Met head of Loyalty for Celebrity

[TeeRick]

17 hours ago, Orator said:

Cutbacks at the Zenith level are not good news for those less than Zenith. If Elite, Elite+ and Zenith level members leave for other lines and are replaced by new cruisers not requiring benefits guess who wins? Addition by deletion can work when the market is good, but....

 

 

I expect to receive some heat for this: People who pay double ought to receive double, but that has caused many to get to the highest level very quickly. I understand that one made Zenith in 14 cruises. Perhaps it would have been better for Celebrity to offer a more attractive price rather than points to singles. That would be one way to control the number of cruisers at the higher levels.

No heat from me anyway.  

[chamima]

On 3/24/2019 at 11:41 PM, cardiffman said:

From what I can tell, loyalty programs on cruise lines are really simple, but not well-aligned with what the holding companies need from the programs, and not very much like other loyalty programs in airlines or hotels.

 

The cruise line programs are based on accumulating a point total or cruise-day total over your lifetime and then when you reach each level you are there permanently. You could do 15 nights over a period of 25 years on Princess and be Platinum. How is that what Carnival wants? I'm not as well briefed on Celebrity's program but it sounds like it is similar and similarly ineffective from RCI"s perspective.

 

The most important feature of the airline and hotel plans is that the levels that you can attain that you never lose, like United Global Services, are very hard to attain. The rest of us get status levels that expire in those programs. For example I made "silver" in the Marriott program, with exactly the minimum number of nights, and I'm unlikely to stay at that level based on my plans this year, and forget about attaining a higher level. I made the "premier" level on United in 2001 because they lowered the threshold that year, and I didn't ever qualify for it again. Clearly these programs reward recent customers, not loyal but infrequent customers. If Celebrity modernizes their program I would not be surprised if the permanent levels that remain are very hard to attain and the lower levels will become temporary, and might be based on your most recent business with Celebrity.

 

Some of the comments here suggest that RCI's four brands have a unified loyalty program. While most nights within Marriott earn the same benefit points, not all do. If RCI unifies the loyalty programs, I wouldn't be surprised if some weighting gives more benefits to a dollar on Silversea than a dollar on RCI. Or if not weight of dollars than weight of cruising days.

 

 

 

People tend to fly (and also stay in hotels) more often than they cruise.

A cruise is a vacation and flights and/or hotel stays are often for business and/or family events.

I think comparing them just doesn't work.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

On 3/24/2019 at 5:38 PM, Orator said:

 

Officers table invites for Zeniths have  mostly been ended. These invitations are now almost exclusively offered to people in top suites.

 

 

I've sailed in the PH and not been invited to dine with the captain or any other officer, so I think that's going by the wayside regardless of your cabin category or whether or not you're Zenith.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

On 3/24/2019 at 11:41 PM, cardiffman said:

From what I can tell, loyalty programs on cruise lines are really simple, but not well-aligned with what the holding companies need from the programs, and not very much like other loyalty programs in airlines or hotels.

 

The cruise line programs are based on accumulating a point total or cruise-day total over your lifetime and then when you reach each level you are there permanently. You could do 15 nights over a period of 25 years on Princess and be Platinum. How is that what Carnival wants? I'm not as well briefed on Celebrity's program but it sounds like it is similar and similarly ineffective from RCI"s perspective.

 

The most important feature of the airline and hotel plans is that the levels that you can attain that you never lose, like United Global Services, are very hard to attain. The rest of us get status levels that expire in those programs. For example I made "silver" in the Marriott program, with exactly the minimum number of nights, and I'm unlikely to stay at that level based on my plans this year, and forget about attaining a higher level. I made the "premier" level on United in 2001 because they lowered the threshold that year, and I didn't ever qualify for it again. Clearly these programs reward recent customers, not loyal but infrequent customers. If Celebrity modernizes their program I would not be surprised if the permanent levels that remain are very hard to attain and the lower levels will become temporary, and might be based on your most recent business with Celebrity.

