs is immense and naturally cultivated for short and long term profit, but the loyalty programs are still secondary to proper maintenance of passengers and quality of amenities.

 

I will guess that D will continue to get massively overpopulated but I assume RCCL's analysts have an estimate of when the numbers are likely to fall -- I'm just wondering if the overpopulation will be 5 years or 20.

 

We have an 8 year old who is D+ by us, but is a D from his actual sailings. He can't even step foot in the lounge until he is 21 which is 13 years. That will limit the number of "young members" for a while. Yes, the ranks of D members is increasing but you can't forget the amount of D members and above that can't cruise 5 years or 20 from now for a multitude of reasons.

 

I will also add that I think our DS will continue to cruise after he leaves the nest. However, at 21 he might be more worried about money and a job, where he is living etc... so I doubt taking a vacation will be at the top of his list. If he doesn't cruise there is one less D member on the ship.

 

Edit: at 21 I hope he has left the nest. :)

Edited December 9, 2015 by A&L_Ont

[Ocean Boy]

And so by your own words you are ridiculous, wasteful, harmful and taking advantage of it. Lol. Not sure royal would be happy with their #1 most recently self appointed ambassador acting like that.

 

And no one is forcing him to take advantage of the offer either. If I found something to be so objectionable I'd probably just say thanks but no thanks.

[roquejo]

We may have a problem soon with overcrowding of Diamond lounges due to the inherited statuses...

 

Delta (and another US airline) used to have the same benefit until their sky club became very crowded.

 

So Delta recently removed this benefit despite protests from families and their lounges became less crowded..

 

So if these US airlines did it, then it is a possibility that RCCL may implement this in the future as a lesser evil than Diamonds losing their lounge access due to their sheer numbers.

 

But despite this, we have to be thankful that there are no status matches or instant status via credit card in the cruise industry in the same way as hotels and airlines.

 

As of the moment hotel status matches became rampant again with Hilton, Hyatt, Best Western giving Diamond status matches and several credit cards like AMEX centurion gives instant elite benefits to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.

 

So imagine how will those elite members who earned it the hard way feel for those who acquired those status instantly.

 

Instant unearned statuses has been one of the common issues of loyalty programs lately for those members who actually earned it the hard way.

Edited December 9, 2015 by roquejo

[Havingfun2010]

My significant other (unmarried) gets my benefits as well and I think it's ridiculous, personally. Also think it's ridiculous that minor kids would get it as well.

 

Reward programs don't need dilution by excess members who haven't earned that status. Am I happy my SO will get diamond perks? Sure, but I don't like the idea of excess crowds due to people taking advantage of it.

 

IMHO the family match is wasteful and harmful to the program's value for those who actually earn the points one way or another.

 

My youngest son, has 7 less points than I do. We vacation as a family and his points on each line, accrued as a family. However, since he is 7 points less than me, due to the fact he was not yet born on our honeymoon. When he turned 18 he was one tier behind me but yes, stayed at my tier. However, now he is moving to the next tier under his own pace, and to reach that next tier, he still needs to make up those 7 points.

 

Honestly, kids who cruise as a family, will most likely continue to cruise as a vacation choice, and the "loyalty program" is there as a marketing program, to keep those "new" cruisers coming back. Customer loyalty and retention is a major issue for all companies. On a side note, the first cruise, my youngest bought for himself and wife, was on RCCL. You could say the program works!

[knittinggirl]

We had almost a hundred pinnacle members on our last cruise, and about 900 diamond and up. Getting a diamond plus status with significant other doesn't bother me. But if they split up, the significant t other status should revert to whatever it would be based on cruise history. So he/she can't give diamond status to his significant other until he's earned it himself

Edited December 9, 2015 by knittinggirl

[MisterFidgetpants]

I think the current setup is great.

I appreciate that Royal matched status for my spouse.

 

The perks / benefits were in the top 5 considerations when we selected to do a long cruise with a somewhat unique itinerary. To me the perks have a real value.

 

And yes, they will likely make "lifers" out of our offspring due to these perks.

 

I am not in favor of any changes that devalues the program from where it is today.

 

At the pricing Royal is currently charging compared to the competition, it is often times the perks that can put Royal over the top. Likewise, at the prices they are charging they can more than afford these loyalty programs.

[ksuds]

We had almost a hundred pinnacle members on our last cruise, and about 900 diamond and up. Getting a diamond plus status with significant other doesn't bother me. But if they split up, the significant t other status should revert to whatever it would be based on cruise history. So he/she can't give diamond status to his significant other until he's earned it himself

 

 

When you link a SO to yourself, the C&A reps are very clear in saying that in the event you should break up, that your SO will lose that status and revert back to whatever their actual points make them.

[Langley Cruisers]

We may have a problem soon with overcrowding of Diamond lounges due to the inherited statuses...

 

It's already a problem and most likely why they rolled out the "three drinks on the Sea Pass card" option - to alleviate crowding in the DL.

[cot427]

Is there a difference in extending the perks between married and unmarried? Also, if it is their first cruise and I am diamond, would they not be extended until after completion of the first cruise?

[Clarea]

Is there a difference in extending the perks between married and unmarried? Also, if it is their first cruise and I am diamond, would they not be extended until after completion of the first cruise?

No difference, you just have to declare the other person your significant other. You can get the other person a C&A number now (website or call C&A), without them having cruised, and then call C&A to get linked.

[cot427]

No difference, you just have to declare the other person your significant other. You can get the other person a C&A number now (website or call C&A), without them having cruised, and then call C&A to get linked.

 

Thanks Bob! - I knew you would know and I was hoping you'd answer.

[MisterFidgetpants]

Thanks Bob! - I knew you would know and I was hoping you'd answer.

 

While I was able to get my spouse a CA number before her first cruise she had no status or benefits until completion of her first cruise. After that cruise she became the same level as me. Perhaps that has changed as this was a few years ago.

[CrusinAgain]

They did not extend same status to my sister who was my cruising buddy in my cabin and she is Platinum.

[critterchick]

We have an 8 year old who is D+ by us, but is a D from his actual sailings. He can't even step foot in the lounge until he is 21 which is 13 years. That will limit the number of "young members" for a while. Yes, the ranks of D members is increasing but you can't forget the amount of D members and above that can't cruise 5 years or 20 from now for a multitude of reasons.

 

I will also add that I think our DS will continue to cruise after he leaves the nest. However, at 21 he might be more worried about money and a job, where he is living etc... so I doubt taking a vacation will be at the top of his list. If he doesn't cruise there is one less D member on the ship.

 

Edit: at 21 I hope he has left the nest. :)

 

Children are allowed in the CL. You have to accompany him, though.

[Ourusualbeach]

They did not extend same status to my sister who was my cruising buddy in my cabin and she is Platinum.

 

Status will only be extended to children or significant others, not sisters.

[CrusinAgain]

Status will only be extended to children or significant others, not sisters.

 

Thanks Ken, makes me feel better now. :)

[cruisevv]

Agreed with dada2199cc precisely because of this.

 

We may have a problem soon with overcrowding of Diamond lounges due to the inherited statuses...

 

Delta (and another US airline) used to have the same benefit until their sky club became very crowded.

 

So Delta recently removed this benefit despite protests from families and their lounges became less crowded..

 

So if these US airlines did it, then it is a possibility that RCCL may implement this in the future as a lesser evil than Diamonds losing their lounge access due to their sheer numbers.

 

I also find it funny that half the people or more complaining about packed Diamond lounges are the ones that bring in their spouses, their children, their grandchildren, and their new in-laws...