how do free drinks in bars and Diamond lounge work for Diamond members?

[BillOh]

Do these free drink perks for Diamond members also apply to newbie RCI cruisers who are Diamond class from their Celebrity cruises?

 

I believe so, I've read of it working the other way. (I'm one of 10 million cruisers taking their first diamond cruise soon :) )

[John&LaLa]

Just off Enchantment. The happy hour was from 5-8:30 even though first seating was 5:30.

[bogofman]

We will be taking ours in November,

 

Where are the Diamond lounges?

i have not bothered to find out previously for obvious reasons.

 

I assume they can get Rammed with standing room only ?

[John&LaLa]

We will be taking ours in November,

 

Where are the Diamond lounges?

i have not bothered to find out previously for obvious reasons.

 

I assume they can get Rammed with standing room only ?

 

Which ship?

[Clarea]

We will be taking ours in November,

 

Where are the Diamond lounges?

i have not bothered to find out previously for obvious reasons.

 

I assume they can get Rammed with standing room only ?

Both Indy and Navigator have the Diamond Lounges in the Viking Crown area on deck 14, starboard side.

Edited April 5, 2016 by clarea

[blueblock]

Quick Question: I don't drink alcohol so the 3 free cans of soda per evening will be my perk.

Can I use the Diamond perk but ask the bar tender to give me an unopened can of Soda, this way I can transport it back to my room to enjoy later so my soda won't go flat?

 

Yes. On one occasion, I went to Cafe Latte-tudes to buy a canned ginger ale for my seasick mom. The barista reminded me that it was happy hour and asked me if I wanted to take more than one for her, and that's what I did.

[sjb317]

Interesting, I've never been encouraged to serve myself in any lounge.

 

The last time we experienced this was in the CL on Explorer in 2008. The bottles of alcohol were sitting on the counter with several mixers, and beers/soda were accessible in the fridge. There was no bartender, and the concierge encouraged us to serve ourselves.:D There was hardly ever anyone in the lounge during cocktail hours, some evenings we had it to ourselves.

 

This was when I discovered my 22 year old son could make a wicked gin & tonic!:D

 

Sherri:)

Edited April 5, 2016 by sjb317

[Clarea]

The last time we experienced this was in the CL on Explorer in 2008. The bottles of alcohol were sitting on the counter with several mixers, and beers/soda were accessible in the fridge. There was no bartender, and the concierge encouraged us to serve ourselves.:D There was hardly ever anyone in the lounge during cocktail hours, some evenings we had it to ourselves.

 

This was when I discovered my 22 year old son could make a wicked gin & tonic!:D

 

Sherri:)

That sounds like the "honor bar" that is still mentioned on some very old web page that Royal has not updated. That would have been before we had access to the CL.

[Robinhill]

Going on our first cruise as Diamond members next week and are unsure how the free drinks perk works. I think you can have 3 free drinks a night during a designated time slot in any of the bars or the Diamond lounge. Does this mean if we have 2 free drinks each at one of the bars and then go into the Diamond lounge we can still have 1 free drink each in there? Also, are there any other nice perks we should be aware of?

Thanks for any insight you can give us.

 

you can go to the diamond lounge from 5-8 for finger foods and drinks free. This does not count toward your three free drinks. However, the three free drinks end every night at 8 so if you are in the diamond lounge until 8 then that is that. If you are in the diamond lounge until say 7 then you can still go into the casino or to one of the bars and get your free drinks up until 8. I hope this answered your question. This does not apply in the dining room, however. You can get it at the pool bar if you are eating up in the windjammer though. If you are diamond you get one free photo so don't forget that one. You also get $5.00 free slot or match table play and i forget if you get one or two of those. You can get $20 off the internet package or you can have one free day if you do not purchase the package. If you have a phone with internet then use it in the US ports to catch up on your internet and then save that free day for one of the at sea days. That's what i did and i did not have to pay anything extra for internet that way. I think you can also get a specialty coffee at the Starbucks place. There is a discount for the spa treatments. I really forget the rest of the little perks. My main ones were the free drinks, the free photo and the internet.

