Crown & Anchor Diamond Plus cutbacks continue!

[cruisegirl1]

I love this thread. I’ve learned how to scam the system.  Wonder if I have room in my suitcase for all my free beer. I’ll be set for my next tailgate. Thanks all. 😄😄😄(kidding) 

 Seriously, do you passengers think that RCCL intended to give them three + hours of cocktails, or three drinks, so that they could stock their cabin refrigerator?

 

 When change comes, those of you who abused the system, pat yourselves on the back.  You will be the first to complain. 

 

M

[Paulette3028]

9 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I'll never leave. I have a name tag.😉

DH and I don't have 'name tags' and never will although we do the enjoy D+ status that we have achieved.  We won't leave -- not because of the level but because we enjoy the overall experience of sailing on Royal ships.  When we don't enjoy it, we will sail on another line.  

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

5 minutes ago, Snowbird_in_training said:

Oops. Hit reply too quick 

 

I agree that Royal will do what’s necessary.  The last time I checked, they weren’t a non profit.  I just see a HUGE dose of hypocrisy.    I guess the justification could be....I’ll get mine while I can.  I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem to be the right thinking but I guess there is this entitlement mentality in every aspect of life, including vacations.  

 

In in any event when I’m lucky enough to be on vacation and choose to cruise, I’m enjoying every single minute.   Hopefully everyone else does the same.  Life’s too short. 

Not only do people find ways to abuse the system but then they can't wait to let everyone know what they did and how they did it.

[Paulette3028]

10 minutes ago, Snowbird_in_training said:

In in any event when I’m lucky enough to be on vacation and choose to cruise, I’m enjoying every single minute.   Hopefully everyone else does the same.  Life’s too short. 

Absolutely true.....life is way too short!

[island lady]

35 minutes ago, Paulette3028 said:

DH and I don't have 'name tags' and never will although we do the enjoy D+ status that we have achieved.  We won't leave -- not because of the level but because we enjoy the overall experience of sailing on Royal ships.  When we don't enjoy it, we will sail on another line.  

 

 

 

John was talking about his Pinnacle name tag.  (They have a choice of how they want their names to read on the tag that is ordered for them when they achieve that level).  

[Thorben-Hendrik]

40 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

John was talking about his Pinnacle name tag.  (They have a choice of how they want their names to read on the tag that is ordered for them when they achieve that level).  

John Doe🤔😁

[island lady]

18 hours ago, steveru621 said:

 

It's also not much of a stretch to see Pinnacles kicked out of the SL.

 

Unless they are in a suite.  😉 

[Reijo]

On ‎2‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 12:17 AM, WeighAnchor said:

I have remained loyal to Royal because of the D+ perks. If they cut back on them, then I suppose I will be trying out other cruise lines. Of the 26 cruises I have been on (and I know that is not very many compared to some of you), 23 of them have been on Royal and one of the other three cruises was on Celebrity which is owned by Royal.

 

[Cruise a holic]

On 2/16/2019 at 10:41 PM, MichaelinME said:

Got off the Freedom of the Seas a couple of weeks ago and the Diamond Plus cutbacks are so evident. Even including Pinnacles!!

Reserved seating for theater shows no longer exist, on Freedom of the Seas anyways. Studio B Ice skating shows are reserved seating for Suites only. 

No Diamond Plus or Pinnacle reserved seating like in the past, just last year we had this.  Royal seems to be catering to the Suite crowd and not there loyal repeat guests who frequent the ships. 

On another note, priority debarkation wasn't offered either, even though its still listed as a perk , along with reserved seating at shows was listed but gone. Priority tendering is gone also. In room Diamond Gift is now 3 cookies, LOL! 2 small bottles of water and 2 cans of soda or juice whichever is in your preferences.

Diamond/Diamond plus used to have a small section in the lido buffet, like chops or Giovanni's to sit in to bring your breakfast. Now that is only for Suite guests!

 

Its unbelievable how much Royal dilutes the membership in Crown and Anchor. No excuse for this.

More troubling is that I spoke to the Concierge lounge ambassador and he mentioned that there is talk to restrict Diamond members from the Diamond Lounges!! (overcrowding) 

As the ships go into drydock, the Concierge Lounges eventually will be Suite only lounges (renamed).  The Diamond Lounges will convert to Diamond Plus/Pinnacles only Lounge. Diamond members would no longer be admitted to the Diamond Lounge and will be able to only use there 3 Vouchers at any bar in the evening as there perk. This is ridiculous and unacceptable if its really going to happen.