 

Some of the comments here suggest that RCI's four brands have a unified loyalty program. While most nights within Marriott earn the same benefit points, not all do. If RCI unifies the loyalty programs, I wouldn't be surprised if some weighting gives more benefits to a dollar on Silversea than a dollar on RCI. Or if not weight of dollars than weight of cruising days.

 

 

MSC already requires that you cruise at least once every three years to retain your status.  

[Straughn]

Solo cruiser (most of the time) here. I haven’t read through all 12 pages, so if what I would really like has been mentioned, I apologize for the redundancy. RCCL offers a perk, at about the midpoint  level between D+ and Pinnacle. That perk is that solos pay 150%, not 200% on their cruises. Would like  to see Celebrity offer this, maybe in conjunction with an additional level in the loyalty program. That would seriously keep me loyal to Celebrity.

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I've sailed in the PH and not been invited to dine with the captain or any other officer, so I think that's going by the wayside regardless of your cabin category or whether or not you're Zenith.

It may depend on the length of the cruise.  We had a lunch in Blu with the senior officers on a Transpacific last fall, but not on a 12 day cruise in January.

[villauk]

20 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I've sailed in the PH and not been invited to dine with the captain or any other officer, so I think that's going by the wayside regardless of your cabin category or whether or not you're Zenith.

 

 

They heard you had sailed on MSC 🤣.

[Luvcrusn]

Celebrity is promoting "Sail With the CEO."  I think the marketing department is out of touch with the existing customer base. Many look at the leadership of the current CEO LLP as the beginning of the downward slide and resent her for the cuts and changes to a cruise line they've loved and been loyal to for many years. I hope the current head of the Captains Club has a better grip on pulse of her base. DH and I now shop many other cruise lines before booking to compare value received. We didn't in the past. 

[caymancouple]

2 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

Celebrity is promoting "Sail With the CEO."  I think the marketing department is out of touch with the existing customer base. Many look at the leadership of the current CEO LLP as the beginning of the downward slide and resent her for the cuts and changes to a cruise line they've loved and been loyal to for many years. I hope the current head of the Captains Club has a better grip on pulse of her base. DH and I now shop many other cruise lines before booking to compare value received. We didn't in the past. 

EXACTLY our position

 

[Magik Bee]

7 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

Celebrity is promoting "Sail With the CEO."  I think the marketing department is out of touch with the existing customer base. Many look at the leadership of the current CEO LLP as the beginning of the downward slide and resent her for the cuts and changes to a cruise line they've loved and been loyal to for many years. I hope the current head of the Captains Club has a better grip on pulse of her base. DH and I now shop many other cruise lines before booking to compare value received. We didn't in the past. 

 

She is doing her best to make these trips worth the passengers vacation and the crew's living! And the ships have held up really well with the new look despite getting TONS of naysayers around here! Cannot wait for to prove them WRONG!

 

You'd do much better, dollar wise, by sticking with your loyalty points and using one cruise line. It's not a good use of points to start over from scratch. Sorry, should have said IN MY OPINION.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Magik Bee

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, Magik Bee said:

 

She is doing her best to make these trips worth the passengers vacation and the crew's living! And the ships have held up really well with the new look despite getting TONS of naysayers around here! Cannot wait for to prove them WRONG!

 

You'd do much better, dollar wise, by sticking with your loyalty points and using one cruise line. It's not a good use of points to start over from scratch. Sorry, should have said IN MY OPINION.

When we find something we like, be it cruise vacation, insurance company, favorite brand of clothing, or automobile we'll stick with it, UNLESS and UNTIL that favorite gives us a reason to shop. X has in the past few years given us (along with many others from what I read on these boards) a reason to shop. Once people like us are shopping, they will make new choices many more times going forward than we (and they) would have when they automatically  chose a favorite without looking as in the past. Sailing with the CEO is not something that is in the least enticing to us, especially since many of the events on those special sailings come with an extra fee added. We don't choose our vacations because of a few extra drinks, some free laundry and WIFI, but choose a cruise or other vacation for the value it offers. If we see that elsewhere, our loyalty will find a new home. That's MY opinion.

