Heard changes to Loyalty Program to be announced @ 2018 prez cuise - rumours???

[harz99]

To hard to design for a 4 hour worst case scenario

 

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Except that it's not just a "4 hour worst case scenario", rather a 365 x 4 hour and 365 x 3 hour (breakfast) scenario...

 

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[John&LaLa]

Except that it's not just a "4 hour worst case scenario", rather a 365 x 4 hour and 365 x 3 hour (breakfast) scenario...

 

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That is easily refuted. I'll be on Harmony in two weeks. Look for some empty lounge pics.

 

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[harz99]

That is easily refuted. I'll be on Harmony in two weeks. Look for some empty lounge pics.

 

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Be my guest, although I really don't understand why you would bother...

 

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[Pratique]

Here's what I would like- points for using their flying program. So that those of us who have to fly to cruises can gain some of the benefits of those of you who have a few block drive to the ship. It's a lot tougher for us to take a last min cruise vs. people next to ports, so it would be nice to have some way to level it.

 

How about free or discounted prearranged transportation between the airport/hotel and cruise port, or free/discounted parking at the port, for the upper tiers and suites? Make it easier for people to get to the ship and they may come back more often.

[Bloodgem]

How about free or discounted prearranged transportation between the airport/hotel and cruise port, or free/discounted parking at the port, for the upper tiers and suites? Make it easier for people to get to the ship and they may come back more often.

Would love free parking (y)

[nelblu]

That's my guess too, and actually surprised it did not happen when they first came out with the drink vouchers. :confused: Maybe increase vouchers to four drinks, and add specialty coffee vouchers for Diamonds?

 

Rename the DL as "Upper Tier Lounge"..or something along that line with D+ and Pinnacles only. Full Suites only ...get the Suites Lounge.

 

That's not much of an announcement. Management would not waste their time with such a minor announcement. If an announcement is coming it will/should be of major events.

 

Still waiting for the major announcement that some poster posted a few years ago. Waiting (tic), waiting (toc) and further waiting (tic, etc.).

[nelblu]

In the last few years, I have seen numerous posts speculating that Royal Caribbean will kick Diamonds out of the DL in the near future but it has not happened. IMHO, it is wishful thinking by certain D+ members who want their Concierge Clubs back and will not happen in the foreseeable future because the marketing people would veto it. Marketing is targeting young upwardly mobile cruisers who have never or rarely cruised before and who can get away from their careers for only short periods. That is why the Mariner and the Navigator are doing the 3 and 4 night cruises that were previously done by older smaller ships that did not appeal to that target market. The people in that market may see 80 points (D) in their future but 175 points (D+) seems a lifetime away to them.

 

Not from this D+. I was able to enjoy the Concierge Lounge a few times on the August Anthem cruise. However, although very nice and a wonderful view, it was hot when the sun came around. Also, the DL is much closer to the restaurants.

[island lady]

I didn't know they still did that. I thought they gutted that program. Maybe they just cut back the perks. Congrats to Bucky!

 

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It was funny since we had no idea he was due. We were standing in line to get to the check in desk at Orlando for our flight, when I noticed the announcement on the electronic board. It stated "Congratulations .... ..... on making it to the million miler status". I thought it was funny and pointed it out to him, then we checked with the agent at the desk and she confirmed. Not really aware of the perks, and not sure if they would do us any good anyway. ;)

[nelblu]

There are a few things that cause this.

 

Hotel/Airline separate status and points. Each has its own purpose, and while status is earned annually, points have a longer shelf life.

 

It takes a long time to achieve top cruise line status, so it is easy to assign a lifetime achievement. Delta use to have "Million Miler" and "Flying Colonel" lifetime statuses years ago. Then a lot of us started hitting Million Miler and poof it was gone. Those statuses were like C&A, a reward for long time loyalty, and not a program designed to influence individual booking decisions.

 

 

Cruise Line programs are Reward based, they are thank you's for proven (past) loyalty. Airline/Hotel "status" is based around influencing future booking of selected travelers. "You seem like you travel a lot, here are some reasons to use us exclusively."

 

The hotel/airline programs are different in that the points are a currency of their own. You can sell them, give them as a gift, use them to get goods and services from companies other than one giving you the points. What cruise lines call points are only for status achievement. The only benefits you get are from the cruise line itself, and only benefiting you (and I suppose a cabin mate in some instances)

 

The biggest difference is that the hotel/airline model is based around business travel. You are travelling on someone else money, and yet you reap the benefit. In their model loyalty perks are designed to trump price as the primary decision point. Cruise lines can't do that as well.

 

(y)

[karena1]

Yes you have spent $100's of thousands on Royal to get Pinnacle, but you also got to enjoy about 700 nights on a cruise ship, visiting ports, getting fed and entertained. Someone in a suite has spend $10,000 - $30,000 for 7-12 nights on a ship.

 

Never said I don't enjoy it, we love it which is why we cruise so much. I was simply stating a fact, nothing to start an argument.

[Don Pedro]

Gold

Platinum

Emerald

Diamond

Diamond+

Pinnacle

 

Just curious, can you name another loyalty program with more than six levels. That was the focus of a presentation we attended by C&A back in April. To many tiers.

 

I think it makes sense to have more tiers at lower levels, gets people excited. Once you are D+ you have shown a commitment to Royal.

 

The bonus gifts at 340 and 525 are a nice reward

 

 

 

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I agree that there are probably too many tiers however I believe that the could be spread out more logically. I agree with gaylemh's assertion that there are already three levels of diamond plus. Not officially naming them doesn't mean that they don't exist.