 

What's with the drooling over Suite guests, that may only cruise once a year or two. All this catering to them, when Diamond/Diamond Plus and Pinnacles cruise much more often and keep there ships pretty full with repeaters.

 

Royal needs to stop this nonsense!! They are going to start alienating and losing the "bread and butter" cruisers on there ships in my opinion. 

What is the incentive to stay and generally pay more to cruise Royal? Just to get a few free drinks?!

 

Don't get me started about the other evident cutbacks in food quality and staffing, along with the barrage of nickel and diming. 

The selling of popcorn at the main theater shows is tacky also. $2.50 for a small bag and people chomping on this and spilling everywhere. No place to put your drinks, let alone eat popcorn! LMAOF

 

My 2 cents. 

suite guests pay more then double for the experience.  they actually help to keep fairs down for the lower priced cabins.  the cruise lines like any business want to improve their bottom lines.  

[Reijo]

Of our 33 cruises, the last 25 have been on RCCL.  We will be Diamond Plus after our next cruise.  The perks used to be really good and have just become less and less through the years.  Sadly, if you don't drink or don't do the water sports, most of the perks are of no interest to you.  I wish we had the option of a specialty coffee instead.....even one a day rather than three drink would be good.  We do take advantage of the photos but that's about it.  That said, I don't like that RCCL is doing away with so much.  Pinnacle, Diamond Plus and Diamond is taking a back seat to Suites and as mentioned, those who book suites don't necessarily do it multiple times a year.  It's the Diamond/Diamond Plus/Pinnacle who are loyal.  One of the main reasons that we chose to be loyal to Royal was the fact that my husband can't be in the sun.  We love cruising though and had the opportunity to sit in the Viking Crown Lounge much of the time.  However, RCCL is now doing away with the VCL on more and more ships.  Due to the decline in food and service in the MDR and many other issues, we will consider other cruise lines, most likely, in the future.

[Ocean Boy]

2 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

suite guests pay more then double for the experience.  they actually help to keep fairs down for the lower priced cabins.  the cruise lines like any business want to improve their bottom lines.  

The suite dwellers don't help keep any fares down. The cruise lines will charge as much as they can for every category of cabin. Do you really think the bosses sit around and figure since all the suites are booked we will give everyone else a break? You said yourself, the cruise lines want to improve their bottom line.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

5 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

The suite dwellers don't help keep any fares down. The cruise lines will charge as much as they can for every category of cabin. Do you really think the bosses sit around and figure since all the suites are booked we will give everyone else a break? You said yourself, the cruise lines want to improve their bottom line.

Indeed.

 

And actually...their primary profits come more from drinks, excursions, and paid extras than they do from cabins.

[Paulette3028]

18 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

The suite dwellers don't help keep any fares down. The cruise lines will charge as much as they can for every category of cabin. Do you really think the bosses sit around and figure since all the suites are booked we will give everyone else a break? You said yourself, the cruise lines want to improve their bottom line.

Onboard spending is what really improves profitability for the company.  There are NOT enough suites to offset the pricing of BOGO or KidsSail Free promos or other deals that cruisers get.....but that onboard spending and cost of excursions through Royal sure do keep the cash register ringing.

[A&L_Ont]

 

On 2/17/2019 at 1:05 PM, cruisegirl1 said:

Then I guess if there was a break up, that person still retains that unearned status and then can forward it to their new mate.  

 

 I will be disclosing and say that  members of my own family have benefited by this current and acceptable process. 

M

 

 

See the next post below.

 

On 2/17/2019 at 1:12 PM, ONECRUISER said:

Agree, now that there is Equality in Marriage it should go back to being a requirement to get same status... There was a CC Member on here several years ago complaining that while Divorcing that her Husband still kept her status even though he'd only done couple cruises. She wanted take back his status in the Divorce

 

If I remember correctly she sent the signed divorce papers to Royal and got his status reduced.

 

On 2/17/2019 at 2:46 PM, cello56 said:

We too have seen the problem with certain cruisers taking over lounges late in the afternoon and not leaving until late dinner starts. They always seem to be the heavy drinkers too! Perhaps this behavior is going to see us being limited in how many drinks they will serve us in the Diamond Lounge/Concierge Lounge? 

 

It could certainly help to inspire to move them along, freeing up spots for others who want a beverage.

 

19 hours ago, island lady said:

 

As we know Ds were kicked out of the CL some years ago...and CL converting to SL...is it too much of a stretch to see Ds now kicked out of DL (and that lounge re-named to something else also)?  

 

I could see this happening one day.

 

19 hours ago, steveru621 said:

 

It's also not much of a stretch to see Pinnacles kicked out of the SL.