[Oville]

9 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

When we find something we like, be it cruise vacation, insurance company, favorite brand of clothing, or automobile we'll stick with it, UNLESS and UNTIL that favorite gives us a reason to shop. X has in the past few years given us (along with many others from what I read on these boards) a reason to shop. Once people like us are shopping, they will make new choices many more times going forward than we (and they) would have when they automatically  chose a favorite without looking as in the past. Sailing with the CEO is not something that is in the least enticing to us, especially since many of the events on those special sailings come with an extra fee added. We don't choose our vacations because of a few extra drinks, some free laundry and WIFI, but choose a cruise or other vacation for the value it offers. If we see that elsewhere, our loyalty will find a new home. That's MY opinion.

Sometimes it’s best not to take the bait as I learned the hard way, thanks villauk😉

Edited March 28, 2019 by Oville

[MizDemeanor]

8 minutes ago, Oville said:

Sometimes it’s best not to take the bait as I learned the hard way, thanks villauk😉

 

But it was done very well.. 😉

[Oville]

3 minutes ago, MizDemeanor said:

 

But it was done very well.. 😉

Yes villauk did give me a subtle hint, I was a little slow to catch on.  Thanks to a post from another wonderful poster here, light finally dawned....

[cruiseflyer38]

If I was to go on a "Sail with the CEO'", L.L.P. would surely have me removed from the ship.  I might hand her back my Zenith pin and tell her I no longer have a reason to cruise with a second rate cruise line. Twenty great years followed by three lousy ones. (And I only see downhill from here.)

[wwcruisers]

11 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

Celebrity is promoting "Sail With the CEO."  I think the marketing department is out of touch with the existing customer base. Many look at the leadership of the current CEO LLP as the beginning of the downward slide and resent her for the cuts and changes to a cruise line they've loved and been loyal to for many years. I hope the current head of the Captains Club has a better grip on pulse of her base. DH and I now shop many other cruise lines before booking to compare value received. We didn't in the past. 

 

Agreed -- Couldn't pay me enough to sail with LLP!😏

[Gordoncruickshank]

On 3/26/2019 at 9:06 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I've sailed in the PH and not been invited to dine with the captain or any other officer, so I think that's going by the wayside regardless of your cabin category or whether or not you're Zenith.

We have had that experience in a RS as well although we did get an invite to dine with an officer this month in a CS. I think it depends how hard the butler or the Michaels concierge pushes for certain guests. We decided not to go as we had met friends from a few years ago and wanted to spend the last couple of evenings with them. 

[Gordoncruickshank]

On 3/24/2019 at 2:21 PM, chamima said:

 

And not every cruise qualifies.

We've done B2B2Bs where one of the three doesn't qualify and the other two do.

I've asked and my TA has asked what the reasoning is and we've never been given a satisfying reason other than "that cruise doesn't qualify".

I figure it's a nice addition (actually a subtraction 😉 ) and I just am happy to get it when I can.

I think you will find that the B2b discount is given on the second and subsequent legs so B2B = 1 discount on the senond cruise which is the B2B one. On a B2b2b you don't get the first one but get the discount on the second and third one. 

[Silkroad]

1 hour ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

I think you will find that the B2b discount is given on the second and subsequent legs so B2B = 1 discount on the senond cruise which is the B2B one. On a B2b2b you don't get the first one but get the discount on the second and third one. 

I’ve only booked one b2b, but I received a 100 USD discount on each leg. The Captains’s Club rep did tell me that some cruises don’t qualify for the discount, but I don’t know the criteria. My booking was for a 14 night Japan itinerary, followed by a 15 night Transpacific itinerary (Veranda cabin for both). FYI, I booked these online to grab my desired cabin on both legs, and then had to call to have the b2b discount applied to the bookings. Since I also needed to have the Captain’s Club single category upgrade applied, I called CC to get both discounts sorted. 