 

That said, any rearranging of the tiers would be an absolute nightmare for Royal Caribbean and could probably only be done if RCCL adopted an entirely new system - perhaps like Celebrity

Edited September 5, 2018 by Don Pedro

[island lady]

Simpler than that. Just change the DL name to CL and remaining CLs to SL and you are done.

 

Ds don't have access to the CL.

 

Agree...and would have been the simplest of all. :D

 

Though the reason they came up with the DL in the first place was the howling of the D's years ago when they got kicked out of the CL. To pacify, they instituted the "Diamond Event" which I actually loved, (even though just beer/wine/cheap bubbly and a cup of bar mix) it was great to mix with like minded pax who all had the same interest...we love to cruise and share our cruising stories.

 

Later they built in the DLs in every ship. I still prefer ships that have the DL/CL set up.

Edited September 5, 2018 by island lady

[island lady]

That is easily refuted. I'll be on Harmony in two weeks. Look for some empty lounge pics.

 

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Which one...DL or SL?

[island lady]

That's not much of an announcement. Management would not waste their time with such a minor announcement. If an announcement is coming it will/should be of major events.

 

Still waiting for the major announcement that some poster posted a few years ago. Waiting (tic), waiting (toc) and further waiting (tic, etc.).

 

I did not make an announcement. ;) I was simply agreeing with another poster, and started my post as "that would be my guess".....key word here: GUESS. :confused: Which is really just the whole basis of this thread...yet more speculation and guessing. ;)

Edited September 5, 2018 by island lady

[Scotty G]

Agree...and would have been the simplest of all. :D

 

Though the reason they came up with the DL in the first place was the howling of the D's when they got kicked out of the CL. To pacify, they instituted the "Diamond Event" which I actually loved, (even though just beer/wine/cheap bubbly and a cup of bar mix) it was great to mix with like minded pax who all had the same interest...we love to cruise and share our cruising stories.

 

Later they built in the DLs in every ship. I still prefer ships that have the DL/CL set up.

Like!

[island lady]

Not from this D+. I was able to enjoy the Concierge Lounge a few times on the August Anthem cruise. However, although very nice and a wonderful view, it was hot when the sun came around. Also, the DL is much closer to the restaurants.

 

I rarely spent much time in the CL on former PC based ships Freedom and Enchantment. Preferred the DL, especially on Freedom since the CL was inside a small venue with no windows. The small CL on EN seems to get too hot with that full bank of windows. IMHO the DL on EN is better laid and quieter.

Edited September 5, 2018 by island lady

[island lady]

Like!

 

Hi Ian!! :D

 

Miss you two, hope to cruise with you again soon! :)

[CallagDeb]

Love these threads, I find them entertaining!

 

I am currently on oasis in a suite and I can attest the pinnacles get a lot more attention than regular suite folks. Doesn’t bother us as we are laid back, but I can see how it might bother others.

 

We love to cruise, expect nothing other than what we pay for. Doubt if we will ever make pinnacle but enjoy our D+ status, and in a suite we even have MORE options.

 

I would love to see $s spent on a cruise be a point factor, although empty nesters we started this journey with our family of 6.

 

Thanks for the entertainment off to Sabors for some GREAT food.

[grapau27]

Slightly off topic but as a D+, I've spent thousands of dollars and yet the Suite people, who could be first time cruisers, get the prime lounge chairs at the pool deck. Where's the loyalty for that perk? Many days I've seen those chairs go unused and want to jump into one. Just saying....

 

 

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Great point.

[grapau27]

No need for the dig at me. Was just contributing to the conversation. And I have booked suites before.

 

 

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I agree.

We have stayed in Suites before but because we don't sunbathe these days our beds would be free.

[grapau27]

That's my guess too, and actually surprised it did not happen when they first came out with the drink vouchers. :confused: Maybe increase vouchers to four drinks, and add specialty coffee vouchers for Diamonds?

 

Rename the DL as "Upper Tier Lounge"..or something along that line with D+ and Pinnacles only. Full Suites only ...get the Suites Lounge.

I agree with all your points.

Great post.

[grapau27]

Bucky just got his Million Mile recognition. ;)

Well done Bucky.

I've drove over 1 million miles due to 40 years in sales.

[grapau27]

If you limit the drinks in the DL to 3 just like the vouchers, there is not likely to be a continued crowding issue.

 

 

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Your right but it is what keeps people loyal.

Just had a 2 night cruise on P&O for our 37th wedding anniversary and the night time entertainment was absolutely fantastic and in a different league to what RCCL offers.

[grapau27]

Personally, I do not think that there will be any substantive changes, just minor adjustments. However, if there are significant changes, I would look at Celebrity in order to guess what will happen. I have often suspected that Royal uses Celebrity as a kind of sounding board to test the effect of administrative changes. Celebrity bases Captain's Club points on room category and provides more perks to people in Sky Suites (its equivalent to Royal Junior Suites), at the expense of fewer perks to top tier Captain's Club members. It is also a little harder to make Zenith (the highest tier) in the Captain's Club than it is to make Pinnacle. However, I think that the biggest difference is that Zeniths are not admitted to Luminae (their equivalent to Coastal Kitchen) but people in Sky Suites are (for all meals, not just dinner and not just by reservation). This difference has a positive revenue impact since it allows Celebrity to charge more for Sky Suites (on average; you can find exceptions if you look hard enough) than Royal charges for Junior Suites. IMHO, any change that has a positive revenue impact is probably "on the table".

I would certainly Cruise in top suites every time if we got a massive increase in points towards Pinnacle as well as the other Suite benefits.

[John&LaLa]

Which one...DL or SL?

Both, plus whatever they do for Presidents cruise

 

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