[Robinhill]

Wow, that is a nice perk. We will be Diamond on this cruise. I assume that it is ok to get a drink at a bar and carry it into the MDR, I like a glass of wine with dinner. How do they feel about getting drinks and handing them off to friends? Not Diamond etiquette?

 

I ALWAYS DO THIS! Every- single- day! LOL

[tserface]

Yes, you will be treated as if you are a Diamond by virtue of enough cruise days except that you won't advance to Diamond Plus until you get enough real cruise days in.

 

You get all the perks and your card will also say you are a Diamond, because, um, you are!

 

Tom

 

Do these free drink perks for Diamond members also apply to newbie RCI cruisers who are Diamond class from their Celebrity cruises?

[tserface]

I don't think this is true, at least not by any kind of rules. I've never had occasion to share mine, but I asked a couple of people about it and they said, "They are your coupons do with them what you want..."

 

That is not true for getting into the Diamond Club of course.

 

I think it's like getting the free bottom of water in your room. They never say you have to be the one to drink the water.

 

I also couldn't find anything on RCI's website that said anything to the contrary either.

 

They also don't force you to drink all of the drinks if you don't want that many :)

 

http://www.******************.com/2014/07/17/cruising-101-crown-and-anchor-society-complimentary-drink-coupons

 

Tom

 

if you are not diamond you are not entitled to the free drinks. 'buying' rounds for others using the three vouchers is violating the intent and spirit of the perk at the very least and abuse can and will result in the loss of the vouchers altogether. maybe for just the abuser, maybe for ALL Diamonds.

[John&LaLa]

you can go to the diamond lounge from 5-8 for finger foods and drinks free. This does not count toward your three free drinks. However, the three free drinks end every night at 8 so if you are in the diamond lounge until 8 then that is that. If you are in the diamond lounge until say 7 then you can still go into the casino or to one of the bars and get your free drinks up until 8. I hope this answered your question. This does not apply in the dining room, however. You can get it at the pool bar if you are eating up in the windjammer though. If you are diamond you get one free photo so don't forget that one. You also get $5.00 free slot or match table play and i forget if you get one or two of those. You can get $20 off the internet package or you can have one free day if you do not purchase the package. If you have a phone with internet then use it in the US ports to catch up on your internet and then save that free day for one of the at sea days. That's what i did and i did not have to pay anything extra for internet that way. I think you can also get a specialty coffee at the Starbucks place. There is a discount for the spa treatments. I really forget the rest of the little perks. My main ones were the free drinks, the free photo and the internet.

 

Haven't seen match play since the coupon days.

[elephant98]

I forgot to mention that on the Freedom last week that the happy hour times were from 4:30 to 8 pm. Which was initially a little confusing because the sheet they have at all the bars listing the available beers and spirits says 5 to 8:30 pm. But, it was actually 4:30 pm to 8 pm for the entire cruise, as was stated on the letter delivered to our stateroom on the first day.

 

I should note that there is no wiggle room on the time at the bars onboard. Bartenders have to swipe your card to process the drink credit, and a receipt will print out that you must sign (and you can add a tip to it too). If you get to the bar at 8:02 pm, the free drink credit won't process and you are out of luck. You will have to pay.

 

As for getting a drink "to go" from the diamond lounge and taking it to dinner, the concierge gave me an honest assessment of the policy. The official policy is that you don't do it. But, when people do go ahead and do it, the concierge ends up in a catch 22 should he raise an issue about it. The guest either sits down, quickly chugs it and walks out miffed . . . or puts the full drink down and walks out miffed. Neither of which is an ideal result from his viewpoint. I don't blame him.

[Merion_Mom]

The last time we experienced this was in the CL on Explorer in 2008. The bottles of alcohol were sitting on the counter with several mixers, and beers/soda were accessible in the fridge. There was no bartender, and the concierge encouraged us to serve ourselves.:D There was hardly ever anyone in the lounge during cocktail hours, some evenings we had it to ourselves.