Edited March 28, 2019 by Silkroad

[Gordoncruickshank]

9 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

I’ve only booked one b2b, but I received a 100 USD discount on each leg. The Captains’s Club rep did tell me that some cruises don’t qualify for the discount, but I don’t know the criteria. My booking was for a 14 night Japan itinerary, followed by a 15 night Transpacific itinerary (Veranda cabin for both). FYI, I booked these online to grab my desired cabin on both legs, and then had to call to have the b2b discount applied to the bookings. Since I also needed to have the Captain’s Club single category upgrade applied, I called CC to get both discounts sorted. 

We have done these for years but typically we change ship (we always did the Eclipse 14 night cruise and usually moved to the Silhouette the same day) and have never managed to get any B2B discounts. The first b2b discount we received was for the cruises we just completed where we stayed in the same cabin (and ship) on 2 cruises and we received the discount (eventually) on the second leg.

[Silkroad]

18 hours ago, villauk said:

 

 

They heard you had sailed on MSC 🤣.

If they were wise, they’d be trying very hard to woo her back, with meaningful discounts, dinners, flowers, and her favorite wine. But no, they’re offering the cruise line equivalent of a toaster or vacuum cleaner🤣

[Silkroad]

5 minutes ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

We have done these for years but typically we change ship (we always did the Eclipse 14 night cruise and usually moved to the Silhouette the same day) and have never managed to get any B2B discounts. The first b2b discount we received was for the cruises we just completed where we stayed in the same cabin (and ship) on 2 cruises and we received the discount (eventually) on the second leg.

Based on various CC threads, I had thought the b2b discount was only possible when staying on the same ship for both legs. BTW, I have known people who’ve received the b2b discount for both legs on the same ship, even though they had to change cabins. I wonder why they wouldn’t give you the discount on the first leg. 

[C-Dragons]

10 hours ago, Oville said:

Yes villauk did give me a subtle hint, I was a little slow to catch on.  Thanks to a post from another wonderful poster here, light finally dawned....

🌺🌺🌺 😊

Edited March 28, 2019 by C-Dragons

[Orator]

The "Sail With the CEO" is simply a marketing device. While she is the CEO and has responsibility for her decisions, we must remember that she is responsible to RCL to implement their  policies. If the parent company demands as a condition of her job that she shows targeted growth and profits she must do what in her judgment  will achieve success in Corporate eyes. As consumers we only see what we experience and not the pressure placed by the Board of Directors. I've said for some time that I believe that decisions to cut the emphasis on loyalty, redefining the target demographic and  significantly increasing fares are mistakes that will, in the long run, hurt the company. Time will tell if I'm correct, but we've already seen loyal passengers book cruises on other lines. For many the decision to put aside loyalty is psychological. It is very difficult to change a pattern, but once you do you are more likely to do it more easily in the future. The danger is that if they "break away" from Celebrity and find a better experience they most likely won't return. 

[Ray in NH]

30 minutes ago, Orator said:

The "Sail With the CEO" is simply a marketing device. While she is the CEO and has responsibility for her decisions, we must remember that she is responsible to RCL to implement their  policies. If the parent company demands as a condition of her job that she shows targeted growth and profits she must do what in her judgment  will achieve success in Corporate eyes. As consumers we only see what we experience and not the pressure placed by the Board of Directors. I've said for some time that I believe that decisions to cut the emphasis on loyalty, redefining the target demographic and  significantly increasing fares are mistakes that will, in the long run, hurt the company. Time will tell if I'm correct, but we've already seen loyal passengers book cruises on other lines. For many the decision to put aside loyalty is psychological. It is very difficult to change a pattern, but once you do you are more likely to do it more easily in the future. The danger is that if they "break away" from Celebrity and find a better experience they most likely won't return. 

 

Or, at least not quickly.

 

NRayH