As the numbers increase I think they will inevitably have to.

 

13 hours ago, twangster said:

Absolutely.  Then they will come back.  

 

+ No one is saying all benefits will cease, but change is coming.

 

I agree.  There is no way the current lounges can support the upcoming increases of C&A members.  On a side note, it has been some time since we have seen Diamonds in December promotion.

 

12 hours ago, bajathree said:

I have said it for a while...I believe the Diamond Lounges will become Diamond Plus lounges...

 

I think so too.  After a while I think they will become the Pinnacle lounges, when their numbers increase to a point to where the SL can not hold them and the Suite guests.  Attrition will eventually correct some of the over crowding but that will take decades.

 

 

[rimmit]

5 minutes ago, Paulette3028 said:

Onboard spending is what really improves profitability for the company.  There are NOT enough suites to offset the pricing of BOGO or KidsSail Free promos or other deals that cruisers get.....but that onboard spending and cost of excursions through Royal sure do keep the cash register ringing.

BOGO is smoke and mirrors as you well know.

 

KSF is a real sale for those with kids, however, you still pay taxes and gratuities.  Really it's a just added revenue for them, as a family of four will likely have more spend than a Diamond, D+, Pinnacle couple. 

 

Just doing one excursion with 4 people is pricey.  Kids also tend to buy pop, ice cream, and other trinkets.  Esp. once Perfect Day at Cococay premiers.  Are they really building that water park primarily for adults?  Their incentive now will be to get as many kids to that island as possible.

 

We've been on enough cruises that our onboard spend is nearly non existent, especially if it is a Caribbean cruise we aren't doing any excursions or really spending any cash as we have the Diamond drinks and free pictures.  We may spend 20 dollars in the arcade, but that's about it.

 

You get the family that's new to cruising and that Onboard spend is massive.  We were just with some friends that went on RCI for the first time last week on the Oasis, and 3rd cruise overall, and their Onboard spend was insane.  Two Beverage Packages (which they regretted and wanted to cancel after 3 days), two pop packages for their two kids, and an internet package, some duty free liquor, and other sundry purchases, including several specialty restaurants, AND they refused to book with a TA so they got no free OBC (despite me prodding them to use a TA).

 

These are the families RCI wants.  The high Onboard spend.  They don't want the Diamonds and above who spend nearly O dollars onboard never eat at the specialty restaurants, never buy internet, and never buy a drink.  The Diamonds fill the ships and keep them running, and they need them to fill the berths, but ideally they are trying to capture the newer and younger millennial market. 

[chucknmarilyn]

Just the incredible number of Loyalty guests will make changes necessary. When half the ship is "special" it is inevitable that no one will really feel that way. I don't know the answer for this and I sure haven't seen anyone on these boards come up with one.

 

When we were recently on Celebrity they took our card in the Club and we could only get 3 drinks - period. Either in the Club or in a bar. I expect that Royal will start enforcing the same in the lounges. 

[akcruz]

12 minutes ago, Paulette3028 said:

Onboard spending is what really improves profitability for the company.  There are NOT enough suites to offset the pricing of BOGO or KidsSail Free promos or other deals that cruisers get.....but that onboard spending and cost of excursions through Royal sure do keep the cash register ringing.

 

And this is why they don't care if a suite customer, or any other for that matter, comes back over and over.  The newbies are the ones who will spend onboard buying those ship excursions, photos, souvenirs, drinks, and on and on.  Yes some of those suites get it all included but they are the minority.

 

When they have the choice of a newbie with large onboard spending vs a "loyal" that stays in a less expensive cabin or one with many discounts that drinks in the lounge for those few hours and hoards unopened items for the rest of the day who do you think they will cater to?

 

We are Diamond and have been to the lounge a few times but it's not for us.  Would prefer to be out and about and drink what we like.  However, do appreciate the discounts we can get and do use some, but definitely see changes inn the horizon.

[gatorskin76]

37 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

The suite dwellers don't help keep any fares down. The cruise lines will charge as much as they can for every category of cabin. Do you really think the bosses sit around and figure since all the suites are booked we will give everyone else a break? You said yourself, the cruise lines want to improve their bottom line.

 

It's all part of the equation, so certainly it has some impact.  They will charge as much as they can for each cabin, but they are also going to look at the entire revenue they need to generate shipwide to pay the bills and meet profit expectations.  If you had a ship full of regular cabins the prices would likely be higher for those cabins or they would need to cut somewhere else.

[gatorskin76]

3 minutes ago, akcruz said:

 

And this is why they don't care if a suite customer, or any other for that matter, comes back over and over.  The newbies are the ones who will spend onboard buying those ship excursions, photos, souvenirs, drinks, and on and on.  Yes some of those suites get it all included but they are the minority.