 

This was when I discovered my 22 year old son could make a wicked gin & tonic!:D

 

Sherri:)

 

And I had that experience in 2005 on the Enchantment.

 

But it would never occur to me to consider that comparable to 2016. Or to use it for advice to someone who is cruising as a Diamond for the first time in 2016.

 

:eek:

[Merion_Mom]

you can go to the diamond lounge from 5-8 for finger foods and drinks free. This does not count toward your three free drinks. However, the three free drinks end every night at 8 so if you are in the diamond lounge until 8 then that is that. If you are in the diamond lounge until say 7 then you can still go into the casino or to one of the bars and get your free drinks up until 8. I hope this answered your question. This does not apply in the dining room, however. You can get it at the pool bar if you are eating up in the windjammer though. If you are diamond you get one free photo so don't forget that one. You also get $5.00 free slot or match table play and i forget if you get one or two of those. You can get $20 off the internet package or you can have one free day if you do not purchase the package. If you have a phone with internet then use it in the US ports to catch up on your internet and then save that free day for one of the at sea days. That's what i did and i did not have to pay anything extra for internet that way. I think you can also get a specialty coffee at the Starbucks place. There is a discount for the spa treatments. I really forget the rest of the little perks. My main ones were the free drinks, the free photo and the internet.

Some misinsformation here.

 

The cocktail hours are never 5 to 8.

 

They are either 4:30 to 8 or 5 to 8:30.

 

There are no more casino coupons on your SeaPass, except some discounts for tournament entrance fees.

 

The only specialty coffee "coupon" is get one for free when eating in a specialty restaurant.

[Clarea]

...There are no more casino coupons on your SeaPass, except some discounts for tournament entrance fees.....

How can you overlook those extremely valuable free spins to win?:rolleyes:

[John&LaLa]

How can you overlook those extremely valuable free spins to win?:rolleyes:

 

I sat down with 180 of them once.

 

Drove the casino staff crazy because a lot of them wouldn't register.

 

My current total is just under 50

 

Planning on tossing them in the surf on our beach.

 

Should drive metal detector guys crazy.

Edited April 5, 2016 by John&LaLa

[3CatsInMA]

How can you overlook those extremely valuable free spins to win?:rolleyes:

 

Here's a stupid question: What the heck is spin to win?

 

I'm a little embarrassed (not really) that we've never tried to redeem that coupon. :)

Edited April 5, 2016 by 3CatsInMA

[Merion_Mom]

How can you overlook those extremely valuable free spins to win?:rolleyes:

 

Because I never win?

 

Hell, they don't even give you a keychain any more.

 

Now the lowest level "prize" is a friggin' RAFFLE TICKET and you have to be "present to win"!!!!

Edited April 5, 2016 by Merion_Mom

[Clarea]

I sat down with 180 of them once.

 

Drove the casino staff crazy because a lot of them wouldn't register.

 

My current total is just under 50

 

Planning on tossing them in the surf on our beach.

 

Should drive metal detector guys crazy.

I've always felt that the actual coins are worth far more than any prize I'm likely to win.

[Merion_Mom]

Here's a stupid question: What the heck is spin to win?

 

I embarrassed (not really) that we've never tried to redeem that coupon. :)

 

There is one slot machine set aside that it not for coin play.

 

It's for C&A play.

 

The cashier will give you special "gold" tokens.

 

You put them in that one machine.

 

And you win nothing.

 

:D

[3CatsInMA]

There is one slot machine set aside that it not for coin play.

 

It's for C&A play.

 

The cashier will give you special "gold" tokens.

 

You put them in that one machine.

 

And you win nothing.

 

:D

 

Gotcha. It sounds like a blast...sorry we missed it! ;):D

 

Thanks.

[John&LaLa]

There is one slot machine set aside that it not for coin play.

 

It's for C&A play.

 

The cashier will give you special "gold" tokens.

 

You put them in that one machine.

 

And you win nothing.

 

:D

 

I 'won' 3 shirts.

[John&LaLa]

I've always felt that the actual coins are worth far more than any prize I'm likely to win.

 

Probably, but they eventually took up to much space.