Merging RCL and Celebrity loyalty programs

[boscobeans]

56 minutes ago, cementhands said:

I don’t think a merger of benefits it will ever happen. I’m more worried about RCL changing the system now in place. So many diamond members. Corporate officers are always looking for ways to cut cost.

I love the free 2 laundry bags on Celebrity. Very helpful when flying to Europe and doing a cruise after land trip. Wishing RCL would follow.

 

I also like the 90 minutes each internet for elite. It is all we really need to check up a few at home and delete the usual ton of emails. 

[cruisinfanatic]

18 hours ago, vagolferbob said:

Does anyone have any sense if they will ever merge the loyalty programs so that you can earn credits from each line and not just have reciprocal status?

Will never happen

[little britain]

29 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

 

 

Have been on one Celebrity cruise and loved it.   Michael's Lounge was a great place.

Are Zenith members on Celebrity automatically allowed in Michael's Lounge if they are NOT sailing in a suite?

In other words, will they be able to get an inside cabin on Celebrity and still get suite benefits  if they are pinnacle on RCL?

No because the highest reciprocal level is Elite - so D, D+ and PC all match to Elite only.  And Vice versa with Elite, EP and Z matching to Diamond and they receive the benefits of that tier.

 

[actuarian]

33 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

 

 

Have been on one Celebrity cruise and loved it.   Michael's Lounge was a great place.

Are Zenith members on Celebrity automatically allowed in Michael's Lounge if they are NOT sailing in a suite?

In other words, will they be able to get an inside cabin on Celebrity and still get suite benefits  if they are pinnacle on RCL?

All Zenith members on Celebrity are admitted to Michael's Club.  However, RCCL Pinnacle's are not Zenith on Celebrity and they are not admitted to Michael's Club (unless they are in a suite or qualify for Zenith based on their Celebrity cruises).  Whenever it is suggested that RCCL Pinnacles be made Zenith on Celebrity, Celebrity objects because there are far more RCCL Pinnacles than there are Celebrity Zeniths.  Therefore, Michael's Club might be overwhelmed by RCCL Pinnacles.  RCCL is able to accommodate all of the Pinnacles in suite lounges and Coastal Kitchens only because people in RCCL Junior Suites are not admitted to suite lounges and admitted to Coastal Kitchens only for dinner and only with a reservation which can be difficult to obtain.  On the other hand, anyone sailing on Celebrity on a Sky Suite (Celebrity's equivalent to an RCCL Junior Suite) is admitted to both Michael's Club and Luminae.  Therefore, they do not have space for the RCCL Pinnacles.

[actuarian]

29 minutes ago, cruisinfanatic said:

Will never happen

Never is a long time.  However, if the two programs are ever merged, it is likely to come along with a reduction in benefits and/or an increase in the number of points required to obtain the various tiers.  A merger would mean that many of the people (myself included) who are independently Diamond+ on RCCL and Elite+ on Celebrity could combine their points by some formula and, unless the tier structure changed, we would suddenly be Pinnacle and Zenith.   It would be too costly to create all those new Pinnacles and Zeniths.  Therefore, the tier structure would have to change and the merger is probably not something worth wishing for.  

[parrotfeathers]

5 hours ago, actuarian said:

All Zenith members on Celebrity are admitted to Michael's Club.  However, RCCL Pinnacle's are not Zenith on Celebrity and they are not admitted to Michael's Club (unless they are in a suite or qualify for Zenith based on their Celebrity cruises).  Whenever it is suggested that RCCL Pinnacles be made Zenith on Celebrity, Celebrity objects because there are far more RCCL Pinnacles than there are Celebrity Zeniths.  Therefore, Michael's Club might be overwhelmed by RCCL Pinnacles.  RCCL is able to accommodate all of the Pinnacles in suite lounges and Coastal Kitchens only because people in RCCL Junior Suites are not admitted to suite lounges and admitted to Coastal Kitchens only for dinner and only with a reservation which can be difficult to obtain.  On the other hand, anyone sailing on Celebrity on a Sky Suite (Celebrity's equivalent to an RCCL Junior Suite) is admitted to both Michael's Club and Luminae.  Therefore, they do not have space for the RCCL Pinnacles.

 

Yes I see what you are saying.  But I was assuming that "merging the loyalty programs" meant that pinnacle on RCL would mean zenith on celebrity automatically.

 

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

 

Yes I see what you are saying.  But I was assuming that "merging the loyalty programs" meant that pinnacle on RCL would mean zenith on celebrity automatically.

 

Correct "if" RC and Celebrity merged their loyalty programs. 

[actuarian]

4 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

 

Yes I see what you are saying.  But I was assuming that "merging the loyalty programs" meant that pinnacle on RCL would mean zenith on celebrity automatically.

 

That would not be a real merger.  When two entities merge, there is only one entity left.  For example, some years back Continental Airlines merged with United Airlines.  Now there is only United Airlines and the old Continental Airlines Frequent Flyer program was simply absorbed into the MileagePlus program.  This was potentially costly for United since many people who had not previously had enough miles in either program to qualify for a high level award (like an international first class ticket) did have enough miles when the programs were combined.  However, United kept a lid on the cost because they did not increase the number of seats available for such capacity controlled award travel.  This was frustrating to people who had enough miles for an award but could not book it at a time when they were able to travel.  If Crown and Anchor ever did really merge with Captain's club, Royal Caribbean would also have to find a way to keep a lid on the cost and that too would probably be frustrating.

[The Fun Researcher]

On 1/28/2019 at 9:34 AM, fyree39 said:

I have a problem with combining loyalty programs.  I don't think it's fair at all to inundate a higher price point loyalty program with cruisers from a line with a lower price point. 

 

I haven't found that the case for cabins on newer Celebrity and Royal ships, especially with X's fairly routine "pick 2" incentive for balconies.  You may have a point on the "older" RCI ships that sail at a somewhat lower price point though

 

On 1/27/2019 at 11:33 PM, grandgeezer said:

Never happen. What’s their incentive, they are selling full and getting a premium price for it.

 

Agree.  What's the incentive?  These loyal passengers are already sailing Celebrity or Royal, with the greater Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ultimately acting as the profit center.  All this would do is flood the ships with even larger numbers of Diamond or Elite (and above) members bringing down the value of the program overall to the loyal cruises who have actually earned their levels on Royal or X respectively.

Dan