 

When they have the choice of a newbie with large onboard spending vs a "loyal" that stays in a less expensive cabin or one with many discounts that drinks in the lounge for those few hours and hoards unopened items for the rest of the day who do you think they will cater to?

 

We are Diamond and have been to the lounge a few times but it's not for us.  Would prefer to be out and about and drink what we like.  However, do appreciate the discounts we can get and do use some, but definitely see changes inn the horizon.

 

The Disney model....

[rimmit]

10 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

I think so too.  After a while I think they will become the Pinnacle lounges, when their numbers increase to a point to where the SL can not hold them and the Suite guests.  Attrition will eventually correct some of the over crowding but that will take decades.

 

 

 

Pinnacle is the one tier that attrition will definitely keep the numbers in check, in the same way the number of Suites keeps the SL in check.  

 

Does anyone have any clue what the average age of Pinnacle is?  We will be Diamond Plus come March 28th, and me and my wife are 37 and 38 respectively.  However, we do not anticipate hitting Pinnacle ever, as we would have to cruise 17.5 days on RCI for the next 30 years to hit it.  While we cruise more than that yearly, unless RCI starts to have more inspiring itineraries, we will only use them occasionally.  WE have already started transitioning to more land based and independent travel.  RCI for the Caribbean is great and easy, but their more exotic itineraries are nothing compared to Princess, HA, or Celebrity.

 

Point being is that as it has been noted, the majority of Pinnacles based on observation are in their 60's and 70's.  There is attrition there, unlike the Diamond and Diamond Plus ranks in which attrition will likely take 30+ years for many to start dying at least, and the Diamond numbers are growing exponentially.  There unlikely to ever be a steady state of Diamonds, unlike  Pinnacles where a steady state number can likely be reached given enough time.

[island lady]

42 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

The suite dwellers don't help keep any fares down. The cruise lines will charge as much as they can for every category of cabin. Do you really think the bosses sit around and figure since all the suites are booked we will give everyone else a break? You said yourself, the cruise lines want to improve their bottom line.

 

Totally agree.  As usual.  😉 

I would think IMHO, as in any business, the repeat customer is the bread and butter.  Suites are indeed high profit...but who is to guess if they will be back.   Keeping the ships filled is the important thing.  It's like a restaurant that cannot survive if they don't turn tables...and the waiters stay if they are getting the tips from those tables turning.  

[island lady]

39 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Indeed.

 

And actually...their primary profits come more from drinks, excursions, and paid extras than they do from cabins.

 

Casino has a lot to do with it.  😉 

[Ourusualbeach]

I do see Royal giving the boot to the Pinnacles from the suite lounge however I fail to see any benefit at all to Royal kicking D out of the DL.  Unless there were to be a positive outcome that benefits Royal I don’t see them doing a thing about it.  They have provided an alternative in the 3 drinks anywhere if there are no seats available.  I am actually quite surprised that they still do the overflow lounges.

 

Royal provided the sandbox, now it’s up to the D, D+ and P to play nicely.  Many here are acting like it’s a huge issue.  Maybe it is for them but from Royals point of view I doubt it is at all.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Ourusualbeach

[A&L_Ont]

4 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I do see Royal giving the boot to the Pinnacles from the suite lounge however I fail to see any benefit at all to Royal kicking D out of the DL.  Unless there were to be a positive outcome that benefits Royal I don’t see them doing a thing about it.  They have provided an alternative in the 3 drinks anywhere if there are no seats available.  I am actually quite surprised that they still do the overflow lounges.

 

Royal provided the sandbox, now it’s up to the D, D+ and P to play nicely.  Many here are acting like it’s a huge issue.  Maybe it is for them but from Royals point of view I doubt it is at all.

 

Agreed that it is most likely not an issue to Royal.  I could only imagine the lines at the lounge if all three tiers had access to only it. I see it now, the over flow lounge will just become a level on the MDR.  😉

[Ocean Boy]

19 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I do see Royal giving the boot to the Pinnacles from the suite lounge however I fail to see any benefit at all to Royal kicking D out of the DL.  Unless there were to be a positive outcome that benefits Royal I don’t see them doing a thing about it.  They have provided an alternative in the 3 drinks anywhere if there are no seats available.  I am actually quite surprised that they still do the overflow lounges.

 

Royal provided the sandbox, now it’s up to the D, D+ and P to play nicely.  Many here are acting like it’s a huge issue.  Maybe it is for them but from Royals point of view I doubt it is at all.

Great points.